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Post by Gabby Silver on Jun 30, 2015 4:17:48 GMT -6
Storytelling is a universal part of the human condition. And whatever else I might be, I'm also human. Today I want to tell stories about people who start out tiny. Small undervalued people covered in blood who grow to be strong enough to drag themselves up, no matter what objections they might receive, or obstacles that they might encounter. Because sometimes you have to be unreasonable to do the things that need doing.
I invite you all to watch, and hopefully enjoy, and I encourage anybody who would like to join in to send me a message. The idea here is to mutually create a story for a little bit of escapism. The rule of drama will sometimes apply. The rule of funny usually won't. Conflicts will be resolved via 'flipping a coin.'
Welcome settlers to the world of Cambia.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jun 30, 2015 4:19:23 GMT -6
Recap zone: This space reserved for story recaps. I'll try to keep it updated at least a little. - Action express is now a quarter share empowered to commit acts of chaos, who probably won't blow up...
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jun 30, 2015 4:20:15 GMT -6
Abilities Zone: Because some stuff has to be earned. *grins*
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Post by dannylamb456 on Jun 30, 2015 8:01:59 GMT -6
"Ooof! Damn you, I'm not some sack of flour!" Action Express spat after having been dragged and thrown around by a pair of large men, guards who were hired to keep her in check. She got up and dusted herself off, resisting the urge to put a pebble in each of their heads. "Hasn't the Lady ever taught you two to treat a woman with respect?" She grumbled, huffing as she stood before said Lady. The runes on her gauntlets glowed white, contrasting the usual orange glow that she gave out when she used her wild magic, the runes keeping her in check and preventing her wild killing sprees.
"What is it this time?"
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jun 30, 2015 9:05:08 GMT -6
With a quiet sound of cloth on cloth the very large pile of very small rocks behind the desk reaches forward and turns up the oil lantern near her, revealing the black tusked face of stone goblin, her tusks prominent in her face because of the tooth revealing nature of a goblin's grin. "I want things, Puppy. Three of them you can give me." The lady pauses briefly to give the skinny olive green girl in front of her an expectant look before moving on. "The first thing I want is to not have to devote manpower to keep you in check." She makes eye contact with the two human men who discreetly bolt out of the room as fast as they can without looking like they are running. "The second thing I want is to know if you're coming or going." She drops a contract on the desk in front of her and reaches into a drawer as she continues to speak. "And the third thing I want to know is how long it's going to take before you figure out that those are power amplifiers, not power nullifiers." She pulls an old school sling shot out of her desk and a key and deliberately and carefully aims it in between the eyes of Action Express, pausing briefly before she lets go, and then grins in obvious delight when the little metal key stops in midair with a dramatic flare of orange energy from the runes on the bracers. The flare quickly fades and as the light on the bracers goes out the key drops towards the ground.
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Post by dannylamb456 on Jun 30, 2015 9:24:18 GMT -6
Express blinked, her magic ability stopping the key without her even knowing. Her hand had moved under the key to catch it in time as well, happening all within the blink of an eye. "I... how did I..." She stammered aloud, feeling the cold key in her palm. She shook herself out of her daze and looked at the stone goblin lady. "So you gave me the very tools that I can use to put you in the ground? And what's this key for?" Express asked, her voice back to its confident, commander tone, though one could pick the soft hint of fear.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jun 30, 2015 12:12:12 GMT -6
The Lady leans back in her chair, the flickering torch light reflecting off of her tusks and her eyes, but not much else. She makes a noise like rocks tumbling over each other and shakes her head. "The key is for the chains. They come off easily enough. I'm arming you because I expect you to live, if you join us or not. I want you to live, even, because somebody has to take care of the weaker sex, and there are only the three of us girls here, so I could use some help. So few humans really act like people, I've learned to value the ones I come across who do. And the magic... Please, understand, Goblins don't have magic like humans do, so it takes some mental flex to make sense of it for me. But the mages call you a 'wild talent.' They think that your magic might be controlling you, not the other way around. They worried that your magic would go wild, and try to tear you apart from the inside." She pauses to wink at you. "I told them they where a bunch of cowards, and to leave you to me. After all, it takes more than a few rocks to kill a goblin." The Lady pauses and sets a glass ink pen and ink well next to the contract on one side, and the sling shot on the other side of it.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jun 30, 2015 13:16:18 GMT -6
((OOC, one room description, while I've actually got a minute.)) From the outside The Lady's tent doesn't look any different from any of the other administrative tents. It's got the dirt floors and the same cloth walls gently rustling in the wind. The two men lounging around outside of it doing an unconvincing impression of free men on leave make it stand out a bit. They can be heard 'joking' about how they keep thinking that the little tent noises must the the soft padded steps of assassins coming to do away with the officers. On the other hand from the inside the tent... Still looks an awful lot like an administrative tent. The piles and piles of boxes are doing a fine impression of boulders in the dark sufficient to make the lady proud. The only things that give it away as an officers tent would be the way their is only one cot rolled up in here, and the lack of soot stains on all of the glassware from cheap lantern oils. Although how much of that is due to the officer in question being a goblin with night vision is up in the air. Outside the twilight has settled in for the night and the sounds of dinner being cooked and hungry soldiers alternately settling in for night duty and hustling and bustling about the camp in the business of everyday life fill the air.
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Post by dannylamb456 on Jun 30, 2015 18:10:04 GMT -6
Express looked at her hands, the orange glow fading when she thought about it. "So... they believe that I'm a puppet, huh? Well, explains a bit about them being too paranoid." She chuckled, motioning to her amplifiers which they had told her were nullifiers in case she tried to kill them off with some well placed pebbles. Express got up and walked over to the Lady, looking at the contract. "So what is this for?" She asked, picking up the contractual parchment and absently looking at it, she wasn't one for reading into things though she did pick up a few key words. "Huh, so I can fight in return for gold?" Express asked hopefully, double-checking the contract with glee.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jul 1, 2015 4:19:57 GMT -6
The Lady tisks gently. "I had expected more from a general's daughter." The lady shakes her head and sets herself for a speech while Action reads. "Yes, you can fight, and if we win, you get a share of the profit, depending on your rank. new hires start out as a quarter of a share. It goes, quarter share, half share, full share, double share, captain's share, and then owner's share. A quarter share isn't enough to retire on, but it's better than a knock upside the head. You'll notice that there is also a non competition clause in the back saying that you won't take any work for any mercenary company in any country we operate in within one year of working for us. The language trips some people up, but it basically says that if you're a dick about it we'll dick you over." The lady nods in satisfaction as Action Express signs the contract and gently tosses a small belt pouch onto the desk with a distinctive thud. "Here, take this as a 'signing bonus.' I took it off the belt of a mage who was assisting some archers a while back. Sometimes you get useful stuff that way. Sometimes it's just rocks. Now get out of my office, before we're late for dinner she says, shooing action out the 'door' in front of her, somehow managing to make sure she ends up with the chain from Action's manacles.
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Post by dannylamb456 on Jul 1, 2015 4:37:07 GMT -6
"... yes, ma'am." Express said before exiting the room with the belt pouch, looking around and making sure she was far enough from the two guards who hauled her here before opening her 'payment'. "Ooh, just rocks... and pouch's not too bad. Maybe I'll just hang on to this." She muttered to herself, wearing the pouch on her belt. Her 'uniform' was a cut down tunic, keeping off the ground and flexible enough for her to run for her life if necessary, so the belt pouch blended right in. A medium sized hare hopped out from a shrub to gnaw on a nearby tree, catching Express's attention and sending a particularly evil thought to her head as she squatted down to pick a small pebble off the ground. "Let's see if these work." She thought right before flicking the stone at the critter. An orange flash sealed the deal, along with a loud 'crack' as the pebble broke the sound barrier and slammed into the hare's chest, ripping the entire chest cavity open. Express bounced excitedly, giggling before picking up the carcass and running back to the goblin camp. "Hey! They worked! I got something!" Express announced excitedly, which may have looked odd for a fully grown woman acting like a little boy who caught his first rabbit while playing hunter. She skipped in place, cradling her kill and looking at who she thought was the cook.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jul 1, 2015 5:05:23 GMT -6
The cook's assistant looks up briefly and seeing the bloody carcass in Action's hands points towards a row of hooks hanging off of the side of the cook tent for carcusses, muttering under his breath about people who can't tell time before going back to transferring bread from one of the big stone oven to the giant serving trays so that they can make another batch of rolls, grimacing every so often as he gets a bit to close to the heat. Thankfully there is a small step stool sitting near the hooks, or they would be a bit high to reach, being set high enough to drain a deer or a bovine. Action quickly ties a bit of convenient rope around the rabbits back legs so that they can be hung over the hook and gleefully throws the rabbit up... But maybe a bit too quickly as she visibly sways with the motion. "Woah there, little lady!" A deep human voice calls as a pair of very large hands wrap gently around Action's shoulders. "You okay up there? You're starting to look a bit drained." The familiar voice asks with obvious concern.
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Post by dannylamb456 on Jul 1, 2015 5:15:31 GMT -6
Express cocked her head to the side, mostly out of fatigue and a touch of curiosity. She felt slightly light headed and was a little more willing to be helped up. "It's probably just the excitement." She thought as she tried to shake off the dizziness and look up at the man who caught her mid-fall. As far as she knew, she was the only one who the goblins kept around as a mercenary, apparently sending the rest of the soldiers back home. "I'm fine, mister... you sound familiar but I can't remember who." She mentioned, her speech a little slurred from dizzy fatigue.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jul 1, 2015 5:24:02 GMT -6
"You're a lot worse off than you think you are if you don't remember me!" The guard gently helps Action down from the step stool and looks intently at her face. "Hmm.....You were fine when we took you into the tent, but you're pale as a full blood human now. Energy drain, maybe? What did the boss have to do to you to get you to sign that contract! Come on, let me get you your tray one last time, for old time sake, huh?" The guard gives Action a soft smile and bundles her off towards a table full of people, to whom he says "She signed." almost in passing before wandering off towards the line. There is a brief pause in the conversation followed by half a dozen people trying to offer their congratulations all at once. "Welcome aboard kid!" "Always nice to have a mage who doesn't stand on airs." "Hip-hip, hooray!" exc...
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Post by dannylamb456 on Jul 1, 2015 5:51:10 GMT -6
Express shook the fuzzy vision off, smiling a little from all the congratulations headed her way. "Y-yeah, I guess." Express murmured, strength coming back to her as the guard began coming back with her prisoner's tray, the same one she had been fed with for the past week after being captured. "So, dig in?" Express asked, looking up at the group of goblins when the guard placed her tray before her.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jul 1, 2015 6:04:39 GMT -6
The other soldiers laugh and pat her on the back, and make sure that she gets her fair share of the keg of beer that was rolled out in her honor. Much to the dismay of the pair of mages who've been her guardians for the last week. Behind Express's back one of the mages goes to open his mouth and say something, but he's glared into by a smooth brown skinned goblin with tiny delicate gold charms dangling from his massive tusks. One of the other goblins reaches up and takes one of the leather strips off of his right arm and hands it to Express. "Here, kid. If you're one of us now you ought to wear the crest. Wear it on your right right arm, away from your heart, cause I'm not your dad." The bit of thick leather is soft from years of care and use, it fastens by simply pulling the one end through the other, and is covered over on both sides by crude engravings in the traditional goblin form that include repeating stylized forms of the company insignia.
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Post by dannylamb456 on Jul 1, 2015 6:18:20 GMT -6
Express took the leather piece and glanced at it for a while, looking up at the goblin and putting the crest on with a small smirk. "Just send the gold I make straight to my father and we'll be practically brothers in arms." She said, the badge being worn almost like how her father used to wear his rank on his arm, on the right shoulder facing outward. She stood up and looked around at the goblins, her expression lightening up from not only the alcohol but the joy of being free once more.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jul 1, 2015 7:15:05 GMT -6
<The next morning.> "It's funny how the world over, military and paramilitary agencies alike seem to use the same patterns for certain things."
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Post by dannylamb456 on Jul 1, 2015 7:45:51 GMT -6
Express rolled out of her bunk bed, groaning in pain before getting to her feet and donning her tunic. She dragged herself out of the bunk after hearing the horn, trying to look awake as she headed for the square where the annoying klaxon was blasting away. "Guess that'll teach me to drink..." She mumbled, rubbing the back of her head and trying to smoothen her frazzled bedhead.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jul 1, 2015 7:48:43 GMT -6
The camp is already hustling and bustling by the time the horns blow, but it seems to have burst into action with the sound. No time is wasted in a military encampment of any sort, much less a mobile one in enemy territory. After rising and shining Express is waylaid on the way to the breakfast tents. "Express!" A rough voice sounds out, seeming to have a great deal of trouble making the word sound like something other than a pile of rocks scraping against each other. A terribly short goblin who is literally wider than he is tall comes bursting towards Express at alarmingly quick speeds. "We're late, we're late!" the voice calls from inside of the undulating piles of.... what appear to be globs of mud shaking and quivering as the short goblin touches Express's hand and runs away looking like a mudslide gone rogue as he darts through the crowd of bustling soldiers on their way to breakfast. Some of whom ignore him the same as they ignore everyone else, some of whom dart out of his way like he really was a tiny mudslide about to engulf their feet. At least one poor pink skinned human falls onto his fundamentals from trying to get out of the little guys way, much to the amusement of the goblin who helps the human up.
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Post by dannylamb456 on Jul 1, 2015 7:54:02 GMT -6
"Wha- Eeeeeep!" Express squealed in surprise as she was dragged along for the ride, still tired, weakened and unable to focus on getting food into her or standing properly. "Where are we going?!" She yelled, huffing a little as she tried to catch up with the short goblin and not trip over her own feet.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jul 1, 2015 8:12:32 GMT -6
The little goblin drags Express out past the inner perimeter of guards, who nod in acknowledgement as the pair go racing past, releasing her in an almost ballistic trajectory towards a group of people standing near a large pile of supplies being set up. "Ah, good, you're here." The brown skinned goblin with all the gold on his tusks from last night turns and grabs a steaming mug from a tray near where he was standing and holds it out directly in front of him, showing an alarming amount of faith in the little mudslide's aim. "If you're going to be useful I need you declared in my group before we break camp in a few days, and for that I need you declared in control of your powers, so drink your khlah and get moving, we've got a lot to do before breakfast today." Behind the large brown goblin a series of targets are currently being set up, and racks practice weapons are being set out for use. ((OOC cultural note: Khlah, pronounced claw, is a drink made from tree bark (like cinnamon) that has been dried, ground, blended with a proprietary mixture, and boiled. It's treated culturally like coffee. It's frequently blended with a stimulant and is mildly addictive. The different kinds of khlah are usually blended with specific herbs so that you can tell them apart by their specific and distinctive aromas. ))
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Post by dannylamb456 on Jul 1, 2015 8:38:27 GMT -6
Express got to her feet and held the mug in her hands, taking a sip of the khlah before gulping the spicy drink down and savouring the energy it granted her along with the taste of cinnamon toast that her mother used to make back home. She placed the mug on a nearby log before following the short goblin along, knowing that most militaries detested brown-nosers, especially female ones. As a soldier, she didn't ask anything, following the group as they trekked.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jul 1, 2015 9:05:11 GMT -6
"Alright step one, the 'grey-robes' *ahem* I mean generalists want a chance to look you over. Again." The tall brown goblin says, a patch of his ethnic bark colored camouflage briefly revealing itself as he walks into direct sunlight and dons a wide brimmed hat to shield his eyes. The shorter of the two mages steps forward and pastes on a polite smile. "I know, I know, I've been hearing it all morning. But now that we're sure you won't blow up and kill us all we'd like to see where you are, training wise. So, let's start with the obvious, can you read any of these runes?" The grey robed mage holds up a handful of what look like playing cards, but with alchemical symbols neatly printed on each one of them. (( theorderofthequest.wordpress.com/alchemy/the-language-of-alchemy/alchemical-symbols/)) To be continued.
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Post by dannylamb456 on Jul 2, 2015 8:12:43 GMT -6
Express took a look at the runes, recognizing a few of them that were carved into the public library's walls back home by the occasional mage or spellmaster but they made no sense to her. "No, though I've seen them before. I cannot read these runes but that one looks familiar." She held an arm up, the amplifier rune on her manacle matching the one she pointed to.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jul 2, 2015 8:32:54 GMT -6
The poor mage's face can't seem to decide if it wants to look relieved or paniced at the answer, but the commander reaches around to pat Action on the shoulder. "Better than I got, kiddo." The mage just kind of sighs and points towards his companion who's been frantically scratching a pattern out in the dirt, apparently using a few of the cards as reference. The pattern centers around a painted plaque in the center , and as the group approaches the mage scribes a large interrupted circle around the pattern, then asks Action stand by the side of the circle, then inscribes a larger circle around Action, the inner circle, and the two mages that is interrupted in four points by other strange symbols. After a moment of frantic muttering as he and his partner inspect the pattern he reaches forward and holds his hand over the pattern and activates it, visibly trying not to sweet on the inscriptions. After a moment the inner circle glows gently, making the lines in the dirt appear white. Then he removes his hand from over the inner circle, and his partner moves his hand over the inner circle as the soldiers gather around from the archery range to watch the action, human and goblin eyes alike watch in fascination as the strange runes begin to glow blue. "All right, Kiddo, your turn. We're going to step outside of the circle and let you try, without our interference, okay? Pay no mind to the shielding." The two mages step out of the circle hold their hands up in front of themselves, causing the air to ever so gently shimmer, and nod to action.
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Post by dannylamb456 on Jul 2, 2015 8:51:19 GMT -6
Express watched in awe, shutting her mouth before stepping into the circle, her hands glowing a little as she began channel energy into her arms. "Hey, this feels... rather nice, really." She remarked, standing in the second circle and ceasing her channeling before waiting for some more instructions. Express grinned a little, looking at the other soldiers with an expression of... joy? Bloodlust? She didn't know either, though she couldn't help herself from smiling evilly.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jul 2, 2015 9:03:16 GMT -6
The other soldiers are watching with interest as the mages studiously take notes. Except for one. One Goblin, wrapped in traditional leathers and so ugly that he's hard to look at starts to practically rolling on the ground laughing. "Oh lordy," he says, wiping tears away from his third eye, "Did you poor fools just make up a whole convoluted device just to find out what color the poor creatures magic was going to be, when she's wearing magical devices on her arms that glow with her colour?" He pauses and glances at Action for a moment. "That is the right word, right? Humans are so sensitive about the whole he-she thing."
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Post by dannylamb456 on Jul 2, 2015 9:11:45 GMT -6
"I honestly don't mind about being called a guy. And is that what this is for? Just to see my magic's colour?" Express asked, looking around at the soldiers around her before channeling her energy into her manacles. A few grains of sand turned orange after rising to arm level, forming a bit of a cloud around her before falling apart when she ran out of stamina and breath, gasping to get fresh air into her lungs.
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Post by Gabby Silver on Jul 2, 2015 9:32:59 GMT -6
The ugly goblin reaches out and attempts to Action almost before she starts to sway, but his open fingers slam into the wavy air causing him to glare at the mages. The two grey robed mages drop their arms to their sides politely. "Why don't you step on out of that shield, child, and I'll take out out and put you through your paces on the range. I suspect that your power set is perfectly visible for anybody who has eyes to see it." His comment causes a few of the soldiers to laugh and pat the mages on the backs consolingly. "I'm *Garble Garble* by the way, but the humans do rather insist on calling me Father Baptiste." He says, making a sound like rocks heard tumbling from underwater and extending his hand for Action to clasp and giving her a small smile full of a surprising number of teeth.
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