"Master Ojune, if you would please delight us in a story?"
Ojune Wajune walked up to the center of the stage, a developed limp evident, and bowed to the pilgrims.
"Greetings and welcome fellow pilgrims! I do indeed have a story called the Horn of Plenty."
"But I'll need some volunteers to help me in the telling! Do I have any volunteers? I need three!â€
"Don't be shy! Come on up if you'd like!"
Oscare Iono rises up, dusting off some dirt and raises a hand.
Ciel Wulfe beams with delight at Oscare, Queen Frejyalen claps and Ojune Wajune cheers Oscare on!
Ojune asks "Two more?"
Xenedra Ambreaus speaks up "I'll help if you get no one else."
Ojune nods to Xenedra.
Coraliza Velia smiled softly as she stepped forward. "I'll help. Why not."
Finecia Hawke raises her hand tentatively. "I wil.." then silences herself relieved that others volunteered before her.
"Now, I'll be giving each of you a part to play. There will be pauses throughout and you're highly encouraged to act out the story as we go along.â€
Ojune beams with delight at Xenedra. "You shall play the part of the adventurous Henana Hena." He passes up a toy bow and wooden sword.
Xenedra shoulders the bow and holds the sword at the ready. "Ha~"
Ojune points at Coraliza "You shall play the part of the beautiful Priestess Bountina" Coraliza looks at Ojune in shock as he passes over a circlet with a symbol of Nophica.
Ojune looks up at Oscare "And you my wonderfully tall fellow shall play the part of the Black Morbol." Ojune passes over a couple of tentacly pompoms as Oscare deadpans, kneeling over to take the items. Xenedra snickers and Ciel hides a smirk behind her hand.
![[Image: x85X1pi.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/x85X1pi.jpg)
And so, the story began...
All right! Let us begin. Our story starts with the intrepid adventurer Henana Hena. A confident young woman with lavish locks and copious amounts of charm. A bow and quiver hung on her back and a short sword swung gayly at her hip with each stride she traversed the wilds of the Black Shroud.
Xenedra strides bravely across the stage, sword aloft!
![[Image: 9YvrOVL.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/9YvrOVL.jpg)
That was when she happened across a young settlement some three suns out of Gridania. This settlement wasn't marked on any of the older drawn maps lady Henana carried, so new it was. But she could tell it had been around a couple cycles at least and seemed a beautiful place to settle. The townsfolk, however, milled around sadly. "Why do you drag your feet and mill sadly about this a-bounding-ly beautiful spring morn?" asked Henana.
Queen Frejyalen eyes the display ahead, with great interest. She observes them, knowing she will need to record it later.
To which the townsfolk replied, "Look closely about, lady! What do you find missing in this seemingly green land of plenty?"
Henana did as she was bid, looking about the village once again before she noticed it. Between healthy shrubs and trees , for it is the style in the Shroud to plant and nurture their crops with the surrounding plants and trees, the land was cleared and bare. "Ah... I see. Where are your crops good farmers? Surely they should have started to sprout by now."
"Should have indeed!" the farmers replied. "Come speak with the priestess to learn of our sad tale." And so Henana found herself at a humble temple at the edge of the town, surrounded by signs of Nophica. She wasn't too thrilled at being paraded around at the whims of the townsfolk. But they were obviously desperate. "Priestess!" They called, "The one from the seers vision is here! The adventurer to save us!"
Coraliza came out to examine the adventurer.
Her attitude did change a bit when she saw the priestess herself, Bountina she'd been called by the townsfolk. A tall beauty with hair the colour of rich dark earth and skin kissed a golden wheat by the sun. Henana figured she'd at least hear out their plea. "Priestess, why do you and the town you tend seem so sad? What has happened to your crops? Has the soil turned even while there is still so much green growing?"
Coraliza gazes upon Xenedra in deep reflection.
Oscare slowly creep and strafes himself into the distance, pacing about for a dramatic background effect.
The priestess spoke gravely and her voice trembled slightly with emotion, "It is not the crops or the soil that troubles us, lady. It is the fact that our seeds were stolen. We were blessed with one of the Horns of Plenty! That is until the Black Morbol stole it away to endlessly fill it's gullet with the seeds the horn provides. Without those seeds, we shall surely starve come this winter. And Gridiania will feel the shortage as well."
Coraliza grovels shamelessly before Xenedra as she gazed upon the priestess in deep reflection.
Henana could hardly turn a beautiful woman down even when they -weren't- next to tears. And she'd dealt with Morbol before... usually by sneaking to get -around- them but still. She had to try! Plus she'd never been in a prophecy before. That was surely something to live up to. "Fair Bountina! Just tell me where this beast lives and what this Horn of Plenty is and I shall retrieve it for you."
The priestess smiles and it melts Henana’s heart. “The Horn of Plenty is a hollow ram’s horn that’s been blessed by Nophica herself. Tip it on it’s side and it spills an endless variety and quantity of seeds. All ready to plan and always produces healthy seedlings. The Black Morbol undoubtedly took it in an attempt to sate it’s endless appetite. If you follow the stream south to where it connects to the river, you’ll find his sodden lair.â€
With that the noble adventurer knelt to receive a blessing for the priestess and was sent off with the hope and well wishes of all the townsfolk.
Oscare makes a scary face, trampling about the field and creating destruction.
It was about a four bell journey to find the place where the stream met the river. The river flowed through the area wide and slow and the dense vegetation that grew slowed the river even further, making it almost like a marsh. Henana could smell the morbol before she could see it and after a short climb up a tree there it was.
The Black Morbol was an immense beast of writhing tentacles and it was indeed as black as a spriggan. Only perhaps more closely a shaved and greased spriggan. One of said tentacles held the small horn and it would every so often tip back the relic to let a stream of seeds into its maw to grind and swallow as it luxuriated in the slow moving waters.
Xenedra waves a hand in front of her nose and Coraliza stares at Xenedra in fear. Nathan Telluride comments, "Tentacles, again? That's the third..." He coughs. Coatleque Crofte gasps in feigned horror.
Henana could tell immediately that she needed to get it away from the water and the densest of the vegetation if she was to even stand a chance. From her vantage she could tell that the small space she’d just come from was the best spot.
From her pack she unrolled a length of rope and secured it to the branch next to her in order to speed her descent from the tree after she got the beasts attention. Once done she notched an arrow and infused it with a fiery aether and lets it fly straight at the belly of the beast.
Xenedra mimes rolling and securing the rope to an invis-a-tree.
The flaming arrow struck true and the great beast let out a loud and furious roar, thrashing it’s tentacles about blindly as it tries to orient where the attack came from. It soon figured it out as two more arrows slammed into it. Another roar and it’s full tentacles ahead in the direction of the brave lady Henana.
Xenedra climbs down the rope and..is met with applause from the pilgrims. Oscare curls a fist and punches his gut with it, forcing himself to cower over! Oscare roars at the top of his lungs to accompany it!
Henana was able to fire off one more arrow before the great beasts charge forced her to abandon her tree. Just as she touched ground and started to run to try and keep some distance she felt the beast’s great bulk slam into the tree as it crashed into the small clearing. Henana drew her sword.
Xenedra brandishes the little toy sword menacingly..ish. Frejyalen jumps slightly, the roar an unexpected addition to the performance.
The battle between the two raged in that clearing for some time. Henana barely managing to fend off all the tentacles that assaulted them from all sides and remain ungrappled. Both starting to tire and weaken as time ran on. Thinking the battle lost as she tired Henana started to despair.
Oscare rushes at Xenedra, roaring at her again! His deep voice gave it a threatining sort of imaginary echo. The crowd gasped in shock, Xenedra the brave heroine staggering before the mighty man morbol.
Until she noticed the tree. The first one that she’d climbed and the one that had taken quite the beating as the battle had raged. It had taken quite a beating and seemed ready to snap. So with one final show of strength and skill she managed to maneuver the beast next to the tree and in it’s trashing the tree felt another solid blow.
The tree rocked and groaned and Henana thought all was lost when it seemed like it would tip in the opposite direction she needed it to.
But then rejoiced as the trunk swayed back and gave way, crashing on the giant beasts head. While it was dazed She struck the final blow and all became still.
Xenedra pokes Oscare with the sword. It's a convincing poke, but still just a poke. Oscare doubles over, a large thud due to his weight could be heard from even the back of the crowd and Oscare put on his best monster groan of defeat. "Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghnnnnnnn..."
Jancis Milburga laughs, "Take a knee, Sir Iono." Oscare kneels over upon Jancis' request immediately, much to the delighted laughter of the pilgrims, all applauding his efforts.
![[Image: Zk70bBZ.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/Zk70bBZ.jpg)
Such a racket they’d made that even the insects had gone silent but slowly the birds and the bugs started to call again in the gathering twilight. Exhausted, Henana staggered to her feet and started to look around for the Horn of Plenty.
After a bit of searching she finally discovered it. Shattered in two the horn sat atop a massive pile of seeds and under a limp tentacle. Then she despaired, kneeling by the broken relic for some time before emptying her own pack and starting to scoop as many of the mixed variety of seeds as she could into it and placed the shattered remains on top. With a heavy heart she trudged back towards the settlement.
Xenedra kneels and picks through some of the grass, uncovering the artifact!
Upon Henana’s return there was a mighty cheer from the townsfolk. Some had packs and looked about to set out, looking for their hero after the terrible noise of the battle had died down. So overjoyed and sure that their hero had brought back the needed horn they failed to notice Henana’s lack of cheer.
Oscare is the least menancing raid boss as he keeps his knee. I hope you got the loot you wanted. Pilgrims shouted out, supporting Xenedra even as she slumped in defeat. Leanne Delphium doesn't see any shirts.
But the priestess was more observant as she greeted their hero warmly, “You return! Hale and whole. But what grieves you, precious sister?â€
It was then that Henana set her pack on the ground and opened it, the broken shards of the horn plain for all to see. And the townsfolk grieved with heavy hearts the loss of their treasured relic.
Yet again it was the priestess that observed the golden gleam of the seeds behind the broken horn and she smiled warmly. Her tone kind and full of mirth, “Do not grieve for what has been lost. You have still brought us life and exactly what we needed most.†She scooped a handfull of seeds to show around the gathering.
“Nophica still blesses us with her bounty! No more weeping or sorrow for we will survive this winter and can collect seeds come this harvest. The children of her divine seeds will be just as strong as the mother plant. Rejoice for we -have- been saved!†She turns back to Henana amid the happy cries and cheers of the townsfolk.
“I bid you to stay. Rest and heal here with us our brave savior. Come weeks end we’ll have planted and will host a generous feast in your honor.†She then stooped to press a kiss to Henana’s forehead.
![[Image: P40VfZo.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/P40VfZo.jpg)
Oscare grumbles again, mentioning something about he would've had it all if it weren't for that meddling adventurer. Coraliza blows Xenedra a kiss; making the woman blush.
Henana started to smile broadly as she listened to priestess Bountina speak. Forgetting all hurts and grief as her spirits lifted at the words and the gathered crowds cheers. “Of course I shall stay!†And they rest is, as they say, history.
The story over, Ojune walked up to the front of the stage. "Come take a bow, performers! Thank you for participating."
Jancis chimed in "Fantastic! Thank you Master Ojune and thank you to our wonderful actors!" and was echoed by many "Thank you for your tale~"
![[Image: hpThOka.png]](http://i.imgur.com/hpThOka.png)
