ph_logs | A New Beginning

A New Beginning | OTA

Who: Wizard (

substitutiarylocomotion) & any interested parties.
What: Open-ended post for Wizard to meet others and vice versa
When: Late April
Where: The Oak & Iron, Southwest Hollow, Greymare Library, & Wildcard

The Oak & Iron
[Death was not an unfamiliar experience to Sylus, but what had greeted him in the times between his passing and the eventual rebirth at the Temple of Althena was about as different as possible from where he found himself now. Could it be that things had changed with the Three Goddesses restored, or maybe this was what happened to those who died without anyone to see them restored to the land of the living? Either way, it was strange how… developed the afterlife was. Before whatever curse caused Pumpkin Hollow’s current woes there must have been impressive Artificer’s to provide it with the kinds of technologies he’d seen just since coming here but the idea of curses, let alone city infrastructure, was beyond bizarre to think of in a place meant for the dead. He mulled at such thoughts as he picked at his meal. It was kind of the townsfolk to share their hospitality with him, given what the Mayor had said regarding their resource struggles.]

"This little hamlet certainly has its work cut out for it..."

Southwest Hollow
[The area Wizard had picked to rent in was far from the most idyllic part of Pumpkin Hollow, but getting back on the proverbial horse was important to both being able to contribute to easing the town’s troubles as well as keeping his mind off of his current predicament. The area was gloomy and the building bedraggled, doubly so thanks to a mixture of being within a stone’s throw of Fall’s Promise Cemetery and having almost a week’s worth of rainy weather hanging over them, but Wizard still busily walked the muddy grounds with a determined look on his face.

Building a repository for the arcane was something he personally believed to be the domain of those mages who’d gotten on in years and were past the days of gallivanting through, but there was no denying how useful it could be to a land beset with monsters and undying citizenry. Were there any other practitioners of magic within Pumpkin Hollow, too, he imagined that a well-stocked Arcanium could be an invaluable resource to both building community among them as well as ensuring their mystical needs were tended-to. It all began with restoring the dilapidated building he’d secured for himself though, and that would require far more knowledge of the trades than he possessed. Assessment came first, regardless of the next steps, so tromping through the soggy sod to take measurements and jot-down the most obvious signs of damage and decay would make up the entirety of his morning.]

Greymare Library
[Knowledge is the greatest weapon with which a warrior can equip himself, and one that Wizard prided himself on being perpetually well-equipped with in his world of origin. Here on Marrow Isle, though, he found himself almost completely in the dark. From the information passed to him in his meeting with Mr. Aberdeen and Mayor Poe it was clear the island had one hell of a shadow hanging over it and, while he’d helped to lift more than his fair share of those in the past, learning everything he could about both the history and the current state of the town would be essential to his success. As a result, several large stacks of books on virtually every subject relating to Marrow Isle are stacked at the table that Wizard is hunched over, framing him like towers around a portcullis, and several volumes of historical records sit open in front of him at once. His concentration on the books is clear, meaning he’s very much in another world at the moment, but the books he’s pouring through could appear interesting to anyone interested in Pumpkin Hollow’s history or the ancient sites on the island.]

Wildcard
[If another location calls to you in regards for how and where you’d like to encounter Sylus feel free to either ask for a custom starter or to pick a place on the island that you feel would make sense to bump into him. He’s not exactly up to exploring the wilderness of Marrow Isle yet, so it would probably be someplace within the more metropolitan area, but that’s still a plenty big list of options.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I agree."

[Came a deep voice.

A man of 6'7" with long silver hair to his knees and striking green eyes was approaching. He was dressed in black, with his leather coat open and nothing else on his upper body aside from suspenders. He might look intimidating, although his manner was warm and his smile kind.]

"Hello. Are you a recent arrival?"

[Sylus was not expecting anyone to overhear him, looking up towards the voice surprisedly. After the initial welcome his time in Pumpkin Hollow had been largely uneventful and few had given him much of a second glance, so he'd largely gotten used to being something of a fly on the wall to the tavern's many conversations. Attracting attention, particularly from someone as striking as the silver-haired giant who now approached him, was new.]

"Uh..."

[He paused a moment. He supposed that was pretty much what it would be when someone came in. The rather lethal manner of arrival had caused him not to think of it from the point of view of those already in Pumpkin Hollow, but thinking on it the Ferryman's boat really was just what its name suggested.]

"I suppose I am."
[He turned in his seat to better face the man.]
"It's only been a few days since I came in on the boat. Are you a local then, or did you come via the Ferryman as well?"

“I am not a local. I arrived on the ferry some months ago. My name is Sephiroth.”

[He wonders, always, if anyone he meets will have heard of him, someone from Gaia he never knew but who knew of him from Shinra’s propaganda. So far, that has not as yet happened.]

[His tall new conversational partner looked strikingly like a combination of himself and comrade the Fighter, back in the days of their adventurer's company, so he wondered if he might hail from the same land as himself. There was enough of a mixture of people and technological levels present within the city for him to come to the conclusion that people were being brought to Pumpkin Hollow from more than just one realm, though, so there was no telling where anyone he met might come from.]

"A pleasure Sephiroth. I am Sylus, the Wizard, though most simply call me Wizard."

[He gestures to the bench opposite him in the booth.]

"Please. Join me."

[Indeed, there are so many realms represented there.

He nods in acknowledgement and sits down at the table.]

“Which do you prefer, Sylus or Wizard?”

[He feels it only polite to ask. Some people aren’t commonly called as they prefer.]

[He'd rarely given it much thought given how almost automatic it had been for people to refer to him by his occupation rather than his name but, upon being asked, he realizes that only a few people actually call him Sylus. Given the closeness of the two people that immediately spring to mind, he ends up wrinkling his nose thinking of other people calling him that.]

"I think Wizard would be best, if for no other reason than it just being what I've grown used to by this point."

[He takes a sip from his drink, but then remembers his manners and gestures to the dishes.]

"Would you like anything? It's impolite to eat without offering a dish in-kind after all."

[Sephiroth nods. He would understand only wanting certain people to refer to him in a particular way.]

“Very well.

“Thank you. I’m fine right now.”

[He doesn’t want to take from someone else’s meal … especially as he can actually be rather ravenous when eating.]

“Are you looking to find a job that would allow you to use your magic abilities?”

[He’s just curious, wondering what type of job might allow for that.]

[The Wizard shrugs at the declination of food and cracks a loaf of bread open as he listens. At the query of what occupation he's considering he purses his lips, considering his words for a moment before responding.]

"Ideally yes, but what I've seen of the city tells me that there's stunningly little in the way of the arcane arts here. For all I know I'd end up labled as a quack and end up contributing nothing to the troubles assaulting Pumpkin Hollow, and that's not what I'm looking to accomplish."

[He takes some herb spread from a little container and spreads it acrossed the crust of bread before continuing.]

"Though, if there are other magicians on the island, having some kind of resoure to draw from or hub to gather at would be a tremendous boon. This place doubtless has all kinds of ingredients and reagents for alchemy, and the chance to study the magics brought from the varied realms this place seems to draw from could be an unparralelled chance for shared learning."

[He takes a bite, the chewing interrupting him momentarily, but resumes at its completion.]

"It's hard to know. I will likely look into potions and tinctures initially, as healers and apothecaries are always useful, but I will need more information on the processes before I can know my plans for the long-term."

[His thought finished, he looks up from his food.]

"What about you? A strapping man like yourself could do well in questing or military work, but there's plenty of crafts that need a strong arm to get the best of them as well."

“I believe there are quite a few here who possess various powers. Healers are definitely always needed. You would be very welcome in that line of work.

“You are correct about me. I am part of the local law enforcement. That is the closest we have to a military.”

[Wizard nodded. The tall man seemed the sort for military work. He had too experienced a look to be a simple farmer or smith, so knowing he'd settled-in to the town guard fit what he'd surmised.]

"I can't say I'm surprised. You have the feel of someone experienced in such matters, and you remind me of someone I used to adventure with, so the constabulary makes sense. I've heard tell there's monsters outside the town so, if that's true, there must be more than enough to keep you busy. I've yet to hear any word on if there's anything amounting to dungeons or delves, though, as those would be quite interesting for my own purposes.

As to healing, I'm not much for the mending arts directly, but I can make potions and poultices and I'm experienced in chronomancy. Provided the customer can tell me accurately when the injury transpired, I should be able to revert the affected area to the state it was in before the injury took place. That is, of course, provided that it was recieved fairly recently. Predominantly, though, the arcane arts I specialize in are more in the schools of advanced destruction and substitutiary locomotion - that is to say, I can destroy things and bring things to life with great efficiency. Being able to use those kinds of talents would be ideal, but I doubt there will be much in the way of a demand for them from what I've seen so far."

“There are quite a few monsters in the woods. Sometimes they make their way into town and cause problems. I’ve heard something about an underground world, I believe, although I haven’t been down there. I don’t believe we have any … dungeons?”

[He raises an eyebrow. Dungeons to him would be places in castles to keep prisoners.

He listens with interest.]

“I see. That is very useful. And I am intrigued you can bring things to life. I can repair my own body if it’s destroyed, using a great deal of willpower, but I don’t know that I could do the same for anyone else. My powers are mostly for destruction.”

Edited 2025-05-07 20:25 (UTC)

[Being able to restore one's body was an impressive ability, particularly if he leaned towards the more physical aspects of combat as his muscular build suggested. The choice of word for "powers" leads Sylus to believe the imposing man has more than just martial arts though. Perhaps some kind of Paladin or Cleric? If, so it would be interesting to see how such derived powers were affected in a realm removed from all of their origins.]

"I am the same in that way. The overwhelming majority of my toolkit, so-to-speak, is dedicated to harnessing elemental powers and destruction magic. Chronomancy is the spellcraft I wield personally that would make for a passable restorative, but even its usefulness would be situational at-best in such an application. My skills were used predominantly for delving into places exactly as that underground world sounds, and either felling particularly troublesome creatures or recovering important individuals or relics."

[He pauses to take a drink, thinking on possibility that a place with monsters lacked any dungeons and failing to realize the disconnect in terminology.]

"If there weren't significant enough ancient cultures or powerful enough monsters in this place's past I suppose it's possible that no dungeons ever coalesced, though the periodic influx of monsters would suggest that there are at least a few places that serve as nests or strongholds to them... it's something to look into at least, and that should serve to both take my mind off the predicament of being here and help to ease the town's burdens should their dens be successfully discovered."

[He definitely possesses many physical and supernatural abilities both. He's pleased to still have as much as he does here.]

Chronomancy? That involves turning back time as a restorative?

[He listens to the rest carefully. It sounds like Wizard has a different definition of dungeon than he does. Curious.]

Are you using dungeon to mean such a stronghold of monsters?

[If he had ever played tabletop games, he would have learned this other meaning. He still wasn't aware of any such strongholds, but locating them, if they existed, would be valuable.]

Edited 2025-05-08 17:51 (UTC)

[Wizard nods at the assessment of his time spells.]

"Indeed. The amount that the clock can be turned back is, of course, limited and the spells are very demanding. It is much easier to stop or simply slow the flow of time than it is to turn it back but, if the injured party is able to give precise enough direction as to when the injury occurred, it's possible to reverse the course of the wound's progression to a point that it ceases to exist. It is far less efficient than simply using restoration magic though. The kinds of spells used by the servants of the Three Goddesses are infinitely better suited at mending wounds than rewinding the course of time, so I would imagine it would be more of a last resort than a primary method of care."

[Sephiroth's question about dungeons strikes him as curious. He'd travelled far and wide and the verbology for delves and dungeons had been pretty standard, so he'd assumed everyone called such pits of fiends and foes by the same terms. How strange if they called them by something else here, or perhaps called it by a different name where the tall man himself came from.]

"Monsters, or just brigands and naredowells. Pirates, thieves, undead, and even demons can call dungeons home and they can come in all manner of shapes and sizes. Places like Ghost Ship Cove seemed like relatively ordinary holdfasts for outlaws, but concealed the legendary Kraken at its heart. Other dungeons are more obvious, such as the Bilbaron Subterranean Fortress or the Wizard Wallace's Underground Labyrinth. Those are more on-the-nose in being sprawling complexes of traps, twists, and turns suitable only for fiends and the undead to call home. Sometimes the denizens of these places can wander out into civilization but, generally, the deadlier the creatures the more sharply they cling to the ruins they've carved-out for themselves."

"It sounds fascinating and useful, even if not the best option in such cases."

[He listens, nodding curiously.]

"I see. So almost any place could technically be classified as a dungeon if it's a home for dangerous beings or bears important items. There are places back home that fall into such categories, although I've never heard them called such."

[Wizard shrugs his shoulders a bit.]

"There are plenty of places that would be rife with monsters that wouldn't be classified as a dungeon. Forests, badlands, and other unenclosed areas can be teeming with creatures and rogues but wouldn't be considered dungeons. Predominantly, you'll find them to be fortified and isolated areas. Ancient ruins or lost cities, labyrinths and strongholds, or anything that can be holed-up in by nefarious elements."

[Cupping his chin with his hands, he thinks of a fitting example to give.]

"In my world there were entire cities once ruled by the ancients that had become classified as dungeons, but those were the exceptions. Wizard's towers lost to the ravages of time and, sometimes, literal dungeons once meant to hold terrible creatures from long ago are more the kind of things you'd see hold that moniker. "

"I see. Yes, in my world a 'dungeon' means a castle prison. It's enlightening to hear this other explanation.

"I suppose you may want to journey to the underground area to see if your assistance might be required there?"

[Sylus nodded acknowledgingly.]

"We have that as well, though it's a type of dungeon I have far less contact with. I suppose both are generally fortified, dangerous, and constricting for those attempting to enter or exit. Entering into places like that alone isn't recommended though, no matter how capable an adventurer is. Too many unpredictable elements are present. The environments can be deathtraps, the creatures within can be dangerous in more ways than simple lethality, and there's far too many variables for most people to safely tackle without forming a party."

[He cups his chin with his hands, thinking of examples beyond his own adventurer's company.]

"Experts in various fields, such as magic casters like myself, help round out the skills of those who dive these dungeons. People who possess defensive abilities or wards, those with expertise in traps or can navigate difficult environments, and mountains of muscle with phenomenal strength are all among the kinds of specialists you'll see. These roles become more distinct the more experienced the adventurer, of course, so novices generally look more or less like the same sort of person in different kinds of equipment."

[A spoonful of soup temporarily interrupts him.]

"If I can assemble an adventuring company like the one I had in Hydeland I'd certainly be interested in exploring such places but, if it's a case of having to go it alone, it would be something I'd have to approach with great care."

"Yes, that is a good description of the dungeon I am familiar with."

[He ponders this information.]

"It sounds much like a company of friends I encountered in the past. They all possessed different specialties as you describe."

[He doesn't feel up to saying that he was the danger they encountered.]

"I might be interested in such a journey, if my work would allow."

"Given the abilities you described earlier and what I can tell from your bearing, I'd say you appear to be on the seasoned side of things. I'm far from an appraiser of such things, of course, but if anything akin to dungeons are present here on Marrow Isle having adventurers with the power to clear them out would no doubt be a tremendous boon to the town."

[He crosses his arms and nods in affirmation of the statement.]

"When the largest monster or "boss" of these places is defeated it causes a power vacuum that prevents surface raids or other excursions until a new alpha establishes itself. Hunting down each and every monster in someplace like that would take an absolutely ridiculous amount of manpower, but eliminating the boss is something that can be handled by a small group of elite adventurers. It's maximum effect for minimal effort and, honestly, it sounds like it could be just what Pumpkin Hollow needs."

"Yes, if such strongholds of monsters are in any way responsible for the chaos we experience, I agree it would be vital to find and disrupt them. I am certain I could get my superiors to agree to allow me to participate."

[He is familiar with areas back home that are such strongholds for monsters, although he hasn't heard them called dungeons before.]

"I'm glad to hear the town guard would approve of a strike at such places, but I won't be able to investigate if there really are monster strongholds like that for some time. I need to get better established here in town, as well as learn more about the history of this island, before undertaking any expeditions."

[The last of his soup gone, Wizard dabs at the bowl's remnants with the crust of his bread before continuing.]

"I have a lead on more permanent lodgings, but they'll require considerable renovations to be livable. In the time those repairs take place I intend to network with the many strange people that have gathered here and read my body weight's worth of books in the library. Ideally, Goddesses willing, things should coalesce around the same time and have me expedition-ready in about a couple month's time."

"I understand. May I recommend the Historical Society? They have a great deal of information about the area that's both useful and interesting."

[Sephiroth has spent many long hours reading the books Radar provided him.]

"I had considered them, but I've heard people saying that there are certain groups within Pumpkin Hollow with daggers at each other's throats, and there's was a name I've heard more than once. I'm not looking to get entangled in extraplanar politics, so I've been giving it a wide berth."

[He purses his lips at the thought of being wrapped-up in such things so soon after arrival, but then has a thought and looks up at Sephiroth again.]

"You've been here a while. Can you say if there's any truth to all that conflict I've heard tell of?"

"There are definitely groups that don't care for each other, although I haven't seen their dislike actually become violent. I don't care to actually align with any particular group regardless. A coworker of mine feels the same. We're here to find peace and second chances, not to become involved in pointless conflicts. I would hope the groups recognize that we have a shared enemy and that is what should be focused on instead of whatever petty squabbles the groups have with each other."

[Wizard lets out a tired sigh. Things never change, it seems. Even in the afterlife there's infighting and political maneuvering. It reminded him of the mess with the succession dispute back in Hydeland, which was a level of political intrigue that he had zero intention of repeating. Still, it pleases him to hear that everyone doesn't blindly sign-up for the tribalism that he's heard so much about, so maybe there's hope that he can work within the city without having to engage with it.]

"I'm glad to hear that you and your companion don't prescribe to such petty partisanism. When places divide themselves up into tribes it quickly becomes easier to simply sign on with one group or the other than to stand against the tides of sensationalism and work within your own means, and I've seen the damage that can be done when such fads give way to panic and demonization. I hope to be able to find what I need without darkening the door of any of the groups I've heard about, whether I decide to give them my patronage in the future or not, as all I have on my plate right now is getting myself equipped enough to aid the people here and armed with as much knowledge as I can."

[He folds his hands together thoughtfully before continuing.]

"I've little doubt that these different groups possess much in the way of useful knowledge and resources, but if even the perception of aligning myself with one of them could paint a target on me for those in league with the other groups than that's the last thing I need. Better to do without those boons until I'm established enough for my stances to be known."

"I agree. I have also seen the ill effects from such.

"While I don't know that you would have any particular problems just by examining the groups' resources, I respect your decision to avoid that for now. I will help with what I can, and there are others in town who should be able to as well."

"Familiarizing myself with the unique skills and benefits that the bizarre mixture of people brought to this place possess will certainly be a benefit to any future undertakings, but that's admittedly daunting. People are cagey when presented wtih things they don't know, and I'd imagine the preface of being told that they're dead doesn't add to the desire to be outgoing."

[Sighing, he collects his empty dishes and stacks them near the edge of the table.]

"I've had a rather quiet time of things so far here. Outside of the Innkeeper, Librarians, and the Mayor there's been next to nothing in terms of interaction. It suits me fine, don't get me wrong, and i should be focusing on becoming useful rather than being a social butterly anyways, but it's made it difficult to ascertain who or what there is in terms of skliled labor or craftsmen."

[Wizard drains the rest of his cup's content and sets it near the stack of dishes.]

"Do the city watch have a stockpile or arms and armor they draw from, or is there a list of tradesmen they look to for the maintenance of their equipment?"

"Strangely enough, most people here seem to settle in quite well, from what I've seen. I've only encountered one or two who handled it ... very poorly. I would assume the promise of a second chance keeps most of the people here going. That, and I'm not really sure whether I or anyone else here is actually dead in this realm, considering people can temporarily die here. I assumed we were brought here because this is a place where we could live again while working towards that second chance in our worlds, but I could be wrong.

"I have definitely seen skilled labor and craftsmen. As for weaponry, it seems to be some of both. For a short while I used a sword that was already available. I found that ... unsuitable and soon commissioned a sword much like the one I have back home."

[Sylus nods sympathetically. Using non-personalized equipment can be so messy in his experience, particularly when it comes to spells, and he couldn't imagine getting using a staff or wand that he hadn't personally inspected.]

"I can't blame you there. If you're specialized in a particular discipline or style being handed something rudimentary would feel utterly wrong. Not that it can't be used, of course, but having something correct again is something that quickly moves itself to the top of the list. I'm in much the same boat when it comes to my staves. Magical items aren't that difficult to make if you know what you're doing, but working from a grimoire means binding and attuning each piece to every particular spell I intend to use."

[He rises from the booth and scoops up his dishes.]

"I can use manual incantations or basic impliments to cast them still, but it feels like using a rock on something that requires a chisel. Simply not right."

"Yes. I can use blades of that type, but that one felt foreign after years of using my own. The one I have now is much better, although still not exactly the same as my sword from home. That one ... was specially made for me with unique materials."

[He stands as well.]

"Your problem sounds very complicated and frustrating."

[Wizard gives a shrugging nod, agreeing with Sephiroth's appraisal of his problem but adding additional context.]

"It doesn't have to be as difficult as I make it, I'll grant, and there are many mages who do things without all the trouble to attune their spells to a grimoire. When it's done right, though, it offers an ease-of-use that is second to none. Casting complex rites and incantations in an instant and feeling it draw from the magic of the environment around me rather than my own magical reserves is a fanatstic thing to behold, and also allows me to dispense my own power soley on channeling the destructive elements of my selected staves."

[Stepping over the counter, he deposits his dinner dishes into a bin and turns back to his conversational partner.]

"Like so many things worth doing, it's a case of doing it the right way rather than the easy way. It will take me some time to get reestablished, but when I do it should greatly speed my efforts to be helpful around town."

"It sounds very convenient and useful."

[He certainly would have wanted that in his insanity, when he had even more reason to be casting things.]

"I wish you good fortune in your endeavors."

"I appreciate it."

[He extends his hand to shake Sephiroth's.]

"I think I'll be turning in for the night, but it was nice to meet you. It's good to know there's capable people in the town watch, and you're also the first non-native I've had a conversation with in this place, so I hope to cross paths with you again in the future. "

[[OOC: Provided you're alright with it, I think we're at a good place to end the thread after your next response. I'm working on another toplevel for next week, though, and it would be a lot of fun for them to cross paths again. :) I'll be using different formatting going forward, though, as I got complaints that people couldn't read it, so the font will be a good deal larger. Thanks for being my first tag here btw!]]

[[OOC: Sure! It was fun tagging and I look forward to their next encounter. :) ]]

[Sephiroth nods, shaking his hand.]

"I look forward to that. I'm curious to learn more about your world sometime."

[And he is definitely interested in that exploration, if that comes to pass.]

[ CT doesn't work at the library, but for how often she's here she may well know it almost as well as the staff and when she's coming back to double-check something, she has no problem beelining for the exact spot on the shelf that she needs.

Today, what she's looking for isn't there—not a huge deal, really, she's got plenty of other notes she can sit and take, but when she notices the pile on the unfamiliar face's desk and figures she may as well ask. ]

Sorry to bother you, but you don't happen to have the earliest edition on the founding of the town in that pile, do you?

[Wizard looks up from the pile of books as if he'd just returned from another world. Glancing around the towers, he leans over to see where the voice had come from.]

"Huh?"

[The substance of the question clicks in his mind and his expression changes.]

"Oh! Oh yes! That title sounds familiar, so I think it might be in here..."

[His voice trails off as he begins to scan the spines of the various books. Every concievable title on the town's history are mixed in with books on woodworking and home ownership, so he digs through irrelevant titles like a mole burrowing through soil, but eventually sets aside a few books that could be the ones requested.]

"One of these might be what you're looking for, but I've no idea about the editions I'm afraid. There's so much history about so many things that it's difficult to find a real starting point without falling down a rabbit hole into an entirely different historical era. Were you looking for particular information?"

Just double-checking some things from my old notes. Having one of those days where the urge to go back over everything just in case I missed something won't leave me alone.

[ She glances through the books he pulled out until she spots the one she's looking for and gives a little 'aha' before she snatches it up. ]

This is the one, thanks. [ she gives the whole pile another glance over, just idle curiosity ] I'm guessing you're new to the island and trying to get up to speed, huh?

[Wizard nods in agreement with the sentiment. There were times he couldn't recall the details of something vital, most often the details of specific jobs, and it would drive him to distraction until he could check the notice boards again. Heading out to some remote delve just to forget how or where you were supposed to do the job you were out there to do was frustration made manifest, so he always found it better to listen to those little nagging thoughts that told him to double-check.]

"I can relate to that all too well. Just freshening-up on knowledge, then, or do you work on things relating to the town history? I know there's a historical society here in the town, but I'm afraid I've little knowledge beyond that."

[In response to her assertion he nods again. Scooping a few of the books off the nearest pile so his line of sight is made clearer, he extends a gloved hand.]

"I am indeed! My name is Sylus, though most everyone just calls me "Wizard". I arrived, as I suppose it's called, a few days ago and it's definitely been something of an adjustment. It's not every day you pay the ferrymen, let alone quite so casually as seemed to transpire here."

[He purses his lips at the situation.]

"I'm no stranger to dying or to extraplanar travel, mind you, but in those situations people carry over to the Realm of the Goddesses or are simply revived at their temples. Finding myself in an island limbo is quite unexpected and, as a result, has me caught rather flat-footed. Hence the books."

Edited (Forgot to select an icon ) 2025-05-15 04:16 (UTC)

Oh, no, [ a beat of wry laugher ] I'm definitely not with the Historical Society, no—I'm with the enforcers, part of the Supernatural Affairs branch. We do a lot of research keeping up with the day-to-day supernatural threats and trying to figure out how to get the barrier down.

[ Which in practice means a lot of research into the history of the town and what led to the barrier situation in the first place. ]

Well, you're definitely in the right place to read up, and you even have a headstart on a lot of us. There's a fair number of otherworlders who's first experience with magic is this town, let alone interdimensional travel. I'm one of them.

Everyone calls me CT.

"A pleasure CT.

[Sylus inclines his head towards her.]

"Your work sounds extremely interesting. I'd heard there were monsters that posed an occasional threat to the townsfolk, but I was entirely unaware of the supernatural aspect. It makes sense, given the situation the island's wrapped-up in, but I'd assumed that it had just become the new normal for people and that was that."

[He taps his finger against his lips ponderingly before continuing.]

"Are these enforcers something akin to the town guard or city watch then?"

I'd say that's a close enough comparison. I'd call them similar to police or colonial militias but that's my frame of reference.

[ It's not a one-to-one, especially the way the otherworlders specifically operate within the bounds of the enforcers, but they've all got their own points of reference. She shrugs a shoulder. ]

The town's definitely adapted to there being something strange always going on over the years, but things are always changing and the situation with the demons has been evolving constantly in the recent months. You'll probably hear the townsfolk talk about it.

[ About Dahlia Leeds being exposed as a tiefling and the Pine Devil, about the successful attacks on Mendel and Efrain that led to their deaths, so on so forth. Plenty for the town to chatter about. ]

"Demons?"

[A concerned look spreads across his face. Most of what Wizard had been able to ascertain about the island had given him the impression that it was a largely ordinary place that had been subjected to an either magical or otherworldly phenomenon. Adding Demons to the equation brought a lot of new questions with it. Could they have been responsible for the bizarre happenings on the island, or were they simply caught-up in whatever was bringing people here like everyone else?]

"That's quite the revelation."

[His tone communicated that he did not consider it a pleasant development.]

"Is it known if they're involved with the island's predicament?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A New Beginning | OTA

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greymare library

Re: greymare library

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