Fantasy Are you tired of sipping Crab Coladas? (Pirate RP) (Always Open)

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Fergie and Bogrum​

On their way to the conference room, Bogrum wasn't ready to relent. "Are you trying to get away from me? You know we're headed to the same place." Her gait was brisk and a bit hard to keep up with, but he was managing. "Will you tell me what's on your mind?"
"Ugh, lay off. Don't make me talk 'bout me feelings, damn you."
"You did the same for me last night. It's the least I could do."
"... Nah. Least ye could do is leave me be." The harshness of her tone dropped significantly. "Actually in a good mood today. Pumped as hell. Don't need shit boggin' me down right 'fore the mission." Distraction kills, yes, but it went both ways. Sometimes it was better to stuff it all down, especially when there wasn't the time to unpack a bunch of complicated emotions. "Wanna play shrink? Wait till I get a few drinks in me tonight."
He smiled. "You're inviting my counsel?"
She turned her head just enough to shoot him a glare from under her hat. "Don't get a big head 'bout it."
"Don't worry, I will."
"When we reach the top of that castle, I'm pushin' you out the window."

The pair were some of the first to return to the room, behind Sebas and Melody. Though with the latter, neither recognized the pillar of black fog in her place. They couldn't have known about her powers, but it was easy to make the connection by the black marking on her face.
"Miss Treasure?"
Fergie tapped his elbow, whispering, "Don't bother her. Prolly just embarrassed from... y'know." After her own blunder with the Ord, Fergie had wanted to hide under her hat for the rest of the day, so it was an easy assumption to make.

Who she would grill for answers, however, was giving cat Avery some much needed moral support. "Sebas?" Fergie stepped up to the table, surprised to see him here in person. "Where's Lostro?" It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but she was immediately concerned. She remembered seeing Dr. Laylah launch herself from the ship, and if Sebas wasn't with the kid, who else was? "Ash watchin' her?" But she should be heading this way too. With that in mind, so should Elaina. Who was watching Orabelle, even?
"I'm sure he's got it taken care of, Fergie," Bogrum assured her. "Have some faith in your captain."
"I do," she said, that harshness returning. Chafed by the insinuation, she bristled and tensed her shoulders. "Just wanna know if we should expect her to come lookin' for him." Everyone had shades on hand when Lostro wasn't literally locked away, but not much could be helped if she decided to appear right in front of you before they could be put on.
"Doesn't her room suppress her powers, or something?" Kids kinda did what they wanted, especially if what they wanted-- needed, really-- was attention. But even still, "And she listens to Sebas. She wouldn't disobey him."
"I'm... Aye, suppose." She'd have to hear it from the horse's mouth first, but Bogrum had a point. Lostro didn't have a big habit of showing up unannounced, so either something or someone was keeping her in check.

Kylesar1 Emira Blight

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Nancy Noi​

Time had stopped for this world so long ago, its residents could scarcely remember what it felt like to be under its ticking clock. Time pieces still measured the minutes and hours; simple tools that measured the mortal's comprehension of time weren't under its spell, and mortal beings still needed a way to schedule their affairs. And yet, despite bustling towns, flowing rivers, and swaying grass fields, the world was at a standstill. Not a blade of grass more had turned brown, or a leaf more fallen, trapped in an endless late summer. A chilly wind was from the frigid air of the Spirit Seas, rather than a cold autumn front. The salmon run, trapped in the downriver lakes, never turned pink or fought for mates who couldn't lay. Bear cubs remained cubs, deer foals remains foals. Children never grew up, and the old ones never passed on. No one died, and no one was born. Life went on, but was unchanging.
Those subtle, slow changes would take its time in showing themselves, should time return. But even though they couldn't remember the feeling, they would immediately recognize it. A curious sensation that was impossible to describe, despite it coming more naturally to mortals than any other entity. Something so ingrained, how can it be explained? And no one needed to; when time rippled through Kraiven for the first time in 200 years, every inhabitant felt it. From the lowliest of insects crawling in the dirt, to the King himself on his throne. Without it being said, they all knew.
And if anyone doubted their every molecule tingling in reverberation, all they had to do was glance out their window or up at the sky. Blue and clouded, unlike the ghostly appearance of its incorporeal counterpart. A sight to behold, after two centuries of aimless floating. And a sight unwelcome, to Stoneroses' resident alchemist.

Squinting through his glasses, Nancy was having trouble making out the three figures hovering over the distant mountains. His Lungborne vision wasn't any better above water than below, but he could make an educated guess. Floating... whales? Ships without sails? Whatever they were, it displayed innovation beyond their era. There was no doubting who the culprit behind this was. As for the why, his mind raced not to find a reason, but because there were too many to count. Their old enemy returning to finish what they started? A new one looking to take their land and resources? Clueless anthropologists meddling in affairs they ought not to? So much could happen in 200 years, he could only wonder what other sorts of motivations could be at play here. Whatever it was, malign or benign or in between, one thing was a certainty: their lives were about to be uprooted in a way that had only happened once before.

With the Emergency Meeting called, Nancy was one of the first to arrive, bursting from his laboratory at the first sight of red. "Ves!" His startled voice called from the crystal on his necklace, his face fixed in a familiar look of worry. Unfamiliar was it to see it mirrored on the cheery vampire's face. "I... I guess I don't need to ask what this is about." If someone hadn't figured it out by now, they had to be in a 200+ year-old coma. But Nancy was prepared... maybe a bit too prepared. His gear was fashioned to his belt, as well as his waterproof Bag of Holding. Almost as if he knew what was expected of him. "I didn't think it would be so soon..."
Was it ironic? That so much time could feel so quick? It wasn't even unnatural for Vespera, being an immortal vampire. Nancy should have died many, many generations ago. But there was so much more he wanted to do, so much more research to conduct. Plants and fungi never grew on their own, but all it took was a bit of magic to get the ingredients he needed. Rather than reaching an indefinite pause, his alchemy had only advanced, and all on his own terms. If this was it for Kraiven... if they lived to tell their tale... Nancy wasn't sure if he was ready to be subjected to the passage of time. To contend with his mortality, as well as the mortality of his companions. "Ves, whether it'll be true or not... just tell me we'll be okay? Please?"

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Sebas Deadeye
Conference Room​

Fergie and Bogrum entered the room so any cat-focused attention turned into a secondary act. Fergie was worried that Lostro wasn't within his sight. "Lostro is in her room," Sebas responded, brushing off her concern. "Disobedient she has never been. If she weren't demon-possessed, she'd be an angel." Therein lies an issue Sebas always had: How perfect of a child Lostro was. Hopelessly devoted. It made his avoiding Lostro rack his heart harder with guilt, since she was confined to her room for months on end and didn't so much as attempt to leave it. Then when he comes back, Lostro is just happy to see him again, not even questioning why he had avoided her for so long. He had been incredibly shitty for doing that, but when she was essentially a walking tragedy and shouldn't even be living right now, it got HARD just to even look at her. Hell, even now he had to suppress those emotions and put on a facade at times when dealing with her. The hollowed out voice of Lostro pricked at his brain, the legionous voice of Mozza and the souls he ate a spiked mace to his chest, the now lifeless snakes that comprised her hair an assault to his eyes. He couldn't be more glad to put an end to this undead walking apocalypse and bring this girl back to life and silence Mozza for good.

"Nothing keeps that girl in check besides devotion.......hopeless devotion that not even the ancient fucking demon possessing her can break." It was like living via nothing but sheer willpower. Lostro? Maybe it was her complete pure unconditional love. She was definitely always full of it. Until Mozza had enough power to bring this world to ruin, he was at the whim of this child, who wouldn't give in so long as Sebas drew breath

"Sebas, I want you on the Dragon Egg team. When we locate it, you're leading the special team to go retrieve it," Avery said, his tail swishing back and forth, "You've always said you wanted to save her. This is the time. Our ships will not be parked, so we will not need a guard."

Ash was next to show up. "Yo!" she waved as she strolled in. "Let's get this strategy meeting going. Demi and her crew has departed. So has Elaina and Evangeline."
"That's good. As soon as our seer gets here, we will build our map." Avery hopped off the table and padded over to the spot Melody just was. The weakness of a suppression spell was if you used that spell in the presence of people, and they SAW it, it kind of eliminated the point of using it. Avery definitely saw her use it. As soon as he touched her with his paw, she became fully visible to him. Weakness #2 of a suppression spell was that if you were in contact with someone, that person could fully see you so long as they retained contact. No one else could see her though, but Avery did see the woman crying. He then walked away.

He then came back to the table. "Let's leave Melody alone," he said, "She didn't use that spell for nothing." Sebas had to guess that the woman was in some form of emotion dire straits.


As everyone showed up, the strategy meeting began in earnest. As Sebas looked out the window and saw the capital city, he wondered if burning this kingdom to the ground was the only option. If this many people lived here for 200 years, surely they found a way to live a somewhat harmonious life with the terrible circumstances they went into hiding for. In a way, they were no different. A ragtag group of people having to live a life they didn't REALLY want to, but the cards weren't lining up and they weren't allowed a redraw. The similarities ended in the people of Kraiven putting their cards together.......while they [the pirates] flipped the table and caused a surprise game of 52 pickup, casino hopping until they got the cards they wanted

Sebas was certain that these people had no desire to fight.................unless in self-defense



-------------------------------------------------------------------

Vespera Marine "Hermes" Seyres
Stoneroses HQ- Lobby​

Nancy Noi, Ves's favorite worrywart came rushing in. Unlike most of Nancy's worrying though, this was definitely called for. Time began again. While time was nothing to an immortal like herself, to see the sky again and the clouds was one of the most bittersweet things she had ever seen, made more bitter than sweet by the fact that it was a PIRATE CREW that yanked them out. "We will be ok, Nancy," Ves reassured her fishy friend, "Maybe they came in peace. Surely they didn't unearth a lost kingdom just to burn it to the ground." Of course, these were pirates though. That was something Ves couldn't get over. Pirates weren't exactly known for their overwhelming friendliness. Plus, no normal pirate crew could do this. Yanking 400 miles of land out of the spirit sea took an IMMENSE amount of magic. To get that much Kraiven land teleported into the Spirit Sea, it took every mage on hand, and ALL of those mages fell into 5 day Magic Comas from the strain. This crew were high-functioning mages. Maybe they had a more advanced form of magic that they discovered and refined over their 200 year absence.

Ves's mind was racing. Of course it was. 200 years on a 20 sq mile stretch of land. Their life was uprooted in an absolute instant. Now they had to figure out not only how to live with time again, but 200 years into the future. It was DAUNTING to think about. These 200 years would've meant nothing normally as she'd still be alive, but what essentially happened is that in the blink of an eye, they were 200 years. Imagine walking down a dirt path, then you blink and you're standing on a well-paved road. Or you're riding a horse and you blink and you're sitting on top of a car. That was how she felt when she saw literal ships flying around their land.

Ves took a deep breath as someone else ran in, one of their warriors. "There are wyverns flying around Toron (The capital city)!" he exclaimed
Wyverns? How did this crew tame that many. She ran outside and sure enough, there were a huge number of not just wyverns, but many flying beasts soaring the skies around them. She would be captivated if she didn't see that all of them had someone riding them, which absolutely meant they were part of this pirate crew. What were they doing? Why not just park their ships in one of the vast stretches of land and come meet them? Well..........they were pirates. It wouldn't be unheard of that, after 200 years, sudden outsiders would more than likely get them attacked on the spot.

"So maybe we can make contact," Ves responded, "and see why they ripped us out of the Spirit Sea. They're NOT here for nothing."
By now, everyone who was to be in the meeting had arrived. The last one was Arnold Asella, Guildmaster of the Stoneroses. A fat thumb of a man, who didn't bother to attempt to lose weight in the 200 years they were in limbo. It was actually nothing short of impressive that, 400 miles of flat earth, effective immortality, and a lack of foreign food, he managed to maintain this high weight and the waddle that came with it
"Ves, everyone." he said, "Let's get this meeting underway. His Highness is seeking council with all of his Guildmasters. And all of you need to get those messages delivered to every settlement as soon as possible."

With everyone here, their meeting got underway



------------------------------------------------------

What Goes Through One's Mind Before Deploying to a Battlefield?​

The meetings between the Stoneroses in the land below and the Basenjis in the skies above got underway. Both rooms were very tense for opposing reasons. The last of the Kraiven Empire could very well become a battleground in the next 24 hours and how to approach the situation was lost on both sides. Offense and defense. Destroying the homeland or defending it. A raid for the ages. The potential last stand for the Kraiven Empire. From the skies above to the individual buildings below, every single person was on edge



The Basenjis

The Basenjis meeting was as always. Very calm and most tension kept to themselves, each member contemplating what it is they should expect with this raid. "I'll tell you right now, Avery. Adonis," Sebas grumbled, leaning back in his chair. "I'm not killing innocents and I'm not burning down peaceful settlements." Not only would Orabelle never forgive him for it, but neither would Mariana and besides.........professionals have standards. "If the men are trying to rape and pillage, I won't be looking the other way unless they engage us." Sebas preferred for the ass he tapped to desire it, but............well, not everyone saw him eye to eye in that regard, and that was something that he couldn't act all goody about. His only rules were to kill them after and never involve children. Acting like it never happened would be denial.
"Naka agrees. Naka will only begin firing if hostiles engage. None-hostile humans will not be bombarded. Napalm is last resort. White Phosphorus is something Naka adamantly refuses to use."
"I third that. We don't put axes in skulls that don't deserve it," Ash chimed in. It all seemed to be a common trend of assuming they would be burning down an innocent kingdom. Regardless of what Adonis had to say, they came for specific things. They would get those specific things and leave. If they could get it without a fight, as anti-climatic as it would be, it was more ideal than killing a bunch of innocents.

"Rest assured, if they give us the items, that will save me all the stress of dealing with this," Avery reassured them, "So with that, we will make landfall and make contact. We should attempt diplomacy first."
"Who will be sent down?"
"Sebas............and Bogrum, with a small team. Our best talkers."
"Can I come?" A hazy orb appeared in the room, and opened into a big eyeball, which cried blood for a bit. Gross, Sebas thought. This was the unmistakable voice of Lostro, and she was speaking through it. This was a loophole she apparently just thought about. Summon something and speak through it.
"Lostro, your Beholder is crying blood all over the damn floor," he snapped, "Check that shit." This Beholder was still a baby, hence why it was just an eye, and not a grotesque powerful monster.
"Oh. Sorry." The thing stopped crying and the blood disappeared. "Can I come?"
"No," he responded promptly, "You know the rules of people dealing with you."
"These people too? Can you like blindfold me or something so I don't see them? That works, right?" The child was starting to show that the rules regarding dealing with her were beginning to bother her or, if they always have, that Sebas's increased attention as well as encountering Fergie, Bogrum, and Duradel has stimulated her desire for socializing. Seemed like an easy solution to just blindfold the girl so it worked like shades. Yeah, if looking into her eyes was the way it worked, then yes. However, imagine if every snake in Medusa's head had the same effect as looking into her eyes. Suddenly, a blindfold wasn't an option.

"It would, if Mozza weren't with you. The only solution is............" A cloak, he thought. A cloak would work like shades. However, they're looking at essentially a head-to-feet covering of everything on Lostro. It was unviable when dealing with a child. She flips that hood up or so much as take off her gloves, and it was all over. "There is no solution. We will secure a place for you to get some fresh air, Lostro. We won't leave you cooped up for too much longer."
A frustrated groan. She was getting itchy. "Oh alright........."
The beholder dispersed into a black tar, which took its leave by seeping into the floor. Sebas stood up. "Let me get back," he said, "Get me when it's time to make landfall." He looked over to where Melody was supposed to be, as pointed out by Avery. "Melody, when you're done having your breakdown or whatever, you're coming with me and Bogrum."

WayfaringWaaksian Emira Blight



The Stoneroses

Unlike the Basenjis, the Stoneroses were a lot more frantic. Nancy was quaking in his boots, Efi was shivering as if she were in a blizzard, and the warriors..... a lot of them rusty for never having fought a serious battle in 200 years. They were all in a mind-racing frenzy.

Arnold charged the post-office with getting messages out as quickly and as stealthily as possible to any villages that didn't have access to quick messages. Ves, the leader of such got a comprehensive plan. Speed, stealth, and securing an escape was their strong-suit so they could get the message there against all odds. "They seem non-hostile for now," Arnold said, "but they're planning something. Otherwise, they'd have made landfall by now. They must be getting the lay of the land with all those wyvern riders."
"Should I attempt to make contact?" Ves asked
"Absolutely not. Leave that to His Highness's aides. You all focus on getting those messages out. I want Nancy to use the portals to deliver messages to places that can get them relatively quickly." It wasn't often Nancy was charged with getting a task done, but in all the times he WAS, it was delivering messages to assist Ves. "Deliver them to as many guilds as possible. Ves will lead the charge on getting it out to places lacking those portals." Ves gave an acknowledging salute. She did trust Nancy to get it done. He never failed her before. In the 200 years of limbo, every single person on this landscape knew the land like the backs of their respective hands.
"What do we do if-f we encount-t-ter them?" Efi's hair was quaking and her limbs jittery
"Flight, not fight. If you can get to safety, get to safety as quickly as possible," Arnold responded, the calmest one in the room. As pathetic as he was most of the time, this was the time for him to lead his guild in this urgent time. "If they're burning stuff down, all bets are off. Do whatever it takes to survive in that case." The words weighed heavily on the room. This was something that one never had to deal with for like 195 years, after it took 5 to purge the last of the criminals from the land. Since then, it was timeless peace. "Hope for the best, because I feel like the worst is coming. Pirates are an unpredictable bunch, and these ones especially. Normal pirates couldn't have done this. They're here for a reason, and I doubt the reason is to simply kill us all.............but what they're here for might require them to bathe in blood." Chilling words from the man that was their always disrespected Guildmaster. He was looking, for the first time in 200 years, like the man that used to be King Lineon's greatest warrior

"Nancy. All Courier hands. Let's get moving. Double Time," Ves declared, "Guildmaster, leave the Courier stuff to me. The combatant stuff is all yours." As couriers, they had a job and their own meeting place. Nancy was at least familiar with the teleport stones set up around Kraiven

 

[Emira Blight]

Melody Treasure

She soon dispersed the fog and she seemed angry and calm at the same time, she followed Sebas without question and she stayed silent the entire time. She seemed out of it and she looked at them. Her fog was now gone, she had sighed softly before saying a small prayer to Posidieon.

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Fergie and Bogrum​

Sebas's explanation regarding Lostro made a lot of sense to Bogrum, given the times he had seen the girl scold Mozza over his disrespect. She was eager to please, ancient demon be damned. Fergie had little else to retort his point with, from what little she had seen of her. If it weren't for that unholy POS, the girl really would be an angel, she and Mozza contrasted so harshly. It struck her to think how very different circumstances would be had Lostro been more comparable to Fergie in her own youth. Suffice to say, the very seas would be set aflame. Probably.
That being said, she let the matter go. So long as they succeeded in retrieving that Dragon Egg, Lostro was about to wake up from her living nightmare.


Lofty is the Moral High Ground

Very quickly did the ship leaders establish their boundaries. Not for a moment did they forget who they were; this was a band of thieving, murdering pirates, regardless of the spit and shine Adonis liked to polish his walking guns with. Bogrum didn't see this group as much different than an army of its own tiny, mobile country. Whether it be pirates, kingdoms, or individual tribes, the name of the game was always the same. Pillage and plunder, gold and glory.
The only difference was who was being plundered, and for what. "I concur. We summoned this kingdom to challenge the strong. Not the weak."
"Aye, what he said." Fergie agreed, adding, "But if someone comes at me with a weapon, they're gettin' cut down." If a group of civilians decided to take up arms and join the fight instead of fleeing, they were getting no mercy. Peasant or not, pitchforks made decent spearheads in a pinch. She wasn't about to turn her back on an opponent just because they weren't a trained knight.
"And we shouldn't be needlessly cruel when they do."
"We're not savages, Bogrum." Well, that was debatable. Some of the crew sure took a liking to sleeping in their own filth and vomit for hours at end.
"Hm." He smiled, bemused at the thought. "Noble savages, then?"
"Psh."

Bogrum couldn't speak for everyone on this, but he got the impression that most of the Basenjis killed more out of the necessity than sadism. The bloodlustful Evangeline was an outlier. And Fergie, though she clearly got some sort of thrill out of battle, seemed to fight for the challenge rather than to just watch someone bleed.
I'll make them damn noble show-birds bleed, Fergie was thinking. But such a thing may not come to pass if they were able to negotiate their way out of combat. Hey, give us your shit, and we won't blow your castle to smithereens. Seemed legit. "Eh. Less fightin' means less casualties. Good 'nough for me." And it was more than good enough for Bogrum, she knew. He wasn't all gung-ho about the whole "fight for glory" deal, despite how well he put it earlier. If he could celebrate a haul with every person still alive and well, he was all the happier for it.
"I wouldn't get our hopes, but yes, that would be ideal on both sides," Bogrum confirmed. "I can't say I've ever done negotiations with a kingdom before, but I'll do my best."
They both doubted it would come to pass. Even with talkers like Sebas and Bogrum, the king probably wasn't about to give up his prized possessions to a bunch of ragtag ruffians at the threat of battle. Why should he trust them to stay to their word, anyway? Fergie trusted fellow pirates just as easily as she trusted royalty, so it went both ways.

And she didn't trust Lostro around them as much as she trusted her with her own crew. A harsh thought when the poor lass just wanted to be included, but there was no way a diplomatic meeting wouldn't go awry if they brought a demon-harboring child to the kingdom's doorstep. Whether in person, for obvious reasons, or as this freaky, bleeding eyeball floating in the room. If that thing showed up in Fergie's own space without prompt, she'd be grabbing more than a pitchfork.
Sebas was at least returning to her room to placate her, but his last words threw Fergie for a loop. He was bringing Melody to the negotiations too? The woman who was in consistent emotional turmoil? She had to wonder what he was thinking, passing a confused look to Bogrum. He could only shrug himself. "He knows what he's doing," he told her below the others' earshot.
"I know. Just..." She groaned. "Adonis needs to get his eager recruits from the next port or somethin'." And not traumatized folks from Dead Man's Isle. Maybe a bit hypocritical on Fergie's part, as that was her introduction to the Basenjis. But not everyone was good at swallowing their feelings.

Kylesar1 Emira Blight

Nancy Noi​

Nancy was anything but good at swallowing his feelings. Ripped from timelessness, pirate ships looming in the distance, and wyverns flocking in the air above them? How exactly was he supposed to stay calm in all of this? At least Vespera was being optimistic, whether genuinely or upon his request. And when the big man Arnold came around, he carried a controlling calm uncommon for him. A flawed man, Nancy wouldn't deny, but he had more respect for his guildmaster than most granted, especially when things got serious.

And things didn't get much more serious than this. Arnold was keeping the guild from flying into a frantic tizzy, but he was still being realistic. If these pirates were as bad as they were looking, then... well, worst case scenario, there wouldn't be anything left of Kraiven but a smoldering rock. With the power to pull them from the Spirit Seas? What next? Nancy almost had to click off his communicator so he wouldn't start rattling off his overactive worries, but thankfully this was a brief meeting.

"I hope Efi will be okay," he said as Vespera ushered him and her couriers out. His nervousness and her jitters tended to amplify each other, but he took a bit of selfish comfort in the fact that he wasn't the only one visibly freaking out over this. "And everyone else." There had to be a battle coming. Did this mean he might never see some of the combat guild members again after this? The thought struck a knife in his gullet. This guild was practically family to him, 200 years spent with them in his daily life.
He really couldn't think about it without the static in his brain building up, so he switched the subject. "What do we do about the towns without the portals?" he asked Ves. "I can cut through the river, but the landlocked ones are out of the question." He and Ves had made a game out of it over their time drifting, Nancy swimming downstream and Ves sprinting by the banks to see who could get to the nearest town fastest. Unless there was rougher terrain, she usually won, but it kept his skills sharp for times like this.

Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

While the Basenjis continued to watch the landscape build into a map quickly due to Demi's expertise in land surveying mixed with her splitting up skies of effort, they continued to strategize, sending leaders to their troops to give them real time briefs on the land itself. The core strategy was to stick to the capital city and cut off all lines of escape. It was important to get the ENTIRE lay of the land since that meant they were vulnerable to a counter siege if the other location sent troops in to converge on the capital city while they were raiding it.

One thing was for certain though, as Demi's team showed: There were FAR more than 100 men. Those records that Adonis got? Incomplete if not outright false records probably written by people who were not court officials. Or maybe they were fractured records from the POV of foreign leaders, back when information channels weren't reliable........or maybe a record scraped up by a black market through a 200 year old game of Telephone

Vespera Marine Seyres
Stoneroses HQ- Post Office Conference Room​

Ves gathered the couriers. It was a team of 17 and then Nancy, who was more like a supplemental force. He wasn't an official courier, but he tended to lend a helping hand quite often. The life of a courier isn't exactly compatible with Nancy's nature, but he was really good at getting places pretty fast by river. The possibility of having to go from corner to corner of this massive 400 mile landscape was NOT for the faint of heart. It took someone with unbreakable determination and passion for the job to do it. It was a passion Ves could say that Nancy probably held more for alchemy than delivering packages and mail. It could also be incredibly dangerous, as it could take them over mountains or through dark and dank caves. While it definitely got less and less dangerous as they drifted along the Spirit Sea, before then everything was so much more dangerous given that 400 miles isn't your entire world anymore, and who know who would come in and do what? Who would you encounter on your paths forward

Ves looked up at the giant map of the entire landscape. The spot was littered with the various villages, settlements, camps, and major cities. "I will get everyone else to use the teleport stones to get to places that have them. Nancy, I want you to stick to the waterways and hit any town along the rivers that DON'T have teleport stones. I'll take the landlocked ones." If towns with teleport stones were covered by the rest of the group, that just left them two to hit the rest. With Nancy taking on those close to rivers, Ves had more to hit than Nancy, but she was also honed to perfection in getting around this landscape in the quickest way possible.
"I will use invisibility potions to conceal my movements. I suggest any of you that will hit closer-by towns to those with teleport stones do the same. If we move frantically, they will know we're seeking to raise the alarm and rally the people." Nancy didn't need them, as he'd be swimming. Unless he'd be jetting along the water like one of those terrifying lizard people who could run on water, his movements should be safe from pirate eyes. As for the stones, there was no way to suppress those stones, so it was a necessary evil to use them for speed-sake. If they didn't, there is no way they'd be able to get all these messages out to 400 miles of villages/settlements/camps/cities in any less than like 2-3 weeks. They had less than a day. It was time to get moving ASAP

Ves got Nancy out to the river through the use of a secret teleport stone hidden in a large tree nearby. She had long since set this up close to the river, as this river had access to the most amount of towns along its path, making waterway carrying much faster. "Nancy, it's time to make this happen," she said calmly, and inhaled as she looked along the river. Usually, Nancy could take his time as he was never charged with carrying any extremely important mail, but this was BIG. Once she gathered her thoughts, she spoke. "With the power vested in me as the top mail courier of the Kraiven Empire and trusted by King Hemhart himself with the title of Hermes, I bestow upon you an official courier badge. I'm glad to call you an official courier, Nancy." Ves took off her own badge, her de-facto symbol of pride (along with her courier bag, which shared this symbol) for as long she had memory of having one, which stood out along the long long haze of memories between acquiring the badge and the memories and milestones along the way. "Keep it safe. This one increases your speed when delivering packages." The badge Ves had given Nancy was a badge Ves was almost never seen without. The badge held an image of an open set of vampire teeth dripping blood. Inside the open mouth was a red-filled canteen and the emblem of that canteen held the iconic image of the God Hermes's winged shoe. This badge was a Vespera Original, made by King Hemhart himself after decades of loyal messaging service not just for him, but to the entirety of the Kraiven Empire, even to the point of foreign recognition before they were plunged into limbo. "When in doubt, I always got your back."


Ves pulled out another courier badge, an adamantine one. Adamantine badges were usually an adventurer thing, but couriers had their own ranking system and chose adamantine as it symbolized the unyielding purpose, discipline, and determination needed to make it to the highest rank, a will as rigid as the adamantine it was made of. "I'm sorry that this SSS (Triple S) ranked delivery mission is your first, trainee. I'm sure you'll do just fine." She gave a laugh, but the reality of what they were doing was setting in hard. The last SSS ranked delivery mission?................Delivering the orders to the mages to consolidate and plunge the empire into the Spirit Sea, the fall of the Kraiven Empire, and the girl was currently internally fighting tears. It was the only other SSS ranked delivery mission she had ever gotten, a literal made-up rank my King Hemhart himself with those dire circumstances in mind. Another inhale, a few stretches, and a swig of her canteen to trigger Blood Empowerment, then Ves looked at her friend with a dead serious look for the first time in a VERY long time. "I'll see you back here, Nancy. You know this land and you know this water. Everyone will be ok."

With that, Ves downed the invisibility potion, got into a running position and, when she stepped the ground cracked under her feet and unleashed a shockwave as she took off. Ves wasn't following the river, so it was either Nancy see her back at the Stoneroses HQ or never again. One thing Nancy did know is that he had NEVER seen Ves move with such power, to the point of unleashing a literal shockwave and cracking the ground under her feet. This proved 2 things to Nancy:

1. That Vespera was holding back MASSIVELY in their fun little race game of River Dash
2. She was as scared as the rest of them, and that one move proved it beyond a reasonable doubt

(The events of the Guild of Desperation were like a good time before the fall of the empire. At least a decade (exact number I'll flesh out later). So with at least 210 years of ability development, they are far better right now than they are in the Guild of Desperation)

Demestral Asella
Skies above Toron​

As Demi flew above Toron, she took in the sights and committed the layout of the city and its locales onto the master map that was being projected back at the 3 Basenji ships. Her crew were all doing the same, consolidating incredibly solid detail about all the locations, but most notably the capital city which held the castle. With multiple points of view, they were able to gauge distances between locations and get solid details about the numbers of the population. She had seen it all after a few hours of this. The Tricky Dwarf Tavern, the Spicy Pie Brothel, the le Genie Calin magic shop, the Twin-Tails Library run by the pair of Kitsune Twins, the Roasted Bean Cafe right across the street from it run by their mother.

Something just dawned on her. Wait............She KNEW all this..........None of these locations were on the city-view map yet? Demi rustled frantically for her master map and took a look at it. Zooming into the city view and seeing none of the locations she just thought about confirmed it........along with the exact shape of the Capital City laid out in front of her. The girl's eyes widened in horrified recognition. She had been here before! All the days of seeing this city from the back of the very wyvern she was on right now. No wonder her boy seemed so........at ease when flying these skies. They were familiar. She flew these skies almost daily once she was blessed with her best boy.

Tears dropped down her face as she realized what was about to happen. She was about to take the blade to the benevolent king of her own homeland, the homeland she left when her father was stripped of his Fairy blood and ceased to be her biological father for renouncing the ways of the Fairy to seek human validation and glory.
Her dad.......Demi took a sharp, almost nose-dive towards Toron. Coordinates? The Stoneroses HQ. Was he still guildmaster? Was Vespera still a member? Was Nancy Noi there?! Efilisa?!?!

Demi wouldn't say she ever liked humanity as much as she was as apathetic about it as any other race. The only thing she disliked were their rampant industrialization and smoke-spewing factories that, as a fairy, quite literally made her sick. However, even then it was impossible to deny the marvels that allowed her to stand aboard human industrialization as their ships could travel with wyverns and dragons in the skies. It was as marvelous as it could be horrifying, and as such she always kept a bit of a cautious curiosity about humans. To then see her father be lured in and renounce his Fairy ways to chase glory as a human, along with filling the house with toxic iron after his Fairy Blood was stripped from him, it made living with her father a literal health hazard. Iron burned her, and when the door knob to the house you lived in was made of pure iron, it told Demestral that her father cared more for human luxury than even her own safety. If forgetting to wear gloves when you opened the door could give you 3rd degree burns on your hands, it was time to leave before you died.

Still, she couldn't hate humans for her father going astray. It was HIS choice, and as pitiful as he was, she couldn't bring herself to hate her father. She certainly didn't want him slain, and DAMN certain she didn't want him slain by her dear comrades, nor the homes of her friends burned down by them. 200 years or not, the heartache she first felt when she first realized that the place she returned to no longer had ANY sort of trace of existing gave way to a new heartache, a desperate longing to see them again, and a desperation to not be one to take a torch to it.

Demi quickly dismounted and walked over to the Stoneroses HQ front door. It looked different than it was when she left. Guess her father finally made life as a human not as pathetic as it was when she lived with him. Swallowing the knot in her throat, she banged on the door...................


---------------------------------------------------------------

Sebas Deadeye
Lostrogret's Room
​

"But why does Orabelle get to go and not me?!" Lostro was indignant, an emotion Sebas hadn't seen used from her towards him in a very long time. She was getting more emotional, but the interesting thing here was that she was reserved until Orabelle's name was brought up. Maybe it was because she hadn't even met Orabelle yet, as Orabelle was FAR too frightened to be anywhere near her even while wearing shades, or because it was essentially like an only child suddenly becoming a sibling and the parents move their attention from one to the other..........or maybe it was because while she had been isolated in her room, Sebas had been galivanting around with Orabelle and even took on serving a Goddess for her. He didn't know. All he knew was that Lostro getting emotionally negative towards him could put his life in danger. She gets angry, skewers Sebas in her anger, comes to and realizes what she does, then she goes completely insane and either brings the world to ruin after being consumed by Mozza, or SHE consumes MOZZA and brings the world to ruin in an attempt to bring Sebas back and reverse her mistake.........and from the eyes of a child who wanted to save their parent, that much power with that high an emotion couldn't end well. Neither of them sat well with Sebas
"Lostro, you know the rules," he responded firmly,"If someone looks at you without shades, they will turn to stone."
"No!" Lostro countered. "I have to activate my Stone Glare!"
Sebas sighed. This was true..........of normal Lostro. Looking into the girls's eyes was not automatic death unless she actively hates you. For this child otherwise full of love and forgiveness, getting her to HATE you took effort. This isn't normal Lostro though, and that was the problem. Children were VERY easy to manipulate, yet......... as it pertains to the fact that Lostro was far from normal, it was like talking to a complete brick wall. Was it an attempt to hold to sanity in a world that thinks of you a monster? Is it an attempt to maintain a semblance of normality to herself so she doesn't accept that maybe Sebas believes her to be a monster? Was it Mozza at play keeping her in denial? Or was it not that deep and she really truly didn't believe she was possessed. He didn't know. All he knew is that it seemed completely lost on her that she was possessed and her powers made awry. For how she was acting, in HER mind, she was no different than she was before being possessed. Regardless of the reason behind it, this much Sebas had to operate knowing about her. "Look, why would I lie to you?" he asked her softly, leaning in and shushing her before she could try to counter. He knew she would. Geez, he thought. Even her hollowed out eyes look kind of pleading right now. Her mannerisms were there. She was becoming more expressive and Sebas could never feel joy about it. Only bittersweet, given that as this happened, Mozza wasn't exactly growing weaker. "There is something I need to get for you, and it will put an end to all of this. When we're done here, you will never be cooped up in this room again."
"Pinky promise?" She held out her hand, closed with the pinky out.
Sebas held out his own. "If we get what we're going down there for, I pinky promise that all of these issues with these rules and you being cooped up in this room are going to end soon after."
"If you break a pinky promise, you lose your soul, right?" That was something Sebas always told her. Who knew it would come back in the form of ANOTHER soul binding agreement? No hint of that was shown in Lostro, but it wasn't just Lostro inhabiting that body.
Lostro went to take it, but Sebas held his up, dodging the commitment. "Ah ah," he countered, standing up and leaving her reaching. "Since you have so many souls, I say this: Pinky Promise me that neither of you will disobey my word, lest only your soul remain and all others forfeit." he put his pinky back down within reach. "Deal or no deal?"
Lostro eagerly took it with a wide toothy grin. "DEAL!"

Sebas's crystal began to glow. More mission nonsense. "Gotta take this, Lostro."




As Evening Falls...............

The sun began to set soon enough with all the surveying that's gotten done. Avery proposed a night raid, but it seemed like that sort of thing would stay in the air for a bit, with his final decision being put on hold until after the diplomatic stuff, assuming it fall apart. It was a consensus among leadership to attempt diplomacy for the items in question. All of the leaders wanted to hold off on burning otherwise innocent villages to the ground. While that sentiment may not be shared among the common footsoldier, unnecessary loss of life among their troops was kind of unacceptable. It took some convincing for Adonis to come around, but after sharing how outnumbered they were, he seemed to agree. Even if they had superior tech, these people had superior magic per advice of Fatimah. Their technological advancement made magic on average weaker than their current target. Unlike them who had pirate ships and advanced weaponry, Kraiven had nothing but magic to rely on. That made their magic strong enough to potentially compensate for their primitive advancements.

As the sky gained a golden hue, it symbolized prep for some of the nighttime activities to begin. As above, so below.

It was time for Sebas, Bogrum, Melody, and the small crew under their employ to go get an audience with King Hemhart. They were already strapped up all day, so they just needed to meet out at the front of the ship, and they would move in close so they can take a quick rope to slide down to land, with wyvern riders to guard them as they did so. It was time to descend. How well all this went determined if they would be looking at napalm in 24 hours. Sebas honestly wanted this to be anti-climatic. He wanted his climatic battle with Mozreliun, not with King Hemhart for some tome or some sword he didn't give a fuck about
Emira Blight WayfaringWaaksian

 

[Emira Blight]

Mother

She swam In the cold pool of water in her cavern. She sang a small song as she combed her hair, looking into the mirror she made from glass. She felt her hair slowly become untangled.

Melody

She was ready, she felt herself becoming more and more stone faced as she sharpened her blade on a stone

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Nancy Noi​

A gentle breeze rippled the river's surface and rustled the tall grass lining its banks, cooling their skin from the hot sun in a bright blue sky. How ironic it was that this was a perfect day to swim. It could be argued that every day was perfect when locked in time, but the ghastly, greenish spirit clouds weren't as picturesque as this. Nancy was taken long, long back, to when this familiar river bank was new. When they had their first races, and their first adventures with the guild. A better time, without the looming threat of hostile takeover. And as idyllic it may have been when it lasted, better than floating in an aimless limbo.

It took no careful consideration on his part to call Vespera one of his best friends. When she rested one of her most prized possessions in his hands, he felt like he was holding a fragile and flawless gem, or a vulnerable spirit orb. His fingers curled over the badge in a protective cage, glancing back up at her when his vision became too blurry to make out its details. With no lids to blink them away with, he could only rely on the wind to dry his tears before they fell. Ves was trying so hard to make this official, silly as it seemed. That was likely the point, keeping things silly and fun on the surface to hold a brave face.
"Better than delivering more fliers, at least," he joked in a voice that didn't at all match his face, wincing in distress. "I did learn from the best." And the best, of course, had to be trusted with the hardest and most dangerous of tasks. If this was the last time they'd see each other, surely she didn't want his last memory of her being tearful. Try as he might, Nancy wasn't quite so strong.

Her last words hit him in the gut, harder than the shockwave that beat the grass and nearly knocked him off his feet. His every fiber told him the opposite, but he could try to believe that everyone would be okay, and that this wouldn't be their last race. He shouldn't say "Goodbye..." but he couldn't help what he thought.
Fastening the badge on his robe, Nancy hopped in a dive that barely left a water drop, letting the river take his tears.

Fergie and Bogrum​

Any inner turmoil locked firmly inside his chest, Bogrum felt like he could go through with this. He didn't dare lift his hopes up when it came to diplomacy. Much better was it to expect come in with napalm from above and steel from all sides. But if there was a chance shot at preventing all of that, leaving scarcely a mark on this forgotten country before going about their separate ways, he'd take it. And if it didn't work... well, this was the life he agreed to.

With Demestral and her team out cataloguing the land, Bogrum had been around to listen to the briefing while his fellow raid leaders mused over the maps. Leaving to meet with Sebas and Melody at the bow of the ship when it was time, Fergie predictably didn't let him leave without a few words.
"Oi, Bogrum!" He was down the hall far enough to be out of eavesdrop of the others, Fergie power walking to catch up to him. "One more thing." With his attention on her, she took a moment to decide how to approach this. "Need to be extra careful about this."
"Surely you didn't come all this way just to say you're worried about me-- OW!"
It was a hard whack on the sensitive underside of his arm, and she didn't regret it. "Cocky."
"Good gods, forbid me from making a joke." Not that he wasn't entertained by what he assumed was playful lashing out, but she was proving herself particularly feisty today. Maybe it was what he said initially that sent her in a tizzy, and she still wanted back at him. "What is this daunting concern of yours?"
"New lass."
"It's always the new lass, huh?" Ever since Melody became part of the raid, Fergie was all up in her grill, in a sense. Not at all a mother hen, but something similar. A stoic eagle ready to fling its young over the cliff to teach it to fly, maybe?
"I didn't get a chance to talk with her, so I need you to do this," she told him. "She's got a habit of stirrin' up trouble over her head, and she needs to NOT, if we got half a chance at this diplomacy shit."
"You don't think she learned her lesson?" Evangeline was a harsh enforcer, but it worked well on the stubborn Fergie. Why wouldn't it on this teary-eyed newbie?
"Can't take no chances. 'Sides," she looked this way and that before leaning in, saying in a hushed tone, "She and Seb don't mix, 'pparently. Keep 'em from tearin' each other's throats while ye's down there, aye?"
"I seriously doubt it's Sebas you need to worry about." He was easily one of the most level-headed on this ship. Him being irritable with a crewmate wasn't going to impact his ability to lead, and they both had constant proof of this, with the often blunt and sometimes scathing comments he reserved for whoever had the misfortune of rousing his ire. He could get angry, but he was controlled in his anger, always.

"You know what I mean!" Apparently not, so she elaborated with a curt sigh, "Look, if this goes south, it's gotta be 'cause it was already going to. Not because of anythin' we did. Especially not because of someone with the balls to threaten an ANGEL."
Bogrum just shrugged at this. "I don't know how good of an impression pirates can make to a king." It was either going to work or not, was his perspective. This wasn't a fair trade being made, this was a threat of violence. The point was to frighten them into submission.
"Just... try," she pleaded him, sounding exasperated. "That's why Avery chose you, aye? Keep the peace."
You're worrying, he could tell. Fussing over Melody, Lostro, and this little mission she couldn't be a part of because of her own loose tongue. Still, "I'll try. Promise." Anything to ease her mind. Keep the peace, he would.

Fergie returned to her post, and Bogrum made his appearance at the bow soon enough, waiting for the rest so they could move on with the task of negotiating.


Kylesar1
Emira Blight
JaxbyDaniels

 

[JaxbyDaniels]

Gah, that icky taste in his mouth again, what was it about teleporting that always left that awful, bitter aftertaste? Surely it was safe though, right? It didn't matter, Chilby had arrived where he was meant to... He was pretty sure at least, this looked like where he was supposed to be. Now all he had to do was make his way up to the deck.

It was odd, how one shoddy interaction with Captain Adonis had led to him being slaved away like some useless prisoner. But Chilby knew he wasn't useless, he even wagered to bet he was leagues ahead of useful. He could've been on a battlefield or a scout or some sort of royal ice sculptor. Bah, it didn't matter, what happened had happened, and while he allowed himself a tremendous amount of anger and spite towards the dog that threw him into the bowels of that ship, he wouldn't let it affect his future. But this was dawdling now, he wouldn't allow himself to get lost in thought like he oft did, always daydreaming and fantasizing and daydream no more would he have to for he was selected for gods knows why this trek into Kraiven land. He wasn't entirely sure on all the details, they were spewed at him rather loudly and quick and he had a hard time keeping attention when he was too busy daydreaming of ways to torture the Captain in his own way one day. Whatever was to happen would surely be explained.

It took him a short while to get to the bow, he hoped he wouldn't be too late, that would be awkward. It was hard getting up stairs with his little feet that he used to waddle, would've been easier if he'd just flown up the stairs honestly but he was on course. Once he'd reached the deck he was met with the beautiful taste of fresh air, much better than that of bitter teleportation aftertaste. He looked around frantically, searching for the men he was to meet, he only had brief descriptions and if he was being honest, he was very bad with even those. He wouldn't be able to miss the massive skyscraper that towered above all that was Bogrum however. "Well bend me over, pluck my feathers and call me Chilusan..." Chilby was a small, some might say 'puny' creature, and this Orc could use him as a fucking toothpick if he chose to. Chilby however put that thought in the back of his mind, he wouldn't judge a book by its cover, of course, he thought that was a stupid analogy, there were plenty books with covers that sucked and so did the books... He was getting off track here.

"U-um.." No. He would be brave, this is what he'd wanted. Adventure. "Hi, uh, are you um, Bogrum? I'm Chilby Zealice and I was told to meet with you and another, uh, Seabass? I think that was his name? I'm bad with names, apologies. I don't really know why I was summoned but uh, I was, by Captain Adonis, to come and join you in whatever the hell is going on, I've been stuck in a place where little to no light even shines through so I'm a bit foreign on all the going on's but... Maybe you could fill me in?"

It was cold up in the skies, and his body was built for extreme cold temperatures, he wouldn't even move for whipping winds or howling gusts of icy blasts, it was hard to tell slightly cold from below zero for him. He loved to fly and up here it was like he could do so without the risk of his wings being sore.

WayfaringWaaksian
Kylesar1

 

[Kylesar1]

Ves and Nancy moved like lightning through the river and land, both of them frantic in their own right. As Nancy hit the towns to deliver messages, he was greeted with grim worry upon them seeing HIM with Vespera's courier badge.
"Is Ves ok?"
"Hermes isn't dead, is she?"
"I hope Vespera is doing well."
"Are you ok, Nancy? Why isn't Ves with you?"
Rarely was Nancy doing this type of thing without another courier, which was mostly Ves. It just sort of drove home how close the people viewed the duo as friends.

However, things would turn grim as he delivered the message to the guilds and then explained things to a few of the townsfolk, which told them at least the basics of why time was moving again. There were a group of pirates who yoinked them back into reality and there were currently pirate-owned wyverns flying around the capital city. The reasons why were unknown. Their intentions unknown which is why King Hemhart was raising the alarm to max across all of Kraiven. More often than not, the people began to panic even more. They were already at complete unease given the complete sudden uprooting of their 200 year old lives, and knowing that it was PIRATES of all things induced panic in quite a few. However, the guilds or guard HQs (if they didn't have guilds) in these places did their best to keep things calm

The message from Hemhart began to change as they were delivered further and further away from Toron. The places further away were told to keep their seers close, gather up some riders and begin making their way to the ends of the land. Hemhart was getting prepared an escape plan for the citizens should things fall apart against these pirates

​

-------------------------------------------------------

Sebas Deadeye
The Canine- Deck​

Sebas was.........a bit bothered at the moment. The information disclosed in that call was disturbing to say the least. They needed to get down there very soon. The only thing keeping his mood from going from bothered to irritated was the therapeutic Orabelle happily holding his hand, excited to make landfall for the second time ever. "You didn't forget your relics, did you?" Sebas asked her
"Of course not!" she exclaimed, a bit offended, "I'm not Lostro. I'm not gonna cause trouble."
"Oi, she's gonna be your sister after all this, so be nice." They hadn't even met each other yet. Why did it seem like they'd be bickering all the time? Guess it was reasonable, given that Orabelle was a Holy Trident girl who was actually FRIENDLY with Evangeline and worked with Doc, and Lostro a Dark Gorgon/Dwarf would've been in good company with the likes of Baroness (If her head wasn't severed).
"WHAT?! I don't want her as my sister!" She almost screamed, "She's gonna turn me to stone!"
"No she won't," Sebas countered in mirth, "Plus, she WAS here first, Ora. You're the little sister, not the big sister." While they were the same age technically, Lostro stopped aging at the age Ora was right now. When they brought her back to life in full, they'd be close to being twins from different parents.
"Yeah, well I'm the blood child," she muttered bitterly. Yeah, and I curse Mariana for mixing your blood into mine, Sebas thought. When he soul-bound himself to Orabelle, him becoming her new BLOOD father due to him having killed her father was not something he anticipated signing up for.


Sebas just overheard some bullshit

Adonis told someone to come join them on their drop into Kraiven? This was news to him! Oh hell no. "Again with this shit?" he muttered. They didn't even know what the hell was going on? The fuck?! Did he live on another planet? How the hell would you not know what's going on? This
"Are you listening to me?" Ora said, tugging at his arm in irritation.
"I wasn't," he responded bluntly, "I just heard some nonsense that we're gonna go address right now." He almost picked her up and she nigh hung off his arm as he dragged her over to Bogrum and the source of the BS that was assaulting his ears.
"A PENGUIN!" Orabelle exclaimed in extreme excitement and went to throw herself at Chilby, but Sebas's grip turned to iron to keep her from moving. He then pulled her back.
He would indeed admit that this penguin was cute. However, the assault on his ears was being spewed by its little cute beak.......and that made him less cute at the moment. "I'm Sebas, captain of this operation," he said from behind Chilby, obviously disgruntled. While he wasn't as intimidating as Bogrum in size, the look of irritation would compensate and then some. "What's this I hear about you being summoned here by Adonis?" He didn't even wait for an answer. This was absolutely up Adonis's alley to fuck with them, like some kind of Pirate Loki. "And that asshole didn't even bother explaining to you WHY you're coming with us? OR to me that you'd be here?"
"Papa? Don't be mean to the penguin." Ora tugged on his arm. It caused Sebas to sigh. Papa? Nah, he'd be nipping that shit in the bud very soon. While Orabelle was firmly imprinted on him and him her blood father under Goddess Mariana, it was not a title he was keen on being called.

"Geez........" he seethed, but ultimately stabilized himself. "Alright, penguin. I won't subject you to unearned wrath, so I'll put you on thin ice instead." Adonis didn't send him here for no reason. That was the silver lining to Adonis's BS. "Long story short, we're dropping to the land below to go speak with these people's king to determine whether we burn this kingdom to the ground, or we can leave in peace with what we need." That was the task at hand. He would pawn that shit off to Bogrum to fill in the backstory. "So......... State your name and what you can provide........and if you even want to come with us and why. I'm not taking dead weight, and even this child here isn't dead weight."
"This child is YOUR child. Orabelle Deadeye." In like one fell swoop after Mariana turned him into her blood father, almost like it was dead weight, Ora disposed of her former last name Alahala. Much like she grieved and forgot her dead parents, she disposed of the last name as well. If Sebas wore tin foil, he would believe Goddess Mariana altered her memories.
"Ora, I need the penguin to speak."
WayfaringWaaksian JaxbyDaniels Emira Blight

 

[Emira Blight]

Mother

She was humming a song soon swimming out towards the entrance to look outside and she saw new beautiful flowers blooming and she picked one up, soon swimming into the cavern and placing the flower on a stone shelf full of trinkets she had found over the years, her favorite was a picture of a man who seemed handsome and she smiled softly as she trailed her finger over the glass frame, she hoped she could meet him one day. Her hands trailed down her hair as she braided it, terribly. She wanted to be able to do her hair but she could never get close enough to someone to ask them to help her. She then sat on a stone closest to the opening where the sun hit just right to warm her. She smiled as she sang a song hoping to lure someon, hopefully a friend.

Melody

She seemed tired as she was ready to go and she looked at Orabelle, she waved a small wave and she looked away, she had been a nuisance since she arrived and she was ready to show her worth. She looked at Sebas and she soon looked away as she shook her head. She then waited for orders, not looking towards the penguin at all

 

[JaxbyDaniels]

"Oh, um..." He was speechless for a moment, this was all so sudden: being thrust into this whole situation. But he wanted to prove himself, there'd be no more uh's, um's or but's. "Right." Chilby didn't understand the rage, had he done something wrong? Why was he getting any backlash at all for just doing what he'd been told? Well, maybe there was a reason, bad luck always seemed to follow when it involved Adonis.

"Sir. My name is Chilby, well, it's short for something but I don't really enjoy that name... Anyway, not important." He really thought for a moment, wanting to express all that he could provide, he'd always wanted a shot at adventure, now this was his chance. Even if he was thrown back into the confines of some dark, dusty area after this expedition at least he'd have lived a little. "For starters, my kind have ice magic, I usually use it to make sturdy ice tools for repairing things but I suppose an offensive or defensive application is possible." Chilby put hand to chin and began to stroke it before snapping, well, in the way a penguin with a flipper and a thumb could even snap. "So, I can always tell which way south is, not sure how useful that is, I'm sure you have others way but..." No. No but's. "Er, so, I can provide help in pinches where there are no ways to tell. I'm resistant to cold, can handle some heat and am a very good swimmer, I'm not as strong a flyer but I certainly can take to the skies. I may be a slow runner but I have the ability to slide on my belly, works especially good downhill but can be hard to control." He wasn't sure what else to add but then he remembered the next question from Sebas.

"Yes. I-... Yes, sir. I would very much like to embark on this journey with you if you should choose to have me. I promise I will be an excellent asset. As for why... I've been locked away for so long... Not just by Adonis, my whole life it's felt, y'know? And I just... I wanna see what's out there but most of all... I wanna prove I'm not just some dumb penguin who has to do as he's told and is governed by the unwritten laws of my people."

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Too absorbed in his thoughts, Bogrum didn't notice the little critter waddle up to him until there were noises pulling him out of his head. Not quite catching the first mumbled words, he mistook them for some sort of bird-like chatter. Did Demestral's team forget this little guy? It was a thought he immediately felt terrible for when he realized that was a belt with tools around the "critter's" waist, not to mention WORDS coming out of his beak.
Hard to tell who's what on this ship, he thought to himself, holding back a wince. It really was a melting pot here, and it only reminded him of how ignorant he was to the other corners of the world, especially before he left his tribe.
"Yes, that's me. And I believe you mean Sebas," he answered Chilby, withholding a bit of a chuckle at the mistaken pronunciation. Less chuckle-worthy was Adonis deciding to drop random factors into their lap last second. He didn't mind the extra party member, but it seemed late to be doing this now? Bogrum had never seen this man before, let alone had an idea of his skill set or personality. It wasn't his place to question, though. Adonis, dubious as his procedures were, seemed to hit the mark when it came to allocating his troops.

Maybe that's why it was easier for him to brush this matter off. Sebas, being in more of a position to question, was not taking this change so well. Though the questions were being fired upon Chilby in rapid succession, instead of Adonis. Bogrum knew Sebas's anger wasn't meant FOR Chilby, but it was still being sent in his direction. Already challenging what he'd thought of him earlier, this struck Bogrum as unusual. Even Orabelle had to get him to simmer down a bit. Did something happen to make him so tense?
Chilby went on about what he could offer the table. And on. Bogrum grit his jaw, not in his own annoyance, but annoyance Sebas was sure to bite with once he was done. Sebas was often brusque with Elaina when she carried on for too long about her magic stuff, and she was his friend. The relative stranger that was Chilby probably wasn't going to receive grace in that area. For that reason, Bogrum was quick to reply before Sebas could snip about not wanting to hear the man's life story.

"Well Chilby, they say the path of a diplomat is one hell of an adventure," he said, hoping to break up some of the tension. "Depending on how this goes, that might be just what we get. What the king's men lack in tech, they make up for in magic. I'm willing to expect the king won't take well to our attempts to negotiate." This all felt so wrong. Pirates negotiating with a king? The more they prepared for this, the less confidence he felt that anything good would come of it. Their ship and air cavalry would rain hell upon the kingdom the moment any harm came their way, but that wouldn't prevent it from happening in the first place. A deterrence at least, but with magic, who knew what they were prepared to do?
"Sebas and I will do most of the talking. But if that doesn't work out, I imagine your Ice Magic could grant us defense. Treasure's Dark Magic as well, to obscure us while we make an escape. Otherwise, we should expect unusual circumstances when we head down there. Your unique skills may come in handy." How? Hell if Bogrum knew at this time, but that was the point. Like he said during mission briefing, this would be a test of all their accumulative skills. And above all, a test of how well they could think outside of the box.

Kylesar1
Emira Blight
JaxbyDaniels

 

[Kylesar1]

Sebas Deadeye
Deck​

Of the words to describe Bogrum, the phrase "easy to read" was not one of them. That was reserved for Fergie. However, Bogrum's attempt to redirect and cut off Chilby was out of character, almost in nervousness. It was through that in which Sebas realized he was about to unleash verbal hell on Chilby and Bogrum picked up on it. Maybe Chilby's biography along with rattling off stuff that would be useless on a battlefield, like always knowing which way was south, that wore on his patience............or maybe Bogrum knew him well enough to know that that shit right before business was to be conducted would wear his patience thin in record speed.

But his attempt, while it didn't exactly improve Sebas's mood, it definitely made him reel it in a bit and realize that he was being an open book with uncharacteristic annoyance, uncharacteristic not because he was annoyed, but uncharacteristic because it seemed to be for no reason. "Alright. So you're slow but can slide on your belly. Hmmmm......." He thought for a moment while Bogrum gave his take on things. Defensive use was best, as they weren't about to go in and slaughter the castle. "I need you to focus on 2 things: creating an Ice Wall or Ice Dome for defense, and making yourself move as fast as possible." Sebas leaned in closer, "Filling your path with ice so you can slide faster," he snipped in clarification. "When outrunning a bear, you don't need to be the fastest. Just don't be the slowest."

With that, he gave Chilby a pair of shades. And Bogrum. And Melody. Giving them shades could only mean one thing....... "Listen up," Sebas declared. His voice was gruff and he clearly wasn't in the mood right now. "We got some important shit to deal with. If at ANY POINT I tell you 'shades on,' lollygag at the risk of your life," he looked directly over to Chilby and Melody. "Lose these shades at the risk of your life. If I say 'shades on', shit is going from 0 to 100 real fucking quick. Got it?"

"Sebas!" Doc ran up to the group, out of breath which made Sebas furl his brow. First of all, why was she running? Secondly, why was she out of breath. "Doc.........what do you need?" He had to catch himself to say "need" instead of "want" as it was the difference between snapping and..........well the step right before snapping.
"Can I go with?"
A further furl. "Why?" he asked
"He's probably more likely to listen if word comes from an angel," she said, a point which made sense to Sebas.
"Don't you got patients and shit?"
"All of my patients are either ready to fight, or stable," she reassured him with stout determination and dead seriousness.
No need in denying her. "Of course then, Doc. Ready to go?"
"Always."

Another newcomer dragged himself over to the group. He was wearing a cloak and dragging his leg as if it were dead weight holding him back. "You said you would release my curse........"
"Aye. Do well and you won't be re-cursed," Sebas told the newcomer with scorn in his voice. "I, Sebas Deadeye, release you from your curse."
With that, the man stood up straight, but not without a cry of pain. "Hope you've learned your lesson, Duradel."
The man stretched his back. One of his horns were torn, and looked a face that a mother would horror about. "I've learned."
"Yeah, I want action, not word. Otherwise, a little girl will be visiting your room at my word." Sebas retorted, "and not the visit that sick fucks tend to like."


----------------------------------------------------------------

The group of 10 moved to the bottom of the ship, ready to carry the burden of the crew on their shoulders. Sebas wasn't looking for a fight, and he was certain that no one aboard the Canine (at least in the leadership) wanted to kill a bunch of innocents. The magic circle opened up, their deployment circle which showed the lands below. It was a clearing in a woodline right outside Toron. Looking up were Demi with the group of people, ALL of them wearing a pair of Shades. Whether or not this boded well was irrelevant to the fact that Sebas absolutely had a hand in the gathering they were about to drop to

Sebas moved through the crew to the deployment circle. As he moved by Bogrum, Sebas muttered "We'll talk later, Bogrum." He didn't wait for any response or anything. Just a passing of information as he moved the closest to the Deployment Circle.

"We're moving. I'm first. Bogrum last." Sebas said, looking at the ground below. Like last time, there seemed to be no cushioning their fall. However, since this isn't their first rodeo, it would tell them that this was nothing to fear.
"Papa? I don't want to do this." Orabelle pleaded desperately, taking a hesitant step back. The girl was terrified at literally skydiving to the lands below. She was a child of the seas, not a child of the skies. It not being her first rodeo didn't mean anything.
"We're moving, Ora!" Sebas said ruthlessly before pulling her close and jumping, the girl's terrified shrieks resonating as they fell through the now open air.
WayfaringWaaksian Emira Blight JaxbyDaniels

 

[Emira Blight]

Melody Treasure

“yes captain.” She said softly as she placed the shades on her head and she looked him over again, he was quite the looker and she muttered an apology for her actions when they first met. She then looked down and she felt s…scared. She could die again. She could have to look death in the face, she then stopped being worried and she looked at Orabelle, getting down to her level. “Don’t be scared, I’ll protect you.”

 

[JaxbyDaniels]

All Chilby could do was nod in agreeance, he didn't want to cause any trouble now, after all he'd just been shoved into the laps of this crew for god knew why. All the people who began to join were a bit intimidating to Chilby but he wouldn't let his nerves get to him now. Instead, he took the shades and placed them inside his satchel.

The small penguin creature wanted to speak, ask questions, voice concerns, but this was no time for that. He would follow orders as best as he could. Defense. He was sure he could do that, an ice wall or dome, not too difficult depending on the size.

He was anxious about what awaited him, so all he could do was jump and find out.

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Between Doctor Laylah appearing in a huff (why would an angel be huffing?), Duradel looking absolutely fucked to hell and back (what did Fergie do to him?), and a ring of people down under the portal awaiting them (had Sebas planned for this without him?), Bogrum had questions that wouldn't be getting answers any time soon. Not that it mattered to him whether he knew or not. The less you knew, the easier it was, anyway.

Those were minute concerns when in the face of the anxiety humming among this little posse. Sebas was on edge, Orabelle was terrified of the drop, Melody looked distant, and Chilby seemed ready to ask questions before keeping silent. Bogrum himself... ah, that didn't matter. He'd be fine, so long as he kept the peace. It had been a promise to himself longer than a promise to Fergie.

"Follow Captain's lead, everyone. We'll be alright." For he himself, he could only hope. Shades could only mean one thing. Bogrum knew Lostro would play a part in this mission at some point, but so soon? Whether or not they'd be okay was realistically up in the air, but there was no doubt Sebas had some handle on this operation.

Taking what comfort he could in that, Bogrum ensured the group had safely passed through the portal before jumping himself.


Kylesar1
Emira Blight
JaxbyDaniels

 

[Kylesar1]

A Lovely Freefall Indeed

The chilled air beat on the group's face as they all descended to the gold-touched evening landscape. What was to come? Who knew? What lie before them? While they could see the lands they were descending to and they got full visuals of the lay of the land through the map being surveyed and revealed in real time, there was only one person who wouldn't know anything and it was Chilby, who was thrown from the fiery bowels of the Basenji ships to an unknown lion's den under a bothered captain and an anxious crew around him. For the others, with Shades in the mix, a little girl would be making an appearance at some point, and the fact that the ring of people they were descending to were wearing them meant that they knew.

Only one of these people were recognizable, the only one wearing a Basenji Crest. That person was Demestral.

Sebas Deadeye
----------------> Clearing outside Toron​

Sebas inhaled as the air brushed against his face. This was the most amount of mental peace he's had in days. The man had Orabelle clasp tightly in his arms, her screams making him achieve mental clarity. When it came to her fear, nothing gave Sebas more clarity than knowing he had to protect this child. Most would go berserk and trust me, most would. However, Mariana gave him the ability to think rather than go all none-logic hulk on them. He'd go Big Daddy on them, just with calculated intention. "No more screaming, Orabelle," Seba told her calmly
His calm actually redirected her focus from the fact that she was free-falling. Tears staining her face, she had no choice but to address it over the impending danger. "Are you ok, papa?"
"Aye. Deep in thought. I've got you though," he responded with a strong resilience, which was strangely reassuring to the Orabelle nestled safely in his arms despite their current free-falling. "Just gotta do right by a crewmate. Whether or not it pits me against Adonis................"
"What happens if you go against Adonis?" she inquired
"Then we'll live happily ever after under the sea," Sebas responded without missing a beat. He didn't give a damn at this point

The duo landed first and he looked forward as the group in front of them, where Demi was in the forefront. He gave her a knowing nod and she returned it.

Dr. Laylah Halliet
----------------> Clearing outside Toron​

Doc was happy to spread her wings. It allowed her some mental clarity as well, as folding her wings can get uncomfortable. Yes, even though her wings visually disappeared, they were physically just folded. She couldn't walk around her medical bay with her wings spread. Her wingspan would knock her tools around. Her job right now was simply to watch everyone else as they free-fell and ensure they stayed in the landing zone, which was shown by a white magic circle. When they got close enough, their fall slowed to the point where they could land on their feet.

After Bogrum made his landing, Doc landed dead last, ensuring everyone was safe. With Bogrum taking up the caboose as ordered by Sebas, she decided to take up the middle. Being the healer, it was always best to have the quickest access to as many teammates as possible. The woman's stomach was in knots. Not only did Sebas not let her know ANYTHING, but he also insisted only the deployment group be allowed to the deployment area. However, once she saw that everyone under it had on Shades, the wheels began to churn. No way in heaven would them all have on Shades AND Sebas give them shades above if there weren't some collusion at play here


----------------------------------------------


It was only when everyone landed and brushed off the shock of having free-fell until magic kicked in to save their respective lives, and after a quick headcount for accountability, did business begin. Despite small smiles on the receiver's faces, the tension was high. This was an attempt to be cordial, a (perhaps) rightfully fake smile, a poorly made mask to cover their feelings of the unknown standing before them. Eyesight under a black filter due to their shades, the guild crew before them made the first move, as customary of hosts receiving guests. "Greetings." A man stepped forward to get even with Demestral. "My name is Arnold Asella, Demestral's father and Guildmaster of the Stoneroses, the premier guild of the capital city of Toron."
"Sebas Deadeye," he responded, "I'm the captain of one of the fleet flying above. This child is Orabelle, my daughter."
"Oh?" Arnold was intrigued, "I sense pure Triton blood. How does a human man father a pure-blood Triton child?"
Doc stepped forward. "Dr. Laylah Halliet," she said, looking at him up and down. "How does a human father a pure-blooded fairy like Demestral?"
"My fairy blood was stripped from me by Divine Order," Arnold said sorrowfully, "Making me Demestrals birth father yet not her biological father anymore."
Looks like they had more in common than he initially thought. A reversal of the same situation. "My human blood was mixed with Triton blood by Divine Order," Sebas responded with a smirk, "Making me Orabelle's biological father without being her birth father."
Arnold smiled now, more genuine. As intimidating as this captain looked, he seemed fairly easy-going. Verbally, at least. "Looks like we'll need to talk at length, Mr. Deadeye." He held out his hand to shake.
Sebas accepted the handshake. While grasping the man's hand, there were indicators of a hard-working man. Calloused and hardened. The fact that this man was fat was a derogatory through and through, but Sebas could chalk it up to retiring as a warrior, as indicated by the scars along the man's arms and face. "Agreed, but further pleasantries must be put on hold." He indicated for Bogrum to step forward. "This is Bogrum, my right hand. You can consider him my advisor."

Arnold approached the towering Orc, and noticed the Scorchclaw tattoo. "A member of the legendary Scorchclaws." He held his hand out for Bogrum to shake. "200 years later, still standing as tribe, maybe expanded by now. Nice to meet you, Mr. Bogrum."
"Bogrum," Sebas told him. "As expressed, this is Demi's father. For reasons that have probably clicked for you by now, none of this information goes back to the ships above. We are Laylah. Above is Evangeline." Sebas's use of names indicated that the members of this guild didn't know, and implied that he wanted to keep it that way. Last thing he wanted was to end this mission before it started.
WayfaringWaaksian



Efilisa approached Melody and Chilby, her massive Arachne body making her tower almost over everyone else. "Oh, a Chillonie!" she exclaimed, almost squealing in delight, just like Orabelle did. Chicks seemed to love penguins, and this included massive half-spider women. Looks like the pleasantries put them at ease for now. At least the guildmaster and this Arachne woman. "My name is Efilisa, the receptionist of Guild Stoneroses. If you come in peace, we're happy to have you!" the Arachne woman's voice was smooth as butter, soft-spoken and kind, a massive contrast to how utterly terrifying she looked. Like a giant fucking black-widow with a human upper body, it made even Sebas feel uneasy. Her upper body was hella hot, but Goddess of the Deepest Deep below, this was crazy to look at.
Emira Blight JaxbyDaniels

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Bogrum Mazoga​

Free-falling slowed to a steady drift downwards, with Bogrum's boots touching the ground with little more than a thud. More of a thud than his smaller comrades, but it hardly differed, a violent descent juxtaposed to a gentle landing. It made the wave of nausea that bubbled in his stomach when he tested a few steps all the more noticeable. Oh lord... He swallowed down the burn of bile in his throat. Was this what Fergie had called land sickness, after he felt dizzy during their trip in Andouphe? Well, he felt like he was about to fall into a land coma, the way his vision flickered and went fuzzy for a few seconds. If the crew didn't see his ungraceful stumble as he approached, the Kraiven inhabitants awaiting them was sure to.

So much for intimidation, he thought, shaking it off best he could. But he was also starting to think that intimidation might not be the angle Sebas was wanting to go for here. This was confirmed when the first man stepped forward, introducing himself as not only having ties to the king, but also to Demestral as her father. Something almost comparable to relief if not for the pang of dread eased his nerves. Yeah, he saw where Sebas was going with this now.
"Don't need to tell me twice, sir," he affirmed in a murmur before directing his attention to Asella Senior.

Taking the man's stout hand and shaking it, Bogrum too noticed the hard callouses and battle scars that were almost akin to his own. "All across Kaer Lyon, Mr. Asella. It's a pleasure." The Scorchclaw tribe's more progressive stance on who they allowed into battle was a key factor in their success, though that included very strict standards on other matters. A people who constantly traveled on foot and warred with neighboring tribes would hold a disdain for this man that made Ash's tough love look nice, for him letting himself go. But this was an utopian kingdom, not a semi-nomadic clan of warriors. And frankly, Bogrum didn't care, so long as a retiree kept himself busy. Settling down to manage a guild to assist the people seemed like an idyllic way to spend one's latter years.
"A land 200 years in the Spirit Sea could've fooled me." Was that like telling an elder they didn't look a day older than 60? Maybe not the best thing to say. "It's lovely here." Birds chirping between leaves that rustled in the light wind... it had been so long since he'd stood in wooded lands. He didn't want to imagine it all covered in pillars of flame. "We're sorry to disturb the peace you've sacrificed so much to obtain." Giving Sebas a prompting look, he added, "But we have our reasons."


Kylesar1
Emira Blight
JaxbyDaniels

 

[JaxbyDaniels]

Chilby had certainly been a fan of the breeze that brushed against his face, it felt like... Home.. No, that wasn't his home, not anymore. He would focus on where he was now and the present. Chilby honestly had no idea what was going on, well, he was piecing things together here and there but this all seemed above his paygrade - which was very little - and it all seemed a little intimidating. But he wouldn't let that affect him, he was here and that's what mattered.

"Oh I-... Hello, it's nice to meet you, um, I-I, I can't speak for everyone up there but as for myself I would prefer to be on the side of peace, so, I certainly am of no harm to you." He felt that was a poor answer maybe, he really didn't know all that was expected of him but he knew that at the time being he felt safe, weird, he'd just gone down at barreling speeds and landed in a land frozen in time and yet he felt at ease. He'd allow it because while he had no idea what was to come, he felt it wouldn't be as peaceful or safe as this moment he was in. "You um... You know about my people?"

 

[Kylesar1]

"Your appearance has served as..........." Arnold Asella stroked his chin. "..........a life re-beginning experience," he said to the leaders. "Last we expected was for time to begin again after 200 years." he sighed as he looked up to the clouds. "We've rebuilt our war-torn capital and utilized the spirit seas to bring this land back to its pinnacle. We even brought back to life the dead on both sides of the war and integrated them." A chuckle. "Most soldiers are just at the behest of aristocrats and nobility after all. Few lives we take in battle are personal. I'm sure you understand, yes?" When it's down to you and the last soldier on the field of battle, what do you do? Kill in the name of your crest? Or realize that both of you were drafted and neither of you actually want to be here stabbing each other's comrades? "Pawns on the field of battle serving a power who will memorialize you only if you have the power of a hero..........or the blood of a noble." The man's voice was somber and longing.

"We can't have the people of the Kraiven Empire dying..........again. Some horrors persist long after time stops." He turned back sharply, "Tell me you've come in peace. There is no more flight in our system."

Sebas Deadeye
Outside of Toron
​

The man's words hit. What he was describing was exactly the type of situation they were in. Adonis and his ring of leaders played with their lives. When lives were lost? Pull more from Deadman's Isle. Pull some from captured prisoners. Curse them and make them a Basenji. Sebas had long accepted that he was a pawn at the end of the day, even if his position as a captain of the Canine would make those below him think that he's a Queen on this battlefield. At most? He thought of himself as a knight, needing to move in unpredictable ways to win this. "As Bogrum said, we have our reasons for being here," Sebas responded, "You can think of us as the thin line Kraiven sits on."
"How so?"
"There is a growing evil." Sebas knew what he had to do. He had to play up the threat of Mozreliun. Since he was an ancient demon, there's no way that the seers or mages around their king didn't know the name. "Kraiven is in danger whether or not you're in the spirit sea." God, he sounded cheesy as shit as he said this. He needed to leave this stuff to Laylah.

Efilisa the Receptionist​

"Indeed I do, and it's not just because I've eaten one before," she responded gleefully. A small portal of blackness appeared. Reaching her hand into it, she pulled out a book. She floated the book in the air and its pages furiously flipped until it hit a page. "There was one Chiloonie we had named Sikivat, or just Siki. Sikivat Arctice is what he wrote for his name. He was formerly a member of a group called Glacial Blade." The name may (or may not) ring a bell to Chilby, but Glacial Blade absolutely did. The pic shown was absolutely an Arctice Clan Chiloonie, turquoise feather and all. He looked majestic holding an elaborate scythe which looked as if the inside of the blade was laced with icicles.

Glacial Blade was a group of warrior Chiloonie who served as mercs of the ice. When not defending their lands of the cold from attackers, they are hired blades to anyone who needs to fight an arctic battle. Glacial Blade is known to tenderize enemies with many many barrages of terrible blizzards and snowstorms to cut off enemy movement, then moving in for the kill when the enemy is too frozen to the core to fight back. When not utilizing magic, they unleash devastating icy ambushes. In icy climates, they slide on their bellies and out, slashing in drive-by fashion. They are fearsome warriors and immensely proud. It is not for the faint of heart to be a Glacial Blade. It was incredibly physically demanding and rigorous. Warmer climate-preferring Chillonie especially had a harder time ever becoming a member. It was open to all, but dominated by Arctice. "Unfortunately, he didn't make it. We couldn't find his soul among the Spirit Sea....... So either he sold his soul or it was destroyed/eaten by the enemy. He was paramount to repelling the enemy as they closed in from the mountains."
(If any Chillonie lore is being broken here, let me know)
JaxbyDaniels

Demestral Asella​

Sebas looked incredibly irked throughout all this, or at least she knew he was irked from the getgo and he covered it with this diplomatic face. She felt incredibly guilty to put all of this on him to work out, but no one else could be trusted with this kind of delicate situation. Most of those up top were ready to burn this thing down as was their initial intent. She knew that Adonis most definitely looked at this bit of diplomacy as a farce expected to fail, but if he knew that she knew this land and the people, she would most definitely be used as an undeniably decisive bit of powerful information about this land, its people, and its castle.
"Why don't we head to the HQ?" she suggested, putting on her own poker face in the form of a smile at the interaction between the 3 men. "I haven't walked the halls of the guild in such a long time." She saw the inside, but she was so distressed and her vision blurred with tears that taking it all in was not something that she was able to do
"Aye. We got some stuff to talk about," Sebas responded, "Bogrum, you're gonna be entrusted with a hell of a lot here, I gotta be honest. Chilby and Melody as well."
"I'll call Vespera and Nancy back," her father said before tapping his crystal. "Guildmaster to Vespera."
"............Vespera to Guildmaster."
The sound of her best friend's voice filled Demi with a new wave of emotion. The downfall of her home kingdom, 200 bloody years since she has heard a peep from her favorite non-human. Immediately, the poker face she put on was shattered as her nose burned and tears filled her eyes again. "Vespera, it's Demestral. I have returned."
"Demestral?! Wha-ARGH-!" A frantic rustling of trees and breaking branches, as well as Ves's yelps told Demi that she crashed as if it were a cannonball shot through the treetops. Demi winced a bit because it sounded incredibly painful. Even knowing that Ves would be fine as this was nowhere near her first crash, most would be incredibly hurt. Plus, it was the reaction to HER that threw Ves off in the first place.
A long groan. "Ohhh geez," A pause of her speaking "200 years and you drop this bombshell out of nowhere." As anti-climatic as her words were, the cracking in her voice was undeniable.
"Ves, call up Nancy and both of you come back. Post-haste. Use the nearest Teleport Stone."
"Can do."

Sebas looked to Arnold. "Lead the way," he said. "Doc and I will fill you in on what's going on. Demi, Bogrum. Take Caboose. Fill Bogrum in." From the order given, Sebas was fully intent on keeping Basenji plans away from the Stoneroses.
WayfaringWaaksian JaxbyDaniels Emira Blight

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Bogrum Mazoga​

Be it today, yesterday, or 200 years ago, was Bogrum's thought. Always the same. Not even his people fought for the mere sake of it, as glorified the fight was. He supposed the difference here was that following the path of your warlord was chosen, as opposed to being drafted to fight in a king's war. But when an axe is placed in a baby's palm mere hours after birth, how much of it is choice really?

More presently anyway, his Adonis was to their Hemhart, so it seemed. But who this man was, Bogrum had no place to determine. A gentle ruler or terrible tyrant before, he had to be a changed man now to see his empire fall. To raise ally and foe from the dead, to no real benefit to themselves? It seemed when in times of truer peace, people were more inclined to extend kindness than not.
Or just more recruitment in case he needs someone to die on his behalf again, suggested a viperous part of him that was swiftly brushed away. If he needed that kind of venomous commentary, he would have brought Fergie with him.

Sebas telling him that success hinged on their little troupe? "No pressure or anything, folks." Suddenly Adonis sending a new recruit and a holed-up handyman on this diplomatic mission made sense. It wasn't that he didn't WANT it to go badly. He just didn't care either way. The gleefully cruel were a great threat, so often the one with no allegiance to morals went unnoticed. Just because he didn't try to stop them from doing the right thing didn't mean he couldn't make their attempts annoyingly harder.
Bogrum would count his blessings though. Spared from having to terrify these people out of their wits. Ah, maybe he spoke too soon. Terrify them out of their minds over an objective evil, instead of people who could choose what they were. Given the chance, Bogrum chose good. Often times THAT was a blessing.

Placed in the back with Demestral, Bogrum held off from asking the myriad of questions that begged answers. Enough was self-explanatory, and enough would be explained when she deemed fit. Eyes red, with a plastered smile on her face, this had to be more emotional for her than anyone else of their own.


Kylesar1
Emira Blight
JaxbyDaniels

 

[JaxbyDaniels]

Chilby had heard of Glacial Blade but he always thought they'd been a myth, a story conjured up to inspire young Chiloonie - This Siki, he did what many couldn't do: he got out and made something of himself. It was all so inspiring to Chilby, but of course there had to be a caveat, his soul was gone. Chilby took one large gulp, he wanted to speak but now found himself frozen for lack of a better word. Finally he was able to muster up the courage to express how he was feeling. "I'll be honest... I'm scared, I don't know what we're going up against and I'm new here, I don't really know anyone, but I hope I can help in any way I can, maybe I can make this Siki's soul rest easy knowing that a Chiloonie like me was able to help."

Chilby wasn't sure what side he was on, he didn't know what game was being played or what the pieces even looked like, he just knew he was one - a piece, a cog, a turning gear that was spinning despite not knowing its true purpose. "Bad things might happen... Won't they?" He whispered up to Efi "I know they will... I should be prepared but I am scared. Scared but... Ready, ready for whatever is thrown my way. You seem nice and I hope that we can do whatever possible to help." Chilby knew not if what he spoke was foolish or brave, hell, for all he knew these were the enemy and they were just fooling them into thinking them allies.

Chilby followed the crowd, he knew not what to expect but he knew it would be dangerous, and some of them very well might not return, but he intended to come back.

 

[Kylesar1]

A demonic............Piscean? Are you sure?
Outside Oakland Village

Nancy received the call from Ves to begin making his way back and to use the closest teleport stone to get back to HQ. As the shy lung-borne made his way up to the small village with a teleport stone, he was blinded with a strong light which burned his Piscean eyes and started drying out his body with how radiant it was. It didn't BURN his body per se especially given that he was still wet and his body was made to retain such moisture, but in due time it would if he completely dried out.

Standing in front of him was the source of the light, which soon faded out. It was 2 women, one with shimmering white wings and the other riding on a pegasus-unicorn equipped with its own set of beautiful white wings, only these wings were flawless while the other woman had battle-scarred white wings. The angel looked down on him and her eyes bore into his soul. "This is a lung-borne Locathah, not a demon," she said after a quick inspection
"A LUNG-BORNE?!" the woman exclaimed. In a whirlwind of movement, the woman was off her steed and uncomfortably close with a notebook in hand writing stuff down, her eyes sparkling. Clearly she was in awe at the sight of him, which meant that Lung-borne weren't a common sight the present day. "Didn't Mariana stop making Lung-borne Locathah?"
"GODDESS Mariana," the angel corrected, "and yes she did. When she gave God Kaimana the title of the God of Seafaring, she became Goddess of the Deepest Deep and ceased allowing her Locathah to be born amphibious. Any Lung-borne Locathah here and in the spirit sea are the last in this realm." The Lung-Borne Locathah were replaced with the Grung (Frog/Toadfolk) who tend to reside in swamps and marshland.
The woman jotted down some notes. "Are they really born with lungs?"
"Am-phi-bi-ous," was Evangeline's repeated response, before drawing her sword and pointing it at Nancy, her eyes boring deep into Nancy's soul. Their exchange ended and it was back to business. "Are you sure this is the demon? I clearly see a Lung-Borne Locathah."
"It is indeed a Locathah, but there is demonic energy emanating from this being. My eyes do not lie."

Evangeline addressed Nancy now. "Lung-Borne Locathah, I am Evangeline the Enforcer. My partner here sees demonic energy emanating from you. If you are not a creature of darkness, explain yourself or die."

The name Goddess Mariana absolutely rang a bell. There wasn't a Piscean alive who didn't know that name. However, what Nancy knew about Goddess Mariana was completely different from what was being told. To NANCY, Goddess Mariana was the Goddess of the Sea, NOT the Goddess of the Deepest Deep........... However, since an angel was saying it, he could take that word as gospel. At some point during the 200 years, Goddess Mariana stopped allowing his species to naturally roam the land.

The more pressing matter though was the holy blade pointed at him and the murderous intent radiating from the woman towering above him. The only thing he had on him was his courier bag and Vespera's Badge. Vespera.......... was a creature of darkness, being a vampire.

WayfaringWaaksian

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As the group shuffled over to the gates of Toron, they were halted then the gates opened after a few words spoken by Arnold to the gate guards. As the gates opened, they were greeted with a dazzling enchanted city. The 200 years in the Spirit Seas made this city look like the medieval equivalent of an enchanted forest. Things had a slight glow about them, people bustling around with food carts wearing clothing that, while primitive, looked beautiful in their own right. However, while this looked very beautiful to behold, tension ran very high and rightfully so. Upon being seen, some of the people fled. At 200 years, it would be of no surprise that they'd develop crippling xenophobia. Guard gripped their weapons tighter, mothers grasped their children closer, husbands put wives behind them. Even horses got spooked at the sight of the unfamiliar people. Storefront signs flipped from open to closed. Shades drawn. Stray animals retreating into alleyways. Hell, it wouldn't surprising if even the houseflies steered clear

To Sebas, this was..........kind of sad actually. Upon closer inspection, a lot of them were bustling around in terror and panic, fast trying to get away. Unless there was some illusion cast to make them look like a group of undead knights, they were peacefully strolling the main road with members of the Stoneroses, people who seemed friendly enough. Maybe it was one of those things that needed closer inspection. Maybe Arnold was sweating under his fat rolls as he felt as much pressure to not piss them off as Sebas felt not wanting to piss King Hemhart off. The grim reality of this place started to set in. To them the Basenjis, new stuff to fight was a dime a dozen. To these people? They knew every nook and cranny of this place. Knew every face, every animal, every building, every location and that location's climate. They probably knew so much as every new scar inflicted on a stray alleycat, a new tree budding in the woods. 200 years and you'd get familiar with every square inch of the place you're confined to.

When you grew that used to each other, grew that used to the place you lived and the flora/fauna that lived in harmony with you............an outsider would inevitably shake the place to its core. For all they knew, these people could've believed they were the last people on earth, or at least the last people THEY would ever see in life. On the battlefield, this would translate into a devastating loss. For them (the Basenjis), they had seen a different fighting style in almost every new raid. Here? The guards only knew each other and each other's fighting styles. After 200 years, they simply were not equipped in either the firepower or the martial know-how to take them on. The benefit of being a pirate is knowing, learning, and incorporating the tricks of new fighting styles into their repertoire. These guards didn't have that benefit. It wouldn't be surprising if they were so beyond rusted, that the blade no longer exists and it's just a rusted shell over hollow air in the shape of a sword.

Sebas Deadeye
Stoneroses HQ- Lobby​

As Sebas walked into the Guild Hall after Arnold, they were greeted with yet more startled gasps and some grasping for their weapons. Not a single gun amongst these people. Not a single piece of Dwarven ingenuity. Just bows and blades, nothing his gun couldn't destroy with a shotgun shell. That being said, he wouldn't deny feeling overwhelmed with the amount of magic brimming from this place.
Orabelle squeezed his hand. "Papa, I smell fear," she whispered
"Aye. It permeates," he responded
"Are we the bad guys?"
"No bad and good here. Only friend or foe."

"HEAR ME!" Arnold declared. Everyone in the guild hall immediately stood to attention, including the Roses walking with the group. A deafening silence follows this declaration. "These are our guests, diplomats from the pirates above, here to talk business in the audience of King Hemhart. They are not hostile. I repeat, they are NOT hostile. This is evident by my daughter Demestral Asella being among their ranks." This was probably the man's best bet to setting them at ease, as Sebas could sense a bit of relaxation among these people.......a BIT. "If you attack them, you risk angering the crew. You will stay your blade and stay your tongue. By my order, if your actions cause a breakdown of diplomacy, you will answer to King Hemhart for treason. Am I clear?"
"YES GUILDMASTER!"
"If you are put on duty to guard these diplomats, you will guard them with your life. Am I clear?"
"YES GUILDMASTER!"
"Vespera is making her way back. While we talk business, Vespera will be Guildmaster in my stead as usual. Am I clear?"
"YES GUILDMASTER!"
"Feel free to mingle with our guests, but respect their wishes. I know you have questions for the first new people you've seen in 200 years, but don't bombard them." Hmmmm, seemed pretty weird to volunteer them to mingle, but whatever. It wasn't anything his crew couldn't handle. Especially those like Doc who radiated benevolence and Orabelle who was naturally curious and friendly. Duradel knew how to talk to people so long as he didn't act like a weasel "When I set things up with King Hemhart, we will make our way out under an armored escort. Until then, carry on."
"My crew, gather," Sebas commanded after the members went back to what they were doing, albeit a lot slower and not without keeping at least one eye on them. With them together, Sebas gave out his orders


A short gameplan

"Bogrum, you're gonna be taking the lead in talking to King Hemhart," he said in a low voice so the Roses couldn't hear them. "I got Lostro in my pocket for a backup plan. What I'm gonna want you to do is work with Doc in playing up Mozreliun as the biggest threat to Kraiven. If it goes well, we will divert things from our initial plan to this one." Sebas's plan was to pull strings in the backdrop to get the items they planned to grab. It was on Bogrum to set it into motion. "I'M gonna set it up with the King then hand you the reigns. You'll have Doc for support and Duradel for backup. I'm for if it goes to shit." The intent there is to have Bogrum show as the co-captain. Doc's word will drive home how big of a threat Mozreliun if they doubted the words of an orc. Duradel would be there to work them as a conman to get them to reveal as many secrets as possible. They didn't have to have the book itself. They just needed a nice little snapshot of it, which is where Elaina would come in later.


He looked to Chilby. He was someone Ora took to immediately, which couldn't be ignored. Granted, it was because he was essentially a penguin, which everyone found cute, but still. The only ones she took to faster upon meeting was Dr. Laylah. "Chilby, you're gonna be taking on a special role." He pulled Orabelle forward. "See this child? She's your responsibility while I work with the demon child." He squatted in front of Chilby, utilizing his blade as support and the business side of it asking to slice into a Chiloonie. "Listen closely. If something happens to Orabelle, I will be feasting on penguin steaks. I expect this child back as alive and well as she is right here and right now." The poker face he had on seemed a lot more intimidating than if he was fully expressive.
He looked to Ora. "Ora, you will listen to Chilby and you will advise Chilby. You will NOT get him into dangerous situations, ya hear?"
Ora gave a nod without hesitation. "I won't be a handful, Papa. Promise."
"Good. If our waddly friend here tells me you've been a pain in the ass, I'll turn your tank into a marsh for a week. You don't want that again, do you?"
A fierce nodding of disapproval along with the widening of her eyes showed a deep fear of whatever sleeping in swamp water would entail for her.


Sebas stood back up. "A vampire girl named Vespera Marine Seyres will be arriving soon. That's the chick Arnold said will be guildmaster in his stead. She probably knows a thing or two. Pick her brain a bit. You can reveal as much about us as you want. Just NONE of our plans." That meant no speaking about the fact that they were ready to glass this city or the fact that they were about to attempt to use Kraiven as a battleground against a demon THEY'RE bringing to the land
"If you have no questions, I'm about to go make some shit happen."

With that, Sebas took his leave with Arnold. Orabelle was now stuck to Chilby, and Bogrum was about to make or break this mission
WayfaringWaaksian JaxbyDaniels
(Any questions they have, mention it in your post and the answer will come retroactively)

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Nancy Noi​

A flash of light assaulting his lidless eyes radiated and withdrew faster than Nancy could wonder if they were getting bombarded by the pirates. Though in a roundabout way he was, he wouldn't be able to believe that this pegasus rider and a literal angel had anything to do with such an evil, violent lot at first. When his stinging eyes made out the shape of many feathered wings, hope bubbled up within him. "Oh, thank Goddess! Our prayers are answered!" Nancy found himself kneeling before the two, in respect of the Holy as much as gratitude. "Have you come to save us from those pillagers?"

The reaction to him, however, was not at all what he expected. When the rider hopped from her horse and well into his personal space, a startled noise left his crystal as he shrunk away, scuttling backwards on his feet. "Um-- I-- Wh-What?" He wasn't a fan of being investigated like he was some science specimen, but what the angel was saying took precedence. Godess Mariana descended into the deep... leaving his people on the surface? Communications with his colony had been severed when Kraiven crossed the border of the mortal plane, so there was no way to know of the fate of the Springs. Not until the words of an angel informed him.

His breath locked in his Goddess-ordained lungs, the two strangers nearly turning to white noise. That couldn't be... but it had to. An angel couldn't lie. "We're... the last?" Nancy had long ago accepted that he may never see his people again, aside from his sister. But that was supposed to be because his fate took him on a far different path, while the Lung-Borne continued living and dying their mortal lives. Not because they simply ceased to be.

But there was something more pressing than processing this news. Like the fact that he was about to cease to be.

"I-- I-- Wh-- W-Wait! I-- I'm not--!" He backed away, absolutely shivering in his boots. He could try fleeing to the river, but that blade was going to be honed on him until either he dissuaded this angel's righteous fury, or until it satiated itself with his blood. "I serve Goddess Mariana! I can't be--!" But an angel didn't lie. She had to be right about something. Maybe it wasn't him, but his... "Wait, you mean!" He pulled out the badge Ves had given him, holding it away from his person so they could sense the Dark energies themselves. "This, right?"

What is going on?! Wasn't this angel supposed to be helping them? And not be culling their own numbers? "It's just a speed buff we couriers get, to do the job quicker." Technically true. Technically not the whole truth. There was no way in Ascension or Descension he was going to throw his friend under the bus. If the angel found Vespera, she would die. She can run, but where can she hide from an agent of the Holy? Her safety depended on his ability to weave half-truths.

Bogrum Mazoga​

Passing through the glimmering city, striking as it was still and quiet, was certainly something. It was as if time truly froze over the land when his crew passed through, the townspeople fleeing to their homes and watching with wary, unwavering gazes. It pained him to think so, but they were right to be afraid. The crew was ready to level this beautiful place to Ground Zero, leaving nothing but rubble behind, just to get what they wanted. It was a good thing Sebas was a reasonable man, but pirates naturally had a narrower string of patience. Bogrum would be working against the clock, Kraiven's mistrust and his own crew's itchy trigger finger.

He knew this hung on him before Sebas told him as such. "I'll get them to turn around," he assured him, but also himself. This wasn't like anything he did when under service to his Warlord. Clearing up squabbles among his fellow soldiers wasn't comparable to preventing a war between two powers. He wasn't sure he could pull this off, but he was confident he was one of their better bets on the ship. But he wouldn't be doing this alone.

With Sebas having an audience with the King, Bogrum addressed the crew placed in his care. "Alright, folks. Be affable, let them ask questions. But keep your guard up." Aside from what Sebas told them, it was pretty self-explanatory. "Miss Treasure, I want you to keep an eye on the exits if you can. Let us know if any person of interest comes in. Chilby," he passed a glance towards where Sebas and Arnold made their exit, "don't worry about Sebas. He's rough with the new recruits." The little man was getting the short end of the stick here. Although Bogrum knew well enough the threats made were feigned. If something happened to Orabelle, Sebas couldn't exactly do anything about it if he was busy being dragged into the Deepest Deep. "And Duradel." He felt a little bad to be ordering the armorer around in his beat up state, but he reminded himself why that was. Accidental sabotage was still sabotage, and no better if kept secret from his superiors. "Keep them talking. You know how to make people tic." The tone he used suggested that it was not a compliment.

"Dr. Laylah," he said last, looking to the angel. It was strange to say the look on her face seemed haunted. "How are you faring in all this?" he asked quietly.


Kylesar1
Emira Blight
JaxbyDaniels

 

[Kylesar1]

Evangeline the Enforcer and Elaina Melora
Outside Oakland Village​

The look on the Locathah's face told Elaina the truth. An amalgam of desperation, fear, and despair. Confusion at why an angel and a pegasus-unicorn rider wasn't there to save them. An almost........off-putting combo right now. 200 years, to have the first outsiders be an angel and a woman riding a beast of nigh myth, a blade put to his throat and told that their Goddess has ceased his specific strand of life in their time in Limbo. Normally, Elaina held an internal sadism about her, but that was more emotional manipulation and control, not exactly throwing people into the pits of despair. Or maybe she did, but this situation brought some of that humanity back out
Looking at the crest he held up, it absolutely did radiate the dark energy. Elaina took it and tossed it up in the air, then stared intently at Nancy then back at the coin repeatedly

The mixture of the fear in his body made Evangeline's face contort in that deadly murderous grin. His desperate pleas music to her ears. While the badge ascended in altitude, she took another decisive step forward. "So you're carrying this powerful Dark Relic, eh? Close enough for me." Her blade growling with hunger, it was finally about to get some blood

"He's telling the truth. It's this thing," Elaina said suddenly, badge back in hand as quickly as it left. Tch! "There is no dark influence in him. Just on him because of this badge. Stay your blade."
"Why would a non-dark child of Goddess Mariana carry one of these things. Is it really to carry mail?"
"Matters not, he clearly didn't know the properties of what he was carrying. There is Dark Magic all over this. This isn't his," Elaina concluded.


The duty that makes me hate being an angel.

Suddenly, Evangeline was hit with a different kind of feeling, one that even she dreaded to feel, coming from Nancy. Faith-Shatter. Wavering faith was common as it was tested. However, this was something far bigger. A massive buildup of negativity that would crush their entire outlook towards the God they served. Nancy was in this position right now. Life being threatened by the first 2 new people he's seen in 200 years with one being divinity, who then drops a bombshell that the Goddess he serves cut off support for his particular strand of life. This coming after holding that faith for 200 years disconnected from the world they knew. His entire worldview was turned upside down in one aspect, then shattered in another. It called her back to her days in Angel School (think of it as Angel Basic Training), before heading off to Enforcer School. This exact scenario was something she could never pass until much much later on in her days as an angel, and even then with a very shaky foundation.

Regardless of her role as an angel, unless that being was being targeted by that God or had grinded on an angel's Provocation, it was an angel's duty to bolster that person's faith. That was a BIG reason why angels weren't allowed to get involved in mortal affairs without reason. She was an angel first and an enforcer second. Evangeline let out a loud exasperated sigh. Why the hell was it her job to comfort people? Yeah yeah, representatives of divinity, their Gods unable to show their true form on earth, messengers, defenders, and soldiers for heaven. Yeah, but why ENFORCERS playing therapist? "Fine" she muttered. Your will be done

Evangeline spread her wings out and stepped in front of Nancy, then stabbed her sword into the ground, kneeling in front of it and using it as support. A brilliant flash of light created a thinly lit bubble around them. They were now on sanctified grounds. Trampled grass revived and perked. Passive wildlife gathered. Flowers bloomed. Waters that flowed through it left pure. Undead that walked in didn't walk out. "I cannot tell you to be not afraid, as I am an Enforcer, not a Guardian." They way she said it bluntly told him that she didn't want to do this at all. "However, I will say waver not in faith towards your Goddess." Evangeline said, it being clear from her body language and wavering voice that she was HEAVILY out of practice. These words were factory-printed from the basic example script they studied. It was forceful, but she cast aside her own internal frustration at the lack of results of their search, in favor of fulfilling Her will. Her entire life was worth less than the food on her Goddess's plate, let alone her personal comfort in the face of her loyalty to the Gods and her duties as an angel. "The news may be hard to process, but you are not abandoned. If you are one of the last living Lung-Borne Locathah, Goddess Mariana is pining to hear from you." This wasn't something she wanted to say, but she was still an angel and thus had angelic duties. Since he knelt in their presence before, clearly he thought they were sent by Goddess Mariana. "If you want your prayers answered, you are in the presence of an angel. Where we stand, your prayer will reach the Deepest Deep where your Goddess now resides. Right here, right now: Make your plea and She will answer." As always, when it came to things about faith and their Gods, lying was forbidden as it would deeply undermine faith in the Gods. In other words, her words were as gospel now as the last ones were.

This was the first benevolent angelic thing she has done in DECADES. Her forte was bolstering faith through smiting demons and actual heretics, not this Mother Theresa shit. Head down and eyes closed, the kneeling Evangeline was a complete stark contrast to the complete murderous savage that had to be kept from killing him on the spot by the one on the pegasus unicorn
WayfaringWaaksian

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Laylah Halliet the Guardian
Stoneroses HQ- Lobby​

Dr. Laylah was kind of out of it. The woman was deep in thought, mind racing as she tried to piece together a Sebas-induced lack of knowledge, especially in the case of Lostrogret coming into play. "I'm just worried," she responded in a hushed voice. "To bring in Lostro.......no matter what makes this already extreme. Then to not involve us in the planning of this." She sighed deeply. She found out everything when Bogrum did. The woman just knew that the life of this empire rested on his shoulders. "Arnold is Demestral's father. This is her homeland. Lostro making an appearance. Chilby being brought in last second despite having little use. Makes me think of how much Adonis knows." On one hand, Adonis had CONNECTIONS. On the other, he got the condition of Kraiven completely wrong. This wasn't 100 men surrounding a scorned and defeated king in their smoldering castle ruins. This was an entire capital city with a bigger population than they went into the Spirit Sea with in the first place, in peak condition. Not that she was worried about their lives as Basenjis, but more these people here, who came off more as an abused dog approaching a human again for the first time in a long time.

"So many questions........like why did Demi not recognize the name of King Hemhart when we went over the relics? Why did she not recognize the name of the Kraiven Empire? Why didn't it dawn on her immediately when she learned the name of this city?" She shook her head. It seemed farfetched of Demi to know absolutely nothing about this land, but on the other hand, she was the one who sprang this on Sebas last minute, which is why, despite her complaining of Sebas keeping it from them, forgiveness was easy in that regard. "Of course it's been 200 years.........but time is more fleeting for mortals than immortals." This wasn't small fry information. This was the name of the god-blessed empire she was raised in, the name of the city she was raised in. Even now, while she was having her 20th emotional exchange already, she was talking to everybody as if she just hadn't seen them in a week, yet couldn't remember large-scale information like the name of the empire she was raised in. "You don't just forget the name of the city and empire you're raised in..........especially if that empire fell in the horrors of war then disappeared into Limbo with all of your friends and family without you, and you don't even know if they're alive or not. That doesn't happen, Bogrum." It struck her as beyond odd, as Demi had negative motivation to turn the blade to her friends and family, and anxiety emanated from the pixie like odor from a corpse. "I guarantee you that if you ask any of the formerly enemy soldiers of Kraiven who currently live here about the loved ones they left behind, at minimum they'd know names and the name of the place they were raised in, or was raising their family in before the war."

With Sebas directing this particular play from the shadows and Bogrum playing the leading part, Laylah wondered if this Sebas's part was as improv as theirs was about to be. Or was it written by Adonis and they were already performing? Was a god involved, like the Pride-Filled psychedelic Royce? Or maybe Mozreliun sensed foul play and was utilizing Lostro to leak magic like she did that got her on the suspicion list in the Rat Hunt. "My anxiety comes from the fact that too many coincidences isn't a coincidence."
WayfaringWaaksian


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Efilisa the Receptionist
Stoneroses HQ- Lobby​

"So, my adorable Chiloonie friend." No sooner than she finished with the group talking to Demi was Efilisa focusing on her new favorite plushy: The penguin she definitely wanted to hug to death. She was like that when Siki came around and she was like that now. After 200 years, another Chillonie has plopped himself right onto her carapace. He seemed bothered by news of Sikivat Arctice, especially around the fact that Siki lost his soul. Maybe he had the misconception that Siki lost it to be part of Glacial Blade when in fact it was that his soul was destroyed in the battle itself. That's the theory anyways. There has never been any readings of Siki ever becoming one with darkness by selling his soul

The intimidating captain walked off with the Guildmaster, and the huge orc man co-captain was left in his stead, but he seemed engaged with the angel whose light kind of suppressed her own Unholy magic. "I wanted to talk to you about Sikivat, and offer a proposal to you, an offer for an adventure, one that will keep you and the little one away from this war should you take it." Efi was good with listening and observing. Chilby was entirely new and had no idea what was going on. It would be in his best interest, to Efi at least, to not get caught up in something like a full-scale war while saddled with a child. The Triton child was a good fit given what she was about to ask. They could withstand the task at hand
"Oooh, an adventure?" the Triton child said to her.
"An adventure indeed, my dear." she said with a smile. "Orabelle, isn't it? My name is Efilisa."
"That's a beautiful name. Orabelle Deadeye. You've seen papa."
"Your papa's a scary man, that's for sure." and that wasn't a lie in the least. For as much uptalk as Demi did about how trustworthy Sebas was, the man was incredibly intimidating. Intimidating in a way that the orc man wasn't, though the orc man was far more physically intimidating to behold. But back to the proposal at hand. "Want to hear about this adventure?" Efi sounded a bit excited. This was the first quest in about 195 years that involved sending someone new somewhere new.

A dark flame conjured in her hand, which gave way to another book. This cover of the book was written in a language Chilby couldn't understand. However, since the only of the Arachnis people that could write were Arachne like Efi and Arachnoids, 2 relative minority groups in favor of wild spiders and Arachnis, he could safely guess that it was at least not any kind of Arachne language. They didn't have one, at least not one that could be written. She turned to a page. "So in the war, Sikivat held off the enemy army from the mountainside and was essential to our ability to get out of here alive. When that fight happened, the mountains were in the middle of a brutal winter storm, which played a huge part in Siki's success. The problem is that when we went into the Spirit Sea, it solidified that winter storm in the mountains." So essentially it was the mountain caught in a 200 year ever-winter storm. "Siki was confirmed dead, but his body was too frozen over to extract without more casualties in the storm. In the 200 years, we've never been able to get those out at the upper levels. Now that you're here, maybe YOU two are able to withstand the winter storm." With Chilby being a Chillonie and Orabelle being a Triton (thus used to the cold of the Deeps, where sunlight and warmth are fleeting), they were able to traverse this storm at higher lengths than others. "Siki wasn't the only Rose lost to the mountains, and we just want to honor our fallen Roses. We just need namely their badges. We can get the bodies to bury when the passage of time finally causes the winter storm to relent, but if we can get the badges, we can memorialize them officially before their official burial." Technically they've been dead for 200 years, but given the time stop, it would be like the deaths are recent in terms of the effects of the body. Maybe even in a recoverable state. Who knew what lie in the mountains?

"So that's it: Find the badges of the 3 heroes and bring them back to me. Your reward? Ehhhh.........." She had to think hard. After 200 years, they were hard on the barter system. Mineral and coin couldn't stay in rotation THAT long for a single location. "How about I give you Sikivat's Glacial Blade weapon, the Ice Scythe as he called it?" A portal of darkness she reached into and pulled it out. A beautiful piece of craftsmanship, which radiated cold even now. One could feel a frigid wind as one's hand hovered over the blade, though that didn't extend to actually holding it at the hilt. "It was what was brought back along with the confirmation that he didn't make it. Couldn't leave the other two behind."
"What about me?"
"For you, we can offer you what's called a Permafrost Shard. It will improve your Ice Magic."

Spoiler: Lore: Ice Scythe

Ice Scythe
"A scythe with a blade as cold as death itself. Reap a new ice age."
"Ice Scy with my little eye.........." -Sikivat Arctice​

• Description: This scythe is empowered with the power of ice magic. While wielded, it grants complete ice/cold immunity, amplifies ice magic, and inflicts what's known as the ice plague upon slashing
  • Ice Plague- When slashed, the wound freezes up, then the ice begins to slowly spread across the body until the victim is frozen solid.
  • Passive Ability- Tundric Wind: The lower the temperature of the air around it, the sharper the blade and the more potent the Ice Plague
• Weakness(es):
  • Ice/cold-immune beings are immune
  • Heat-generating magic can slow/stop the Ice Plague
  • Anti-magic reduces it to a normal non-magic scythe
  • Fire Magic can nullify Tundric Wind by heating it up

Spoiler: Sidequest Summary

Mission: 200 Years Lost to Ice​

Mission: Recover 3 Stonerose badges from the Everwinter Peaks
Description: 3 leaders frozen in the mountains. Return their badges so they can receive a hero's rest. You may keep anything else you find up there.

Recommendation: Anti-Ice gear; Anti-Water gear; Anti-Unholy Gear/Magic; Cold Resist; Extra Layers
Reward: Permafrost Shard (Orabelle); The Ice Scythe (Chilby)

JaxbyDaniels Emira Blight