[5e] Strange Tides & Wild Rides

[Rain]

Maps, Overarching Lore, Stuff like that will go here

[Rain]

        Our story begins in a bustling town, of a bustling country, of a bustling world. Tidefall is a particularly colorful city, and it is what is most immediately noticeable once someone steps into town. The waters closest to its ports are a murky dark blue with all of the churning of the surf from the ships, with the waters of the beaches scattered around the area calming to a clear turquoise, the pink-tinted sand dotted with white seashells and silvery schools of fish. The town itself is a mishmash of people and styles, with multicolored cobblestones lining the streets and red brick roof tiles dotting most of the wood-and-stone homes. The city has a plain layout: in the heart is the town square, with all the different residential paths snaking from it like streams from a lake. The largest road in the city is a direct path from the port district to the large open archway that leads further inland. The archway itself, something of a local landmark, looms over the town and all who would seek passage through it, and is made of stones carved from that curious pink sand, the arch itself of dark copper and ornately twisted so that it clearly reads, “MAY GOOD TIDES FALL UPON US”.

   You are in the center of the town square. You can barely hear the sound of the ocean waves over the music of bards serenading strangers for coin, and the chatter of townsfolk, but it’s nothing an adventurer like yourself can’t handle. Among other things in this town square, there are a few things that immediately pique your interest:

•   A tavern with an image of a bear crushing a barrel of stout in its jaws on the heavy oaken door; a weatherworn sign above it reads “STRONGJAW TAVERN & INN”.
•   A public announcement board, filled with an eclectic collection of local announcements and “help wanted” postings tacked onto it, as well as what appears to be a few childish drawings.
•   A garish stand that seems to be drawing quite a crowd. Judging by the collections of cheers, claps, and “awww!”s, there might be some performance occurring.

(OoC: If you would like to earn a point of inspiration, please include the following info in your post:
1.   Your character’s name, race, and class
2.   How – and why, if you would like – they ended up here)       

Map: (Here when I get it looking prettier)

[readlliea]

Murbeam Sealington- Selkie- Ranger Lv:1

The allure of the sea was here, the salty air that filled his lungs that sang of home to him. Sure it wasn't quite the same sea that he was born in and this village wasn't the one he could always spy on from under the docks as sailors marched up them onto their ships. And yet the cheery music within this sea fairing town sounded the same, the jovial tune had him in a high spirit as he entered. The tall young man was so tempted to merely rush over to the sea and dive in however, he had all his equipment to worry about. With a quarter staff in hand and his bow resting upon his back near it's quiver,  and then there was the pack of supplies he carried. The horn resting on his hip that swayed with his movements. 

His eyes were closed as he swayed to the sound of the music, a big smile on his face but not full out dancing. It was tempting of course but he had no idea on how to dance in this form. Now dancing underwater, he could do that; granted most would see it as merely swimming.  A chuckle left him as he opened his dark, near black eyes. Oh how merry a town by the sea could be, it was rather strange to him but he loved it nonetheless. Maybe the sea made land folk happy in a way? It provided them fish and thus a source of food. Now, why was he here again? Oh yes, plain curiosity!! The music was still deep in his ears as he moved on from his spot, letting his eyes glance around the center of town.

Now he never did have a real destination in mind, he just wanted to explore and for a while he hadn't smelled the sea air in a long time it seemed. So when he was walking and the salty sea air first hit his nose, he started to try and get here as fast as he could. Along the way he hitched a ride with a merchant who brought him here. The thought of giving them something more besides thanking them and coin hit his mind but it was a bit late to give the stranger anything else. Seeing as how he was already in the town and that merchant was nowhere to be seen.  Welp, time to allow his attention to land on something!! Granted the music still had a grip on him but he was making a effort to not be sucked back into it.

The sea and a swim was another option but due to his supplies he couldn't just dive straight in; despite how tempting and grand that would be. Were any other selkie's here? Oh that would be so wonderful if a pod was living here!! A big grin came to his face with that thought, however containing his excitement was always something he struggled with. Hyper and full of energy when he got his mind pulled into something. But reality when come calling as he recalled his earlier reasoning for not just swimming here when he noticed the sea while hitching that ride with the merchant.  Grin fading as he sighed.

"Aw kelph sticks..." he grumbled in slightly displeasure.

He hated carrying so much stuff but it all was needed. Thick brows twitched before he took a deep breathe of air and tried to perk himself up slightly. There was plenty of time for a swim in the sea later, he had nowhere else to be after all. Perhaps...the announcement board would hold something of interest? Looking to it, the child drawings stood out more to him than anything, so his eyes glanced at those first before it took to the actual announcements.

[AbyssalDM]

Graveyards are beautiful in their own special way, he thought. Quietly the high elf cleric took a seat on a bench in the center of the sprawling graveyard. If you ignored the writing on the headstones, it was little more than a well decorated garden. As if in stark contrast to the beautiful flowers, the grayscale that was the high elf’s wardrobe was as if he himself was drained of color, when in reality he was just wearing his order’s colors. Every day he came here to sanctify the ground as his clerical duties dictated, and to visit one headstone in particular. The sun shone through the trees, bouncing off the marble, basalt, and granite headstones like water, reflecting off the dew on some of the flowers on the headstone before him. The morning had been relatively uneventful, but he liked days like this.

Tranquility was not something he had experienced for a long count of years. Quietly, he stacked a pile of pebbles one by one before tossing one into the pristine cairn to scatter them. The basalt stone scattered the pile, sending a small obsidian black pebble flying towards the wall closest to the harbor. His brow furrowed and he stood from the bench, simultaneously scattering the pebbles with his foot. He adjusted his shirt and went back into the temple to don his gear. Ten minutes past, and he exited the temple, decked out in his scale mail, holy symbol and spear substituting a staff. He opted to head into the town to see what had prompted such a drastic shift in the weave of fate, though onlookers would not see the look of concern on the high elf’s face. A calm serenity was his default state of being. He had seen many things in his long life and was open to the possibilities that a shift in fate could hold for him, a simple steward of the recently deceased and servant of the mistress of fate itself.

He made his way into the town square, finding a spot to sit, waving to those he knew personally and nodding in acknowledgement to those who recognized his station. Those in this town knew him as Amentis Valdric, and that was how he would refer to himself until further notice. Without much of a word to anyone, he quietly rounded the town square, thinking back to his arrival here to Tidefall. He had spent the last of his coin buying his passage, but he did not regret his decision to do so one bit. After all, his life was a bit of a mess.

[Tiktaalik]

A small figure puttered about the square, metallic jangling coming from them as they meandered about fairly aimlessly, occasionally stretching to stand up straighter to peek at something out of passing curiosity. Despite his eccentric appearance, not many people seemed to bother glancing down to give him much notice, which was probably for the best for a heavily armed kobold, likely hiding all kind of rattling...stuff in his pockets and coat.

The more pretty vistas and culture and whatnot were kind of mostly lost on him so far; really, he'd only had a vague notion of maybe stumbling upon some more exotic imported materials for his own technical reasons. Only now was he finally starting to slow his attention span down and mingle around a bit... Glym wasn't so absorbed in his own lofty ideals and thought that he didn't realize the practical need for a little money at times, so maybe there was something he could do while he had the urge.

It would really be useful to test out his more martial equipment some more, too...

[Rain]

Murbeam

(OoC: Thank you, Read! Go ahead and give yourself a point of inspiration!)

Glancing over the board and settling your eyes on the drawings, they seem to range from the more wholesome to the more mischievous. There aren't very many - at least, that have stood the weather and the occasional grumbling businessman removing them as to put their serious inquiries - so the few there catch your eyes:

• "WANTED", a note scrawled in messy common reads, alongside a simplistic drawing of an elf wearing a fancy cap, with suggestive eyebrows as long as his ears, "PIRATE CAPTAIN SEYMOUR BUTTES: LOOTER OF ALL PRECIOUS BOOTY"
• A paper partially cut into strips. On the un-torn portion, you see a picture of a sun with a smiley face on it. The text beneath it reads, "free flowers!!!". While some of the strips have already been taken by others, you notice that each strip has a small doodle of a sunflower on it.
• "MISSING: Lost Cat!" Reads another. On the picture is a drawing of a grey cat with a pink nose and white paws. "10 Gold Reward. Please return to The Book Wyrm"
• "Trap For Fools Below", reads a small square of a note. Following the down arrow upon it, it leads you to another note. "Trap for Fools Above" it reads, with an arrow pointing back up.

Those seem to be all the postings from children and pranksters alike currently available. The announcements and calls to action from the more serious postings seem to be a little more... in-depth. (Roll Perception or Investigation for further information)

----------

Amentis

(OoC: Thanks for helping set the scene! Please give yourself one point of inspiration.)

The folks of Tidefall, as boisterous as the sea around them, didn't seem to pay Amentis's serenity any mind as they continued in a manner close to near opposite of that. No, like the ocean around a cragged rock, it in fact seemed fascinate them only momentarily, folks who occasionally bumped into him giving a laugh and an apology as they went about their ways. In their own way, it seemed to accept that this serenity was just what he was now, and that was all they needed. It wouldn't be much of a surprise, after all, if places like this had a few residents who never got on the boat to return after first stepping ashore.

Getting to the square was relatively easy - after all, it is the heart of the town - and today was particularly bustling. The scent of exotic fresh fruits mingles with the scents of warm yeasty bread and sea salt, a strange but not entirely unpleasant combination, much like most of Tidefall. By now, the small crowd around the gaudy tent appears to have gotten larger, as did the applause that burst out every few moments. You also notice that there is a foreigner eyeballing the announcement board - perhaps there is something worthwhile there?

(You may 1. Roll for Perception or Investigation, or 2. Roll Persuasion or Intimidation to discuss local gossip with the locals.) 

----------

Glym

(OoC: Thanks for listening! Please give yourself one point of inspiration.)

Stepping through the square, though it is easy to lose sight of the faces of fast-moving folks, as Glym began to slow his mind down, it became easier to spot those moving at a more at-ease pace. Namely, an older elf, stoic in their serenity, and dressed in dark monotone attire. Despite being greeted warmly by the occasional passerby warmly enough, it looked to you that he didn't have time for more than brief chat with most folks. Perhaps there was something on their mind... ?

Looking around to the square itself, there appears to be quite a collection of folks from all walks of life here. Perhaps there are fellow tinkerers, or smiths selling scrap at a reasonable enough price? Or of course, the taverns and announcement boards are pretty good places to find new trinkets to tinker with.

(Roll for Perception, Investigation, or Insight)

[readlliea]

Murbeam Sealington- Selkie- Ranger lv1


Now that he was actually looking it over, his white brows were raised as he stood there. The childish drawings were taking up a good chunk of this board and with each look at the papers, it revealed that there really wasn't anything but these drawings. Of course, he found the name for the wanted elf captain funny, Who wouldn't? Children with their imagination running wild could be endearing, and honestly he liked it when kids were themselves. A smile came to his face as he was about to chuckle at it. However, the grumbles of a fellow man at the board drew his dark eyes toward them with a blink.  Poor man, clearly they weren't in a good mood if they were grumbling like that while pulling down the childish pictures and fake flyers.

Laughing would this would probably only make them more mad, so the selkie took a deep breathe and stiffed the urge to laugh. Well, the board couldn't be a total loss though...right? Surely there was something else here?

"Alright...there has to be something else.." Murbeam muttered as he knew to ignore the childish and prankster looking ones now.

So the man merely stood there, trying to move the papers around as he searched for ones that looked like they were actual jobs rather than a joke or prank made by children. 

[Commanderori]

Zandale - Warforged Wizard of lore - Level 1

"And as we rounded the cloud bank, dodging lightning and hail, there it was! The Leviathan!"  Crouched near the edge of the strongjaw, one of the stranger folks in town spreads his fingers theatrically, a tiny illusory beast floating between his palms roaring at an even tinier illusory ship, accenting the story being told. In this instance, the story of how Zandale had come to be in Tidefall, somewhat... exaggerated for effect. "A beast ten times the size of our airship, capable of swallowing it whole if the captain hesitates even a moment!" Dressed in his usually flamboyant fashion, dark blues and silver to offset the burnished gold plating covering most of his body, Zandale would be hard to miss even if he weren't spinning such a long yarn for the people nearby.

He'd been in town for about a week now, having come wandering down from the north coast with nothing but his backpack, attitude, and stories in tow. "Luckily for us, the little clipper was quick as a flash, diving below the snapping jaws and flailing tentacles  just before we would have been smashed from the sky. I rushed to the engine room, barely able to keep my footing in the stormy sky, and threw the lever to push the engines to their maximum!" How he had come to be wandering along on the beach wasn't entirely obvious, as everyone who had asked so far ended up with a different story from him. One was a heroic tale of pirates and scoundrels, another a hacked off daemon and portals to the outer realms, and so on. "This was just thing thing we needed, the ship accelerating away from the beast while it was confused by our maneuvers! However, unluckily for myself, it was at this moment the engines were struck by lightning! Thrown from the ship, I plummeted through the clouds for what seemed like days, with no idea where I would land or what would befall me. Suddenly, the ground was in view, approaching faster than a daemon with a grudge! But that wouldn't stop a wizard, of course! Quick as a flash I case my spells, flipping over in the air and landing without a scratch! Unfortunatly, I had lost sight of my ship at that point, and only the gods know where they ended up. Its just my luck I ended up here, to tell you all about it!"

[Stace]

Bil [with sharp teeth] || Changeling || Paladin || Level One

Bil shut the door to the large, lavish house slowly and quietly. He came through in a long, luxurious robe, golden rings on his fingers, a heavy gold chain around his neck. He frowned all the way to the bedroom, lumbering slowly until he got to the door where he stopped, placed a hesitant hand on the door knob and took a deep breath before entering. The sigh that followed was supposed to be cleansing, but it did nothing to ease Bil's tension. He pushed to door open finally, revealing a large bed with a Dragonborn within. Despite the fact that his feet hung over the edge of the bed, he looked comfortable, but weary. His skin was a vibrant turquoise color, and when he coughed, it shook the fin that split his gullet, an iguana-like and speckled with navy blue spots.

Looking at the dragonborn wrapped up to his neck in blankets, Bil stood at the foot of the bed and slowly removed rings from his own hands one by one. Finally he tore his gaze away and carried his fistful of golden rings to the bedside table, reaching an equally turquoise hand out to set them there. The air in the whole room shifted as the dragonborn in the bed turned onto his side and wrapped his hand around Bil's wrist.

"You don't have to keep doing that," he said, his voice quiet and rumbly. "You have a greater purpose than running a dying old man's business."

Bil stood completely still, hand frozen, rings ready to fall from his fingertips to clatter on the table, but instead they only scraped together, a soft sound, but a loud one in a room this quiet otherwise. He stared at the table, unable to look at the man in the bed. Finally he dropped the rings and turned away from his comrade, easing out of his grasp. He slipped out of the robe and placed it to hang on a hook on the wall. He stared at the wall now, trying to bring himself to turn around again, but finding himself unable.

"Mercutio. You can't die," he said, feeling his heavy dragon breath hit the wall.

There was a deep chuckle from behind him, and he could hear the bed creak as the bed-ridden man adjusted again. "Stop looking just like me, would ya? Feels like I'm talking to myself."

Bil's next sigh was more grumbly. He picked up a sash from the next hook on the wall.

"No, not the tortle. I want to see you. The real you."

"I don't even know who that is," said Bil, distress tempering his voice, causing it to waver.

"Look at me." His voice was soft.

Bil hesitated, but turned around finally, looking the old man over.

"I know exactly who you are."

Bil stepped closer, shrinking into the shorter form of a round tortle. They looked at the man with a round face, and large eyes, wet with tears. Pouting, they took the dragonborn's hand and kneeled at the bedside.

"I can't tell you, you sweet—" he erupted into a fit of deep coughs, ankles lifting off the edge of the bed from the great contractions in his abdomen.

Bil could only watch on with a growing swell of anxiety. They grabbed for the man's hand again, watching him with worry.

"You have to go find it. Who you are. It's not something I can tell you." His voice now contained an extra dose of strain and a wheeze. "Go out there and finish what you started. I'll be here. I promise."

Bil shook their head incessantly, bringing up their other hand to grasp their Mercutio's hand with both.

Mercutio shook his head slowly. "Your god calls on you to serve him, Little One. Go. Be who you're meant to be. And come back and show me what you've learned." He wheezed again.

Giving him a pleading look, Bil reluctantly accepted their hands back, their eyes falling to stare at the rumpled sheets at the edge of the bed. Silence stretched on for some time, but finally, Bil stood, looking Mercutio in the eye, and gave a single, firm nod. They turned to pack their things, first putting on a yellow sash, and then finding a few more necessary outfits and accessories along with other necessities for whatever long journey might be ahead of  them. They took their time, but eventually, had everything ready to go. It would be difficult to stay much longer, as much as Bil wanted to be by Mercutio's side while this illness kept him from living his life. He picked up his glaive and headed for the door.

"Bil, wait. Take... Take my things," Mercutio said, breathing much more labored than before. He pointed weakly at the pile of rings on the night stand. "My jewels, and my robe. And anything else you need. You may need to be me just yet." He amused himself into a new chuckle.

Bil hesitated, but instead of arguing, they set down the glaive and packed up the robe and rings.  Reaching for the glaive another time, Bil changed his mind. He turned toward the bed. He looked Mercutio in the face, and he shifted again into a human shape...almost. It was like a human with all the color drained out, a slim female form with white hair and colorless eyes, currently clad in an oversized yellow sash.

Mercutio looked her over and smiled. "There's my girl."

Bil smiled softly. "I'll miss you," she said.

"Conquer the world, Little One."  He opened his arms to accept her into a hug.

Bil wrapped her arms around Mercutio's neck and kissed his snout. After finishing their farewell, Bil went back to her tortle form, and propped their shoulder. She took one last look around, and then set out in search of an adventure.

The door closed behind her and she took a breath of the sweet air of Tidefall.

Now... where is an adventurer to begin?

[EvilCopepod]

She had come to the town early that morning by ship, she bought supplies in town as well as a new steed, and was now preparing to start her journey to power. Her age and years of working at the war table had made her soft, and she knew that if she was called back into battle, her weakness would be seen by all of her kin. She wouldn't blame her kind for it, it was on her to regain her former strength. It may not be possible through physical battle, but she knew there were more options to restore her strength.

It was difficult for her to carry her old armor and old weapons on her, she didn't know if she had the skill to fight with them again, so she had taken some of the standard soldier equipment from her battalion's armory and left her soldiers with the promise of conquest to come in the lands she was going to scout. She had a military walk and held her head high as she led her donkey around behind her.

A donkey as a steed was a serious downgrade from a guulvorg, and was not quite suitable for battle, but it was the best she could get with what gold she had. She was an orange, auburn colored hobgoblin, with hair that was once dark but now was white with age, the scars visible on her face were now well faded. She ignored the commotion pointedly, as she had no interest in the play or whatever foolery was going on beyond the crowds. Instead, she went to the notice board that was being looked through by a selkie.

"What do you see there?" she asked Murbeam instead of looking for herself.

[AbyssalDM]

Amentis eyed the town square from his bench, foot idly tapping a rhythm. His passive investigation of the area yielded little results as he scoped out the area. Old habits die hard when you’re used to preserving self and country. He was not a good man many years past, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to be. His eyes lingered on the job board, now surrounded by people eyeing it curiously. As he stood to move towards it, all of the alarm bells in his mind went off and he was immediately looking for ways to escape should he need a quick exit. Amentis had to remind himself that it wasn’t his job anymore, that he had to play up his cover. And so, he made an attempt to seems like the calm, collected cleric of the Raven Queen that he was.

It was a short distance to cover, but eventually, he stood a few feet behind glancing briefly between the selkie and the hobgoblin before staring at the board, curious as to what had garnered the man’s attention. “A fine day to be looking for work, sir. Can I assist you with anything?” 

With that Amentis shifted slightly away from the two to move closer to the job board. Gloved hands fingered some of the prank postings and he shook his head, muttering under his breath. “Juvenile.”

[Rain]

Murbeam

Browsing the announcement board, it appeared about as tame as any other coastal town's. Offers for copper and silver for menial labor littered the sign, as did the occasional sales ad from some of the local vendors to lure folks into trying their newest culinary creations or purchasing their newest wares. However, several notes seem to immediately gain your attention:

• "RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY!!!
  Do your part to help the research efforts of Professor Varana Rosewood at the esteemed Tidefall Academy for the Arts," the flyer -  emblazoned with a stamp depicting a fish jumping out of the water, the waves filled with musical notes - reads, "and reap the rewards in the name of academia! Only the brave need apply!"   
• "Exorcists, clerics, paladins, or whoever can get the ghosts out of my house, please apply," A note reads in starkly written Common, "I know it sounds crazy, but I've got coin for anyone willing to do the job. Come to the Coral Ridge General Store to learn more."
• "Guards needed! Willing to pay good money for three day's travel to Emberdale," reads an ad, written on fresh parchment in bold lettering, "Come to the Strongjaw Tavern & Inn for more info."

Inspecting all of these, however, you notice behind the third paper what appears to be an older post. This older one is small - about half the size of any here - and written in a dark ink that wavers between red and black.

• "Do your part to end corruption," it reads, "join the Order of the Free Ones. Live how you deserve to live."

There appears to be no other information on this document save for a stamped symbol of a peryton snapping a set of chains in its talons. You also notice out of the corner of your eye a burly, surly older hobgoblin, approaching you and speaking in a gruff tone; however, you also notice its calm-toned opposite coming from an older looking elf, who also appears curious about the current happenings upon the board.

----------

Zandale

(Thank you, Ori! Give yourself a point of inspiration.)

 The folks of this town have their own stories, if you are willing to look - in fact, many are willing to share for a drink, some coin or just some polite words - and as they all have their own, they too seem to be enthralled with the stories of others. As you enticingly weave this story, the tavern-goers seem equally interested in the way you speak as they are your very body. After all, Warforged are something of a rarity even in these lands, even more so anywhere near the water. They watch as your metal fingers smoothly move, so close to their own but fused with something more than blood and bone, and gawk at the illusory magics used to further solidify your most current tale of how you've ended up on their pinkish beaches. While it's likely that some of them are skeptical on the authenticity of the tale, for now they seem to be suspending their disbelief.

As you wind down your tale, the townsfolk applaud you, a few coming up to shake your hands and ask in earnest about your tales, one or two offering you some coin if you wish to go into the Strongjaw tavern behind you to enjoy a drink or two and talk of more adventures. "Or," one townsfolk who slips 1 silver to you sheepishly, "whatever it is your kind can do to cut loose." By this point, you can see that some of the folks being dispersed are heading to another area deeper into town square, and there is enough space clearing out you can see a small gathering near the town's announcement board.

(You may 1. Roll Persuasion (with advantage) to discuss local town gossip with the town folk you have enthused with your tales, 2. Roll Perception on the area and surrounding people, or 3. Make another roll upon request.)

----------

Bil

Stepping out and breathing the fresh air flavored with a splash of salt, you meander your way down from the estate down towards the town square. It's about as busy as one would imagine, although you can see a few figures catch your eye. A Warforged - an oddity, even here - is by one of the more popular taverns, and they appear to be telling some grand tale, if what glimpses of the illusions he's paired with story seem to be any clue. You can also spot a hobgoblin stepping through the square, making her way through as though she were a shark moving through schools of fish, making her way towards the public notice board, where one of the local clerics as well as a rugged stranger appear to be staring at the most recent postings. Around you, a few villagers that recognize your tortle form give you brief waves and hellos, there just as quick as they are gone.

(Let me know what you would like to roll here, if anything.)

[readlliea]

Murbeam Sealington- Selkie- Ranger lv1

The papers soon faded away from childish things to the matters desired. Culinary items and a few of the common things. Although, he was rather confused by the mention of ghosts in one of the flyers. Having no experience with those, he at least knew what they were. It didn't sound good.  Soon he found the one seeking guards for passage to Emberdale. Such strange things, he never been there but..he wanted to explore here first. Yet something else caught his eye.

The Peryton symbol was what made him look, the strange beast drew his gaze to the paper and it's letters. A brow raised as he pondered what exactly it meant. Truth be told, he was surprised when others approached him. The stern and serious looking individual that emerged beside him drew his attention off of the board for a few moments. Blinking in curiosity as his surprise faded. Though, he saw no harm in giving the desired answers.

"Well there's talk of a general store being haunted wanting help to remove said spirits, someone needing guards to escort them to Emberdale, and there's also something about research." Murbeam said as he pointed each one out for two with him to see if one peaked their interest. "And then...there's this one."

Slowly, he pointed to the last one. For some reason, this one had him uneasy. A tad unnerved due to the very little information it sported. The red and black ink that looked like the ink somehow could shift between the colors as it was written...the mention of ending corruption. Corruption was such a strange word, people claimed many things corrupt and threw it around like a hot stone on a sandy beach.

"What do you think it's referring to?" Murbeam asked, looking between the two older and most likely more knowledgeable beings. "there's not much info on it but it's got some sort of stamp."

[AbyssalDM]

Amentis’ expression hardened, lines and scars seeming invisible on his timeless face coming to the fore as the fellow spoke of corruption “It could be any number of things, may I have a look there? I’ve been around and might know it’s origin.” He held his hand out to inspect the posting, not wanting to just rip it from the selkie’s grasp. the talk of corruption concerned him. It could be those of whom he feared most, or maybe some subsidiary thereof, but he didn’t want to think of it quite yet. There were many things that he had decided to keep under lock and key, all tied to something hundreds of years past.

He shifted slightly, getting a better look at some of the other postings curiously before looking at the bottommost sheet. “Perhaps they wish to snuff out bribery in political office?” His arms crossed shortly after and his brow furrowed, “i doubt that is their true intention, though. This seems a lot like propaganda.” His tone never changed; the soft slightly accented voice cutting through the din of the town square, his eyes darting between the hobgoblin and the selkie.

[Stace]

The walk to the town square was a familiar one. Bil, honestly, was not very sure where they were headed, head still cloudy from the conversation with their father from moments before. They just knew that their adventure had to start now.

Upon reaching the town square, Bil realized that they must concoct a plan. Adventure certainly wasn't just going to find them. They were going to have to look for it! And the announcement board would be a good place to start or at least to garner some ideas. By instinct, Bil had already led themself nearly straight to it. See? A natural adventurer! A paladin for all to look to for adventuring wisdom! A true leader!

Bil looked the group of potential mentorees over for a moment. Yes, they appeared desperately in need of someone to take the reins. And Bil was the changeling for the job! Probably.

After some hesitation, Bil straightened up their tortle body and strutted toward the others, though a tortle strut did not appear so natural as most other creatures who could strut. They gave a sharp friendly wave and a nod as they stepped up between everyone, shouldering their way through and parking their big body immediately in front of the sign. Without reading any of them, Bil pointed at a flyer. It had a picture of a... a thing with talons. Bil looked over their shoulder at the other with a pleased smile and then nodded to communicate we should all go do this one.