by Bifford
Face to Face sport, seventh February, 2023.
Me because the GM/Storyteller/NPCs.
Mark as Azar, a Persian ex palace guard who left to maintain his honour and has travelled since (of be aware – he wears a masks over his face always);
Jack as Tarnarl, a Bengal who was raised by a hermit and has uncommon blood Meowgic;
Amanda as Ashley, a Manx younger healer who has Meowgic however does not actually perceive her presents;
Liv as The Black Pawed Traveller (TBPT) (Nigripes) a Wildcat Munchkin tinkerer.
Every of those travellers, whether or not they be from close to or far, are new to Bathside, which is a cat city close to the traditional Humanz place of Tub. Tub is now shrouded in Miasma from hill to hill, however now and again when the wind blows good courageous cats can steal in to see what Relics they will retrieve. Bathside is close to there, situated a brief distance from a canal which separates the great lands from the wild lands, infested with evil toads, frogs, rats and different foul vermin.
Every of those travellers passes their time on the Nip + Nap, a catnip den close to the very centre of the spiral city. Cat cities are specified by massive spirals, normally with some Humanz relic or merchandise on the centre. On this case it’s an previous derelict canalboat referred to as “The M##### Rose” (many of the center phrase has disappeared within the 1000 years for the reason that Humanz vanished/left/died, so everybody simply calls it “The Rose”.) Azar sits ingesting heat milk, with a contact of nutmeg, at a desk, whereas Ashley and Tarnarl are close to one another at two different perches. TBPT is laying on an excellent comfortable pillow, considerably ‘drunk’ on catnip and really mellow.
Ashley has been making an attempt to stand up the braveness to speak to Tarnarl, as a result of he’s sporting a number of pendants and nicknacks which recommend he might know Meowgic. She desperately needs to seek out somebody who can educate her how one can use her innate presents, however she may be very socially awkward and might’t stand up the braveness to talk to him.
All night two different cats, Tom and Jasper, have been ingesting and speaking slightly loudly. Most of it’s bravado and garbage, however the dialog takes an attention-grabbing flip when Jasper mentions speak of an previous Humanz Relic, and a decidedly uncommon one at that! He says to Tom that he overheard a creature speaking about having one thing referred to as a ‘9 volt battery’, no matter that’s, and that this chatterbox was fairly pleased with his discover. Tom laughs at his good friend, says he is had sufficient and had higher get off residence. Tom leaps out the closest window and is gone. Jasper seems to be at his principally empty cup with a frown.
Azar strikes to take a seat by Jasper and asks him to inform him extra about this battery for a refill. Jasper agrees, so Azar beckons to the Den employees to deliver his ‘good friend’ a refill. Jasper tells him {that a} loud-mouth squirrel by the identify of Floofers had been dancing round on prime of The Rose yesterday, boasting about having this 9 volt battery, which he says nonetheless has a number of the Humanz Magic left in it, no matter that means. Azar is aware of that it means it has a variety of potential, and if nothing else a variety of worth. He asks the place Floofers is now however Jasper does not know as he hasn’t seen or heard from him since yesterday. He is aware of he lives within the tree which hangs over the sting of Bathside, however nothing a lot else. He might strive asking at Final Inn on the finish of the city spiral.
Azar smiles his thanks, drops some shinies on the bar for his drinks, and leaves, taking the identical exit route Tom had.
Ashley had nearly mustered up her braveness to go communicate to Tarnarl when he acquired up and jumped out of the window, following Azar from the shadows. Ashley notices that the black cat, lounging on the pillow, had been listening to the whole lot so she approaches him and timidly says hiya. TBPT welcomes her and begins babbling about his travels, what he is seen and asking her a ton of questions on this, that, and the whole lot, together with what Jasper was speaking about. Jasper in the meantime has moved to a big cozy pillow by the hearth and handed out right into a deep sleep.
Azar makes his means by way of city (which, whereas it’s a spiral has minimize by way of alleys dotted across the place) utilizing the roads, slightly than going over the rooves or by way of cat’s abodes (a cat can roam anyplace they like in fact), with Tarnarl following at a distance. Being palace guard educated Azar is aware of full effectively that he’s being tailed so three quarters of the way in which to Dealer Jim’s he geese into a store referred to as Dealer Jim’s. To move a while he browses, then purchases a ‘Potion of Shiny Fur’ (olive oil). When he leaves Azar takes a step, turns, and appears immediately at Tarnarl who had been “hiding” behind a barrel outdoors the store. Tarnarl simply seems to be petrified.
Azar goes the final quick approach to Final Inn, the place he sees two squirrels at a bench ingesting and speaking loudly. He questions them about Floofers and his Relic. They’ve not seen him since yesterday, which whereas not unparalleled is kind of uncommon. They do not know the place he goes when he is not in The Tree, however there is a mouse close to the centre of city who may as he trades in data. Additionally, if Azar ought to occur to pay money for any Relic they’d be glad to assist him promote it to the suitable purchaser, for a minimize. He thanks them and units off, again in direction of the centre of city once more, with Tarnarl following throughout the rooftops.
Tarnarl goes forward of Azar, then climbs up the skin of a watchtower simply off centre of the city’s center. He stops earlier than he will get to the lookout degree, the place he can hear a bulldog standing sentry. He watches as Azar enters a constructing referred to as ‘A Squeak Deal with’.
Inside, Azar talks to a gentleman mouse and his youthful feminine assistant. He asks about Floofers and for some cost is knowledgeable that he usually goes to an previous constructing by the canal, considerably south of Bathside. Taking a look at maps which cling on the wall Azar passes over the most affordable and most simple of those, then buys the medium priced, extra expansive and expansive one (the costly far-reaching map is out of even his capacity to purchase). Speaking additional to the mouse he says that ought to a cat matching the outline of his shadow are available in, asking the place he had been fascinated by, he can be ever so grateful if they might give him (and right here he factors to a degree on the map referred to as “Obsa”) this place as a vacation spot. He fingers over one further shiny for this request. The mouse smiles and says actually, and agrees that the previous Humanz observatory constructing is a superb vacation spot to be fascinated by.
Azar heads out and again in direction of the Nip + Nap, simply up the road. On the way in which he passes Ashley and TBPT who’re heading to the Squeak Deal with as a result of Ashley is aware of the proprietor might need some details about the place to seek out the squirrel that Jasper had talked about. Tarnarl watches Azar re-enter the catnip den and TBPT with Ashley enter the Squeak Deal with. He tries to climb again down the tower but it surely takes him a good whereas and he falls the final dozen or so ft, however being a cat naturally lands on all fours. He picks himself up again onto two ft and pretends as if nothing untoward had occurred.
Contained in the Squeak Deal with TBPT and Ashley begin speaking to the mouse, who introduces himself as Mr. E. and his daughter as Miss Take. Ashley will get fairly tongue-tied so TBPT takes over, however he’s means too pleasant (and nonetheless excessive on catnip) so what he thinks is being pleasant is not. To a mouse, having a cat shove his face into your complete physique, knocking you and your inkwell over (fortunately lacking all however the fringe of the map he’d been painstakingly engaged on!), is not pleasant, it is threatening.
Miss Take retries a really superb skinny and lengthy ‘sword’ (a Humanz needle) from a cubby gap and steps as much as TBPT, sticking him with it so he strikes again. She tells him to depart, all whereas threatening him with the sword level. He protests, however she shouts “Hush!” over him each time he tries to speak. At that second Tarnarl enters and interposes himself between the 2 of them. Miss Take tells TBPT to depart once more, and he strikes to take action, nonetheless protesting that he had achieved nothing incorrect and was simply being well mannered. Mr. E. strikes over to the wall, the place a change might be seen and holds his paw to it. So long as the cat leaves and does not return he will not must flick the change. TBPT finds a heat tin roof to put on, subsequent to the primary avenue and watches for occasions to occur.
Tarnarl asks in regards to the vacation spot the cat with the masks requested about. After some very poor haggling, the place the mice received out and fairly a giant pile of small shinies are handed over, he’s advised about Obsa, there on the map, north of city. He then begins to speak to Ashley, however is interrupted by the mice who inform them each that this can be a store, not a gossip home. Time is cash and cash is time. They depart collectively into what’s now a late night darkness.
Outdoors, Ashley and Tarnarl begin strolling in direction of a bench. A few troubadour cats whistle at them, catchall, and begin to play a lovetune on their devices as they stroll in direction of the Nip + Nap. Ashley blushes and tries to protest, however they’ve walked off. Sitting down with Tarnarl she talks to him about her having Meowgic however not understanding how one can use it correctly, and what occurred in her previous. He tells her of his previous and what introduced him right here, however with solely a specific amount of “the entire fact” as he says he’s a good friend of the masked cat and they’re working collectively to seek out the Relic. She does not fairly imagine all he stated.
Stomachs rumbling they agree to return to the Nip + Nap to get meals. As Ashley opens and enters the door Tarnarl bolts off in direction of the north of city, aiming to get to Obsa as quickly as attainable. Ashley, now inside, is stunned to seek out that Tarnarl has vanished. She sees the troubadours on stage, doing a catchy Irish ditty, seems to be round, sees Azar and asks if she may sit with him. A second later TBPT drops in by way of a gap within the roof and joins them, too. He says that he noticed the opposite one immediately dart off in direction of the north, to go get some flowers for his new girlfriend, Ashley. She as soon as once more protests that they don’t seem to be a pair! Azar smiles as a result of his ploy about Obsa paid off. The three of them talk about the battery and Floofers.
Tarnarl, after some operating and climbing, will get to the sting of city and tries to discover a path north. After a lot scampering round, and a number of other false trails, he simply units out into the grass. He passes timber and bushes and after a while the bottom slopes upwards. He will get to a copse of timber then climbs one and lays down on a department to sleep. Half means by way of the night time he’s startled awake by a really loud and fairly offended personal hooting at him, asking who’s is and why he is on his tree. Frazzled, Tarnarl apologises and finds one other tree to sleep in. Nevertheless his thoughts by no means fairly settles and he’s subconsciously on alert for one more chook to shout at him. He passes a stressed night time.
One of many den bar employees, a stunning feminine Bengal referred to as Mona, flirts and preens herself for Azar, coming again together with her tail clearly fluffed up and held excessive, brushing it “by chance” towards his shoulder a number of occasions as she turns to return to the bar. She suggests he may like to remain in room 3, however that’s too costly a room for him, he’ll take one of many medium-cost rooms. Ashley will take the “subsequent up from lowest” value room, whereas TBPT will sleep elsewhere. Mona brings their room tokens over to them, one among which has a 3 on it, and asks if he’d wish to be proven the place it’s. He agrees, and as soon as there he asks if she wish to fluff his mattress for him. {Fade to black.}
Ashley sleeps in a 12 bunk frequent room; TBPT sleeps in a random home by a dying hearth; Tarnarl barely sleeps in any respect whereas up his tree; and Azar, when he sleeps does so peacefully.
[There were, of course, a lot of cat jokes/puns during the course of the evening.]
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