Astrid vs the Shadow-Cursed Lands
Riding up in a big elevator, turning up in abandoned ruin
Astrid: I ... thought this was going to be Moonrise Towers. I ... don't think this is Moonrise Towers.
Elminster: Hi! Mind making camp? I need wine and cheese before I give the news.
Wine and Cheese: *is provided*
Elminster: You stock well for travelling adventurers! Anyway, Gale, Mystra sent me.
Astarion: Please tell me that Mystra's making booty calls now.
Elminster: Actually, she sent me to say that she'll stabilise that nasty mess you're carrying and only let it explode when you get close enough to the Absolute or its source of power or both. A sacrifice in Her name.
Astrid: ...So ... what if we destroy it first? You know, without having to have Gale erupt?
Elminster: Didn't sound possible to me, but ... anyway, you're not going to blow up until she wants you to now; good luck!
Gale: ...Well. That ... happened. I think I'm at peace with it.
Astrid: ......I'm going to do something about this. There are far too many Big and Powerful Entities messing with people I care about! Right. Fine. This is not Moonrise Towers. We will go out and find Moonrise Towers! *flings open door*
Outside: *is made of dark and cursed scary*
Astrid: ...Oh.
Shadowheart: I ... think it's mostly sparing me, the darkness. Shar must have blessed me?
Astrid: And it doesn't have anything to do with the shiny Light-casting ring I gave you?
Shadowheart: SHAR. BLESSING.
Astrid: In which case, thank you, Shar. Now let's see if we can actually find where we're meant to be going. Oh. Who's that over there?
Harpers: *point weapons at people*
Lady Harper: Who are you and what are you doing here?!?
Astrid: Um ... I mean ... this is not the nicest place for introductions and storytelling but I can break out a bottle of wine and some sandwich fixings and--
Lady Harper: Oh, so you're a funny girl. Great. The one bit of sunshine we get here and it's in half-elf form. Hey. Wait. What are you doing?
Astrid: Me? I'm not--
Other Harper: *starts shooting at companions*
Shadows: *peel forth from the darkness and go about killing people*
Lady Harper: Oh fuck.
Astrid: Hrm. Oh. Okay. Let's see. How well do they deal with fire?
Astarion: Let's find out, shall we? *Fire Arrow*
Shadow: *is very unhappy*
Shadowheart: Fire. Radiant. Anything that gives light!
Gale: Now you're playing my song. IGNIS!
Stabnation: *ensues*
Stabnation: *finally ends*
Lady Harper: Well. I guess that was a good interruption, since I can see you're not about to hurt any of us...
Astarion: ...No. No, I suppose not.
Lady Harper: Look, if you're wandering around here, come over to the Last Light Inn. The dark doesn't get in there.
Astrid: Might take you up on that. Thanks.
Gale: *siiiiiiiiidles up to Astrid*
Astrid: Hmm?
Gale: Soooooooooo ... I ... once read a thing ... about how tough fights with one's life on the line tend to make one ... well ... horny. Did you ... ever ... read anything ... like that?
Astrid: ...I'd say more of a ... practical experience sort of thing...
Astarion: Oh for pity's sake will you two just fuck already?!?
Astrid: *siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh* But I am now also learning that an audience will tend to kill the mood.
Gale: Well. Um. Thoughts for later, then.
Astrid: With less blood and mud and maddening darkness. The most I like to be smeared with in those sorts of situations is ... honey, maple syrup, melted chocolate, that sort of thing.
Gale: I ... shall compose a grocery list.
Astarion: Should've moved faster, Shar devotee...
Shadowheart: I have effectively a sister in her now, so don't be vile! Anyway, you're only bitching because you won't be partaking in that or any other kind of feast with her any time soon.
Astarion: Hrmph. Well. At least you've found me a nice chest to open. Though with my luck it'll be a mimic again.
The Chest: *is not a mimic*
Astarion: Oh, well, that's fine, then--
Spine Blights: *ambush*
Corrupted Vine Blight: *also ambushes*
Astarion: Oh for pity's sake...
Stabnation: *ensues, painfully*
Controller Person: *now has a tiny taste of what they put their VTT RPG party through*
Spine Blights: *explode on death here*
Controller Person: *may or may not be going, "AT LEAST I DIDN'T DO THAT TO YOU!" at this point*
After hacking through to the inn
Jaheira: You're one of those True Soul things!
Mol: They're all about the being heroes, though! They saved my friends from harpies and nasty druids and snakes and all sorts, so they're fine!
Jaheira: .........All right, fine, but I'm going to want to talk to you in a bit.
Astrid: Okay ... these are ... some of the tieflings from the Emerald Grove. Um. Okay. Astarion ... I'm going to have to ask you to go back to where we're camping, and bring Wyll; he had the best relationship with the Emerald Grove tieflings.
Astarion: Fine. But I'm going to hesitate briefly to ask that demon piece of nonsense about the runes on my back.
Astrid: Just don't promise him anything right away!
Gale: And we should ... let ourselves be glared at in the meantime?
Astrid: Nope! *chugs a Potion of Speaks With Animals* I'm going to go find out what the deal is with that ox.
Wyll arrives, a bit later, to find Astrid, Gale, and Shadowheart dripping with ooze
Wyll: ...What happened to you?
Gale: That ... was not an ox.
Astrid: I just wanted to know what it was! All it had to do was tell me that it just wanted brushing and a warm stall! I'd have brushed it myself if I'd known that was all it wanted! But it just attacked after it told me that!
Wyll: Are ... you all well?
Astrid: Oh, sure. Just ... here, we did some trading on your behalf and also dug through the camp stash. Potential pack blade ... I got a new bow so you can have my hand crossbow ... shield because I got a good one ... boots that'll help you jump better... I think that's about what we need. Okay. Now let's talk to this Jaheira person.
Inside the inn
Jaheira: Yes, I drugged your wine with truth serum. Drink it.
Astrid: *chugs*
Gale; Shadowheart: What the fuck?
Wyll: It's not like we have anything to hide...
Astrid: Look, I can't say whether the parasite's changing me because people change all the time and honestly, when you've done half the things I have this week, change happens. All you really need to know is that we're as against this Absolute whatever-it-is as you are and we're actively trying to take it down.
Jaheira: ...Fine. I suppose you're about our only hope for rescuing all the people the cultists kidnapped and kill their leader. But you're going to need to be able to travel safely so go see Isobel upstairs.
Astrid: Okay; just ... can I maybe please play a little something to cheer people up first? If I'm going to have to pretend to be one of those cultists to get anywhere with this mission, I need some cheerful and for me, cheerful comes from cheering others up.
Jaheira: ...As you like...
Gale: So ... she drank the wine that was going to make her tell the truth ... and she talked around the problem instead.
Shadowheart: You have met her, yes?
Wyll: ...She's wonderful.
Wyll: *has hit three Inspirations in the last five minutes*
Gale: I thought your tastes ran more to the ... demonic.
Wyll: Thankfully those kinds of ... 'benefits' ... aren't in my contract. And the judgemental tone is a bit rich coming from someone who bedded a literal goddess. ...Look, I'm not trying to take her from you or anything. Let's just call it call it wishing you joy of your romance with this divine being.
Shadowheart: And if Gale really does have to explode himself to destroy the Absolute, I'm sure you can comfort her in her grief.
Gale: *dry as the Sahara* Thanks.
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