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who: Taako & whoever wants in on this
what: Fighting monsters in a tunnel basically counts as a dungeon crawl, right?
when: Late March
where: Those tunnels!!
warnings: Uh, violence, eldritch horrors maybe, he's got some weird spells
notes: If you wanna do something that doesn't involve fighting hmu at

batsecretary!!

[Regardless of who asks, Taako will maintain that he had a shitty cleric back home, but suddenly being without one at all is making him appreciate Merle way more than he ever did. Not having a team to rely on makes battle a lot more uncertain; there's no Magnus to take the brunt of the damage, no Merle to heal or buff them as needed, no helpful NPC to swoop in and save the day.

But a threat to the city means a threat to him, so he's signed up to help cull the creatures in the tunnels. He needs the experience, too, if he's going to level up and figure out a spell strong enough to get him home.

Really though he's just hoping that these creatures are easy enough to dispatch, and mostly he's right. Compared to some of the shit he's had to put up with, over-sized lizards aren't particularly scary, nor particularly threatening, though the amount of them is concerning. Luckily he has a lot of area of effect spells.

In the interest of not immediately running out of spell slots, he starts with low level spells and his single attack cantrip, which results in a lot of frozen creatures leaving a trail behind him, although a few of them have also been on the receiving end of a magic missile, leaving them just straight up dead.

Eventually he moves on to stronger shit: a large sphere of fire moves through the tunnels, directed by Taako, held still when he comes across any allies so that they can move around it, and he'll encourage people to stick with him, since he's used to fighting in groups. At some point, a little troupe of water elementals follow after him, attacking any of the creatures that get too close.

It starts to take it's toll, though, both the spellcasting and the attacks that the creatures manage to get in. His clothes are torn and bloody, and he leans a little more heavily on the Umbra Staff at some points, just needing to take a breather. Finally, he realizes it's worth spending two spell slots on fixing himself up, and waits until he comes across a large group of the lizards.

Sleep knocks them unconscious, and Taako kneels down in the middle of them, reaching out with a hand wreathed in shadow. When he touches the creatures, they awaken for a very brief struggle, before they just... die. Taako's wounds knit themselves back together, he sits up a little straighter, and moves on to the next one and the next one until they're all dead.

And then he gets back to work.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[from here.]

You're smarter than you look, my man.

[Not that Illya really looks one way or another, from Taako's perspective, but he's not going to let that get in the way of being a bit of a shit.

Still, he swings his umbrella up so it's resting on his shoulder and starts forward, not at all bothered by the low light in the tunnels.]

As much as I usually love having someone play shield, you should maybe stick behind me for this shit.

[It's alright when he's with people who know how his magic works, and who are able to stay out of the way, but for someone new to the whole process it's probably best that Taako's in front.]

[Illya actually frowns and looks rather offended at that, because trust Illya to take the teasing judgement of a stranger personally.]

I am smart. [And he proves it by actually listening to the advice even though he would rather not hide behind anyone, at all. He doesn’t know this kind of magic so in this case it’s better to stay behind and learn.]

Impress me. Or try, at least.

[Taako just grins at the assurance that Illya is smart, not too bothered if he took offence or not since he didn't really mean it, and anyway, they've got more important things to worry about.][The gods grant him good timing to be a show off (although not too much, he's only using a level 3 spell), as they round a corner to a dozen or so lizards skittering down the tunnel.

Taako points his umbrella towards them and a bolt of lightning shoots out, arcing across each of the lizards, some of them actually catching a little bit on fire, most of the just kind of, dying.

Who wants some well-cooked lizard?]

[That’s rather impressive. It may be a level 3 spell but to Illya is still the first show of actual magic he’s ever seen. And it’s quite effective, he can smell the fried lizards all the way from over there. It only took a few seconds, too, and it looks like it didn’t take much effort. All in all, the self-proclaimed hard to impress Russian can admit that was rather impressive.

At least to himself, because no way he’s going to say it out loud.]

Not as spectacular as I hoped. [He says after a second or two to make sure his voice is under control and betrays no emotion.]

[That response just earns a grin from Taako, like he's taking that as a challenge.]

I'm gonna have to pull out all the stops to impress you, am I?

[One of the lizards seems to have avoided the bolt of lightning and starts hissing, but Taako quickly points the umbra staff at it again, finishing the thing off with a simple ray of frost, freezing it.]

[Illya glances at the frozen lizard with raised eyebrow. So the magic can work with both extremes. It’s kind of unnerving to know Taako could use either fire or ice against him and he would probably not be able to do much in return. Like every time he’s faced with a new weapon he has the urge to know as much as possible as he can about it.

But in this case the weapon is… not exactly tangible.]

You will definitely need to use more than elemental forces to impress me, yes. [He looks back at him, then down at the staff.] Does the magic come from you, or that?

So tentacles next, huh?

[That sure is a vaguely unsettling sentence, especially when paired with Taako's grin as he wanders down the tunnel.]

Mostly me, but it's a smart idea to have some kinda conduit. If shit goes wrong I'd rather this explode than my hand.

No need. [He can kind of tell he's joking. ...Kind of? He honestly isn't sure, but since he doesn't see any tentacles around he assumes it was a tease. Or a warning. So he makes a mental note, just in case. He doesn't quite know where the line is so he will err on the side of caution even if it makes him look gullible.]

So, exploding. You sound like you are talking from experience. Has it happened before?

[There are definitely tentacles in Illya's future now, sorry buddy.]

Not to me, I'm way too good for that. [He's full of shit.] But I heard of it happening.

Heard it happen. [Takes someone full of shit to recognize one, so Illya definitely raises an eyebrow at the quick affirmation. But he’s here to get to know people (while shooting some monster-things, apparently) so he simply catalogues it in his head just like everything else.]

If you heard of it happen then it means magic is not uncommon where you’re from?

Magic's not uncommon anywhere, you just gotta know how to use it.

[It's in everything, really, and wizards and other magic users just learn to take some limited control of it.]

But yeah, my man, plenty of wizards and clerics and druids and shit back home.

[Illya frowns. Taako has already shown off his magic a little bit so when he sees, as he keeps on walking, another lizard-like monster coming their way he doesn’t bother warning him. He just shoots it with his gun and calls it a day.]

Magic does not exist in my world. So it is uncommon in some places.

[Guns are still really fucking loud to someone used to crossbows; his shoulders hitch up a little at the shot, but he relaxes again not too long after, gaze flicking to the lizard to make sure it's dead.]

Lemme guess, Earth?

[Illya notices the twitch and makes a mental note, but decides not to comment on it.]

Earth, yes. Russia in particular. [‘Earth’ seems kind of broad to him.]

Continent or country?

[So far he's mostly met Americans, so Illya's accent isn't the same as most people he knows, but he's not really across Earth geography yet.]

[He toys with the idea of explaining Russia is more than either. But if Taako hadn't even heard of Russia before he doesn’t think it’s time for a show of patriotism.]

Country. [He settles for that in the end.] Do you not come from the same world I do, then? Because magical aliens would be a new one.

Cool, cool, cool. You're the first Russian I've met, I'm digging the accent.

[He actually means that genuinely, it's different from the Americans, who are all varied amongst themselves, but it's a good kind of different.]

I'm from Toril, that's the planet. Fearun's the continent. Pretty sure it's an alternate dimension thing, although I'll admit, we do have humans.

[He's not so sure what he thinks about his accent being complimented, but Taako doesn't seem to be joking so he lets it go.]

It could be, I have not heard of either name. What do you have, apart from humans?

One second.

[He hears something coming, so he gestures for Illya to stay put as Taako steps forward. Three lizards come crawling out of a hole in the ceiling of the tunnel, but he points the umbra staff towards them and casts scorching ray; three bursts of flame hurtle towards the lizards. Two of them take 10+ damage, killing them, but the other only takes 6. It's not exactly well, though, so he finishes it off with a ray of frost.]

Okay, cool, so. [He turns back to Illya with a grin.] We got dwarves, halflings, gnomes, drow, orcs, dragonborn, and tieflings. And you can mix 'em up if you're creative.

[It's still weird that humans are the only highly evolved species on a planet.]

[He wasn’t exactly surprised at Taako’s magic right now, not now that he’s seen it in action. He knows what to expect. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t startled by the suddenness of it, as much as he tries not to show it. He figures this is how this battle is going to be: showing off each other, trying not to be left behind. That’s fine, he can dig that kind of competition.]

I only know what half of those mean. [He frowns at he glances at the magician.] Are you human?

[The walking manifestation of tact, this one.]

I'm all elf, my dude! It's almost insulting you even need to ask.

[He's just being playful; it doesn't really bother him that much, although he would like more elves around.]

[He knows he's being teased, but he finds it hard to focus on that now that he's found he's talking to an actual elf. The signs were there- not elf, specifically, but something other than human no matter how... humanoid.]

My apologies. It's the first time I have met anyone who isn't human. I don't know protocol.

If I could give you some tips on that one, I absolutely would, but the shit that holds for my world isn't gonna work everywhere.

[His tone is still light, but the comment is genuine. There are going to be landmines for every different world, things that are sensitive topics and just plain awkward topics.]

Personally I give no shits. If you got questions, shoot.

[Most humans have questions.]

[Illya, who has his own personal set of landmines that people always seem to be stepping on can understand that completely. He’s also not exactly good at socializing, in general so he was honestly asking to avoid making any future conversations more awkward than what needed to be.]

No questions. I like finding things out myself, no trusting others. [He shrugs. It’s not personal, he just knows people will only tell you what they want you to hear. Truth is usually close, but not quite. And the questions where Taako could be cut and dry answers are probably kind of rude.]

Though I would like to know if there are more of your world in this place.

Smart move, can't argue with that one.

[Trusting people is for suckers, even if people here seem to be doing their damned best to make him trust them.]

And nope, as far as I know it's the all Taako show.

[If it bothers him, he doesn't show it.]

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