abraxaslogs | [ OPEN ] the river's overrun

a. at claude's

[ The doors to Claude's domain are always open. If someone chooses to cross the canal out front by boat, one will be waiting for with oars that are easy and effortless to use. They'll get you across the water in no time, and even better: they won't cause the boat to go in useless circles. (He has, perhaps, had that experience while using real oars and decided to spare anyone else from it.)

Whether Claude is there or not, a young white wyvern named Sahar will likely be perched on a tree in the first courtyard that greets everyone. She'll let anyone in no matter what - and isn't likely to bite - but she certainly won't say no to a snack if a visitor is feeling generous enough to offer one.

The much larger courtyard has more to offer. There's chairs and couches for relaxing on or to get comfortable while chatting, and shelves full of books on all topics from Fodlan. Guests can take one with them to read later or even leave a book of their own for Claude to browse. Chess and backgammon boards are also set up here and there and if someone is unfamiliar with one or both, Claude's happy to provide a lesson and will even throw in his favorite strategies for both. If someone has a favorite board game from back home, he'd also love to learn how to play. There's also a weapons rack stocked with swords, axes, and bows and various targets if that's more a visitor's speed, and they're all weapons he knows how to use for impromptu training sessions.

If he's there reading or simply finds he's not alone there upon arriving himself, that smile in greeting will be quite genuine since he enjoys entertaining guests and getting to know someone new or an acquaintance that much more. Don't be shy! ]

b. or elsewhere

[ When in the Horizon but not at his own domain, Claude's out investigating what others have built since each domain is a source of fascination to him even after all this time. A habit he's built over the months - years - is to wander between and around domains to take in either new places or changes in the details of the ones he's come to recognize.

Otherwise, the most reliable place to find him is the aerie in Garreg Mach which is in Sylvain's domain and was created by Hilda. Though Claude will frequently be alone other than his small white wyvern keeping careful watch either from his shoulders or a perch in the rafters above, he seems at home going through all the grooming steps from shining scales to trimming nails and humming to himself all the while. If not in with one of the wyverns, he'll be seated on a stool to work on maintaining the saddles hanging nearby, suggesting a ride around the Horizon via flying lessons is certainly possible.

Get too close to one older and crankier wyvern's stall and that might earn a sharp snap of fangs from the brooding creature inside. It's meant more to intimidate than attack - probably - but the action's familiar enough to Claude that it'll get him to sigh and turn away from his task with first an apologetic smile, and then in some playful chiding in what's clearly a long repeated (and very fond) routine: ]

Buri, surely you know after a couple years of being told that if you keep snapping at guests then that means no snacks. I know your memory is better than that or else you'd have forgiven me for all of my past mistakes by now since there weren't even that many of them!

[ As for the snacks: nearby there's a bucket of raw meat and some long handled skewers to pass it to eagerly waiting wyverns. Safety first! ]

Edited 2024-07-12 18:23 (UTC)

a. aquila

[ The markets in Aquila have become more disorganized when it comes to shopping after all of the upheaval and soaring prices. Merchants who have been there as long as the Summoned have been able to browse their his favorite places have closed their businesses, and many of those who are left are trying to get by with what they can find to sell.

Then there's the unscrupulous vendors who have chosen knowingly selling counterfeit items to make money with higher prices everywhere, and that seems to be the case as he looks down at the table before him at what's for sale. Though the expression on his face doesn't outwardly change, he's frowning on the inside. This isn't the usual quality he's come to expect from this stand, but it's no secret as to why. Unless this particular seller is making brazen claims about authenticity loudly for all to hear, he's not going to press them on it. But he will lean over to whoever's shopping next to them for some quiet advice. ]

I probably wouldn't buy that if I were you.

[ When not in the markets, Aquila is a place he goes to do business on behalf of Rio Enterprises for the workshop branch here. While that mostly includes meeting with investors and networking, Claude also prefers to deliver the replies to mail in person if he happens to be there. At some merchants have moved and other offices have relocated in the upheaval going on across the Free Cities, sometimes it means he has to pause at an intersection to study the streets with those envelopes in hand. Maybe where to go will occur to him in a second, or maybe he can be overheard repeating the address to himself under his breath as he goes - and hopefully not in the wrong direction? ]

b. cadens

[ At night and in what's become a consistent habit for him after moving out of the inn about a year ago, Claude can be found a few evenings a week in the Sarstina's tavern. Often he's seated at the bar catching up with friends over drinks or ready to buy one for someone who's just arrived. Or, if there's someone less familiar who takes the open seat next to him at the busy bar or serving drinks behind it, well. Claude's never been shy about chatting up a stranger. It's been a couple of years but he did once work behind this bar himself, so when it's slower he might take it upon himself to experiment with creating a new drink with what's on hand. Suggestions are always welcome!

But now and then he needs a break from being extroverted, and on those nights he can be found seated at a table off to the side of the main area. Rather than a cup of ale or one of those spur of the moment drink creations he'll have a pot of tea. Anyone walking by might notice the distinct scent of pine needles rather than anything floral or herbal from the brew. While he has his own mug, the set comes with a second one going unused while he pores over a book in the middle of some research while scribbling notes in a journal. He might also be playing a one sided board game to entertain himself. (Yes, he really did bring this chess board and pieces or backgammon set along in his very convenient bag of holding.)

Though he'd claim to be paying attention to what's going on around him, there's also a very good chance Claude doesn't realize there's no seats left but at his table on crowded nights. Fortunately, his mess is only on one side so there's plenty of room for someone else looking for somewhere to sit. ]

Edited 2024-07-12 18:24 (UTC)

a. task one - the badlands

[ Familiar with roaming around in the desert whether it was in search of plants to add to his never ending collection of them or tackling bounties for creatures menacing farmers or merchants traveling on their routes. As such, he'll be waiting with a horse for anyone looking for partners on their trip out into the desert. A collapsible sword is at his waist in easy reach, and a quiver full of arrows and a longbow on his back are ready to be someone's guarded escort while they're in charge of the supplies.

With the outposts needing assistance Claude will make as many trips as possible, mostly preferring the shorter distances to help with distributing everything as quickly as possible. If someone he knows well is planning a longer trip, then count him in for camping overnight to go to somewhere farther away. However, hopefully whoever it is can cook since while the meals he makes are certainly edible, sometimes Claude enjoys experimenting around with ingredients or preparations a little more than a companion might like. It adds to the adventure, right? Right.

No matter how far the travel distance is, plenty of experience dealing with bandits both here and at home means that should they be approached, he won't hesitate to defend the group should they be approached by bandits or the desert's various beasts. ]

b. task two - family compound

[ A return to the family compound now that the fires are no longer raging reveals lots of work to be done. Clearing debris and searching rubble is an unfortunately familiar task both from war at home and from the attack on Libertas where he'd done the same. While he can manage hauling away much of the debris, larger pieces could use some teamwork on moving them to make sure there's no injuries. He'll also be looking for a partner or two to investigate rooms or structures partially or totally burned out to see what, if anything, might be recoverable.

Construction isn't an area Claude has expertise in before arriving to Abraxas, something which he might be overheard mentioning as he at first he sticks to delivering supplies to those hard at work framing structures and patching up less damaged areas to make sure they have building materials, tools, or anything else needed. In that miscellaneous category includes passing out drinks and snacks to those hard at work whether it's fellow Summoned or Abraxans hard at work. Might as well encourage others to take a break as needed when it's a warm day in the desert.

Later, though, some of Claude's seemingly endless energy and a drive to learn as much about anything he doesn't know as possible is focused on the actual construction after all. Whether it's working on the foundation and pausing to study his work - possibly not completely aligned with some correction needed from his tutor, a builder named Xavier, or someone else working nearby. There's also painting finished walls and rooms after they're cleared as complete where Claude will be focusing with a paintbrush or roller in hand and concentrating on making sure the paint's even. ]

Edited 2024-07-12 18:22 (UTC)

[ The sun's shining brightly today - not really a surprise for the desert in summer, really, but the lack of breeze with it makes the Badlands a decidedly warm place to be. On one hand, Claude's used to it from time spent exploring out here. On the other, he's less used to being out here for a specific path rather than wandering around on his own aims than following a route.

Like to the medical outpost they're headed towards after packing up camp from the night before, this one farther out than any of his other trips made delivering the supplies they each have packed away. There's a map packed away in his bag to verify against the one from the stars he can create using a small mirror, a neat little trick he'd been quick to show Astarion and Jaskier when their landmarks began to fade away into the sands. One more guarantee they aren't wandering around in circles since even with plenty of their own personal supplies, the side of Claude which can't stop overplanning every last thing hopes they don't have to test how much they might have left at any time.

Though, he supposes, if things get dire they could always stop by Farhill to restock. It's good to have options.

Including this one as he turns to look at his companions after squinting up into the sunlight to find there's no clouds above which might give them a bit of reprieve, but he's got a solution for that. Sort of. ]

Seems like it's going to be even warmer today than it was yesterday. If either of you need to cool off let me know, since -

[ A demonstration's probably better than a meandering explanation; with a wave of his hand, a small wind gust will helpfully be in front of both Astarion and Jaskier to remain there. A benefit of refining the wind magic he'd already known, and rather convenient for now. ]

Edited 2024-07-15 16:48 (UTC)

[ Gambling's become a bit of a way to pass time on these Nocwich weekends, less so for any real gain but more so for the social parts of it: meeting other players, catching up with those who have come to recognize him from casually dropping into whatever game is going on, or whatever else. The same goes for finding other Summoned who might want to join but not have the coin for it, at which point he's always happy to share either from his supposedly innocently won winnings to get them in for a round or two.

Today he's been hanging out at a table specifically for a card game he learned a few visits ago and just might have practiced here and there back at home. Which means - to Claude, anyway - he's ready to try his hand at a little competition to see what happens, and there's a stack of coins next to him ready to be tossed in. The cards in his hand this time aren't particularly great but ones worth seeing this hand through to see what happens as the other players bet and fold their own hands before it's his turn to decide what happens next.

One more quick peek at his cards, and then he places them back on the table and considers his next move. Considers it far more in depth than needed since he knows exactly what move he wants to make, but to bet right away would be terribly boring, wouldn't it? Somewhere nearby there's a sigh from a werewolf who's familiar with this routine, and Claude tries to not smile (too much).

There's a coin being spun between his fingers as he thinks ("thinks") before reaching forward to place it down to raise the stakes. Time to see what the rest of the table will do. ]

Edited 2024-07-23 15:38 (UTC)

[ Weekends in Nocwich are something to always look forward to in what feels like long weeks for them to arrive for a handful of days over too quickly. As always, Claude's through the portals once they open to catch up with those where this is often their only chance to meet in person. This month comes now with adding another year onto his age compared to the month before and passing yet another birthday in Abraxas. That's less on his mind than his destination as he adjusts his cloak against the usual chill and a baby wyvern rustles scaly wings where he's perched on Claude's shoulder.

As has become a habit ever since it began nearly a year ago, his stepping into the square begins with a quick glance towards the rooftops as if in search of a now familiar figure waiting to be found there. A habit sometimes less conscious than other moments like this one where he's intentionally looking skyward as he walks past places just opening for the day's business. Claude's here a bit earlier than usual and thanks to arriving some time to spare, investigating the roofs can be next on his list after a little shopping first.

What he'd meant to be a brief stop into one branching corridor of market stalls predictably becomes rather more distracting after Claude's intended 'browsing' quickly becomes actually looking for things to purchase. So much for a cursory glance at what's for sale as now he's rather lost in the stationery stand he'd stopped at first. Plenty there to consider between examining a set of notecards sized for sending short things through the mail and some sturdily bound journals since the one stashed away in his bag is nearly full with scribbles.

Then there's some new pens and inks with some parchment squares out for testing each since finding something new to add to his existing ones surely wouldn't hurt; those will have to be next once he pries himself away. ]

Edited 2024-07-23 19:06 (UTC)

[ If anyone were to ask Hilda how she had put together a city-wide scavenger hunt for Claude amongst all the other activities that seemed to fill her days, she'd either lament about how it had been so difficult or shrug it off saying that it wasn't really that much work. The jury is still out on what answer she'd give Claude. After delivering the initial letter informing Claude of his birthday gift, the task master had been "absent" as he had gone about his day.

If he got the feeling that someone had been following him or watching him, surely it was just a figment of his imagination. Why would she need to follow him when she knows him like the back of her hand and that a silent challenge issued to him chalk full of puzzles, riddles and treasures to find is sure to keep him on task and not stray (too) much?

By the time she catches up with him late that afternoon at the library she can't help but look at the table littered with the trinkets that she'd prepared for him along the way with satisfaction. A whole new set of vials and tinctures for whatever it is he wanted to use them for, a set of leather pouches with his initial monogramed on them to carry the various books, scrolls and papers that he was wont to do on any given day, a bottle of cologne mixed specially for him with notes of pine, sweet dried fruits, and incense, a new set of arrow heads, and a set of notebooks, and a first edition copy of a book of Abraxian herbs and plants along with their properties.

The selection is something to be proud of on their own but the mischievous glint in her eyes has nothing to do with that and everything to do this very last task she's set before him. As he'd gone through the library, she had trailed after him, watching him decode the clues she'd given him and add books to the ever growing pile. Now all there was left to do was identify the individual letters she'd tasked him to find in order to spell out the message she'd left him. ]

Edited 2024-07-25 05:08 (UTC)

OPEN / the horizon

OPEN / around the free cities

OPEN / free cities tier 1 quest

— astarion + jaskier

— peter

— dion