Fantasy A Nation In Havoc (2.0)

[Duke of Doge]

Hey look, here it is.
Lore changes inbound

Spoiler: Interest check monologue

Greetings and salutations fellow adventures! Do you like fantasy rps? Do you like deadly sword fights, expert marksmanship, or rare destructive magical artifacts? Do you like influencing the story? Do you enjoy (potential) romance even in the face of overwhelming despair? Do you like forming friendship that could last a lifetime? Do you like being a nefarious villain, who plots against our heros? You like jazz? If you or a loved one answered yes to any of these questions, you may be entitled to financial compensation then this is the RP for you!


Ladies, gentlemen, and Apache attack helicopters. Welcome to “A nation in havoc” a rp set in my (mostly) original setting. The continent of Okigira, more specifically- the country of Dalania, you can guess where my username came from. Created for the sake of a D&D game, which sadly fell on it’s face because our dm was shit, I have now turned it into the go to source for my OC, who you will meet later, I have established some basic lore and am continually looking for ways to improve it, and also established an event that will be set in stone for this RP, drastically changing the plot.

This is where I turn to you, my fellow adventure lovers! I absolutely love the setting, characters, and story I have established so far, but have yet to go deep into it. I offer you this setting as your playground:

Keep in mind this rp will probably start off fairly slow, but should kick off in a few day's rp time.

Spoiler: Basic Lore

Magic: Magic as in spells and wizards are rare, with magic being known by a meager 12% of the population.
There are several types of Magic:
1) Natural Magic: Those who possess an affinity for magic at birth. They wield a wide variety of abilities and are entirely unique to the individual.
2) Patron Magic: Those who seek magic from mysterious entities from other dimensions. There are several major Patron classes. Shadow, Celestial, and Hellish magic to name a few.

Enchanted items: Enchanted items are fine, but very expensive, and can be made by Dwarven smiths, just don't have an enchanted item that is on par with Mjolnir.


Currency: Copper, Silver, Gold, Platinum.

1 silver = 30 Copper

1 gold = 20 Silver

1 platinum = 10 Gold


Technology: Guns have yet to be invented. (that does not mean you can't do it tho ) Crossbows are the military norm, as are traditional swords/armor and things of that nature. Also, some machines exist but run off steam.

Spoiler: The Races

Human:
Humans are a varied race, with members in every corner of the continent. Unlike the other Races, who have a generalized culture and history, humans have multiple histories and cultures depending on their location. For instance, The Wildlings, Humans of the Badlands, have a much different culture than the Calcians. As such, humans cannot be nailed down in one generalization except that at peak they have the advantage in endurance.

While humans lack the raw strength of Orcs or the agility of Elves, they make it up with extreme endurance. Few creatures can outlast a human in physical activities, and those can are only able to do so in very specific environments. Humans are also remarkable when it comes to surviving in extreme conditions, whether it's a hellish desert or a frozen wasteland, humans will not only survive but eventually thrive. You might outrun a human, but it sure as shit will catch up to you eventually.


Elves: Elves as a generalization live twice as long as a basic human, see in the dark, and are capable of walking silently. They live in small Villages throughout the forest province of Fenwood, one with the land, knowing its secret dangers and benefits. They are much more susceptible to disease than the other races, though this has led the discovery of many high tier medicines. For reasons currently unknown most get seasick very easily.


Orcs: The Orcs live in or next to the badlands, in clans of various numbers from small family clans of a dozen or so, to large clans of hundreds or so. Their beliefs vary from clan to clan. Some are vicious animals while others are glory seeking warriors. They are typically stronger than the other races, and wield weapons of green metal.


Dwarves: Dwarves make their home in the Red Mountains, and are rarely seen far from their Volcano. Shorter than the average human, they are stocky and strong, a result of their Rocky Mountain homeland and living in tunnels. Their dedication to their home is unmatched, as well as their skill with stone and steel. They hold the secrets of Enchantment, and rarely let the other races purchase them. Dwarves are Master traders, and usually smooth talkers. It was them who suggested a Common Tongue for diplomacy and trade purposes.

Halflings: Halflings are shorter than dwarves, and live in the Province of Vilnius. They are generally not interested in the affairs of outsiders, keeping to themselves and their own matters. Many are master gardeners, growing the most potent herbs and most beautiful flowers. They as a whole are not know for much heroism, though they are no stranger to violence from the Badlands.


Half-elves: Cross between Human and Elf, widely discriminated against and often viewed as filth.

Goblins: Goblins have been around for thousands of years, yet according to reports they were not always as they are now. Once they were animals, almost monkey-like with pack-like hunting patterns and much smaller than in present times. They hunted humanoids relentlessly, finding them to be their favorite meal. However 2000 years ago they disappeared, their raids of caravans stopped. All was quiet. For a while. When they returned, they stood on two legs and taller than humans when not hunched over, holding wicked weapons made of black rock. Something happened to change them from animalistic monsters to tribal warriors. They not only showed new tribal ways, they also showed some degree of religion, erecting statues to a seemingly half-elven figure. Modern Goblins are the terror of the seas, attacking almost any vessel they see.


Demons: Un-playable race, and won't be relevant unless this rp goes on a long time. They live in The Forbidden, that is all that is known about them.

Spoiler: The Setting

This Rp takes place in the continent of Okigira. There are many towns, cities, and countries on the continent,.

Dalania:
Bordered between The Red Mountains to the south and sea to it’s North, East, and West, the country of Dalania mainly lives of engineering, mining and trade. The country also pumps hot gas from the nearby volcano, located in The Red Mountains, providing some towns, and the capital with indoor heating.


Dalania itself is mainly covered in frigid tundra, which has lead to a packed population, which means most of them live in the capital, Dalania, from which the kingdom derived it’s name.


The country's landscape is pleasant enough; imposing and misty mountains, white sandy beaches to its southern region are just a sliver of the elegance Dalania has to offer, which is why the country is revered among foreigners, despite its cold climate.

The people of Dalania are gracious towards foreigners and tend to welcome them with open arms. They feel foreigners could bring prosperity the country's well being.


The country’s flag is a simple red X on top of a red background, and its coat of arms is a red rose growing on a green hill.

The Red Mountains: Home to the Dwarves, the large and almost impassable Red Mountains are where they make their homes, in large, and complex system of tunnels that crisscross the mountains. They also draw power from the volcano, and the entry laws are the 2nd strictest, topped by the empire. The dwarves make their income by supplying top-tier tools, jewelry and weapons, their craftsmanship is legendary worldwide.


Laws are well enforced while inside the mountain. Especially to outsiders.


They don't own a flag, but their official symbol is two crossed pickaxes over a mountain.

Fenwood: While not an official country, it is left alone. Fenwood is a mostly untamed wilderness where the elusive Elves make their home in the vast forest and large trees. Due to its reclusive nature, not much is known about the territory.

Askary Republic: A group of Humans got tired of the Calcian Empires way of rule, and formed a small republic to the north-west of the Imperial City. Dominated by vast rolling steppe, the country has very tolerable weather, though it is common to vast amounts of rain, which can flood small towns.

Law enforcement is average, not too strict, but not too lenient. The people are very patriotic and despise the empire, they tend to make the majority of their income off of the excellent, and world renown horses that are bred there, as well as trade it’s neighbors.


Their flag is a white eagle, on top of a gold background, their coat of arms, being the same.

The kingdom of Melgar: The Kingdom of Melgar mainly lives off fletching, their horses, and livestock.


Melgar itself is mainly covered in flatlands and has a semi-snowy climate, which has lead to a lightly spread population, which means most of them live in small towns.

The country's landscape is sublime; vast flat fields, which are dotted with forests. The people of Melgar are loving towards foreigners and tend to welcome them with kindness

The country’s flag is white, with a red cross on it.

The government is also highly manipulated by the empire, though you’d never notice.

Vilnius: *insert description of the shire*

The Holy Calcian Empire: The resident superpower in the world. A country founded on religion, they have a bit of everything. Basically a blend of all countries. Extremely corrupt government.

Nag-rar-Gazel: Home of the goblins. Do not enter!

The Forbidden: It is in the name...

Spoiler: Maps

Map 1.0

Political map
Noteworthy Towns Map

OOC: A Nation In Havoc OOC (2.0)
CS: A Nation In Havoc CS (2.0)

 

[Duke of Doge]

As the sun would rise on a new morning so to would rise the people of Dalania. Everyone had work to do, they had to get up early jn order to do what was necessary im their lives, be it blacksmithing, guarding a street, or healing the sick. Everyone was up, and the entire country was up a bustling with a familiar pace and energy.

All except for one, red headed princess, who was sleeping soundly in her bed, entirely devoid of a single reason to wake up. Or so she thought... until her personal chambermaid work her up from bliss. "Princess!" She threw open the blinds. "You must wake up! You have a court agenda meeting to attend within the hour!" Nia's eyes opened immediately and she sat up "Oh son of aaaaa-" she looked at her chambermaid with a smile chocolate moose? Whatever! I totally forgot!" She scrambled out of bed and quickly got dressed, spending very little time to make sure it was up to standard, but it would do. Quickly putting her hair in a ponytail, she quickly went down the halls to the meeting she was supposed to be at.

-skip past a few hours-

Nia's role in the meeting was over, taking her limited free time to change into more casual clothes, and wander around the garden in front of the castle, her personal guard a decent distance away.

 

[Randomfella]

"So, is this the place?" The man asked, looking down upon the small girl, whom brushed a tear from her cheeks.
"Y-yes, thank you." She responded in a high tone, before walking through the doors of the inn, steps small and innocent.
As soon as the doors shut behind her, however, a wide open mouthed grin developed over her face, as she dusted herself off, producing a bar of steel from her satchel.

"Should I even ask?" The innkeeper questioned, resting his tired face upon his hand from the welcoming desk.
"Nope." The girl smiled in response, her tone now much more mature, with a bit of cheek to it, walking triumphantly past the desk with long strides, well, as long as they could be.
"Oh, and Jen, I think something's up with the heaters again." The man turned himself around to address her as she walked passed, getting her attention as he did so.
"Again!? See George, this is what happens when you let orcs in here, they'll run it for hours and blow a valve." Jenny responded out loud, crossing her arms in displeasure as she tapped her front foot against the wooden ground, a mercenary of the same creed giving them a stare from the lobby.
"She's just joking, haha, now come on deary off to your room, before you get us both into trouble...!" The innkeeper responded, turning around the room in an attempt to remove tension, the last part of his sentence being hushed and directed straight toward the halfling.
"Yeah, smooth, very convincing." Jenny responded, sarcastically throwing her arms into the air, before giving a short laugh as she came to the steps toward the basement.

Some hours later.
"There... We..." Placing her hand over the small crossbow, the halfling attempted to attach it to the mechanism on her wrist. *Tick* "Go." She finally finished her sentence upon her success, before testing the device out. Flicking her wrist with some force overpowered the latch, allowing a controlled movement of the weapon from the underside of her wrist into her hand, bolt attached and ready to go. Finally, she put it back into position, before facing a target at the end of the room.

"...So, you've found me unarmed, what am I to do?" She questioned the thick circle of hay, which stood silent in response. "Watcha!" A strange noise escaped Jen's mouth as she did a small barrel roll, pulling her arms back to de-robe her imaginary sleeves, before flicking her wrists to ready her weapon, firing it toward the target, a few pings of metal soon following, along with the sound of escaping steam. "I guess they'll take a bit of getting used to..." She thought out loud, removing the mechanism, and placing it by the one she had made for her other arm, before turning toward the large crossbow she had sitting by the door. "Oh, don't worry Lil'J, you'll always be my number #1." She stated to it, it's name would seem somewhat ironic to another, considering it was practically as large as she was. It wasn't long however before the short rush of excitement from her success was clouded by the gnawing demand from her mind for the next invention, though for now she had to repair the damage she'd caused.

 

[MagicPenguin]

Raimi Charlotte led her horse and two carts through the City of Dalania's Southern gate with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. She'd come here many times—at least twice a year, sometimes more--since her Pa had started sending her up from the farm by herself to buy and sell supplies three years ago, but the sense of wonder never seemed to vanish. Dalania's mixed population and the variety of races and cultures that came with it were like windows into a vast world that Rae had only heard about in Ma's fanciful bedtime stories when she was just a sprout. Heck, she might not have even believed there WAS a world outside the farm and the forest if she didn't come here to see it for herself.

The daytime crowds clogging the congested city streets split themselves down the middle to make room for Rae's horse and carts as she made her way to the merchants' warehouses. She had a huge inventory of crops in the first cart—barrels worth of broccoli, carrots, cabbages, radishes, and more—that she needed to get rid of as soon as possible. Then she would find herself a bed at an inn and take that hot bath that she'd been dreaming about for days on the cold, wet, and dusty road. She'd worry about selling the contents of the other covered cart herself in the market square throughout the week, but the crops were the most important thing at the moment. After much pushing and trekking through the irritable city folk, she arrived at the warehouse of the merchant Zvarri, who usually bought her inventory at a fair price.

He was standing outside speaking with some other richly dressed merchants as she approached. “Dear Rae!” he called amiably, turning away from his companions. “I was beginning to think it was about the right time of year to get a visit from you! I do so enjoy our business. I buy from many other farmers, but your father's goods are always the best. What have you brought for me, my dear?”

“Just what we had left over after last year's harvest, same as always. I'm hoping I can get 10 platinum for it, like last year.” In truth, it was a bit less than Zvarri was used to; they'd had a smaller harvest than usual. A shame, but it happened sometimes, especially in the colder Northern climate where snowfall and extended periods of frost were a danger even in the Summer months. It would still be enough to get at least 10 platinum out of the man, which would get the family through the year.

As she expected, Zvarri was displeased with the decreased inventory; he moaned and whined piteously about how she was going to “put him out on the streets” if she made him pay 10 platinum for such few goods, but after she politely reminded him about all the business he did with her Pa over the years and how sad it would be if Rae had to sell to another merchant for a better price, the man grudgingly coughed up the coins. “Ah, my dear,” he said as his servants took the cart into the warehouse to unload the goods, “I simply cannot deny you anything! You are just too beautiful! Why, I remember when you were just 13 years old, coming here with your Father and elder brother. Oh, how you have grown!” Rae rolled her eyes at the man's shameless attempts to flatter her. “Thanks for the business, Zvarri. Always a pleasure,” she said, her tone walking a fine line between professional politeness and acerbic sarcasm. She loitered for a while after the sale and spoke pleasantly with Zvarri and the other merchants. It always paid to be friendly with lots of different potential buyers. More business contacts were never a bad thing. When the sun started to descend in the sky, she bid her farewells, took her horse and remaining cart, and made her way to her usual inn, The Brazen Fox.

The inn had a homey look and the door was topped with a sign that had the place's name and a picture of a red fox jumping over a fence. It was a bit on the expensive side as inns went, but it had a stable that was guarded by hired hands and stableboys at all times, so she didn't have to worry about anyone peaking into or stealing from the cart or taking her horse in the night. On top of that, the rooms had featherbeds that were very comfortable, the bathwater was always hot, and the innkeep made an amazing chicken stew that made Raimi's mouth water just thinking about it.

After bathing and eating, Rae felt like a whole new woman. The moon was high in the sky now and she had a long day ahead of her. Tomorrow, she'd start selling the rest of her goods and then perhaps she'd have time to wander the city and see the sights; maybe she'd buy some souvenirs for her siblings back home. She placed her bow, arrows, and hunting knife near the bed where she could reach them and went to sleep with a satisfied smile on her face and a feeling of anticipation in her heart.

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

Decius was walking through the streets, not really knowing what to do. It was late but he did not mind. Usually the night would be scary for pretty much any individual. But the robbers, thieves and the rotten always retreated after seeing him with his axe slung over his back.

All the platinum he had earned in his years in the army were enough to last him a long time. As the army itself provided food and basic living needs for its soldiers. He could even find the occasional pouch of gold on a dead body in the field or find something worth a lot that he could sell. The only things he ever really bought were his custom made armour along with the cloak, his legendary axe and naturally his many recent trips to taverns and inns.

He walked until he found one named "The Brazen Fox". What a dumb name he thought. But a tavern was a tavern. Decius opened the doors and walked in. His heavy steps made his presence known. Most of the people who were drinking there stopped to look at what he might do. His emotionless face did not help ease the tension at all. He simply walked to the counter and asked for the heaviest drink that they had. The bartender gave him a small liquid in an even smaller glass and charged him 5 silvers for it. "5 silvers?" he was surprised. You could get many mugs of ale for 5 silvers. Yet give all that money for this small drink? It seemed irrational for him. But he did it anyway. He opened up his silver pouch and placed 5 on the table. "This better be worth the gold." he said as he picked up the glass and drank it in one go. It was most definitely stronger than most drinks that he ever had. He thought that the entire thing was straight up alcohol. It most definitely did not disappoint him though.

Two, relatively strong men, one bigger than the other, came up to Decius. Obviously trying to assert their dominance over the tavern by trying to take on the biggest guy. He was taller and stronger than both of them to the point where he could kill them both at that instant fairly quickly. But he was not looking for a fight so he turned to them to see what they might have had in mind.

A few moments later...

"DE-CI-US. DE-CI-US. DE-CI-US." His name was repeated by seemingly everyone in the bar other than the smaller man who just stood by the table, grasping his arm which Decius might have broken due to him using too much strength. He was really holding himself back against this new opponent. All the effort in the world couldn't lead to them pushing Decius' arm down even an inch, even when the cheapest techniques were used. He decided to stop playing around and he slammed the man's hand on the table in what seemed to be an instant. The table cracked. Or was it his hand? It did not matter as Decius easily decimated both of them in the arm wrestle they challenged him with. As promised, they bought him 5 drinks of his choice. Wanting to drain every last bit out of his victory, he chose the strong drink he just had.

5 glasses. 5 seconds. He drank all of them. And he seemed to just start getting a little tipsy. He was then challenged by a slightly older man. He was in his mid thirties and had challenged Decius to see who can drink the most without passing out. 20 different drinks were laid out in front of them, with all of them being paid for by Decius himself, the old man and some random people in the bar who just wanted to have fun watching. The 20 different drinks were randomly selected one by one by Decius and the old man in turns. The first one to pass out or to tap out would lose. It took only 7 rounds, but the old man had quite enough. He stood up and left through the door only to pass out. Decius then stood up and drank the 6 drinks that were left. Two were watered down beer, one was heavy beer, one was wine, and the other was honey ale. He continued the rest of the night, drinking and drunkenly having fun. With him being there, everyone in the entire tavern seemed to be energised once more. The tavern was bustling with people with everyone laughing and having a good time. Getting tired, Decius bought a room for the night and started to retreat upstairs to it.

MagicPenguin


"I am starting to get worried for him. Decius. Oh how the mighty have fallen. He used to be fun. He used to be active. He used to be happy with me. Now he just carries me around and does nothing with me other than sleep in the gutter or whatever bed he can find in some random tavern. It's not me that I care about anymore. I don't care that I haven't been in blood at this point. It's him. He is just so sad. It brings great pain to me to see him get worse every day. I don't know what is going to happen. But I just do not want to see him descend into darkness any further and have his only moments of light be these drunken shenanigans." *sigh*
"I miss you."

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Kruziik had not slept that night. Or the night before, or the night before. Sleep was useless to someone like him, ever scheming, ever planning. He had recently discovered what he was looking for, the secret to the natural magics, the kind used by the Druidic Elves before they were wiped out by The Church and its Paladins.

This would help quite a bit with his upcoming rise. But for now he would keep playing house. He had begun enjoying the juicy pieces of gossip he could gather, and the rumors he could spread. He knew it would end eventually. That was change. And without change the world would be stagnant like the Church wants it to be, same routine every week, sit stand kneel, sit stand kneel. All following one vision because they were never told of how much they could offer the world if the stopped following and started moving of their own accord.

But now was not the time to dwell on that. He had a meeting to go to.

Some time later

Kruziik kneeled in front a bush of some exotic flower from a distant land, his personal guard trailing behind him. The boy had allegedly been banished from Askary, though Kruziik wondered if a Republic could do that. He had been training the boy in swordsmanship, though he knew it was useless. The boy was already excellent. He had offered to train the boy to have an inside man in the guard, though the boy never noticed he was being taken advantage of. He was so desperate to belong, he didn't question Kruziik's praise.

The meeting Kruziik had to attend as the court Wizard had been more of the same talk, boring subjects that were dull enough to consider just killing all of them right there, but he stopped himself. It wasn't the right time.

Kruziik began snipping flowers from the large garden and, seeing the princess wander around, decided this called for some small talk, if anything to simply pass the time.

"Good day Your Highness. Out for a stroll I see. Good day for it, not as chilly as we're used to."


Armandio stood behind Kruziik, trying to avoid the princess's gaze, keeping quiet. He had messed up in Askary, and wasn't keen on messing up now. He didn't want to disappoint his grandfather, the only family he really has left. Though his desperation to stay here often meant doing things for Kruziik. Listening in on some shady people, killing some others. He was told it was all in the name of the king. He wasn't sure about that, but he couldn't take that chance.

So now he hid from the princess, waiting for Kruziik to get bored of his latest experiment.

Duke of Doge

 

[Randomfella]

"Finally." Jenny stated, wiping the sweat from her brow, her body covered in grit and some oil, the repairs finished. Not long after her stomach began to rumble with volumes, finishing her contraptions had taken so much time that she had almost missed lunch!
She didn't even bother to clean up, there was no time, she needed to get some fresh ingredients and cook something up within the hour. Getting something from the inn wasn't in question, these human cooks couldn't make something decent to save their lives, George included, though the other patrons didn't seem to mind.

Quickly she rushed out, two large men pushing their way by as she did so, glancing down at her for a short moment without a care. "Jerks." She thought to herself, most others at least gave way to her.
Arriving at a small local shop, Jen approached the counter, a subtle pout on her face. "Ahh, little Sally, always a pleasure." The man smiled at her with pity, already have being strung a story about an orphaned girl with a sick mother whom begged in the alleys. Handing her a wet cloth, Jenny wiped her face with it, giving him a short nod. "So what do you need? I wish I could give you a better discount, but I'm forced to buy from a store lately, the farmers go straight to them now." He sighed, looking toward the door for a short moment, before back at the girl, taking the towel from her as Jen offered it back.
"I-It's okay." She noted, placing a few copper on the counter, taking the produce in return. "T-thank you." She replied, continuing to face the ground in an act of shame.

As she returned to the inn, the innkeeper had a worried expression on his face, staring right toward her. Walking toward the basement steps, Jen stared back with a raised eyebrow. "What's with him?" She wondered. Finally as she got closer, George came toward her in a whisper. "I... Something's happened, let's talk over here." He stated, motioning toward the backdoor with his eyes. Following him, slightly confused, Jen spoke up. "No George, I'm not going to go to your nephew's school dance, I don't care how desperate he is." She joked, bringing up a strange request the man had some months ago. "This is serious." He stated, looking around as he finally stopped and knelt to her level. "Some thugs came, looking for protection money or something, I didn't have any so they busted your door down, took that big crossbow and a strange lock box, probably thought it had treasure."

Jenny dropped the bag in response, produce rolling across the wooden floor. A deep pain filled her core as she rushed down to find the items were indeed missing. "Dammit George why didn't you stop them! I told you stop letting orcs in the building!" She asked in a high pitched rage, rummaging around the messed up room. "I run an inn. not a military academy, they forced their way past me, and they were men." He stated, clenching the top of his nose with his fingers. "Was it worth a lot?" He simply asked. "Not to them." Jen noted coldly, before moving over to grab her wrist mounted crossbows and a stash of J-powder filled mini sacks. "Wait, what are you doing?" He asked with confusion, if he didn't know any better, it seemed like she was going out to find them. She didn't respond, clearly mad about something. "Ugh... They told me to bring the money to 'The Den', it's not far from here, and you don't want to go there." He continued, watching as the small halfling marched around, putting on a long sleeved coat with the mechanisms hidden beneath. "It's full of all kinds of bad individuals, trading all kinds of illegal crap, you'll be eaten alive." Jen's pointed ears perked up at the continued explanation. "And you didn't tell me about it sooner!?" She questioned, before giving the concerned man a short smile. "I still haven't had lunch, the only one who's going to be eating is me." She continued, before exiting the inn.

Avari

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia glanced up, surprised at the sudden voice directed her way, after a second of looking around, her eyes landed on Kruzik with a bright smile. "Oh! Hello Kruzik" she leaned a bit to the side and looked at Kruzik's guard "Hello guardwho'snameIdon'tknowbecausetherearetomanyofyou" she let out a little giggle at her own behavior. She thought it was funny... Nia collected herself then, addressing Kruzik once more. "Yes. Today is quite pleasant. I often find that the garden has a mellow, calming tone to it, sometimes bittersweet especially-" her eyes looked across the large garden to the blooming tree underneath which her mother was buried. "that place."

Nia looked down at her feet and cleared her throat, changing the subject as she spoke yet again "so what are you doing out here? I always thought you lived in your study, or the library? Or somewhere wizards go to do... wizard things" she gave her fingers a wiggle at Kruzik at the words "wizard things." A light breeze blew over them then, Sending Nia's hair flowing in that direction. She let out a groan and she struggled to keep her scarlet locks from becoming too messed up.
TheCountryWarrior

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Kruziik chuckled with Nia, gesturing to his guard and introducing him. "This is Armandio, my personal guard and protégé when it comes to swordsmanship. He's doing his best to turn his life to being productive in society, it's very noble. And you're correct, I technically live in my study. I'm working on the secrets of Nature Magic, used by the ancient Druidic Elves before they were killed off or forced into hiding by the Calcians over a thousand years ago. They controlled the very forest around them, and I want a piece of that."

Kruziik kept moving from plant to plant, taking various samples from most. "Do not worry princess. I shall soon retreat to my domain, and leave you in peace."

Armandio stood at his current position, watching Kruziik move about. Under his breath he spoke to Nia, "What sort of Magic needs flowers? They don't really seem magical."

Duke of Doge

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia watched Kruzik go, something about him seemed weird. Maybe it was the "I want a piece of that" line he used- or rather, the I part. It sounded somewhat power hungry. Nia cast these thoughts aside for the time being, instead interacting with Armandio. She shrugged "well, he did say it was nature magic... flowers are nature" she pointed out to him, then she blinked twice and pointed to where Kruzik went. "don't you have to follow him? It's kinda your job..."
TheCountryWarrior

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Armandio shrugged. "Fair point. Though what use they could be is beyond me." Armandio shrugged again. "Eh... he's right there. Besides! I'm not entirely sure he can die. At least from old age. He speaks of past events like he was there! But that's impossible, isn't it? Even with a fraction of Elf blood, it's a bit longer than one'd expect. Must be magic."

He stood silent for a minute, watching as Kruziik started cutting off a couple tree roots from various trees, though he was careful to avoid the one Nia's mother was buried under. "So... how goes things?" Realizing what he was doing, he stammered, standing a little straighter and giving a respectful bow. "Th-That is if I may ask, Your Highness."

Duke of Doge

 

[Randomfella]

Downtown Dalania
Early Evening

The city of Dalania was considered the shining jewel of Okigira - as bright as the pearl white cobble streets that led to the royal palace. But like all cities, Dalania hid a dark labyrinth of streets beneath its proud exterior; the areas where the poor presided and scrabbled to survive day to day. Within this shadowy darktown, sat The Den. Like a giant black spider that sat in the center of its web, the Den was a sizable tavern that lacked any unique features from the outside, except it’s wooden walls had been painted pitch black and the windows had been boarded up to prevent any especially nosy locals from observing the clients within.

The Den attracted all sorts of types that preferred to drink or do business outside of the watchful eye of the city guard. It was a place of drunks, yes, but also mercenaries, thieves and assassins -- and even though no one had seen it, there was a rumor that even a troll visited it on occasion. The sounds of laughter and music came from within and occasionally the sound of clashing blades and cheers. Or screams.

At the main door, sitting on a small wooden stool with a rather sizable axe laid across his lap was a rather brutish looking dwarf who would glare at anyone who came near, or at least, that’s what it seemed he was doing since he seemed to only possessed one eye.

Eventually Jenny found her way to 'The Den'. The whole area was a hole in her eyes, regardless she stepped toward the main door, thinking she could walk right in. The dwarf at the entrance glared toward her, casually shoving his hatchet between the girl and the door. "Aye, what'ya doin' 'ere lil' lass? No coin for orphans, now scram!" He spoke up in an impatient burly voice, before lazily lowering his axe back down to his side assuming the message was delivered. However, unexpected to him the short woman did not run back toward the alleys.
"I'm no child, dwarf, I'm a halfling." She corrected him in a mature voice, causing the dwarf to look her up and down in a slightly confused manner as she gazed at his single eye.
"A' ye now? Do nay see many... Or any of ya' kind 'round here, still, ain't the place for you, plen'y o' drinkin' holes 'round these parts." He spoke up once more, lazily gesturing down the road with his hand, causing Jenny to cross her arms and impatiently tap her front foot repeatedly. "Not here for a drink, now are you going to let me in or not?" The halfling's tone had become somewhat snarky, causing the dwarf to simply sigh in response. "Ai', but don' say I didna' warn ye'."



Jen took no time in shifting her view from the dwarf with a bit of attitude, and coming to the interior of the 'establishment'.
Despite its reputation, the interior of The Den was not entirely unpleasant -- in fact, it was almost cozy. A roaring fireplace crackled merrily across the west wall, with several plush chairs faced towards it for comfort and easy conversation. Tables of varying shapes and sizes were spread out somewhat haphazardly, dozens of ancient looking weapons adorned the walls, along with various symbols on fabric that were difficult to recognize. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling, offering ample light down on the center, but left the corners dipped in half shadow.

However. The occupants of the Tavern put any enjoyment one might get out of the cosy decorations quickly out the window. Dark and hooded humans sat crowded around the tables, many with faces covered in tattoos and piercings as well as cruel looking weapons strapped to their sides. Occasionally bags of money would be tossed to and fro, and ominously bloody sacks would be exchanged. Orcs roared and snarled at each other, and often battle axes would clash in the center of the tavern -- to cheers and cajoling from others. Goblins skittered about looking for easy fights, and there was even something that looked suspiciously like a ogre sitting in one of the corners, which everyone seemed to be giving a wide berth. Though the halfling could barely see any of it over the shins of the various patrons.

Many of the occupants were crowded around the bar, where one of the largest Orcs that Jenny had ever seen was stamping to and fro, pouring drinks and deftly scooping the coins placed on the tabletop into a large sack tied around his waist. On the far side, there were several more tables - these however, seemed to be guarded by several rather large looking guards in full armor and it was difficult to see past them.

Moving toward the bar, which naturally rested above her own head, she moved through some early drunkards, her short stature allowing for her to flow unnoticed for the while as shifting legs shoved and flailed around. Finally, arriving to the bar itself, the halfling climbed atop the metal bar lining near the bottom of the serving area, still the top of her hair only reached slightly above it. "Excuse me!" She attempted to announce to the giant of a bar keep, tiny hand flailing on the padded surface, going unnoticed for some time.

A wizened chuckle came from her left. An old looking human -- no, half elf, judging by his ears - was looking down at her from his bar stool. A chunk was missing from his nose, but his eyes were not unkind.
"You'll never get 'is attention dat' way, little 'un" He reached into his coat pocket and produced a silver coin. "Oi, Skulldug! Customer for yer' ere!"
The giant orc's head snapped up, and he squinted over at the shiny coin in the mans hand.
"Skulldug," He growled.
"Tiny one want's a drink!"
"Skulldug," The Orc repeated, now towering over the pair of them.

Jen gave a strange look to the man, a small pout on her face with one eyebrow raised, outsider's weren't usually so eager to help anyone out. "Thank you." She nodded toward him. The Orc began to pull a bottle out from below in anticipation, before the halfling spoke up. "No, not a drink." She tried to state over the sound of the bustling inn." She tried to state over the sound of the bustling in. "At least not right now..." She thought to herself, taking in the satisfying aroma of the beverages. Pulling herself up so the top half of her face was visible from behind the counter, she continued. "I need to find some humans, run a protection racket around here." She stated to the Orc, who had to be three times her size, or more. "Skulldug?" He questioned in a snarl in response. "Find. Humans. Protection. Money." She continued, causing his brows to perk up. "Skulldug, Skulldug". He nodded, causing Jen to slap her face with her hand in irritation. "UGH!"

"Aye, he canno' do much but serve drinks... 'Skulldug', the fearsome war chief came ta 'ave a 'chat wi' the lady of this 'ere establishment, now he works withou' sayin' a thing but his name." The old half-elf noted in a humble slur, getting the halfling's attention once more, who didn't seem interested in his stories. "Anyway, if you're lookin' to ask abou' that, head over ther'." He continued, pointing toward a table in a dark corner of the room. "Be careful, don' wanna end up like ol' Skulldug." He finished, causing Jen to give him a small appreciative nod before following his direction.

Standing out among the crowd of thugs and criminals a figure sat on one of the guarded tables. Slender, hunched, and almost frail-looking, an old man sat wrapped with a blanket, talking as if he were very much in his element. The scene would be out of place, comical even, if it weren't for the man's hostile expression as well as for his reputation. His tone was calm and collected, but his words were bitter and full of confidence, never second guessing himself. The more one looked at him, the more he fit in.

Moving toward the table in the corner of the room, Jen was prepared to casually take a seat, before a large armored man moved himself between her and the table, hand on the shaft of his blade. "You got business here?" He asked, his tone threatening and impatient. "I need information on some humans in this place, and I was told that..." The halfling began to explain over the rowdy sounds of the tavern, eyes staring up at the guard, before being cut off mid sentence. "We don't sell that here, try another table-"

"It's fine"
The woman at the table looked up from her book. She was unnaturally pretty, and while her expression betrayed no irritation at being interrupted, she eyed the halfling curiously.
"and you are...?" she inquired.

"Mable." Jen lied as she climbed atop the chair uninvited, opposite the woman, eyeing her up as she did so. "What's a girl like this doing in this place?" The halfling thought to herself, questioning her appearance in comparison to those clumped in the tavern. She looked more like one of the types to kiss at the empresses boots, yet just looking at her made the halfling feel somewhat uneasy. From the corner of her eye she spotted what looked like a frail old man, he didn't look happy, it was as if she had interrupted them.

"Mable." The woman repeated, her dark brown eyes glowing with amusement. She took a moment to gently close the book she had been reading -- a rather foreboding looking tomb and looked back at the Halfling.
"I am Cynthia, but of course you already knew that. You're looking for infomation?"

Jenny couldn't help but notice the strange symbols, her inquisitive nature getting the better of her as she obviously nosed in at the closing book. This was normally where she made some crude or sarcastic remark, but she had an act to play, so for now she needed to remain casual. "Some 'thugs' came to an inn I was at, took some things that belonged to me while looking for protection money, I need to know where they are so I can give them their 'payment'." Her voice was somber, looking around the Den before back at the woman.

"-And you came here all by yourself to reclaim them?"
Cynthia lent back in her chair, looking considerate for a moment.
"They must have great value to you, for you to run such a risk."

Jen couldn't help a very momentary grin from escaping her serious visage, this woman was clearly higher witted than the average human, not surprising since she was a lady of business. "I just want to pay them what they asked for and have this be done with, I live a simple life, and I'd rather be done with this nasty business." She continued to try to hold her innocent profile. In truth just being in this place gave her a rush of adrenaline, perhaps this was the type of excitement she had been missing in her life.

"A nasty business indeed," Cynthia replied, nodding empathetically. She motioned to her guard to come over.
"Tell me Mable, what inn are you staying at? I don't believe you mentioned."
"The Lazy Fox." Jen stated in response, perhaps she was letting herself slip a bit too comfortable. Tapping her finger on her chin for a short moment in thought she spoke up. "Has the best heating system in Dalania." She added with a small smile, sticking her finger halfway through the air to emphasize, eager to boast, even now.

"The Lazy Fox is Slax's territory, isn't it Albert?" Cynthia asked her guard, who nodded curtly.
"Yes ma'am"
"He owes me fifty gold, If I recall"
"Yes ma'am"
"And he's late,"
"yes ma'am"
"Excellent, go fetch him would you? Mable here wishes to pay him."

"N-no, that's okay, just point him out and I'll go over, no need to bother you any further..." Jenny quickly interjected, her voice somewhat out of pitch.
"Nonsense," Cynthia replied, holding up a hand to silence her. She was looking more amused than ever. as George the guard disappeared into the crowd.
"Truth be told, I wanted a word with Slax myself. This will prove productive for me."
"Oh... Good..." Jen replied as she awkwardly sunk into her chair.

The sound of approaching footsteps over the distant din of the tavern. George came first, followed by a rather perplexed - if horrifying looking - goblin.
And two others. Armed. Jen recognized them as the two thugs who had been at the Lazy Fox earlier that day.
"Yessssss Cynthia? You called usssss?" The goblin hissed. His skin was a mottled grey, and part of his bottom lip was missing entirely, revealing jagged, pointy teeth. And on his back, was a very familiar crossbow. His green eyes switched from Cynthia to Jenny, and back again. He looked nervous, or at least, uncomfortable.

Cynthia's smile had become rather predatory as she climbed to her feet.
"My friend Mable is here to show you how debts are paid. You may wish to take notes for future reference," she pointed out, as she grabbed her tome and placed it lovingly under her arm.

"I will pay my debtsssss," Slax began, squeezing his hands into fists.
"I'm sure you will," Cynthia replied, as she walked away with her Guard following closely behind, the crown parting around her like a school of fish around a shark.


"Goblins..." Jen thought to herself in disgust as she looked up at this 'Slax', her expression scrunching slightly at his disfigured face. "Payment, for this month and the next, if you hand back what you took." The halfling spoke up, still attempting to give off an image of discomfort, pulling a bag from her coat, the top was clearly tide very tightly with a strong thin rope, a small bit poking out of the top.
"Ahhhhhhh..." Slax licked the the tooth to the side of his lip slightly as he observed the package, before it was quickly concealed once more. "And what'ssssss to ssssstop me just taking it?" He hissed menacingly, glancing back to Cynthia as she walked away.

A small tooth-filled smile grew on Jen's face as she noticed his obvious fear of the woman. "I don't think that would make our mutual friend too happy." She noted in a sly demeanor, before placing the bag on the table, which crumpled as she did so.
"Ssssshe's not either of our friendssss," He quickly retorted, glancing over again, Jen lifting her eyebrow at him in confidence. "Rrrr, jusssst take it and get out." He scowled, throwing the items on the table abruptly. Without hesitation Jenny quickly grabbed them, but not before taking a swig of spirit that had been left over, rushing toward the exit in a hasty pace.



Pulling her sleeve back, Jen spit out the liquid onto the bolt attached to the tiny crossbow resting below her right wrist.
"Hey! What isssss thissss!?" Slax called out in a rage as he lifted the bag from the bottom, which felt far more like a loose powder than coin, and sounded like it too.
Flicking her wrist, the small crossbow moved up into her hand. Jenny followed it up by lighting the edge of the bolt with a spark-rock, before facing it toward Slax, causing him to look back in shock.
Releasing the bolt, it flew through the small amount of open space between them, striking just above the sack, and the wall ahead with a *THUNK*.

A silent fizzing sound could be heard in the background as Slax prepared to rush toward the halfling. "Why you...! You missssssssss!" He prematurely began to snarl out proudly, though he was cut off by the following *BOOM*, in more ways than one. The patrons were far too distracted by the noise, as well as the screams and smoke that came after to pay attention to the halfling, whom then rushed out of the exit and into the streets, trying to extinguish the flame that had covered her sleeve in the chaos.

Some Time Later
Walking through the door of the inn, lockbox under her left arm, and lil-J held over her right shoulder, the back half of her body covered in a thick black substance, George rushed over to her. "W-what happened!? How did you!?" Jenny, in response, simply pushed her finger toward his lips in an attempt to quieten him down. "If anyone asks, Mable moved out just before they arrived, they might catch her if they leave right away." She stated in an upbeat and proud tone, tilting her head in a smile toward the innkeeper. "Who's Mable? What are you...?" He began to respond, before it dawned on him, causing him to grab his hair in despair, his tone shifting to an even more concerned one. "What have you done this time!?" He asked in desperation, Jenny however was already beginning to move toward the basement. "Proven that I'm not just a great mind." She winked back at him with a sassy tone, continuing to move below. "Now I need to catch up on almost four meals, I'm going to lay low for a while." She finished before shutting the door behind her, groans of disappointment still escaping from above.
Breath accelerating intensely, Jen fell to her knees, a wide and almost maniacal smile spread across her face. The whole ordeal was so frightening, yet invigorating to an unspeakable degree.

Avari augmentedspartan

 

[MagicPenguin]

As she usually did, Raimi rose with the morning sun, well before any but the earliest of risers. She quickly braided her long, blonde hair and donned her brown wool undershirt, pants, and belt. Finally, she finished with her heavy green cloak and sheepskin gloves to ward away the Northern chill. As she notched her knife to the side of her belt and reached for her trusty bow and quiver of arrows, she noticed an odd vibration thrumming throughout her room in rhythmic pulses, gently shaking the bed and the dresser like the string of a harp gently plucked by the subtlest of musicians. Thinking it odd, she opened her door and started to slowly walk down the hall. As she creeped warily toward the stairs to the common room, the vibrating became first a low rumbling, then a repetition of mild growls, and then, when she finally reached the end of the hall, the growling became a series of deafening roars coming from a room just at the top of the steps.

Rae's muscles immediately tensed, her hand reaching for the hilt of her knife; she'd heard this sound dozens of times before. It was etched into the very core of her being. There's no mistaking it, she thought.

There's a wild bear in that room.

But then her still-groggy brain caught up with the rest of her and she listened more closely. The roaring wasn't a bear; it was a man snoring. She let out the breath she'd been holding and relaxed her posture. Who the heck snored like that? Honestly! He was going to wake up the entire inn!

Shaking off her annoyance, she descended to the common room hoping the innkeep had already finished making breakfast. What she found instead looked more like the result of a herd of angry goats stampeding through the inn. There were broken mugs and glasses everywhere with tables and chairs overturned in several places. Bottles of wine, ale, and expensive liquor were upended sporadically throughout the room and several men lie sleeping in pools of their own vomit. In the middle of the carnage was the innkeeper's daughter desperately trying to clean some of the damage with a worried look on her face.

Upon noticing Raimi's descent, the girl explained what had happened with Decius and the other patrons the night before. “Sorry, Rae. They kept my father up all night pouring drinks and breaking up fights. He went to bed very late, so I'm afraid breakfast won't be ready until later. Do you want to wait a bit?”

Hiding her displeasure, Rae politely declined. “I have a lot to do today and I can't afford to wait around. Thanks anyway, though.” This was definitely the work of that obnoxious snoring bear, she thought bitterly.

Rae made sure her horse was well cared for and the contents of her cart were unmolested and then she started in the direction of the market square where people bought and sold their wares throughout the day. The square was directly in the middle of the city and all the streets and back alleys eventually met here, making it the ideal place for buyers and sellers to find each other. The castle loomed large just to the north and there was a massive fountain in the center of the square with the country's flag flying high and proud above it. It was early yet and sellers were only just beginning to set up their stalls. There were still plenty of spaces for Rae to choose from to set up her own little shop. Many of the choicest spots were already taken by Dalania regulars, but she found the most visible and highly traveled venue that the plaza still had to offer.

Raimi carefully lined up her merchandise. Her father and elder brother had done most of the farming that yielded the crops she sold yesterday, which was the family's main source of profit, but the rest of her siblings had knick knacks to offer as well. There were clothes made by her mother and elder sister, dresses, shirts, pants, cloaks, and gloves of all shapes and sizes. There were baked goods made by her younger sister, who was turning into quite the amazing little chef. There were a few hunting bows and arrows that Raimi had made herself in her spare time from the branches of maple and oak trees in the forest that she had painstakingly whittled and shaped and strung into usable form.

Finally, there was one other oddity that she happened to find buried in the snow while she was hunting game one night on the road to the city. It was a small, green, translucent gem that seemed to drink in the sun's rays and multiply their brilliance tenfold. It had an odd runic character written into it that Raimi didn't recognize. Its sparkling beauty and the mysterious rune lent it a decidedly mystical air; it seemed like a magical artifact from some long lost civilization no one had ever heard of. Well, if you believed in that sort of thing, anyway. Rae didn't actually know what it was or where it came from, but it was quite a pretty little thing. She figured maybe someone would want it bad enough to pay for it, so here it was.

As Rae started to call out to passersby to attract interest in her inventory, her stomach began to growl its protest at her missed breakfast. She had a long day ahead of her and it looked like she'd be facing all of it hungry.

“Ugh...stupid bear....”

The_Omega_Effect

 

[Duke of Doge]

Armandio shrugged. "Fair point. Though what use they could be is beyond me." Armandio shrugged again. "Eh... he's right there. Besides! I'm not entirely sure he can die. At least from old age. He speaks of past events like he was there! But that's impossible, isn't it? Even with a fraction of Elf blood, it's a bit longer than one'd expect. Must be magic."

He stood silent for a minute, watching as Kruziik started cutting off a couple tree roots from various trees, though he was careful to avoid the one Nia's mother was buried under. "So... how goes things?" Realizing what he was doing, he stammered, standing a little straighter and giving a respectful bow. "Th-That is if I may ask, Your Highness."

Duke of Doge

Nia closed her eyes and gave a half smile, letting a breath out theough her nose while doing so. "Drop the formalities. It gets old fast, and makes me feel alienated from my people" she stated bluntly with a dismissive wave of her hand as she then looked out towards the main city of Dalania. "As far as how things are going..." she paused to take in the view "things are always moving forward for me, y' know? The only available heir. There's alot of things I need to do, and alot of people to serve." She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose'why did I tell him all of that?'she pondered the question, but no easy answer came up as she then dropped her hand back to her side "but asside from that, as of now. I'm bored. Tired... maybe a little hungry?" She held her chin as she thought about it out loud to herself, albeit in a hushed tone, "dang. Now I want food. Cookies? Biscuits and jam? Some kind of soup? Maybe a nice flan?" Her brow furrowed in thought.

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

Afternoon after the bombing.

Decius awoke from his slumber. He woke up with quite the headache. The room smelled awful and so did he. It had been a while since he had cleaned himself and his precious axe. He left the room and travelled down to look at the aftermath of the mess that he had a hand in causing. Perhaps it could be said that it was directly his fault due to him getting everyone in the mood to just go wild. Whatever the case was, a sudden sense of guilt caught Decius. He apologised to the inn keep who seemed like he had just woken up alongside him. As a part of his apology, Decius left one gold coin for the owner who gladly took it and ensured Decius that things like that are commonplace in taverns and inns.

After leaving the bar, the first oder of business was to get cleaned. Decius walked around in the city for a bit, familiarising himself with the different buildings and introducing himself to particular areas of the town that were more dangerous than others. Although, the city of Dalania seemed very peaceful compared to most cities he had been to. But there are bad apples in every basket. Decius had made his way to the town square where he saw many stalls of shops. But his attention to them were cut short once he spotted a bathhouse. He quickly made his way over there and paid for a bath for himself. Although the shopkeeper was reluctant, he was allowed to take his equipment, especially his axe with him into the bath. Decius spent a bit in the bath, resting while cleaning himself. After he was done, he spent quite a long time cleaning and polishing his axe. At this moment in time his hangover had wained, allowing him to focus on cleaning all of his equipment.

After drying up, Decius donned his armour and red cloak once more and set out for the town. He was quite hungry and wanted to purchase something to eat. He looked at his purse to see how much gold he had beforehand so that he could regulate his spending. He had around 28 pieces of gold, 63 silvers and more than 50 coppers. He did not bother with the coppers at all since counting them would be a waste of time. He wondered how he might have to earn money from now on. The easiest way would be to work as a body guard. But being a glorified guard dog did not interest Decius in the slightest. He thought that offering his services to the highest bidder as a mercenary would be worth his time and excitement. The mere idea of fighting again brought a smile to him. His axe vibrated a little bit in his hand as a sign of approval.

Decius had a weird relationship with his axe. He would sometimes talk to "Nightfall", and pretend like he heard answers back. To any outside this would seem insane. But "Nightfall" was no normal axe. It could send its feelings to Decius, and with him knowing her, he could correctly interpret her message and what she is trying to say every time. And he often heeded her advice. He always thought of her as a good judge of character.

With his axe slung over his shoulder, Decius made his way to the many stands that were in the city square. He then easily spotted, and moved towards the stalls that sold food. There were many great roasted foods that he could purchase. But he never liked eating things that are too heavy in content for him in the morning. And the roasts were made last night most likely due to how pricey the meat is and the later times being generally the time where people buy such foods. But what could be made fresh were potatoes. Decius loved potatoes when they were boiled or roasted whole. But for some reason he disliked it when they were cooked after being cut into. It made as much sense as it sounded. So Decius moved over to the man cooking the potatoes where he purchased 9 boiled potatoes and some sour cream to go along with it. The plate, or the cheap, disposable bowl already had a compartment for the sour cream which freed one of his hands from having to hold it. It costed him 2 silvers and 27 bronze coins. The price was absolutely reasonable. With potatoes being able to be purchased for bronze coins and grown for even cheaper, it was no wonder why it cost so little. It might have been the sour cream that cost more than a several potatoes itself.

He paid up and did not mind any more attention to it. He then proceeded to walk around while eating his delicious potatoes in silence.

 

[augmentedspartan]

THE DEN
Late Night

Whether it was a casual conversation or an intelectual discussion, Ambrose disliked being interrupted, and he was mid-monologue when the halfling did exactly that. Before he could tell her to fuck off, Cynthia, possibly aticipating his reaction, engaged her. Now, Ambrose was the type of person who would normally try to reclaim the conversation back, not caring particularly about what neither wanted, but this was Cynthia's business, and she was good at it, and if there was something Ambrose respected was people who were competent in their field. So instead he simply glared at the intruder and waited for the exchange to end, not really caring what it was about. It wasn't long before his calmness developed into tiredness, though, and his brain complied with his old body and fell asleep.

He had a history of being woken up to unpleasant situations, perk of taking numerous naps, but this was the first time an explosion nocked him onto the ground while asleep. The shockwave threw the chair backwards, with him on it, landing awkwardly between the floor and his hip, and knocking him out for a few moments. Groaning on the ground and throwing curses, either to no one in particular or to everyone, it was hard to tell, he rolled softly to the side trying to stand up, his bones complaining.

"Goddammit," he said, standing up. The first thing he noticed was that his favorite blanket was covered in soot, and he wasn't happy about that. Then he noticed the dead goblin by his feet, he didn't particularly care about that.

The entire Tavern had already emptied, with everyone fleeing into the night -- perhaps they thought it was a raid, or maybe they were all just cowardly; a rather useful trait for survival in the underground. Skulldug still sood behind the bar, as stonelike as ever - if he had even noticed the explosion he hadn't shown it, he was cleaning a glass with a filthy looking towel.

Leaning on the bar was Cynthia, her arms folded across her chest, a rosy red drink by her side and the book she had been reading was resting on the table in front of her. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"I am pleased to see you are undamaged, Mr. Paré,"

"Undamaged my ass," he said, once he managed to get on his feet, a feat more difficult than he remembered; damned old bones. Taking another look at himself, he threw the blanket on the ground in contempt. It was basically ruined, he would need to get a new one, and he couldn't remember where he got this particular one. Looking around he noticed everyone gone, including the ever present noise that came with this type of clientele. He liked it, maybe the place should explode more often.

"I can't say I'm disappointed because I never expected anything from you in the first place," he said, grabbing the closest chair and sitting down. "But I thought you could at least prevent your place from being bombed."

Cynthia didn't reply, but grabbed her glass and smiled down at it.

Ambrose looked at her, waiting for an excuse, quickly realising she didn't need one. "Next time you plan on sabotaging yourself, do it away from me." There wasn't any amusement in his tone.

"I wasn't expecting such a large explosion, I confess," Cynthia replied, taking a small, thoughtful sip of her drink. She gestured over to the blackened and charred wall, thankfully it didn't seem like there was any permanent damage.

"Resourceful little creature."

"Yes, yes, very fancy." Generally, efficiency was something he commended, however using it for violence was moronic and a waste of time in his eyes. "Getting rid of..." he looked at the dead goblin, trying to recall his name and failing due to not having cared about him in the first place. "...whoever, and making the tadpole owe yo-"

Cynthia downed her drink.
"It's getting late, Mr Paré." She observed, a clear way of telling him the conversation was over. At least for now.
"I hope your next choice of sleeping place is safer."

"Whatever," he said, standing up. He would complain about being interrupted, but he knew it would fall on deaf ears. Plus, he was tired, so he'll save it for next time.

"You owe me a new blanket," were his parting words as he stepped out the door, leaving Cynthia alone with her thoughts.

"Skulldug," The Orc behind her muttered.

"I thought so," she replied, smirking.

(ft. Avari )

 

[Avari]

The Den
Early hours




The Den was silent, all for the gentle crackling of a small fire and the single occupant who was watching it. Well, Skulldug was still standing at the bar motionless - but he hardly counted.


Cynthia sat on the chair closest to the flame, enjoying the warmth and the light it provided as she considered the large tome that was balanced on her lap. It was an unpleasant looking thing, its cover being blood red with darker colors used to represent a screaming mouth and it felt oddly...fleshy to the touch. It didn’t bother her particularly, in fact she found it rather comical that so many would be put off by such things, but then again that was rather the point.


She gently opened the tome to a random page, a small smile escaping her as she did so. Her love for books had only grown since her childhood, they were a passion of hers -- rare tomes like this even more so; she had been lucky to find it, considering the Church of the Maker had burned most of the books that instructed the user in the darkest of magics.


Most. but not all.


She grimaced at that. It had taken seven years and a staggering amount of money to locate this single one of a kind tome, and even that was simply a single puzzle piece of a far larger picture. The fact that it was written in a druidic language that hadn’t been used in over a thousand years didn’t make things any easier.


Cynthia looked down at the page she had opened at random, and blinked in surprise. The page depicted a forest, with a running stream that run off into the horizon. In the foreground was a woman clothed in a white gown, her eyes closed beneath a golden crown. Her arms were outstretched, as if to welcome her. At her feet lay several naked bodies, each with red patches on their chests to represent the removal of the heart. It was no coincidence that the tome had shown her this page in particular. Cynthia gently placed her hand on the page -- an attempt to connect, to feel anything at all.


It had been ten years since she had lost her magic. Ten years staggering about in the dark.


“I’ll find my way to you again,” Cynthia whispered quietly to the Goddess.

 

[Verdas]

Walking down the streets of Dalania's slums, the richly dressed elf carrying a bask of freshly baked chocolate chipped (not raisins) cookies would've been a very tempting target for thieves if not for her reputation. In one part of the city, Aurelia was a kind and generous apothecary who loved children. But around here, she was a dealer of all sorts of vile, yet high quality goods, be it poisons, drugs, or even truth serums, she would always deliver for the right price. She soon reached the den, having arrived just in time for a mass exodus of panicked customers. Raising her brows in surprise, she entered to find a charred wall and a dead goblin.

While she was certainly curious regarding the story behind all this, she quickly got to business and located her client who, thankfully, hadn't fled like the other frightened sheep. The hooded and masked figure seated at one of the tables was a regular who's been buying from her for at least nine years now. This time around, the request was for a vial of an odourless variant of the Knad Emem, a highly toxic secretion of the elusive Epep frog which, with just a small dose, could cause complete paralysis of the body, ultimately killing the victim. While it was colourless, tasteless, and most certainly potent, it wasn't very popular due to the strong odour it gave off which, strangely enough, smelled like the dung of a bull.

With her skills, however, she'd been able to remove the odour completely, making it an excellent choice for any assassin, her client included. No words were exchanged as they made their business. She did not ask what they would use it for, nor did they ask where or how she got her hands on an Epep frog's toxins. Handing over the precious vial, she received two platinum coins in return, which she promptly put in her purse. While it may have seemed mind boggling to most, it was a reasonable price considering the sheer rarity of the Epep frog, not to mention that this deadly poison was altered specifically to make it nigh undetectable.

Her business here done, she quickly left the unsavoury place, pretending not to notice all the stares she was getting, especially her bottom. Now, it was off to the market square for some run-of-the-mill grocery shopping. Giving out free cookies to passing children, and munching on a few herself, she looked through each stall, carefully scrutinising the goods, until suddenly, she upon a hidden gem. Literally.

The beautiful, sparkly green gem which had caught her eye was incredibly familiar. Stooping over for a closer look, and giving any passersby a great view of ASS, she noticed the rune and it finally clicked. She had only seen them a few times before, but she knew it's worth. "Why, that's a healing stone, is it not? What price are you willing to sell it for?" She said to the woman in charge of this stall, reaching for her purse of coins.

MagicPenguin

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Nia closed her eyes and gave a half smile, letting a breath out theough her nose while doing so. "Drop the formalities. It gets old fast, and makes me feel alienated from my people" she stated bluntly with a dismissive wave of her hand as she then looked out towards the main city of Dalania. "As far as how things are going..." she paused to take in the view "things are always moving forward for me, y' know? The only available heir. There's alot of things I need to do, and alot of people to serve." She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose'why did I tell him all of that?'she pondered the question, but no easy answer came up as she then dropped her hand back to her side "but asside from that, as of now. I'm bored. Tired... maybe a little hungry?" She held her chin as she thought about it out loud to herself, albeit in a hushed tone, "dang. Now I want food. Cookies? Biscuits and jam? Some kind of soup? Maybe a nice flan?" Her brow furrowed in thought.

Armandio smiled with a surprised expression on his face. Well, this was a change from authority figures he'd met before. "Well... as long as you don't mind. I can imagine you have much to do, except for when the time comes to relax and you've nothing. You don't have any royal friends? Noble's children, nothing of the sort?"

Kruziik stood up rather quickly, holding a bouquet of various flowers in his hand. And in a flash they were gone. "If you'll excuse me, young lady." He dismissed himself with a bow. "Armandio you're free for the rest of the day. I've things to do that require the utmost concentration, so I'll need you out of my hair. Try to enjoy yourself, but not too much." He added with a glance at Nia. "See you tomorrow!" And with that he was gone. Just vanished.

Armandio didn't have time to glare at Kruziik as he vanished. "Sorry about him. Though you've known him longer than I have, I'm not sure why I'm apologizing."

Duke of Doge

 

[MagicPenguin]

Rae studied the tiny elf with a bit of astonishment. It was clear and relatively warm out for the time of year, but it was still pretty cold. This girl was wearing next to nothing. "Um...aren't you cold?" she asked with some amusement.

She forced her hungry mind to refocus on the task at hand. The girl wanted to buy the weird gem. Rae didn't actually think anyone would want it. Dalania's people tended to be pretty pragmatic in her experience, not ones for superstition or superficial baubles and, true to form, no one had yet expressed any interest in it until now. She would've sold it to pretty much anyone for 20 coppers just to get it off her hands. But then, the way the girl looked at the gem, it was clearly more than just a trinket to her. She apparently knew what it was and what it was worth. Not knowing the thing's value herself, Rae decided to name the most outrageous price she could imagine and see what kind of reaction she got.

"That thing's pretty rare and it's the only one I have in stock. I'm afraid I can't part with it for less than a platinum coin."

Verdas

 

[Duke of Doge]

Armandio smiled with a surprised expression on his face. Well, this was a change from authority figures he'd met before. "Well... as long as you don't mind. I can imagine you have much to do, except for when the time comes to relax and you've nothing. You don't have any royal friends? Noble's children, nothing of the sort?"

Kruziik stood up rather quickly, holding a bouquet of various flowers in his hand. And in a flash they were gone. "If you'll excuse me, young lady." He dismissed himself with a bow. "Armandio you're free for the rest of the day. I've things to do that require the utmost concentration, so I'll need you out of my hair. Try to enjoy yourself, but not too much." He added with a glance at Nia. "See you tomorrow!" And with that he was gone. Just vanished.

Armandio didn't have time to glare at Kruziik as he vanished. "Sorry about him. Though you've known him longer than I have, I'm not sure why I'm apologizing."

Duke of Doge

Nia looked up at Armandio. "Father worries. You know how badly other nobles want power? Really bad. I mean, as much as I hope all in my court are pure of heart, reality dosnt work with my ideas. People want me dead, plain and simple." She played with some of the fabric on her dress idly as Kruzik said goodbye, to which she simply waved at him as he went. She sat down on a bench. Her elbows resting on her knees, and holding her head up with her hands. "I just want a bit of freedom... to be a kid while I still can." She sighed "I wanna see my country and city, I would like to get to know the "little guys"she said with air quotes. "The people who give me my position you know?"

 

[Avari]

THE DEN

Early Morning, Cynthia’s Quarters.


Cynthia came awake slowly, her body stretched wide across her luxuriously sized four poster bed. Her handsome features were hidden under a mess of brown hair, a dishevelled mess from yet another virtually sleepless night. She groaned into her pillow, and risked opening an eye to see the sun slowly crawl into her bedchamber. She vaguely recalled a time when she had managed a full night's worth of uninterrupted rest, recuperating from a being forced to socialize by her parents or by a particularly trying day of study. She would wake easily, feeling as bright as the sun that now had presented itself in a most unwelcome fashion.

That hadn’t happened for a long time.

Despite the rather tawdry design of the Den, Cynthia’s private quarters situated on the second floor were what one might expect to see in a mansion, not a rickety tavern. The carpets were a rich red, the walls covered in some of her favorite paintings she had brought from the market. A huge bookshelf ran across the far wall, packed with books of all shapes, sizes and on a variety of topics. She was sure that, perhaps ignoring the Royal Palace or Grand Library, she had the finest collection of rarities in Dalania.

And she guarded it jealously. No one dared set foot in her quarters, not even the guards she employed to protect her. While it was comfortable, and something that Cynthia had spent a great amount of time on decorating to her tastes she had little time to enjoy it. Often she did nothing but read and study documents by candlelight until her supply of coffee was drained and the inevitable migraine demanded she finally rest, forcing her to throw herself into bed and make a feeble effort to stop her mind from leaping from problem to problem like a wolf chasing a fleeing rabbit in the forest.

Cynthia gave a moan of protest as the sun slowly but inevitably reached her face, promptly forcing her to flee beneath her cotton sheets. She stretched, her feet crossing over the end of her bed and her hands pressing up against the headboard as she finally gave into the inevitable and rose out of bed.

She took a moment to pull her messy hair back from across her face - she’d brush it later - and grabbed her gown from the bed post. Glaring at the clock on the wall, which glibly informed her it was a inhumane hour to be awake, Cynthia rubbed her eyes and grabbed the crimson tome she had left on the bedstead and scanned the page she had been translating for several weeks, comparing what she read to the notes she had scrawled the night before.

Sacrificium Autem Salutem.

A ritual of health. Rejuvenation.

“Resurrection.” She whispered to herself.

She almost had it finished. Just a few more words to translate, and she would be ready. It had taken her nearly five years to fully decipher the ritual in its entirety. Cynthia scrunched her nose. If this had been any other book, she’d be famous for her work! Single handedly learning and translating a dead language? Performing an immensely complex and potentially fatal ritual? She’d have been the greatest mage in existence! But no. There was no one she would dare share it with.

It was hers.

There was one final piece of the puzzle, one word she had been unable to translate, but was vital for the Salutem to work. It had defied all her attempts over the last few weeks to explain itself.

Kadapul.

Cynthia clicked her tongue as she closed the tome and carefully tucked her notes into her desk. She’d have to travel today: The local library... perhaps ask around the markets if that failed. The Den itself would be her final call if all attempts failed, but she disliked the idea of anyone attempting to find out what it was for. They were a nosy lot at the best of times, Ambrose may be worth asking at least - he kept to himself, rarely asked questions. She liked that about him.

Shower. Library. Markets. Den. Oh!

She had almost forgotten about that little halfling from last night. Might be worth stopping by the The Lazy Fox as well to say hello.

Cynthia smirked as she went to get dressed.

Research and potential murder. It made her almost nostalgic.

 

[Randomfella]

The Lazy Fox
Breakfast Hours
*Knock* "George." *Knock* "George!" *Knock* "GEORGE!"
"So you're too busy to walk up a few steps now?" The innkeeper finally responded in a sigh, his footsteps notable as he walked down.
"Excellence takes time and effort, and I've run out of ingredients, can you g..." Jen responded in an uppity tone, before getting cut off.
"I'm not your maid little girl." The innkeeper sighed back, clearly getting annoyed at the halfling's constant attitude.
"Little...? Rrrrrgh" Jen thought to herself in frustration.
"I can spare you some leftovers, but this can only go on for so long." He continued.
"No offense, but humans have as much knowledge of the culinary arts as orcs have of... Well, anything." She retorted, a small snicker escaping at the end of her argument.
"Look it's either that, or go without, your choice." He responded, and though she could not see it from behind the door between them, Jenny knew he was smiling, finally having an edge on her.
"Fine..." She responded in a huff, the sound of clanging and whistling steam soon emerging once more as she returned to her work.

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Armandio sat next to her. "That's a good point. I forgot for a second we live in the real world, though the garden is always a good escape from it." He sat silently for a moment, when he got an idea. "Say. Do you want to see a secret cave?"

Duke of Doge

Kruziik had teleported himself to his study, where the flowers lay on the table. With a flick of his hand the flowers died, quickly decaying and crumbling into a pile of death. Kruziik hadn't needed the flowers, he just wanted the kid out of his hair.

"Bex!"

And with that the wall opened up, revealing a small room with a button. Stepping in, he pushed the button, and felt himself moving downwards as the room descended into the earth. The light from above was cut off by the wall closing again.

The room opened again and Kruziik stepped out to the loving gibberish of his Goblins. Dozens of them bustled around the various underground structures they had constructed for Kruziik. Kruziik made his way to his current experiment, a large stone slab with symbols representing a still fleashy skull with glowing eyes, a picture of the denial of Death. The walls were covered in various types of blood from different creatures: Elves, Humans, Goblins, Dwarves, Orcs, a couple pints of troll blood... the list goes on. The dried blood formed various symbols of Kruziik's own design, all surrounding this slab. He was sure he had the key now, but he needed a body to test it on.

Not entirely sure where he could get one this time of day, but he was set to find out. Riding his elevator back up, he made his way to the market square, taking a look around at the various stalls.

Not entirely sure where to go, he decided he'd observe the town. Sitting on a bench, he waited for something to happen.

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia let out a sigh "is it on the castle grounds? Because I can't leave." She stated as she smoothed out her dress. "If it is, I would love to go." She told him, her childish sense of adventure beginning to kick in as a smile appeared on her face.
TheCountryWarrior