( closed ) january quest

[sorser]

Who: Stephen, Urianger, Rhaenyra, Elrond
When: Early January
Where: Thorne, Borrel
What: Quest time
Warnings: Will add if needed!

(( Tasks divided into top levels below! Feel free to hop around with no particular tagging order; whatever is easiest!

Here is the quest page for reference. ))

Comments

ARRIVING / GENERAL MINGLING WITH THE GROUP

[sorser]

ooc; from the quest description:

In Borrel, the moonlit sea turtle has beached itself on the shores where Thorne's warships are docked. Due to the creature's misfortune, some of the ships are unable to return to harbor and are currently trapped out on the frozen sea.

The turtle's golden orbs release a sweet-smelling floral scent that attracts seabirds. Volunteers will have to fend off aggressive seabirds trying to get to the orbs while assisting the sea turtle, and may find themselves being pecked at. As the seabirds are important wildlife, they should not be killed or harmed, either.

TASK 1 - HAULING THE TURTLE BACK INTO THE SEA

[sorser]

ooc; from the quest description:

Enchanted ropes have been gently and carefully tied around the animal. Volunteers must work in small teams to pull the rope in rhythm on each side of the turtle to ensure it is safely inched towards the water without twisting any of its delicate limbs.

[politicians]

[ before elrond settles into position to pull the rope, he first bends down to greet the turtle at eye level. placing a gentle hand on the turtle's head and meeting its gaze, elrond softly speaks in elvish. ]

Namárië. Go towards goodness. We will aid you.

[ the turtle croons in reply. elrond rises to his feet. ]

My apologies for the delay. We can start now.

[sorser]

[Far be it from him to interrupt. Stephen watches curiously, all the same, though until Elrond rises to his feet at the ready.]

No need to apologize. A little empathy and kindness goes a long way in a situation like this.

[Especially as he suspects they will have a few long hours ahead of them. It will be just as difficult for this poor turtle, whose been stranded here for some time now.]

But were you... speaking to it?

[politicians]

[ elrond blinks. ]

I was. It seemed only proper to communicate with it.

[ after all, the turtle should know what's going on and be reassured that he's being helped. ]

[sorser]

[Well. Okay.]

And it gave us the go-ahead?

[He looks to the poor, stranded turtle. He can't imagine it'll be against the idea of pushing it back into the sea.]

Sorry, I just didn't expect someone here to literally be able to speak with it. That's a good thing, though. Keep it up to date with what's going on.

[politicians]

[ why wouldn't you talk to it? what a perplexing thought. ]

It understands what we're about to do. We should proceed.

[sorser]

[Because some of us can't talk to animals... Well, probably. There's likely a spell for that somewhere.

But that's neither here nor there. Stephen nods.]

All right. Grab yourself a rope, and we'll have to give it our all. [He raises his hands, wiggles scarred fingers.] I'll be using magic to pull -- these hands aren't very good for physically intensive labor.

[politicians]

[ elrond glances at stephen's hands, concerned. ]

Then why volunteer?

[sorser]

What am I going to do, stay holed up in the castle for the rest of my days? I do enough of that as-is.

[He says with some humor.]

Besides, my magic is more than enough to make up for it. Don't worry. Just let me know when you're ready.

[politicians]

[ elrond seems deeply skeptical, but he sighs. ]

Very well. I am ready.

[sorser]

[Have a little faith, friend.

Magic sparks at Stephen's fingertips with a few gestures.]

Okay. Start pulling.

[politicians]

[ while elrond may not have the strength of a dwarf, he's certainly strong, even stronger than most men and he pulls with a heft. ]

[sorser]

[Every little bit helps. They aren't the only ones pulling, after all, since there are a few natives lending a hand, and certainly no one is going to scoff at Elrond's strength.

Stephen, on the other hand, makes a gesture of pulling with two hands, and amber magic grips at one of the ropes and pulls. It's as good as using his hands, without having to actually worry about straining already-weakened muscles.]

[politicians]

[ elrond glances at him briefly, just to assess how he's doing and to modulate his own strength in turn. elrond is never one to overshadow anyone else. ]

[sorser]

[Not too shabby! He's no Hulk, of course, but his magic is strong. Elrond can probably pull with a fair amount of vigor without worrying about leaving him in the figurative dust.

Closer and closer to the shore they go!]

Still doing all right?

[politicians]

Yes, not to worry. My strength will hold.

[soothsighs]

( Urianger isn't very good with water.

It isn't that he dislikes it, per se, but rather that he's more than a little emarrassed about the fact that he cannot swim. He's made one too many humiliating spectacles of himself in front of his friends for precisely that reason, and so now, in the company of Stephen and others, he's feeling a little reluctant in terms of moving in closer to the shoreline. )

'Tis for the health and well-being of the turtle ...

( He murmurs to himself, taking the rope in hand as he glances over towards Stephen. )

Thou art re—

( And that's when the first seagull swoops in, followed by another, and then another, unttil Urianger realises he's feeling incredibly attacked. He drops the rope to swat at them uselessly as they flap around his head: )

W-What manner of avian behaviour is this?!

[sorser]

[It isn't a terribly suited job for someone who might be a little shy around the water, or flat-out can't swim, but Stephen isn't here to judge -- nor does he know, for one. But their proximity to the shore can't be helped once the creature has been slowly, slowly hauled with great effort in that direction. It looks like some progress has been made before they even arrived, which is a good thing in Stephen's own estimation.

But it means that they're closer to the ocean itself, the shore lapping eagerly at their feet and ankles already, and of course that's when the birds decide to swoop down and give them a very hard time.

There's nothing but the beating of wings and a flash of feathers, coupled with squawking, for a dire moment. And then he catches Urianger's exclamation as another bird swoops down to peck at his head, pulling at strands of hair as it swoops back up again, pinching his scalp.]

Guess you've never had the pleasure of dealing with seagulls before?

[He quips back somewhat unhelpfully. His cloak, red and swaying at his back until now, reaches up to flick a corner at another gull coming in too close to Urianger.]

TASK 2 - CAPTURING THE BIRDS

[sorser]

ooc; from the quest description:

Enchanted nets have been provided for those who have quick hands. These volunteers will be asked to capture the birds being a nuisance and place them in temporary cages. The birds possess sharp talons and strong beaks, but in return are slower than most birds due to their size. They can be lured using small sand crabs as bait. They'll be released as soon as the moonlit sea turtle has been safely put back into the ocean.

[sorser]

[The air is cloying with a thick, floral scent, the sort that has attracted the most annoying seabirds that Stephen Strange has ever encountered. His group's attempts at hauling the turtle back into the ocean is less than effective when they're accosted by the blasted things every handful of minutes, and Stephen switched tasks (perhaps out of spite) to ease the annoyance these feathered pests are causing: catching them in enchanted nets.

He cranes his neck up, a single net floating before him, held aloft by his magic. The sorcerer cannot help but frown up at the silhouettes of seabirds cast against the sun above, too high up to fling his net up and hope to catch them with any efficacy, even with the aid of spellwork.

They'll need bait. Good thing there are plenty of little sand crabs skittering around in the sand.]

Think you can grab a few of those?

[ziryla]

( The wonders of magic remain a novelty. It's written in the expression on her face — some mixture of girlish wonder not befitting a once-queen, as the net floats beside. It interrupts her task of tying off a turtle to pull it back into the ocean to watch the effortless display for a short, indulgent moment. Though she's quick enough on her feet to sidestep a particularly incessant seagull. When it comes a little too close to one of the glowing orbs, it's swatted away with a firm tap on its head. The squawk can only be described as indignant.

It is ironic, that in the last few weeks, the amount of angry birds she's delt with was...well, twice as much as she thought she might have to. Which wasn't a lot, but more than she expected. ) Persistent, aren't they?

( But — she looks down to the little crabs. Her longer coat — black, adorned with dragonscale motif — is promptly grabbed up to start sweeping them up. It also is an opportunity to hide the small smile — while a helpful task, it feels remarkably carefree (although as with all, it is a matter of comparison). But it begs the question of: ) — Should I...throw them?

[sorser]

[He wishes he could feel carefree. But the squawk, squawking of the birds overhead is like sandpaper against this sorcerer's nerves. The idea that one might swoop down any minute to peck at the beached turtle, or at his scalp, just adds more fuel to the fire.]

If you can. You probably don't even have to throw them that far out. They're stubborn.

[And fearless, it would seem, getting this close to someone who could just blast them out of the air with magic if he wouldn't feel bad about doing so nigh immediately.

The crabs skitter away from the coat, however, leaving little trails in their wake. They're not terribly fast, but they all decide to go in different directions as though to make things more difficult. Because of course they do!]

[ziryla]

( the carefree air is bound to fade, if it makes him feel any better; one can only maintain a positive outlook for so long with the cacophonous cries and the perpetual fear of of head injury from a mean beak. ) I suspect so are we, ( stubborn, that is. a small sort of wryness, good humored.

it's quick enough to pluck a few crabs, no doubt hoping to make their quick escapes — grabbed at the shell, careful of the pincers, but as they scuttle away from her feet, it's becoming harder to herd them back.

so armed with two she'll remain, and they're shortly sent flying. two or three high-soaring birds swoop lower, momentarily away from the turtles and, ostensibly, closer to the net. ) This world certainly has no shortage of angry birds. ( another idle remark. apparently, this was still somewhat funny. )

you're killing me with this video link

[sorser]

What, no angry seagulls that eat anything resembling crumpled-up garbage in your world?

[Stephen has some experience, though he wasn't trying to keep them off of a poor, beached turtle simultaneously. It's a throwaway comment as the two little crabs go flying, and he flicks a wrist. The net goes whirling forward, landing atop a handful of gulls in the sand.

They make a racket, kick up sand. But they are unharmed, and she will see Stephen's grin grow a little wider for it. Sweet revenge.]

There we go. A few down, just a million more to g-

[He says this as another bird, out of the blue, swoops down and immediately tangles itself in Stephen's cloak.]

TASK 3 - MISCELLANY (AKA THE LESS EMBARRASSING TASKS)

[sorser]

ooc; from the quest description:

Those who want a less physically strenuous task can prepare the bait, help enchant the nets or hand them out to other volunteers, provide refreshments for those taking a break, and feed the temporarily captive birds. Anyone who is a good distance away from the turtle will not be bothered by the wild seabirds.