Disguise Needed

Researcher: Dīca Dux
 
 
Research: N/a
 
 
Report: N/a
 
 
Journal: The evening came Carame, Kar'el, Snowball, and I spent it in the tavern. The winged one drank himself under the bar once again while Three Bones Jones played in the background much like when we were in Cressaro. Before Carame took the yellow one back to our room with Snowball we disguised what to do for tomorrow. We seen various bounties across the town during the day and pulled the ones we liked. By that point we didn't have enough of our group there or able to voice their opinion as An-Core staggered back into the rented room looking drained or as much as an mechanized man could. I handed off the note I received from our once captors that I freed to test the mettle of this group. His talk of the Isles of Lingering Tears seemed relevant given where we were when I was given the note. After that commotion, I simply waited and hoped that the rumors I heard weren't totally true.
A while later Jada walked in. It had been awhile since earlier and this time around she lacked the Boros' attire but rather was in an elegant set of clothes that were from the Mage's guild. The chat started as awkward as expected, seems that the rumors' are mostly true with the path her parents sent her on. Though, instead of following the bookish route she decided with some convincing to her higherups to enter the realm of chaos, the elemental planes. The elders had some portals in the Mage's guild and she decided to enlist the aid of one of the beings so much as to make a pact with them. I would have not expected her to become a warlock. She even made mention of things trying to escape to our world. That I wasn't pleased to hear, but adaptions would have to be made. We both continued chatting about how we ended up here.
I told her about how I continued my training and path of education with not definite details of with whom I was currently affiliated and about how much things and people change. I also told her about how I was teleported across the known world to end up with this assortment of individuals. She told me that she was currently on some sort of investigation of the South Central Island. The Boros were using her skills to try and find some creature that was believed to be Simic's doing. The noble, Sir Tyrill, and the Legion thought that there was a Combine presence on the island, but she was doubtful given how many Boros were stationed here. Though, he might be worth investigating. She offered to show me and anyone I trust to a grove. I am unsure about what is meant by it. I do tell her that I can be found aboard the Gargoyle for the time being as far as ships go. Then the talk turned back toward me.
She asked if it went and did "it". In the years we were together, I thought that we would be co-researchers I shared a dream with her of capturing new exciting creatures for study. Back before all the gossip and the fear and the hate. She hinting at if I hybridized or not, to go through with biomancy onto my person. I didn't say directly, just that changes happen and people need to adapt. She seemed sympathetic to our cause as she was with the Combine during the time of the accident. I guess her parents hadn't changed her views, but I cannot put her into such a position with a definite confirmation of my status nor am I one to openly lie. She has expectations from the legion after all. I changed the subject and order us a drink from Belladonna of whom seems to know Jada. I suppose she is a local now. We had a house special and talked into the night. After she left I bought a bottle and drank into the night in the group's room thinking of what could have been.
 
The next morning was strange, I awoke with a headache and meditated until it went away. The others each had their own methods... Kar'El seemed to work on his devices through his hangover to craft a bottle of endless coffee. Carame rolled and belly flopped onto the floor to belt out pushups. Snowball was messing with the rod she bought and smudging An-Core who still seemed sluggish and a little more irritable. Kar'el even made himself one of the magical tattoos that disguised himself as a blond elf with mechanical wings. An-Core left the room and came back after a bit to offer me a berry saying that it would satiate me for the day. Ravash woke about that point, I didn't even see him come in last night. Another round of discussion and a vote led our group, minus Carame, to go to help Maestro.
Maestro was an upcoming candidate for High Mage of the known world for the next 4 years. He had bounties out for 2 jobs. One was to assist in retrieving documents stolen from his researchers, and the other was to represent him in the fighting tournament with some gear he designed. The group figured that helping someone so connected would be a great opportunity. I decided that the tournament could be a good place to try and show Jada what I learned. We set off to make his acquaintance.
We arrived at an impressive building and was greeted by a rather dour man who asked for our names. I gave Doc again for mine. The others told him of our intention and he guided us into a room which he locked behind us. The room had a second floor with many mages running around the balconies doing all manner of scholarly things. While waiting we chatted some more. An-Core went "home" and returned tired. He found a chest there that he wants to take with us when we leave. It can only opened or moved by him by evidence of melted tools around the lock. He said it had some very potent guarding magics on it. Then Maestro himself showed up.
To me, he looked similar to the sentinels that littered the island and guarded his estate, a very mechanical man. He did come across as very charismatic though. Offering each of us refreshments, of which Kar'el flashed his ever flowing coffee. Maestro responded with something like un-corking his thumb and also taking a drink from an ever flowing coffee. The host was a very esoteric individual jumping from person to person to offer greetings. He even stopped at An-Core curious to his makeup. He seems to believe that he and An-Core are of similar beings that had simply willed themselves into existence when An-Core made mention of being created on this island. He then had the dour greeter bring in the gadgets we'd be working with after slightly scolding him for locking us in. Maestro turned to lift the items off the crate, failed adjusted some mechanics in his arm and proceeded to lift the items as if they weighed nothing. He asked my specialties and I responded with being a martial fighter with a focus on hand to hand combat while still saying as little as possible. He handed me a gauntlet that would enhance my physical capabilities. The crystal in the center was a fragile magma slime core and a few time a day could be squeezed to produce a flame much like the spell Burning Hands. To Snowball went a metallic cloak reminiscent of fish scales that he hooked a piercing into her scruff. She did not like that at all, but the cloak reacted instantly when he pulled a gun and shot her point blank just to have the round deflect. No one was too happy about that, but it did seem to work rather well. It even would react when she put her arm like a shield that he claimed would reflect ray type spells. Kar'el got a gauntlet that stores pistols inside of itself reloading them in the process. Kar'el took an interest in Maestro particularly with the similar lines of artifistry, He even mentioned to our host of the material Skylerite we secured. To our surprise, he was the buyer of the material. After he eyed us with suspicion, he let us know he could see right through Kar'elf's disguise and could pick my accent from the single phrase that I had uttered. On the positive side he liked our digression for his job of not quite legitimate means. His goal is to show the world that magic items can be made and used by the everyman for everyday things. He even had a pair of boots that integrated with An-Core that let him move in such a way to create a Blur spell like effect. Ravash was last on the list with his own gauntlet with a bunch of wands strapped to it that fire all at once. Ravash didn't seem too happy about the whole ordeal, but accepted it anyway. We were told to use them but not to flaunt them per say and that they'd deactivate after a time so he'd like them back after these field tests. The strange part is there was no attunement seemly needed as I know I already have quite a few items. Luckily, he had previously signed up a team for the tournament and if he didn't get volunteers, his staff would have to had fought. Since we were up soon he decided to change the destination of a teleportation circle that was in the corner. Next I knew we where on the training grounds.