text; un: J.SHEPPARD

[impavid]

Pop quiz, hot shots.

What do we know about shamans and dragons?

This is definitely a leading question. Most interesting or unusual fact gets a drink out of it at the end.

[ooc; Sheppard had an NPC thread for group B, he'll be cautious but the information can be dragged out of him! ]

Comments

un: mai

[maipokerface]

Besides the shaman being the ones who held some of us captive? I think calling them idiots for that isn't exactly unusual though.

[impavid]

Yeah I heard about that one. They're not really on my Christmas card list either.

[maipokerface]

They shouldn't be. Kidnapping is one thing but it wasn't like they had a good reason for it either. The ones who interrogated me gave me some excuse about how special we seemed so naturally we had to know something top secret.

[Not that she loved kidnapping or poisoning or anything but boy did their incompetence really piss her off.]

[impavid]

I've long since learned that being special is more trouble than it's worth.

Don't suppose they said anything else? You know, recited their evil plans to you while you were tied up assuming you'd never escape?

text | un: sparkler

[flashystyle]

Shamans, bad. Dragons, perhaps worse, but at least they're miniature. Combination of the two? Stuff of nightmares.

[impavid]

I hope you're a fan of nightmares then.

[flashystyle]

Oh? I'll prepare my sheets for a cold sweat.

But I would like to qualify for that drink, so—I've visited one of their Altars under the guise of a shaman before. Part of the initiation of simply getting in is drinking the blood of dragons. It's something they once splurged on to incite violent parties outside of their personal circles. The blood leaves you in a rather invulnerable and... confident state, so it wouldn't be surprising if they wanted more power.

[impavid]

I'm both disturbed and curious.

Did you develop any kind of sensitivity to daylight afterwards? A powerful urge to hiss any time you were near religious iconography?

[flashystyle]

No more powerful than the urges one might already have. Or any more sensitivity than one has after a hangover. I'd say the only thing of note was that it was rather spicy.

[impavid]

I suppose it's comforting to know they spice their food properly, in case I get kidnapped in the future.

[flashystyle]

Oh, do try to avoid that. There are so little men of taste roaming about, we can't lose any more.

[impavid]

[ Is he a man of taste now?

When did that happen, nobody notified him. Oh no, the pressure. ]

Unfortunately I developed a specific and awkward urge long ago to run toward danger instead of away from it. On the bright side, so far I've managed to come back out in one peace most times. Completely unrelated, do you happen to remember where they were holding this troubling blood ritual?

[flashystyle]

[He didn't get the memo? Oh no. Cue impostor syndrome.]

I am not telling you where you can run off to do a blood ritual.

[impavid]

But you did it first. Doesn't that make it fashionable? I'm just trying to keep up with the trends here.

[flashystyle]

Oh, yes, the very fashionable "let's drink blood to become incredibly powerful but also slightly more insane" trend. I can see the appeal. I can show you one of the altars, but I cannot, in good conscious, let you run off alone. There's a drink on the line.

[impavid]

I admit, I mostly want to see the place. I have a vested interest in knowing more about these folk. One of their buddies stabbed me and it hurt my feelings.

[flashystyle]

I'd say that isn't reasonable, but that's a rather common motivator for the pursuit of knowledge these days. Where are you now?

[impavid]

I'm Wyver already, eating questionable food in the old city and calculating how soon someone is going to try and rob me.

[flashystyle]

If you could stand to wait another hour, I should be able to accompany you. That is, if you don't get robbed. I'd rather not arrive only to have to pay for your room and board.

[impavid]

Sure, I can hold out another hour. Look for a guy in a short sleeve black t-shirt wearing a fashionable bandage on his left arm. Probably being harassed by miniature pickpockets still. They start young.

[ Also -- ]

The J is for John if you just want to yell something and see how many people respond.

[flashystyle]

It usually takes a man longer than that to tell me what he's wearing. [Sorry John, you had it coming.] Dorian Pavus. Consider the best looking man around, then look for someone even better. That'll be me.

[Perhaps a little over an hour later (it's rather easy to get lost in the old city, give him a break), Dorian arrives looking irritable. How many times has he called for a John, only to be in the wrong place? An unspeakable amount.]

If John Sheppard isn't here, [he starts, in a raised voice,] I am packing up and going home.

[impavid]

[ Cool, most of Wyver probably knows his name by now then.

John is sitting at a ramshackle table with his back in the direction of Dorian, but turns slightly at the sound of his name. He is indeed wearing a black t-shirt, as advertised, with a clean white bandaged looped around his upper left arm. His sunglasses are pushed up into his hair, his tactical vest is hanging unzipped and mostly he seems to be discouraging two children from hanging around near his table. ]

Thought you might have changed your mind.

[ John waves off the kids from tormenting him any further and pushes to his feet, pulling up the bag and jacket he's been hiding in his lap from tiny fingers. ]

Figured maybe I was too forward with the hot black t-shirt talk. We walking first or drinking? I'm easy on the order, assuming we make it back safely to drink anything and it's not spiced blood all the way down.

[maipokerface]

I wish. The whole thing would have been a somewhat useful experience then. It felt more like they were just asking questions and hoping we'd trip up somehow.

un: orientalism

[pluspetitpoete]

Do you mean to tell me that we have actual dragons here, and they aren't just stories?

I admit I've been here not very long at all, but my goodness! How exciting!

[impavid]

[ Typical. ]

I've used that tactic before myself. Needs a lot of time to work, and at least a vague idea of what you're fishing for.