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wildestlogs2022-03-26 02:58 am
wildestmods) wrote in wildestlogs2022-03-26 02:58 am
HOME SWEET HOME
HOME SWEET HOME
Elrond let the gang decide when to leave, providing hospitality and medical care until they're ready. When the quest calls to them and they know it'll tug them along soon, he makes sure each is fully supplied and armed with weapons of their choosing, some custom made. They each have a pack, food supplies, and extra clothing. All of them get offered sturdy boots, even those who have stranger body types like Filbo.
He gives the group four copies of a book transcribed with the prophecies that had been brought to Rivendell, to be studied and interpreted on their journey.
Those who mentioned knowledge of the One Ring are briefly pulled aside away from the guests at Elrond's Council. They're implored to keep it secret, for the knowledge of Frodo's task could lead to people trying to steal the Ring when he's on a journey to destroy it.
Crowley is also released from the dungeon, with Elrond apologizing for the Elves' caution. It's at least clear he's been shown some of the same hospitality. He's healed up, well fed, and clothed in replacement clothes just like they all are.
Elrond's final goodbye to the whole group is warm and genuine.
"Namárië. It is a word we use for greetings and goodbyes. It means 'be well.' Whether you seek to help this world or try to find a way home, it is our hope that whatever paths you tread fly beneath your feet, and whatever obstacles you face are quickly overcome."
A pause.
"It would be easy to try to make you feel that the hopes of those in this new world go with you; but such burdens should only be carried by those who choose it. The Green will not admit it, but they have done you a great wrong. If you try to only find your way home, it's justified, and I hope you do find it."
Yes, there are prophecies, but making people do something by force is wrong, and all weary travelers deserve to find their way home. After a brief time of saying any goodbyes, they get to make their way to the other side of the valley. On the other side of the pass is the castle the Green spoke about.
The castle is a Frankenstein monstrosity that seems cobbled together from many buildings and machines. The second the last of the gang piles inside, it starts moving, massive legs clanking along. But where it's going is unknown. At least that means they have time to explore, rest, and get settled.
There are many mystical objects and mysteries within. One half of the castle seems to be a strange frozen realm of faerie, with strange sights to explore. But even the warmer side of the castle has its oddities. Magic waterfalls that show memories, and a scrying pool that shows frozen images of home, locked to the times each member of the squad left theirs. There are magical doors that lead to sights beyond the imagination, strange collections and even entire small realms, some beautiful, some dangerous.
The three magical creatures, Jonald, Ronald, and Rolkien constantly get underfoot trying to get the group settled, but refuse to talk about their former master, seemingly hurt at his leaving the castle.
The castle also seems to like assigning roommates for some of the group, making it so doors only open to their assigned room anytime they try to go to a place to sleep, even teleporting to them to the room if they fall asleep elsewhere.
It's a strange place, sometimes dangerous, sometimes annoying, but at least they have even more time to rest, train, plan, and prepare. They will have a few weeks to adjust to their new normal.
Then...who knows where the road will take them.
❧ Prompts. The mods aren't doing prompts, but players can check out the page on the Moving castle for inspiration. The castle has many mysteries and oddities and absolutely anything can be behind the magical doors.
❧ Food and water. The castle seems to have an internal pressurized water supply and food is plentiful...for now. The food supply will not last forever but some food was left behind by the castle's previous occupants. There there's enough for a long break without hunting. There is some fresh food that's rotten and needs to be thrown away but whoever lived here clearly knew how to keep food prepared. There are cooking oils, flour, and sugar for bread and baked goods. There is jerky of various types of meats, dried fruit, sun-dried tomatoes, stores of nuts, jars of preserved fruit and jams (and empty jars to make more), and hard cheeses that need only a little mold cut off them to still be edible. Some of the jars have confit, meat cooked and preserved in lard, or garlic preserved in oil. A small root cellar has a few barrels of potatoes, parsnips, and onions.
It also has some barrels of beer and bottles of wine.
There are also dried herbs hanging in bundles from the kitchen ceiling, jarred pickled vegetables, and vinegar for pickling more. There are also fresh veggies the group can harvest together. The gardens will not be infinite in supplying the group but luck has it that many vegetables are ripe for harvest right now. The squad can pick juicy tomatoes, green beans, peppers, carrots, radishes, blackberries from a small thicket, squash, and plenty of zucchini. The garden does need tending to stay healthy. Aside from harvesting from it, weeds need to be pulled, beans and tomatoes need to be trellised, spoiled veggies on the ground need to be tossed away.
❧ Bathing. There is no soap other than what the Elves may have given them but there are hot baths. The water has to be heated on a fire down the hall and carried to the tubs.
❧ Weather/Atmosphere: The air outside and inside is on the warmer side. Even though the stone is cool, the cooking fires warm the air to something comfortable. The air outside in the gardens is warm and sunny, with the occasional cool breeze due to the altitude.
no subject
She rolls over onto her elbows, giving Cammie a sympathetic smile.
"Nightmares suck," she says. "I'll probably wake up before you start screaming, if that helps. Or it'll incorporate itself into my nightmare. Do you know if you can be shushed out of it? Or if you'll take a swing at me if I shake you awake?"
no subject
Cammie huffs a big sigh in agreement with that assessment of the situation—isn’t that the damn truth. She’s still residually annoyed from the whole Parliament of Trees thing, honestly.
“Hopefully not addin’ more to your nightmares, that seems like a hell of a feedback loop. But—” She shakes her head. “Far as I know I always wake up after I scream, but then the cryin’ usually starts? Which at least isn’t as loud.”
She slips her bag off her shoulders and sets it on the foot of the other bed, takes off the pouch she made for Nugget and lets him out.
“Back home, couple of my team would like…” She presses her lips together, and goes on even though it feels kinda childish: “They’d let me clamber in to sleep by them, after, but I’m sure not expectin’ that. I wear myself out, after a bit. Main thing’s not touchin’ me without me seein’ you first, if you do do anythin’. I won’t punch you but it will scare the bejesus out of me.”
no subject
"Cammie, one of the benefits of being a werewolf is puppy-pile naptime," she says. "I don't usually do it because of previously-mentioned sleep-thrashing, but I'm absolutely down for cuddles. It'd probably be soothing for me, too."
She grins.
"Plus, as a wolf, I am bonus pettable."
no subject
Visible cogs once again start turning as Cammie tries to find an argument against that, then wonders why she's even trying to find an argument against it, then finally snaps out of it with a, "...yeah I cannae even come up with a token protest to that one. It does help, like. A lot."
She would not have gotten even what sleep she did get in the last ten months at home without the help. If Stacia doesn't mind and it'd even maybe return the favour... okay.
"Though unless you like damp fur, beware gettin' near me post-nightmare as a wolf, 'cause I am a bloody wet crier."
Crying being of course by definition wet, but like, she's talking higher than average levels.
no subject
She rolls over on the bed again, starfishing her limbs out on top of the sheets.
"This is my bed, though. I got here first, I have dibs."
no subject
Cammie snickers, "Point taken. No competing with that level of potential damp."
She plops herself down on the edge of the other bed, Nugget scampering over onto her lap immediately. She rubs his head idly.
"I always respect the rule of dibs, have at it. Plus I am like the least fussy about beds, it's not like it can be worse than military bunks. ...or the shitty rig beds. Christ. Gonna have the spine of a sixty-year-old by twenty."
no subject
"...I will, however, say that these are much better than sleeping on the ground."
no subject
Cammie nods along with that—smart way to think of it all, really, that she is absolutely not immediately capable of adopting herself because reminding herself things could be worse is absolutely a part of what's keeping her sane.
"Oh, aye, no question." She presses her hands into her back and arches it as if cracking it, all just for show. "I'm glad we're off the road an' out of the wilderness for a bit, Dan's been teachin' me survival stuff but he cannae exactly teach my legs to stop aching any faster than the walking itself can. An' this doesn't seem like a bad home base, as they go."
no subject
She sighs dramatically. "If only it had wi-fi..."
no subject
"Honestly I just accept dealin' with nonsense part of the experience at this point. Now the lack of wi-fi, that's another matter. That's just a tragedy."
Joking, mostly, of course. Though it would help to have shit to do to stop going mad... She shifts to flop back onto the bed properly, head turned towards Stacia.
"Imagine if we could just google every world we come across an' see if there's a fictional analogue in one of our worlds, like the Lord of the Rings guys. Figure out the rules of a place that way. That might simplify shit sometimes."
Fully joking. Like it'd ever be so simple even with tech.