[Kata] Down the Rabbit Hole

[Tio Silver]

Spluttering to clear the slime out of his mouth, Tio picked himself off the floor and shook like a wild dog once again, flinging droplets of slime all across the strange figures surrounding them. He wiped his hands on his coat to clear the slime off them, and as his vision returned finally took in the sight of the odd beings surrounding them, many of whom looked distinctly displeased about being sprayed with sludge.

"Heh, sorry about that." He apologised meekly, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. He was pretty sure he heard somebody tutting near the back of the crowd, but couldn't quite make out who amongst the throng of strange and unusual faces. What he did notice however was Sylvester sneakily slithering away unseen through their feet whilst all eyes were on them. Was he ditching them before something bad happened, or was he staying hidden to give them an edge later?

"Not a clue. Some kind of temple perhaps?" He whispered back to Llyr, and shrugged to show that he didn't know when he asked where the mirror had gone. Before he could ask someone in the audience if they'd seen it a loud banging caused him to jump, and he looked over to the huge grey creature that had descended from above and banged a gravel against the table.

"I have a horrible feeling I've figured out where we are." He muttered to Llyr, never once taking his eyes off the creature. "I think we're in a courtroom, and I'd wager a guess that we're not going to like who's being put on trial."

When Llyr whispered the word Ancient to him Tio looked back at him curiously. "Admittedly he's getting on a bit, but I wouldn't say he looks that old. Let's try to not get on the judge's bad side, ey?"

[Llyr Llywelyn]

“A courtroom?” repeated Llyr. He gnawed on his lower lip. His hands ran over his arms to clean off some of the slime though it seemed a pointless attempt. Nervously, he made mention of the language, but the other man didn’t seem to understand what he meant.

“Wh-what?” he inquired back, confused in turn but then realizing how the captain had thought he meant the creature's age. He shook his head.

“N-no, it’s… I mean, yes, he does look a bit ol- or, no, but I meant a language, mister. It’s called ancient. I’ve heard it before. From a leviathan, that is. Or well, not a leviathan. A Protean, if you know what that is?” Llyr surveyed the other man’s jacket again and couldn’t help but cringe. It was still the same as when he’d met the man, but somehow he hadn’t gotten used to it. He brushed some of the slime from Captain Silver’s shoulder, while he moved closer so that they could talk without the chance of being heard by the surrounding entities. He murmured, “I don’t know why it’d be spoken here though. Unless we’ve…”

The biqaj ran a hand over his scarred forehead. He’d forgotten where he’d come from, for a fleeting moment. Had he been in Idalos? Had he died? No, he’d merely been walking in the Veil. Why did he forget that? He cleared his throat then stepped backward and away.

For the blubbered cyclops at the podium had taken a long scroll from its little round assistant. They were exchanging words in the Ancient Language. The cyclops placed a monocle over his large eye and started to recount whatever was on the scroll. It looked as if the attention was mostly on Captain Silver, as the crowd turned to look between the judge and Tio, a few of the entities pointing and whispering to each other. The cyclops hit the gavel against the podium to get the court audience to be quiet. He continued in a blustered, gravely voice and Llyr caught odd things in the language that he vaguely recognized but made no sense without context.

Instead of merely watching, Llyr continued to back up to retrace the way they'd entered the courtroom. Maybe the creatures would pay attention to the masked goatman and he’d be able to track his way to the Veil again…

[Tio Silver]

"Leviathan? Protean?" A question mark popped into existence and floated above Tio's head, unconsciously shaped into existence by his confusion. "I don't know what you're on about, but you mean to say this language they're speaking is the ancient tongue?" He'd seen the odd squiggly rune about Idalos, but never heard it spoken before. It sounded... a bit silly really. Or maybe that was just because of who was speaking it?

An uncomfortable feeling washed up his spine as the cyclops began reading from a scroll, prompting the assembled creatures to start looking at him and whispering. Were they talking about him? Geez, talk about rude! If they were listing off an account of his crimes or some other such thing they could at least do it in a language he understood!

"Oi! Two-eyes!" He yelled at the cyclops, hoping that it could both understand him and that it would find his comment insulting. "Don't you start wagging your tongue about me in a language I can't understand! Where's your sense of hospitality? Or basic manners! If this is a trial then I have the right to defend myself, and I can't exactly do that if I don't know what I'm being charged with now can I?"

Perhaps Magpie could translate it for him? He turned to where his companion was, only to spot the little git trying to slip away while everyone's attention was on him. Oh no, no way was he letting himself get stuck here alone. "I have a right to a defendant surely? Then I nominate him!" He pointed firmly towards Llyr.

[Llyr Llywelyn]

Llyr winced when the masked man started to insult the cyclops judge. He continued to slowly step backward… just a little bit more… the distraction was perfect while Captain Silver made a terrible outburst. The creatures alongside the court made unusual noises, more like animals or birds than anything of mankind. He didn't understand what they were saying either, not really, though he recognized the sound of a few words here and there.

He’d nearly gotten to the door, about to turn on heel and go through, when the other man pointed at him. “Wh-what?! M-me?” He shook his head. “I don’t know how to… I can’t… wh-why would you do this… I don't even know your crimes!”

More noises from the observing audience. Shrill shrieks and crass cries echoed in the high ceiling. Llyr raised his hands in a surrender gesture and insisted, “I don't know it that well! I can barely recognize any of it. I... I...”

He hesitated when a spindly creature of feathers and what looked to be bone ambled up to him and shoved a hat on his head. A great plumed feather stuck out from the hat. Llyr squeaked slightly as he was spun around and a sickly dark green robe thrown over his shoulders. It dripped with fresh slime. The creature pressed him forward. It seemed that the court had taken Tio's complaints into consideration.

Llyr stood, now, between Tio and the cyclops judge. A bright spot of light trailed downward and he winced at being singled out so clearly. The young mage turned around and said, “How am I supposed to defend you if I don't even know what you've done?! I... oh, for fuck's sake.”

He shrugged at the robe, to remove it, but it wouldn't come off. It stuck to him impossibly. He swore in Vahanic, a thin colorfully iridescent mist escaped from his mouth. The judge leaned back, and nodded, as if in consideration of this.

The little creature from before that'd spoken so shrilly in Ancient, bounced forward. It tittered and waved a ribbon about while occasionally pointing fiercely toward Tio.

Llyr felt a rise of panic. The cyclops judge frowned with a unibrow, lifted the gavel. “W-wait!” He waved his hands about to distract the judge from slamming it down. He walked one way, then the other, then about in a hurried circle while he made the greatest defense likely heard in the court's entire history of existence: “Uhhhhhh.... fuck. What do I do?”

He closed his eyes briefly, in serious consideration, then he snapped his fingers. His eyes opened. The biqaj ran over and he kicked the little creature that'd been waving the ribbon about. It went flying across the span of the long room in a lobbed arc. The creatures of the court watched while the prosecutor screeched as it spun about in the air. Llyr grabbed onto Tio's wrist and said, “Run!”

Whether Tio went along or not, Llyr started to run toward the dais and the podium where the judge sat. He jumped up the platform and frantically looked around then pointed at a small door centered just behind the judge. “There! Let's go, Captain Silver, what're you waiting for?”

[Doran]

Tio:

Knowledge:
Deception x 6
Persuasion x 6

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 15

Llyr:

Knowledge:
Tactics: Down the Rabbit Hole (5 Saun 719)
Deception 1/3: Down the Rabbit Hole (5 Saun 719)
Deception 2/3: Down the Rabbit Hole (5 Saun 719)
Deception 3/3: Down the Rabbit Hole (5 Saun 719)
Intimidation 1/2: Down the Rabbit Hole (5 Saun 719)
Intimidation 2/2: Down the Rabbit Hole (5 Saun 719)
Investigation 1/2: Down the Rabbit Hole (5 Saun 719)
Investigation 2/2: Down the Rabbit Hole (5 Saun 719)
Linguistics: Ancient Language 1/4: Down the Rabbit Hole (5 Saun 719)
Linguistics: Ancient Language 2/4: Down the Rabbit Hole (5 Saun 719)
Linguistics: Ancient Language 3/4: Down the Rabbit Hole (5 Saun 719)
Linguistics: Ancient Language 4/4: Down the Rabbit Hole (5 Saun 719)

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 15

- - -

Comments: What an interesting thread!

Tio’s absolutely crazy. The way he stared at the rabbit hole in the first post instantly made me want to read more. I liked how he just jumped into the hole rather than continuing to study it from a distance. And the way he greeted Llyr/Zarik was hilarious!

Llyr’s/Zarik’s reaction was quite amusing as well. I didn’t expect Tio and him to just drink tea! He asked good questions though. A real person normally has a reflection, and a captain ought to have a compass.

My only complaint is that the thread was abandoned.

It was so entertaining that I wanted to read more!

Anyway, enjoy your rewards!