Quests and Questions 1 (2/2)
“Well that’s not exactly true. And in one land, they figured out a way around it faster than anyone else did. So we knew the time had come for drastic action-”
Celia blinked. Then she whipped her head around, and stood, as a figure broke the treeline at the side of the house. “Oh! It’s Mister Mordecai! Hi hi hi!” She waved, lessons forgotten, as the brown-coated figure waved back.
“Ah! Is it that time already?” The old man smiled, and put the slate down. “We cleaned the basement just in time, then, I’d hate to have him subjected to that smell. Come on, let’s go meet him.”
They got inside just as their visitor rapped at the door. Celia ran ahead and answered it, squealing with joy. Threadbare watched from under one arm. He hadn’t understood a word of that lesson earlier, but this seemed interesting.
Leaning against the doorframe, clad in a hunter’s brown leather coat that had seen much wear, collar turned up against the cool winds off the mountain, and a brown, floppy-brimmed hat over his bald head, was a man not much younger than Threadbare’s creator. He was whip-thin, with a face rounded by nature rather than good eating, and the only hair on his face was a stubbly brush that parted to reveal missing teeth as he reached down and lifted Celia up by the armpits. “Garrr! What’ve we got here, then?”
Celia laughed. Threadbare held onto her arm for dear life as she flailed in the newcomer’s grip. “Put me down! Hee hee! I’m not a little girl any more! Ha ha ha!”
“Whew! Truth in that, you’re getting big little Celia!” Mordecai knelt and deposited her on the floor. “Ere we go. Big hug?”
“Big hug!” Celia embraced him. Threadbare found himself shoved up against the man’s neck. Curious, he followed his instincts and sniffed at his hat.
PER +1
Your Scents and Sensibility skill is now Level 3!
Oh, right, that was a thing he could do. The teddy bear compared the scents to those he’d sniffed around the house. Some similarities, but more differences. He rather thought he knew what all this huge two-legged scents had in common, though. And even though he didn’t know what humans were, he was starting to figure out that he could smell something and tell if it was human or not.
INT +1
“Mordecai.” The old man nodded.
“Caradon.” The newcomer gave the old man a sober look, over Celia’s shoulder. “Run silent.”
“Run deep,” Caradon replied, and gave the woods a cursory glance, before shutting the door. “Did you bring the usual supplies?”
“That and news.”
“News?” Celia pulled back from him. “What’s happened? Is it something with Taylor’s Delve?”
“Er… big picture stuff. Borin’ stuff. I’ll tell yer Daddy later. Want to help me bring the supplies in?”
“Sure!” Celia trekked outside, next to Mister Mordecai, who listened somberly, nodding as she burst out with a week’s worth of words, telling him all about Threadbare and how Pulsivar had gone crazy twice, and how she’d seen her first Cardinal redbird a few days ago, and how they’d had to clean up the cellar. Mordecai spent a lot of time nodding, and Threadbare was glad to see that the newcomer’s technique for listening to Celia matched the one that the teddy bear had figured out. Lots of nodding, and she was happy.
They reached four stuffed packs at the treeline, and Celia went for the smallest one, grunting as she tried to heft it. Threadbare slipped free of her grasp and tried to help her…
…but holy heck, was it heavy. The little girl staggered back toward the house, grunting and sweating. Threadbare was nearly crushed several times, but managed to take the weight off of her now and then.
STR +1
“How do you get these up here?” Celia whined.
“Told ya before, Scout’s a good job. Got skills ta help with that.”
“I want to learn that.”
“You always say that. An’ what do I always say back?’
“Not… without… Daddy’s… permission…” She made a farting noise with her mouth.
“Ayep.”
The rest of the trip was silent. Mordecai went ahead, walking with the three, heavier packs slung over his shoulder like they had no weight at all. Celia and Threadbare finally caught up, to find Mordecai and Caradon talking in low, solemn voices. Threadbare caught a bit of it, just before he and Celia staggered through the door.
PER +1
“…don’t think he’ll look out this far right away, but you best watch yourself. Had a few people askin’ about where all them toys are going-“ Caradon cleared his throat, and Mordecai glanced over his shoulder, rubbing the back of his neck as Celia stared at them, curiosity writ large on her face.
“Celia?” Caradon spoke, tousling her hair. “I’ve got some catching up to do with Mister Mordecai. Why don’t you go play outside?”
“Can I go down to the river?”
Caradon looked to Mordecai. Mordecai nodded. “River’s clear. Ent much rain. Worst of the snowmelt’s down from the mountains. No sign a’ monsters.”
“All right, but stay to this bank of the river,” Caradon told her. “Give us about half an hour.”
“Okay! Okay okay. Come on, Threadbare!” She gathered up the little bear, then ran up, and came back down with an armload of stuffed toys. “Bye, Daddy!”
Celia jogged down to the treeline, went a bit further down the hill, to where the pines stood in the loamy soil, and glanced back at the house. “There we go. Out of sight.” She knelt down and put Threadbare and the other toys on the soft cushion of pine needles, and leaned in close. “Did you know something, Threadbare?”
Threadbare nodded his head.
“Well you don’t know this. If you go down to the river and keep going west, then circle around on the sycamore’s bluff, you can get right up to the other side of the house. And you can hear what they’re talking about, without them knowing!”
Threadbare nodded.
“That’s our quest! We’re gonna go figure out what’s got Mister Mordecai so worried! I mean, I’m not gonna give you any of my experience for it, but that’s our adventure. Are you with me, Threadbare?”
The little golem nodded once more, and Celia clapped her hands in glee, before turning around and animating the rest of her toys.
And from a low pine tree, its black scales blending into the hollows between the needle-filled branches, an impish face smiled at the opportunity presented. A short, stealthy flight, a quick hop over the river, and a woman’s arm rose to meet him, as he settled onto her wrist, and met her icy blue stare.
“Well?”
“The girl’s playing outside.”
“Finally!” The woman shook her head, staring up at the little house, just visible through the trees. “Can you run distraction without revealing yourself?”
“Maybe. Mordecai’s no slouch. I can barely sneak by him when I’m invisible.”
“Get as close as you can, and prepare yourself. We’ll only have one shot at this, and I don’t want to meet the master empty-handed when he arrives…”
THREADBARE'S CHARACTER SHEET
Spoiler: Spoiler
Name: Threadbare
Age: 4 days
Jobs:
Greater Toy Golem Level 5
Bear Level 2
Ruler Level 1
Attributes:
Strength: 32 Constitution: 41 Hit Points: 112 Armor: 16
Intelligence: 20 Wisdom: 34(39) Sanity: 54(59) Mental Fortitude: 6
Dexterity: 16 Agility: 19 Stamina: 41 Endurance: 26
Charisma: 21 (26) Willpower: 20 Moxie: 38(43) Cool: 20 (30)
Perception: 21 Luck: 21 Fortune: 38 Fate: 5
Generic Skills
Brawling - Level 8
Climb - Level 4
Clubs and Maces - Level 6
Ride - Level 1
Greater Toy Golem Skills
Adorable – Level 6
Gift of Sapience – Level NA
Golem Body – Level 4
Innocent Embrace - Level 2
Magic Resistance –Level 3
Bear Skills
Animalistic Interface – NA
Claw Swipes – 5
Forage – 1
Scents and Sensibility – 3
Toughness – 5
Ruler Skills
Emboldening Speech - Level 1
Identify Subject - Level 1
Noblesse Oblige - Level 1
Royal Request - Level 1
Simple Decree - Level 1
Equipment
Rod of Baronly Might - (Level 5 Club, CHA +5, WIS +5, +10 Cool )