Dragon's Hearth Welcome to the Dragon’s Hearth, the most renowned tavern in this part of the world. One simply cannot call oneself an adventurer if one had not set foot in this fine establishment. The Hearth was originally built by a Felis entrepreneur, Tali Alis’zar when he first arrived on the continent. Although the Felis initially planned to settle near the coast, he stumbled upon a rare sighting of a dragon flying past the forest he was traveling in. Convinced that the dragon will boost the attraction of his business venture, he paid a hefty price for a plot of land the Hearth is built on currently. Although the dragon was never seen again, the Hearth is incredibly successful. His great granddaughter, Ryua is the current owner. With a massive lake and the surrounding forest providing a scenic backdrop for the building, the Hearth stands at six stories above ground and roughly four floors below. The ground floor, of course, serves as the tavern’s front where the drinking and merriment happens. In the back is the cookery, where food and drinks are made and stored. The half a dozen floors above are built for small and private parties looking for privacy as well as quietness. The higher up one goes, the more expensive the price becomes. The rooms at the top floor are small and luxurious, embellished for the highest paying customers with a deep pocket. The floors below ground feature various forms of entertainment, which includes a fighting ring two levels beneath the ground floor while the Heath mostly uses the remaining floors as storage. It is at the deepest floor below ground where the tantalizing gimmick of the Hearth lies, however… Hidden Going down a flight of stairs, one will arrive in front of a massive gate, through which there is nothing but darkness. Guarding this gate is a massive stony guardian that will speak and turn everyone away. Should he be questioned on how to get through, he would tell the questioner to return with a complete soul stone to pass through the gates. According to rumors, beyond the gate is a massive dungeon filled with darkness and terror. Supposedly, the bottom of this dungeon is the closest any mortal will ever get to the underworld. However, few adventurers have been allowed to go past this point to uncover the mystery. InstructionsThis is megathread, there is no posting order and you are free to come and go as you wish. Tag those you want to address using @Username. To keep this thread from being clogged up, if you found someone or a group to RP with, please start a private thread and link it in your exit post! Hidden You can use this code to indicate where your character is. Code: [center][loc=At] Location[/loc][/center]
At Ground FloorCrunch, crunch, crunch… Only the sound of gravel and dirt beneath his boots offered Alric reprieve from an otherwise silent stroll down the lonely forest path. Despite the serene environment the man was having a hard time staying focused. Right now his mission was to reach a famous tavern located in this region. Though just how famous was it really? He had never heard of it until today, but that could easily be something attributed to his still fairly new status in this world. Either way Alric would be seeing it first hand in a few minutes. --- The building was definitely impressive to say the least; constructed on a prime spot of land with multiple floors overlooking a rather large lake. He could see why this particular tavern was so popular. Like a scene out of a fantasy novel Dragon’s Hearth seemed like a perfect place for relaxing after a long day out adventuring. “Time to go inside.” With his resolve formed anew the swordsman pushed the door open only to be met with the aroma of food and alcohol accompanied by a cacophony of voices from the various patrons on the first floor. No one he recognized. Unnerving, but notice surprising in the slightest. Terrasphere was a big world, so the odds of running into the same players all the time by accident were about as good as finding a needle in a haystack. For now he'd just settle for scoping out the location and do his best not to be the cause of any drunken bar fights. Alric was careful not to bump anyone as he made his way across the room to an empty chair near the back. After sitting down, two fingers rose to tap his temple and activate investigation mode.
At Ground Floor Celestine took a deep, long whiff of air as she wandered down the forest path that led to the supposedly legendary Dragon’s Hearth. It certainly looked well-traveled enough to imply a popular enough establishment lay at the end of it. The forest - on the other hand - was peaceful and unassuming. She even caught the sight of a deer, leaping its way through the forest floor with a satisfying little ‘thump thump thump’ -ing sound. Not five minutes off from the path’s entrance, she immediately noticed the massive structure, which towered past even the tallest of trees in the immediate area. “What a structure of grandness to be seeing in a normal forest,” she commented quietly to herself. Gazing at the door, she nervously shuffled her feet a bit, but eventually pushed through the anxiety, stepping foot through the door. She was immediately met with a sensual cocktail of odors, colors, and sounds: from laughter to a drunken song. This place sure was lively. A little too lively actually, it was sort… unnerving to have so much action all around her. “Heads up!” Celestine heard the voice of a man to her left and turned just in time to notice - and duck out of the way of - a well-tossed dart. “Hey!” She glanced back with her tail pointed out straight, a bit peeved at the near miss, but she was met with a giant spout of laughter from the man and the other few tavern-goers playing the game. Sighing, she let it go and swung by the bar to grab a massive mug of ale, taking it to one of the least crowded seats available near the back. “Protagonist of Hero List - Number Twelve: Get very drunk,” she recited from memory, dropping the giant glass of golden fluid on the table in front of her. Sitting on the hard, wooden stool, Celestine brought her lips to the mug and filled her mouth with a giant swig of the stuff. “Pffffffft.” In a fountain of liquid, Celestine promptly spat the foul tasting stuff back out and onto the unfortunate man on the other side of her table. “Ugh… this one is going to be of great challenge,” she groaned, fully focused on how to go about accomplishing the feat before her. “Oh yes. The holding of the nose is supposed to do a help,” she remembered, pinching her nose closed and chugging a good 4th of the mammoth drink. @Alric Stalwart
At Ground Floor Joen had been travelling for quite some time, the only sounds to accompany him on his travells where those of the wildlife that inhabited the forest around him and the sound that his shoes made upon the gravel. Being out in the wilderness alone for so long was starting to wear him down a little bit so Joen had decided that he would make his way towards a tavern that he had heard about in the region. The tavern was supposed to be rather famous but Joen didn't really know much about that being a new player he just knew that the ability to interact with other people was something that he desperately needed right about now. As Joen made his way through the forest he began to audibly sniff the air, the smell of a body of water hung heavy upon it which meant there had to be a lake somewhere near by. And he was right, stepping out of the tree line Joen could see the massive structure of the tavern that he had heard about, rather impressive really for being out in a forest, and behind it a rather large lake. Coming to a stop Joen stood there looking at the establishment for a moment, the breeze pulling at the flaps of his robes causing them to rustle slightly. Looking up Joen noticed the sign that held the establishments name "The Dragon's Hearth seems I am in the right place" Now that he had established that this was indeed the tavern that he had heard so much about Joen made his way over to the door and pushed it open, his nose immediately picking up the scent of food being cooked, his ears assaulted with the sound of many voices and music all blending all together causing a smile to spread across his face and a sigh to exit his lips slightly "Finally, people", stepping inside Joen allowed the door to close behind him as he stood there looking around. As he stood there looking through the crowd his eyes fell upon a familiar face, a Felis female that he had gone on an adventure with before. Chuckling softly Joen made his way through the crowd and over towards her table before reaching down and snatching her drink up and taking a long gulp from it before placing it back down upon the table and sat down next to her "Long time no see Celestine" @Celestine
At Location Celestine released the giant breath she’d been holding, letting the foul taste of alcohol hit her all in one suddenly blast. “Blech,” she sighed, holding her tongue out at the glass as if it would taste worse in her mouth. With a deep breath, she readied herself for another chug when the mug was snatched from her at the last second. “Hey! What is it you are doi--” she started to shout at the mystery thief, but paused as she turned to recognize the familiar face. “Oh. Hello again, Joen,” she greeted, calming back down. At least he hadn’t drunk all that much: still plenty to get drunk off of. “I am doing myself a drunkenness,” she explained, glaring back at the mug as if it offended her. “But it is a drink that is of a great sourness of flavor. It is hard to do a drinking of.” It was then that she noticed the man on the other side of the table, looking a bit damp. She gave him a pitying look until she realized why he was that way and took a sharp breath of surprise. “O-oh, I am of the sorry,” she apologized, awkwardly floundering her words a bit. @Joen Panelis @Alric Stalwart (New thread maybe?)
Maybe a tavern wasn't the best place to try and get some peace of mind. Alric hadn't really been paying too much attention to the pair that had shown up and decided to sit at his table. Not until they had managed to splash him with… Whatever it was they were drinking. It wasn't really something to get mad over though. Accidents were commonplace in places like these, so with a wave he tried to alleviate the girl's worries. “Ah, it's fine…” Truth be told, the man wasn't that fond of drinking alcohol. Strange for someone who was willing choosing to spend his time in a tavern right? Well, you wouldn't be wrong to say that. He wasn't here for the drinks, but rather the experience of being at the famous establishment. Rather than a nuisance, it was an opportunity, so after turning off investigation mode he turned his full attention to @Joen Panelis and @Celestine. “Do you two care if I join you? I actually didn't come here with anyone. I'm Alric.” Even if they said no it wasn't like it'd be the end of the world. There were plenty of other tables; plenty of other people to meet. He probably wouldn't have any troubles finding someone else if he really wanted to.
At Floor One Now this was what she'd expected of a fantasy world: a bustling tavern! Mist reached the top of the staircase she'd been ascending with a grin so bright upon her face that it could have illuminated the night sky. It had been a long trek from the beginner's zone to reach this proclaimed "player nation", but once she'd heard it spoken about by the NPCs and fellow PCs alike, she'd simply had to visit! It hadn't been for naught. Every soul was exactly that: a really real soul, playing to the fullest their wildest dreams. From shop keeps to bartenders to even the folks randomly walking the street, she was positive everyone here was from the real world! It was incredible how many there were! But nowhere in her venture had been more full of life than the Dragon's Hearth tavern. It was packed to the brim with people of all shapes and sizes and species, all of them adventurers, and all of them real! The bottom floor had been mostly people getting drunk, however, so Mist had gone up a level in hopes of finding slightly more sober company. She had nothing against alcohol, but it did make meeting new people hard when you aren't sure they'll remember you tomorrow. It had cost her a bit of money to come up to the quieter floor, but it was worth it to see so many interesting faces. Approaching a tavern-keep--she assumed they were a PC, too, by the way they grinned and said "Awesome hair!"--she asked for some wine and then found a comfortable couch to sit on and people-watch. She wanted to ask everyone a thousand questions. How had that person gotten such an impressive scar across their face? Where had that woman found such a gorgeous pet, and what species even was it? Did that man know how to juggle in real life, too, or was that a skill set she hadn't noticed? So many question and so many faces, it was almost overwhelming. Mist accepted her wine as the tavern-keep came forth with it, giving them a cheerful word of thanks and a few gold pieces, and then she started sipping at it daintily. Heheh. It was her very first time having alcohol, ever. Even if it wasn't real she felt a little giddy from that fact alone. But...bleh, wine sure had a strong aftertaste. She made a face into the goblet, her scrunched up nose and stuck-out tongue reflecting up at her. "Ew. I thought this was supposed to taste like grapes."
At Floor 1 After the hustle and bustle of quests, meeting new people, and the world boss, Rivers wanted a break. The tavern seemed like just the place to kick back and relax for a bit. He could even try a drink. If his hometown was any indication, drinks could be a fantastic distraction from things you wanted to ignore. And Rivers really wanted to ignore the events of the World Boss. He'd died. He'd watched his friends die after he lead them forward. He'd watched his friends die and saw his own body through the eyes of his disembodied head. It was going to take some time to get over. Honestly, he'd considered quitting Terrasphere. The pain he'd felt had been quite a deterrent. Nothing he'd felt in his entire life had been that...intense. But dealing with those emotions was not something he was going to put on his plate quite yet. He hadn't even talked to Futaba or Aristides since the incident. He'd only spoken to Raid/Zin via texts. Rivers was worried that seeing them would make him remember watching them die. He didn't want that. After entering the tavern, Rivers grinned at his choice. This was great. It was too loud to even think. What a perfect place. Unfortunately, this came with some problems. He couldn't handle the hustle and bustle. Too many people bumped into each other, and Rivers spent minutes at a time apologizing to all the people he bumped into. But, none of them acknowledged him. Most were pretty gone by the look in their eyes. There were probably a few Titanius survivors here, doing the same thing Rivers was doing. He went up the stairs for a bit more peace and quiet. As long as people were around, he shouldn't have to think about things too much. He had to part with a bit of gold, but it was probably worth it. Rivers went to the bartender and asked for a drink, he didn't specify any more than that. The bartender offered him a wheat ale. Wait...wheat like bread? Rivers paid the barkeep and took a sip. "This is bread. This is just liquid bread." Then the aftertaste hit him. Oh, this was not just liquid bread. As he scanned the room, a splash of color caught his eye. Actually, that was a lot of colors. A fellow Yladian sat on a couch with what seemed like wine in her hand. Her hair was really pretty. Before he noticed it, he was walking over. It was probably the liquid confidence or maybe the fact that he was used to rejection by now. He approached the couch she sat upon and mustered some courage up. "Mind if I sit?" @Mist Lúthes
"Huh? What? Oh! Hi!" An unfamiliar face face had approached Mist while she was staring at her wine, and she looked up with a surprised little 'o' on her face. How nice, somebody had decided to come up and sit with her. That made figuring out who among all these stranger to dare talking to a whole lot easier! And it was another Yladian! Maybe they had similar taste in fantasy lore, or something. With her lips pulled into a bright grin she nodded twice, then scooted closer to one side of the couch and patted the spot next to her. "Sure, sure! I was just hoping for some company!" Mist set her wine goblet between her knees and offered a slight bow to Rivers. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Mist Lúthes. What's your name?" (Moving to a new thread...)
Sitting there at the table with his two new found companions Joen chuckled before he turned his attention to the rest of the activities going on in the tavern around him. The lively sound of music filled the air as well as the sounds of the patrons conversing with one another loudly, all completing to be heard over the sounds of the others. The smell of alcohol was heavy upon the air but that was to be expected since he was inside of a tavern and all, finally he allowed his attention to return to his compatriots that were sitting at his table "Celestine it was nice to see you again and catch up, Alric it was nice meeting you and maybe we will run into one another again someday on the road but I will bid you both a very fond farewell" And with that Joen rose from the table and gave the pair a small wave as he made his way towards the door and exited the establishment.
