RP:The Hand That Beats (The Drum) Pt 1

From HollowWiki

Part of the I Write Songs Not Tragedies Arc


This is a Bard's Guild RP.



Summary: Brennia finds out that Alan actually writes books, or archives his adventures, but either way she's excited to see how he creates and definitely wants to recruit his efforts to the Bard's Guild. First, she has a little quest for him.

College Dormitory

Traversing your way around and around in the winding staircase until you find yourself in more carved out of marble opulence, but you find the music playing above does not travel down here. The landing of this area is occupied by many desks, sofas and furniture where all the poets and playwrights may practice in peace. Your attention can easily be taken by long corridor to the west and the amazement at all of the doors for each of them are decorated uniquely to the individual occupant. In each room is their own small washroom within a well lit room which holds a plushy bed, seems it's the life to be a member of the bard's guild.



Brennia might as well help her fellow staff members spruce up the castle since the end of term has wrapped up with finals and most of the students have left the college to get out and explore. Few students have stayed to take some extra summer courses, but the college was otherwise quiet and a little empty. She let out a happy sigh as she made her way down the spiral staircase which empties out into the large common area of the dorms and seems more of a library/study area than anything. Thumping a large sack of miscellaneous books on a random table she starts to shift through them and organize them in order to return them to the right shelves. She wouldn't notice right away if someone were down here already, but it was quiet for now and she liked that while she only hummed lightly as she worked. Speaking of books... she was supposed to help her newest roommate find a book. She lets her mind wander on how he was holding up as she's been so busy lately she hasn't seen him in a little while.


Alan had only arrived at the newly furnished bards college shortly before the students were set to leave. He had made a new friend with Brennia and was given a key that not many people were in possession of. For the most part he had been staying in his room and was just enjoying being in one place. For the first time in a long time he had somewhere where he felt safe from the insane amount of disgusting creatures in this new world that he had been sent to and he didn't really have to worry about where his next meal is coming from either. Now that he had some form of comfort though he really needed to focus on finding the book that him and his brother wrote. In a weird way the book felt more important to find than his brother. Alan wasn't really sure why he just knew that when he found his book he would have all the answers he needed. Coming out of his room Alan would find himself in a common area. Not really sure why he felt compelled to leave his room he followed a strange hum almost as if it was purposely pulling him. At the end of it was his new friend Brennia. As he moves closer to her he started noticing a slight scent of hay and lavender, scents from his home. A bit confused but soothed by the smell he put his hand out "hi there" he would say with the most upbeat attitude.


Brennia pivoted as if on a dime, miraculously and her large onyx wings nearly forced her off the marble floor, but she really damns herself as she should be used to not being alone. She lets out a short and soft chuckle as she took his hand and did some sort of curtsy/bow with her fist over her chest. After a shake she knelt down to pick up the book she had dropped from her startle, “Alan, what a pleasure to see you. I hope the college students didn't give you too much trouble this past term…. How are you doing?” She tucks some silky black hair behind elongated pointed and pierced ear while she set the book down with the other hand. Liberty blue eyes give him a sort of once over to asses his state of mind herself. “I was just thinking about the book you've been looking for… Would you tell me about it a little bit so I might be able to find it easier?” Her sultry alto timbre so alluring that it would be hard to imagine anyone keeping any secrets from her. She could easily persuade fish to buy water if she wanted.


Alan | Watching Brennia be so formal with him brought a bit of an odd smirk to his face. He wasn't used to people paying attention to him much less showing some kind of respect. "I'm doing much better. Now that I've been staying here. Having a roof over head, even if it's floating, is comforting and I most certainly won't complain about the food." Sitting back down Alan couldn't help but let out a sigh. "Well my book that I'm looking for is"... Alan began to hesitate a bit. "It's the only thing that I have from my homeland, it's a journal or diary that me and my brother wrote, and since he's gone it was all I had left. Now it's gone." Alan says with a bit of a frown.


Brennia left her friendly smile upon her plump lips in listening to him, “I do hope we find it then.” She let an appropriate amount of silence rest between them before she moved onto her next question, “so, you two wrote it? Are you a writer?” It felt sort of blunt to ask in such a way, but she was curious about the castle’s inhabitants. In attempts to make him not feel too pressed on his response she continued sorting through the sack of books she brought down to the dormitory common room. There was always a sort of calm in her sultry alto timbre and a kind twinkle in her eyes which some associate with friendliness. She's kind of like the Dumbledore of Bards.


Alan noticed that Brennia seemed extra excited or giddy after he mentioned the book. " Well not so much of a writer more of a historian or record keeper of sorts but I've been known to tell a good tale now and again.” Alan's hand tightened around the top a chair near one of the tables. We kept that book as a record of what we were doing in case we never returned from..." he said with a glum look. "it was written in such a way so as that"..Alan pauses for moment.."well maybe i'm not ready to give all my secrets away just yet" He says with a paranoid look. "Have I told you how I ended up in your world of Hollow? He asked.


Brennia watched every nervous habit of Alan without actually making it obvious and she allows the topic to be changed after she quickly mentions, “you could be an asset to the bard’s guild if you are searching for some purpose.” She listens intently and replies to his question, “you have not shared that with me, no. How did you end up in Hollow?” She picks up a pile of sorted books and places them in Alan's arms, “would you hold these for me, thank you.” She picked up a pile all her own and started walking around the maze of shelves with a nod for him to follow and tell her at the same time.


Alan a bit surprised by the sudden drop of the books in his arms looked at Brennia confused.’An asset’ she says ‘I wonder what she means by that?’ He thinks to himself. Alan Following quickly behind her so as not to be left behind starts to tell her how he ended up in Hollow. After telling her his tale he'd hoped that she now understood the importance of the book he seeks. "So you see it's important to me that I find my book. Oh I'm sorry I've been standing here talking while you've been waiting for me to hand you these books" Alan says with a tinge of red on his cheeks a little embarrassed that he got lost in his own story.


Brennia shown entire interest on his story, making eye contact and her expression shifting to concern in the correct places all the while pacing about the maze of shelves in order to return the books to their home. “Hm, important - indeed,” she knew a guy who was able to find rare books. “I actually travel across Lithrydel often. I will make a point to ask around for you and I suggest you post on the public boards of what you are searching for as well.” She waved his apology away along with that brilliant smile of hers to add, “not at all, Alan. I got a little wrapped up in your story as well.” She started to file away the books in his arms while she clarifies what she meant before, “the Bards guild is welcoming to all types of artists, including writers.” She paused between a couple of shelves after the books were put away and she could hear that they were alone at the moment, “say… Are you good with riddles?”


Alan handed Brennia the last book in his arms. Was she inviting him to be part of her guild he wondered. "What kind of riddles? I'm not bad with shapes or sliding puzzles or even puzzle rooms,” Alan said "Numbers though not so much" he said with a half grin which barely showed his teeth. The thought of numbers began to give Alan a pinch just above his right eyebrow causing it to twitch. "Do you need help with something?" he asked.


Brennia reached behind her back to where her wings meet at her back and pulls free a piece of paper to hand it to Alan. She already knew the answer to this first riddle, but she wanted to see if he could get there before she had without any help. The parchment reads in Brennia’s own romantic cursive: ‘Only in the water of wishes, when the moons are nigh and the melody is just right will you find the light. Go to the city of flight.’ Even if Alan has not gotten out much he would know of the Fountain of Wishes here in town and know that the city they are currently in is floating above the Xalious mountains.


Alan was looking at the paper handed to him with a curiousness that only a newcomer would have. "Well I'm unfamiliar with names and locations around here still but it seems like Something is at a Fountain here in Schezerade at midnight, and if you play a certain melody and it unlocks it? " he says with a bit of a lingering question.


Brennia smiles once more as it is obvious he’s impressed her. “Would you meet me at the fountain here in town just before midnight tonight?” There was a hopefulness in her liberty blue eyes which gave them a subtle twinkle, “if you don’t mind.” With this she finishes putting away the books with him while talking with him about the Bard’s Guild, what they stand for and where she is hoping to take it.