[Past the shrubbery, Arthur sees a figure, lying on the ground. He doesn't recognize her, but perhaps he still intuitively feels something about her? Who knows...
She's conscious, but gripping her side where blood steadily drips. Her eyes widen when she sees Arthur, as she weakly backs away from him. Looking over her, Arthur will recognize her uniform as that of a Riven soldier.
Riven and Edoras are, in theory, at peace with each other. However, that poses a problem for you: it means someone aligned with Riven may be obliged to help Edoras, the country you are currently a fugitive from.
[he hesitates for a moment before he slowly approaches, hands out in a placating gesture. his hands start to glow a light silver color as he takes a few steps her way.]
Let me help you.
[he doesn't recognize her, so why...? well, he doesn't interrogate it too much.]
[She eyes him warily, but it's not like she's in any position to run from him. With his healing, the worst of her wounds closes, though one would want to see an apothecary to be on the safe side. Watching him, she speaks.]
... You're from Edoras. What are you doing here, in Riven?
[Arthur probably has not had the chance to change clothes, so he can't avoid wearing the insignia of the Edoras army just yet. He'll have to brave entering civilization for that.]
[This should seem like a very dubious answer that explains nothing, but it seems that somehow, she does want to believe in him.]
... I'm a defector from the Riven army. I fled, and got into trouble with monsters around here.
[That last bit isn't too strange—the roads always have the occasional monster problem. It's unsurprising it'd be even more dangerous in the outskirts, where the army patrols less and therefore doesn't clear them out.]
It's a small, sleepy fishing village. Arthur takes the woman, who introduces herself as Opal, to the local apothecaries, Lovelace and Anise. Leaving her in their care, Arthur steps outside of the humble apothecary abode for some air again. The villagers around him give him a few curious looks, but most of them are more along the lines of "whoa, visiting traveler" than the sense that they're appraising him.
The ones that stand out are a cleric telling stories to a few villagers (but occasionally gives Arthur a piercing gaze), a boy on the cusp of adulthood listening in but glancing at Arthur once in a while in curiosity, and a woman eyeing him.
Arthur will get the sense that he can > Inquire them, which is a fancy way of saying that if you choose to Inquire an NPC, you may get info. It could be useful, it could be random. Who knows. Simply let the Powers That Be know.]
[The boy looks at him for a moment, before shaking his head.]
Well, it's a little surprising when visitors go straight to the apothecary, I guess.
[As Arthur inquires this boy, he will somehow, in the process, learn the following:
Villager, Kazuki
A boy living in the village, with his older sister. He lives a peaceful life playing music, but he sometimes worries for his sister, who constantly seeks information on current political events. As far as Kazuki is concerned, no good comes from involving oneself in the matters of kings and the like, and doing so is only going to get his sister into trouble. Surprised to see travelers so soon after the last ones—a man in a white cape, another man in a blue hood, and a third traveler—left not long ago.
Talking to Arthur for a bit seems to relax Kazuki, though.]
If you want to stay for a bit, we've got plenty of room in the inn. You seem strong, too—we could use people to help clear out nearby monsters.
Far enough that we don't have to worry about our daily life, but near enough that it can make it a pain for merchants to come, sometimes.
[At the second part, Kazuki is quiet for a moment.]
Thanks. At least all the way out here, politics don't affect us too much, even if that also means we don't always get help from the government when we need it.
Nothing specific. Just the usual—not always a ton of jobs or money coming through. At least, that's what the adults say.
[Kazuki is perhaps just young enough that he doesn't have to think about ECONOMICAL MATTERS.
The cleric has finished his stories, keeping Arthur in the corner of his eye as he wraps up. The woman watching him eyes him for another moment, before walking away.]
Thanks. At least our bandit problem stopped, thanks to the last travelers...
[And with that, Kazuki has to leave. See you later, Arthur.
From there, Arthur can inquiry the cleric!
Cleric, Temenos
A cleric who serves the Order, currently stationed in the village. He spreads the church's teachings and educates the villagers, while also keeping an ear out for any gossip. His skills have allowed him to obtain hidden nuggets of information, such as the news that the crown prince of Riven hasn't been seen in court for a long time now. Many people who aren't so fond of King Riven's recent policies bemoan this fact, feeling that the prince was one of the last things keeping him in check.
The woman has left so Arthur can no longer inquiry her, but the inquiry to Temenos will throw in a free benefit of learning that the woman's name is Elizabeth, and no one's quite sure what to make of her. Of course, not that a cleric should be gossiping more than that...
At this point, Opal exits the apothecaries' place.]
You willing to pay the apothecaries for me? [A pause, and then, regardless of Arthur's answer:] Just kidding. I'm not that stingy. I already paid.
[But the day is getting late, and, well. No reason not to be stuck together for now, as fellow defectors, who are staying at the same inn in this small village at any rate. Opal and Arthur can share a meal over at the tavern first, where they can chat for a bit—however awkwardly—before heading to the inn for the night. Today was certainly eventful, so who's to say what tomorrow will bring?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
She's conscious, but gripping her side where blood steadily drips. Her eyes widen when she sees Arthur, as she weakly backs away from him. Looking over her, Arthur will recognize her uniform as that of a Riven soldier.
Riven and Edoras are, in theory, at peace with each other. However, that poses a problem for you: it means someone aligned with Riven may be obliged to help Edoras, the country you are currently a fugitive from.
What do you do?]
no subject
Let me help you.
[he doesn't recognize her, so why...? well, he doesn't interrogate it too much.]
no subject
... You're from Edoras. What are you doing here, in Riven?
[Arthur probably has not had the chance to change clothes, so he can't avoid wearing the insignia of the Edoras army just yet. He'll have to brave entering civilization for that.]
no subject
[quietly]
no subject
Can I trust you?
[Might be a pointless question, given that he just healed her, but she seems wary of something.]
no subject
[he waits.]
no subject
... I'm a defector from the Riven army. I fled, and got into trouble with monsters around here.
[That last bit isn't too strange—the roads always have the occasional monster problem. It's unsurprising it'd be even more dangerous in the outskirts, where the army patrols less and therefore doesn't clear them out.]
no subject
[glancing at her wound for another moment with a frown, concerned.]
How close are they? Perhaps we should - go.
no subject
I fled far enough. They should think I'm dead—they won't find me here.
no subject
no subject
[So she says, and there don't seem to be any monsters around, at least. Except for maybe a monster corpse to verify her claim.]
I just need to get to the village.
no subject
I was planning to head there, too. Do you want to go together? Maybe there's a doctor.
no subject
All right. There's safety in numbers, I guess—but don't try anything funny.
no subject
[to the village!!]
no subject
It's a small, sleepy fishing village. Arthur takes the woman, who introduces herself as Opal, to the local apothecaries, Lovelace and Anise. Leaving her in their care, Arthur steps outside of the humble apothecary abode for some air again. The villagers around him give him a few curious looks, but most of them are more along the lines of "whoa, visiting traveler" than the sense that they're appraising him.
The ones that stand out are a cleric telling stories to a few villagers (but occasionally gives Arthur a piercing gaze), a boy on the cusp of adulthood listening in but glancing at Arthur once in a while in curiosity, and a woman eyeing him.
Arthur will get the sense that he can > Inquire them, which is a fancy way of saying that if you choose to Inquire an NPC, you may get info. It could be useful, it could be random. Who knows. Simply let the Powers That Be know.]
no subject
after a while, he'll head over towards the boy who keeps looking at him.]
...Do I seem that out of place?
no subject
Well, it's a little surprising when visitors go straight to the apothecary, I guess.
[As Arthur inquires this boy, he will somehow, in the process, learn the following:
Villager, Kazuki
Talking to Arthur for a bit seems to relax Kazuki, though.]
If you want to stay for a bit, we've got plenty of room in the inn. You seem strong, too—we could use people to help clear out nearby monsters.
no subject
Oh - I wouldn't mind that. How nearby are they? [...] And good luck with your sister, by the way.
no subject
[At the second part, Kazuki is quiet for a moment.]
Thanks. At least all the way out here, politics don't affect us too much, even if that also means we don't always get help from the government when we need it.
no subject
Well... Is that all you need help with? The monsters, I mean. Or is there something else you need that they haven't given you?
no subject
[Kazuki is perhaps just young enough that he doesn't have to think about ECONOMICAL MATTERS.
The cleric has finished his stories, keeping Arthur in the corner of his eye as he wraps up. The woman watching him eyes him for another moment, before walking away.]
no subject
[can he inquiry either of these people or has his moment of opportunity passed him by.......]
no subject
[And with that, Kazuki has to leave. See you later, Arthur.
From there, Arthur can inquiry the cleric!
Cleric, Temenos
The woman has left so Arthur can no longer inquiry her, but the inquiry to Temenos will throw in a free benefit of learning that the woman's name is Elizabeth, and no one's quite sure what to make of her. Of course, not that a cleric should be gossiping more than that...
At this point, Opal exits the apothecaries' place.]
no subject
Hello. Feeling better?
no subject
[Opal's tone is dry.]
You willing to pay the apothecaries for me? [A pause, and then, regardless of Arthur's answer:] Just kidding. I'm not that stingy. I already paid.
[But the day is getting late, and, well. No reason not to be stuck together for now, as fellow defectors, who are staying at the same inn in this small village at any rate. Opal and Arthur can share a meal over at the tavern first, where they can chat for a bit—however awkwardly—before heading to the inn for the night. Today was certainly eventful, so who's to say what tomorrow will bring?
With that in mind, Arthur wakes up.]