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Sagas of Heroes and Legends

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A conversation on the way
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    • [X] Directions to the court of the fairies that you were chasing.
    -----

    You're tempted to move out, but with a local guide, your original goal comes to the forefront of your mind. "You know the fairies that I was chasing?" You ask.

    Thunder-runner kicks a foot and snorts. "Yeah, stupid things think this way is a great shortcut to wherever it is they go. They've been running in and out for the past few weeks. Didn't know where they were going till I figured out what you were." She pauses. "What's your name by the way? Kinda rude not telling me yours."

    You blink. "Oh, sorry. I'm Jason." You pause. "My hero name's Hot-wheels."

    "Hero name?" Your new servant tilts her head. "Is that like a knight title? Humans are really different than what tales momma told me."

    "Think of it like a name I give to the public." You shrug and look around the field. "I want to talk with the fairies. They did something back home that they need to answer to."

    "Oooh." Thunder-runner nods seriously. "Yeah, that court's a pain. They like pranks, and even the nice ones aren't fun." She snorts again. "They messed with my warpaint once. We're going to kick their asses?" She looks quite happy at that thought.

    "Maybe. I mostly need answers, and to get them not to do it again." You reply back. Frankly you're not certain what you want to do here.

    "Good luck with that." The centaur chuckles grimly. "They're called the Court of Shadow Dancing for a reason. Getting them to answer for something is like pinning down shadows."

    "Oh, fun." You mutter. "Well, let's see what happens. They have a place we can go to?"

    "They hold court past the deadfall and in a nice little copse that gets a lot of light. They got the trees to grow just right so that there's always shadows whenever there's daylight." The centaur stomps all four of her feet. "If we're going I need to get my warpaint on!"

    Your mouth twitches under the helmet. "All right." You pause. "Do you got a nickname? Your full name's a bit of a mouthful."

    The woman frowns at you as she starts to trot back to her camp. "My only nickname was what momma called me. Father always called me huntress, and you're not my momma." She shrugged as you follow.

    "Yeah." You mutter and think on it a moment.

    Her warpaint's white apparently. A good white too. It's actually a bit entertaining to see her put it on her lower half. The flexibility of her human half is a lot higher than what a human would have. You're fairly sure that touching a rear hoof for instance would be impossible. Though the girl looks like she has to strain for that one as well as it it looking like she's breaking her spine in half.

    "You all right with Thundra?" You finally settle on a name.

    The woman's mouth twitches, but she sighs as she finished off the warpaint. "Well, it's better than some things I could think of." She sighs as she finishes off the paint. A series of strange markings are now patterned up and down her hide. It resembles a script more than anything else to be honest. "All done."

    "There a purpose for that?" You ask curiously. "And lead the way please. I don't know where to go."

    "It's protection!" The newly dubbed Thundra states proudly. "I couldn't leave my old herd until I could do it right!" She deflates after a moment. "Without a court or a herd though, it's not that strong. A lot of the best magic needs a good court to work right ya know?"

    "No, I don't." You reply back curiously.

    The centaur frowns at you as if wondering if you're making fun of her, but then seems to figure it out. "Oh! Forget you're human!" She prances a bit in place and starts off at a brisk pace. You have to invoke your power to keep up without jogging. "What, did you think we did courts because we liked it? Courts are basically big ways of doing magic! Depending on the court and the rituals they hold, they can do a whole lot of different things. From what momma said, way back when it used to work really well in the human world, but then it didn't so everyone moved here."

    "That's interesting." Fascinating more like it. You see a large cliff in the distance that appears to be the dead-fall that had been repeatedly referenced. It was like a split in the ground and definitely something you had to fly over or go around. In this case you were going around.

    "Oh yeah, my old herd used to do thunderstorms that they used to run across the fields. It's how I got my name actually." Thundra explains with no small amount of pride. "I ran along with the leading line! It was really fun."

    "Why'd you leave then?" You ask curiously.

    "Bleck, they wanted me to do less hunting and more baby making." The centaur sticks out her tongue. "Father was pushing, and I decided it was easier to just leave." She shrugs at this point. "Been hunting around here instead. The game's good when the shadow dancer's aren't being pains. "

    You nod in reply and look around again. You were making surprisingly good time. It helped that apparently your companion could keep up this pace indefinitely apparently. Shame you had no idea where you were going. Aside from the cliff-face you were circling around, you had no frame of reference.

    "So I'm guessing the shadow dancer clan does shadow stuff?" You continue the conversation.

    "Illusions mostly. They also like shapeshifting. None of it's permenant. Much like the court." Thundra snorts. "They tend to change members by the day depending on who's interested or not. It makes them really hard to pin down, but I can't say they're very strong because of that. I could probably kick their asses if I had my old herd magic backing me."

    "Hmm." That's actually a bit reassuring.

    "Now, talk about you! The armor's changed a lot! Momma said it was all metal stuff last she was in the human world." Thundra demands as you continue on.

    You wonder a bit how old her mother was if she remembered that honestly, but in the interest of keeping your companion interested, you didn't ask. "Well, we technically don't have knights anymore. I'm a hero. Which if you squint is sorta the same thing." You stop as something occurs to you. "You never commented on my powers."

    "Oh, the speedy thing?" The centaur waves a hand. "Everyone knows that knights were better than the other humans. You're not the scariest stuff I heard of. In fact, I like it!" She grins widely. "We have to race again! You're taking me to the human world right?"

    "You want to come?" You're a bit surprised there. She's being very happy about this whole service thing.

    "Of course! I'm your servant for a year and a day! Plus the human world is supposed to be the best place ever!" Another prance from the centaur and she pauses. "You do know you have to feed me and give me things to help right?" She peers at you. "It's really bad if you forget that, and I do eat a lot."

    "Well, I didn't plan on letting you starve." You hadn't known to be honest, but now you did.

    "We can talk on it more later." The woman seems a bit suspicious of your statement, but brushes it off. "Now we're almost at the edge of the court's area. Up the hill." She points up an incline. You can see some trees in the distance. "How do you want to do this?"

    -----
    AN: Ok, getting into a bit of what I've planned for conflict resolution. Basically it's really simple. Each option advances the story. Each one has a downside and an upside. That's about it. If you want to do a write in, you can just state what you want to do, and I'll try to add in the downside equivalent.

    [] Forceful demand for information. Will result in a fight, and injury to your companion. Eventually some truthful information will be gathered.
    [] Polite but firm entry. Will get partial or incomplete information.
    [] Deferential entry. Play a few of the court's games. Will likely take some time and will likely result in something humiliating. It will give you full information on what the children were subjected to.
    [] Write in.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Deferential entry. Play a few of the court's games. Will likely take some time and will likely result in something humiliating. It will give you full information on what the children were subjected to.

    What's a little humiliation to a hero?
     
    [X] Deferential entry. Play a few of the court's games. Will likely take some time and will likely result in something humiliating. It will give you full information on what the children were subjected to.
     
    Eh. So court or how power is ranked eh. I wonder can we bring down the power of Damsels court of knights and heroes on these villains who prey on children?
     
    [X] Deferential entry. Play a few of the court's games. Will likely take some time and will likely result in something humiliating. It will give you full information on what the children were subjected to.
     
    We got to remember that time is a factor amd that full information could involve that we also changelingd them or did some that would claim them if it resolves in the time it takes to enter differentially.

    Also we might consider preemptive gifts of some sort.
     
    [X] Deferential entry. Play a few of the court's games. Will likely take some time and will likely result in something humiliating. It will give you full information on what the children were subjected to.
     
    Hi all! Signed up for SV just to follow this quest.

    I might have questioned the wisdom of pursuing the fairies. I mean, who knows how long it's been in Earth time. But since we've already come this far...

    [X] Deferential entry. Play a few of the court's games. Will likely take some time and will likely result in something humiliating. It will give you full information on what the children were subjected to.
     
    Down the path
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Deferential entry. Play a few of the court's games. Will likely take some time and will likely result in something humiliating. It will give you full information on what the children were subjected to.
    ----

    Thundra is distinctly unhappy about your decision on how to handle this, but doesn't object. She does elect to stay outside their territory though. You hear her muttering about 'glowing paint' and 'impossible to wash out' before you're out of earshot. Honestly that's a bit reassuring. Paint's relatively harmless. If that's all you have to worry about, then you're fine.

    It takes about of minute of skating before you're challenged. "Halt!" Another of the flying tiny fairies comes out of the surrounding trees and then pauses as it gets a good look at you. "Guyyyys! Guyyyys!" He or she charges off in the opposite direction. "The knight's here!!"

    You're not sure if that bodes well or ill, but you keep pushing forward on your skates and up a path deeper into the woods. After a moment, you're stopped again. This time by two people in decorative looking dark-green armor fading out from the shadows of the nearby tree.

    "Halt sir." One says, and you stop as much as you're able to while keeping your power invoked. You get where the children were saying that they were pretty people. You can't tell if it's a he or she in the armor, and their features are pretty enough that you have no clue whatsoever. The swords look sharp though.

    "My name is Hot-wheels. I'm here to speak to someone in charge please. It's about something you've apparently done to a schoolbus of children." You keep your voice level and even.

    The guards shift, and then a fairy flies from behind them to one of their pointed ears. A second later the guard nods and motions to the path. "You may enter sir knight. Follow the path." A grin flits across his or her face. "If you reach the end, your questions will be answered."

    "Oh joy." You might not know your myths that well, but you can spot a setup when you see it.

    Grumbling though, you start off. The woods aren't dark per say, but there are deep shadows here and there that make it just a bit disorientating. The dirt path winds deeper between ever larger trees, and you skate down it with all your senses alert.

    Almost immediately you're confronted by the first problem. The path splits off into three identical paths. Each of them twist around the trees just a bit so you can't tell exactly which path to take. With no real clues on what to take, you simply move down one particular path and hope for the best.

    Honestly, about a minute down the path you're fairly certain it didn't matter. Thundara had something about illusions right? You're going to go down whatever path they want if they're clever enough.

    A second after that thought crosses your mind the trap goes off. A snapping sound resounds as your skates roll across something, and then you hear puffs and feel impacts on your body. You blink and look down at yourself. It's something sticky that you're not removing your helmet to identify. If you were to guess it was honey maybe? Something sticky and without much scent.

    You wonder some at the effect, until you hear the buzzing. You don't even bother to look back. Instead you speed forward down the path. The buzzing persists, and the bugs rapidly catch up to you. Fortunately you're made of sterner stuff than they likely normally deal with. Whatever stingers or bites they have are completely ineffectual against your enhanced durability.

    Unfortunately that makes the crawling bugs creepy and disturbing rather than dangerous or deadly. They squirm under your clothing and try to get under your helmet too. That's tight enough that they don't manage, but the entire sensation makes you want to scream. You suppress your initial reaction though, and continue to roll through the forest as you best you can.

    You barely notice that you're back at the fork as a consequence. You just choose a different path and continue down as fast as you can while ignoring the bugs.

    You find yourself at a large stream interrupting the path at this point. You're unnerved and irritated enough that you don't question it. Instead you drop into it and dunk yourself best you can. It washes off the bugs, but gives you another issue.

    The leathers you are in are good for riding and water resistant. They're not water proof. Getting dunked into the water is not pleasant. The water's icy cold too, so you're out of it soon as you can.

    You're torn between taking them off or ignoring the cold when that decision is taken from you. Somehow, someway the start to tighten, and you immediately throw off your jacket before it constricts you. You can't do the pants quick enough though, and they soon look like they're painted on as they tighten in what is likely a supernatural manner. It's also borderline painful, as are the way the shoes do the same.

    Grunting, you elect to ignore it at the moment. You pick up your jacket and scratch at the undershirt which has naturally plastered itself across your skin. You're going to need scissors to take it off, and you're sure your jacket won't fit anymore. It might wear off, so you elect to take the thing.

    You're annoyed and uncomfortable, but you grit your teeth and bare it. A few minutes later you're back at the fork in the path and taking yet another path forward.

    This time it's through a place so thick with branches that it's almost completely without light. You hear whispers and see things out of the corner of your eye. A few times things dart in front of you as you turn a bend, but never quite get an idea of what it is.

    Frankly against anyone else, it might have made them nervous. You grit your teeth, lowered your head, and started to accelerate. Your power thrums through your veins and you just focus on moving.

    Around another bend a barrier appears. Thick vines, sharp looking thorns. Whispers and things chasing you. It's almost a horror show.

    You slam into the barrier full force. The throns attempt to bite for a moment, but then disappear in shadown. Your through without stumbling, and burst onto a clearing.

    Several figures start at your approach, and a man in a tie and suit brushes out his clothing. Then you blink, and re-evaluate. It's a woman with pointed ears, and very movie-star pretty. She's still in a suit, and is thin enough that you almost mistoke her for a man.

    "Hail knight!" She calls out and smiles. "You have reached the end of the trail! Well played indeed." The voice is high and clear and makes you certain you've identified the sex correctly.

    You grunt, and pause as your pants start to rip. You look down as they fall off, and show off your underwear, which is very, extremely tight. You give the woman a flat look. Then you see flashes as several of the small fairies in the distance use cameras.

    "Oh my." The woman in the suit gasps in mock surprise. "So delighted to meet me?"

    You know your face is flushed. Thankfully the helmet has...

    Mid-thought, your helmet's visor cracks and crumbles off. You're not sure what happened, but your certain that it's something the things in front of you did. The laughter isn't helping at all. You master your emotions though, and push down your blush.

    "Are you done?" You ask as bluntly as you can.

    "Why whatever would you mean?" The woman grins at the laughter, and gives a short bow to the fairies around her. "Now, sir knight, might I ask why you would visit our humble court?"

    You catch another flash of light as more pictures are taken and cross your arms and grit your teeth. "You abducted a bus of children. I need to know what you did."

    "Oh, is that all." The woman waves a hand and then gestures to someone in the shadows. "Jack-in-Box, that was your prank right?"

    A man walks out of the shadows and nods to her. "Yes mi'lady. I led, but most of the rest of the court helped."

    "What exactly did you do?" The woman in the suit asks. You're sure she knows the answer.

    "Charmed the bus driver, drove the bus into our grove, entertained the children, and performed a small body transformation effect. I had them look like someone else on the trip. It will wear off on sundown." By contrast to the others, the man sounded quite serious.

    "There sir knight, you see?" The woman grins. "No harm done, my word as Queen of this court."

    ---

    Thoughts: Ug, I can't tell if I'm being fed a line of bull or not.

    [] Take them at their word. Continue to question them as to why they did it.
    [] Confront them and call them liars.
    [] Write in
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Usually, not always, but nine times in ten you can trust the fey to be telling the literal truth. Unfortunately it's quite easy to lie using just the truth.

    Note that he never actually said he gave the children back.
     
    [X] Take them at their word. Continue to question them as to why they did it.
     
    [X]The kids said you fed them things. There are tails about what that does in my home. I would have answers. Are they tainted, claimed or limited? This is not a case of changelings?
     
    [X]The kids said you fed them things. There are tales about what that does in my home. I would have answers. Are they tainted, claimed or limited? This is not a case of changelings?
     
    [X]The kids said you fed them things. There are tails about what that does in my home. I would have answers. Are they tainted, claimed or limited? This is not a case of changelings?
     
    The Court of Dancing Shadows
  • Threadmarks
    • [X]The kids said you fed them things. There are tails about what that does in my home. I would have answers. Are they tainted, claimed or limited? This is not a case of changelings?

    -----

    "Well, following up on that." You start, ignoring your appearance as you focus on their words. "Could I ask about what you fed them? There are tales back at home about things like changelings or poisoned, or forced to return because they ate something."

    The queen loses her smile at your question. For a moment you fear you've angered her. She doesn't pause in her answer though, and you hear none of what you see on her face. "That is for other courts." Is the immediate reply. "It would fall under cruel sadism, not what we aspire to."

    The serious man, Jack-In-Box chimes in. "A human would not know our courts mi'lady."

    The woman's cheer returns. "Oh, in that case. Consider this an education. Our court is tricks and traps. Not stealing or hurting children." She makes a face and shudders. "Those more cruel courts are less in favor now, and as the queen of my court I hope they will never return to favor."

    "Then why did you take them?" You ask bluntly.

    That gets a laugh from the queen. It's a good laugh too, very dramatic. Throwing her head back and laughing free and clear. "Oh, because it's the first time in this age since the fairies have interacted with the world of course!" She spreads out her arms and indicates the trees around her. "The prestige, the sheer beauty! The Court of the Dancing Shadows will be in your news, and all the fairies in our realm will know we were there first."

    You bite back your first retort, which wouldn't have been pleasant. Your trying to be diplomatic, and despite the pain they've been forthright at least. "So you wanted to be the first to contact. Why target the children with this trick?"

    "Why not? No harm was done, and they had fun. Mayhap in a decade or so they'd like to join." The queen shrugs and brushes out her suit. "Humans do not live long normally, but there are ways to get around that, and some of the children looked quite suitable if they hone their wonder and desire to play."

    For some reason the phrasing gives you a chill, and then it hits you a bit. "You can make people live longer?"

    The queen looks coy. "Now that would be telling sir knight. Why, are you interested?"

    You clench your teeth at the statement. "What would be the cost?"

    "There are where the tales of people spending years unaging come from." Jack-in-Box answers bluntly. You find yourself liking him just a bit. "You have to be in the court, and most humans can't handle it after a few decades."

    "I should punish you for ruining my fun." The queen points at the man. From anyone else you'd take that as a joke, but the way the man winces and how serious she sounds make you think that it isn't one. "In this case it is perhaps wise for the humans to know." She makes a gesture and Jack-in-Box moves away quickly.

    You raise an eyebrow, and wish your helmet wasn't mere remnants. Frankly you feel a bit ridiculous if you let yourself think about it.

    "If you are of the court, there are ways to halt aging in humans. It stops the second they leave." The queen sounds completely serious for the first time. "The age catches up very quickly. It's fully possible for humans to turn to dust when they finally leave. And they can't just change courts. It's tied to the court they're in. Now in the past I believe humans would join up with courts involved in extensive parties. Well, that gets old after a decade or two."

    "And then they leave and find themselves aging." You note.

    "Oh yes, some of the fairies back then thought it was quite amusing!" The queen chimes out in obviously fake cheer. "I sincerely hope the practice doesn't return like that, but you know how it goes. Faires often forget that humans are so different." The queen waves a hand at the fairies you know are watching you. "We move around courts all the time! It's fun! Humans have such strange ideas about being immortal though."

    "Being unaging is a sort of dream for humans." More accurately you're fairly certain that more than a few people will kill to join up with a court if they knew they could be eternal.

    The queen's replying smile makes you think she's quite aware of that. "The best tricks are those that others do to themselves. Humans can try to join up with our courts all they like, but they have to be interesting first." The smile grows. "How about it sir knight? Interested?"

    "No." You state flatly and immediately.

    Your reply is met by another laugh. This one's taken up by the entire court, and for the first time you feel just a bit unnerved. There's nothing human about the things in front of you. The smile the woman gives you is beautiful and lovely. You feel afraid though for the first time, and couldn't say why.

    "Good. Fight well sir knight." The forest flickers as if something is passing in front of your eyes, and you blink.

    Then you find yourself right in front of Thundra. She takes one look at you, and slaps a hand over her mouth. It's not nearly enough to stop her from laughing.

    ----

    [] Head back to the park. Have Thundra come with.
    [] Head back to the park. Have Thundra hide.
    [] It's getting late, and you'd like clothing thank you very much. Request you stay at Thundra's place.
    [] Head out and find a phone. You need to talk to people in the Hero's League now. Also you need to get something for Thundra so she's not attacked on sight.
    [] Write in
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Head back to the park. Have Thundra come with.

    Need to make sure that parents aren't leaving with the wrong kids.
     
    [X]Thundra seems taller than you remembered actually everything kinda...Those asshole turned me into a Kid!!!
     
    Last edited:
    [X] It's getting late, and you'd like clothing thank you very much. Request you stay at Thundra's place.
     
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