Snippet #2739696

Thierri noticed Rei inquiring to something named Specter before he left but the urgency with which he’d departed Kelark’s Arena prevented him from addressing it at that moment. She appeared as if she was talking to herself, which struck him as odd, so he decided to bring it up once they were safely inside his abode. First, though, he needed to take care of his soaking-wet clothes. He muttered a brief incantation while making an arcane gesture with his right hand and, suddenly, his clothes appeared to lighten as whatever wetness that had settled within the various fabrics escaped as a pale steam that disappeared soon afterward. “Much better.” He said to himself with a smile.

“Now then, what you all witnessed wasn’t a natural storm. One peculiar nuisance of this planet is that the weather has been ... augmented by the abundance of arcane energy that dwells within it.” Thierri explained. When Iviri made mention of how quickly the storm had formed, he nodded in agreement. “Not only does it form in no time at all, but it tends to wreak havoc on anything it passes over as well – especially technology that hasn’t been equipped with the appropriate magical wards.”

Thunder echoed from overhead shortly after another bolt of discolored lightning streaked across the glass ceiling high above them. The shadowy silhouette of the unidentified humanoid began to stir as the sounds of their voices and the thunder echoed throughout the main hall. “What is that racket?” the creature muttered to itself with a groan best known to those who’d been prematurely pulled from a deep slumber. It was hard to make out its features in the dim light provided by the storm, but that problem resolved itself when the creature shuffled over to throw the lever to their right. The orbs embedded in the walls around them began to glow with a soft, neutral light that illuminated the room and a cheery fire suddenly sprang into being in the fireplace.

With more appropriate lightning, the trio could better make out the appearance of the room and the creature that had been sleeping within it. The gray human was small and unimposing in stature, noticeably shorter than any of them. He was of indeterminate species, with lumpy and pathetic features, and a brow framed with wispy white hair that seemed permanently creased with concern. The creature was dressed in livery that likely was once fine but has since been worn nearly to pieces. The impish figure stumbled backward in surprise upon seeing the three of them.

“Oh! Dear. I wasn’t expecting visitors. My apologies for the mess.” He said while nervously rubbing his hands together. Then, he bowed, and muttered a welcome to “the manor.”

Thierri looked just as confused as the others quite possibly did. That confusion quickly gave way to genuine amusement as he laughed aloud, “Holy shit. A butler. He never told me that I’d be getting a butler as part of the deal.”

He turned to Rei and Iviri to explain to them what he meant. "Okay. Truth is: I've never actually been into this place until today. I won it from some shmuck in a game of dice, so this is all new to me."