TEST DRIVE MEME #4

[fairyfoes]

TEST DRIVE MEME

Considering apping to EACHDRAIDH? Why not give the setting a test run here! OPTIONAL SCENARIOS 01. ARRIVING IN THE DRABWURLD. The Seelie and Unseelie courts welcome you with mirthful revelry and hearty food. After you have been briefed on your purpose here, you will find an endless feast and a night filled with entertainment to placate your concerns. Mingle with new arrivals, sneak down the castle halls and make sure your eyes are always on your glass; fairies and imps have no bias when it comes to tricks! 02. THE STATION. Looking for a little slice of home? The Station gives you all that and more. Take advantage of the wifi, have a cup of fairy-brewed coffee (the one they didn't spit in) or sit back and relax on the patio. You can even move your things into one of the available rooms! 03. WILDCARD. Your own scenario! Explore the Drabwurld or simply take advantage of your Locket!

Comments

nothing much just being kidnapped

[gwynbleidd]

I see better than you think. [But he can thank being a witcher for that; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to control his pupils like he could, dilating to see in through the forest. The rather evil forest.

For a moment, he looks around, listening, then he looks back up at the elf who refuses to dismount the tree.] Did anyone come with you here, Iorveth? Any of your Scoia'tael?

me too man me too

[seidhe]

[ geralt is not wrong about the forest however, it feels different than the forest that surrounded flotsam. for all the familiarity the wood and leaves brings, there is a unmistakeable darkness─ a danger that extends far. ]

No, they remain in Aedrin waiting for the curse to be dispelled.

[gwynbleidd]

[Well, that is both a relief and a disaster. What kind of chaos would the others be in with them gone?

He supposes he is left with just Iorveth, and that's that, but that is better than no one. He is still surprised that the elf has been dragged here. The imps, he realizes, must have invaded their world. Does that mean others may eventually come here?

He guesses they will find out.] Did you arrive at a castle first?

[seidhe]

[ his being dragged here is a matter of pride, deeply wounded by the very fact he had been taken by surprise and shoved into a sack. not a subject to be broached anytime soon.

as if coming to some sort of decision about geralt, the elf leaves the treetop and joins the witcher on the ground. ]

I did, it only stunk marginally less then Flotsam. [ aka, fuck that place man. ]

[gwynbleidd]

[He's amused, but the smile still struggles to reach his face. Truth be told, he can agree in a way, though he understands it's ten times as worse for Iorveth as an elf.

Something howls in the distance, and it sounds like a wolf, but Geralt knows better. The crescendo is too slow and too deep. The forest they are in is not a place they should be dwaddling. This makes him wonder how long Iorveth has been running around here.] And that's why you came to the forest.

[seidhe]

[ one might think that a kingdom full of elves and dwarves and other such creatures would please him, only that it doesn't in the slightest. humans still litter the castle and he has is expected to answer the commands of these monarchs like a common hound.

the howl does not escape his notice, single eye glancing in the direction of the sound. they will have to move soon if they both wish to avoid a possibly messy confrontation. ]

I am no dog to be brought to heel, Geralt. [ no one will use the aen seidhe again. ]

[gwynbleidd]

I know. [He's the neutral, yet understanding parting. He hates it for the non-humans of their world, and he receives similar treatment as a witcher in a way, but all this is irrelevant in the scheme of things, and at least he can say the witchers were never made slaves, or butchered, or tricked into war. Most of them.

This fight of Iorveth's isn't his, the non-humans and the humans. Now he's been dragged into another one. The politics between two factions leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.] I don't like it any more than you do, but we are here regardless.

Hiding in the forest isn't going to get you out of this place.

[seidhe]

[ iorveth has never been the happy sort, he is old and filled with too much bitterness and anger for all that he has suffered. for all that the non-humans have suffered. so it shouldn't be much of a surprise when his mood flips at geralt's words and an dark scowl finds it's way to his features.

he respects geralt, he has proven himself a trustworthy ally in iorveth's eyes, the man may even be the closest thing to a friend that the old elf ever had. but it does not make him immune to his ire. ]

I do not hide, vatt'ghern. Do not mistaken me for a coward who prefers to do nothing. [ again a howl comes from deeper in the forest, low and feral. ] And you cannot prove that fighting this war will free either of us, they will plough us just as every other dh'oine before them.

[gwynbleidd]

[While it's true he agrees that a good majority of humans are downright terrible, he knows a few personally that are not: Triss isn't, or Dandelion, or Yennefer. He has met good, wholesome humans, but, yes, more often than not, he has met greedy, ignorant ones. But who draws the line? He has seen more than a few innocence sacrificed in Iorveth's revenge of the past.

He thinks they need to move on, whether that means licking their wounds or not.] I don't care for politics. I'm a witcher; I hunt monsters, not fight in armies. This feud, whatever it may be over, however it may have started, matters little to me. Staying here won't get us the back.

[Something shines in the distance over the elf's shoulder, two eyes perched in a large and hulking shadow that melts from one area to the next, circling. He's suddenly aware of his surroundings, of the movement he feels in several directions, all looping them both in the distance. He lowers his voice, but is carefully reaching up to touch one of the vials on the book attached to his belt.] Don't move.

[seidhe]

[ he is fully prepared to retread familiar ground for the sake of this argument, to state his case yet again as if repeating the words would somehow change the witcher's view. but his tongue is stilled, muscles coiling into an all to familiar stance. a hand rests on the hilt of his sword, single eye scanning the darkness behind geralt's head. they stayed idle too long. ]

How many?

[gwynbleidd]

More than one. [It takes damn hard decision making, but he decides it may be best to drink his vial of Cat rather than risk it in this forest. He slips the tube from the loop of leather and thumbs out the cork stopper, swigs it, then replaces it with a grimace. The ingredients stimulate the mutant part of him, gripping him like a fist by tightening every muscle in his body momentarily. A sharp pain cuts behind his eyes, but after a few blinks, it disappears, leaving his vision monochrome and clear.

Better.

He throws his gaze around them, then reaches for the hilt of one of the swords on his back.] Three. Worgs perhaps. [He can't be sure in this place.] A hunting pack. [See how useful he is, Iorveth. Now if they just don't die.] The south is open if you want to go, but it leads into the forest.

[seidhe]

[ yes yes, geralt is the most helpful, don't expect him to raise you now because that sure as hell isn't going to happen. he'd sooner openly hug someone. ]

I will not run, Geralt. [ someone might think him coward, which he damn well isn't. instead he draws his sword eye trained one the approaching beasts. ]

[gwynbleidd]

[That's all the answer Geralt needs, though he hadn't expected Iorveth to leave anyway.

Swiftly, he pulls the silver sword from its sheathe and levels it down in one hand, ready. He turns on his heel, placing his back to the elf's own so they both don't have any surprises from behind.] Lead them into your traps if you can.

[The once shadowy beasts are now dark wolves to him, illuminated by the potion. He watches them circle warily, but closer and closer they venture, sniffing, until they are close enough to bow on their haunches in preparation for attack.

They launch themselves together, but he throws Aard at the one flanking them to send it stumbling back, and then he goes after the one in front of himself, hoping that Iorveth will fare well enough with one until he can get back around to help.]

[seidhe]

[ his sword may not be made of silver but he remains a dangerous force, springing into action as the hounds launch themselves. beasts and monsters are no stranger to the elf, he moves accordingly blade arcing wide and earns the hound's ire.

it growls furious swiping widely, but iorveth is agile enough to avoid the swing. anger blinds it to the snare on the ground until it is too late and traps the beasts' legs between razor sharp teeth.

yes, he is doing just fine. ]

[gwynbleidd]

[The first dog-beast is a piece of cake; he strafes away from a snap of the muzzle and brings the sword cleanly down through the neck, severing it. Quickly, he turns, rushing after the third one that has decided to attempt a meal making of Iorveth.

It hears his advance, gives up on Iorveth, and turns to crunch him with its fangs. He's forced to dodge in a roll, but being low allows him the leverage to shove his sword up into the creature's belly, a single thrust, clean, and then he's back up on his feet.

The only one left is the one in the snare. Admittedly, they are rather beautiful things, vicious from their hunger and the aura of this forest. They were really only hunting.

It snarls at him threateningly, but then he beheads it like he did the first, afterward swinging his sword a few times to get rid of the blood.] There's probably still an alpha, so we should leave.

[seidhe]

[ witnessing a witcher in combat is a thing of beauty, movements as graceful as they are deadly. as geralt finishes off the hounds iorveth turns a eye to their surroundings in search for any more threats. ]

You are right, Gwynbleidd. [ as much as he may loath to admit it. ] It is no longer safe to linger.

[ wiping his own sword clean iorveth turns back in the direction of the castle. ] Lead, I will follow.

[gwynbleidd]

[Replacing the sword at his back, he shoots a quick glance around just in case, and, satisfied, he starts back in the direction Iorveth is already headed.]

Are you sure you want to go back to the place that smells only marginally less than Flotsam?

[seidhe]

Not particularity. [ he falls into quick step behind the witcher, attention mostly focused on the woods around them, watching their backs. ] I want even less to be dinner for a pack of wolves.

[gwynbleidd]

Even if they were just trying to feed their pups? [He looks over his shoulder.

It's a joke, but he's bad at jokes. Terrible.]

[seidhe]

[ geralt... please, see this look? see it? it is aimed right at you. ]

Really, Gwynbleidd.

[gwynbleidd]

[Just checking Iorveth's sympathy meter, okay.] It might have been for a better cause than what's at the castle.

Feeding the hungry versus feeding the powerful.

[seidhe]

[ it is at a healthy -75%, which is totally normal for iorveth. ]

A pointless cause that will change little.

[gwynbleidd]

[He thinks that's funny coming from Iorveth, but doesn't dare say anything aloud because he'd rather not have the elf being bitter after hearing that he thought the Scoia'tael cause was a little pointless.

Well, not the cause so much as the execution.] You'll have to find another forest.

I think this one means to kill us.

[seidhe]

[ GERALT THAT IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CAUSE AND YOU KNOW IT.

iorveth sniffs, gaze moving behind them at the distant sounds of howling. the rest of the pack will find their fallen brethren soon, by that time they should be far from the forest. ]

All forests mean to kill the unwary, witcher. This one is hardly special.

[gwynbleidd]

[Have you SEEN THIS PLACE, IORVETH? HARDLY SPECIAL, HE SAYS. And then they are both suddenly devoured by a restless and angry forest covered in shadow.

He looks again over his shoulder to scan the area behind them.] Then one with less giant wolves.