thequestgiver: (Pesky dragons)
The Quest Giver [Einmal Mod Account] ([personal profile] thequestgiver) wrote in [community profile] eswareinmal2018-12-02 06:48 pm

Quest Time! Shrubbery Shenanigans : The Hedgerow Headache!

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)
scarsolderthanyou: (surprised)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2018-12-27 12:04 am (UTC)(link)
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: (Default)

[personal profile] svenandcompany 2019-01-04 04:50 am (UTC)(link)
"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: (Default)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2019-01-09 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
"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: (Default)

[personal profile] svenandcompany 2019-01-13 11:49 pm (UTC)(link)
"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!"
scarsolderthanyou: (nope)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2019-01-14 10:30 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'm not interested in buying or leasing or anything," Stone assures him, annoyed. "I just want to see what a dragon is like. The people here keep calling me a dragon, and I wanted to meet the local version."
svenandcompany: (Default)

hello I found this tag

[personal profile] svenandcompany 2019-01-28 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
"Well," sniffs the minitaur, if you go through there,"--here, he gestures at an exit--"maybe he'll still be there. He was supposed to come by and remove the realtor signs, you see."
scarsolderthanyou: (patience)

yay!

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2019-01-30 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
"Thanks," Stone says, and manages not to sound sarcastic, even. Quite a feat. "I'll make sure not to come back through your-- living room, did you say?" He glances around. Not much of a living room. "On my way back."
svenandcompany: (Default)

[personal profile] svenandcompany 2019-02-05 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
"Good, good, I'm about to redecorate, and I'd hate to set everything up only to have someone knock it all down again!" The minitaur huffs in irritation. "Give that realtor a piece of my mind for me, would you?"
scarsolderthanyou: (curious)

[personal profile] scarsolderthanyou 2019-02-07 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
"I will," Stone says, bemused. He shakes his head, and turns to head in the direction the minotaur pointed, ready this time for something small (or even not small) to start yelling at him.