Quest Time! Shrubbery Shenanigans : The Hedgerow Headache!

[thequestgiver]

Up high on the top most turret of the castle is a somewhat strange sight for those who care to look up; a 10 foot tall dragon perched on one of the ledges, much like a gargoyle, seeming to be having a conversation with the air. Those of impossibly good eyesight might be able to spot the dragon’s companion; a 3 foot tall pixie with nut brown skin and silver-green leaf like hair, who’s lounging lazily on top of the dragon’s head, idly tracing lines around his scales. (But really. No one has eyesight that good. No, not even you, Harold.)

“If we keep waiting for there to be more of them, we’re going to be here forever, you know.”

There was a snort and a bit of a pout from the dragon, who reached up and idly started twirling his mustache. “Well, then, I suppose we can get things started earlier than planned.”

A similar snort answered his own. “As if you ever plan anything,” the pixie returned with amused admonishment. “Just admit it, you’re as bored as I am.”

“Well, maybe,” the dragon allowed. “It’s been so very quiet lately, hasn’t it? Even that load of etchings I brought to town didn’t stir up much of a fuss.”

“You didn’t hardly give them to anyone who’d cause a fuss,” the pixie countered. “The neutral types don’t really cause any sort of ripples in the fabric of things any more.”

The dragon pouts a bit. “It’s such a shame, really. Makes things far less lively. We need a little more life in here.”

“No argument here,” came the reply, the pixie stretching before getting carefully to her feet. “So, what do you think? Something for them to chase after? Or something more cryptic?”

Sven clapped his claws. “Ooh, let’s go cryptic, it’s been so long since we’ve done cryptic...maybe a maze? Something requiring wits? The foresight to bring along some breadcrumbs or string?”

The pixie debated as she carefully balanced on one foot on the top of one of Sven’s scales. “A test to see how alive they are?” she reflected thoughtfully as she stretched. “That might work, for a starting point.”

“And I’ve got an outstanding prize for them I can put in the middle of the maze!” Sven grinned with far too many teeth. “Something really valuable, and how they react to it will let us know how they handle things!”

Joan leaned down, to raise an eyebrow at her companion. “Something valuable. From you?” she repeated with a faint snort.

“All of my stuff valuable,” Sven said innocently. Too innocently. “Super duper valuable.”

Another, louder snort answered that. “Valuable to who, ” she returned, leaning an arm down to balance her weight on her companions snout.

“You say that like I care about any opinions other than my own,” came the airy reply.

With a small laugh, Joan somersaulted down Sven’s snout, fluttering in the air in front of him. “My mistake,” she allowed with amusement as she began to fly off towards the city walls.

Sven stretched his own wings and started off after her.

The next morning the gossip of the moment was all about the large thorne maze that had shown up overnight, not far from the Two-Faced Forest, with rumors that a fabulous treasure lay in the center, guarded by a vicious dragon! … or was it a troll? Myrtle said it must be a dragon, because dragons were the type to guard treasures like that, but almost everyone else said it was a troll, or worse, a goblin -- you know, the type that never brushed its teeth and always smelled of cabbage? No, not Uncle Westmere, though that is a good description of him most days--

But yes, anyway, the maze! A really big one, almost as big as the capital itself! Any hero who has the ill luck to encounter the townsfolk will find themselves pested to go check it out and see what all this talk of treasure really is about!

Not long after the rumors begin, a small group of trumpeters emerge from the castle, their horns somehow loud enough to be heard through the din of gossipers. … though it does take a few tries before said din finally dies down enough that the caller can finally bellow out his message (while the trumpeters quickly cover their ears):

“Let it be KNOOOOWN! The King does now SUMMON all the HEROES of the land to INVESTIGATE this disturbance that has ARRISIN just outside our city’s BORDERS and to then REPORT BACK their findings as to what TREASURE they hath found!”

He pauses to take a deep breath before continuing. “THAT IS AAAAALL!”

With one last tweddley twee of the horns, the bellower and the trumpeters retreat back into the castle.

(Coordination post is here)

Comments

[thequestgiver]

"A dragon? Oh deary me, and here I thought this was going to be a nice, safe, quiet, neighborhood..." the worm lamented. "Not with those troublemakers and their constant fighting making places unlivable. I've had to move a few times because of that sort of ruffian. Very unpleasant to wake up in the morning and see a big nasty fight out your front door."

[scarsolderthanyou]

"I think a big nasty fight might be a little different from your perspective than mine," Stone points out. "What happened last time you had to move?"

[thequestgiver]

"They burnt the whole forest down, they did. Just having a bit of a tuft," the worm sighed, shaking his head. "The problem with those immortal types, you know. Always forgetting that the rest of the world isn't like them."

[scarsolderthanyou]

Stone pauses, then admits, "All right, that's a big nasty fight, all right, I'll give you that. Who was it that time?" Because if he's got any idea what "immortal" means, it's probably not a great thing, especially if they're causing forest fires.

[thequestgiver]

"Two of those big ole nasty ones. Hard to tell the difference between them when they're rampaging like that, you know. But all of thems the same, in the end, deary me," the worm lamented with a deep sigh. "Hope we don't have to go moving already when I've just started unpacking!"

[scarsolderthanyou]

"I don't plan on starting any fights with this dragon, at least, if that helps any. Are there a lot of immortal things out there?" Best to be warned now, he figures. He might be old, but he's pretty sure he's not immortal.

[thequestgiver]

"Just them there dragons, really. If there are others, they don't go about making trouble like them dragons do."

[scarsolderthanyou]

"I'll keep that in mind when I meet this one." He considers, then says, "I can change into what people here call a dragon." Because he's curious what the little worm will do or say.

[thequestgiver]

The worm blinked once, looking a bit taken aback. "Beg pardon? Like one of those creatures? What sort of nonsense would compel you to take on that sort of appearance?"

[scarsolderthanyou]

"I was born that way," Stone answers with a shrug. "My people have two different forms. Besides, it's nice to be able to fly. Or step over these hedge walls if I need to."

[thequestgiver]

The worm looked positively distressed. "Smash right into the canopy if you tried that! You'll be bringing the walls down around our ears!"

[scarsolderthanyou]

"I'm not that big," Stone snorts at him, but he does straighten up again, looking around. "Besides, it's not like I'm in any huge hurry. Since no one can point me at what I'm supposed to fight to help them out, I'm just biding time looking for trouble, at this point. A dragon probably counts."

[thequestgiver]

The worm fretted a bit, somehow adjusting his scarf despite his lack of arms. "They are trouble, that much is for sure, but why you'd want to go around looking for that sort of thing is beyond me. Much better off just having a nice cup of tea." He paused, looking up at Stone thoughtfully. "I'd have to find a much bigger cup for someone of your size, however. More used to entertaining the church mice, you know."

[scarsolderthanyou]

"Thanks, but I don't really need any tea. Just to get to the center of this thing and find that dragon." If he wanted tea, he could just climb out of the maze and go get some outside. "I'll try to make sure he doesn't smash your house, this time, though."

[thequestgiver]

"Much obliged, that. Just make sure you take it out of the hedgerow if it does come to a fight, deary me," the worm all but lamented, shaking his head. "I'll go and warn the misses, at any rate. Her nerve, you know. Awful dreadful after the last time, deary deary me..."

And with another shake of his head, he turned to inch back into the hole in the hedgewall.


   _|  |_     _|  |_     
 _|      |___|      |_ 
 _   S    ___Entrance_ 
  |______|   |__  __|    
               |  | 


Exits are to the North and the East

>_

[scarsolderthanyou]

North he goes. It seems closer towards the center of the maze, at least.

[thequestgiver]

   ______      
  |      |    
  |  S   |  
  |__  __|   
    |  |  
   _|  |_     _|  |_     
 _|W     |___|      |_ 
 _        ___Entrance_ 
  |______|   |__  __|    
               |  | 


This room holds a collection of signs, many of them road signs of the "No Exit" "Wrong way" sort. A few smaller "This is not an Exit" and "No Entry" signs also hang on the walls. There is also a small, hand scrawled "I'd turn back if I waz you" note pinned to the bramble.

Exits are to the south.

[scarsolderthanyou]

Well, that's annoying. Stymied already, only two choices in. Stone huffs, then turns back the way he came. Time to go... west, apparently, since the clearing with the worm only had two exits that aren't going back the way he came.

[thequestgiver]

  |  |                
  |  |      ______      
  |  |     |  No  |    
  |  |     | Exit |  
  |  |     |__  __|   
  |  |       |  |            
  |  |       |  |       |  |      
 _|  |_     _|  |_     _|  |_     
|      |___|W     |___|      |_ 
|  &&   ___        ___Entrance_ 
|______|   |______|   |__  __|   
                        |  |




The hallway to the west goes a little way before opening up into a room that simply has a fountain in it. It's a rather unremarkable fountain, as fountains go, except that the figure in the center of this fountain is the figure of a dragon-- with a moustache. ...holding a suitcase that has the words "Sven and Co" etched into it.

Other than the way Stone came in, there's another exit to the North. Or he could poke around the fountain a bit more, if he so chooses.

[scarsolderthanyou]

Stone eyes the fountain, prods it briefly, but unless it does something interesting, he won't linger, he'll head into that north exit.

[svenandcompany]

 _|  |_    
|      |_ 
|  S    _ 
|__  __|  
  |  |      
  |  |                
  |  |      ______      
  |  |     |  No  |    
  |  |     | Exit |  
  |  |     |__  __|   
  |  |       |  |            
  |  |       |  |       |  |      
 _|  |_     _|  |_     _|  |_     
|      |___|W     |___|      |_ 
|  &&   ___        ___Entrance_ 
|______|   |______|   |__  __|   
                        |  |


"BEHOLD!" roars a small voice. A very small being with the body of a human and the head of a bull trots out from behind the fountain. It's about six inches tall. "YOU NOW FACE THE MIGHTY MINITAUR! WHO GOES TRAIPSING THROUGH MY LIVING ROOM?"

[scarsolderthanyou]

Stone stops. And looks around. At first he has a hard time pinpointing where the voice is coming from-- seeing things right at his feet sometimes is hard for him. Finally he looks down, squints, and tilts his head to one side to try and get a better view with his good eye.

"Just passing through," he says after a moment. "Didn't know it was your living room."

[svenandcompany]

"Live in a maze, the realtor said, it'll be quiet, the realtor said, no one ever shows up in mazes, the realtor said..." The minitaur sighs. "WHY are you here?"

[scarsolderthanyou]

"Apparently there's a dragon at the middle of this, and I wanted to find it," Stone shrugs. "I can just keep going and leave you alone, if you'd rather." Really, it's what Stone would rather, too. He's not in a huge hurry, but running into tiny people wanting to chat in every clearing is going to get old fast.

[svenandcompany]

"THAT DRAGON IS MY REAL ESTATE AGENT!" Well, now the minitaur's all stirred up. "He's GOT to be! The nerve! Is he showing the rest of the maze, too! I was trying to lease the whole thing!"