Ch.1: "By the Fire" / Village of Ogygia

[Reaver]

AKANTHA

"My interaction with that worthless sack of bladefrog dung," Akantha says to the nymph as she effortlessly climbs the gigantic tree, "was breaking every bone in his body. Maybe if he and his mung-jumping friend had chosen to piss anywhere other than right next to where I was sleeping, perhaps the four of us would've never crossed paths."

"But then again," the Amazon grunts as she squeezes through the hole in the tree, "perhaps our meeting is the will of the gods."

After dropping to the floor of the darkened interior Akantha adds, "I have always honored the will of the gods, I never question it. Surely The Fates have brought us together for a reason and I for one will gladly take whatever path they set me upon. What say you sisters? Shall we sojourn together until the gods choose to set us on different paths once again?"

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell says, "Yes, I think this would be good. I have had my battles with Aphrodite, whom I follow, but even she does not expect her followers to always travel alone. And if Leto's boss sends someone after the Hades' Angels, I think it would be well if we had each other to guard our backs. Yes, Akantha, Amazon Princess, I will travel with you."

Kell glances at Leto for her response.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

When Kell asks Hess about Xarris, she simply replies, "He likes to burn people. I guess some of them did some bad things, but no so bad they deserve burning. 'Uncle' Buck says the Judge just needs to burn people, but he doesn't know why.

"I think it's got something to do with the judge's magic, but his rituals almost never work. You should ask Uncle Buck why not!"

…

When Kell mentions Leto's boss, a man's voice responds from the tunnel ahead…

"Boss?"

Leto recognizes the heavily accented voice. At this point everyone's eyes have adjusted to the point that all can see the 'cave' goes in one direction. It isn't exactly a cave, more like an underground building. There are columns to help support the stone blocks that have somehow been built into the natural tunnel. There are cracks in the ceiling which emit dancing golden light. Part of this light is directly above the man who is giving our heroines a wide, toothy smile.

"Oh, no. I just hire Leto for some odd jobs, though it has now become evident she is wasting her talent, as I have long suspected."

The man has dark brown skin, so dark you might say black, and his hair is orange. Leto knows this is no trick of the light. Buck's short, curly hair and thick mustache are naturally orange.

"Buck L'Orange is the name. As for the Hades' Angels, I have received descriptions from witnesses which are consistent from one to the next.

"The huntress has red hair, freckles and a pot belly. All of the women have made it clear she is not pregnant, just pot-bellied. The amazon is six-foot-nine with blue paint on her skinny legs and her face, which has some eastern features. She was speaking Barbieric when she beat the judge to death. And the nymph wore nothing but a hat. Her long golden hair suffices as clothing, there is so much.

"How unfortunate these descriptions to not resemble you at all. I do not think these people exist. I suppose the Hades' Angels will never be found. I mean, I see you now, but I am one man. Who am I to say so many witnesses are wrong? Maybe my meddlings with illusion magic have affected my own ability to perceive reality."

He gestures to the tunnel ahead. "Join me, ladies, by the fire where this child may keep warm. Perhaps the bounty hunting business is of interest to you? Maybe you have better things to do, but it can't hurt to talk. Do you not agree?"

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto shrugs one shoulder as Akantha speaks. "I don't know much about the gods worshiped here. The only ones I know are those worshiped in Bärbieria, and I don't follow any one in particular. I'm out of their realm now, regardless."

Her eyebrows lift as she recognizes Buck's voice up ahead, and she returns his smile when the man comes into sight. It's clear to her from his words that Buck deliberately used illusions to keep the three of them out of trouble. "Thank you, Buck. Of course we can talk."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Hess' eyes reveal an apparent interest when Leto speaks of Barbieria. "Oh, if you come from the land of Thor and Brynhild and Freya and Tyr… maybe they still watch over you, even if you don't want them to."

Buck says, "I know nothing about escaping the eyes of gods, child. I only know that some need a false face, others a false name. The real buck l'orange is being roasted over the fire. I was not expecting so many guests today, so please forgive the small portion."

He invites you to a table close to the hearth. Hess sits close to the flames, enjoying the warmth. "Come sit," she says. "Uncle Buck's a terrific cook!"

There is some meat over the fire, which Buck hastily turns. He groans at the slightly charred side. Apparently, while he was above ground using his magic to help you, he left the meat unattended for too long.

"This is not exactly roasted to perfection." He slices the meat anyway, and the aroma is actually quite impressive. Aside from being blackened on one outer edge, the meat has otherwise cooked through almost evenly. There is some kind of orange sauce made from oranges, peel and all. He adds basil and, for decoration, some parsley. "Ohhhhhh… shit! I am short of parsley. This will not do!" He switches plates with Akantha, not wanting to deny his guest the parsley.

He folds his hands and prays aloud, "Hades and Hel, I have denied you these lovely ladies." Turning to Leto, he adds, "Or perhaps Brynhild has a pair of wings with your name on it, but she must keep them in the valkyrie coatroom, because once you go above ground, you will look as you always have which is very much like what the witnesses other than myself have seen.

"Here under this roof, we have the blessings of the virgin goddesses." Turning to Kell he adds, "And the lovely Aphrodite as well. I am honored to be so close to one of her faithful servants."

Hess giggles, prompting Buck to reconsider his words.

"So maybe you turn your back on your goddess, but we revere her today anyway, since I don't think she has turned her back on you."

Before any of you can get a word in, Buck rises suddenly. "Oh, shit! I forgot to pour drinks! Tea? Wine? Juice? Milk? Water? Um… I have some Barbierian beer." He turns to Hess and adds, "Not for you."

 

[Reaver]

AKANTHA

Akantha sits at the table next to Hess, nods a thank you to her ebony host and sniffs the proffered food before deciding it's safe to eat. "Beer" she says to the man between bites of the succulent meat.

"And more food," she adds, pushing an empty plate across the table.

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto smile as she accepts a plate from Buck, and shakes her head slightly at his words. At the offer of drinks, she says, "Just tea, thank you." On a day like this she should keep her wits about her.

"If I wanted to be a valkyrie, I'd have to give up the life of a Huntress. Brynhild frowns on the use of bows and arrows." She looks thoughtful. "Though, Ullr does favor them." Maybe she'd worshiped him in the past, in that blackness she couldn't remember.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"I am afraid there is little left, warrior princess." He slices some from is own plate, giving Akantha half a serving more. "And this is all I have to give. Instead of asking for a third helping, you might want to ask how it is that I was so quick to prepare an illusion so you may walk the streets again. And I can save you the trouble of asking by providing you with an answer." Turning to Hess, he adds, "and a drink for you child."

Hess says, "Milk please." Buck pours milk from the same container the hot tea came out of. But it's milk, served at the ideal temperature. When he pours for Akantha, foam rises from her mug. The amazon can't recall ever tasting a better beer.

"There is a trap door by the stake, Akantha. I heard about your crime, it is not a false accusation, but it is an abuse of power on the judge's part. The punishment does not fit the crime, so I planned to create a tall flame to conceal your escape. You would have come into my home badly burned by the real flame, but my healers would have saved you."

There are several high pitched giggles echoing around the room.

"Healers," he explains. "Whenever I create the high flame, those who see it think they feel heat. Just like you, Leto, will surely think you are drinking tea—whatever herbal concoction you had imagined. Yet you and Hess both drink room temperature wa… shit! I am supposed to let you taste it before revealing this fact.

"Well, the buck l'orange is no illusion. I would never use my magic on food. Any cook who uses illusion to tamper with the taste is living a lie.

"As for how you will live, might I suggest a career in bounty hunting?"

There are more giggles. Buck looks up at the ceiling. There are flickering lights shining through hairline cracks. There is a level between the village streets and this room, apparently.

"True, you are freer than the others. I have saved others from Judge Xarris' burnings—which I assure you have more to do with his demon than dispensing justice—and those I have saved have become my hunters. Their burned faces help them establish new identities. I have simply provided them a means of supporting themselves. The burned ones strong enough to hunt have trained the weak.

"But you are not weak, nor are you burned. In fact, you may go back to your normal lives. I won't speak of Judge Xarris' true killers, so simply do not speak of this at all once you are above ground, and you are safe."

A paper emerges from a long, narrow hailing crack in the ceiling. Buck accepts it. The high pitched giggles echo as he reads the poster.

​Wanted: Dead or Alive
Hades' Angels
For the Massacre of Judge Xarris
and Fourteen Men Who Served with Honor
Here in Our Peaceful Village of Ogygia
$5,000 REWARD!
DESCRIPTIONS:
Huntress: red-haired, freckled, pot-bellied, not pregnant
Amazon: 6'9", painted legs and face, eastern features, fluent in Barbieric
Nymph: enough golden hair to cover nude body, last seen wearing only a hat​

He says to Kell, "Do you even own a hat?"

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell accepts the plate with a smile, requests tea, and to Buck's question replies, "No, for all practical purposes, I am quite hatless. One area where I actually agreed with Aphrodite was that hats detract too much from my natural beauty."

To the suggestion of bounty hunting as a career, she asks Buck, "Why don't you tell us something about the sorts of people or other creatures who get bounties placed on them?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Pouring tea (which is really water, but it sure tastes like the real thing!), Buck replies to Kell, "I thought you'd never ask. You especially. I thought one of the others would beat you to it. You three ladies are full of surprises."

Hess playfully kicks one of Buck's shins.

"Alright then. All four of you ladies surprise me." He goes on, "Yes, you are correct the Orange Phœnixes are monster hu…"

He pauses. Giggles from above break the silence, and Buck seems mildly embarrassed. "Well, you see… the hunters and huntresses who work for me are reborn from flames. My fire is an illusion, but of course, I must let the executioners add oil and fire or I do not fool anyone. So they are truly burned and one of my huntresses, oh, she was a pretty little nymph. She came up with the idea, Orange Phœnixes. She even makes these little buckskin purses with orange feathers for the women. This is her way of having some form of beauty still in her life."

There's a high-pitched chorus above that sounds like an awwwwww.

Buck looks up and says, "Burned or not, let's give the ladies purses, my healers."

The golden lights emitted from the cracks above quickly scatter.

Buck goes on, "As I was saying, the Orange Phœnixes are monster hunters and huntresses. You may hunt monsters, and the Phœnixes will see your purses and know that I vouch for you. That, or they will suspect you are purse snatchers who killed other Orange Phœnixes. Kindly clarify. I would never forgive myself if any who I have rescued fought each other to the death, especially over a misconception.

"There is one monster around here. He is a three-eyed wyvern known as the breel. The bounty is six thousand. Oh—that is another thing about the business you must know. Bounties are usually six thousand or twelve hundred, always a factor of sixty. This way, you can divide easily any group from two to six hunters. The reward of five thousand will be seen as a fake to those who understand the business. So in case there is a blonde nymph who fails to take her goddess' advice on hats, I assure you, she will not be mistaken for a Hades' Angel and hunted down."

Buck looks up at the ceiling. "Hey! Anyone still up there? I need the details on the breel!"

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell frowns for a moment as a thought occurs to her. She asks Buck, "Say, if these other huntresses of yours are all burned, I assume they're scarred. Since we're NOT scarred, why are the other huntresses going to believe that we're really one of these Orange Phoenixes? Is there some secret handshake or something we can give them?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Buck replies, "Perhaps one of my healers can spread the word. But I do prefer to keep them here. Ah... what about a messenger bird. Vivian, the purse maker... she can relay messages using birds. It's how we keep in touch. Is this typical nymph magic? I don't suppose you can do this, can you?"

He adds, "Oh, but the message will be that the purses are gifts. I will not call you Orange Phœnixes. That would be a slap in the face to the others whose scars can never heal. Only Vivian had the… ah, well you will surely meet her in Nyse. I will let her tell her own story if she wishes to tell it."

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell nods. "Yes, all of us nymphs can charm birds, or any other animal for that matter, as messengers."

Taking a sip of her tea, she adds, "I'm actually glad we're not going to be official Orange Phoenixes, for the reason you mentioned. I would hate to cause more pain to any who have already suffered the fires of burning." She doesn't remember having met this Vivian while at Aphrodite's villa, but she shivers at what it must have been like to lose her beauty.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"In that case, why don't you call a bird to fly out to Vivian of Nyse. Simply tell her you have eaten buck l'orange at my hearth, and you and your friends love the purses. Give her your names and a brief description, and that will be enough. Her birds will spread the message quickly.

"I will let you choose what exact words to say. Kindly run the message by me first before sending the bird. Oh! And I suppose you will want to see the purses before you send your message, if you intend to comment on the purses."

As if in cue, a stone tile slowly lowers from the ceiling, as if powered by some sort of machine. One of the purses is resting on it. It truly is a work of art! Some black and white pearls line the edges of the buckskin purse. The fiery-orange feathers seem to be coated with "some sort of… glaze." That is the term Buck uses to describe the protective coating, but then, he is a chef.

There is a golden aura emanating from behind the purse. The aura pushes the purse until it drops off the tile. It remains suspended in the air, and our heroines hear a squeak before they see them—three tiny winged women only half a foot tall! Their little arms are wrapped around the straps of the purse as they struggle to carry it to Kell. As they draw near her, she can see their little white outfits. A short dress, white tights, and little square hats with a red plus sign. Two more purses are flown by trios of fairies, all nine of which don the same uniform and glow like tiny torchlights.


((All heroines have a purse that can hold three items!))

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto watches in fascination as the fairies bring out three identical purses, and smiles as she accepts one. "Thank you. They're beautiful!"

 

[Reaver]

AKANTHA

Akantha accepts the purse with a nod and sets it on the floor by her feet. She holds her cup out at Buck and motions for a refill.

"Do you really expect me to wear a purse? Don't you have a rucksack or something else that I can carry things in?"

The Amazon suddenly realizes that her words might be misconstrued. "Look, er.. It's not that I don't appreciate the gift or anything. It's just that I've never been the purse carrying type."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

A purple-haired fairy replies, "You're welcome." She speaks quickly, her voice like a tiny bell. The other two see Leto's bloodied shoulder and moan, "ohhhhhh..."

The green haired fairy clings to Leto's arm and begins to heal the wound. Her blue haired companion points out Akantha's wounds to the fairies delivering her purse. The fairies get to work on Akantha's wounds.

Buck isn't sure what to say to Akantha's refusal of the gift.

Hess, on the other hand, knows exactly what to say. "I can carry your purse!" She picks it up off the floor. "You can put your money and stuff in it, and Ill hold it. That way, you still have Vivian's gift, and you still look like a warrior and not a... a... a lady who carries a purse?"

 

[Reaver]

AKANTHA

Akantha smiles at Hess. "Thank you little one. You're a godsend."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Really?" Hess gasps. "Wow! I thought you were gonna say how I can't follow you because I'm a kid, but you're really gonna let me come? I can be careful, you know. And if you hunt that breel thing, I won't get in the way."

A silver haired fairy comes down from the ceiling. She's carrying a wanted poster.

Wanted: Dead
The Breel
"Big Roaring Eel"
​

$6,000 REWARD!​

DESCRIPTION:
The breel is 50 feet long with a round mouth
full of needle-like fangs taller than a man.
Its flesh is translucent, its blood clear and acidic.
It has three glowing purple eyes believed to see
differently than humans, such that illusions cannot
fool this monster. Its deafening roar stuns its prey,
which can be seen slowly dying in agony
through its translucent hide.

If no dead or dying creature is in the breel,
assume it is hungry. The breel is easy to track,
due to the trail left by its slug-like backside.
It has two limbs up front, attacks by clawing and biting,
and it can fly. The breel's wingspan is about 35-40 feet.

KNOWN WEAKNESS: Lightning​

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto looks curiously at the poster, her eyes narrowing at the description of the breel. A shudder runs through her at the mention of fangs and a long body. The breel isn't exactly like a snake, but too close for her liking. She relaxes somewhat as she reads the breel's weakness; lightning is definitely something she can use against a monster like that. But she'll have to use discretion -- she only has one shock trap.