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[thequestgiver]

You've found a book.

Where you've found it depends. The library? At the bottom of an old wooden trunk from an estate sale? Grandma's attic? The seat beside yours on the bus?

It doesn't matter. What does matter is that something about it draws your attention. You pick it up and run a hand over its blue-dyed leather cover, trace the silver thorns embossed along the edges. The spine and cover bear no title, but it hardly matters. You take it home with you because you know it's just the kind of book you want, just what you need. And after all, you can return it later. Right?

When you finally open the book, it falls open on an illustrated page. A detailed ink drawing of a solitary figure standing before a wall of thorns. Who is this person?

A wizard in flowing robes?

A knight in gleaming armor?

A princess in a tattered gown?

Or a wicked person, glorying in the thorns' presence?

Like the book's location, it depends.

As you look closely at the illustration, your sense of balance leaves you. You stagger, look down, and are met with a white void that soon surrounds you. The book snaps shut and disappears in a shower of sparks.

You black out.

When you come around, you're warm and safe, though your surroundings are unfamiliar. The room you're in looks like a guest room in a castle; the walls are stone with a crackling fireplace and an ornately framed glassless window and the bed has an utterly impractical canopy that if you're not careful, you may just wind up getting tangled in as you sit up.

When you look around the room, you see two bells set out on a small table, both with signs in front of them. One says "Ring for attendant" the other had "Ring for King's Introduction" on it, but it was crossed out, with a handwritten "Help me, Hero WanKenobie! I'm just a dope!"

Ringing the first bell will (eventually. Hopefully) bring someone up to the room to answer your questions. The second bell has no clapper, but it covering a small round, red stone.

Comments

Stone of Indigo Cloud | Books of the Raksura | Player pls? :D

[scarsolderthanyou]

Passing out is not something Stone really does. Ever. Not unless grievously injured. So this? This is weird and alarming to wake up with that particular memory, and he sits up with an audible growl and rolls immediately off the bed and onto his feet. The canopy does in fact startle him enough into getting tangled in it, so it winds up on the floor rent in two pieces.

As do the bells and the little stone, so something is ringing even if he doesn't mean for it to.

[triggerhappytraitor]

Garren peers timidly into the room, clinging slightly to the door frame, slightly scared by all the crashing.

Until he sees just who it is making all the ruckus and he all but runs into the room, waving happily. Story-telling grandpa!

[scarsolderthanyou]

The sound of the door creaking open makes him pause and glare at the door. There isn't any recognition at the sight of the small... person... thing. Whatever Garren actually is. But it does break the moment of rage, at least, and the growl subsides. "Where is this?" he demands, hoping the little one knows. "How did shitting I get here this time?"

He'd really hoped he was done with this teleporting around nonsense!

[triggerhappytraitor]

Garren hesitated, timidness returning. He'd had story time in his normal pog form a bunch of times with the version of Stone he had known... did that mean this was a different one...?

His shoulders drooped slightly before he clasped his hands to his chest nervously swaying back and forth before starting to timidly sign: first making the form of a book with his hands, then having one hand hop onto it before pulling both of them away. Next he pulled an invisible wand out from nowhere, waving it around before tapping at the air and then making a little "paaa!" sound, his gloved hands going from fists to fingers spread in mimic the sound.

It's a hard thing to sign, really, and he hesitates before holding up a finger and reaching into the Hammerspace he shared with his Slammer, pulling out a piece of paper and a red crayon that was small enough for his tiny hands to use.

Setting the paper on the floor, every inch of him was determined focus as he very carefully scrawled the words "magic book" on the paper before holding it up for Stone to read.

[scarsolderthanyou]

Little magic children. What will this world come up with next. Stone waits impatiently, then squints at the words with a frown. "There was a book. But the books in my court aren't magic. The mentors would have known and not left them lying around."

[triggerhappytraitor]

Garren put a gloved hand to the chin of his mask, head tilting this way, then that as he pondered. Making a book shape with his hands, he held them on onside of his body before moving it to the other, the two hands making the book shape making flapping motions as if the cover of the book were the source of it's movement. If people and Pogs could Travel, why not books?

[scarsolderthanyou]

Stone runs a hand down his face in a kind of weary exasperation. "So a magic book appeared in my court to take me here. I suppose that's not any stranger than portals or rifts...." He visibly gathers the remains of his temper back under control and adds, "And who might you be?"

[triggerhappytraitor]

Garren outlined the diamond shape on his armor with a smile that could be seen in his posture before reaching into his hammerspace and pulling out a small stack of index cards. A moment of shuffling of cards later before he holds one out for Stone to take.

Written in an adult's handwriting reads: "My name is Garren. I don't speak, but I can understand what you say just fine."

[scarsolderthanyou]

"Huh." Stone skims the card, not particularly surprised that he can read it even though he doesn't recognize the language. "Well, I figured the other bits out all right myself. Good to know the name, though. I'm Stone. Of Indigo Cloud Court, not that the name means anything to you, I'm sure."

He offers the card back to Garren.

[triggerhappytraitor]

Garren made a pleased "Heeee" sound as he took the card back, stuffing it in his Slammer-space. With a happy tilt of his head, he made a sign of a book with his hands, before making one into a fist and placing it into the other. Even if this Stone was a different version of the one who had told him stories... they were still enough the same that the same sign could be used!

[scarsolderthanyou]

Stone isn't entirely sure what that was for, but it doesn't seem to be any kind of question, so he lets it pass without comment. "So do you know where this is? What we're supposed to be doing here, if anything?"

[triggerhappytraitor]

...that one was a harder question to answer and Garren tilted his head one way, then the other, gloved hand on the chin of his mask as he pondered. Finally he cupped his hands together, forming a book, then took them away again, waving his hands in a mock "oh no!" expression, before pulling out the tiny replica of his Slammer's Rouzer and pretending to shoot at something far in the distance before waving his hands happily. Fight things! Be hero! Protect book-people!

[scarsolderthanyou]

All this signing is hard to follow, but Stone perseveres. "We're supposed to fight something?" he guesses from the last bit, at least. "Well, at least that's something I can do. Point me at it."

[triggerhappytraitor]

That gets a small, awkward hesitation from the small pog and he gives a helpless shrug before holding a hand up to the eyes of his mask and mimicking looking for something. Had to find the things first... that was always the harder part....

[scarsolderthanyou]

Stone makes an annoyed noise-- not quite a growl, but definitely not pleased. "Isn't that always how it goes. All right. I guess I had better get looking, then. Do we know what it is we're supposed to fight, or is that in question too?"

[triggerhappytraitor]

The small pog debated this, head tilting one way, then the other. He had a vauge idea... but didn't really know how to express it.

...Maybe he should go ask his Slammer for help...

[scarsolderthanyou]

Probably a good idea, because Stone gets from that: "You don't know either. Great. So I should just fly around the place and look for trouble?"

[triggerhappytraitor]

Garren perked up, nodding. That sounded like a great idea! He could even help!

With an over dramatic pose, he lept into the air, summersaulting before transforming into his Hummer form, letting out a happy trill and burst of golden colors mentally.

[scarsolderthanyou]

Shapeshifter, too. Apparently not much of a hunter one, though, he's less threatening than even a toddling Arbora. "Nice to know I'm not the only one around who can fly. I don't fit in here when I shift, though, we have to go outside."

[triggerhappytraitor]

Garren nodded with another happy trill before turning to fly out of the room, down the hallway, giving a small glance to make sure that Stone was following and could keep up.

[scarsolderthanyou]

Stuck in groundling form at the moment, since the halls really aren't big enough for his other form, he just follows after on foot. He can take long strides, but Garren will still have to wait for him now and then.

[triggerhappytraitor]

It doesn't take too long, Garren knowing the fastest way outside (that wasn't just out the window.) In his excitability, he does circle back a few times to swoop around Stone with a happy trill before zooming ahead once more.

Once out in the courtyard, he flies up into the air, hovering in cheerful expectation.

[scarsolderthanyou]

Stone eyes the courtyard, tongue flicking out briefly once, looking and scenting for anyone who might be frightened of the sudden shift. He's going to be quite big, after all. It doesn't look too crowded, at least, but word of a "dragon" is probably going to spread quickly anyway. He sighs, then shifts-- blurring into dark mist, then reforming much, much bigger.

He stretches up on two legs, peering over the courtyard wall, before spreading his wings.