Patron of the Arts - Jaezred (27/8)
Aug 28, 2020 10:44:49 GMT
Varis/G'Lorth/Sundilar, BB, and 5 more like this
Post by Jaezred Vandree on Aug 28, 2020 10:44:49 GMT
29th Elesias 1497
Paradise Frost, Castleside, Daring Heights
The chocolate sculpture stands at about 4 inches tall among slices of angelfood cake and white porcelain teacups painted with purple Cormyrian patterns. It depicts a human man with short, combed hair, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, waistcoat, slacks, and a cute little bow tie. He is posed in an upright posture with what seems to be a tea towel draped over one arm and the other behind his back, a stony expression carved into his face. Despite his nondescript facial features, Igrainne could see the resemblance to an adventurer -- or rather, an adventurer's butler -- whom she once knew. She looks up to Jaezred, sitting across the table, with a mix of horror and disgust.
"Go on, try it," says Jaezred encouragingly as he puts his teacup down on a saucer.
"No! This is absolutely morbid!" she hisses. "Jaezred, I knew him. I'd gone adventuring with him!"
"Even better. Now you can remember the sweet memories you shared together when you eat him." The drow mage reaches across the table and grabs The Butler by the legs, and then bites his head off with a big chomp. "Mmm. Delicious. I truly am talented."
Igrainne massages her temples. "Could...could you tell me what happened again? With more details, please?"
"Do you know about the quicksand pit near the Sunset Spine mountains?" he asks, putting the headless Butler down and wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"The one with the creepy statues?"
"Yes, the very same. The Baron Siegfried von Hagen organised an expedition there to retrieve the lifelike statues so they may serve a new purpose by decorating his garden. They're quite beautiful, really. I especially like the ones who look absolutely terrified in the last moments of their life. Anyway, this tiefling who calls herself 'Bubbles' and I were lifting the statues out of the pit with magic when this giant woman rose from the centre of the pit. The green-haired darthiir said it was an earth genie. She rebuked us for 'stealing' from her 'collection', something among those lines. Half of us were ready to fight her, but she posseses abilities that are beyond us. I banished the creature back to her native plane, only for her to return a mere seconds later."
"What? But...how?"
"The barriers between planes mean nothing to her. The adventurers begged for her forgiveness and a parlay. She allowed us into her cave, where there were even more petrified statues and a large, metallic sarcophagus at the far end of the chamber. She demanded a payment for our trespasses. You see, earlier, the fake-elf wizard had found an inscription in Primordial near the pit: 'Witness here the wages of sin / Beauty's the price to pass within.' And so the genie asked for beautiful things we owned. One of them gave her a diamond, but that was not enough to satisfy her. Meanwhile, a few of us became interested in the sarcophagus...she said it contained a powerful creature bound to her service."
"...You didn't ask her to open it, did you?"
"Oh, but we did," Jaezred says cheerily. "She opened the sarcophagus and disappeared immediately. A medusa burst out of it and came straight for us. The Butler, the poor fellow, was just lighting a torch so he could see what was happening. His gaze met the medusa's and...well, he never had a chance, really. I suppose you can say my curiosity killed the cat. Or, more appropriately, killed the butler and almost killed the cat."
"Oh my gods." The half-drow pinches the bridge of her nose.
"They thought it would be a good idea to fight the slithering monstrosity out in the open, under the glare of the sun. So we turned tail and left the petrified Butler behind. Unfortunately, just as we made it out of the cave, the earth genie reappeared and sealed the entrance. The medusa was trapped in there, and so was the Butler. The genie gave us a warning and told us to leave." He takes a long sip from his cup. "We returned empty-handed. No statues, no treasures, and no butler."
Igrainne sighs and rolls her eyes. "This is your fault, you know. And what about the Baron?"
"I heard he was making the rounds in the Ettin and the Winds. Asking for favours to be transported back to Faerun. It appears he has had enough of the so-called adventuring life." At this point, Casillia, the grey-skinned aasimar baker, calls out to Jaezred from the kitchen door. He perks up and cleans his hands with the napkin. "If you'll excuse me, dear cousin."
As her cousin gets up and leaves the table, Igrainne sighs again. She grips the holy symbol around her neck and murmurs a prayer for the Butler's soul.
Paradise Frost, Castleside, Daring Heights
The chocolate sculpture stands at about 4 inches tall among slices of angelfood cake and white porcelain teacups painted with purple Cormyrian patterns. It depicts a human man with short, combed hair, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, waistcoat, slacks, and a cute little bow tie. He is posed in an upright posture with what seems to be a tea towel draped over one arm and the other behind his back, a stony expression carved into his face. Despite his nondescript facial features, Igrainne could see the resemblance to an adventurer -- or rather, an adventurer's butler -- whom she once knew. She looks up to Jaezred, sitting across the table, with a mix of horror and disgust.
"Go on, try it," says Jaezred encouragingly as he puts his teacup down on a saucer.
"No! This is absolutely morbid!" she hisses. "Jaezred, I knew him. I'd gone adventuring with him!"
"Even better. Now you can remember the sweet memories you shared together when you eat him." The drow mage reaches across the table and grabs The Butler by the legs, and then bites his head off with a big chomp. "Mmm. Delicious. I truly am talented."
Igrainne massages her temples. "Could...could you tell me what happened again? With more details, please?"
"Do you know about the quicksand pit near the Sunset Spine mountains?" he asks, putting the headless Butler down and wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"The one with the creepy statues?"
"Yes, the very same. The Baron Siegfried von Hagen organised an expedition there to retrieve the lifelike statues so they may serve a new purpose by decorating his garden. They're quite beautiful, really. I especially like the ones who look absolutely terrified in the last moments of their life. Anyway, this tiefling who calls herself 'Bubbles' and I were lifting the statues out of the pit with magic when this giant woman rose from the centre of the pit. The green-haired darthiir said it was an earth genie. She rebuked us for 'stealing' from her 'collection', something among those lines. Half of us were ready to fight her, but she posseses abilities that are beyond us. I banished the creature back to her native plane, only for her to return a mere seconds later."
"What? But...how?"
"The barriers between planes mean nothing to her. The adventurers begged for her forgiveness and a parlay. She allowed us into her cave, where there were even more petrified statues and a large, metallic sarcophagus at the far end of the chamber. She demanded a payment for our trespasses. You see, earlier, the fake-elf wizard had found an inscription in Primordial near the pit: 'Witness here the wages of sin / Beauty's the price to pass within.' And so the genie asked for beautiful things we owned. One of them gave her a diamond, but that was not enough to satisfy her. Meanwhile, a few of us became interested in the sarcophagus...she said it contained a powerful creature bound to her service."
"...You didn't ask her to open it, did you?"
"Oh, but we did," Jaezred says cheerily. "She opened the sarcophagus and disappeared immediately. A medusa burst out of it and came straight for us. The Butler, the poor fellow, was just lighting a torch so he could see what was happening. His gaze met the medusa's and...well, he never had a chance, really. I suppose you can say my curiosity killed the cat. Or, more appropriately, killed the butler and almost killed the cat."
"Oh my gods." The half-drow pinches the bridge of her nose.
"They thought it would be a good idea to fight the slithering monstrosity out in the open, under the glare of the sun. So we turned tail and left the petrified Butler behind. Unfortunately, just as we made it out of the cave, the earth genie reappeared and sealed the entrance. The medusa was trapped in there, and so was the Butler. The genie gave us a warning and told us to leave." He takes a long sip from his cup. "We returned empty-handed. No statues, no treasures, and no butler."
Igrainne sighs and rolls her eyes. "This is your fault, you know. And what about the Baron?"
"I heard he was making the rounds in the Ettin and the Winds. Asking for favours to be transported back to Faerun. It appears he has had enough of the so-called adventuring life." At this point, Casillia, the grey-skinned aasimar baker, calls out to Jaezred from the kitchen door. He perks up and cleans his hands with the napkin. "If you'll excuse me, dear cousin."
As her cousin gets up and leaves the table, Igrainne sighs again. She grips the holy symbol around her neck and murmurs a prayer for the Butler's soul.
