Fantasy Fading Flame (In Character)

[Octo Girl]

Terra was partially excited for coming along on the trip. The ensemble would have to pass through an outpost from the thieves guild so she could reconnect with them. She rode in the wagon as she did not like riding wolfhorse much. She heard the question and responded semi jokingly "If I do, it is better kept hidden." she said as she held 3 different crystals in her hand, though they were unidentifiable. Only Terra knew what they were.

She couldn't shake a feeling of despair. But she wasn't feeling it, she could just feel it... Directed towards her. She did not know where it was coming from, but she saw no one else feel it. "I Fucking hope that isn't what I think it is..." she mumbled to herself, as she had not felt this feeling for years.

She looked up to see Pryonn introducing himself to the new arrivals. She smiled a bit and curled into a ball. She purposely tried to make herself look cute, as she secretly liked his complimenting. "He is so adorable... Even if I haven't seen his face..." she mumbled to herself as she sighed again and gave him a small wave.

Unwavering Knight Kabboom

 

[CrowOuttaHell]

Gaheris Agramar

"For the love of all that is holy, Lyle! Have you never touched a steed before?!"

It was far too early for this bickering. Karl found himself putting himself as a shield between his injured comrade and an almost panicked wolfhorse, trying to calculate the chances of his armor withstanding the jaws and thundering hooves of some of the Empire's stronger steeds. Lyle scowled deeply from behind him.
"Bah! Who needs a mount, anyway?"

"We do, Lyle." Karl hissed. "Unless you want to make the journey through the forest on foot."

"It wasn't my idea to lug additional people along." Lyle snapped back, backing off. Karl glanced at the third member of their little entourage. "Agramar, can't you do anything?"

Gaheris stood from where he had been sitting previously, walking towards the wolfhorse. His steps slowed until he could show the creature that he meant no harm- almost as if harmonizing with it.

"What the hell? A giant can tame one better than both of us," Lyle mumbled in disbelief. Karl shrugged. "I'd reckon his upbringing brought him close to mounts like that one. Or maybe it's just a giant thing."

"Enough of that. We have to address another issue now..."

They stared at the two wolfhorses their entourage had been given.

"They only gave us two."
"Well, we got another one, but at what cost?"

Karl groaned as the wind whipped around them. To catch up with the group, they had to spur theirs on practically a full-on gallop. The only thing that seemed off though...

"Bloody hell, Karl! Why am I the one in the wagon?!" Lyle snapped, shouting ahead at his comrade. Karl peered over his shoulder to yell back.

"Well, what other choice did we have, Lyle?! You didn't want to get on a wolfhorse! You didn't want to walk either! And most importantly, you're the only injured one!"

"Great. Cerebrate-stabbing hero reduced to a sick man in a wagon." Lyle grumbled. "This is karma, isn't it?"

"Oh, shut up! Why can't you be more like the giant?" Karl shouted. Running alongside them was Gaheris himself, long strides keeping him at the same pace the wolfhorses were. It was almost frightening...but then again, he had jumped an entire battlefield to get him and Lyle both to the town hall.

Perhaps Gaheris was a lot more lightweight than they thought--

"Karl! Watch out!"

"Huh--"

CRACK!

A branch snapped against Karl's face. The blonde guardsman groaned, temporarily disoriented. "Aargh-- what--"

CRASH!!

Gaheris, on the other hand, effortlessly crashed through a bigger, thicker tree branch and came out running at the same pace he was.

"So much for being lightweight..."

 

[Kabboom]

Jericho

"Yes." Jericho said shortly to the druid Sashi. A slight rustling of some leaves later, and the druid was already gone, far forward to link up with the scouting detachment moving slightly ahead of the group. The twinkling, faint, yet burning sunlight now strikes the ground diagonally, its rays divvied up into a thousand smaller ones as the foliage eats up the star's bright touch, rustling above in the shape of increasingly gigantic trees. Their oaken bodies pass by, their dried up outer bark segmenting from age, and with a light touch, the dead strips of wood fall off bit by bit, revealing the inner 'young' wood, remaining sticky to the touch. As the group walked and walked, it was becoming rather evident that aside from the worried chirping of the birds above, not much harm would come to the group. Their tracks are still fresh in the forest, and so far, the only existence of the Darkness is within the flora that exists around them, taking form as the occasional darkened leaf or branch, turning into something akin to smoldering ash at the touch of a curious guardsman.

"O Light, preserve me, save me, heal me in times of doubt, heed me in times of need. O Light..." A guardsman can be heard quietly praying, as he rides upon his horse. His left arm clutching a saber, with the other arm holding a Meridius Cross*. The air was becoming rather tense, and it didn't take an expert to find that the guardsman was new to the force. Opening up conversation, Jericho spoke in a quiet voice, his horse's hooves crackling more fallen leaves and twisted branches beneath its four feet as Audaton made his way towards the praying man.

"It's okay, guardsman. We'll all survive this trip. With luck, you won't even need that prayer." Raising his head, Audaton locked eyes with the rookie guardsman, with the latter raising his head, his sallet helm slightly rearing itself from the newbie-level loosened strap. Nodding with a slightly relieved sigh, the soldier dismisses his doubts and fears. "The name's Jericho. What's your name, soldier?" Jericho inquired, his head cocking to the side. The rest of the guardsmen seem to loosen up at this sudden gesture of humanity from the group's leader. It also eased their minds. After all, if the leader himself, an experienced warrior, was loosening his guard, then truly, there is little that they need fear within these woods yet. Walking beneath the tremendous pine trees, with the slight rumbling footsteps of a Half-Giant behind them, the group had suddenly become more lively, and... human-like.

"Erik, sir." He said, nodding. "I have a brother and a mother who's just worried sick about me, waiting for me to return home. And... a girlfriend too." he continued, looking down at his Meridius Cross, sharing his own thoughts as if to get it off his chest. "Jericho, sir, are you a good leader?" The new soldier quickly asked, quietly silencing Audaton with an awkward grimace. 'Not the best,' a thought buzzed around in the man's mind, haunting like flies on a corpse. Realizing his mistake, the guardsman added. "It's okay sir, I still believe you'll get all of us out of this mess."

And so the group ventured, oblivious to the lurking eyes that seek shelter behind the thick canopy of the bushes. After a good 30 minutes of mostly nothing, the scout detachment sends word back, in the form of a faintly visible hand poking through from the thick growth ahead, signalling in a secret code devised among scouts. This particular signal, the rapid stretching and retracting of the index and middle fingers, indicated 'contact'. Scoutsman Clanus, riding alongside Jericho, immediately picks up the signal, and relays the message to the leader himself. "The scouts have contacted something, sir. We should go check it out." He spoke with a whisper.

Raising his own hand to indicate a halt, Jericho ceased the group's advance, as two Wolfhorses moved forward at a slightly hastened walking pace, belonging to the Scoutsman and the Guardian. Ahead, the scout detachment had encountered a small campfire site, with five Imperial soldiers huddled around the faded flame. They are still very much alive, and have indicated that they are soldiers from the forest outpost, sent to link up with the group early.

* A cross of religious value, the normal symbol of worship for followers of the Church of Light.

SCSaya06 Trappy hostage Nightblade Soviet Panda Pilgrim59 Unwavering Knight Octo Girl Sybil Midrick CrowOuttaHell Aryasaurus QizPizza -robert- Vyseryx FTR D. Rex shadowz1995

 

[Soviet Panda]

Buras, once under the cool shade the trees cast upon the forest floor, moved at a much more languid pace. The sun was no longer beating down on him and his comparatively sensitive skin. However, he did not relax. To the untrained eye, he was as relaxed as the soldiers after Jericho calmed them down, but to those that were looking for it, it was clear. Buras' hands were never far from his axes, and his eyes darted around, looking for any signs of danger. So it would come as no surprise that he to noticed the hand sticking out of the treetops. He did not know what the signal meant, but apparently their scout did, as he saw him ride up to Jericho.

Whatever the signal meant, Buras did not think it was good. Why else would they be stopping? He looked ahead of the two riders as they separated themselves from the group and saw the group of soldiers. This did nothing to ease Buras, for though they looked like Imperial troops it was best to remain wary. The Dark blighted plants had not been forgotten. And who was to say it had not infected other, more mobile things? Like, say, a soldier?

 

[Pilgrim59]

Hearthfall Season - Morning
Sashi
Convoy Vanguard, Darkwood​

• 1. Reality Sequence
• Interacted / Mentioned

• 
  "Well, look at what we have here, gentlemen. Of all the woods you'd take a stroll in, we happened to be the lucky boys for your pick, eh?"
  
  A voice broke the marching silence in the background, as Sashi footsteps came to a stop. She looked up at the man and smiled with her hands tucked in between her elbows, leaning back with a gruff stance.
  
  "You flatter me, pathfinder. But I'd find better in these parts of the woods anyways."
  
  "She's got jokes, boys. Hahaha. Your apparels betrays your words, my lady. Who might you be, missus?" the group chuckled, as the main figure with a pair of axes tucked in by his belt approached the lax druid.
  
  "I'm your new charge, Sashi, humble Druid of Elbe Forest, at your service."
  
  "I'm assuming our new commander handed you over to us for a reason. Very well, I'm Boar, your friendly neighborhood scout-man. Alright boys, sound off for our new patron."
  
  "Hiker. Navigator and ranger." the musketeer replied from his seat on top of the fallen log, as he slowly slid his map into his sleeved pocket.
  
  "Hammer. Heavy weapons." spoke the paladin whose visor disclosed his visage to only himself, alongside his halberd.
  
  "Rook. Weapons observer." the man in padded leather and lamellar armor, whose prudent scrutiny of his gear dictates his role.
  
  "Reverend. Your humble Preacher of the Gospel." a gentleman in laced chainmail and robes, whose similarity to that of Sashi put forth an honest greeting.
  
  "...And that over there is Clanus, our spokesman and runner. He's our blood vessel between the front and the rear. So what can we do you for, missus?" Boar extended his vision towards the man with a similar design of gears like those that stood besides Sashi.
  
  "I'd like to dwell in your courses and conducts before we have our next orders. Take a knee, Boar."
  
  "You're the boss, missus. Hammer, perimeter roll. Take Reverend with you. Hundr'd yards out, don't stray too far."
  
  The Reverend would acknowledge the order and tapped Hammer on his shoulder as the two started their usual perimeter patrol. Sashi studied the group, as they tend to their business, all the while earring what Boar and Hiker what to say about their maps and course of scouting. Hammer and Reverend seems to be good friends, as they took their stroll with a lighthearted talk, cracking a few chuckles, despite Hammer's tall, lusty appearance.
  
  It was something Sashi had took comfort in, the companionship that threw her in a trance of nostalgia. A school of adventurers, lost in the reality of the Darkborne madness, yet still, their sanity took a stand. At the end of the day, what makes up the Empire of Light wasn't what they had accomplished, but how they have prolonged their existence and that was the ultimate struggle of the Light and Darkness.
  
  Rook, the weapons observer resumed his works on the weapons and armors, inspecting for signs of rust and deformed details. He withdrew a set of tools and a peculiar hand-crafted alembic. With a few drops of mana dust and liquidized substances, he began molting the dents in the sword and began reforging the weapons. Like a culinary enthusiast, the man dusted and mended most of their equipment and packed them neatly into his little rickshaw. The druid watched her new companions at work, and learnt that a lot of their work differed from that of the normal Imperial legionnaires. They tend to their own work, as if the whole forest was their home, however fleeting it may seemed. The similarities between Sashi's life in the Elbe Forest, and that of the pathfinders were no different. They had learned to adapt to a lifestyle of movement, and on their faces were drawn expressions of comfort instead of weariness. Studying the maps quickly and noted their own positions, Sashi got to work and unpacked her things from the satchel.
  
  "Dry socks and equipment in a damp forest. Funny thing, ain't it, miss Sashi?"
  
  "There's only two things to work with in the forest, good Boar, your wits and the trees." Sashi noted as she threw a sack of leather and a blueprint of her own innovative designs at Rook.
  
  "Can you comply with the works and our group's numbers within the days ahead, mighty Rook?"
  
  "I'll show you how its done in the Darkwoods, grasshopper." said Rook, with a heavy tone that seems to dislike the Druid's presence out of wariness and a bit of spite.
  
  "What might those be, good Druid?" the ranger asked, as he slid his map and cartographic utensils back into his pockets.
  
  "Gloves and lighter boots, Hiker. Your standard laced boots will get you bogged down and the gloves will protect your hands from certain wild ivies."
  
  "So what... we're climbing trees now, missus?"
  
  "I thought you were men of the woods? I'll take the trees over the ground steeds on any muddy day, good Boar."
  
  "By the divines, we're in for it now, boys. Better start practicing with the nearest ones, boys." Boar sighed, dismissing the Druid's words with a bit of bitterness and rejection of her ideas.
  
  "Damn forest dwellers for a charge. Fuckin' A." muttered Hiker under his breath, as he went about his work, as he routed some whispered words towards Boar's ears.
  
  "Sooner we rid of this Druid, the better."
  
  "When the time is right, Hiker. I don't like the Guardians altogether, but we'll see."
  
  Sashi found herself catching brush from one of her associates, before looking up at the aggressor.
  
  "We do things differently here, Druid. Everyone's doing their parts. We're ardent advocate of prejudice equality. Everyone's in the dung here. Your pretty face and racks ain't gonna save you from the communal activities, muh lady."
  
  Boar said as he pointed Sashi at the pile of dirty metal scraps, prompting her to do her part for the team. The druid showed no aggression, as a sign of her neutral personality, and took up the brush with no qualms. She would begin her work, with no further words to speak. As she diligently conducts her task, Boar would turn his attention to Hiker, whose idle hands caught the attention of the man.
  
  "Aren't you supposed to be writing your journal of our grand adventure?"
  
  "Negatory. I like to watch the new gal sweat."
  
  "Divines preserve my virtues. I'll add that to your list of kinks."
  
  "Wait, I have a list of kinks?"
  
  "Heh. You do now, Hiker."
  
  
  Translation Notes
  N/A
  
  OOC:
  N/A
  
• 
  
  Interacted: N/A
  
  Mentioned: N/A
  
  

 

[Kabboom]

Jericho

As they arrive at the scouts' positions, Jericho's eyes fixated on a few things. The rugged and dirtied, almost bloodstained, Imperial uniforms of the forest outpost soldiers, left intentionally unkempt by frontline guardsmen, simply because there is little point to tidy it, other than when some posh "green" high-ranking official comes by for some half-assed inspection. There were five; two looking out for Darkborne and other beasts, leaning onto trees; one still stuffing pebbles into his dirtied bag on the ground; and two, confronting the two scouts from the convoy. The leader's eyes shifting onto Jericho's horse as he enters sight, widening and lowering his guard as Jericho gets off his horse, dropping to his usual stout stature. "You must be the convoy commander." The forest outpost soldier said with confidence in his voice.

"It would seem that I am. Who are you, trooper? Days are quite windy*." Jericho said nonchalantly, grabbing his halberd.

"Easy there, boss. Name's Erde. We're from the forest outpost. The Captain said to link up with you guys early." The soldier, now identified as Erde, spoke, waving his hand around lightly as if shooing away a mosquito.

"They mentioned nothing of a group-up." Jericho spoke, his grip tightening on his halberd. The scouts pick up on this as well, their weapons being wielded in a more controlled manner now. The wind begins blowing, and the moss beneath Jericho's feet seemingly punctures through his armored boot with a newfound coldness. His wolfhorse stirs slightly, fangs baring as it emits a low growl, followed by the other wolfhorses. The animals have grown closely enough with death and war, that it seems they can now detect when a fight is about to erupt. The forest has not gone silent, however, with the chirping of a few cicadas and a few birds tweeting above still haunting the air.

"Easy, easy..." Erde spoke, softly rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Mother Wind rises from her sleep**." He continued after a short pause, and the convoy's men ease their arms. "Sorry... it's been quite a long time since anyone contacted us formally." Erde waved. "Sir, we've been sent to link up with you guys, and guide your path to the outpost." said the guardsman, as the others with him prepare to leave.

"What's wrong with the usual route?" Clanus raised his voice from atop his horse, stopping Erde in his tracks as he turned to his left and begun moving. In saying so, Clanus' own wolfhorse stirred a bit, its legs shifting weight to the right.

Looking face to face, the guardsman replied. "A Darkborne force just moved into the area. Our last supply run was intercepted and destroyed. Unless you want your entire Council-sanctioned convoy to become Exmen and Darkwolf fodder, I'd suggest you follow us." Erde raised his own voice in response. With silence being the only answer, he continued. "Good. Follow us."

Getting back on his horse, Jericho nodded to the scouts, before returning with Clanus in tow. After a while, Clanus opens up, his ponderous mind opening itself with a rather backwards countryside accent. "Sir, there's just something suspicious about Erde and his men. I don't trust him." He whispered, as the sight of the main convoy blurs back into view, unhindered by the bushes and low canopies.

"I'll let you in on a secret, Clanus." Jericho replied, whispering in turn. "I don't trust them either. But if what they say is true, then it would be certain death to not follow them otherwise. And if they are bandits, like I suspect, then they would surely spring their ambush the very moment we suspect anything. No way they would let us slip past without at least taking a chunk of our 'goods'. For now, it is best for both parties if we follow them."

"And besides, if anything does go wrong..." Jericho finishes, as he returns to his usual position, among a few confused looks from the convoy members. "...We can kill them." He nodded to Clanus, assuring him. Now turning to the convoy, he announces the current situation. "Change of plans, folks. A lot of Darkborne are ahead. We're gonna take a longer route to avoid them." Shifting on his saddle as his buttocks begin to ache and cry out, Audaton let out a small grunt. "Just hang on a bit longer." he let out, both to everyone and to himself.

With the usual monotone orchestra of hooves and rickety wheels booming through the section of the forest again, Jericho could hear some guardsmen bickering not far. Looking over, he could spot a trio of cavalrymen, with one spear-wielder complaining about his horse, an older cavalryman riding alongside him, and a familiar face, Erik, riding in tow. Coming closer, Jericho overheard most of the conversation so far.

"...See? Little bugger's doing it again. I'm telling you, this prick is doing this on purpose. He's intentionally stepping in those goddamn sinks in the ground!" the spear-wielder complained. His wolfhorse was stepping on uneven ground, giving him and his rear a far harder time than most others.

"Shut up, Kwelek. You yap too much to be a guardsman." Hushed the older cavalryman.

"Up your bum, old-sacks. You're too old to be alive, but I'm not saying anything about it, am I?" retaliated the spearman, identified as Kwelek.

"Please guys, keep it down. We might attract Darkborne or something." spoke Erik, his grip on his weapon tightening slowly.

"Shut up, Erik. Your green ass isn't even going to last--" Kwelek retorted, turning around angrily, only to catch sight of Jericho approaching. The man's words stopped, and he turned back around slowly, made harder by his rocking horse.

"What was that, Kwelek?" The old guardsman smirked.

"Shut up, Umak." a small voice came from Kwelek's direction, sheepishly.

Jericho would ride silently along the three for a while, keeping them quiet. Next to him, a smiling guardsman glances over now and then.

*: A code phrase for guardsmen and Imperial officials to verify each other. A simple way to check if someone is a bandit or not.
**: The reply for the aforementioned code phrase.

Pilgrim59 Minyari

 

[Minyari]

Hearthfall Season - Morning
Min Ya
Darkwood​

• In Character
• Interacted
• Extras

• 
  
  There were no white clouds that could be seen in the endless sky, making it seem like a borderless blue gem. Several black-colored birds flew across the sky; a large, peaceful forest underneath them looked verdant and thriving with activity. Underneath the shade of an array of tall pine trees, sat a man sitting in full concentration.
  
  Judging from the man's appearance his age was to be in his mid fifties, however the man's real age was in his seventies. The man had short, graying out hair and had an-average looking appearance apart from his bulky body. The eyes closed tightly in full concentration, the man's hands were in a fist and palm salute as he sat cross legged. The man was shirtless as his upper body was tightly - flexing, shaking intensely as sweat profoundly poured out his pores like droplets from the roof after a period of rain. Suddenly a sound of a branch snapping could be heard nearby, not breaking the man's concentration as his eyes stayed closed
  
  An animal that looked similar to a wolf popped it's head out of the nearby shrubbery, it's full body stepping out shortly after. The wolf was rather large and had gray fur, the wolf's hazel eyes stared intensely at the idle elderly man. A Mockwild! Licking it's lips as if the man was already a free meal, it growled loudly as the wolf began to close the distance before it's prey.
  
  'Oh great Min! You got a free meal! Thank the heavens!', the elderly man, now identified as Min, thought to himself as he heard the loud growl.
  
  Min prepared himself to strike the animal as the Mockwild entered the three meter range, Min tracking the wolf's movements with his senses! As the Mockwild prepared to strike, Min immediately opened his eyes! In-humanly dashing off the ground, the elderly man charged towards the Mockwild as he pulled back his fist and prepared to strike!
  
  "Raging Bear's Fist!", Min yelled out as his fist came into contact to the Mockwild's head. Before the Mockwild could even react it had already spent its last few seconds in this world.
  
  The Mockwild's corpse was then picked up by Min, as he brings it over to his little make-shift encampment. Most people would begin to skin the animal and cook its meat when consuming animals, however the man merely cut the bottom of the wolf's open with a gutting knife and took out the heart! Min stared at the heart with a drool coming down his mouth as he threw it in his mouth and swallowed it!
  
  'What a stupid dog! No manners whatsoever! Intruding on an elder's training, hmph!', Min began to clean his hands with the water from his jug. Quickly packing up his encampment, Min tossed on his hooded robe, masking his face with a white scarf. Making his way back on to the pathway of the forest. After traversing on the dirt paved pathway, Min came across a squad of Imperial Troops that had bloodied armor.
  
  "Ey, old man! Where ya headed?", a trooper that looked like the leader questioned.
  
  "Anywhere. Mind if I join your party for some time?", Min replied with a neutral voice.
  
  "Sure thing! We just came out of combat with some Darkborne recently, and so we're gonna make camp a few down the road to rest up."
  
  After walking with the squad of Imperial Troops down the road for a couple of minutes, the leader called a halt and to make a small encampment to the side of the road. After waiting a time period, a convoy of soldiers came about and the two leaders of the convoy and party conversed.
• 
  Kabboom
  
• 
  None for now ~
  

 

[Midrick]

Pat continued walking alongside the wolfhorse that the lady was riding, he noticed she was investigating the designs and symbols embroidered into the metals of the unique set. She seemed suspicious of them. She would be too if she had seen the things he had done in battles and the things that he could, and eventually would do in the future. He decided to speak up and break the akward silence. An unseen cause had built tension in the convoy, everybody was ready to jump it seemed like. He noticed a green soldier praying to the light for deliverance. He won't last long if he thinks the light will save him. He had seen it before, rookies who believe that the bullshit that the church of light spewed and take every word literally. "Like the armor?" He said to her after she saw the rest of the insets in the red armor. "Custom made, you won't find any other like it." A slight hint of pride could be heard in his voice. Although he never pried his father about who or where he had learned to craft arms and armor, but Pat wasn't a fool, a local blacksmith didn't make high quality weapons for the elite soldiers and pick it up from another villager. When she responded to his question of who was second in command, the woman answerd with a question of her own "I don't think we've decided on that role, so no. And I don't think we've been formally introduced , Sir..." Pat believed she thought he was a knight, this made him laugh, it was a low chuckle "That's a good one, Sir." He said catching his breath "Any who my name is Pat, Pat Faber. I'm a mercenary turned guardian of sorts since I joined this outfit."

He continued walking with the convoy, eventually they came upon some scouts at a campfire. They looked suspicious with bloodstained uniforms, eventually word came down that they were taking a slower route in order to avoid dark borne creatures blocking the road forward. As they proceeded deeper into the forrest the feeling of tension grew inside of him, they were being watched. He knew it now that feeling of eyes on the back of your head kept growing the deeper they went. Even the plants on the ground had withered away and left dark husks where the darkness had touched them. As he looked at the plants and processed his thoughts he saw a small flit of movement out of the corner of his eye. "Excuse my language, but miss, I don't think we're alone. I'd get ready if I were you." Whatever it was could have been a bird or squirrel running around. But the better part of him expected that someone or something had been tracking them through the woods. And whatever it was, wasn't friendly.

Trappy

 

[CrowOuttaHell]

Gaheris Agramar

If there was one thing any Imperial could pride himself on, it was that word travelled fast.
Sometimes though, that word wasn't exactly one everyone wanted to hear.

"Fire and destruction! I'm mad," Lyle breathed through grit teeth. "We're taking a longer route? I don't think my back can take any more of this rickety old wagon! And what's in here, anyway?!" The injured guardsman pushed at a small bag.
"Easy, Lyle," Karl warned. "Those are supplies. You wouldn't want to invoke the wrath of the higher-ups by damaging anything, now would you? They could take your reward."
"Or...your...head..." Gaheris warned, voice coming out slower due to his own struggle with the travel. Dented and scratched as his armor was, it was clear that Gaheris was still good to go...if not only a little tired from all the running.

"We can slow down, I think I see the main group just a little ahead of us," Karl lightly tugged on the reins to slow his wolfhorse to a trot. The mounts, grateful to have gotten a chance to catch their breath after all the galloping, slowed.
Lyle frowned as he leaned back in the wagon.
"Now why would we deviate from our route? I had assumed the Guardians would have more faith in their planning."
"Word says that they've encountered some scouts who said that there was a large group of Darkborne blocking the initial route." Karl ran a hand through his blonde hair. "I'm not complaining. If it means getting out of any further trouble."

"Aye. Trust the word of a few scouts in the forest." Lyle frowned. "People are too open nowadays. See, they'll lead us all down a dark, winding path and slaughter us all."
"Well, which opponent do you prefer taking out, Lyle?" Karl scowled at his comrade. "Darkborne or people?"
"Think of it, Karl. A bunch of scouts sitting in the forest where an artifact supposedly lies," Lyle hissed. "We can't possibly be the only ones with this information. It's too convenient and word spreads like wildfire in this country."
"We can't ever be too cautious." Karl spoke sternly. "And besides, we're not the ones calling the shots."

As the group proceeded deeper still into the forest, Karl felt his wolfhorse starting to slow a little. Gaheris, usually content with walking alongside them, suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
"Agramar? What's wrong?"
Gaheris remained silent, looking around himself. Karl glanced down at his mount and dug his heels into its sides to spur it on.
"The mounts are getting a bit spooked," Lyle spoke up, voice taking on a serious tone. "There's something wrong here."

Gaheris swung his greatsword onto his shoulder. Lyle straightened up in his seat and grabbed at the handle of his spear, looking around. Karl breathed.
"We have to catch up with the main convoy soon," He frowned. "Who knows what dangers lie hidden behind these trees."

"All...strange things..." Gaheris's broken, rumbling voice drew the two's attention. "...come...from the forest," The giant completed, before falling silent.

The way he said it felt all too ominous.

 

[Vyseryx]

Margot

To get her thoughts off the many worries the sorceress had, she decided to put her mind and hands to work. From the oak the group had passed by, the woman had broken off a branch, nearly as long as she was tall. With help of a knife and a little bit of magic Margot quickly got rid of outgrowths and bark, making the soon-to-be walking stick smooth and then dried the wood with a spell.

For the past hours, sorceress was enchanting the piece of wood with as much of magical upgrades as she had time and skills to create. The staff became harder to break, resistant to fire and water and, most importantly, it was fine-tuned to serve as a sort of mana reservoir. It was small and not functioning as well as the sorceress would wish for; Margot damned herself for not preparing the item in advance – makeshift walking stick would serve its purpose, but confronted with Darkborne, the mage would prefer to wield a Staff with capital ‘s’.

Finishing her chants, Margot listened to the conversation between Jericho and the leader of a pack of imperial soldiers, who were apparently waiting to intercept their group. The situation made sorceress raise her brows, but for now she decided to follow Jericho’s lead.

As she listened to soldiers’ banter a little frown appeared on Margot’s face. She let her Wolfhorse got slightly away from Jericho’s before her fingers formed a Mind Circle discretely, pointing it in group leader’s direction.

‘Audaton.’ She asked him directly through thoughts. ‘Have you been informed about that… escort… of ours? As far as I can recall we haven’t been contacted about that with neither magic, nor in any other means. I may be overthinking this, but I don’t like that sudden change of plans.’

Kabboom

 

[Kabboom]

Jericho

'Have you been informed about that...escort… of ours? As far as I can recall we haven’t been contacted about that with neither magic, nor in any other means. I may be overthinking this, but I don’t like that sudden change of plans.’ A voice spoke inside his head that was strangely devoid of any echo that would normally be present in the forest, nor was it muffled by the winds and the noise of the convoy. Jericho confusingly looked around, in search of the voice's source to no avail, and only found the Sorceress slightly raising her fingers to form some kind of magic spell. Pulling slightly on the reins of his Wolfhorse, Jericho got further away from the trio of guardsmen he was tailing, and begun formulating words, audible only within his mind.

'Neither do I, Lagarde. Neither do I. But they do have a point; the nature of the Darkwoods is fickle, everchanging. Better to take on a potential bandit gang, than to take on Darkborne.' He glanced around, looking at the faces of the guardsmen around him. Their stiff facial expressions have relaxed, giving way to a more casual demeanor, with some jokes and small petty conversations sparking up now and there. 'And besides, if we are to take these... soldiers' words seriously, we could do with a bit more rest before combat. Do not worry too much, Archmage. I only demand one thing from you; be prepared to fight. Not only to defend yourself, but to defend everyone else around you.'

Hastening his pace with a slight flick of his reins, Audaton moved to the front of the convoy, and turned back to the group. "Let's get a move on, lads. It's getting dark soon. Keep your eyes peeled, and do not let your guard down." The guardsmen straightened themselves out, hushing each other, as the group's pace increased a bit, with drivers giving an extra light whip or two onto the behinds of their workhorses, and the creaking in the wagon's wheels becoming just a bit more audible, grinding at everyone's ears and psyche. The Darkwoods' outlook has darkened slightly since they first entered the forest's territory, its formerly green and luscious flora giving way to increasingly darkened leaves and branches, with ashen substances covering the ground, mixed in with the multitude of pitch black leaves.

The sun dims itself quickly underneath the shades of the Eldritch Forest, lowering to a blistering red gaze soon enough, making everyone in the convoy squint and turn their faces to the left slightly, as to avoid the blinding stare of the fading sun, its orange-red beams broken up by the occasional passing tree. Soon enough, the star's fading flames die out, as it dips below the horizon, with only its orange-blueish hues visible in the sky. The Darkwoods now turns into something fitting of the nickname that frontier-dwellers give it: the Jungle of Nightmares. The canopies, at daytime serving as a much welcomed respite from the glaring noon sunlight, now becomes a choking ceiling, almost crushing down on the inhabitants like a ceiling falling down ever so slowly. The branches and leaves of ferns, bushes, hedges, oaks, pines alike, at daytime taking on a playful, lively green color, now turn to their sinister jet black nightly variants, and now, the effects of Darkness on the forest laid bare to the group. Hideous and wicked, it gnaws at even the most iron-willed of men. Thankfully for the convoy of Lightborne, Jericho's Clarity was keeping them safe.

Torches were lit as conditions further worsened, with the Imperial security detail, along with the scout detachment ahead, to conduct minimum lighting operations. One torch is lit at both the front and rear of the convoy, kept dim by holding it low to the ground, as the rear torch is tied to the iron tip of a spear, and the front torch is tied to the Magisteel blades of Jericho's halberd. Ahead, a dim flame held aloft into the air to keep the group on track, with one of the scouts being the torch-bearer. Finally, as the group nears a cavernous entrance of sorts, a hand raises to the orange light of the scouts' torch, signalling a stop. Clanus relays it to Jericho immediately. "We're here, sir."

Nodding slightly, the man turns to the bulk of the convoy. "Move up to the convoys. Set up for the night." Turning to the nearby horsemen from Vainlight, he continued. "We brought pebbles and stones. Show 'em what to do. Carefully, and thoroughly." He punctuated his last words strongly, as he reminisced of an unfortunate situation in his past. Newfound doubts clouded his mind, as the earlier arrival of a Giant and a duo of guardsmen, supposedly part of the security detail, had the group slightly on edge, but was prevented from escalating further, with the aid of Clarity.

And soon enough, the men set up camp, with the wagons forming a circle of sorts in the middle, with the men setting up bivouacs and dug-outs in the ground, the standard Imperial entrenching shovels finding relative difficulty with the gravelly dirt typically found at a cave's entrance. The hushed sounds of Imperial sergeants forcing their voices down to acceptable levels of order-barking, and the frustrated sounds of guardsmen running around smashing insects and rodents with pebbles echoed throughout the nearby bushes.

Jericho dismounted, just in time to see a campfire sparking in the middle of the wagon circle, along with a few other smaller fires being set up near the soldiers. In the distance, he could hear a few familiar voices bickering as usual. Turning, he found a most familiar duo of guardsmen, one with a spear, another with a saber. A young and naive voice cried out, belonging to Erik's.

"I don't get it. Why do we have to kill these things? What did they do to us? It doesn't sound right at all!" cried the man, his soft heart standing out to be a substantial obstacle in being a soldier. He held a handful of pebbles in his hand, but seemingly unwilling to use them.

"It's simple, Erik." Kwelek stated, his shoulders shifting to get comfortable with his spear slung on his back, as he juggled a few pebbles absentmindedly in his left hand, tossing them up and down. "The Darkborne are attracted to Light, right? Us, in other terms. And seeing as the Darkborne are utter bastards, full of hate and destruction, we have to circle off your oh so noble heart with a ring of similar death and suffering, so that the Darkborne can't see us well."

"We still shouldn't harm these things! Don't we have ravens and crows for this? I read it in the Imperial Scoutsman's Manual that--" Erik tried to speak again, mustering up a weak defense against Kwelek.

"--That they have acquired a keen scent of Darkness due to being harbingers of death and shit, and so would mask our scent? Boy, there are still a few things you need to know. That only works when there are guardsmen awake to feel those emotions. When we're all asleep, what do you think would happen?" Kwelek interjected, pausing to raise his right hand with his thumb outstretched up to around his neck, and dragging it across the width of his throat. Erik nodded silently in defeat, as Kwelek dwells in his victory. "That's right. Now be a good boy and smash this rat dead."

Approaching Erik from behind, Jericho spoke up, pushing away the smug grin on Kwelek's face as he turns away in slight panic. "It's okay, Erik. It may be cruel, but trust me..." he looked around at the rest of the convoy, then looking back. "...if we don't do this, then it'll be worse."

"Y-Yes, sir." Erik sighed. "I just wish it didn't have to be this cruel." he whispered. As Jericho walks towards the wagons, a slight squeal of a rat could be heard.

In his head, Jericho ran through the possibilities of this group surviving, for the thousandth time. The girl hidden in the wagon, how would he deal with her? Does she even know what she's diving into at all? The pair of Viles, can they be trusted to pull their weight? The Angel and the Demon, what shall he do with them? And the Incruscans too, can his Clarity be enough to stop them from lashing out at Maria? Speaking of non-humans, the Giant, Half-Giant and Inuin, can they perform well without the Empire's prejudices against their race? Maria too... can she depend on him? The guardsmen, do they trust him? These... forest outpost soldiers, how will they play their hand? Are they to be trusted... or to be eliminated?

SCSaya06 Trappy hostage Nightblade Soviet Panda Pilgrim59 Unwavering Knight Octo Girl Sybil Midrick CrowOuttaHell Aryasaurus QizPizza -robert- Vyseryx FTR D. Rex shadowz1995

 

[Sybil]

Spessartite Phos​

The rock maiden walked and walked, generally keeping to herself as she watched the surroundings and her small elf companion. The caretaking of the child had likely made her socially withdraw, seeing as now her mind was now focused on making sure she remembered that people needed things like water and food as well as sleep.

When they began to set up camp inside the forest, Phos was similarly disgusted by the barbarism, but she turned a blind eye and covered the child’s ears to the squeaks of pain. A necessary sacrifice to save more lives, that is what she would tell herself.

As they finalized the set up, the mineral maiden would set up near the outskirts of it, taking up a guard duty seeing as her resting state allowed her to keep watch as well. As she stood there, she swore she could hear whispers, faint yet persistent etchings of sound against her ears that gnawed at the recesses of her brain. As of now? It did not bother her more than a mosquito bite, but it drove her to seek some sort of social interaction. Her head swiveled, looking to find someone to converse with.

-robert- Kabboom Anyone who wants to interact

 

[-robert-]

Leafa

It had been a long walk, Leafa was exhausted, all the wagons were full, so she was forced to travel by foot. When she heard that they would finally stop to rest she was very happy. Some men were conversing about death related stuff, but the young elf didn't catch much of it, as the rock made lady pressed her huge hands against her ears to the point of hurting, blocking any kind of sound. What the lady did was considered an extreme lack of respect towards her by her tribe's rules, or any tribe's rule, the ears were sacred, an harming them was disrespect at the highest of levels. But Leafa did not complain, the lady was her friend, and she didn't want to make her sad. Much to Leafa's content the camp was set quickly, she couldn't wait to lay down and fall asleep.

"Hey Ko, are you ok up there?", the butterfly flew up, and returned to the flower on Leafa's hair. "Hehe! Good!"

The young elf spotted the rock made lady on the outskirts of camp, sleepless as ever. She walked up to her.

Yawn "Hello lady! I have a question, why don't you sleep, like, at all? You're always awake, and you never seem tired! You have to teach me how you do it!"

Sybil

 

[Aryasaurus]

Hearthfall Season - Evening
Lunala
The Wagons, Darkwood​

• Reality Sequence
• Morrighan'nan
• Interacted / Mentioned

• 
  How long had it been? The young Oracle wondered this, but she wasn't entirely sure, perhaps guessing nine or ten hours and yet she couldn't help but wonder how much longer she would stay here. She stayed hidden, listening to passing conversations with a wistful sigh that silently escaped her lips and she carefully shifted onto her stomach. As she did this a large black python curled beneath the fabric coverings, golden symbols glowed upon its scaly hide, indicating that this serpent was not a normal kind. It seemed her guardian had manifested after all, and took the opportunity to comfort the young girl in her loneliness.
  
  A sharp snap of a twig caught Lunala's attention, breaking her gaze from Morighan'nan, the sound wasn't too odd, however she felt unsettled by it. The wagons had now stopped, and she overheard someone mentioning that they would be camping in this place for the night, however she doubted there would be much relaxation as an overwhelming feeling of dread came over her. Lunala slowly sat up, carefully shifting the tarpaulin to the side to attempt hearing the sounds much clearer, unknowing of anything but the whispers of warnings ushered to her...
  
• 
  
  Morrighan'nan Glacial Spirit Messenger of God;
  takes the form of many creatures, such as a wolf, owl, fox, snake and cat.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  
  Interacted: N/A
  
  Mentioned: Kabboom
  
  

 

[QizPizza]

Audun the Fallen

Location: The Dark Forest
Status: Mildly Tired/On Edge
Disposition: Slightly Good
Interacting With: Soviet Panda
Mentioned: Vyseryx Kabboom Aryasaurus

The trek through the darken forest bothered Audun a bit more than usual. Normally there was little to fear for the Nephilim and his Hellion companion. His Dark tainted nature granted him a sort of camouflage against Darkborne senses and Taryn normally flew, so there would be less Darkborne to deal with. However, travelling with such a large and unpredictable group meant that the possibility of Darkborne attacks was far great. Luckily, the group reached their destination without much trouble, even though the guardsmen that met the group appeared to have a strange air about them. Audun wasn't able to pinpoint what it was about them, but certain members of the group gave off feelings of distrust, like Jericho and Margot. This too was hard to pinpoint, which was most likely the work of someone's ability.

Audun brushed these thoughts aside once the caravan began to set up for the night. While the soldiers went on to kill the various vermin around the camp with their pebbles, Audun and Taryn walked a small distance past the perimeter of the camp. "Hand me Daemos, Taryn."

"Are you slitting your wrists again? Some people take that as a sign of concern." Taryn made her quip as she took off the necklace hanging from her neck and tossed it to Audun. Silently he took used the shrunken magical lance dangling from the necklace to make an incision in his arm. He let his tainted blood drip onto the pebbles he gathered and once they were adequately soaked, he left them at various points around the camp before returning.

"Thank you. You mind going to find a place at the edge of the camp where we can be alone for the night? I'm going to speak to Tenet and Alma."

"Don't worry, go find your friends and I'll take care of our sleeping arrangements." The Hellion used some of her magic and expanded her lance to the size of a broadheaded spear, somewhat like a shovel. "Oh, And I'll be needing your cloak if you don't want to sleep on rocks the entire night."

"Just don't lose my belongings." Audun handed her his canvas bag and his own lance, keeping his sword at hand. Once Taryn began walking away, Audun returned to the centre of the camp, taking in the forest around them and the cave in front. Neither bode well with the paladin. Caves could easily hide a group of bandits and the forest lent itself to ambushes far too well. However, this was not the worse environment they could be in. A canyon offered no place to run and few options for retaliation, while a marsh obscured vision, and drastically slowed down the movement of troops. While not the most ideal place to take shelter, the clearing outside the cave would suffice.

Entering the camp, there was minimal commotion, unlike the various war camps Audun had seen before. The soldiers all spoke in hushed tones, with the occasionally shout or laugh penetrating the air. As he passed a wagon. In the corner of his eye, the tarp shifted. His helmet may have obscured his view a bit, but he could've sworn that there was someone under the tarp. "A stowaway perhaps? But who in their right mind would join a group of Guardians? Agh... None of my concern. As long as they don't put themselves in danger, it doesn't involve me." With his eyes on the tarp, he did notice the Inuin in front of him and bumped into the half giant. The Inuin was only slightly taller than Audun himself and possessed moderately long fangs. "I apologize. I was not paying attention..." In the middle of speaking, he realized that he saw no other Inuin in the group. Having experience fighting with and against the elf-giant hybrids, he knew they always fought in pairs or small groups. "You do not have a partner, do you? I haven't seen another Inuin in our group, and you always come in pairs."

 

[Midrick]

After walking the grounds of the camp, Pat felt off, the oppressive nature of the forest didn't bother him. The fact that he felt fine in the suffocating curtain of darkness that the forest produced left an unsettling feeling in his stomach. At the least he should have been on edge or anxious, he just chalked it up to Jericho, the leader of the expeditions, ability. After seeing a squeamish man killing a rat, he surveyed the rest of the men in the camp. He looked around the camp and found a surprising item in one of the supply wagons, a guitar. After looking around at the dour mood of the men. He realized how much he had changed over the course of three years. He sat down in front of one of the campfires. He had removed most of his gauntlets, as it made percision movements very hard. He sat down by the central camp fire and tried to remember and old song he learned back when he was young. he began playing the guitar softly tuning it and testing the strings, maybe just doing it to practice, but really he was doing t to lift the spirits of the men. He hadn't touched an instrument or sang since his transformation into what he was. After he had gotten the guitar to sound they way he wanted, he began playing the opening chords and began singing.



Kabboom Trappy QizPizza Sybil -robert- Vyseryx Octo Girl

 

[Unwavering Knight]

Pryonn & Kaatl

"Ah, very well then..." the knight relented, turning down the volume of his voice as he saw the shadowy frames inch away in perceived self-defense, the Seraphim rushing to their prospective aid. Turning to the towering Paladin, the knight addressed the angel with only slightly diminished enthusiasm "Some questions I would have for these shade-born, do ask them if you find their willingness: For one, their age. For another, how many years they might expect to live, supposing a natural lifespan." Tilting his helmeted head, he added with a slight twinge of wistfulness "Let them know before long: To be cradled in the dark needs not be a lonesome song."

QizPizza - addressed before timeskip

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

As the convoy's trekking passed into late day and the forest's ever darkening heart, the knight, seemingly untouched by the doom and gloom pressing ever more upon the caravan's passengers, busied himself with searching for his heart's desire. Spotting the waving of a nimble hand, Pryonn quickly found her upon one of the wagons, bundled up with her ears and tail perked up, possibly to alert her for approaching figures. The sight set his heart alight, so beatific was her form to his visored eyes, causing him to utter "O Lady of mine! Your form within this sea of darkened pine is just like a diamond's shine!" Tilting his helmeted head, he continued with cheer "A question, if I may: How are you on this wondrous day?"

CombatReadyPenny

 

[Pilgrim59]

Hearthfall Season - Nightfall
Sashi
Convoy Vanguard, Darkwood​

• 1. Reality Sequence
• Interacted / Mentioned

• 
  The starry horizon would outshine much of the convoy's campfires, with its marine stretch dotted by colorful sparks of the distant sky. From the clearing's side, Sashi reveled in the sight of the Creator's brush as they painted the sky with vivid hues of vibrant luminosity, while the shades of the dark forest ensnared its inhabitants with sentiments of mystique and intrigues. Purple shades of cosmic dissolve would be interlaced by the woven silks of shooting star. A sigh would break the singing chorus of the nightfall cedars, as a figure emerged from the shadows of the forest. Having finished his puff, Boar extinguished the embers from his pipe, along with what is left of the burnt-out Eirubis*. Waving at his squad members, the man would take a dive from the oak tree and called out to them.
  
  "Smoking lamps' out!*" he said towards Rook, whose gauntlets tapped against his breastplate towards the other side of the treeline.
  
  "Smoking lamps' are out!" Rook repeated towards Reverend and Hammer in the background, to which they would give a thumbs up.
  
  Sashi would do the same, drowning out the small fire beneath her gaiter boots, before settling down next to Hiker. Their eyes met with a certain distance of formal politeness, as the druid opened up to her peer.
  
  "I've always reserved my curiosity, but I must ponder, as to why your names are far from that of an Imperial."
  
  "Here in the frontier, we don't care about your name sake, druid. Boar here, got his when he single-handedly took down a boar by himself. As for the rest of us, well, you get the idea. What comes to our eyes, meet the slip of our tongues. Its easier that way, since no one's gonna remember what damn family you're from." Hiker replied, with a bit of remorse in his words.
  
  The druid studied Hiker's shy eyes, as he bottled up his emotions within the darkness. From what she can tell, there are certain things one cannot express in words, one of which she had done herself. The Tsarina folded her legs, as she tucked herself above the fallen log, beside the immaculate pile of metal scraps that she had cleaned earlier. Boar would take a walk, leaving Rook to salvage what he can from the pile.
  
  "Those clean metal scraps you brushed, we got somethin' for that. Appreciate it, Druid. Saint March knows, maybe you're worth something after all."
  
  "I'll do my bits, don't you worry."
  
  "Good, 'cause then we won't have to babysit ya, princess of the woods."
  
  "Ain't that right, Rook. Hell, since we've got time to spare, here's our Testaments*. Maybe it'll help ya, maybe it won't. Somethin' to kill the time." Hiker said, as he tossed a small book at the druid.
  
  "Alright that's enough, fellas. She's done good by the Lord's will to be here with us. Come on, get some chow, I've got the watch."
  
  "Aye aye, Rev. Come on Rook, let us away." Hiker noted the Reverend's presence, as he took a walk with Rook to the far side of the treeline for some food and water.
  
  "We don't eat together, as much as we'd like to. Its bad omen to have our last supper before being eaten by the Deebs* ourselves. Anyways. Don't listen to the heathens and let ya astray. They're good kids, druid, just gotta give 'em time, 's all." Reverend said softly, as he offered Sashi his share of dried jerky.
  
  The druid smiled, as the two conversed beneath the oak tree. Taking a few bites, before watering it down with some water from her canteen, Sashi gradually learned at the the end of her meal of Reverend's origin. Reverend in turn, learned of Sashi's skills in the field, some of which he was intrigued enough to be put in a personal rapture, as he attend to her words with care. She could see it in his sturdy hands, as he folded his field cap, letting his long brown hair flowed beneath his shoulders. The man was an ardent patriot. His selflessness had put him in the frontlines, but little did he knew that his time at the Pyphorian University was no less a hoax. Recounting his tales in the capital, the druid learned that the naive student of the Empire was no less a victim of his own country's fault. He was as bright as any other young men and women of his kind, yet he fell prey to his peers of nobility. A fate that befell the lower classes of the Light world, of all humanity as seen through the eyes of the druid. Yet she reserved her words, and followed through with her words of comfort towards the Reverend.
  
  "... the strong stays of their own accord, Reverend. Of those that remained, only the Lord's chosen stepped forward in the face of opposing verdicts."
  
  "Victris chapter ten, verse twelve. How impressive of you to know the Lord's Guide."
  
  "The studious are repaid by the seeds they sow, Reverend. It is always beneficial to be receptive of other worships."
  
  "Indeed. Come, fair Druid, get ya some shut-eyes, before Boar comes back from his walk."
  
  The druid leaned back against the oak, and closed her eyes. A few chatter would follow between Reverend and returning duo, as they take their seats and catch the night's wind. Hammer approached the group, casting his war hammer against the rickshaw, before dismantling a few scraps of woods and steel sheets.
  
  "More scraps eh? I don't think our mana dust can accommodate the extra scraps." Reverend stated, as he rubbed his hair back in thought.
  
  "Oh no, those are for me, Reverend." Hiker exclaimed, as he scurry towards Hammer, giving a thumbs up for his work.
  
  "For... Edela*?" Reverend asked.
  
  "For Edela." Hiker turned around, breaking a smile, as he and Rook got started on their little project.
  
  "Rook can handle the boards. But what about the strings? Don't we need someone whose knowledgeable about alchemy enough to craft those?"
  
  Briefly looking over his shoulder, Reverend chuckled as he looked at Rook with a solution that is written on his face, alongside Hammer's light grunt.
  
  "I know just the lady."
  
  "O' hell naw..."
  
  
  
  Translation Notes
  1. Eirubis: A common plant, prepared via curing for smoking. A tobacco counterpart in Fading Flames universe.
  2. Smoking lamps out: An indication of reducing light signatures within the area of operation, in an effort to minimize their presence from the Darkbornes. A common practice of the Imperial scouts team in the Darkwoods.
  3. Testaments/Tests: Scout's slang for the Imperial Scoutsman Manual. Its contents reflects on the conduct of a pathfinder's actions, geographical contexts, field indexes and survival knowledge.
  4. Deebs/Deebies: Compressed pejorative term for DarkBornes (DB) used by those on the frontline.
  4. Edela: A little project for passive RP. ICly planned by Hiker and Rook to keep the team lifted. Easy to guess, but it won't come into action... yet
  
  OOC:
  N/A
  
• 
  
  Interacted: N/A
  
  Mentioned: N/A
  
  

 

[Octo Girl]

Terra blushed as Pryonn spoke. She hid her fave in her legs as she spoke to hide her blush. "That's the cheesiest line I have ever heard..." she said as she looked towards the front. "If you must know, i'm fine. I am just waiting to see if we come across the thief outpost around here.

Terra could barely control her emotions around Pryonn. She still wasn't over him carrying her back in town. That was sort of the reason she was on the wagon in the first place, not him carrying her, but what happened in town. Her legs were still hurting like the sun had burn them to the bone. She could walk but she wouldn't if she didn't have to. "Hey Pryonn... Can you pass me some stones? Little ones, but not pebbles." she asked. She was going to try and get a healing or a water crystal.

Unwavering Knight

 

[CrowOuttaHell]

Imperial Guardsmen

After a long, arduous travel- and more complaints from the wolfhorses- their small group had finally caught up. Even as night settled and the news of camping out finally reached them, all three could not find it in themselves to rest easy.

"That man, Audaton, was it?" Lyle brought up, after having heard some of the guardsman speaking about the assigned leader of the group. "Doesn't seem like the higher-ups trust us." He murmured as he stared down at the pebbles in his hand. Karl shook his head. "I wouldn't fault them. Last night must have gotten on everyone's nerves."

"It's sure to have gotten on mine," Lyle said sourly. "And this journey isn't helping."

"It's the darkness, Lyle," Karl sighed. "Your mind is more active, more imaginative in the dark. We could simply be hearing and seeing things."

"You've forgotten that Darkborne clearly thrive in the dark, Karl," Lyle argued. "Every moment we stay still with our guards down brings them one step closer to us."

"And every step we take leads us further into the dark of this forest," Karl snarled. "Really, Lyle- we're not safe here whether we're moving or not. Better to conserve our strength and travel again in the day, where it's safer."

In his annoyance, Lyle easily smashed an insect with one of the stones.

"Agramar," Lyle moved to speak to their third member. "How are you holding up there?"

Gaheris stayed silent. The armoured giant sat, almost as still as a statue, as a rat struggled in his right hand.

"All you have to do is smash it." Karl explained, and then frowned. "I thought that was a survival skill most knew--?"

"Oh, you have no idea how many people can still hold on to their pure souls even in a time like this," Lyle frowned. "Agramar, are you one of them?"

The giant stayed silent- and closed his fist in a quick movement. The faint squeal of a rat dying could be heard before he dropped the corpse. Lyle nodded in satisfaction, though...Gaheris didn't seem to have particularly liked performing the action.

Staring at the blood on his gauntlet, Gaheris seemed to freeze.

Every living being seemed to be cruel by nature, he realized. Especially people.
He killed a random rodent just lying around to ensure that they were safe for the night. The same way people would kill giants like him due to a misconception. The same way people would take slaves just for their own benefit. The thought of it made him sick, freezing him to the bone.

But perhaps death was a better fate for his fellow slaves in the market.

Gaheris stood slowly. "I'll...be back..." He rumbled. He needed to clear his head somehow. As he walked away, Karl and Lyle glanced at one another.

"So, I'm guessing our giant friend is the type who can smash an insect but not a rat." Karl sighed. Lyle frowned. "Seems like it..."

Mentioned: Kabboom

Interacted: SCSaya06


Gaheris Agramar

Gaheris trailed along the encampment. When morning came they'd pack up and be on the move again, but for now, everyone seemed to be settling down. Guardsmen like Karl and Lyle gathered in their own little groups, talking amongst each other, smashing insects and rodents and whatnot.

There was a strange man playing a guitar, but music wasn't in Gaheris's top interests. Before long though, he heard someone calling him.

"Hey! Hey, you! You big lug!"

Gaheris turned to the sound of one of the guardsmen yelling at him. Typical.

"Giant! Go fix this," Someone heaved a wooden wheel- from one of the wagons- at him. "It got damaged while journeying. Get to work!"

Gaheris clutched it with his good hand. He had left his greatsword with Karl and Lyle and their...new companions, but receiving orders like this from other people was commonplace already. The extreme prejudice towards giants and the fact that half the time, they were found in slave markets was already sinking that fact in.

He'd know all too well.

Nevertheless he sat down near one of the wagons and inspected the damaged wheel. From out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw the tarpaulin of the wagon he was sitting by at shift...was his mind just playing tricks on him?

Mentioned: Aryasaurus

 

[Trappy]

Hearthfall Season - Nightfall
Maria
The Wagons, Darkwoods​

• Reality Sequence
• Interacted / Mentioned

• 
  
  As the convoy of careful eyes ventured deeper into the Darkwood, the cheeky rays of sunlight that've been naughtily peeking through the dense obstacles, clinging onto every leaves and heavy branches, had been snuffed out. The sky above them shifted through an artistic influx of colours, before settling with a calm theme that soon enveloped all things. The guardian raised her head, and her blue eyes were seemingly brightened as they were met with a familiar view. A starry horizon, like an ever-stretching mat of top-quality obsidian uncontrollably covered in thousands and millions of glittering precious crystals. The starry night sky was a brilliant painting, everything bigger and brighter, blurred in the most fantastic way. Just gazing at the overwhelming canvass of darkness, decorated by a billion flicking jewels above stole every thought from Maria's mind, the usual carousel of worries simply forgotten, and the most-rational concerns for the expedition virtually banished from her mental picture.
  
  There was the heavenly stars above; what else was there to know about? -
  
  - at least that'd be what the young girl has accepted, had the trees surrounding her were those of the woods of Drakefort. As the night illustrated the ever-so-majestic sky above her head, the uneasy feelings that've been developing in the Darkwood's atmosphere suddenly felt amplified. Soon, the convoy came to a halt, as its inhabitants began to hop off their mounts and prepared to camp for the night near a sort-of cavernous mouth, as suggested by the outpost soldiers they've encountered earlier. On Maria's part, she was never the type to give away her trust easily, and these soldiers certainly had something sketchy about them, although the guardian could not precisely pinpoint what it was. And so she decided to not bring anything reckless up to her superior yet, but something told her they shared the same feeling about these men anyway.
  
  Maria sure considered the uneasy feelings she gave off around her companions of other species, and since they could not afford infighting now that they've made their way into hostile territory, the girl decided to keep a distance away from where the bulk of the convoy had settled down. Walking her Wolfhorse away from the wagons, Maria found herself a nice spot against a pine tree. This distance meant that the Incruscans and elves could enjoy their night without her presence, while at the same time she would have enough time to rally up with others if a situation was to befall them. Satisfied with the spot and the peace she'd found, Maria begun setting up her sleeping bag, unconsciously humming a folk tune of her homeland.
  
  As she was getting comfy in the sleeping bag made of sheepskin, with a half-emptied bottle of ale by her side and staring up to nature's masterpiece that is the starry sky revealing itself in an almost cloudless night. Looking back at the camp, something caught her eyes. It looked like some guardsmen were moving about near the wagons, in a manner as if they were trying not to be seen - though that could've been her imagination. Suddenly, the sharp crunch of a breaking twig caught her attention. The guardian's eyes snapped towards the origin of the sudden noise to find an intruder in the form of an Imperial guardsman. Beneath the cold helms, their blue eyes met, and in his eyes she saw surprise, nervousness, and excitement.
  
  "H-Hey! It's really you! You're Maria Theodosiel - The youngest daughter of King Aurelio!"
  
  Looking back, Maria secretly wished in her heart that she had simply said "No, she's dead." - Or something of the sort, and scare the young man away. But instead:
  
  "And who's asking?" The guardian spoke up, eyes scanning this uninvited guest.
  
  "Oh yes, my name is Cornelius, I-" At this point, the guardsman before her seemed to be struggling to continue his 'introduction', instead giving her one of the most awkward smile Maria would ever see in her life. However, his name did catch her attention, for it was a Regalian name. Relaxing the hand that was ready to reach for the shortsword, Maria sat up on the sheepskin, and she fired at the nervous young man.
  
  "Why are you here then, guardsman?! Direct orders from commander Audaton was that you are to camp near our wagons to mount defence when required!"
  
  Quickly fixing his stance to attention, Cornelius muttered, seemingly trying his best to find words.
  
  "I'm- Apologies, my Lady! I-I recognised you earlier in Frontierville, but I never had the chance to speak to you." The man chuckled, but he quickly fixed himself again, and continued, this time looking straight into her eyes. "General, I really never expected to see you again! I served under you during the Eastern Reconquests and the Nouvocelli* Campaign . . ."
  
  And words escaped his mouth, words that really caught Maria by surprise. Same to him, she must admit she did not expect to run into one of her Legionnaires. Certainly not in a place like this. And with these thoughts, came a sense of guilt in Maria's mind. Come to think of it, she had never thought much about her Legions after her arrest, formulated by the Guardians and her father. On that day, the Legions were disbanded, and she never once thought about what might've became of them, the valiant men and women who walked through hell and back by her side. Perhaps she was always too proud and arrogant to pay those under her any mind? Was this right?
  
  The man continued.
  
  "I-I only wanted to see if it was really you, my Lady. I really meant no disrespect . . . !"
  
  "It's fine, Cornelius. We can have some chat, I have some things to ask you, anyway." If she never bothered to think about her former comrades so far, let her learn about them now. The guardian voiced her reply after a moment of contemplation, before sitting up to prepare another blanket by her sheepskin. "I have some ale we can share."
  
  
  Translation Notes
  +Nouvocelli : A large island off the Western coast of Regalia that was, up until recently, divided between small dukedoms and earldoms. Regalians, under the leadership of Maria Theodosiel ( stated in character bio) successfully subjugated the island's inhabitants and brought the island under Regalian administration.
  
  
• 
  Interacted: none
  Mentioned: Kabboom , elves and incruscans
  

 

[Sybil]

Spessartite Phos​

The elemental was pleased to see the small elf walk up to her, even if it was to ask a silly question like they did. She swiveled around and smiled at the elf, squatting down to look her in the eyes as she patted her head.
"Well, ya see I jus' don' sleep! Na my body jus' like a plant, n' plants don't need no rest do they?" Her grammar may need some work, but hopefully, the small child got the message despite her garbled word salad. Just then the guitar would start strumming, a curious tune popping up and soothing the living statue. Was it the forest making her tense? Something felt... off. She always had an uncanny sense of dark ever since her rebirth, working like a sonar where she would passively or actively send small waves of light to detect them almost like an insect using vibrations. Ever since leaving the town she swears she could sense darkborne, but was it simply the dark-soaked woods?.... Or was there a corrupted among them? How would this hinder her mission? The damage could be incomprehensible when dealing with an artifact that they were pursuing.

".....'ey little one.... you notice 'nything strange? People mutterin to themselves a lot or doin shady stuff round camp?"

-robert-
Mentions: Midrick

 

[-robert-]

Leafa

The young elf was taken back from the lady's response, how could someone not sleep at all? She had to sleep, and her parents had to sleep as well, how could the lady be any different? She was about to start bombarding the lady with a million questions, but she was cut off before she could say a word.

".....'ey little one.... you notice 'nything strange? People mutterin to themselves a lot or doin shady stuff round camp?"

"Huh? Uhm, no, not really... actually, now that you mention it-"

Leafa's ears twitched as she heard a strong male voice, singing to a beautiful tune; she turned around to see a man, sitting next to a campfire, with a strange wood-made object in hand. Delighted by the music, the young elf left the lady's side to sit next to the man. He was lost in the music, and didn't notice the aproach of the girl. Leafa put on her brightest smile.

"Woooww... your voice is beautiful! And that thing, whatever it is, does beautiful music too!"

Sybil Midrick

 

[Soviet Panda]

Buras was not paying attention himself, wondering why they were setting camp outside of a cave instead of venturing into it and seeing if they could make one in it instead. So when a winged creature that was not an Incurscan, who was almost as tall as he though quite a bit lighter, bumped into him from the rear, Buras took a step forward to steady himself. Turning around expecting a fight, he was surprised to see the winged being as startled as he. And going a step further, he even asked about Buras being the only Inuin of the group.

"You are not wrong," he growled around his enlarged canines, tilting his head up to clearly look down on this stranger that touched upon the topic of him not having a battle partner. "None were taken with me," he further explained to the other. He turned briefly towards the sound of music, but growls disdainfully at it and turns back to the winged being. Clearly he was not a fan of the kind of music the man was singing. "I have not seen your kind before. You are not Incurscan." Buras stated this simply, expecting an answer to t he unspoken question.
(( QizPizza ))

 

[QizPizza]

Audun the Fallen

Location: Dark Forest
Status: Mildly Tired/On Edge
Disposition: Generally Good
Interacting With: Soviet Panda
Mentioned:

"None were taken with me..."

"That is unfortunate...no one should have to be alone. I hope that you find someone that can be your partner," Audun would never wish loneliness upon anyone, but he wouldn't make the effort to reach out to everyone. People like himself needed to be alone, in the advent that they lose control and hurt others. The armored man with the ax from earlier had taken up a guitar and began to play music. The half giant began growling at the music. Audun didn't care for it either, but the half-giant seemed to hold a particular for it. "You don't like the music?"

"I have not seen your kind before. You are not Incurscan."

The Inuin was observant, Audun will give him that. However, Audun hesitated to reveal his race. It was something of a sensitive matter. The Nephilim did not want to say "Seraph," as it falsely described his situation, and even more so: it would be a searing reminder of what he has lost and what he cannot proudly claim to be until he redeemed himself. He would not say Nephilim either, as the term has gained negative connotations where ever he went. Nephilim were known as corrupted monsters that abandoned their position as "pure" Seraphs for the sake of worldly things like pleasure, power and fame. "You are observant, Inuin. I am indeed not an Incruscan. I am...an Angel, though not exactly like the ones from the human stories. My name is Audun, what is yours, friend?"