Fantasy Fading Flame (In Character)

[Aryasaurus]

~Lunala~
Location: Outside the Town Hall
Tagging: Trappy Kabboom ​

"Shouldn't you be going over there?" Lunala asked the Dullahan innocently. "My fa- ...the Chaplain... should be addressing the Guardians soon. You seem like one of them, shouldn't you be going with them?"

The more severe injuries had been dealt with now, leaving the rest to the healing aura for the time being. Lunala smiled softly, enjoying her moment of freedom and feeling of usefulness. In their time, Lunala had learned the Dullahan's name was Aoibhín - though she was often just addressed as Eevie. She liked both the names, and so indecisively switched between the two.

'She's right,' Eevie mentally sighed as she stood up, the girl watched her with those gorgeous teal eyes that made her feel envious. Though Eevie moved and picked up her head, cradling it in her arms, and bowing politely, before jogging towards the town hall.

After watching Eevie leave, Lunala got to her feet a followed carefully after her. She felt compelled to hear what it was that her father had, indeed, come to say - after all, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and even if she did risk being caught and sent back home, she had to know what it was that was happening. Tip-toeing low along the outside of the building, Lunala stopped by a window, and kneeled down. She kept quiet, peaking in to see what was going on.

 

[FTR]

Hadrian Arcadius​

Hadrian had only just arrived at the township. His journey had started on horseback but ended in a march to this, Frontierville. This had been the result of the gamble of electing to take a possibly corrupted horse and save everyone else the headache.

The place was quaint, or something like that. He couldn't rightly tell beyond the residual carnage as he walked the streets. Truth was, he wasn't all that happy to be there and he wasn't a fan of trade towns. He would have much rather stay on the front, in the fight.

This “assignment” didn't sit well with him either. Reconnaissance, exploration, a joke he'd thought. What kind of reconnaissance could be made on the darklings? The things were beasts, savages they made elves look sophisticated. Anything we need to learn of them could be done from the air, by the appropriate troops. Positioning, direction, movement, all more easily discernible from an eye in the sky. He’d felt wasted on this trip.

The state of the town did well to challenge that sentiment. This battle was won, but just narrowly. Grip around his weapons tightened some, small glint of energy radiating from him, as he took in the sights. Most citizens recognized him, the positivity disturbed him. He felt his story was not one of inspiration. Hadrian acknowledged them as he moved along, helping if they asked.

Truth be told there was little he could do for them now, few reached out to him past recognition. Perhaps they could tell that as well, perhaps his imposing visage told them he wasn't there as part of a relief effort. The Cassis Crista was hardly an inviting helm, both in appearance and symbolism.

Upon reaching the town hall, Hadrian stood outside briefly. The architecture rang of the Empire, the damage left it in shambles. This all felt very messy, almost mishandled.

He entered, armor clanking, footsteps heavy and voice silent. He was an outsider, few faces he recognized and of those he did, none of them deemed necessary to talk to. The only person he'd felt like acknowledging at all was the young, Regalian princess-general, Maria Theodosiel. He'd heard of her, before his sentence, having been conquering territories for the emergent Kingdom while he worked to reassimilate the Empire and fight the Darkborne. He admired her resolve, she was a woman after his own heart. Though, he'd remembered joking about her qualifications and needing to be reminded to thank her for making the kingdom bigger before it was conquered, implying the inevitability of the Empire's unification and subsequent expansion, to a table of his leadership. A dream far from his control now, but long from dead. He was a conqueror, no more.

Hadrian saluted her traditionally, the Empire's salute was meant to address her rank and subvert Regalia's independence. Force of habit. In his eyes, any autonomy was fleeting in the wake of a unified Empire.

Release from condemnation was relatively recent, and all his time thus far had been spent dominating a distant front. As a result, most of these people were all but foreign to him and Hadrian moved passed them, having never been one for pleasantries anyway. He stood facing forward a few places away from a half breed, or this particular case a three-quarter breed. Incruscans, a race so varied he found it hard to decide whether he liked them or not.

The Centurion in him disliked the lax demeanor, after a battle no less, when the men should be at their most vigilant. Appearances matter, especially to those strewn across the floor, broken, beat and scarred. This was the first thing he'd noticed since becoming a “Guardian”; the ragtag nature of these units and their unorthodox hierarchy, they could very well be mistaken for mercenaries. It was a far cry from what he'd been hoping to return to.

“Speak with respect, boy.” Hadrian commented to Todd's remark to Maria.

D. Rex Kabboom Trappy

 

[Pilgrim59]

Hearthfall Season - Night
Sashi
Main Plaza, Frontierville

​

"I must disappoint you, for I am not Evie. The town hall should be situated across the street. Your weariness shall recover with time, I'm sure you already know." The druid drew a perplexed visage at the eldritch figure before extending her words.

There wasn't much left of the town left, let alone its humble beginnings. The cinders of the multitude of homes were now but trails of smokes, followed by a cool night breeze. Sashi was appreciative towards the pair of ancient race, as they were one of the few Guardians that she could definitely cope with. She reserved her feelings, knowing that making friends wasn't something she'd want to put up a facade for. On the contrary, fellowship dwells with time and fate, or so she thought. Seeing no harm for an introduction, the druid smiled charmingly and bowed, despite her visibly weary face.

"Sashin- .... Sashi, the Druid of Elbe Forest - at your service. By what name shall I refer to you two?"

Her sentence ended with a bellowing stomach growl. The druid chuckled lightly in embarrassment, dispelling her sword-mage impression of a strict warrior almost immediately. She caught onto Stink Breath's words earlier and could see their expressions to follow on it. She ran her fingers in between her cluttered silver hair, uttering a slightly reluctant tone in her words.

"Well... If there's anything else you require from me, just tap the nearest tree until it glows. For now... I must procure some sustenance."

Sashi would hang her shoulders low, eyeing the surrounding houses for shelter and supplies. She quickly noticed the presence of some familiar faces among the Imperial legions, their distinct features could not escape the druid's vigilant watch.

"Commander Audaton and Theodosiel." muttered Sashi under her faint breath.

She could tell from their battle-worn armor and their steel partners that rested in their hands. Every details of their curves, and every expressions that ran on their face had forced upon the white druid a certain sense of nostalgic endearment and restlessness. Her round eyes hid beneath its lashes, while she further the strays of dirt on her face, avoiding familiar reunions for the time being. Even with her hair grown long, it wouldn't be too long before they recognize her. But for now, there were more pressing matters at hand, and that was to satisfy her belly.


Interacted: billthesomething
Mentioned: Trappy Kabboom

 

[hostage]

Esta Faeven
The itching had ceased, leaving the Incruscan to mutter and swear rather profusely. Of course, she had gone through the process many times, but it was still a nuisance. She hated the effect it had on her, leaving her body fatigued and her beautiful scales dull. Esta slumped back into her corner, pulling her cloak back over her shoulders. The hushed mutters filling the room lulled her into a slight doze.

Of course, her rest could not go without interruption. The sound of the doors opening made her crack her slitted lids open. Esta tipped her head to the side as boots clacked on the floor. She pinpointed the sound, then studied the newcomer who walked in. The Incruscan wasn't tall, but he held himself with a surefire confidence coupled with a slight swagger in his gait. Two guns sat at his hips, their barrels glinting in the muted light of the hall. Then, in an unabashed voice, he asked a question.

"Alrighty then! When are we having this meeting I keep hearing about? I ain't to late, am I?", and a couple of seconds later, "Did Richy Crimson say anything yet, sweetheart?" The latter was directed at- Holy God's, it was damned Maria what's-her-name (No offense intended to you Trappy ). Esta got to her feet, immediately making for the cold blooded general. She had longed to be able to wrap her hands around the throat of the commander who had devoted time and effort to wiping out entire tribes of different species. The Red Swamp dwellers had even been distant cousins of hers, and Esta thirsted for revenge. Yet as fate would have it, her path was broken by yet another stranger.

This time, a fully armored beast of a man entered. His draping clanked with every step, making Esta cringe. Yet what made her own blood boil even more was the salute he gave to Maria. She dragged her nails across the hilt of her sword, caressing the grip with a firm hold as her muscles tensed, ready to spring. Just as she loosened the sword from the sheath, sliding it out with the soft slither of steel, the man spoke out, addressing the fox Incruscan and telling him to watch his mouth.

Without thinking, Esta stalked to the fox's side with a sneer on her face. Settling back on the balls of her feet, she smirked up at the armor clad warrior who had spoke. "And why should we respect her? I mean, a killer?" Esta spat out the words, wrinkling her nose slightly as she shot a look at Maria. A small scuffle would get her blood flowing rather nicely, despite her battle worn appearance. Again Esta spoke to the warrior, her contemptuous smirk entering her features again. "Someone like her deserves to be left to rot in the middle of the deepest, darkest forest. And I would love to do it myself." An undercurrent of rage and violence hissed in her words, although she forced herself to look prideful as she uttered the dark statement.

Mentioned/Interacting:
D. Rex Trappy Kabboom FTR​

 

[Kabboom]

Jericho
Sitting up with his back straight, Jericho took in the situation at hand. A room, with the roof partially missing due to the huge Ravager barrelling in during the previous fight, letting moon rays in, twinkling in the town hall's interior. A bulky, old gladiator walks in through the door, his armor pieces clinking with every step. “Speak with respect, boy.” he spoke to the Incruscan gunslinger.

Just after that, Audaton's ears pick up a series of low creaks coming out of the floorboards, as a certain sassy sword-wielding serpentine lady strode, or rather, slithered her way towards the group, eyes hinting violence and murder. Immediately coiling up near the fox-man, she hissed at the man. "And why should we respect her? I mean, a killer? Someone like her deserves to be left to rot in the middle of the deepest, darkest forest. And I would love to do it myself." With her last words ringing out clear to everyone's ears. Especially Maria's.

Thinking on his feet, he channeled his power, Clarity, and begins running it at maximum capacity, at least for the time being. He glanced at everyone, taking in the nuances of their faces, their body language, and most of all, their eyes. His arms slowly made their way downward on the Halberd's shaft, moving it to the midsection as he prepares for the worst, if his Clarity doesn't cut it.

hostage D. Rex FTR Trappy

 

[D. Rex]

Todd turned to look at the bearded man as he spoke, though he did find that he made the girl sputter to be quite amusing, regardless, his question was being answered. The Incruscan man nodded, "Ah, I see. Well-"

That was as far as he got to respond before another decided to interrupt things. A bucket headed soldier who apparently thought that he wasn't talking to someone in respect. Definitly the soldier type. Cliche inperialist.

Todd opened his snout to speak, before someone else interjected before he got the chance. This time it was one of the other incruscans he saw after walking in. The reptilian one. With the pretty scales. As she slicked up beside him (he place he appreciated her to be), it was quick to see that she had quite the fire in her. Todd liked that!

This woman though, the human one dredging up this controversy. He didn't recognize her face. But apparently she was someone pretty important. And he was more inclined to believe a fellow Incruscan regarding her nature than jughead over there.

But clearly she wasn't someone he should see in the best of light. Afterall, he'd place his bets with another incruscan over a human.


Yet what bothered him most here, was now that a weapon was drawn, his eyes caught the moment from the bearded man. Whose hand seemed to be making its way naturally to where it should in these cases.

Todds eyes went from the bearded man's hand, to meet him in the eyes. Todd rested his left to his side, while his right used the thumb to glide along his belt until his fingers brushed against the cold gunmetal instrument on his hip. A casual movement, but no doubt as ready to draw as the rest of them.

Yet... of all things, Todd didn't quite have it him to escalate the situation. Afterall, he just got here. And for now, it didn't seem that smart to let a fight break out this soon. Especially not one that would likely end in someone dead. Not him... but someone.

Regardless, it didn't serve anybody to let this get out of control. Not now, anyway.

"Easy there, colander-face. Ain't no words never hurt nobody." He said with a nod to the gladiator. "Don't get so up at arms."

He moved his right hand off his belt and away from his gun. Reaching up to put his hand on the snake crusky's shoulder. "We ain't got to respect no one we don't want to. But, keep in mind, we aren't getting paid enough to do the darkbornes job on top of our own." He said to her. "Not to mention... where we are heading, from what I hear where we might be going, there is a good chance about the the rotting somewhere deep and dark thing being a possibility." He gave her a confident smile. "Come on, you are looking a bit ragged. Let's get you fixed up a bit. One way to spite 'em is to last longer than they can." Todd patted her on the should, crooking his head off to the side to where they could do just that without imperial antagonization.

Though. The ever observant bearded veteran would notice that even though Todds right hand had moved from his gun. That wasn't so much the one to be wary about. Because his left, the one that had fallen to his side, had subtly positioned itself near the gun in case he needed to draw. Using the right hand to catch the eye and make it seem to others that he being less hostile and to draw their attention from the other. And this wasn't because he intended to draw. He didnt. But... humans were a volatile bunch, and it never hurt to be cautious. Even if he was feeling unusually optimistic at the moment.


FTR Kabboom Trappy hostage

 

[FTR]

Hadrian Arcadius​

Hadrian squared up to face the animals antagonizing him.
“Killer?” He asked, laughing, though no other visible shift in his calm demeanor. “The half-breed has found its morality. Yet, also finds it misplaced.” he said, a hint of condescension in his voice.
Hadrian dealt with these types before. Fancied themselves free, independent, somehow that their disapproval of the Empire, or humanity's right of conquest, made them above reproach, above our laws, our customs.
Such lowborne taking the moral high ground, laughable. “I suggest you look into your roots, serpent. Into your kind and find that without the guidance of ‘killers’ such as her you would still be squatting in the mud.”

The nerve, the insubordination, it was mind bending to Hadrian. Mindsets more mild than this had been punished by decimation in his legion. Dozens of thousands of men that made up his cohort, hundreds of thousands that made up his legion, the many legions that made up the Imperial Army. Not a single instance in his campaigns did he come across this kind of behavior. Even in his disobedience he retained all courtesy and respect, he knew the consequences for his place had not gone forgotten. But these people, this unit, pathetic. There must be order, discipline. It was obvious none here were capable of bringing it about.

The more they spoke the less he could believe his ears. A threat, made against Maria. A threat then reinforced by the mutt. The Incruscans sided with each other. Predictable. For the sake of civility and not overstepping, Hadrian decided against slaying them where they stood.
This threat however, to an officer, a woman and princess no less. It could not go unaddressed.

Few things got passed Hadrian. He'd noticed someone peeking in through the window, various members in attendance readying for an infight, a calming breeze cooling his blood. His senses heightened since arriving, but he was calm. This was not a favorable scenario, however. He'd come to slaughter Darkborne, not Inscruscan swine.

This needed to be shut down. Now.

“Go on, continue to show us all how true to your nature you are. I've stacked curr like you six men deep. A bit of light makes you no different.” he said to the two Inscruscans, bringing his weapons down more relaxed at his side while they clutched at theirs. Hadrian stood just as stoically as he had been, eyeing them. Beasts, slaves, nothing more, nothing less. After a moment of tension, he turned away, now intending to ignore anything they had to say. “I suggest you learn your place before we have any problems.” he shot before he made his way over to Maria.

“What manner of detachment is this? Where the concripts speak out of turn. Where they threaten with violence and reach for their weapons in assembly. Threats of mutiny, severe lack of general courtesy, inability to give respect.” He said in a more low tone of voice, as he approached, gradually getting quieter as he did. He knew to berate and undermine her in front of a group the likes of this was sentencing her to torment. He spoke just above a whisper now. “This can't possibly be the standard in Regalia. By Imperial standards this is pitiful organization. I suggest you get your men in line. There is no room for this behavior out there. Unification is key, do you understand the implications of those two wishing your death? These people are intended to keep you alive and you them.” He stood directly in front of her now, looking down, his hazel eyes barely visible in the shadow of his helmet. “This group must be reigned in and controlled, we are not a gang. The Incruscans act as they should, being more beast than man, and are not to be trusted. But, they can be reminded of their place. They mistake equality on the front for equality among rank. Dim creatures they are, a little guidance is all they need.” Hadrian holstered his spear into the underside of his shield and put the free hand on Maria's shoulder reassuringly. He could see something was bothering her.

“Point your captain out to me. I will have words with him. While I do, take note of our guest in the window to our flank."

D. Rex hostage Trappy Kabboom Aryasaurus

 

[SCSaya06]

"This is looking like an interesting turn of events."

Hildegarde noted as she overhears a commotion at the damaged town hall. By her side was a basket full of arrows; all belonging to Erik. Luckily, the boy had a habit of making his own arrowheads, making it easier for her to bypass the guards and soldiers trying to apprehend looters. None of the arrows Erik used matched Imperial standards of craftsmanship and design after all.

"See, our cart kind of got ravaged when one of those black dogs fell, spilling our orders all around town. You won't stop a poor local from picking up the remains of their livelihood now would you?"

Hildegarde sighed. "Well, that's all the shots he fired huh?" She muttered as she stood up, covering up the pieces in her little sack as she hauled the remains into her little hideout--which coincidentally was adjacent to the town hall. As she passed by, she hears a small outburst from the expeditionary troops. A small confrontation between an armored man and some Incruscans seemed to have broken out.

"Infighting? Weren't they supposed to be allies in this mission? Some people never change huh?" She thought as she passed by the damaged walls, heading towards her hideout. When she got to the shack, she tossed in Erik's arrows with the rest of her equipment, hidden somewhere in the wooden shed. The thought of discerning more useful information by listening in on the meeting was tempting enough for her. Still, it's not like she can just waltz in there and lounge in a corner somewhere.

"In that case--"


"The things you do for information." Hildegarde thought as she helped move essential supplies like ropes and timbers being used to repair the damaged portions of the town hall. She had snuck in as a volunteer carpenter, moving things around the hall. The beams and rafters were damaged in a crash so they'll have to work on it now if they want to prevent the whole structure from caving in on the attendants--though she was sure they can survive it regardless. The second floor landing gives her the perfect field of vision to look down at the meeting while her heightened senses allows her to listen in.

"Hey! We need some more nails over here!" One of the actual carpenters shouted at her in a very commanding tone.

"Don't use it all up at once! There's four or five beams still needing reinforcement!" She snapped back while she tossed a couple more nails at his direction.

 

[Trappy]

Maria
Soon, seemingly powerful individuals started flocking into the busy hall. Their appearances vary, and so did their attitude. One of them, a bulky warrior clad in the iconic set of gladiators, gave her a formal Imperial salute, in which she replied, followed by a soft stroke of the Regalian crest worn on her chest-plate. A whole lot of stuff happened afterwards, generally involving some Incruscans getting a bit out of line. There was some tension, weapons were drawn, but thankfully in the end, everything was settled without bloodshed. It would've been embarrassing, and rather messy to get on with infighting before their quest even started. Plus, while she'd never back down from such a challenge, coming from an Incruscan no less, Maria would prefer to not abuse any more of her ability tonight, and so she paid the serpent's provocation no mind.

Maria had no say in the heated exchange that took place, and she did not intend to. Best not add more fuel to the fire, she figured, and the serpent Incruscan had a valid point. Maria deemed the events of the Red Swamp regrettable. She reminded herself not to dwell on the thoughts on this topic, not that she had any alternatives. The exchange bogged down as the Incruscans parted from the group. The gladiator from before had turned away from the group and approached Maria. The man seemingly berated yet comforted her at the same time, which impressed her, in a weird way. Maria slightly tilted her head at the warrior's classification of the group as a 'detachment', 'conscript' Incruscans and his inquiry of regarding a 'captain'. Looking into his eyes under the large helm, Maria voiced her reply.

"In case you've forgotten, warrior, we are not Imperial guardsmen. We are Guardians. And yes, this bunch is hardly a military detachment, so . . . don't expect too much from them." She said with a smirk. Leaning onto the wall, the bardiche resting by her side, she continued. "Take advice from me: Pay them no mind. Let the Incruscans have their way with their petty grudges. Where we're headed, that will do them more harm than good anyways . . ."

Pausing for a moment, she continued. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. You can call me Maria. Our fellow warrior there goes by Jericho. For all I know, it's just us three with past experience in the armies, so l'm hoping we could trust each other . . . So, what is your name, Ser?"

Interacting: FTR
Mentioning: Kabboom hostage D. Rex


Anna
The cross was flung further away from where she expected it to land, but that did not bother Anna. Not like scavenging town-folks would bother with such an oversized cross that they may not be able to transport anyways. Making her way past soldiers and civilians into a ruined block, the cross was found lying atop the rubble, in all of its divine glory. Anna hastened her pace, and just as she approached the holy relic, an individual was spotted lurking just beside the entrance to the ruined cottage. Her hand cautiously reached for the pistol holstered inside the thick coat she had on, as the mysterious figure spoke up from under its hood.

"Watch yourself, sister. Don't go overboard with it."

It was her companion, an Inquirer, Garett. As he approached her, his peculiar weapon was visible from under the dark-coloured cloak: a giant, ominous-looking hardware that could only be described as resembling a twisted pair of garden scissors. Its blades curved into horns of the demon-kind. Her eyes diverted from the weapon as the man is now just within her arms' reach, and towards his bright blue eyes, which peered down at her from under the hood.

"Hardly." She spoke up. "The town was in danger, it was only my divine duty. Or do you suggest I turn a blind-eye to the suffering?"

"The mission is also our divine duty, don't forget that. I will not criticise you over your course of action, for I trust your heart belongs to goodness Light."

Anna only nodded slightly to the man's input, before moving in to retrieve her weapon. The cross made loud cranking as it was lifted from the bed of debris it rested upon. As she heavily dragged the cross out, a loud announcement could be heard.

"Guardians of the Light, regroup at the town hall! We have business to do!"

And that was her destination.

"There's your destination." - Garett said as Anna walked past him with the giant cross dragging heavily behind her. The Inquirer continued. "Tread carefully, sister."

As her strides grew ever longer on her way towards the town hall, she could not help but recall one of the litanies she was taught, in preparation for this holy quest. Her cross, though heavy, could not hold a candle to her inner turmoil, her conscience tearing itself apart over the objectives of her quest, and the means to her end. Would the Church dare to do such a thing? Would it be necessary?

'No time for second thoughts,' Anna reminded herself in her mind, as she strode through the town hall's door, reporting for duty, all while repeating the litany in her mind.

"Sheath thy blade and wait for the Angels' horn. Adavanteus 23:8"

https://www.rpnation.com/rating/lik...n_message&content_id=9871235&rating_type_id=1

 

[hostage]

Esta Faeven
Esta wrinkled her nose as the two men immediately leaped to Maria's defence. "Oh, how noble. The knights in shining armor come to save the damsel- oh wait. I meant the cold, bloodthirsty brat," she hissed. The new man's statements again probed at her near-snapping temper. "Are you mad? Gonna kill me like you did to innocents out on the battlefield?" she spat out, then bared her throat and spread her hands in a mocking invitation. "Or maybe you should enslave me? Oh, I bet that you would just love to see me chained and shackled." she said, cocking her head and holding out her bare wrists in deference.

Before she could get an answer from the Imperial man, she turned to the fox man beside her. Nodding slightly, Esta replied to his earlier statement. "Let's get out of here." Esta turned back to Maria, dipping into a delicate curtsey before purring, "Until next time, princess". She then turned on her heel while shoving down her deepset anger to the darkest parts of her being. Her revenge would come soon.

She skirted past the filled tables and retreated to a darker corner, slumping into a chair with a sigh. Looking up at the fox, she raised her chin. "I would enjoy the pleasure of having your name," she said, meeting his eyes with her ice blue gaze. After a moment's thought, she added, "I'm Esta."

FTR D. Rex Kabboom Trappy
(oops I didn't write much sorry)​

 

[CombatReadyPenny]

The Incrusian sighed. "Terra... Terra Lyons..." she said as she shook Margot's hand. "I took my father's last name, as that is the only name I know of him." she said as she fell back onto her hands. So her body was at an obtuse angle but relaxed.

"So, we are both outcasts... Although you have burnt bridges, I have burnt my family house. Literally..." she said as she readied for the speech in the town hall. "Let's change the subject... What about this debriefing do you know?" she aske

Vyseryx

 

[Kabboom]

Jericho
Through the entire heated argument-conversation-failed murderous escalation, Jericho sat firm, his Clarity skill seemingly doing its job. The snake lady is still as fervent as ever, in her pursuit to rile up and agitate not 1, not 2, but 3 other trained fighters, only with the help of a fuzzy fox gunslinger. Not a bright idea, but he was adamant in his ability, that if Clarity was not activated at the time, it would surely have escalated into something very regretful.

The Chaplain finishes a heated conversation with an angry medic, his face quiet and unassuming as before. The medic shakes his head in a manner of disgust and defeated anger, before walking out of the door, pointing his hand accusingly at the Chaplain. "Fine, 5 minutes. 5! If any of them die, it's your goddamn fault!" He barked, before walking off. The rest of the medics and personnel inside the town hall begrudgingly follow his footsteps, leaving the wounded with ample amounts of painkillers and anesthetics to take the pains of their flesh away for the moment, as the last one going out bumps his shoulders into a certain woman with a cross, before closing the door.

Audrich Crimson takes a deep breath, and walks to the now vacant dinner table, clearing a few shattered plates from it, before laying down a weathered roll of paper on the hard oak face, motioning to the group. "Lads! That's enough. We have business to attend to. Come." He motioned his hand to everyone in the group, gathering them around himself, with Jericho standing to his right.

Unwrapping the paper, he revealed a dirty, relatively blood-stained map, with a few scrubs and brushes, revealed itself to be the map of the deceased scouting party that initially found the existence of the artifact, retrieved by a following scout party. "Here's the situation." he proclaimed, fixing his beret on his head.



"Prior to this map being retrieved, the plan was for you to go, unsupported, quickly from Frontierville, directly to the artifact, within a day at most. Quick smash and grab, we reckoned, but scouts reported that Darkborne activity within the forest has increased tenfold over the last week, something we find... most peculiar. Therefore, some changes have been made." He said, taking a short pause before closing into the table face, his voice lowering as the moonlight illuminates the map almost perfectly.

"You've been provided with provisions to last 2 weeks without support, and your mission time has been prolonged indefinitely. You can take your time with your approach. An Imperial detachment will escort you up to the edge of the forest, but beyond that, you're on your own. We can't do much, what with the damn Darkness. A few small boats have been requisitioned, but I doubt they'll arrive in any reasonable timeframe. Supply runs will be en route to your position as per your request, but whether we can show up is another story entirely. Other than that, your route is up for you to decide. My job ends there." he finishes, raising to his former posture.

"Oh, one last thing," he said before moving away. "The Council above has appointed Jericho here as the leader for this group. Good luck, lads." The last wish of good luck came out with a slightly sinister smirk as the Chaplain turned away, leaving Jericho thoroughly perplexed.

Active ability(s): Clarity

SCSaya06 Trappy hostage Nightblade Soviet Panda Pilgrim59 Unwavering Knight CombatReadyPenny Sybil billthesomething CrowOuttaHell Aryasaurus AlphaKyle QizPizza -robert- Vyseryx FTR D. Rex

 

[FTR]

Hadrian Arcadius​

Hadrian found her indifference off-putting.
Her logic wasn't really clicking in his mind and that coupled with her misconception that everyone in the Empire was a guardsmen made her lose some credibility in his eyes. The tilting of her head was met with a narrowing of his eyes.

".....We are Guardians. And yes, this bunch is hardly a military detachment, so . . . don't expect too much from them."


“Yes…..that much is obvious…” he responded, his voice gravelly from years overuse. They certainly were “Guardians”, having the characteristic lack of discipline.
It seemed this group was perhaps even less organized than the one he'd started in. There were more inhumans and foreigners, that's a fact.

“We are Guardians.” As if that was an excuse to act as they did. The darkness was not to be trifled with. This overlooked formation of subgroups within their ranks could very well be their downfall. As far as he could tell, not one of them there was unkillable. Amateur and ill mannered as they were, these Incruscans were potentially dangerous. The title of Guardian was testament to that. For all their sakes, he hoped they had more sense than to actually try to get Maria killed. He felt the woman was wrong to think she could dismiss such outspoken intent, she mistook petty for harmless.

Hadrian pushed his disappointment down continued his conversation with her, stocism enduring.


"I don't believe we've been properly introduced. You can call me Maria.”


“We have not, Maria Theodosiel of Regalia.” He answered to her self introduction. “I am Hadrian Arcadius.”
He said extending a hand, in greeting. A hand that would clasped tightly, and perhaps uncomfortably, around her forearm, should she extend hers in response. He did so out of courtesy to her claim to wartime experience. To interact with her like he would with any veteran, princess or otherwise. Hadrian also felt you could tell a lot about someone from their handshake; and of this princess-general, he was now a bit skeptical. In reality, he most likely knew more about her than she thought, having had been the type to keep tabs on potential conquests.
Needless to say, she wasn't what he had expected.

The Centurion turned gladiator hoped she was as clueless about him as she appeared. Recognition wasn't something he was very fond of. Too many questions.

“...For all I know, it's just us three with past experience in the armies, so l'm hoping we could trust each other . . ."

“You say this as if there is an alternative...”
He said, his voice showing the tiniest hint of displease this time. Her words had an implication that being self-serving was an option, that there were sides within their team. An implication he was not fond of in the slightest. In fact, it meant this wasn't a team, it was a crowd, a cluster of people that could just barely function as a unit.
It was around this point Hadrian would have wrapped up their interaction and returned to his own, to grumble in solitude.
However, just in time, the Chaplain, Audrich Crimson, entered the room.
Hadrian saluted him as he passed. Without another word, he walked off in pursuit, relieved to finally be getting to why he was here.
Standing adjacent to the Chaplain, he rested his free hand on the table while the other held his weapons.

"Prior to this map being retrieved, the plan was for you to go, unsupported, quickly from Frontierville, directly to the artifact, within a day at most. Quick smash and grab, we reckoned, but scouts reported that Darkborne activity within the forest has increased tenfold over the last week, something we find... most peculiar. Therefore, some changes have been made."


"This, artifact, it might be the cause of the surge in Darkborne, they may also be after it. Which would make it reasonable to assume we will have a tougher time on the way out if we are not careful.
The scouts, did they see the artifact? Who is this information coming from? Their approach may shine light on ours."


"You've been provided with provisions to last 2 weeks without support, and your mission time has been prolonged indefinitely. You can take your time with your approach. An Imperial detachment will escort you up to the edge of the forest, but beyond that, you're on your own. We can't do much, what with the damn Darkness. A few small boats have been requisitioned, but I doubt they'll arrive in any reasonable timeframe. Supply runs will be en route to your position as per your request, but whether we can show up is another story entirely..."

"Then the mission becomes an excursion. Two weeks, for a group such as this? That sounds very long, and very heavy. How will the supplies be carried? Beast-driven? Land based with no convoy? The Elves will be upon us by first dusk. Not to mention the possibility of the animals becoming infested with the dark.
It would be ideal to know the status of the outposts in the area, would give us somewhere to regroup if worse comes to worst. A jump point and a place of relative safety to send resupply teams, as opposed to hell's gates. What aerial support can be spared to us?"


"Oh, one last thing,...The Council above has appointed Jericho here as the leader for this group. Good luck, lads."


The Chaplain didn't seem keen on answering any questions. Or participation. A peculiar fellow, and with the appointment of Jericho as leader he retreated.
Hadrian thought for a moment, and then gave the Guardian a nod, a silent gesture that he was with him.
“We are going to need it…” He sighed, bumping a fist against the table and backing away from it.

Jericho being made leader made sense of a few things. For one, Maria's demeanor of 'Not my circus, not my monkeys’. While the attitude was still not commendable, it was now understandable. That and the disorder of the men. They were headless.
That being fixed, he could only hope his “fellow warrior” would exercise the leadership necessary to keep everyone alive in the coming days.
Hadrian walked over to Jericho, footsteps same as when he entered the building.
He leaned on to the table and slightly closer to him. "One cannot help but notice we may be a bit illprepared for this undertaking." he said loud enough for just him to hear.

Trappy Kabboom D. Rex hostage @ everyone, I guess :/
(I liked the organizational aspect of this quoting thing, so I stole it Let me know if it makes the post an eyesore.)

 

[Soviet Panda]

Buras did not pay to much attention to the Chaplain. He seemed to be an overly colorful bird pretending it was a hawk to Buras. But he did pay enough attention to know what it was they had to do. They had to go get a thing for some reason or another. Fine by him, and they even had a map. Oh goodie. "As the crow flies." he growled after staring at the map for a brief moment. There seemed to be no advantage or disadvantage to going in a straight line. They would be met with danger regardless, and the only deciding factor, for Buras, was distance. And he expressed his thoughts.

"Go straight, no point going around. What say you, War Master?" He asked out of respect and duty, the man had been assigned their leader after all. But the decision simply made sense to him. Why would they bother with anything else?

 

[CrowOuttaHell]

Gaheris Agramar

Other patrons had started coming in. Gaheris himself hadn't moved an inch from his seat- not that he could, hunched as he was. It was difficult enough to get up without having to bang his head on the low-hanging ceiling. And besides, Karl hadn't come down yet. Not that many people wanted to speak to a Giant, especially not one who had just been tearing apart a meal enough to feed a village. Then again- he had been hanging off a giant scorpion's back since earlier. It was unlikely anyone wanted to talk to him right now.

Except for one, apparently.

"So what happened to you?"

Gaheris barely raised his head. Though, he was surprised to find that someone was willing enough- if the person was indeed talking to him. The speaker, a cloaked man garbed in simple tunic and trousers, had his eyes fixed on his own meager food.
But the barkeep's eye caught his, and Gaheris didn't bother to speak. Giants were rarely addressed, and rarely ever had to speak, if they even could in the first place. Besides, a few other village defenders had noticed him.

"Why, aren't you the crazy giant who nearly crushed the Cerebrate's face?" One spoke up. "Hey, don't talk like that. That's the giant that helped fix m' sign!" Another voice- this time of the shopkeeper he had helped earlier.

Now that attention was being drawn to him, Gaheris decided he wouldn't be able to keep his silence for long. The giant knight tried to flex his left arm's fingers, staring at them hard enough to burn a hole through- and yet the unnerving numb continued. No matter how much he willed it, it was clearly not coming back. His mind wandered back to his home- at least, the only home he had ever known, with Marguerite. She had pointed out soldiers with hooks for arms and pegs for legs to him before. Gaheris wondered why he hadn't yet replaced his dead arm entirely already. He'd like to say it wasn't because of a lack of money...but it was a lack of money.

"Thrown...off." Gaheris shook his head. "Guardians...finished...Cere...brate?" The Cerebrate's name rolled like a confused rumble off his tongue. Either way, Gaheris shook his head. What was the word Marguerite would use to describe a battle like this?

"Mess." He mumbled. "Battle...was...a mess."

SCSaya06
The metal plates of Karl's armor clinked together as he stepped down the stairs again. Sure enough Lyle was knocked unconscious, collapsed in his bed. The guardsman's body was marked with bruises and cuts all over, managing to somehow stand out against the many scars already dotting Lyle's form. Karl had grimaced when he saw the bandages hastily tied around his comrade's head, however- still stained with blood. He could already see Lyle's reaction in the morning- the guardsman would sit up, grimace, and try to rip the bandages off. The dried blood would stick to his skin and make it hurt, and he would howl. And Karl would come barrelling up the steps just in time to handle Lyle's inevitable outburst at losing his eye.

He returned to the tavern proper, and a conversation had already struck up. He could hear Gaheris's rumbling voice, still struggling to get a sequence of words out. He wondered if Gaheris could even manage a complete sentence- but with how giants were usually treated, he doubted it.

"We should put you in the armory as a battering ram," A soldier commented, waving a hand at the giant. "You'd fit right in." Gaheris had apparently ignored the comment, instead addressing someone else who seemed to be attempting to speak to him.

"Well, at least he's not completely dumb." Karl shook his head. The barkeep caught sight of the guardsman, raising an eyebrow at him. "Going somewhere?"

"Just out to the town hall. Trying to see if I can get anything good." He replied. A patron whistled. "Careful not to let them hear that. That could be taken in a very different way."

Karl managed a chuckle- at least morale was slowly returning. Maybe it was the copious amounts of ale.

"Don't worry. I am the model of careful."
It was already dark outside. What little fires could be lighted barely helped Karl as he trudged along, searching for the battered form of the town hall. The Guardians had apparently been called there for a meeting, so he didn't want to intrude on their time...however, he was sure he could talk to the workers just outside. He could see the medical team and the carpenters working on repairing the place- the entire town had taken a hell of a hit tonight.

"Higher-ups are arguing in there. It's like a damn pigsty." One man commented, picking through the supplies. "Talkin' about some artifact- a lot of good a single item will do!"

"That's the deal with those adventurers, you know." Another man sighed. "They'll come in, tear up the whole place without considering the people there, and leave. And they'll still get the glory, because they're considered 'brave'! It's frustrating."

Karl's lips forced themselves into a thin line. No way he was getting into any conversations with that group. He'd usually risk his neck out for a good debate, but this was clearly going to hell. Instead, he turned to the carpenters working.

"Need a hand?" He called. One of them- a burly man with an exhausted look in his eyes and a scraggly beard, nodded. "We need all the hands we can get if we hope to finish this by sunrise."

"By sunrise is a bit of a stretch, don't you think?" He was handed some supplies, and Karl set to work. It wasn't like he and Lyle hadn't helped in tasks like this before, so he at least knew what he was doing. "Yeah, but that's what the damn bigwigs want." The carpenter grumbled. "You'd think some of them would have courtesy to help out if they wanted it to be done so badly."

"I've been hearing about bigwigs all night," Karl remarked. "Is there anything to know?"

The carpenter chuckled lowly, and dropped his voice only enough for Karl to hear, but not for anyone to detect.

"If you want to know so badly, then start listening like the rest of us here."

And listen he did- to the bustle of the tired bodies, to the voices from within the town hall, and to the endless hammering of wood and nails.

This was going to be a long night.

 

[Kabboom]

Jericho

A flood of information and questions begun flooding into Jericho's mind, as he now dominated the spot where the Chaplain once stood, overlooking the map. Crimson has moved to open the door, with the grumpy medics finally re-entering, along with another soldier, most likely a scout or a lieutenant, looking rather malnourished for someone of his status.

The gladiator's rapid-fire questions had fallen on deaf ears, and now he turns to Jericho, speaking loud enough for only him to hear. "One cannot help but notice we may be a bit ill-prepared for this undertaking." Jericho sighed, nodding lightly in frustration. "Yes, it would seem so." Whilst another half-Giant hybrid inquires Audaton on his opinion, addressing him as War Master. A curious title, certainly not one used by official Empire-trained folk. 'Even the personnel are untrained. This is going to be a hell of a walk in the forest,' thought Jericho.

The scout approached Jericho, nodding lightly with a "Scoutsman Clanus reporting for duty, sir." coming out of him. Jericho glanced around the room, across the men and women, that he would have to lead. The last time he was trusted with the lives of others, it didn't end so well. Exhaling slightly, he turned to face the scout, identified as Clanus, and regurgitated the gladiator's questions, throwing in some of his own.

"What do we have, in terms of provisions? How shall they be delivered? Any status on the Elf activity in the area? These outposts, report on them, how are they holding? What route did these scouts take? How much support will we get? And this artifact... any intel on what it actually does?" His questions came out a bit abruptly, and seemingly a bit too fast, taking Clanus by surprise. The man clears his throat, and begins talking, as if he were a Lightvoxer, repeating the words of its user.

"Your provisions include medical supplies, food and utilities for a group of 30 men, enough to last 2 weeks. They will be delivered on wagons and specially trained pack mules. They'll follow your orders, and they don't panic easily, so you shouldn't worry about your supplies running off. If you send out requests for further supplies, en route via wagons, though we have a few skiffs at the ready for supply runs and also combat support. As for the Elves, the scouts did not have concrete evidence that they live in the area, though Elf remains and belongings have been spotted in the suspected areas."

Taking a deep breath, Clanus continued. "The outpost in the woods is holding strong, about 20 men. They've reported minimal Darkborne contact last month, but Dark interference has cut them off, so we don't know how they're holding right now. The river outpost has more luck, being held by 40 men, though they're under constant attack from the fish beasts. Streamend, our forward operating base has gone dark last week. Lightvoxers come up as static, and all scouting parties sent to the place haven't returned. You will be supported by cavalry sent from Vainlight per your request, but no guarantees on whether they arrive in time or not."

Clanus moves closer to the map, circling his fingers over the little dot, with the label 'ARTIFACT' above it. "As for the artifact, frankly, we don't know what it is, either. What we do know, is that whatever it is, it attracts a helluva lot of Darkborne, but somehow the Darkborne are dying in increasing numbers, almost immediately, as the artifact releases some kind of light. That's all we know."

Jericho returns to the map, while Maria's voice booms in his ear. "I suggest we stick together as a group. No point splitting up. Divided or not, we Lightborne stick out like a sore thumb for the Darkborne, anyway. Move along the river, so we can keep track of our journey. One can get lost very easily. Aerial support here would be useless, you won't see anything through those canopies. And besides, the Empire loves their experimental planes too much, would be an eternity before we see one on the frontiers."

Audaton perched his left hand beneath his chin, thinking to himself the possible route. He was the one to ultimately decide, after all. 'What to do, what to do,' thought he.

FTR Trappy Soviet Panda

 

[Sybil]

Spessartite Phos​

Due to her situation with the small elven child, the both of them arrived late, going through the entrance and situating themselves as close to the center of the gathering as possible. Luckily as they entered the military leader of the forces that entered the town, by the looks of his outfit, was laying out the plans and a particular map. Spess, being a self-appointed guardian, took great interest as her mission was spelled out in greater detail.

No longer straight to the artifact? Well that is.... worrying.... but maybe we will go to the heavily infested areas and clean up some darkborne filth~

She then started to take note of the.... unique characters... in the room as she gently squeezed the young girl's hand. They all seemed experienced as fighters, while the living rock herself was a mostly self-taught fighting style in her years of wandering. It did get lonely, but usually, the thoughts were driven away by a fight or a simple hello. Usually.
What snapped Phos out of her daze was the mention of elves in a conversation with a rather bulky looking human, her gemstone eyes locking onto him and pushing her way forward in almost a hurridly fashion that approached being rude as she pulled Leafa with her.

"'Scuse me! Sir!" Her head looked directly him, her tall body giving an advantage over the ones of normal height. When she got next to him the scout had finished his report, the rock maiden giving a small wave. "You the one ta' say somethin about Elf settlements? Got a minute?"

-robert- Kabboom

 

[Aryasaurus]

~ L u n a l a ~
Location: Hidden below the windowsill outside the town hall
Status: Alive - Health 100%
Position: Main Character
Tagging: Kabboom ​

The Oracle listened closely to all that was being said, her gentle eyes peeking in as often as she dared to risk, otherwise she would stay lowered by the sill, hands lightly grasping the outer edge to keep herself balanced. There was much concern about the expedition that awaited the gathering Guardians, but despite the danger ahead, Lunala was determined to go. Not just for the adventure, to experience life in it's rawest form, but for the Lord as His vessel.

The young girl, pulling away from the discussion, felt her gaze drawn away from the plaza, and to the north - perhaps north east. Yes, she decided, she needed to go in that direction, as the Light bade her to, however that begged the question of how she was to do that exactly. After lightly biting her lower lip for a moment, she settled back into her hidden place below the window sill and continued to listen in on the meeting. Perhaps, by observing the situation, she could figure out her own plan of action out of sight from her father. She only hoped that her plan would work in her favour - with her Lord as silent as He was, she did not know whether her actions she chose were the right ones. Still, she stayed shrouded in the darkness as the meeting continued.

~ A o i b h í n ~
Location: Inside the town hall
Status: Alive - Health 100%
Position: NPC
Tagging: Kabboom ​

The dullahan's ever-gaze took in the other Guardians, as well as carefully observing this 'Chaplain', who's reinforcements were considered a blessing to some, but personally, Eevie thought the man was a bit late. The Cerebrate had been defeated, and they were all but done by the time he arrived - in other words, she found his aid to be pointless. Was he just here to tell them what to do and show them a dingy old map? Eevie place a hand on her hip and shifted her weight to the opposite foot, holding her head in her free arm, which cocked an eyebrow with sassy intent. She was in no position to question the setup of the group and the plans her 'leaders' decided to make... literally, because if she could speak she would be doing just that. What on earth was the point of this? Standing around and proclaiming who was in charge, it seemed trivial. A leader needed to ear the position, not just given it, and while some would say his actions thus far would warrant the title, Eevie had lived a very long time, and this wasn't even close to being impressive. She would, in the end, just have to wait and see. Perhaps the Chaplain would be proven right for naming Jericho the leader of their little rag-tag group, or perhaps Jericho would end up like most other men pre-determined leaders, and fall for their cause, or just overall be a general disappointment. Whatever the case may be, she decided to have faith that this was the right choice and, relaxing her stance, placed herself amongst the few that accepted this decision. There were, after all, a select few who would have made an ever worse candidates for the position, so she counted her blessing where she could find them.

~ V h e n ~
Location: Darkwood Burial Grounds, unknown exact location
Status: Alive - Health 100%
Position: Main Character
Tagging: n/a
​

The Darkwood harboured many ruins from ancient times that had been taken by the Dark, yet within those idle ruins, not many would expect to find anything more than darkborne or wildlife. A small village lay within the forest, in an unmarked location. It had been so small and inconsequential that no man bothered to remember it, or perhaps it's bones had been left so long that even the rubble of the old buildings had been taken back by nature. All of the town had been destroyed by the Dark, all accept the catacombs. Past a rusted gate, and down a set of stone steps, led the tunnel into the crypts. Surprisingly, it was all kept in relatively pristine condition; the forest had not claimed it, nor the darkborne taken it.

Within the expansive halls, of which were illuminated by torches of blue fire, twisted corridors and aisles of crypts filled with the dead, some of which were so old that the bodies had simply turned to dust, leaving noting but the bandages used to mummify the corpses and a layer of bone powder. And within these halls that lay the crypts of the long-dead, stalked their guardian - the reason the halls remained to pristine and well kept, after so incredibly long: the Grim.

The Black Dog was roughly over five feet tall, its steps echoing in the empty halls as it patrolled the catacombs vigilantly. Every path, trap and hidden switch was burned into his memory. Every corridor and crypt etched into his mind to lay out a mental map, ready to calculate the fastest route to any point of the tombs at any given moment. He had fended off the darkborne that had so far tried to enter this place of eternal rest; as for how many, or how long, he wasn't sure he was able to accurately estimate that, yet still he continued to prowl the desolate crypts on-watch for any danger that may threaten those buried here.

Spoiler: image

 

[D. Rex]

Todd refrained from giving in to the urge to glance back at the soldiers as he returned with Esta to her corner. Best to just let it end... the empire loved their bravado. Still, at least they pulled out of it without the tension reaching it's boiling point. Which was a better introduction than many he has had before. So there was a plus. And it was amusing enough, in a gadfly kind of way.

As the reptilian sat down. He looked down at her and have her a smile. A fiery one to be sure. "Esta, huh? Well it's nice to meet you. I'm glad I'm not the only one here." He said with a soft chuckle as he looked her over. "Todd. My name is Todd." His paw finally left his belt and moved to reach his satchel. "As for, you definitly look like you seen some better days.we really should get those looked at." He said as he gestured to her shoulder with his other hand. His other rifled through the Satchel until he pulled out a small case, opening it to show an assortment of needles and thread. "Unless you'd rather wait until you get gangrene waiting on them imps to to treat the class that matters." Despite him finding his own comment a bit amusing, he was sincere in making sure that she got patched up. Especially given that making friends here was going to be harder than he thought.

His attention was briefly diverted as the Chaplain finally decided to make his announcement. And showed off the map. A bit of craning of his neck, and Todd caught a good glimpse of it. He was familiar with the area. He had never BEEN there specifically, but he seen maps often enough to know where was where.

For the most part, at the start, the Incruscan was relatively content with leaving the planning to them. At least until they started talking about going straight through and hauling wagons through there. They couldn't be serious...

"Hey now!" He interjected. "You think it is a good idea to haul loaded down wagons and mules through darkborne infested territory, and head straight on through with no military support?"

"Now, I will have you know that I have ambushed and taken military convoys that were bigger and better guarded than the one you be sending us with. And I did it with less muscle behind me than what the army of darkborn be having."

"If you send a cargo train through there, you are begging for trouble. Not only will be noisy as all get out, but at the slightest hint of trouble, we would be forced to abandon the wagons and the mules. Leaving our supplies behind. That's forest we would be traveling through, not plains.Them wagons will get broken and stuck, and every bit of downtime will be a greater chance of us getting attacked. And the bigger unit we travel in, the more they gonna notice we are there."

"Now, if the river is as bad as you say, then going by land will be safer and faster. IF we ain't got nothing slowing us down. And even if we do walk along the river, on lamd, us and our supply train will be caught between darkborn infest woods, and fishbeast infested waters, all on a muddy and soft bank. Stupid be what that is. Tactically unadvan-tay-jus."

"If we want to get there quick, and make sure we still got juice to keep on going after get to the artifact zone, here is what I suggest..."

"First, we split into two teams."

"The first team travels quick and light. Go north past the fort, and skirt the red and black zones to avoid as much darkborn trouble as possible, sticking to the treeline between the forest and the base of them hills. Without them wagons, yall can move fast and quiet. And with the team being small, you aint got to carry much. As for food, it will be easy enough to hunt and gather." He said as he ran his finger in the air as if he were drawing it on the map.

"That first team will get to the artifact zone first and give the zone a quick survey then fall back to Streamend."

"The second team would take the river by boat. It will be a lot faster to haul supplies. And safer too, given the alternative. The second team will protect the supplies from the fishbeasties... making sure that supplies are guaranteed for when we press into the next zone."

"But more importantly! We will be able to reach Streamend. If we can find out what is going on there, and get contact going again. Then we can bypass those infested woods entirely, and get further supplies to us far quicker. As well as giving us a perfect forward base o' operations."

"We would be able to regroup there, and with the information gotten by team one, we would be able to form a better attack plan to charge into the artifact zone."


"But there is more, something I ain't heard talked about yet. We don't know what this artifact is. Or how dangerous it is. If all we do is grab it and run back, we would be asking for all sorts of trouble. Rather, I propose we bring it back to the safety of Streamend and evaluate it's danger before dragging it straight back to Frontiersville. Cause if that artifact is what is suspect at the surge of activity... then bringing it straight back home will raise some certain hell that this place ain't ready for given its recently just gotten hammered."

"Aye, there do be safety in numbers. But whichever way we take, we ain't gonna win on the numbers game against the darkborne. Quick and quite will be what saves us through there over guns blazing. I'd rather be a candle through there to them darkborn than a bonfire that can be seen a mile away."

hostage
Kabboom
Trappy
FTR Pumpkin

Everyone

 

[Pilgrim59]

Hearthfall Season - Midnight
Sashi
Townhall, Frontierville​

Dream Sequence


“In the name of the late Tsar, and the divine authorities bestowed upon the Sarmanov family...” a voice rang in Sashina’s head, as she breathed in the cold air of the wintry season.

“...May your reign be righteous and fair. Sarmanova eterna, Sarmania fideya...”

“...All hail Tsarina Sashina Sarmanov!”

“Divines bless the Tsarina! Zas Tsarina! Zas Sarmania! Oorah! Oorah!” the crowd cheered, as colorful banners and citizens amassed beneath the spanning white stairs. She felt the stinging bite of the spiked crown on her forehead, and its heavy weight from centuries of burdens.

The druid had been lax in her sleep, and her past had found its way back into her dreams. Not a day goes by where she isn’t troubled by what she had done or could have done. The crowd’s cheer and the bellowing horns of the White Army grew ever louder, before being silenced by a feminine figure that approached Sashina slowly. Knowing what was to come, Sashina paced herself just like before, while plumed paladins in their immaculate white armor and tunic escorted the Tsarina inside the Winter Palace. Briefly catching the look of the figure in her white halter-neck dress, Sashina could still see the cold gaze of her kin, alongside the faceless White Guards that accompanied her.

“Lockdown the palace! Steel yourselves, brothers! Words from Princess Serafina! Be on the look out for an assassin. No one enters or leaves the Palace without inspections! Come, Tsarina, we must relocate you to a secure loca-...”

The bodyguard’s words were interrupted by a loud entrance of the front door being busted wide open. There, stood the lady in white, accompanied by five hundred White Guards, whose cold, faceless armets forebode an ominous audience with the recently crowned Tsarina. Sashina rose from her seat, bearing her shadows in front of her guards, lifting her tender, but resolute hands. Her bodyguards slowly receded their blades, while remaining on edge with their hands over their hilt and their feet sided - ready to give in to the tense environment. Sashina’s scripted words left her red lips, knowing that this was a reflection of her history, and there was nothing she could do to prevent it.

“Dearest sister, your presence dictates an assassin in our midst. Perhaps you could shed some light on the subject?”

The lady in white cracked a twisted smile on her face, unveiling a pair of cold, piercing eyes towards the Tsarina. Her white hair parted from the cold breeze of the Winterreach season, and found itself hanging by her vicious syllables.

“Silly Sashina. Even until this day, I fail to comprehend what Father sees in you. Haven’t you figured it out? You naive little flower...”

“Sister… Please, cast aside your hatred and honor Father’s will. It was never my choice in the first place.”

“Yet here you are, Sashina. I come before you with an ultimatum - abdicate and accept exile or… face my wrath.”

“Dearest siste-…”

“The days of our dearest-sister-play was buried in the snow the day Father crowned you Tsarina! I… Serafina Sarmanov, swears upon my name that I will prove him wrong and bury you with my hands. Make your choice, Sashi!”

The White Guards formed their ranks, with their zweihanders forming a pike wall towards the Tsarina and her retainers. Sashina shook her head in a shaken, but confident manner, defying her sister’s words. Serafina hissed and let her fist loose, unleashing the might of the White Guards from her grips at the outnumbered Tsarina. A few flashes of metallic streaks and red blasts followed the physical argument into the streets of Sarmo, where citizens and soldiers of Sarmanian stood in awe at the struggle for power of the two Sarmanov sisters. The crown was broken in the process, as Serafina’s hands reached for Sashina’s forehead.

“Its… its a coup! For the Tsarina! Oorah!”

"Down with the traitors! White Legions! Form ranks!"

A voice rang from the crowd, as the army and the mobs of crazed civilians formed ranks against Serafina’s White Guards. Within seconds, casualties mounted on both sides, nearly throwing Sarmania into a Civil War. The Tsarina cast herself away from the fighting with her sister and calmed the frenzied crowd with a signal horn. There, Sashina’s sister had caught onto her weakness and knew that she had succeeded. The Tsarina had seeked to avoid the blood of her people being spilled by her own hands. Her fragile heart broke, knowing of Serafina’s harsh disconnect and methods. It was the only way to cease the meaningless bloodshed, Sashina thought, as the ivory horn fell from her bleeding hands. Serafina stretched a deranged smile beneath her long white hair, as Sashina’s words lashed out to her, as well as the crowd, as she turned away with her half of the iron crown.

“You have your victory. Our Father’s nation, your crown, dearest sister. Forever severed with my exile.”

As Sashina walked past her forsaken army and people. She recounted their disappointed and shattered eyes. She was too weak to lead them, or even have the courage to apologize with her words. Beneath their hateful eyes, she could sense a certain attachment, of which she could not decipher. But that time has passed, and so, into the stinging snow of the distant outskirt, the abdicator resigned herself into the unforgiving snowy landscape.



Reality Sequence


The druid’s eyes flickered at the rhythm of a nearby crackling fireplace. Its warm embers blanketed Sashi’s presence with a rejuvenating sentiment, having returned from her frigid, realm of dreams. Her fingers wove half a crown with stray twigs and branches, before placing them on her head with a smug smile.

“Lack of comebacks, I have. Should’ve criticized Serafina’s lack of bosoms before I left.” the druid sighed with a long face, while taking a bite from her potato.

The druid dwelled in her little shack, just outside of the town hall. It used to be a small shack to handle gardening tools, but since no one else was around to chide the druid’s presence, Sashi had found herself a neatly made lovenest to recuperate. All the while eavesdropping on the Imperials briefing via the cracks and crevice on one side of the collapsed wall. Feeling adventurous and energetic from her quick nap, Sashi scaled the rubbles of the town hall and sat on the edge, eyeing the map from the distance, all the while observing the faces of those within the vicinity.

It wasn’t long before they would catch her in the act with potato crumbs all over her face. To which she would wave her hands about, greeting them with bloated cheeks full of consumed vegetable.




In Sight of Contact: Kabboom Trappy D. Rex Aryasaurus FTR hostage QizPizza

When you're late for a meeting, so many tags lulz.

 

[Vyseryx]

Margot

“I know about as much as you,” the sorceress answered Terra, looking at the people gathering around the table. “We might as well go and see for ourselves.”

Margot raised from the blanket and with a set of trained moves she put Leo to her special cradle-backpack, before finally going to the briefing group. She was just in time to see Chaplain forcing medics to leave their patients for the sake of secrecy, most likely, but that made the mage frown. It wasn’t like the wounded ones wouldn’t hear their talk. Or any of the countless creatures with enhanced senses around the place. She shook her head at man’s simple-mindedness and listened to his speech about their situation.

“Oh, one last thing. The Council above has appointed Jericho here as the leader for this group. Good luck, lads.” A smirk with which he had said that made Margot’s blood heat up. Did that man find their low-chances missions amusing?

‘Maybe I will just.. ahh.. mutilate him a little bit.’ The sorceress’s fingers moved as if they wanted to weave the spell of their own, but Margot just took a deep breath and let Jericho’s aura calm her down. It was neither the time nor the place for teaching this man-child a lesson.

Margot listened to the scout’s report about the Empire’s strongholds and amount od Darkborne in the forest. The situation didn’t look good, frankly, but it wasn’t the first time magician had to work with what little she was given. The Incruscan, who she had never seen before started to share his insights into the situation casually admitting to be a thief, which somehow didn’t bother Margot – he didn’t even make it to top five most unlikely allies for the trip.

When he finished talking, Margot approached the table, ready to share her insight on the situation.

“I agree on many of your points, Incruscan, but not on the solutions you propose,” the sorceress started. She leaned over the map. “The safety of supply line is indeed crucial, but we cannot afford babysitting it, if we want to move quickly. Thus, I suggest we first contact out outposts and confirm their status,” she waved her hand over the paper and two feather-like, violet markers appeared over locations she mentioned. “This servers a twofold purpose – firstly, the troops stationed there can take care of our supplies. Secondly, they would secure out retreat once we obtain the artefact.”

A ethereal line appeared on the map, connecting Frontierville to forest and river outposts.

“I am strongly against separating the group,” Margot raised her eyes to look at the Incruscan. “I know your… past experiences… suggest travelling in small units is more stealthy, but that will not be the case with Darkborne. Their main way to detect Lightborne is by sensing the Light and each of us is like a torch in the night for them. One person or ten, it makes very little difference to detectability, but huge to fighting chances.”

“Travelling by river is an interesting option as it’s possibly faster, but comes with disadvantages. Mort… ekhem… non-mages, will have harder time during combat on ship, as many of them rely on melee weapons and solid ground under their feet. In case of water-based Darkborne attacking, we may be at disadvantage. Thus, I suggest another path.”

A line moved from river outpost crossing the water and created an arc connecting to Streamend.

“We move quickly leaning to the south. We circle around the ruins and cross the red zone. There may be some hostile activity there, but, again, there is some everywhere. We check up on Streamend – lack of magical communication is troubling, but not necessarily unusual when it comes to Dark interferences. Once we either make sure this outpost is safe or lost, we will have a clear picture of situation. Then we proceed to take the artefact. You are right to be worried about its influence on Dark, but once we bring it to Archmages, they should be able mask its presence.”

 

[Kabboom]

Jericho

Listening to the fresh influx of suggestions from this ragtag group of adventurers, thieves and borderline criminals, Audaton weighed the risks and the rewards of each route and plan, thinking over a method of execution, judging the strength of the group, each individual's strengths, weaknesses, nuances, obedience,... all the while doubting the success of this operation. 'We'll need luck, all right,' admitted Audaton, thinking back to the Chaplain's words, as he left Jericho in this dump. He could not comprehend Audrich's deep-rooted hate, implacable contempt for himself, leaving himself with no clues as to how or why the two would even come at odds to begin with.

"Do we even know what the artifact is?" A certain woman wielding a cross asked, seemingly having arrived not long ago but keeping to herself. A figure perched atop the hole in the roof, munching on a fruit or a vegetable of some kind, waving down at them. It seems that some of their members prefer the lonely path, rather to get into the thick of the bickering. "Yes, uh... ma'am. Elf settlements." Scoutsman Clanus could be heard, seemingly approached by a rock elemental with an accent, and the Elf girl, Leafa, right behind her.

Returning to the reality he must now tackle, Jericho judged the powers of the group. The Incruscans, despite their fervent hatred and persistent disagreement with the humans, especially Maria, make for adequate and more than competent fighters, and they definitely can speak from experience with their planning and logic, especially Todd here, suggesting to split and go for a fast victory. His suggestion was opposed by the sorceress, Margot, as she illustrated using magic on the map, and also providing her own suggestion, going against splitting up and trailing the river. Bold plans either way, but Jericho was personally leaning towards the latter.

"No. We're too weak." he finally spoke, breaking his silence. "Even with cooperation, we only barely took that Cerebrate down. In the woods, it's much worse. These Cerebrates appear more often, and the air itself changes, what with the Dark and all. You get all these pervasive, poisonous thoughts. When we stick together, our combined Light energy may attract more Darkborne, but it gives us a herd immunity to the Dark's attempts of corruption. Can't say the same if we split up. Lots of good folks died that way."

Clearing his voice, he moved his fingers over Margot's manifested visualizations, and continued. "We start tomorrow morning. Hightail it to the outpost in the forest, check up on 'em. We're not just here for the artifact, and some intel from the people in the thick of it would be invaluable. Then, we swing over to the supply depot, restock some supplies. After that, we head straight for the artifact, veer clear from Martyr's Tree and the Ruins. At least, that's the plan. If we have time, or intel that there may be valuable stuff worth taking, we take it, but with utmost caution. If we're in need of supplies, we can swing down Streamend. If they've fallen, then at least we can salvage what we can. Darkborne rarely use physical medical supplies."

Speaking quickly to prevent people objecting, Jericho continued, now looking at everyone. "I'm not choosing this because I'm favoring my race over another, or to claim glory, or to prove anything. I chose this route, because it seems the most logical. Of course, no plan survives contact with the enemy, but if anything happens, we'll figure it out from there. Carry as much as possible on backpacks, don't trust the wagons, nor the mules. Pack as much Light energy as you can possibly carry. Stones and pebbles, too. Don't ask, you'll find out."

Speaking from experience, Jericho now reigned supreme over the situation, glancing over everyone. "Any questions? Quickly, it's getting late." he rushed everyone. His stomach, along with his muscles, were growling for food and drinks.

SCSaya06 Trappy hostage Nightblade Soviet Panda Pilgrim59 Unwavering Knight CombatReadyPenny Sybil billthesomething CrowOuttaHell Aryasaurus AlphaKyle QizPizza -robert- Vyseryx FTR D. Rex

 

[-robert-]

Leafa

"Hey Rock Lady, there's no point in asking them, mommy and daddy aren't in the map, they are real! Not made of paper! ... ... ... Hey it's that man! He's speaking! I never noticed his-"

Leafa was cut by Jericho starting his speech, turning to him, Leafa sat down on the cold stone ground, focusing on the man's face, but never letting go of the Rock Lady's hand. She honestly didn't care about what he said, she was wondering about something else... the man spoke and spoke, but Leafa didn't get a word of what he was saying, the words entered through one ear, and immediately left through the other.

Even with cooperation, we only barely took that Cerebrate down. In the woods, it's much worse. These Cerebrates appear more often, and the air itself changes, what with the Dark and all. You get all these pervasive, poisonous thoughts. When we stick together... blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Leafa didn't hear a single word after that point, but she kept looking at the man's face with a smile on her face, occasionaly giggling. After Jericho finished his speech Leafa turned to the Rock Lady and whispered, "What did he just say? I couldn't understand a word!"

"Any questions? Quickly, it's getting late."

"Ooooo, me, me, me!", the young elf raised her hand, letting go of the lady's hand. When she realized the man didn't notice her calling, she got up and started jumping. The moment Jericho turned to her she didn't hesitate to ask. "Can you give me pigtails like yours? They are really pretty! Mommy used to make me ones! But I'm sure you can make them as good as her!"

A lot of nearby people turned to her, some probably wondering if the young girl had a mental problem or was just plain stupid, others probably thinking bad about her because she was an elf. Leafa noticed all the heads turning to her, and all the eyes looking at her. "What? What's wrong with what I asked? Please turn around and stop looking at me."

Kabboom Sybil

 

[CombatReadyPenny]

Terra stood up. "Yes, I have traveled through the woods for Years. So has my guild. If we can make it there, I can take a few of you there to talk to them about it..." she said. She showed her thieves guild mark on her wrist and coat. "I think they will help."

"only a few people can come up to their hideout, so if we go with this plan we need to decide who. I'm one of them."
Kabboom

 

[Vyseryx]

Margot

"Can you give me pigtails like yours? They are really pretty! Mommy used to make me ones! But I'm sure you can make them as good as her!" The voice of a young elf broke the serious mood of the debriefing and focused looks of everybody in the room on her person. The girl quickly grew uncomfortable because of that. "What? What's wrong with what I asked? Please turn around and stop looking at me."

‘I hope Leo won’t be like that when he grows up.’ Margot rolled her eyes discretely and turned to the girl.

“Child! This is really not a time for that,” the sorceress scolded Leafa, though with a voice not as hard as she would normally use in such a situation. “Wait for our meeting’s end and then you can ask about pigtails all you want.”

Was that how one negotiate with children? Margot had no clue, but she hoped it would do for now. She raised her eyes and looked in Phos’s eyes.

‘Can you take her out of here?’ the sorceress asked elemental through the mind link. ‘I can easily narrate the rest of meeting to you, but there won’t be any ‘rest’ if she will distract us.’

Not giving any visible sign of telepathic conversation Margot at the same time started talking back to Jericho.

“I have a question - how do we plan to cross the river? The map doesn’t show any bridges and using magic to transport such a large group without unobstructed access to Network would be either very time-consuming or tiring.”

-robert- Sybil Kabboom