Curiosity did what, now?

[lurkingkobold]

The kobold's research cave is coming along nicely, after her previous adventure - the floor carefully flattened (by teleporting stone out) and softened (by teleporting sand in); the permanent portals to Deva and the cavern's exit, currently closed to anyone who doesn't know the passwords, but marked off, with spaces set aside for several more portals; her experimenting supplies tucked away behind further portals in her workspace; a small cache set up for her new translation necklace and any other magical items she might happen to find in her travels.

And, now, another portal, leading to another new world. She double-checks that she has her traveling gear - translation necklace, teleporting ring, twine - completes the spell, and peers through.

Comments

[last_one_out]

"Nothing exceptional," he shrugs. "Went for a walk in one of the wilder parts of my family's holdings, got attacked by a giant snake, and then before I'd figured out what I was going to do about the giant snake, here I was in this extremely brightly lit forest."

[lurkingkobold]

"...extremely bright? You're from the underdark?"

[last_one_out]

"I don't know what you mean by the underdark, but it doesn't get this bright where I'm from."

[lurkingkobold]

"The caverns," he gestures, "underground. I've never seen them, but the traders are always coming back with stories of the latest wonder or monster the dwarves have found down there."

[last_one_out]

"Oh. No," he says. "We have caverns where I'm from, but I didn't live in one. We just don't get much direct sunlight."

[lurkingkobold]

Swiftness considers this, and concludes "Huh. And are giant snakes common, there? I'm a little concerned that the trap that caught you was meant for the snake, instead - not that we can't handle a monster if we need to, but we've already had one attack here recently; if there's going to be more, we'll want to be prepared."

[last_one_out]

"They're reasonably common, yes. Was the other attack also a monster...? I was under the impression that monsters were very rare in the sunlit lands."

[lurkingkobold]

"No," he sighs, "worse, someone took an axe to one of our trees. In our own forest, I can hardly believe it."

The bear, walking beside the elf, reaches its head over to whuffle his hair with its nose, eliciting a sad smile and a pat on the flank.

[last_one_out]

"...I'm not sure I understand," he says. "There aren't really trees at home like you have here - I've heard of them, but I've never seen one before today."

[lurkingkobold]

The elf blinks, and considers this for a minute.

"Trees are alive, like all plants, and like all living things they're sacred. But trees are special beyond that - trees can live forever, if they're protected, and trees and elves are the only things in the forest that can. To take that potential and end it for a bit of fire or some trinkets is a tragedy."

[last_one_out]

"Oh." He considers this. "Yes, I see what you mean."

[lurkingkobold]

Swiftness nods, and pats his bear, and walks on in contemplative silence.

[last_one_out]

Contemplative silence all round then.

[lurkingkobold]

Yup.

The path joins with others a few times as they approach the elves' village, and Swiftness makes no effort to give Elarron an opportunity to memorize the pattern of turns.

Eventually, they arrive at the village, which is bordered by a hedge twice as tall as an elf and full of imposing thorns and poofy clusters of tiny yellow flowers. The path leads to a break in the hedge, where two elves with spears are stationed; the bit of the village that's visible through the gap consists of long huts that appear to be woven from living plants, shaded by the trees growing here and there throughout the clearing.

[last_one_out]

Elarron does his best with the route. His memory is good, and his ability to navigate in the sunlit lands is much better than he lets on, but he's still not sure about a few of those turns and branches.

The thorny hedge brings a smile to his face. The unfamilar style of flowers just seems to suit this unnaturally bright forest so well.

[lurkingkobold]

Swiftness doesn't appear to notice, but leads them into the village and past a few fields of crops to one of the huts. (Dusk, meanwhile, leads the bear and her cat off to join a pen full of miscellaneous animals.)

[last_one_out]

Elarron follows along, looking around curiously and listening to all the interesting sounds. He is careful to keep out of people's way and avoid stepping on or bumping into anything that looks like it oughtn't be stepped on or bumped into.

[lurkingkobold]

The interesting sounds are mostly birdsong; the village is decorated here and there with cages containing various small animals and birds, as well as bushes grown into abstract statue-like shapes and the occasional tapestry hung from the side of a building. The elves stay out of Elarron's way, regarding him with curiosity and various degrees of wariness but apparently content enough to allow him to walk around under Swiftness' supervision.

When they reach the hut, Swiftness pushes the curtain serving as its door aside and peeks in, then holds it aside and gestures for Elarron to enter.

[last_one_out]

Well, into the hut goes Elarron, then.

[lurkingkobold]

The inside of the hut is only slightly dimmer than the outside, lit by a series of glowing wooden globes growing down from the ceiling. Several elves sit at the long table that takes up most of the nearer portion of the room, casting on large circles of heavy brown fabric; a curtain separates their workspace from the rest of the hut, and a set of shelves growing from the back wall hold a variety of bowls and pots and less recognizable objects made of wood and ceramic and stone.

The elf nearest the door stands when Elarron enters, and approaches with a welcoming smile. "Hello! I'm Rain, and you must be our unexpected guest -"

"Elarron Kevarsin", supplies Swiftness.

"Elarron," echoes Rain, and looks him over. "Your misadventure doesn't seem to have left you any worse for wear magically, at least. May I ask what your necklace does?"

[last_one_out]

"Huh? Oh," he says. "It translates. Conveniently for me, since I've never been to the sunlit lands before and almost certainly couldn't speak your language without help."

[lurkingkobold]

Rain blinks. "Fascinating - I'd love to study under one of your mages. And the ring?"

[last_one_out]

He goes through a sequence of reactions in a short span of time - shock, offense, anger, realization, unsettled calm. The last one sticks.

"That's—of interest only to members of my immediate family."

[lurkingkobold]

Rain seems unsatisfied, and looks to Swiftness, who shrugs.

[last_one_out]

Elarron frowns. The awkward silence persists for a few seconds.

Then something occurs to him, something even more unsettling than being asked about his magic ring. "...I only just realized, but—do you not have winged ones, here?"