{"id":6378,"date":"2019-05-22T17:45:27","date_gmt":"2019-05-22T22:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/?p=6378"},"modified":"2021-12-27T00:23:54","modified_gmt":"2021-12-27T06:23:54","slug":"04","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emifail.com\/ocs\/cascade\/04","title":{"rendered":"the blood of 14 beetles"},"content":{"rendered":"

luci is bored and therefore a public menace, bishop makes friends, talmage practices normal magic in a normal way<\/em><\/p>\n

rocco<\/strong>: are you sure you're not like, part cat?\r\nbishop<\/strong>: no.\r\nrocco<\/strong>: are you a cat god?\r\nbishop<\/strong>: i am not a cat, and i am not a god.\r\ncat<\/strong>: *PURRING LOUDLY*\r\nbishop<\/strong>: this cat is very loud in my ear.<\/pre>\n
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the group decides to go shopping to get supplies for their cave mission – none of them have that much money.<\/p>\n
talmage<\/strong>: this little hunt reminds me of something you'd find on one of those job boards.\r\neveryone<\/strong>:\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: y'know\r\nrocco<\/strong>: what?\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: ... like, the job listings in town\r\nbishop<\/strong>: what.\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: like ... when you need money? and you go do a favor for someone?\r\nrocco<\/strong>: why don't you just ask-- oh wait, ah never mind\r\n[shad<\/strong>]: \"why don't you just ask daddy for money?\"\r\nraja<\/strong>: that's<\/em> how you earn money?\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: i mean you can<\/em>, it's nice when you don't have a stable<\/em> job lined up\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: sometimes people just need a stick<\/em> from a cave<\/em>, you know?<\/pre>\n
they aren’t sure if mr. graves ACTUALLY needs this staff, or he just put it there for rocco to fetch it.<\/p>\n
talmage asks rocco what these tests are usually like.<\/p>\n
rocco<\/strong>: what do you mean\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: i don't know, is there like a pit of lava you have to jump over--\r\nrocco<\/strong>: we can just fly over that one.\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: *sighs* okay<\/em><\/pre>\n
rocco explains that sometimes it’s an intelligence or agility test, or sometimes he just fights rats, but nothing too dangerous.<\/p>\n
we discuss whether to do this quest or go to the circus first.<\/p>\n
talmage<\/strong>: you know how when you have something to do\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: but you're like, \"oh i'll stop at home first\"\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: and then you stop at home\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: and then you end up just lying on the couch for the next week\r\nbishop<\/strong>: no.\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: i feel like it might be one of those situations<\/pre>\n
we decide luci owes mr. graves, so he should come with on the quest. afterwards, we can bring him back to the circus.<\/p>\n
raja<\/strong>: i am somewhat on board with that as i think Things May Happen once we return to the circus.\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: THAT SOUNDS ... ACCURATE<\/pre>\n
luci mentions bishop’s promise to rid the circus of their bird problem.<\/p>\n
talmage<\/strong>: we know what's causing<\/em> it, but i don't know if that makes it any easier for us to stop it\r\nluci<\/strong>: what if you asked your little bitch friend?<\/pre>\n
people start filing into the fish & bits, so we take our leave. the walk is about 4 hours total.<\/p>\n
once back in highkeep, we head towards the tunnels. there are huge streams that connect to the waterfall and big guard rails on the sides so no one falls in. no one hangs out near the edge.<\/p>\n
[ashley<\/strong>]: there isn't anyone playing on the sides of it, it's too dangerous to fall off\r\n[ashley<\/strong>]: there are grate systems that catch people\r\n[emily<\/strong>]: god, you know <\/em>there's some fuckin', like, \"wall challenge!!!\" where kids have almost died\r\n[ashley<\/strong>]: it's a common problem<\/pre>\n
we see a big guard tower sporting the vale symbol and next to it arkadia university, a private school for people who are training to become officers of the vale.<\/p>\n
rocco<\/strong>: talmage, that's my school!\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: oh\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: yeah, that makes sense\r\nrocco<\/strong>: i know they do like, when a transfer student does a swap with another student--\r\nraja<\/strong>: an exchange ..?\r\nrocco<\/strong>: yeah! they do that sometimes, if you're interested you could come--\r\nbishop<\/strong>: rocco, i don't think that ...\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: you do<\/em> know that's a really stupid thing to say, right?\r\nrocco<\/strong>: what do you mean?\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: why<\/em> would i want to attend that school. why would they let me<\/em>\r\nrocco<\/strong>: well, i'm<\/em> there!\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: *sighs* yeah and that's really<\/em> confusing<\/pre>\n
raja is learning what money means – things are expensive. and cost money. that she doesn’t have.<\/p>\n
bishop is looking for armor in a leatherwork shop. bishop tries to find armor that would work for him, but … this is not metal, he thinks. this will not stop a sword. what is the point of wearing leather.<\/p>\n
raja picks out one of the scaley hide armors and shoves it into bishop’s hands. he buys it.<\/p>\n
rocco<\/strong>: talmage!\r\nrocco<\/strong>: um, do you need ... supplies<\/em>\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: what?\r\nrocco<\/strong>: do you need supplies<\/em>\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: oh! oh, uhhh--\r\nrocco<\/strong>: to do your like, stuff\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: oh, uhhhhhh ...\r\nrocco<\/strong>: i know a couple stores in the area i could take you to\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: i ... suppose ... i could take a look.<\/pre>\n
rocco offers some money to bishop if he needs it. he insists bishop doesn’t have to pay him back – bishop insists that he does<\/em>. talmage is interested in buying ink – rocco offers the bookstore his brother hector used to visit a lot.<\/p>\n
he leads the group to a fancy, three-story bookstore that smells of coffee. we see a few people in arkadia private school uniforms. instead of entering this bookstore, rocco leads us down a narrow back alleyway around it, under a few bridges. we approach a small, black door on the left with an inscribed book graphic carved onto the door. rocco says this is it!<\/p>\n
they open the door, and a bell chimes before breaking off its string and falling onto the ground. inside, the ceilings are slanted and deep – the beams holding them up are resting atop fully-stocked bookshelves. there’s a small L-shaped desk by the door, a woman with long pigtails sitting there with a long, black robe. she’s wearing large, cracked glasses. rocco remembers her name is agatha.<\/p>\n
agatha<\/strong>: hector, it's been a while since you've been here\r\neveryone<\/strong>: ???\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: i'm sorry?\r\nrocco<\/strong>: oh, um, sorry ma'am! that's not hector! i know they kinda look-- uhh, i never thought about it that way, but i guess--\r\n<\/em>rocco<\/strong>: but that's not hector! this is my friend talmage! he's new in town<\/pre>\n
she holds her hand out to talmage, and he hesitantly gives her his. she pulls it closer and begins studying his palm, tracing some of the lines. talmage gives rocco a look of confusion.<\/p>\n
agatha<\/strong>: this is not hector\r\nagatha<\/strong>: but your fates are intertwined\r\n[emily<\/strong>]: *laughing nervously* what the fuck<\/em>\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: ... thanks<\/pre>\n
inside the shop, there are rows and rows of books, floor to ceiling taking up the entire 15 x 20 ft area. some books are dusty, some are chained down. there are scrolls, maps, paper, inks, pens, crystals, incense, etc.<\/p>\n
a black cat jumps onto agatha’s desk, purring. it walks over to bishop and starts head-butting him. bishop picks the cat up, and it climbs onto bishop’s shoulders. it starts cleaning his hair.<\/p>\n
raja offers a claw to the cat, but it hisses at her.<\/p>\n
rocco<\/strong>: are you sure you're not like, part cat?\r\nbishop<\/strong>: no.\r\nrocco<\/strong>: are you a cat god?\r\nbishop<\/strong>: i am not a cat, and i am not a god.\r\ncat<\/strong>: *PURRING LOUDLY*\r\nbishop<\/strong>: this cat is very loud in my ear.<\/pre>\n
the cat has licked bishop’s hair so much it’s sticking in the wrong direction.<\/p>\n
talmage asks agatha the last time she’s seen hector – many moons. he used to come and spend hours browsing. she liked him – he was a good lad, very curious. bishop asks what books he would purchase – apparently he was fascinated by dragons and demons. she offers to give us the books he last had on hold. rocco offers to deliver them to him!<\/p>\n
she pulls out a crate of books. the first book has a black front cover and white back cover, bound with gold and a lock. apparently a traveler stopped by a year ago who sold her many books and picked up a map. she doesn’t have the key for it, but bought it because she thought hector would like it.<\/p>\n
only bishop is able to read the title, “the story of atrimentus and alabaster” – he doesn’t mention it to anyone.<\/p>\n
he asks for books on world history – none of that here. most of the books here seem like diaries or personal stories about their experiences.<\/p>\n
rocco<\/strong>: talmage! did you wanna get some ink? there's an ink section!\r\ntalmage<\/strong>: oh\r\n[shad<\/strong>]: you GOTTA go to the pen section of the bookstore<\/pre>\n
everything is too long and too fancy, handmade ink bottles that say things like “blood of 14 beetles.” inks with ten different words in its name. “serpent’s poison” is dark green with gold flecks. “angel’s tears: a gift from beyond the clouds” is golden. talmage decides to shop by price, looking for the cheapest inks.<\/p>\n
a second cat emerges from where it was sleeping in one of the bookshelves, yawning. bishop tries to pet it, but it scratches him.<\/p>\n
[ashley<\/strong>]: you take 1 point of damage\r\n[shad<\/strong>]: damn that's a lot for me<\/em>\r\n[ashley<\/strong>] oh fuck you guys are level 2\r\n[emily<\/strong>]: YOU'VE KILLED HIM<\/pre>\n