EVENT #3: VORRUN WELCOMES YOU

[diceofthegods]

A CALL FOR AID

Charlie comes on the network with a grim expression. Some papers are held in one hand and Dimitri stands like a statue behind him.

"I have received an urgent request from our neighbors to the east, Vorrun. Their council has heard of your good work for the local communities and has requested assistance with a sudden influx of aggression in the local wildlife and a disturbing trend of monster attacks. Vorrun has suffered losses in the past and the current population is struggling to keep these assailants at bay.

They have requested our help in not only fending off the attacks, but figuring out the source of the issue.

We will secure transport to Vorrun via a small wagon caravan.

This is wholly optional and you may stay in Town if you like! Or, you can visit Vorrun as a tourist during this time. I just ask that you are polite and sensitive to our hosts. We will be leaving tomorrow at eight AM. Dimitri will remain in Town for those who do not wish to attend."

To do what, exactly? Well... Now might be as good a time as any to begin testing your skills as a newfound dragon.

To those that will be traveling to Vorrun though, Charlie ends with: "Thank you, we hope to see you bright and early!"

HAPPY HELPERS

Vorrun is a city-state located in a steep valley nestled between two mountain ranges. As such, it is blessed with a verdant landscape and plenty of rain. The mornings often come covered in mist that lifts throughout the day but adds an ethereal quality to the locale.

The people of Vorrun tend to be largely Beastmen due to this being a sanctuary for them. Very few children of men live in the city, but there are some here and there who have earned the local's trust and respect. The architecture is reminiscent of what some offworlders recognize feudal Japan.

All around, the locals go about their business as usual. There is an undercurrent of anxiety due to the recent attacks yet most appear to be doing the best they can to remain optimistic. They are also wary of newcomers given the rather isolated nature of the place. Once you engage with the people though, they are overall polite and friendly.

While offworlders learn for more information on how they'll be helping as Charlie and Nobu meet initially, there are a handful of things to do around the city-state.

⁂ Hot Springs - Vorrun has natural geothermal pools that anyone is free to use. There is a venue that is co-ed, but also one separated by sex for people's comfort. Choose whatever suits you or you're most comfortable with! For those bonded with dragon souls though, they'll find that the physical draconic features of their half-shapes may be more pronounced in the warm waters.

⁂ Community Service - If you're Ardyn Izunia, this is mandatory. For everyone else or the non-combatants among the population, the people of Vorrun need help similarly to how those in Town might. Running errands isn't the most glamorous thing in the world but it will help endear the local populace.

⁂ Enjoy The Local Plum Wine - If you help out around the city-state, then you might also be offered some of the local delicacy: plum wine! This drink provides an increase in luck. This will be subtle, but offer you an advantage in nearly everything you do for up to eight (8) hours after consuming it.

⁂ Hide & Seek - One of the favorite people in Vorrun is a lovely tanuki woman everyone simply refers to as 'Ma.' She is one of the kindest and most welcoming individuals that will be come across as she offers food aplenty and matronly advice.

She does have a request though for people visiting: find her kids and tell them that supper is almost ready. How many? Oh, well, it's hard to keep track but she thinks only about twenty or so are scattered around Vorrun still. The rest are working, patrolling, or already here at home.

Ma will warn people though that her children, being mischevious tanuki, have likely disguised themselves as every day common objects throughout Vorrun. Their disguises aren't very good (their tail might be obvious, they're too wiggly, most inanimate objects don't giggle) so they shouldn't give you too much trouble at least!

HUNTING FOR ANSWERS

GAL-OTHY-MOS by Hiroyuki Sawano

1:15 / 5:09

▶︎

Click here to listen.

Hiroyuki Sawano is a Japanese composer, arranger, lyricist, pianist, and music producer best known for his work on many anime series, video games, television dramas, and films. His pieces tend to have exceedingly strange titles, featuring numbers, symbols, and letters from various different alphabets. He stated that he decided this because he wants "people to be able to listen to the songs in their own way and have their own reaction."

code

After a day or so of delegations and working through red tape, offerworlders are allowed to investigate among the mountain range. Their instructions are provided by Nobu who appears to be an authoritative leader.

Everyone is warned again about the increased aggression of the surrounding monsters, but hopefully a cause might be found.

It is recommended to work in pairs.

ABANDONED BATTLEFIELD

The war-torn remnants of an old battlefield from Vorrun's war with the orcs. Old, broken weapons and armaments stand as ghostly relics of the horrors that this place saw.

⁂ Possible Encounters: Poltergeist, Troll, Troll Mutate

⁂ Item of Interest: Ornate spear - Amongst a collection of broken spears, this one is intact and without wear

ROVAAN NAH'S GRAVE

In the bottom of a crystal clear pool, the massive bones of an Ancient Dragon lay undisturbed. This is the final resting place of the great Draconic Saint, Rovaan Nah: The Roaming Fury.

⁂ Possible Encounters: Allosaurus, Boar, Elk

⁂ Point of Interest: Black, oily sludge seeps from a rock nearby the water. It hasn't contaminated it yet but appears to be oozing that way.

MOUNTAINSIDES

The high cliffs make for a difficult hike, but for a dragon with wings, they are no obstacle. Lush moss hangs from every surface and the ferns are thick. This old-growth forest feels just packed with secrets.

⁂ Possible Encounters: Awakened Giant Wasp, Giant Lizard, Roc, Corrupted Orc

⁂ Item(s) of Interest: A bundle of scrolls is hidden in a tree somewhere. Trying to read them gives one a headache and appears to be in a language that is indecipherable to most.

CASCARA PASS

You can only come through this way with an escort from Vorrun. The pass is dark and full of winding passages. One could easily get lost if they did not know the way by memory. Take care and avoid deep pools of water here. Tempting as they might be to jump in, the escort advises against it.

⁂ Possible Encounters: Aurumvorax, Cloaker, Dire Flat Worm

⁂ Item of Interest: Abandoned along the pass is an old, charred painting of a woman in a veil, with inscription "fire purifies all" along the bottom.

WAYSIDE BAY

A hidden bay that Vorrun receives their trade through. It is a small but busy port is bustling at all hours and well-guarded. They will, of course, let investigators come through and see what they can find. Yet, they will be under close watch so no funny business.

⁂ Possible Encounters: Elemental Spirit (water), Flail Snail, Giant Enemy Crab

⁂ Item of Interest: Hidden by the sand under a dock is a Draconic Medallion. It is of obvious importance, but exactly what can't be determined.

Notes

⁂ If you have any questions, suggestions, or feedback relating to this post then you can leave it here.

⁂ The partner plotting post for this event/quarter is up!

⁂ Please sign up here to see if your character finds the item/point of interest listed in the searchable areas. We will be RNGing for who finds them. Even if your character doesn't find the artifact mentioned in the post, we will be giving other clues, information, and so on to everyone that receives something if investigating.

⁂ These artifacts are also meant to spark discussion and theories among characters rather than actually answer what's going on here. We encourage those who find the artifacts to share this information ICly! All will be revealed... in due time! For now, have fun putting the puzzle pieces together.

⁂ The sparring requests page is now live! We hope it's a fun little surprise that people enjoy utilizing. It's for fun, mostly, but also to provide an IC avenue for characters to get more comfortable with their new dragon selves.

⁂ Thank you for your patience on this post as we recovered from a difficult April! We hope you enjoy visiting Vorrun and look forward to the changes we'll be making re: the quest board and a couple of other adjustments planned!

⁂ Full Navigation ⁂

Comments

Popp | Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai

[snapp_crackle]

Hot Springs/Tanuki

Popp is a noted fan of hot springs. These are great, which is great, but also, a lot better than the large outdoor bath he made this winter, which is a blow to the ego. It's with mixed but relaxed feelings that he exits the water and dons his wayfarer's clothes, ready to set off on some manner of adventure-

Hey.

"All right, this isn't getting robbed. I still have all my stuff, but..."

Bemused, he holds up his usual black and white tabard in one hand... and a seemingly identical tabard in the other. What is wrong with this picture?? Further investigation may reveal some clues.

Battlefield

The mist only adds to the general creepiness of the ancient battlefield. Popp is sticking close to his fellow investigator for this one, and he really doesn't want to deal with how creepy silence would make this place while they nose around.

"You know, I've never been on a battlefield before - I mean, I've been to places that have had battles in them, towns and castles and so on, but those got fixed up eventually, because people lived there."

He might be chatty, but he's respectful enough of the dead to be melancholy about it, at least.

Clear Springs

One solitary skeleton is a much cheerier situation than a valley full of old dead people and maybe ghosts.

"Hmm. I mean. If we want to find something, we should probably dive in there, huh? But, you know, respectfully. It's a grave, after all!"

He scratches his chin thoughtfully. In half-dragon form, so also very carefully. There are stray scales across his cheeks and nose here and there, but that's not sufficient armor against his claws if he slips up... he's really got to get those things trimmed.

"Should we have brought flowers?"


Bay Adventures (for Avan)

"Sheesh, they're the ones who called us in. You'd think they'd be friendlier!"

Popp's speaking loudly and rudely enough to be heard by the guards keeping a close eye on them. There sure are a lot of guards! They act like they're expecting trouble. He would really like to not be classified as trouble.

"C'mon, Avannnn, we can window shop later! We're supposed to investigate, remember?!"

This whining is couched as a suggestion but it is amplified by Popp grabbing Avan by the shoulders and steering him away from the docks.

Bay Adventures

[avanture_time]

As usual, it's easy to pull Avan along. How nice it must be for Popp, to be on the other side of the portability balance.

"What are you planning to investigate this way?"

[snapp_crackle]

Say what you will about the Kamurkia experience, Popp has supported, shoved, or outright picked up a respectable number of people here! In a greater proportion than he's been picked etc up by people? Shut up that's none of your business.

"Maybe something's washed up with the tides? A lot of things get lost at sea."

Popp has some doubts about his abilities to find things on purpose, and maybe also about his sense of direction. But it's hard to get lost when you're just following the shoreline.

[avanture_time]

Well, at least he's with Avan, whose navigation skills are perfectly competent. And who knows about all sorts of weird stuff, so maybe he has some idea of what to look for?

(He doesn't, but he's kind of hoping it'll be a "know it when I see it" thing. Or, perhaps more likely, a "Yarrow'll know it when he sees it" thing.)

"Heheh, the sea is truly full of interesting treasures!" Some of which certainly does wash up with the tides! Which is why Avan is kneeling down to look into a tide pool now.

[snapp_crackle]

"You still look like you're shopping, but for dinner this time."

Sea urchins and mussels might count as treasure by some measures.

A shadow falls over the pool as Popp looks over Avan's shoulder. It's far too big a shadow to belong to one slender teenager, or even two of them.

A flail snail draws near.

[avanture_time]

Avan turns to look up at the flail snail and grimaces. "Oh, uh... he doesn't look friendly, does he?"

He's just gonna... scramble out of the way real quick. Popp's got this handled, right?

[snapp_crackle]

A shimmering, colorful shell, big enough for a grown man to fit inside it were not already full of oozing mollusc. Five wriggling tentacles, topped with menacing spiked heads. Popp yelps in surprise when he turns around, but jumps between this thing and Avan right away. He's faced worse, and there's nothing to fear.

"They eat snails in Carl, right? I guess we don't need to do any grocery shopping after all!"

Well, there are presumably herbs and lemon wedges and things (isn't there a special fork for snails?) but this isn't about an actual recipe, this is cocky banter. Especially since Popp is not planning to cook it according to chef standards.

"Kafrizz!"

His magic's become stronger from the meditation and other training he's been up to. He's expecting a severe impact, if not an outright kill. Steam comes off the snail in great gouts as buckets of mucus evaporate, but it doesn't look hurt at all.

"It's fireproof?!"

At least it's not fast, or at least not as fast as Popp can dodge away from the writhing flails. It might be strong against fire, but it sure doesn't like it!

[avanture_time]

Oh, immune to fire, that's not good for Popp. Hopefully it's not immune to magic, full stop, or else that'll be a real problem. But at least for now, there's still no need for Avan to get involved. Surely his future self gave Popp advice for handling this sort of situation, it's just a question of if Popp internalized it.

"Typically you boil the snail to death if you're cooking it!" he yells from a safe distance, as helpful as always. You're also supposed to starve them for a few days beforehand to purge them of impurities, but that would be even less helpful to point out right now.

[snapp_crackle]

Starving it of human flesh is a pretty good plan and Popp was going to do that anyway.

All that practice flying around makes a difference even in humanoid form. He can't very well Levizoom out of range entirely, because that will encourage the snail to go for a target that can't take to the air. He lunges and flips out of the way of the crushing appendages with surprising grace for how panicked his face looks about the whole situation.

"So what, we lure it into the water?! I'm strong, but I can't boil the entire harbor!"

He's a little too frantic to properly be proud of himself for realizing this before he tried it. It does seem like a good plan in some ways...

What would Master Avan do?! Aside from Avan Strash or even Earth Strash this thing in one blow, that's not something either of them can do. He could probably even Wave Strash a bunch of seawater right over the snail and then boil it... Hey, that might be something! Popp's eyes take on a firmer, focused quality.

"So we'll have to bring the harbor to it instead!"

[avanture_time]

Really, what Master Avan would probably do is effortlessly hold the snail at bay while using it as an object lesson on spell immunities. And so the question becomes what would that lesson be.

Unfortunately, the younger Avan doesn't seem to have any insight on the matter, as he's apparently hung up on the logistics of cooking a snail of this size.

"Uhhhhh, I don't think we'll find a pot big enough for that?"

[snapp_crackle]

Popp has a brilliant plan, come up with on the spot - albeit based on some tricks he's used to fill up the hot springs, but a plan is basically the product of whatever you've managed to pour into your brain over a lifetime anyway. The Kacrackle he's spent the winter developing crashes down on the snail and freezes its shell to the spot, followed by a Kafrizz to melt all that ice and drench it - he underestimates exactly fast this thing can and will lurch forwards once it's out of the ice, and gets a flail across the torso that knocks him down on the sands, gasping for breath and narrowly rolling away from the followup strikes.

"We don't need a pot! I'll crack it open this way! Just... one more spell...! Kafrizz!"

Being resistant to fire is one thing, but the other property of this kind of snail, apparently, is that it can reflect spells, and it's chosen to ricochet the flames in Avan's direction rather than the consistently dodgy target. Popp definitely does know what Master Avan would do in this situation! There's not enough time to turn into a dragon first; there's not even enough time to drag young Avan out of the way instead of, well. He's got a lot of experience in eyeballing how much distance his spells will travel in a given amount of time, and what he does have juuuust enough time to do is get his body between his friend and his own magic.

[avanture_time]

Avan's about to move out of the way with a maneuver carefully calculated to look like a lucky scramble instead of the precisely timed dodge it actually would be, when his vision fills with green and forethought gives way to instinct. With a single motion, he grabs Popp and pulls him back towards him, simultaneously using that momentum to spin them around so that he's the one shielding his future student instead.

He can't hold back the cry of pain that escapes him when the spell collides with his back. It's the hardest hit he's ever taken at this point in his life, after all. But he can take it. He remains standing, Popp held close, even if the nervous laughter that follows is clearly pained.

"Hahaha.... You need to be more careful, Popp! You could get seriously hurt doing something like that!"

[snapp_crackle]

Some parts of battle, Popp misses - the satisfaction of doing something he's trained to do, the relief of keeping people safe, having a very straightforward problem to solve as quickly as possible with the support of friends. What he doesn't miss is the sinking, sick jolt of horrified realization when solving a problem doesn't work out as cleanly as he imagined. He's not calm enough to think of another way out of this - he's shaking as he clings to Avan, eyes wide, trying not to think about the last time an Avan took a blow for him. Popp screams when he talks fairly often, but there's a rawer edge to his voice than there is when it's about a frog in the washbasin.

"I know I could! That's why I didn't want you to get hit! But you still...!"

This isn't exactly history repeating itself, this is... just how Avan is, at his heart. A hero.

battlefield

[brawlin]

Caspar is more than happy to keep talking - in general, of course, but especially right now. Silence means room to think, and... no, thank you. Not here, not now.

Even he could admit - even before his last battle - that there was something unsettling about a battlefield after the dust settled. There was a reason victories were usually celebrated elsewhere; without the excitement of combat, the blood and adrenaline, all that remained on the site itself was a whole lot of death.

"At least, if it happens somewhere nobody lives, there's less chance of innocent people getting hurt." He gets that sometimes you gotta pick your sites based on tactical importance, and sometimes that means somewhere with people - but that doesn't mean he feels great about it. "...But it sure does look creepy, left that way."

Re: battlefield

[snapp_crackle]

"I'm innocent people and I'm going to get hurt regardless."

Popp has never been in an armed conflict that he considers morally gray. And not that many that he's ended able to walk under his own power, for that matter.

"But I get what you mean, I always get worked up when there's someone else who could get hurt or killed if I don't do something. For a while, thinking about that was the only way I could make myself fight."

Two suits of armor here have fallen back to back, further evidence of what happened to them grown over by plants. He wonders if any of the soldiers here were fighting for similar reasons. Probably. Everyone wants to protect their friends, right?

[brawlin]

The fact that Popp was not joking (and also they're surrounded by corpses and he's stressed as hell) won't stop Caspar from laughing. "Fair, fair!"

He's willing enough to categorize Popp as innocent!! Even knowing Popp has seen a fair bit of combat himself, he can easily assume the circumstances were... rather different than Caspar's own, messy situation.

"Yeah, of course - no greater motivation than someone needing help! Though, then again, I like fighting, so it's easier for me to begin with. All the bigger deal when someone doesn't, but can still do what they've gotta."

[snapp_crackle]

Man, Caspar is really nice. Yeah, a lot of people here are, but they're either a lot older or not experienced warriors at all. He's really easy to talk to.

"Heh. I still don't really like getting involved in dangerous things, but I'm used to it by now. And winning against tough foes I never would have dared stand up to a couple years ago feels pretty good!"

Popp hunkers down to take a closer look at the armor and tries to memorize the bits of sigil and such on it, so he can draw it for someone in town later.

"The Dark Army had a lot of beastmen like the people here, but these guys are friendly. I can't even tell which side here was good and which side was evil, with them all withered away and grown over like this."

[brawlin]

"Hey, that's the spirit!" He pumps his fist. "Nothin' like taking someone down you'd never think you could have - actually seeing your own growth, right in front of you."

He drops his fist, though, and tilts his head curiously at Popp's last comment. "Like, who was on which side? I guess it's pretty hard to tell this way, yeah. Maybe if we really went through to look at the armor we could get an idea of it, but... that'd seem pretty disrespectful."

[snapp_crackle]

He nods along - yeah, yeah! Caspar gets it!

"You're right - even if I was dead, I'd be pissed if I saw a bunch of strangers messing around with my body, like some kind of graverobber."

Or a looter, since they're aboveground and all. This feels like the kind of thing that gets you restless spirits.

"I'd also be kinda pissed off that nobody came back and dug me a real grave."

[brawlin]

"Huuuh, yeah." Caspar looks around as they walk, kind of... mentally counting up bodies. Mostly what he's got is that there are a lot.

"...How long d'you think that would take, anyway?"

You know. For all of them.

[snapp_crackle]

Popp slumps. "No idea. I mean, the only time I've had to do stuff like that, there wasn't really... much left. To bury."

A crater full of blood and rubble. A pair of broken glasses. The worst day of Popp's life.

"Maybe flowers and a blessing would be good enough...? Ugh, we need a priest around for this kind of stuff. I think that Byleth guy's something like that? He lived in a church for a while, anyway..."

[brawlin]

"Oh... man. I'm sorry." Caspar has seen plenty of death, sure - but it's clear to him that this was someone Popp really cared about, and their death must have been... pretty grisly.

He doubts it would do the other boy much good, though, to dwell on it. Caspar is more than happy to move along to the next thought. "Better'n nothing. Probably worth asking that guy, at least - I don't think I've met him yet, though, so you'd need to show me to him if we're gonna ask about it."

In another time - another version of events - Caspar wouldn't be able to fathom simply living his life without ever knowing Byleth. Now... he might recognize the famed Ashen Demon by sight, but the man's actual name doesn't ring any bells.

"Flowers sound like a good start, if nothing else. Gotta be someone selling some back in town, right-- or, in Vorrun." Y'know. As opposed to Town.

[snapp_crackle]

It's been months, by now Popp is well practiced at being sad in the moment and then making himself do something else or else he can and will waste the whole day wallowing. They have a town to save from monsters that might or might not be angry ghosts!

"He's really nice and makes soup. Hm, did he come along on this one or not? He's also pretty quiet, and I was uh, distracted for a lot of the ride over..."

He was in a mutual annoyance battle with Emet-Selch. In present day, he's talking very quickly in order to drown out anything else going on in his brain.

"So we'll go with flowers! I can make a good wreath if the stems are long enough, but it's not that hard to do. Even a tough guy with ham hands could manage it."

[brawlin]

"Huuuh... well, what's he look like? I can keep an eye out when we get back, and if he's around I'll check with him!"

He nods eagerly at the suggestion. "Hey, that's a good idea! I dunno that I've made anything like that before, but I can help out - if my ham hands really can do it." Caspar adds that last part with a grin. "Actually, if it's anything like braiding hair, that I know now to do."

[snapp_crackle]

"Well, sometimes he looks like a man with light green hair, and sometimes he looks like a feathered steel dragon. Or somewhere between the two. His face is kind of... he looks like he'd be cold-hearted, but like I said, he's nice. If you're trying to work out what his mood is, it's easier if you watch his wings."

While Popp does have access to a photographic reference of Byleth, what he does not have is a photographic reference of Byleth not in some fancy religious rope underwear, which would give Caspar the wrong idea about a lot of things. Thanks, pixies.

Ahem.

"It's probably close? I don't braid a lot of hair."

He grins and runs his hand over his own hair, which promptly springs back up into his signature spiky swoop.

"Whose hair do you play around with? A girlfriend back home?"

Caspar has a lot of fine qualities and Popp likes hanging out with him as is, but it'd be perfect if he was the sort of guy who could give him advice on ~girls~. With all the role modelish types around here, you'd think that would be easier, but it really isn't!