Post by Ser Baine Cinderwood 🔥🌼 on Jun 21, 2019 0:47:05 GMT
Here's a long one, combining Let the Game Be..gun? and A Little Bit Louder Now, and as we've all agreed that inspiration stacks I'm expecting two(2) for this write up, kthanks.
“Dear Thea,
I’m writing all of this down as I go, but I probably won’t be able to post it to you until it’s all over. We’re back in the Feywild again. It’s not going great. I got my new breastplate tho. It looks fresh as hell, Milo is a genius. He put flowers from Aschenwald on it.
I’m already regretting this. Fucking Markas.
We’ve been here for a grand total of 2 days and I’ve already scared my dog, made Urso sad and lost half the people I came here with. Not like they died, but like, this place is HUGE. There’s so many people and they’re throwing the world's biggest party and you look away for a second and someone’s gotten distracted and gone into a tent and then you don’t see them for hours.
A bunch of us were supposed to get here for the opening ceremony but GUESS WHAT, Feywild Time is messed up, so we missed it. We got here late, Bogg, Markas, Urso and me. We made our way here with two others who didn’t know the way to the Conga Tree that gets you to the Feywild; an amazingly large tabaxi named Paw who looks like she could kill me very quickly if she wanted to but acts like she’d rather not, so that’s nice, and a halfling named Geoffrey, a very nice fella. I really have to work on Urso and he’s instant mistrust of halflings who aren’t him or Bogg. This is getting ridiculous.
Thea, I just wanted to feed my dog. I just wanted to buy food with money. BUT NO. We went into a tent that just had a ? on it and some guy wanted to sell me a massive hotdog for 1 whole persent of all my hair. I wasn’t entirely sure how much that was so I turned him down, but then Paw bought it for me. She’s very nice. I’m still not sure if a persent is very little or if Paw just has very thick fur - I didn’t see a difference after she bought it for me and you can’t just ask to pet another person, that’d be weird.
I fed Frankie some hotdog, looked up and Bogg and Urso was gone. Naturally. Bogg disappears all the time, it’s what he does. Urso, I’m slightly more worried about. He’s a kid! We keep bringing him to things - he brings himself to things actually - and we keep forgetting he’s an actual child.
We found them again, in like, another part of the tent. There was a creepy as FUCK mechanical doll who roped us into playing a game and Markas was all “this is what we came here for” and Bogg and Urso had already added things to the pot so I had no choice. We declared who we was fighting for (I picked Sarastra, I didn’t know anyone else) and hopped through a portal. Again.
I think the thing I dislike most about the Feywild is that you never get to just straight up fight something. I’m good at that, y’know? I’ve got a good reach, a big sword and I’m happy to chop away at something. But not in the Feywild, nooo, here we SLAP GLOWING SHROOMS WITH COLORFUL GLOVES. It was a goddamn mess, Thea.
Paw is running around faster than anyone I’ve ever seen, Markas forgot how to hit things, Geoffrey kept naming the shrooms and Urso made friends with them because he didn’t understand the game was to smack them. I’m pretty sure I’ve traumatized my child.
Frankie wasn’t too happy with the game either, he was bouncing around in the backpack and I got so competitive I forgot he was there.
A mess, Thea.
But we’re here now. At the games. I’ve declared for Queen Sarastra, don’t even know what that means. I only picked her cos I knew her from the job we did for Rholor. He’s around here somewhere I guess, trying to get ascended.
Gonna try to make the best of it. Try not to lose my friends or kill my dog or disappoint Urso.
I’ll let you know.
“Oi Rholor! Rhoski. Brohlor. Let me pick your brain a minute?”
Baine finds him sitting alone on a bench, smoking from a small hookah, facing a small glade in the outskirts of the main event area.
"Oh... Can I help you? Who are... Ah yes, I remember you from the children incident - Bone? Was it?"
“Baine. Baine, actually, but that’s cool I guess.” He adjusts the squirming ball of fluff in his arms.
“I’ve been meaning to find you since the games started. I- I have a few questions. About this whole- thing, I guess. Would you mind if I joined you?”
"Ah yes, Baine, I apologise - it's been a couple of very confusing weeks lately.
Go on then, have a seat. Do you smoke? " Rholor offers Baine the hookah.
"I have a few minutes away from all the mess - better put my time to good use.
What are these questions of yours?"
Baine takes a seat with only slight hesitation. Tries the hookah, covers a small cough.
“Cheers. Um, so, yeah. I’ll just get straight to it then.”
He takes a deep breath.
“So I’m in these games now yeah, and I chose to compete for Sarastra cos I didn’t know anyone else, I’d only ever met one Fey noble and it was during the job we did for you, but like, she might be winning now it looks like and Heret and Sunday was saying how it might be... Bad? If she wins and you ascend? Like. Like there might be a ‘conflict of interest’?”
He squares his shoulders a little.
“Basically man, if you win, are you gonna be dick like all the other nobles?”
Rholor breaks down laughing hard.
"Ahhh. Ohhh boy, it's been a while since I've laughed that hard...
Why are you here? For fun? To have a deciding hand in the games? Just because? I don't understand it, you chose Sarastra without knowing or trying to know the other contestants?
I mean don't get me wrong, you made a very good choice -an uninformed one but very good nonetheless.
I have absolutely have no clue of who Heret is but Sunday... was a surprise - she used be driven by vengeance, hate and grief and she disappeared after we dealt with Granny Longtooth - somehow it appears Titania took a liking to her and is trying to ascend her and guide her on the correct path. I appreciate that but... it's a bit of a selfish goal. The River King wished to ascend an absolute madman named Langston that stole the Mote of 999 souls and double crosses everyone who he works with. Jack, the fool is just a lost cause - doesn't know what he's doing and just wishes for 'freedom' while he is already free, he got himself into Queen Sarastra's court and the fey, specially the Archfey are capricious, you are not coerced into swearing fealty but once you do, it's on you.
Me you ask? Am I going to be a dick as you put it? Well I'll be honest with you - to many of you adventurers I am probably already a dick in a way or another.
It saddens me but I know my path is righteous and well guided.
I serve a higher power and that higher power guides me - this higher power trusts Sarastra and believes our alliance can do great things. My goal is one and one alone - continue protecting the people we live amongst from the horrors and threats that wait in the shadows at every corner as I've been doing for the last 3 years.
I have given a lot to Kantas without reaping much in return - it will come a time when I will no longer tolerate this but for now? For now I keep fighting the good fight. For me, for you and for all of us.”
Rholor smiles.
“So, you make your own decision now, is that being a dick? Reflect upon what I've told you and you'll have your answers. Morality needs no brain, just your heart and that I sense yours is in the right place young half orc.”
Baina takes a moment, thinks it over. Takes a second, more successful hookah hit after Rholor.
“You’ve got a purpose huh? Must be nice.”
Pets his dog a little.
“Why am I here? Cos my dickhead friend asked me. I didn’t care. Now I think I might. I want to prove myself.” He shrugs.
“But more importantly, I want to know what I’m fighting for.
You say one day you’re gonna want to reap the benefits. What does that mean?”
He makes steady eye contact over the hookah.
“When you decide you’ve paid your dues and you want what you’re owed, where does that leave the rest of us?”
"Yes... it is nice, some days,” Rholor says. “Other days not so much - I've lost many friends who perished, lost many friends who veered off the correct path and many friends who stopped believing in me. But that's what happens when you have a steel-strong purpose, be weary."
Baine takes a moment to really look at him. He understands suddenly that age has not been kind to Rholor; his face suggests he can't be much older than 30 and yet his eyes show a lifetime of stress and responsibility.
"Ah, that's noble in it's own way, following a friend. Especially if it made you realise you want to fight for yourself! It seems you are on the right track."
Rholor playfully scratches Frankie behind his ears.
"I meant it less like reaping the benefits for the past but reaping benefits for whatever I do in the future,” he continues, “If it comes to that I will just leave, either to Faerun or to the Feywild - Kantas is not a place for selfish acts, know that, learnt that as fast as you can."
Baine nods.
“I’ve lost a fair few myself, for no apparent reason. It might have been nice to have lost them to a purpose. But probably not right? They’re still fucking gone.”
He says this quietly, almost like he’s speaking more to himself than to Rholor.
“So you’re gunna retire?” The shit-eating grin is creeping back onto his face. “Stop doing work for exposure? Put yourself first? Live your own truth?”
Rholor lets out another hearty laugh.
"Ahh... Yes, sounds good doesn't it? I've thought about it a lot recently, especially after the war with Granny.
But I think it's just a child's dream. Deep down I know I won't give up on fighting the good fight just yet. Maybe in a few years, when I want to start up a family somewhere safer than Kantas."
Baine chuckles at that.
“Rholor the family man huh? It has a nice ring to it.”
"It does doesn't it? Maybe when I find the one!?" Rholor laughs again.
Baine laughs along with him, hugs Frankie a little closer to his chest.
“Hey remember when we all got turned into kids and you were completely useless without your magic?”
It’s a teasing line but with a surprising amount of honesty in it.
"Uuuhm... Yes... not fondly but I do recall it."
“Oh no I hated it too, so much, I was pretty useless too and my sword Phil didn’t like it. If I don’t get a chance to punch Langston Farstep in the face before all this is over, I’m gonna be very disappointed. But that’s not my point.”
He hesitates. Looks Rholor up and down. Sighs a little.
“You’ve got some good people fighting for you in these games. Fighting for Sarastra. We might actually win this for you. If you get ascended and you become Fey nobility, can you do me a favor?”
He looks painfully earnest now.
“Can you try to never forget how useless and helpless you were when you got turned into a child and lost all your magic? And remember that there are people back in Kantas who feel that way every day, and when the Fey dick nobility wants to poke at them, can you convince them to maybe.. Not? Do that?”
"Baine, I am not stupid. I am well aware my power is borrowed. I can hold myself in a fight better than your average farmer but I have no doubt that if I didn't have my faith and the trust of the Moonmaiden you would be able to beat me in combat for example. Most of what I did for this town, this continent, was to help others - why do you think I spent my adventuring riches in building a temple where I heal the sick and give council? Why would I do that instead of spending it on magic trinkets or a mansion or fancy food every day?
Worry not, I appreciate what people are doing to help Queen Saratsra but I do not owe them anything - they are doing it of their own volition. Who I owe a lot to is to those who died in the wars to keep us safe, those who work everyday to make Daring Heights functional. And they owe a lot to me and the City Council. While that symbiotic relationship holds on their side it will also hold on my side.
"Revenge is pointless by the way,” Rholor adds. “Leave Langston alone for what he did in the past - just make sure you stop him from hurting anyone else in the future."
“Punching Farstep in the face wouldn’t be revenge, it’s just common courtesy at this point. Social convention demands it.” Baine shrugs.
“I realize I probably seem like an uppity little shit to you, Rholor. And I am. So, yeah. But at the end of the day, I want to be able to say that I did everything I could, that I tried my hardest to make a difference. Power and gold changes people. And it’s always the ones at the bottom who suffers for it, always. “
He sighs again.
“I had to at least speak to you, you know?I don’t claim to know who you are. I don’t know what you’ve done or where you’ve come from. I just know what people in power tend to do, which you know just as well, I reckon.” He raises his hands placatingly, almost preemptively.
"Hmmm yes, I forget not everyone knows me or has preconceived ideas of me at this point... forgive me. As I said I feel like your heart is in the right place. And yes I understand your concerns with the fey. Rule of thumb: stay out of their business and they'll stay out of yours. As for me and my influence, rest assured - all will be done for the benefit of the common folk."
Rholor lets out a big sigh.
"I never asked to lead you know? I was happy helping from the sidelines. But the time came when I realised the only way I would no longer be annoyed and angry at those in charge was if I was the one in charge. It's a tiresome effort.. But a needed one."
Baine looks visibly relieved. He nods slowly and thoughtfully.
"Good. And even better. I'd only ever follow someone who doesn't actually want to lead."
He takes one last hit on the hookah, holds Frankie securely to his chest and makes to stand.
"I'm gonna get out of your hair. Thanks for the chat. "
There's a cheeky wink and a salute,
"Don't make me regret fighting for you, please, mister Rholor, Sir," he finishes, a dripping insincerity on the honorifics.
Rholor smirks, even snorts a little as he looks away into the distance again.
"You're smug enough eh? I see how the adventuring life found you. Go on then, let's win this absolute waste of everyone's time!"
…..
It takes a whole minute before Baine comes awkwardly half-jogging back.
“Hey I know we did the whole cool one-liner ending to this conversation but I forgot to ask; do you know anyone who could babysit my dog for the finale on Tuesday?”
Thea,
I’ve lost Markas. I left Frankie and Urso with Paw until I can find him. This is a mess. Think I accidentally signed up for a game as well? People keep coming up and like… giving me props for signing up? The prize is a chair. Gods, what a mess.
Thea,
I got to kill something. Finally.
So this game I signed up for was supposed to be announced by someone named Celandrine. Aaand they disappeared. We got paid to go investigate this spooky mansion where we found some people that had like… stepped out of their paintings. Like, they were paintings, portraits and shit. But they had been magicked, obviously.
It was me and Bogg, Serpentine who keeps popping up everywhere, Heret and Traavor. And this very violent and cheerful lady named Sunday who I might’ve actually asked to marry me if I could be certain she wouldn’t smoosh me with her large hammers to tell me no.
We slashed a bunch of portrait people who bled paint instead of blood. Found a big green energy blob who was directing an orchestra full of magicked people - NOTHING GOOD EVER COMES FROM MAGIC - and Celandrine was among them. Bogg and Traavor almost got sucked into the whole thing but we fought it and killed it.
Mainly me and Sunday. Together. We did beautiful violence together, for like a good cause? It was nice.
And then. Then. We headed back to the games and actually played that game I accidentally signed up for.
Thea. It was so weird.
We got robes in the colors of the Fey that we declared for - I’m still running for Sarastra - and these big old staffs. We walked into the middle of the big arena (it’s shaped like a clam?? don’t know why) and LANGSTONG FARSTEP was there. Gotta punch that guy soon. And a scary lightning lady. Think I’ve seen her before. Maybe.
And then, we did magic. I don’t know how, but we all did it. We all made illusions that like, one-upped each other. Like, Langstong made the first one - a lion, but Sunday summoned a ringmaster with a whip. Bogg dropped some boulders on that, and I made a slide that directed the boulders away. Lighting Lady created minotaurs, Traavor beat that with Medusa, Heret trapped her in a hall of mirrors and Serpentine broke the mirrors with a bunch of screaming children. Round and round we went.
After the children there was a ginger bread house, a giant icicle, a hot day, a sunset, storm clouds and a tornado. To beat the tornado the entire stadium was sunk under water, somehow? And then there was a giant whale, a wizard, a beautiful woman who seduced the wizard, then Bogg made a CATAPULT?, I broke the catapult with a gazillion rats, the rats grew brains and got chased away by brain CATS, the cat started chasing a red dot and then it was just, pitch dark.
And then someone summoned the actual sun before Sunday plunged us all into a plane of ice and Despair. Bogg trumped that with Hope and sent a bunch of unicorns into the arena. I trumped THAT with Victory - I put a bunch of me’s and Sunday’s on the unicorns and we were glorious and victorious. And the scary lightning lady didn’t know how to beat that, so she was out!
Traavor went with Defeat, Heret followed that with Determination. Then there was, I think, the concept of all things Ending, and then the Present. Sunday made the present into a gift (I think that’s a pun) and Bogg went with Gratitude and summoned a person who was happy with the gift. I turned that into Greed, with a person who couldn’t stop grabbing more and more presents and then Traavor was out as well. Then there was Satisfaction and Apathy and then Langston was out! Then there was a knock knock-joke and then Sadness, and Rebirth and Time, just pure and simple Time, and then Serpentine stopped time and Sunday got a gnome in to come in and fix the clock and Bogg turned the gnome into a man somehow-
Thea, he looked so much like Dad. I barely had change his face or anything, just a few little details. There he was, in the middle of the arena of the Amaranthine Games in the Feywild, and he looked so tired. So sad. Not at all like he looked when I was growing up, more like he did just before. When everyone was so angry with me.
So I fixed it, Thea. I put a book in his hands, a book about his life. About me and Mum. And I gave it a Happy Ending. And Dad read the book, and closed it and somehow, it was true.
And then I won the game.
I don’t think it was real, cos it was all illusions. But for that one second, Dad got a happy ending.
I won a chair. Sarastra’s in the lead cos I won the game. I don’t care all that much right now. I still haven’t found Markas either.
What a mess.
The finale is in a week. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Baine tucks his letters into his pack. He’s set up his and Bogg’s bedrolls by the very edge of the camp of the games, away from the worst of the partying. There’s a good clump of trees that don’t seem too mystical or like they’re gonna make their emotions blow up without warning, for no reason.
Night has fallen, as much as it does in the Feywild, very slowly and then suddenly. There’s stars and moonlight and fires in the distance and music coming in bursts. Baine wipes the tears from his face and fixes the blanket over Bogg and Frankie, rolled up in a pile next to him.
He stands up slowly and walks over to the chair. It’s very big, for a chair. Too big to fit comfortably next to a dining table or anything like that. He imagines it might go on a front porch of a house, if he had one.
With a heavy sigh he sits in it. Celandrine had told him how it worked, and how it would only work for Baine, ever.
He closes his eyes and concentrates.
When he opens them again there’s another chair next to his, exactly the same. In it is the man from the arena, the man who read the book with the happy ending.
He looks up at Baine and smiles the same smile as when he closed the book in the arena, before looking up at the stars.
Baine doesn’t look away.
10 minutes later he is gone, and Baine curls up around Bogg and Frankie and goes to sleep.
_________________________________________________________
“Dear Thea,
I’m writing all of this down as I go, but I probably won’t be able to post it to you until it’s all over. We’re back in the Feywild again. It’s not going great. I got my new breastplate tho. It looks fresh as hell, Milo is a genius. He put flowers from Aschenwald on it.
I’m already regretting this. Fucking Markas.
We’ve been here for a grand total of 2 days and I’ve already scared my dog, made Urso sad and lost half the people I came here with. Not like they died, but like, this place is HUGE. There’s so many people and they’re throwing the world's biggest party and you look away for a second and someone’s gotten distracted and gone into a tent and then you don’t see them for hours.
A bunch of us were supposed to get here for the opening ceremony but GUESS WHAT, Feywild Time is messed up, so we missed it. We got here late, Bogg, Markas, Urso and me. We made our way here with two others who didn’t know the way to the Conga Tree that gets you to the Feywild; an amazingly large tabaxi named Paw who looks like she could kill me very quickly if she wanted to but acts like she’d rather not, so that’s nice, and a halfling named Geoffrey, a very nice fella. I really have to work on Urso and he’s instant mistrust of halflings who aren’t him or Bogg. This is getting ridiculous.
Thea, I just wanted to feed my dog. I just wanted to buy food with money. BUT NO. We went into a tent that just had a ? on it and some guy wanted to sell me a massive hotdog for 1 whole persent of all my hair. I wasn’t entirely sure how much that was so I turned him down, but then Paw bought it for me. She’s very nice. I’m still not sure if a persent is very little or if Paw just has very thick fur - I didn’t see a difference after she bought it for me and you can’t just ask to pet another person, that’d be weird.
I fed Frankie some hotdog, looked up and Bogg and Urso was gone. Naturally. Bogg disappears all the time, it’s what he does. Urso, I’m slightly more worried about. He’s a kid! We keep bringing him to things - he brings himself to things actually - and we keep forgetting he’s an actual child.
We found them again, in like, another part of the tent. There was a creepy as FUCK mechanical doll who roped us into playing a game and Markas was all “this is what we came here for” and Bogg and Urso had already added things to the pot so I had no choice. We declared who we was fighting for (I picked Sarastra, I didn’t know anyone else) and hopped through a portal. Again.
I think the thing I dislike most about the Feywild is that you never get to just straight up fight something. I’m good at that, y’know? I’ve got a good reach, a big sword and I’m happy to chop away at something. But not in the Feywild, nooo, here we SLAP GLOWING SHROOMS WITH COLORFUL GLOVES. It was a goddamn mess, Thea.
Paw is running around faster than anyone I’ve ever seen, Markas forgot how to hit things, Geoffrey kept naming the shrooms and Urso made friends with them because he didn’t understand the game was to smack them. I’m pretty sure I’ve traumatized my child.
Frankie wasn’t too happy with the game either, he was bouncing around in the backpack and I got so competitive I forgot he was there.
A mess, Thea.
But we’re here now. At the games. I’ve declared for Queen Sarastra, don’t even know what that means. I only picked her cos I knew her from the job we did for Rholor. He’s around here somewhere I guess, trying to get ascended.
Gonna try to make the best of it. Try not to lose my friends or kill my dog or disappoint Urso.
I’ll let you know.
_________________________________________________________
“Oi Rholor! Rhoski. Brohlor. Let me pick your brain a minute?”
Baine finds him sitting alone on a bench, smoking from a small hookah, facing a small glade in the outskirts of the main event area.
"Oh... Can I help you? Who are... Ah yes, I remember you from the children incident - Bone? Was it?"
“Baine. Baine, actually, but that’s cool I guess.” He adjusts the squirming ball of fluff in his arms.
“I’ve been meaning to find you since the games started. I- I have a few questions. About this whole- thing, I guess. Would you mind if I joined you?”
"Ah yes, Baine, I apologise - it's been a couple of very confusing weeks lately.
Go on then, have a seat. Do you smoke? " Rholor offers Baine the hookah.
"I have a few minutes away from all the mess - better put my time to good use.
What are these questions of yours?"
Baine takes a seat with only slight hesitation. Tries the hookah, covers a small cough.
“Cheers. Um, so, yeah. I’ll just get straight to it then.”
He takes a deep breath.
“So I’m in these games now yeah, and I chose to compete for Sarastra cos I didn’t know anyone else, I’d only ever met one Fey noble and it was during the job we did for you, but like, she might be winning now it looks like and Heret and Sunday was saying how it might be... Bad? If she wins and you ascend? Like. Like there might be a ‘conflict of interest’?”
He squares his shoulders a little.
“Basically man, if you win, are you gonna be dick like all the other nobles?”
Rholor breaks down laughing hard.
"Ahhh. Ohhh boy, it's been a while since I've laughed that hard...
Why are you here? For fun? To have a deciding hand in the games? Just because? I don't understand it, you chose Sarastra without knowing or trying to know the other contestants?
I mean don't get me wrong, you made a very good choice -an uninformed one but very good nonetheless.
I have absolutely have no clue of who Heret is but Sunday... was a surprise - she used be driven by vengeance, hate and grief and she disappeared after we dealt with Granny Longtooth - somehow it appears Titania took a liking to her and is trying to ascend her and guide her on the correct path. I appreciate that but... it's a bit of a selfish goal. The River King wished to ascend an absolute madman named Langston that stole the Mote of 999 souls and double crosses everyone who he works with. Jack, the fool is just a lost cause - doesn't know what he's doing and just wishes for 'freedom' while he is already free, he got himself into Queen Sarastra's court and the fey, specially the Archfey are capricious, you are not coerced into swearing fealty but once you do, it's on you.
Me you ask? Am I going to be a dick as you put it? Well I'll be honest with you - to many of you adventurers I am probably already a dick in a way or another.
It saddens me but I know my path is righteous and well guided.
I serve a higher power and that higher power guides me - this higher power trusts Sarastra and believes our alliance can do great things. My goal is one and one alone - continue protecting the people we live amongst from the horrors and threats that wait in the shadows at every corner as I've been doing for the last 3 years.
I have given a lot to Kantas without reaping much in return - it will come a time when I will no longer tolerate this but for now? For now I keep fighting the good fight. For me, for you and for all of us.”
Rholor smiles.
“So, you make your own decision now, is that being a dick? Reflect upon what I've told you and you'll have your answers. Morality needs no brain, just your heart and that I sense yours is in the right place young half orc.”
Baina takes a moment, thinks it over. Takes a second, more successful hookah hit after Rholor.
“You’ve got a purpose huh? Must be nice.”
Pets his dog a little.
“Why am I here? Cos my dickhead friend asked me. I didn’t care. Now I think I might. I want to prove myself.” He shrugs.
“But more importantly, I want to know what I’m fighting for.
You say one day you’re gonna want to reap the benefits. What does that mean?”
He makes steady eye contact over the hookah.
“When you decide you’ve paid your dues and you want what you’re owed, where does that leave the rest of us?”
"Yes... it is nice, some days,” Rholor says. “Other days not so much - I've lost many friends who perished, lost many friends who veered off the correct path and many friends who stopped believing in me. But that's what happens when you have a steel-strong purpose, be weary."
Baine takes a moment to really look at him. He understands suddenly that age has not been kind to Rholor; his face suggests he can't be much older than 30 and yet his eyes show a lifetime of stress and responsibility.
"Ah, that's noble in it's own way, following a friend. Especially if it made you realise you want to fight for yourself! It seems you are on the right track."
Rholor playfully scratches Frankie behind his ears.
"I meant it less like reaping the benefits for the past but reaping benefits for whatever I do in the future,” he continues, “If it comes to that I will just leave, either to Faerun or to the Feywild - Kantas is not a place for selfish acts, know that, learnt that as fast as you can."
Baine nods.
“I’ve lost a fair few myself, for no apparent reason. It might have been nice to have lost them to a purpose. But probably not right? They’re still fucking gone.”
He says this quietly, almost like he’s speaking more to himself than to Rholor.
“So you’re gunna retire?” The shit-eating grin is creeping back onto his face. “Stop doing work for exposure? Put yourself first? Live your own truth?”
Rholor lets out another hearty laugh.
"Ahh... Yes, sounds good doesn't it? I've thought about it a lot recently, especially after the war with Granny.
But I think it's just a child's dream. Deep down I know I won't give up on fighting the good fight just yet. Maybe in a few years, when I want to start up a family somewhere safer than Kantas."
Baine chuckles at that.
“Rholor the family man huh? It has a nice ring to it.”
"It does doesn't it? Maybe when I find the one!?" Rholor laughs again.
Baine laughs along with him, hugs Frankie a little closer to his chest.
“Hey remember when we all got turned into kids and you were completely useless without your magic?”
It’s a teasing line but with a surprising amount of honesty in it.
"Uuuhm... Yes... not fondly but I do recall it."
“Oh no I hated it too, so much, I was pretty useless too and my sword Phil didn’t like it. If I don’t get a chance to punch Langston Farstep in the face before all this is over, I’m gonna be very disappointed. But that’s not my point.”
He hesitates. Looks Rholor up and down. Sighs a little.
“You’ve got some good people fighting for you in these games. Fighting for Sarastra. We might actually win this for you. If you get ascended and you become Fey nobility, can you do me a favor?”
He looks painfully earnest now.
“Can you try to never forget how useless and helpless you were when you got turned into a child and lost all your magic? And remember that there are people back in Kantas who feel that way every day, and when the Fey dick nobility wants to poke at them, can you convince them to maybe.. Not? Do that?”
"Baine, I am not stupid. I am well aware my power is borrowed. I can hold myself in a fight better than your average farmer but I have no doubt that if I didn't have my faith and the trust of the Moonmaiden you would be able to beat me in combat for example. Most of what I did for this town, this continent, was to help others - why do you think I spent my adventuring riches in building a temple where I heal the sick and give council? Why would I do that instead of spending it on magic trinkets or a mansion or fancy food every day?
Worry not, I appreciate what people are doing to help Queen Saratsra but I do not owe them anything - they are doing it of their own volition. Who I owe a lot to is to those who died in the wars to keep us safe, those who work everyday to make Daring Heights functional. And they owe a lot to me and the City Council. While that symbiotic relationship holds on their side it will also hold on my side.
"Revenge is pointless by the way,” Rholor adds. “Leave Langston alone for what he did in the past - just make sure you stop him from hurting anyone else in the future."
“Punching Farstep in the face wouldn’t be revenge, it’s just common courtesy at this point. Social convention demands it.” Baine shrugs.
“I realize I probably seem like an uppity little shit to you, Rholor. And I am. So, yeah. But at the end of the day, I want to be able to say that I did everything I could, that I tried my hardest to make a difference. Power and gold changes people. And it’s always the ones at the bottom who suffers for it, always. “
He sighs again.
“I had to at least speak to you, you know?I don’t claim to know who you are. I don’t know what you’ve done or where you’ve come from. I just know what people in power tend to do, which you know just as well, I reckon.” He raises his hands placatingly, almost preemptively.
"Hmmm yes, I forget not everyone knows me or has preconceived ideas of me at this point... forgive me. As I said I feel like your heart is in the right place. And yes I understand your concerns with the fey. Rule of thumb: stay out of their business and they'll stay out of yours. As for me and my influence, rest assured - all will be done for the benefit of the common folk."
Rholor lets out a big sigh.
"I never asked to lead you know? I was happy helping from the sidelines. But the time came when I realised the only way I would no longer be annoyed and angry at those in charge was if I was the one in charge. It's a tiresome effort.. But a needed one."
Baine looks visibly relieved. He nods slowly and thoughtfully.
"Good. And even better. I'd only ever follow someone who doesn't actually want to lead."
He takes one last hit on the hookah, holds Frankie securely to his chest and makes to stand.
"I'm gonna get out of your hair. Thanks for the chat. "
There's a cheeky wink and a salute,
"Don't make me regret fighting for you, please, mister Rholor, Sir," he finishes, a dripping insincerity on the honorifics.
Rholor smirks, even snorts a little as he looks away into the distance again.
"You're smug enough eh? I see how the adventuring life found you. Go on then, let's win this absolute waste of everyone's time!"
…..
It takes a whole minute before Baine comes awkwardly half-jogging back.
“Hey I know we did the whole cool one-liner ending to this conversation but I forgot to ask; do you know anyone who could babysit my dog for the finale on Tuesday?”
_________________________________________________________
I’ve lost Markas. I left Frankie and Urso with Paw until I can find him. This is a mess. Think I accidentally signed up for a game as well? People keep coming up and like… giving me props for signing up? The prize is a chair. Gods, what a mess.
_________________________________________________________
I got to kill something. Finally.
So this game I signed up for was supposed to be announced by someone named Celandrine. Aaand they disappeared. We got paid to go investigate this spooky mansion where we found some people that had like… stepped out of their paintings. Like, they were paintings, portraits and shit. But they had been magicked, obviously.
It was me and Bogg, Serpentine who keeps popping up everywhere, Heret and Traavor. And this very violent and cheerful lady named Sunday who I might’ve actually asked to marry me if I could be certain she wouldn’t smoosh me with her large hammers to tell me no.
We slashed a bunch of portrait people who bled paint instead of blood. Found a big green energy blob who was directing an orchestra full of magicked people - NOTHING GOOD EVER COMES FROM MAGIC - and Celandrine was among them. Bogg and Traavor almost got sucked into the whole thing but we fought it and killed it.
Mainly me and Sunday. Together. We did beautiful violence together, for like a good cause? It was nice.
And then. Then. We headed back to the games and actually played that game I accidentally signed up for.
Thea. It was so weird.
We got robes in the colors of the Fey that we declared for - I’m still running for Sarastra - and these big old staffs. We walked into the middle of the big arena (it’s shaped like a clam?? don’t know why) and LANGSTONG FARSTEP was there. Gotta punch that guy soon. And a scary lightning lady. Think I’ve seen her before. Maybe.
And then, we did magic. I don’t know how, but we all did it. We all made illusions that like, one-upped each other. Like, Langstong made the first one - a lion, but Sunday summoned a ringmaster with a whip. Bogg dropped some boulders on that, and I made a slide that directed the boulders away. Lighting Lady created minotaurs, Traavor beat that with Medusa, Heret trapped her in a hall of mirrors and Serpentine broke the mirrors with a bunch of screaming children. Round and round we went.
After the children there was a ginger bread house, a giant icicle, a hot day, a sunset, storm clouds and a tornado. To beat the tornado the entire stadium was sunk under water, somehow? And then there was a giant whale, a wizard, a beautiful woman who seduced the wizard, then Bogg made a CATAPULT?, I broke the catapult with a gazillion rats, the rats grew brains and got chased away by brain CATS, the cat started chasing a red dot and then it was just, pitch dark.
And then someone summoned the actual sun before Sunday plunged us all into a plane of ice and Despair. Bogg trumped that with Hope and sent a bunch of unicorns into the arena. I trumped THAT with Victory - I put a bunch of me’s and Sunday’s on the unicorns and we were glorious and victorious. And the scary lightning lady didn’t know how to beat that, so she was out!
Traavor went with Defeat, Heret followed that with Determination. Then there was, I think, the concept of all things Ending, and then the Present. Sunday made the present into a gift (I think that’s a pun) and Bogg went with Gratitude and summoned a person who was happy with the gift. I turned that into Greed, with a person who couldn’t stop grabbing more and more presents and then Traavor was out as well. Then there was Satisfaction and Apathy and then Langston was out! Then there was a knock knock-joke and then Sadness, and Rebirth and Time, just pure and simple Time, and then Serpentine stopped time and Sunday got a gnome in to come in and fix the clock and Bogg turned the gnome into a man somehow-
Thea, he looked so much like Dad. I barely had change his face or anything, just a few little details. There he was, in the middle of the arena of the Amaranthine Games in the Feywild, and he looked so tired. So sad. Not at all like he looked when I was growing up, more like he did just before. When everyone was so angry with me.
So I fixed it, Thea. I put a book in his hands, a book about his life. About me and Mum. And I gave it a Happy Ending. And Dad read the book, and closed it and somehow, it was true.
And then I won the game.
I don’t think it was real, cos it was all illusions. But for that one second, Dad got a happy ending.
I won a chair. Sarastra’s in the lead cos I won the game. I don’t care all that much right now. I still haven’t found Markas either.
What a mess.
The finale is in a week. I’ll let you know how it goes.
_________________________________________________________
Night has fallen, as much as it does in the Feywild, very slowly and then suddenly. There’s stars and moonlight and fires in the distance and music coming in bursts. Baine wipes the tears from his face and fixes the blanket over Bogg and Frankie, rolled up in a pile next to him.
He stands up slowly and walks over to the chair. It’s very big, for a chair. Too big to fit comfortably next to a dining table or anything like that. He imagines it might go on a front porch of a house, if he had one.
With a heavy sigh he sits in it. Celandrine had told him how it worked, and how it would only work for Baine, ever.
He closes his eyes and concentrates.
When he opens them again there’s another chair next to his, exactly the same. In it is the man from the arena, the man who read the book with the happy ending.
He looks up at Baine and smiles the same smile as when he closed the book in the arena, before looking up at the stars.
Baine doesn’t look away.
10 minutes later he is gone, and Baine curls up around Bogg and Frankie and goes to sleep.
