Ａｓｃｅｎｄａｎｃｙ
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You met this woman at a bar during your travels across the lands. Inside the bar all of the patrons were minding their own, paying you no heed as you stepped in, looking to escape the pouring rain. Near the bar where you hoped you might get something to eat was a single patron, one who seemed to be down on her luck. Planted by her side was an axe, on her head were horns menacing, and tall.
This busty beast of a woman, unreasonably tall, and seemingly as rough as any barbarian sat alone at the bar. No one spoke to her, but there she sat at the rotten wood rambling to herself. You merely took a seat hearing as she spoke of a grand war she was a part of at one time in her life. You tried to ignore her, but as you sat upon the creaking seats you could not but help hear her more and more, and soon something caught your attention. She began to talk of allies, "mightier than the gods", "better than the little ones". Your curiosity had been piqued, so you decided to inquire more of her. She seemed delighted at this prospect to the point where she pulled you even closer, the smell of alcohol heavy on her breath.
She spoke in an almost nonsensible slur, the large glasses of mead having since taken her mind as she regaled you with the tale. You attempted to properly order her words to make sense until it became clear. She spoke;
“Sit down young man….or woman? What are you anyway? Bah! Let me tell you a tale about these guys. See, these things are ancient. Super ancient, like older than your grandmother. We call them The Ascendants. They were among the first, and oldest of the creatures to still stalk the planet, or were they? Hmmm they could just be lucky assholes who attained some manner of power….or was it people who found the Hoe of Destruction all at the same time? Anyway. They are people no one on this Earth right now could compare too. Who created them? Who knows...gods maybe? Magic? Freak Lightning storms? A powerful v-(She got vulgar here, you blocked it out quite well) or Maybe they came from a space egg? But what I do know is that they are far too powerful for the likes of any of the normals. They let you know it too, always brag about it. Jerks They never tell anyone how they got so strong. I oughta take one and -”
You asked her to kindly continue as she asked the bartender for even more drink. You were sure she has had enough, but only a fool would try to stop her at this point. She had gone quiet for a moment as she stared into her mug “Who drunk all of my beer?” she spoke as if unaware she drank it all and asked for more. You tapped her on the shoulder hoping she would speak more. She shook her head “Ascendants we call them! They watch over this planet like a mother watches her calfs. They protect this place from the threats that might destroy the planet, but other than that they mind their own or not, they fight & s**t for fun. They know how to live the laife I tells ye!” she spoke as she ordered more grog. She sat there, drinking more before she spoke to me again “Three times they’ve come together to help, and three times they succeeded these protectors of ours. I’ve met ‘em, swell folks…cunts.”
She began to sink into her seat. You propped the poor woman up hoping to hear the last of the tales. You ask her if she can tell you even more. She stares at you “Where you come from?” she slurs out as the bartender gives her another cup. She looks at the bartender “Hey….I asked for beer. Where is it?” she asked in a huff that seemed to mysteriously produce some large gout of steam from her powerful nostrils. The bartender frowned at her. “It's the last of the keg. You sure you are alright?” she growls at the woman before a violent string of expletives can be heard from her. The bartender is more or less indifferent like they know each other. She simply pulls a key from under the wood & places it down.
Annoyed you shook her bit as she snapped to attention “Now little green child! These Ascendants come in all colors, two for every country like a child’s toy set! They wear something or other, keeps ‘em nice & personable I guess. I can’t remember what I was told maybe it was actually a doll?” you tapped the table to bring her back though catch sight of a peculiar rang on her tail as it managed to slap you across the face with some manner of giggling from the bovine “Right, a council you can call ‘em but the big guns get the more seats. The smaller ones get ant thrones.” the Bartender seems to gently tap the bovine “Oh right, less thrones.” she let out a belch as she stares headlong at the wood “Oh right! They even have a temple you see!” She told you. The tale had your utmost attention.
“I think it was the smart one who started the whole council thingy, some sorta war in the past I think? I can remember. It's been around for ages! Don’t remember what the….who the…? The-the person... thing told me. Or was I reading about it?” she got off track again so you waited. She went quiet. One of the men had enough, they even moved over to tell her that she tapped the place dry. The bartender shook her head at the man before you hear a loud bang. When you look over you see the man had been sent flying over several tables as the cow punched him with such power. She looked over “Ruuuuuuuuuude!” she said in some weird mixture of an animal noise and speaking. Completed by the bell hung from her neck ringing. She looked you over “You wanna know who these people are you...er…..strange person?” she looked half asleep.
You nodded your head your head waiting to hear the names
She smiled “See the first one is-........”
The cow fell over, her face hitting the wood hard enough to cause some damage. It’s quiet in the bar for a few moments before you could hear her snoring. Laughter erupted from the rest of the patrons, with many raising their glasses to her & tossing out money as though they were betting. The Bartender handed you a small book that might help enlighten you about The Ascendants as she strained to pick up the cow. Instead, she simply dragged her off towards the rooms. The people in the bar came back to life speaking with a familiarity of the cow. You were left with the book, free to learn more of them on your own.
...what a strange encounter.
