[three_fourth]
Henchman 1: Is it just me, dood, or has the menagerie gotten bigger?
Henchman 2: How could you tell?
Henchman 1: Well, I mean, we fly by it all the time in White base, and it seems to get bigger.
Henchman 2: Well why don’t we go check it out?
Henchman 1 shudders: I don’t know dood…this place is kinda scary.
Henchman 2: Scary?!
Henchman 1: Totally, dood.
Henchman 2 looks unamused.
Henchman 1: Seriously! Ok, look: Crysania has a bunch of MOVING islands that float for no apparent reason, and the view looking down is totally scary.
Henchman 2 softly nods.
Henchman 1: Then we have this massive fortress in the middle of a forest clearing. I feel like I’m going to get shot or stabbed if I come anywhere near it.
Henchman 2 confidently nods.
Henchman 1: Then we have this temple that looks like a bunch of ruins, that is harder than hell to figure out whether to turn left or right, every five feet or so.
Henchman 2 energetically nods.
Henchman 1: THEN we have this dome that is filled with all manner of creepy or loud critter AND a renegade golem, and more and more critters keep being brought in.
Henchman 2 meekly nods and looks around nervously.
Henchman 3 scoffs: So we have places that aren’t as vulnerable as our last home, cope.
Henchman 1: but-
Henchman 3: or not, you know, whatever.
Henchman 3 walks away with a disgusted look on his face.
Henchman 1: Fine, let’s go check it out.
Henchman 2, nervously: Yeah…
The White Base dropped off the two henchmen and quickly departed again. The two henchmen stand in awe of the massive dome in front of them.
Henchman 1: Let’s get this over with.
Henchman 2: Yeah…
The two henchmen walk into the entry room, which is dead silent. They hurry to the Glyph that deactivates Skynet, and then into the menagerie proper, when Vekk opens it from the other side with some vocal irritation. The two henchmen yelp in fright but Vekk doesn’t seem to notice and keeps right on walking.
Vekk: Damn Bookah, expects me to find my way around when the GRASS is taller than I am…
The two regain themselves and enter the Menagerie. The Heat and Noise differential caught them both off guard, but not as much as a simian shriek to the face shortly after they walked in.
Henchman 1: You know, I’ve seen enough.
Henchman 2: Wait…
“Ouch”
Henchman 2: Did you hear that?
Henchman 1: Sounded like ‘ouch.’
“Ouch”
Henchman 1: There it is again!
Henchman 2: Maybe someone’s in trouble!
The two henchmen try to find the source of the sound, but quickly find themselves lost. They climb over fallen trees, cross streams, and dodge all manner of critter, and find themselves getting closer to the sound.
There was a thud, followed by “Ouch.”
Henchman 2: We’re close, I can tell.
Henchman 1: Look at all these arrows.
There was a brief whizzing sound before Henchman 2 had his abdomen pierced by an arrow.
Henchman 1: @#$%! Take cover.
Henchman 2 was too busy rolling around in the grass screaming to do anything else.
The screaming set off the ears of Georgia, who came running to investigate.
Henchman 1, leaning against a tree: Are you alright?
Henchman 2 is bleeding profusely: AAAAAAHHHHH!!! I only wanted to see Paris.
Henchman 1: What or Who is that?
Henchman 2 is getting pale: I don’t know…
Georgia bounds over the grass!
Henchman 1: Georgia! Help is near!
Georgia licks Henchman 2’s forehead.
Henchman 2, flatly: you’re an @$$hole.
Henchman 1: What, why?
Henchman 2 attempts yelling: You’re A MONK!
Henchman 1: but what if I get hit with an arrow too?
Georgia barks in agreement.
Henchman 2’s final words: I hate you so much right now.
Nyx appears from over the grass: Oh, dear.
Henchman 1: Hi! Was that you?
Nyx strikes a proud stance: Yep. I be practicing!
Henchman 1: I heard you have some impressive archery skills.
Nyx blushes: Oh, I don’t know.
Georgia barks at Henchman 2.
Henchman 1 is startled: Oh Yeah! Resurrection.
Henchman 2 is brought back, and promptly starts screaming again!
Henchman 2: AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! This hurts.
Henchman 1: What? Why? I brought you back.
Georgia grabs the feathered end of the Arrow, still in Henchman 2, and shows she wants to play tug of war.
Henchman 2: AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! Make it stop!
Georgia eventually rips the arrow out of the henchman only to drop it at Nyx’s feet, accompanied by a triumphant tail wag.
Henchman 1, talking cutesy: Awww, who’s a good dog?
Georgia barks happily!
Nyx bends down to pet Georgia too.
Henchman 2, curled in the fetal position due to agonizing pain: You guys are heartless…
Nyx hands a raptor bone to Henchman 1: Throw it.
Henchman 1 throws it as hard as he can. Georgia takes off, but he hears a clank soon after he released the bone.
Nyx grins: My target.
Henchman 1 follows Georgia’s tail into a clearing, where Janie is holding a hastily made bullseye target.
Henchman 1: Was Janie the one saying ouch?
Nyx nods: Watch.
Nyx draws and fires an arrow, which hits the target. Janie says “ouch” softly.
Henchman 1 nods.
Nyx draws and fires another arrow, which hits the center of the target. Janie says “ouch” loudly!
Henchman 1 is impressed: Wow! With those skills you could capture a Dragon.
Nyx shifts her attention to Henchman 1: Dragon?
Henchman 1: Yeah. For your menagerie.
Nyx: That sounds icky. I don’t like icky.
Henchman 1 smiles: Well, I heard the cave is in the Jade sea, but the entrance is in the Forest.
Nyx: I don’t know…
Georgia barks with excitement.
Nyx: I might take a peek, as long as it isn’t too hard.
Henchman 1: I’m sure you’ll be fine.
Henchman 1 and Nyx leave the menagerie together, and part ways soon after.
Nyx makes her way to the Jade Flats. She saw a couple other people sitting in a circle. She was going to ask if anyone has heard of a dragon cave nearby.
Kurzick 1: No, you @#$%ing @#$!*( mother@#$%ing @#%sucker, this is how we’re going to @#$%ing do it.
Nyx: Oh, My!
Nyx turned around and quietly left the jade flats. Her map said that there was another border outpost to the south, Unwaking Waters. She informed Georgia they were going to walk along the coast to the other outpost and maybe find something along the way. They had been walking awhile near Melandru’s Hope when they found a cave!
Nyx was cautiously optimistic.
As they approached the cave entrance, Georgia began growling at the darkness.
A couple bandits in the cave heard the growling and readied their weapons.
Nyx: Now this could get ugly.
Bandit 1 came out of the cave, rushing at Nyx.
In her momentary fright, Nyx impaled the first bandit on the end of her spear.
Nyx: I hate when they do that!
Georgia barks at the cave entrance.
Bandit 2 came out of the cave, patiently approaching Nyx.
Nyx shouts: Georgia, Find their weakness!
Georgia lunged at Bandit 2, who was not quick enough to evade. Nyx’s spear finished him with ease.
In the bandit cave, which was essentially a small indent in the rock face, they found a crude map to a ‘dragon lair.’
Nyx: Look! That’s just south of here.
Georgia had an itch, the world stops.
Nyx: Come!
Georgia barks and trots along side of Nyx.
Nyx and Georgia follow the map for a while, until they find more bandits, who were fighting with other adventurers!
Georgia springs into action, sprinting towards the Bandits.
Nyx sighs: now this could get ugly.
Nyx, with the other adventurers, handle all the bandits but one. The bandit leader was a large, and angry, man who set his sights on Nyx for interfering.
Bandit Leader: I’m going to get you!
He charges Nyx, who shouts: Sometimes, you just have to Stand Your Ground!
The Bandit Leader collides with Nyx, who is able to upset his balance and he tumbles down a hill into petrified brambles.
Nyx looks at Georgia: Picker Bushes! Now THAT’s not right.
The Bandit Leader yells in anger: That’s it!
Nyx, sees blood on the brambles and grins at the Bandit Leader.
As the Bandit Leader begins climbing the hill, Nyx casts: Necrosis!
Bandit Leader: I’m-
Nyx: Necrosis!!
Bandit Leader: Going-
Nyx: Necrosis!!!
Bandit Leader, barely alive: to…get…
Nyx: Necrosis?
The Bandit Leader falls backwards and rolls to the base of the hill, dead.
Nyx turns to see Georgia, happily drawing attention from the last wounded adventurer.
Nyx catches up, and sees a fairly large battle took place here.
Adventurer 1: Thank you. We would have a complete party wipe if you didn’t come to help.
Nyx: What happened?
Adventurer 1: Word got out that there is a dragon cave here.
Nyx: Really?
Adventurer 1: Yeah, just down the hill here. None of us have explored it yet, because we were fighting to get rights to kill it.
Nyx: Kill it?
Adventurer 1: Yeah, you know… Dragon?
Nyx nods slowly.
Adventurer 1: We’re adventurers! And that’s a Dragon! Slay the Dragon! …kinda what we do…
Nyx smiles and nods slowly: Rrriigghhtt…
Adventurer 1: Well, I could revive all my friends here – but I’d rather stick with you and see what is in that cave.
Nyx: Not reviving your friends?
Adventurer 1: Later.
Nyx: Now THAT’s not very nice.
Georgia barks assertively.
They were walking down the hill, when the Adventurer broke the silence.
Adventurer 1: Ever been to Saltspray Beach?
Nyx stopped dead in her tracks: Saltspray. Dragon. No…
Adventurer 1: What? The Luxons and Kurzicks don’t come here much.
Nyx: I don’t like those guys, they hurt.
Adventurer 1: It’s ok, I’m a monk.
Nyx sighed helplessly.
The adventurer followed Nyx into the cave, but Georgia refused to enter.
Adventurer 1: That’s not a good sign… Why don’t you go first?
Nyx: No Really, THIS could get ugly.
Nyx rolled her eyes, but proceeded anyway. She came around a bend in the tunnel and was promptly incinerated.
The Adventurer shrieked, wet himself, and then revived Nyx.
Nyx held her hands out: Wait!
Nyx was burned again.
Again, the Adventurer revived Nyx.
Again, Nyx held out her hands: Look, we’re not here to hurt you.
Nyx was again torched.
Again, Nyx was revived.
Nyx, covered in her own ash, tried to soothe: It’s ok, we can help…
Very long brief moments passed by and nothing happened. Nyx advanced slowly deeper into the cave. Soon after, Georgia went in too. The adventurer then followed. He was astonished by what he saw!
Adventurer 1: A Dragon…bandage?
Nyx nodded, her mouth and hands full trying to bandage a Saltspray Dragon Hatchling, wounded recently.
The Adventurer sat, stunned: You rise from your own ashes, like a Phoenix, to soothe a Dragon. Unbelievable.
The Dragon Hatchling made happy sounds and flew a few circles around Nyx.
Nyx, cautiously reached out to pet the Dragon, who made more happy noises in return.
As Nyx walked out of the cave with Georgia at one side, and a Saltspray Dragon Hatchling at the other, the proclaimed: A Phoenyx? I like that.
Nyx brought the Dragon back to Quinland.
Henchman 1 was visibly startled by the Dragon: You got the Dragon for your Menagerie.
The Henchman startled himself: Menagerie! @#$%!!! I have a resurrection to perform!
The Henchman disappeared to White Base, from which Crysania appeared.
Crysania looked at Nyx, then the dragon, then back at Nyx and shrugged: Another day in Quinland.
Nyx grinned and left to show the Dragon, its new home.
[/three_fourth]
[one_fourth_last]
Episode 55
7 Aug 2011
Notes: Full references to be added soon.
References: Guild History
[/one_fourth_last]