Book 3: Chapter 1 - Strait to It

Eberron is a world of pulp noir where swashbuckling and intrigue run rampant. The Last War is over, the war to end all wars, but many say the fighting has simply shifted from the battlefield to the shadows.

In the wake of a long and terrible war, a world struggles to find its destiny. Will it descend once more into brutal conflict and end in spectacular annihilation, or will the world emerge at last into a new era of peace and prosperity? One group of heroes hopes to make Eberron a better place. The Grey Company, formed by a collection of heroes recruits new members to their growing ranks -- you among them.

Run by the Dragonmarked Heir Vardaen
Post Reply
User avatar
RorytheRomulan
Level 12
Level 12
Posts: 1836
Location: US

House Lyrandar Air Ship: Cloud's Destiny

Post by RorytheRomulan » Thu Oct 08, 2020 2:52 am

"I should go and see how Fennec is handling the flight, anyway. Thank you for answering my questions, Alrak - Garlin, Barlin. It was nice talking."
Fennec is Taris' horse.

User avatar
Vardaen
Admin
Admin
Posts: 66394
Location: Miskatonic University
Title: Great Old One
User Class: Unshackled AI

Cloud's Destiny: Day One End

Post by Vardaen » Fri Oct 16, 2020 7:08 pm

"Same to you, we are around, its not that short of a flight." The halfling says their farewells and so do you.

Over the course of the rest of the day you venture about tending to different things. You check on your mounts and animal companions and they seem to be handling the flight as well as you could expect; they are none the worse for the ware. The really problem is Zeevan's hair, and his/her hygene. He was a man his whole life, and now he's not, there are certain things like braiding hair, and shaving arm pits and bras and such that she clearly has no clue about. A little make up could also spice up her appearance, she is the Rune Lord of Lust after all! So the ladies of the Grey Company set to work. There are times you forgot Zeevan was born a man, there are other times that become rather uncomfortable for everyone as Zeevan suddenly wonders if he will have to deal with menstruating or if that sort of thing doesn't happen to magical cones. The time he's been a woman suggests it could still happen to him/her.

The first day of your four day flight is coming to an end. You are relaxing in the dinging area, just finishing up a fine meal ending with some Brelish Sweatbreads with Xen'drik mint julips. The everbright lanterns are lit and people are mostly finishing up and heading to bed or are sitting and chatting quietly. Its a much different crowd than at the Drunken Shifter, or most of the taverns in Stormreach. There is a quite dignity to it. You new halfling friends wave a good night as they head off of bed. A warforged and a slender woman sit in soft conversation with one another. A few 'nobles' laugh about their hunting expedition into Xen'drik and are getting a little loud, but even that's subdued. The First Mate wanders through the cabin, she's a rough looking half elf, Mazzia d'Lyrandar, a sailor and solider if you ever saw one. She pauses at your table, "Hope you are enjoying your trip so far." With a nod of her head you can tell she hopes for a short confirmation so she can move on.

Crew of the Cloud's Destiny
NPC-CloudDestinyCrew.jpg
NPC-CloudDestinyCrew.jpg (155.25 KiB) Viewed 346 times
[/center]
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

User avatar
RorytheRomulan
Level 12
Level 12
Posts: 1836
Location: US

Cloud's Destiny: Day One End

Post by RorytheRomulan » Sat Oct 17, 2020 3:22 pm

"Yes, very much, thanks."

Taris is finishing off her julep, having eaten a sweetbread while it was warm and fresh.

User avatar
ManWithDoor
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9301
Location: California, USA
Title: Imperial Psyker
User Class: Imperial Psyker

Cloud's Destiny: Day One End

Post by ManWithDoor » Sat Oct 17, 2020 8:50 pm

Zeevan after a both comforting and discomfiting day, finds refuge in the familiar refuge of a tavern, even one far above the ground. She raises her drink in recognition of the officer. "A pleasure to be here, First Mate. Never been on an airship before. Glad I happened to be on one helmed by such professionals." She nods friendly-like, not asking any questions as the woman seems to be wanting to make this talk quick.
Fun fact most of you probably already know. Lol. But shaving pits/legs is a very modern invention, only coming about since the 1900s!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_o ... ted_States

Bras as well have a fascinating history, somewhat complicated by terminology in what one wants to call a bra instead of other terms. I had a girlfriend a decade ago who would make her own corsets, which is where I was introduced to even questioning how modern garments came about. Lol. I wasn't much interested in pop culture and modern history when I was younger, so it was all new to me.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

User avatar
Othniel
Level 12
Level 12
Posts: 1545
User Class: Wanderer

Cloud's Destiny: Day One End

Post by Othniel » Mon Oct 19, 2020 4:43 am

"I was nervous at first," the druidess replies to Mazzia, "I have only ever flown in the shape of a bird. But this is fascinating. I am content to proceed.

"Zeevan, what is it like changing from a man to a woman?" Ceridwen asks the martial artist quietly, but bluntly. "I have taken many forms of different animals - birds and beasts mostly - but somehow it seems different in my mind's eye."

"And I have always been a woman," she adds with a light laugh. "I could teach you how to braid your hair, if you like."

User avatar
ManWithDoor
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9301
Location: California, USA
Title: Imperial Psyker
User Class: Imperial Psyker

Cloud's Destiny: Day One End

Post by ManWithDoor » Wed Oct 21, 2020 3:34 am

Zeevan agrees to the hair braiding lessons. "Well it was less like a change than one might assume. I triggered an ancient magical trap that killed me ... and then I woke up in a new body. A clone in stasis, just as ancient as the trap. Some unintended effect I am certain." She shrugs. "But yes, changing both race and sex in an instant was less than comforting. Came to be an advantage while infiltrating that place, and might still be in the future, but still. Very weird."
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

User avatar
RorytheRomulan
Level 12
Level 12
Posts: 1836
Location: US

Cloud's Destiny: Day One End

Post by RorytheRomulan » Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:35 pm

"To your credit, you look like you're handling it pretty well. I don't know if we'll have to go to Thrane, but if we do, we should hope to get there right near in the middle of Sypheros. Otherwise, some knowledgeable folk might not appreciate your 'costume'. That is, if you're into that sort of thing. I don't partake. Too many bad apples."

She speaks, of course, of Wildnight, the annual pseudo-holiday in the middle of the 10th month.
A while ago, I was curious about the calendar of Eberron for the 10th month, the month of Taris' birth. I found this:
https://eberron.fandom.com/wiki/Wildnight

It's basically Eberron Halloween, plus (drunken ((un-drunken?)) ) riots. Taris' date of birth TBD...

User avatar
Vardaen
Admin
Admin
Posts: 66394
Location: Miskatonic University
Title: Great Old One
User Class: Unshackled AI

Cloud's Destiny: Day One End

Post by Vardaen » Fri Oct 30, 2020 7:43 pm

Ah I should have said corset, that would have had a more fantasy rpg feel. My point was to make everyone uncomfortable with the idea that Zeevan had a very radical sex change that happened 100% all at once, and now that the dangers are over and you have some time to think - think about what that means for the typically clueless man! :)
The First Mate nods and grunts at your various replies, she studies you a moment. There is a keen mind behind those eyes and gruff face, she's sizing you up. You wonder if she knows you are members of the Grey Company, naw, how could she? Then again maybe she does, there are all sorts of magical ways she might. After a few uncomfortable moments she nods again, "Well good good, light out are coming up and we would ask you to be in your staterooms until the morning bell. It allows for the crew to do their work. You have about 15 minutes before we shut down. Good night folks." She then heads off to the next table.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

User avatar
RorytheRomulan
Level 12
Level 12
Posts: 1836
Location: US

Cloud's Destiny: Day One End

Post by RorytheRomulan » Sat Oct 31, 2020 4:27 am

Taris raises an eyebrow at the First Mate's back. Did that seem odd to anyone else?

She's about to offer to share her perfume if Zeevan needed it, when she realizes she doesn't have any. All that time spent on the lam made her forget a few good habits. "By the Flame! I forgot to buy new rosewater. I would have offered to share some of it if I had remembered. I hope they have some onboard."
For Taris, I'm going to affirm to the conventional assumption that she shaves her pits, but to be fair, she might have done so irregularly while she was on the road with the rest of her rogue unit. Heh, here I wanted to add more flavor to the party makeup, not change it completely, but now every PC is a woman. I kinda feel a little responsible lol

I did wonder if the group portrait you put up for the Cloud's Destiny means that they're going to be recurring characters. At any rate, I think Taris is ready to turn in for the night, but if we're going to breeze through the rest of the trip, I'd like to have her volunteer for patrol duty the next day.

User avatar
Othniel
Level 12
Level 12
Posts: 1545
User Class: Wanderer

Cloud's Destiny: Day One End

Post by Othniel » Sun Nov 01, 2020 3:01 am

Ceridwen nods as the First Mate moves on. She'd intended to check on Summer Blossom soon anyway. Who knew what trouble a (admittedly well-behaved) tigress could get into while left alone in strange quarters.

"We can check tomorrow, or at worst once we reach our destination."
I hadn't realized all the characters are now female. I play a mix of both, depending on what strikes my fancy for a game. It is funny though.

Post Reply