NPC Interaction: Gwion

[isleofnpcs]

🧙 WHO: Gwion and interested parties
⚔️️ WHAT: Gwion just sent out a text message warning of trouble for King Arthur's party
🕒 WHEN: July 23rd (forward dated)
🗺️ WHERE: A bar in Celliwig
⚠️ WARNINGS: Alcohol

[ Anyone who comes seeking Gwion will find her at the bar... Frustratedly challenging other Celliwig barhoppers to arm wrestling. She's doing pretty good, and it's distracting her from not knowing whether or not anyone's actually going to show up to help. She definitely can't get past a legendary guardian('s great great grandchild) on her own. ]

Comments

[leicesters]

[Claude was a little dubious of the message on the network, but as ever, his curiosity wins out and he decides to hear out the mysterious person waiting in Celliwig. It'd be a shame to dismiss her claims entirely without even hearing the reasoning behind it, especially when there's a chance the threat could be genuine.

He doesn't expect to walk in on an arm-wrestling match, so he just decides to spectate for now.]

Go, win! Use your big muscles to do the thing!

[...He's not actually into strength competitions very much, but at least he's a good cheerleader(?).]

[isleofnpcs]

[ It doesn't take much longer, and shortly after she lets out a loud war cry of a yell, she slams her opponent's wrist to the table. She jumps up and does a fist pump, then pats the dejected loser on the head while he faceplants on the table.]

Give it a few years and try again.

[ Her eyes turn to her loud cheerleader, sizing him up but not approaching yet. He may just be here to drink, you know? ]

[roseeclair]

[While the post definitely seemed urgent- and Makoto definitely feels some responsibility, given her recently bestowed titles- for once, she decides she needs more information before rushing into a potential trap (or at least potential incident). Her eyes widen at the woman arm wrestling away, but not for long... in fact, her expression is a focused smirk as she approaches the table.]

Mind if I have the next match?

[Who knows, maybe she knows something about that network post. And if not, this might at least make her visible to the one who did.]

[isleofnpcs]

[ Gwion's strong, but certainly not impossibly so. She'll enjoy a good competition with Makoto. ]

You're a little young for a bar. Take a seat.

[ That she's young means she means business. Gwion knows better than any that destiny doesn't care how old you are. ]

[sighsheavily]

[she'd be a fool not to investigate, though foolish is how she feels as she enters this place. Cecelia tugs her shawl back over her shoulders after the bustle to get here, and her eyes narrow as she quickly scans the area.

now, unfortunately, text doesn't tell her what face to look for...so she must ask the barkeep.

she'll leave the arm wrestling to its natural conclusion while she approaches and politely inquires:] Kind barkeep, would you happen to know of a 'Gwion' present in your establishment?

[isleofnpcs]

[ The barkeeper points her out right away. He says she's been hanging around Celliwig for a century or so, there's no doubt about it. Just as she's pointed out, the crowd watching the arm wrestling cheers for a winner, and Gwion comes out to order a round of drinks for her audience. ]

Anyone who just cheered, on the tab.

[impostorsyndrome]

[More details, yes. Kadoc definitely wants these promised "more details" after that bomb of a network post; he may not be inclined to step in here, but he at least wants to make that decision in a slightly more informed way than what they've got to go on now. He is not sure what he expected to find at the bar—maybe a desperate Cassandra-type surrounded by a throng of would-be do-gooders preparing to head out to battle—but either way it's not here, and instead there's . . . typical bar stuff going on, huh.

He drifts in to watch the arm wrestling at the perimeter. This is a fine place to start asking around; better to address a small group at once than go approaching every loner at the bar individually. He has no idea the person he's seeking is actually involved. But the atmosphere in here sure is more relaxed than he expected either way.

In a lull between rounds,]

Hey. . . . Any of you see Gwion around?

[isleofnpcs]

[ The woman at the table raises her hand. It's between rounds, so it's free. ]

I see her every day of my life. Tell me why you're here.

[ Because she is her. ]

[luminatus]

[Eleven hustles to the bar after the warning goes out but it's only after he's arrived that he realizes he's not sure what the person he's seeking looks like.

He ends up walking up random patrons and tapping them on the shoulder and asking them...]

Are you Gwion?

[isleofnpcs]

[ Eventually one of them points him in the right direction. She's not unknown. She's been living in Celliwig for some time now. ]

The one and only. [ She shoos the guy who just lost to her, which opens up the seat across from her. ] Do you arm wrestle or are you here about my message?

[excalibeam]

[ It would definitely be a problem if this world's King Arthur were, in fact, in danger. Still, this King Arthur isn't about to trust this information with so little base beneath it... but she also doubts that one would do something like this simply for attention.

Which means it's fortunate that she gave her location so that Saber can swing the door to the bar open and step inside. She is dressed in her full armor regalia to make up for her young appearance when entering a bar. ]

Is Gwion here?

[isleofnpcs]

[ She raises her free hand, not getting up for a second before raising her eyebrows and standing, only to bow. She knows who this is. ]

You might know me better as Taliesin, even if we're not from the same world, your majesty. I started going by my birth name since the legends were getting a little out there.

[yunxiguang]

[A bar is not Sizhui's typical locale. A tavern, when the occasion calls for it, is fine; but not a venue specifically for alcohol that he shouldn't be drinking. He's a little bit like a fish out of water, bright-eyed and clear-headed, dressed mostly in white and soft blues and weaving politely through patrons to find someone that looks knowledgeable. The proprietor (or a presiding employee) is always a good bet, would normally be someone to inquire with in his own world, so that feels like the most natural place to start.]

[Whether he's specifically directed to the woman or not, he'll gravitate in that direction eventually. She's the center of a lot of noise and attention, and that draws his curiosity as well. There's no drinking or betting on his part; and as a teenage boy, he's not likely be a match for her. But he'll looks entertained by the spirit of the competition, and he'll clap politely at her latest victory before interjecting:]

Excuse me, do you have a moment? I'm searching for the person who sent us a message regarding the King.

[isleofnpcs]

You've either got a thing for champions or a knack for good guesses.

[ She turns around in the chair, one arm over the back as she looks at him. ]

I'm Gwion. I've got all the moments needed. Want something to drink? [ Like, a soda maybe? He seems a little young. ]

[beewulf]

[He watched the performance for a moment or two. Then grinned and moved to push his way towards the table. Beowulf hadn't been planning on doing much of anything following the message that had been sent out.

But had found himself curious anyway. Whoever had sent out the message seemed to have been the attention seeking type. And, well, the woman sitting at the bar was certainly grabbing quite a bit of attention.]

Hurry up and beat him!

[isleofnpcs]

[ Attention seeking? EH, maybe. But when you've been around as long as she has, it's easier to weed out the people serious about responding from trolls and other pains in the ass who would respond via text with curiosities but no capabilities by making the action-oriented come to you, at a bar just down the street from where the action needs to happen. She knows how to get heroes to rev their engines.

And how to make herself easy to find while killing time. She hears the hurry up and quietly says something along the lines of "You heard the man." before pushing harder and slamming the guy's wrist to the table. A bit of cheering later, and the crowd clears for Beowulf to make his way through to Gwion. ]

[hitokiri]

[ it makes no difference to izō who might be in danger or why; diplomatic relations? way above his pay grade. and pay happens to be what he's hoping to acquire eventually in coming here as what he's spending on alcohol right now is approaching the last of what money he'd earned doing menial tasks. all he knows is someone wants to get past a 'glewlwyd' — whatever that is — and they might be desperate enough to hire someone.

when there's a small break in the action, he makes his move to take the seat vacated by whoever she'd just beaten, bringing the remnants of his current "drink" along with him. ]

Been at it for a minute... ain't tired, are ya?

[ he'll play if he has to, but it makes no difference one way or the other. ]

If I'm gonna kill time, I rather kill time just drinkin'. Unless I got it all wrong, and that ain't what this is...

[ his frequent bar-hopping experience is all he has to go on; it's not like he could ever hope to match a name he probably can't pronounce without butchering to a face, but she sure looks like someone who's waiting around for something to happen. ]

[isleofnpcs]

I'm waiting on heroes to show up. No one's going to believe me if I'm sloshed.

[ A few sips for a buzz, sure. If she's hanging around a bar getting drunk this early in the day, she's not gonna get believed very easily. ]

I'm not a game NPC, I'd get really bored just staring at a wall and waiting, so. [ Arm wrestling. ]

[tempredmental]

Arm wrestling, huh? That brought back some memories, and Keith couldn't help the small nostalgic smile on his face when he spotted the crowd cheering and waving at the contest. Still, he had things he needed to do. He took a breath, focusing for a moment on the room. He didn't know enough people in Celliwig to spot someone who might be 'new', so he was going to have to ask. Figures.

He headed for the bar.

"Anyone here by the name of 'Gwion'?"

[isleofnpcs]

The bartender points him to the lady at the center of the arm wrestling game, holding out her hand for a bag of god knows what. Money is digital, so whatever she won from the rather orc-looking gentleman, that ain't it.

"You take care of that funny bone and try again next time."

A few of the surrounding peopel get her attention because she's being pointed at and she waves over at Keith. Don't be shy.

[badlypoisoned]

[Ah, bars. Like brothels they're good places for gathering information.

He sits at the establishment and starts up a friendly chat with the barkeep to pass the time as he looked around, observing the other patrons.

Then he catches sight of the arm wrestling match.

So he leaves his seat and makes his way over.]

Shall I buy a drink for the winner?

[isleofnpcs]

I think I'm tapped out on alcohol today, but if you want to get me a Gator-Aid Vapor?

[ Best to stay hydrated and not drunk. People don't tend to believe drunks, you know? ]

[tantailizing]

[On one hand, they might tick off the fairies breaking and entering into the chambers with little details.]

[On the other hand, if anything happened to the King and Queen, who knows how long it would take to reverse the damage. It'd be easier to deal with the fae's ire over the risk of delaying getting back to Gaia.]

[So, slipping his way into the bar, Zidane has a name, buuut he's more interested in watching the arm wrestling for a bit. Eh, after this match.]

[isleofnpcs]

[ The match lasts a little longer than the others. She's had quite a few today, she's starting to get tired, but in the end, Gwion manages. She's strong, enough to handle quite a few bar flies, but definitely not enough to get past Glewlywd on her own. The crowd cheers as she does, then starts complaining when she holds up both her hands to say she's done for now. ]

[gunmettle]

[ Juzo opts to darken the bar’s doorway for only a moment, ducking inside to ask the bartender if Gwion was around. He figured folks would be asking after her, if only out of curiosity, and it seems he’s right on the money. The bartender obliges, motioning to the woman currently engaged in an arm-wrestling match with a burly, drunk-looking fellow. Huh.

Personally, he can’t say he understands jack about the politics at play here, but he can’t ignore a dire warning like that. At the very least, he wants to hear her out.

He sidles over to the woman pointed out to him, lingering on the edge of the crowd until she or her opponent come out victorious. ]

Is that the price for info around here?

[ Drawled out around his cigarette, smoke curling from steel jaws. ]

[isleofnpcs]

[ Being around for a few millennia, it's still surprising that he's got a new look she hasn't seen yet, but definitely not the weirdest looking mug she's looked into. At least he's not a fachan. ]

Info is free if you want to do something about it.

[ She's been arm wrestling for a while today, so by the end of that one she's shaking her arm out to try to get some of the stress out. Geez, that guy was tough! ]

What kind are you interested in?

[wherethewindtakesme]

[He doesn't know the person trying to give the warning, but he's very ready to listen. If he and his classmates had realized a few things, maybe they could have done more to stop the civil war about to rip apart their home.

Maybe by listening, he can stop something truly terrible from happening.]

Are you taking all challengers today?

[isleofnpcs]

Any who think they're strong enough to take me.

[ She's happy to be taken, though. That means he's strong, and to get past Glewlwyd, they'll need strong. ]

I'm Gwion. [ She puts a hand up for him to take if he wants to wrestle. ]

[mycrosstobear]

[As far as Wolfwood is concerned, the risk that could come from something happening to Arthur is too great to ignore a warning, even if it ends up being a load of bull. He doesn't exactly trust the king, still, but he does at least believe that Arthur really is doing everything he can. Wolfwood would rather not take the chance of a new leader with a different approach.

He wasn't really expecting an arm-wrestling match, but it's not unexpected in a bar. It seems almost everyone is now crowding around the free show. Wolfwood looks over the crowd, trying to guess who Gwion might be.

He taps the person next to him on the shoulder and gestures to the current arm wrestlers.]

Who's the smart money on?

[isleofnpcs]

[ The bargoer in question responds with a nod to Gwion first. ]

"Gwion's it most of the time, except when you catch her as she's tiring out. Not impossible to beat, but she's got years of practice under her belt despite her looks. Gally there always gets overeager and comes at her too early."

[ Gally, who appears to be some kind of half-goblin man, is making declarations about how he's going to regain his honor from their last match, but as the stranger said, he's overzealous. ]

[worldsokayestdad]

[Kratos doesn't really trust this at all, but then, he doesn't trust most things. Still, someone insisting that the King is in danger is still cause for concern. For all he knows, the person who had posted the vague message may very well be the threat themselves, that alone is worth investigating.

Only problem is, this person hadn't bothered leaving a name, much less a description of who to look out for. Judging by the urgency of the message, he decides to just keep an eye out for the most irritated looking person he can find, and it doesn't take him long to spot the woman who is apparently attempting to arm wrestle half the bar. He has no interest in challenging her himself, so he orders a drink and waits patiently for her to finish up her current match before interjecting.]

You seem troubled. Something on your mind?

[It's probably obvious that he's not just some weirdo trying to hit on her, considering the fact that he sounds like he's just here for business. He can't even pretend to sound like he's here to just chill at a bar for fun, man.]

[isleofnpcs]

There's always something on my mind. Right now, it's whether or not my warning will be heeded.

[ She didn't post it anonymously, at least, and she's doing a good job drawing attention to herself with the wrestling. ]

[theleadingman]

[He'd caught her name from the whispers between patrons she'd already managed to best shortly after her arrival. He watches her take down two challenges before approaching her table, cutting off the next prospective taker and gesturing broadly.]

Mind if I cut in? I'd like to chat.

[The cryptic message had piqued his interest, even if the source had seemed questionable. He's been embroiled in enough political ploys to know that such things are rarely best left ignored, at least.]

[isleofnpcs]

[ Gwion makes an apologetic face at the challenger and holds up a finger as if to say 'give her a minute.' She is, after all, here for the interruptions today more than the arm wrestling. (Though she does enjoy the arm wrestling greatly.) ]

I think your name starts with a B?

[ She realizes that's the kind of crap that fake fortune tellers pull, but honestly, she's going off memory of all of time right now, it's not like she can remember every name she's ever heard. ]