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Chapter 1

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Chapter One: Halamead
17th of Calder, 1032
Midsummer was always a good time of year. The refreshing breezes and warm sun putting the smile on many tired faces. Those with little income rarely had to worry about warmth and food, able to fish in the streams and the temperature never dropped enough to freeze the water. The animals roamed as if they owned the world, the insects fluttered by your face with every chance they got, and the crops were plentiful. Especially in the small town of Halamead. Their grains and fruits for making their ale were in their peak, those breezes making the fields of grains dance just like the ocean.

And today was a very special day. Music filled the streets of Halamead, the smells of delicious foods and ale mixing with the sweet scent of summer. They were having a party! The reason was...well, the reason was unknown. It was a simple town, but they loved having a festival or two. Maybe it was someone's birthday, or maybe it was an anniversary of some sort. Or maybe they were just celebrating their craft. Which, seeing as how the booze flowed freely and the fights were encouraged and bet upon, might be the real reason. Songs were sung loud and most of the time, badly, boasting about old battles or the popular songs from the boats. Baked goods were sold on stalls, a large fire roared in the center of town, various meats roasting above it. It was a good day to be in Halamead.

The locals weren't the only faces among the crowd. A few travelling merchants from Odelun sat with the warriors, drinking and sharing stories. Elves out to see the country sat with the local women, talking about the differences in scenery. And among the crowds, are you. It doesn't matter why your here, if you're perhaps just passing through or stopping for supplies, or maybe there for a job. No matter the reason, you may as well enjoy the festivities.
 
Captin Alixaviah of Roalon


The sounds of the festivities filled Alixaviah's ears as she walked between the merchant stalls, her hand resting lazily on the hilt of her sword. The lord of Roalon had sent her and a few of her men here to help bolster the towns meek guard for the festivities. The large woman's head swiveled back and forth, easily able to see over the heads of those in the crowd. Luckily all she had been needed for thus far were a few brawls that had gotten out of hand, but that didn't mean thieves wouldn't try to make easy pickings of the drunk merchants bragging about their earnings.

Viah sighed. She was bored out of her mind. She just Had to be sent here on duty, didn't she? What she wouldn't give to join in the drinking. The smell of Halamead's famous ales and meads hung everywhere in the air, causing the giants mouth to water. She continued to wander around the town, looking for anything to do to take her mind off of the alluring aromas.
 
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Alaric Hayden

*Clack* *clack* *clack* went Alaric's boots as he walked along the rough stone pavement of Halamead. Ever since saying his farewells to his family, he had been wandering around the empire of Liomuran doing odd swordsman work with none the wiser about his true parentage. Sure it was nice not having everyone stare at you because you were a noble, but there were some perks of being one that Alaric did indeed miss. Thankfully if indeed he came into a situation where he needed to have a plan B, he had a Hayden signet ring ready to go in his rucksack hidden in a secret compartment for such an emergency. Anyone who was not in the know would see the attractive Alaric the Swordsman in shining steel plate with a longsword on his back.

Alaric had just finished a job guarding a caravan bringing goods into Halamead, most likely for this whatever this was. Receiving his payment earlier Alaric was released to explore the town, and to figure out where he was staying the night. That could wait until he celebrated his uneventful and successful job with an ale, one of his favored pastimes. Walking over to a stall, he paid the merchant the price they asked for a flagon of ale and a good sized piece of bread. The bread was an old trick his father taught him, much to his mother's chagrin, of how to mitigate the alcohol. He eventually settled on sitting at one of the benches in close proximity to the roaring fire used for cooking the delicious smelling meats. Taking a load off was what he needed as he sipped his ale and watched the passerby go about their business.
 
Arcturus

Distantly, Arcturus realized he'd stopped moving. It wasn't a quick realization, mostly because his head still was. And the massive, soul-throbbing headache he was suddenly sporting. That wasn't healthy.

With an exhausted, defeated groan, he slightly managed to lift himself up from the cold, wet, and most importantly pointy rock bed sat next to a gently running river he'd found himself in. Even though the dull aching of his head and the ringing in his ears were muddling any coherent thought, he could still vividly remember having been on the other side of the river.

"-rc! Arc, are you okay!?" a distant voice called to him, probably an angel. No, wait, he was an atheist, he didn't believe in angels. Well, it was hard to argue against proof, wasn't it? It couldn't have been an angel though. He was going to hell, no doubt about it.

"...M-maybe?" he croaked out, throat dry and scratchy, his words being forced out of his mouth like sandpaper. Letting his head roll to the side, Arcturus let the cool running stream water lap itself into his open mouth. That was better.

Arms wrapped under his armpits, dragging him across the rough stone surface to the grass a few yards away, much to Arcturus' indignation. The rocks dug into his back as he was moved, helping absolutely none at all. The second he caught a glimpse of the man's face though, his protests stopped. Ah, Ozzy. Good ole' dependable Ozzy. He should really start paying the man more, or, well, at all, especially now that there were three of them. Three? Yes, three different Ozzies, plural for Ozzy of course, were dancing across his vision before merging into one as the shaky world in front of his eyes slowed to a halt. A new spell? Incredible.

Through the incessant ringing of his ears, he could vaguely recognize that Ozzy was speaking.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Arcturus squinted, studying the subject closely and thoroughly, thinking hard on his answer before giving it.

"...Twelve" He said, voice full of confidence.

"That...isn't physically possible".

It wasn't? Dazed and shaken, Arcturus let the taller man pull him to his unsteady feet away from the river.

"W-what hit me?" Arcturus mumbled, cradling his head as Ozzy supported him, "A geyser? A wind mage? Vazgen'eth?"

"...You" Ozzy said slowly, looking across the river. Confused, more so than he already was at least, he followed his gaze. The shrubbery across the water was split apart, greenery singed and branches cracked in half. Dirt was kicked up, and every strand of grass in a ten-foot of the point of origin was blown clean off the ground. Most importantly, a cauldron was broken in half and brightly colored ingredients were scattered across the ground with broken glass.

That did sound like something he'd do.

"What compelled you to do that?" Ozzy asked, amazed as he took in the sight before him.

"It was an accident. Probably. I'm not keen on the details right now, I may have a concussion. I'd like to lie down now" Arcturus wracked his head to remember what he'd been doing, but that just brought on more bursts of pain rocketing through his skull. He'd remember later, right now he needed rest. He'd moved to do just that before Ozzy stopped him.

"Hey, hold on. Arc, you split your damn head open. We need to get you to a doctor."

Arcturus still had the good sense to give a derisive snort despite the overwhelming agony happening between his ears. "Don't exaggerate, I'll be fine. And I don't trust surgeons, nowadays anyone can become a doctor just by cutting off a cabbage farmer's arm with a rusty saw and half a bottle of mead." It was at that moment that the stream of blood seeping out of his scalp rolled down his forehead and into his left eye, tinting half his vision red. Ah, Ozzy had been literal.

"...But I can make an exception" Arcturus mumbled, splashing water into his eyes to rid them of the red tint. He gave a barely audible thank you to Ozzy before accepting an offered headband to stop the blood from going down his forehead.

"How long have you been out?" Ozzy asked, heedless of the ache having to process a question brought to Arcturus' skull, " I was only gone for the night, how do you manage this?". At that, Ozzy unslung a small pack of ingredients and let it rest on the grass. Right, he'd made him do a supply run, hadn't he?

"What time is it?"

"Early afternoon."

"Since yesterday, then."

"Yesterday!?" Ozzy sputtered, alarmed.

"I remember it being night, then everything goes black and suddenly it's the afternoon. Ergo, yesterday." He said, simply, brushing off the topic entirely and stumbling to where his pack had been blown against a tree. Giving a quick inventory, everything looked to be more or less miraculously unharmed. The ingredients caught in the blast zone were unsalvagable though, which was a shame.

"Well, off to it then," Arcturus said, seeming to adapt to this turn of events much quicker than Ozzy. "The town you went to, Halamead, it has a doctor, right? Surgeon? Physician? Apothecary? I'll settle for a potion vendor, just anything for this head", he groaned while clutching his head, making a small, pitiful noise that garnered him no sympathy.

"Er, right, I think I saw one of those on my way through town. They were preparing a festival the last I saw-"

"A festival? Ooh, I do love festivities. Very lively, often chaotic." He skipped ahead, ignoring the unending headache that was really drawing on his nerves.

"Alright, alright, just don't...please don't do anything that will get us arrested" Ozzy all but begged, trailing after the shorter man.

Arcturus snorted at that. Who did Ozzy take him for? As if he'd get caught.

-0-
"A left turn, then a right-"

"You said that three lefts ago-"

"I said that two rights and a straightaway ago-"

"I'm the only one who gets to interrupt people Ozzy, could you please, please, for the love of the non-existent god you worship pick a direction and stick with it?" Arcturus groaned, the bags under his eyes deeper than usual and his mood especially sour. Ozzy gave a huff at his words and carried on silently, sliding through the crowd of festival-goers clogging the streets.

Arcturus, expecting wanted posters, had put a minor illusion over his hair to make it appear white, bloodstains included. There hadn't been any posters with his face on it though, which was just insulting. He'd have thought he was more popular than that.

"...That was rude, you know" Ozzy muttered, focused on the map as he lead the way.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Arcturus let out a tired sigh. "I'm sorry I insulted you and your religion. I didn't mean it, I respect your worship and don't have the right to belittle it" Arcturus droned, clearly reading off a practiced response. It seemed to satisfy Ozzy though, as he got a nod of approval in return.

Great, forgiveness won, but they were still both hopelessly lost.
 
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Lashandaril Sil'Than
"And so, herein begins the collection of fruits of my labors. While I personally shall recommend you read from this tome heartily,
remember to formulate your own works as well, for treading the same ground throughout the ages shall succeed in nothing but stagnation.
Learn, but do not adhere to these words."
- Petre BitterRoot -
One can do many things in a festival. Mingle with the guests, eat amazingly fattening food that your diet, if it could, would attempt to beat your gut until you vomit it back out. Or simply drink, and do all of the above and more. It was a time for any and all to let out a breath and let their lives rest for abit and simply enjoy themselves.

And make some terrible decisions.

And our good friend Lashandaril was currently in the process of making a big one. As he had been challenged to a drink off, and sure he could have ignored the jeers and laughter of those around him. He hadn't lived this long without enjoying himself sometimes. And momma didn't raise no milksop.

It had been an hour or two since he had started, and really, it was a challenge in the loosest sense of a term, as his new friend a dwarf named Barner was long since hooting and hollering out a bawdy song about something or another. Thankfully, Lash knew this song, hell he may even be older than the damn song but sure as the Mists south are green he wasn't going to be left behind on this.

Though half way through he wasn't FULLY certain they were singing the same song, but Barner seemed to have wandered off somewhere, probably to get food, lash however was still there, quite drunk and looking somewhat like a mix between a cat and a particularly beaten up bag of torn rags int he shape of an elf. His body was... Wonderously limber, and for certain he was more than a little over the hedge in terms of drunkeness.

And so early? Indeed. He needed to make absolute use of the day! he had to eat! chat and possibly find a new friend for the evening and morning after!

Whats a life if you do not live!

Whatever may come tomorrow can be dealt with by tomorrow's Lashandaril and along with the great headache that will be alongside it!

Besides he doesn't even need to tuck his ears! People like elves around here enough that they don't care if he has these pointy things, and he could swear hes had a few eyes on him since the start~!

Anywho, it was time for advent-!

The man stops nearby a bush, emptying the contents of his stomache within, the bush, while not particularly appreciative, understands. Wiping himself clear of spittal and.. Well. the eponimous mead, stood straight and cleared his mouth of troublesome leftovers.

-Ture!!

And adventure waits for no man! Maybe some women though, what with those stories of some tossing out swords from ponds or something. Whats next, a sword in a stone that foretells the coming of the next king?

Ah... Oh... No laughing while stomache is angry...

"I.. Need to wahs my mouth out with something..." the swaying elfs spoke, his step more of a stumble than anything as he made his way towards... Well.. Anywhere in truth.

Fates be willing.
 

  • 056e0c796102f135083c2e914da348d6~2.jpgAurelia Barrows
    Location: Halamead, Town Square
    Interaction: Open
    Mentioned: N/A

    Aurelia was having the time of her life. Antiva had festivals a lot. Public birthday celebrations, harvest festivals, the Ice Fishing festival. And she loved those, she really truly did. But this...this was a festival like she had never experienced. Halamead was known for it's alcohol, the fresh, sweet scents of Mead and wine mixed with the summer breeze and wafted over the cobblestone streets. But that was not the only scent on the air. The streets were line with various carts and stalls from all over, street foods of all variety available for sale. There were the savory scents of the meet carts, the smell of fresh bread and pies from the bakers, even the almost too rich scent of dwarven chocolate. You wouldn't know it from the bright smile and enthusiastic almost skipping around that this young woman had spent nearly an hour that morning begging her traveling companion to stay for the festival. They had been in the area to turn in a hunting request for five deer, and had learned that the animals would be used as part of the giant meal at the end of the festival. And it just sounded like so much fun...

    Aurelia was successful in convincing Roman to stay, bringing up the fact that they never knew when their next change at some down time would be. And! He would get free ale during the festival! That was the nail on the head. Aurelia let out another giggled as she went speeding by the stalls again, giving her companion a brief wave as she passed the tavern he had decided to sit down to just watch the festival. Aurelia didn't know where to start, having passed by each stall three times now, the young woman was also overwhelmed by choices. There were sweets and savory, small toys and other trinkets, jewelry and even a blacksmith. There were a few game to play as well! Tossing horse shoes and chess, plus a few challenges of skill such as axe throwing. Roman warned her against the archery challenge. "You'll win too easily and they'll think you cheated," He said.

    "Yeah right!" Aurelia replied. Much to her dismay, there was a no elves sign at said challenge. Oh well, she'd have fun other ways.

    Like finally deciding on something to eat. Aurelia on her fourth pass of the stalls, finally spotted a small stall that was almost hidden selling a filled steamed bun. Aurelia immediately headed over to stand in line, bouncing in place as she waited. These buns were an elven treat she hadn't had since last seeing her mother over two years ago. They were soft, and most of the time, had a sweet filling of some kind of fruit. They'd make a delicious breakfast. Once it was her turn, Aurelia decided to buy two, one apple filled and the other a sour-ish plum. They were warm, and smelled wonderful...Aurelia had to use all of her might will to wait until she had found a good spot to sit before digging in. Since the buns were chewy, and the insides were piping hot, Aurelia spent the next little bit enjoying her breakfast as the sun slowly rose. In the morning, the festival was lively, but not nearly as busy. But as the hours slowly ticked past...by mid-day, it was a festival exactly like you would expect.

    Not being able to partake in the archery contest meant that the majority of her time after eating breakfast was spent just wandering and looking at stalls. She wasn't the biggest fan of alcohol in the first place, but Aurelia would occasionally find herself roped into tasting some free samples of new brews. Her favorite was a dandelion whine, but not enough to actually have the woman drop 30 silver on a full bottle. Anyway, as much as she would have loved to stay for the big feast at the end...her interest was slowly dwindling. Aurelia was just a few minutes away from going to find Roman again when she suddenly heard a swell of lively music carried by the breeze. Her attention was drawn toward the town square where a band was set up on a small stage, and the young woman couldn't help a smile.

    She approached the square almost hesitantly, watching as some of the festival goers moves to the center and began dancing. Aurelia had hoped for exactly that, rushing forward to join the crowd. The steps they were using were slightly unfamiliar to her, Aurelia herself stiff an unsure about what to do and how to step. But after a few moments and some encouragement by a kind plump woman, Aurelia fell into pace with those dancing, the smile on her face refusing to fall

 
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[Location: Halamead, Town Square]
{Interactions: No One Yet!}
{Mentions: None}
images

If there was one thing the small Faye loved; it was a good party. Where the big people out in the streets danced and drank, a similar thing was happening in the small holes and in-between walls. Where the Faye were respected, people often left out snacks, trinkets, drinks, whatever might interest them really. In a town known for its various alcohols, that was the most abundant thing and the Faye were capable of enjoying themselves as much anyone.

"Ready? Go!" bursts of speed and several small figures shot out into the crowd of much bigger feet, nothing more than blurs as they took off across. Aloi felt the tell-tale sign of illusion magic settling over his shoulders and hiding his true appearance as they zipped back and forth between dancing feet. He may have drank a bit too much and had agreed to this bet, but he was damn well going to win it. He waited and tucked in, bounding up and passing between the legs of one dancer. With deft movements his hands zipped up and a needle appeared. Within a short moment he tumbled through and headed towards another dancer "One point for me" he mumbled.

The bet was simple. Many of them were crafter Faye, those who helped with shoes, clothes, minor woodwork, ect. Whoever could leave their personal symbol on the most dancers before the song ended would be the winner. It was mostly bragging rights. The Faye didn't really carry much coin on their person, especially at his size. Aloi was sewing his symbol into clothing, something he could do with his eyes closed. Moving at high speed was a little more challenging but not impossible. Most of these people weren't on the look out for small creatures a lot of them were already drunk. The illusion magic cast by one of the other Faye would hide them from the more sharp eyed individuals.

Still, he had to move fast. Some people were wise to illusion magic and even in a place where the Faye was respected, there were still opportunistic people.

Still...this was fun. He was glad he'd made this event one of his first traveling things to do.​
 


LINNEA VOREALIS - LITTLE KNIGHT

MOOD
: sunny.
LOCATION: halamead.
MENTIONS: open / everyone.

Atop a rooftop in Halamead sat a young woman, enjoying the feeling of the summer breeze against her face. This. This had to be the best place that the Captain had stationed her. Not only was the scenery fantastic, the vibe immaculate, but they were having some sort of festival. Yep, this was certainly Lienna's kind of town.
The short knight wasn't officially on duty, no, she had been send by her Captian to chase out some bandits that had been holed up in the area. A simple job, nothing that she couldn't handle. Despite her having completed her duties, she remained in the white uniform of her guard, a contrast against her blazing red hair.

She looked below her, watching the festivities. The sweet smell of pastries reached her nose, perhaps it was time to rejoin the party, perhaps booze it up a little ? Challenge some unsuspecting dimwit to a drinking game, that she would obviously emerge victorious from. Yes, Linnea with her short statue, and low tolerance that she would never admit- that would go swell.

With a florish, Linnea stood from the roof and proceeded to turn around, raise her arms either side of her, and lean back until her feet had left the roof top. Perhaps slightly too dramatic, and concerning for anyone who would watch her, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the wind whipping passed her face. It wasn't the first time she had set herself up for this moment of ecstasy, nor did she think it would be her last. Besides, she enjoyed the reaction of others far too much to tone down her dare devil activities. At the last moment, before the knight hit the ground, she released a blast of her magic, a gust of air strong enough to stop her momentum and for her to land gracefully, wide smile across her face.
Linnea bowed, a giggle bubbling up from her chest

" Thank you, Thank you "

 
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"Come on! Do the trick again! Hic!"

"I told you, this isn't some simple trick. It is a spell for curing severe toxins!" Enver sighed in frustration. It seemed whenever he went out for a festival, his classmates would quickly distance themselves, snickering as he was roped into using his magic to treat someone's drunkenness.

"Oh, come on, son! We're intoxi-hic-- intoxicated. I think that has 'toxic' in there," the persistent drunkard slurred merrily.

"Yes, Bronte! This man clearly needs your help!" came the voice of one of those cheeky colleagues.

"Ugh... Fine, but this is the last time," Enver asserted. He raised his hands over said drunkard, his fingertips glowing before arcane symbols flashed and a single shimmering drop descended upon the man's head. On impact, a gleam rippled across the man's skin before his posture improved and he seemed more focused.

"Keh! That's quite something, lad... Now I can go again. Back to drinking! KEEP 'EM COMING!" the guy declared, causing a ripple of cheers before resuming his normal harmful activities. Enver simply groaned and removed himself from the scene, slipping out of the packed Fairy's Fall Inn as his classmates cackled. It disappointed him; he loved festivals, but every time he went somewhere with heavy drinking, he was compelled to help someone on the verge of passing out. Next, other barely-coherent people would want to abuse a talent he developed to help those genuinely in need, and he felt worse refusing.

The fresh air did much for him, the odors of sweaty bodies and strong ale having made him queasy and the raucous singing making him cringe. Certainly, he was in silent agreement with the man with the wolf. With a tin cup in hand, he sat perched on a railing across the street, aerating his wine while looking back on his accomplishments over the past twelve years. He went from beginner to adept healer in that time and secretly pledged to serve the common good. The memories made a certain warmth well up in his chest.

However, the fond remembrance was cut short as a human guided his unbalanced and irritable companion past the paladin. Neither appeared drunk but the latter, an elf, looked like death warmed over. Enver squinted, trying to discern if that man was ill or drunk. He couldn't tell what they were saying to one another, yet he could see they were moving with purpose, as though they had somewhere to be. The uncertain glances indicated they were lost; maybe they were looking for an apothecary. "You, sir!" he called out while hopping down from the railing. "Pardon the intrusion, but you seem lost. Might you need help finding someone?" He certainly was a nosy one, but not without good reason and intentions.

Mentions: FireMaiden FireMaiden
Interaction: Togy Togy
 
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Hugo Malignant
Mentions: sxperhuman sxperhuman Linnea vorealis

As the loud noise of the festival screamed into Hugo’s ear he walked around fully caution of where he was, knowing that he was highly outlawed in the entire Empire of Liomura!
He sometimes accidentally walk into people or two and immediately apologize, way to keep a low profile.

Some people knew Hugo for his armor, once a great knight wore the exact same armor, and another knight from the old past had also wear the armor too, or maybe some knew the armor from the,’Wanted poster’ all over the empire, he was constantly hunted by the empire and he hid as usual, not wanting to be overwhelmed in a fight, it’s enough to be as good as dead.
As he was walking through the small town he had looked up slightly too see a red head woman wearing armor, she had fallen onto the ground landing perfectly on her feet, which surprised Hugo just a little bit. But the most concerning part was that there were knights all over the town possibly searching for him or having other business here. He looked at her for a little too long as she saw the armor, possibly from the wanted posters all over the empire.
Bullocks.” He said simply as he began to move faster than usual and planting his hands onto his twin axes located lower on his waists. He walked in a faster tempo trying to leave the town as fast as possible without draining energy in case a fight would break out.
 
Money, money, money and a bit of dancing queen...

Interaction: FireMaiden FireMaiden

The music was loud, driving the crowd into a frenzy. People danced and frolicked, quite the hedonistic show. For Sully, in his head to toe fool garb, he was viewing from the comfort of a small, dank pub. Around the circular table with him appeared to be a collection of people with the most scar tissue in the entire town. Each had a jaw cut from granite and hands the size of shovels, each casting their beady eyes at the man dressed like an entertainer.

Sully slowly revealed the cards in his hand to those around him and there was a collective grown, fists slamming on the table and feet stomping on the floor.

“This is ridiculous!” yelled one of the men.

“He’s cheating!” cried another.

Sully looked at them with a wide smile accentuated by the paint across his face, reaching out to collect the coins from the middle of the table.

“Oh dear friends, I do not need to cheat to beat you...this is as easy as stealing from a child,” Sully said mockingly.

As he began to draw his hands and the pile of coins towards him, one of the shovel-like hands of another player covered both his own.

“Well then you cocky prick...I would seriously reconsider taking our money...just leave and we’ll forget your insults…”

The man.s breath was pungent, his blackened teeth a sign that he had no concept of dental hygiene. It caused the jesters face to curl up in disgust before anger took over.

“Get your beastly hands off me before I snap your arm!” he shouted.

The rest of the table stood up, even at just over six foot tall himself, Sully was a clear head shorter than the others. They all turned to him with a look to inflict some significant damage at which point he raised his hands up into the air.

“Okay fine...keep your money…” The Fool slammed his chair underneath the table, storming out of the bar in a huff.

The thugs sat back down at the table and laughed, patting each other jovially on the back as their threats had worked.

“These out of towners are starting to get on my nerves. Why is some runt like that thinking he can mess with us?!” One said with an extremely raspy voice.

The others chuckled wildly before they started to reach for their coins. Unfortunately for the knuckle draggers they hit nothing but the tabletop.

“What kind of sorcery is this?!” one yelled.

The group wildy clawed at the coins they could see before their eyes but once again, their nails only gouged into the wooden surface beneath.

Far away and into the massive crowds, Sully shook his bag with a smile. The satisfying jingle of coins rattling serenaded his ears as he laughed to himself.

“Absolute knuckle draggers…” he thought with a smile.

As time moved on Sully found himself amongst a crowd dancing along to the music of a band on stage. The jester began to sway with the music, his body moving in perfect harmony with the beats being played. He was by no means a dancer by profession but his flexibility and agility leant itself to the art very well. He reached out wildly towards those around him, linking arms jovially before moving on to the next. A rather portly woman gripped him and began to wildly throw him around like a rag doll. Sully laughed wildly at the woman, playing along with her as she spun him around like a spinning top. As she pushed him away with another spin he found himself bumping backwards into a particularly pale woman who had almost perfectly white hair.

His smile faded and he bowed in apology.

“I’m sorry miss,” he said before standing upright with a smile, “as you probably noticed, my dance partner is determined to break me in two.”

He reached out a hand to her in an offer of dance.

“Would you kindly consider saving this fool from his own dance partner?”
 
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The sounds of the festival travelled through the gusts of wind towards the mountainous air of the forests miles away. Perched on a rock, high up sat Apples, her waist length hair blowing like a flag in the gale. She had heard it before and frankly, it was annoying. It interrupted the melodic sounds of birds and the breeze that rustled the trees, and just felt… unnatural. The Nymph rolled her eyes and got up. How was she supposed to photosynthesise in peace with all this noise? Her plan to lie in her favourite shallow pool in the clearing was ruined and she was very unhappy. What was so spectacular that they felt the need to make such an unbridled racket? Humans were very strange creatures that the Nymph simply did not understand, nor did she really want to. But still… why? Apples rolled her neck, turning back and forth between the familiar forest and the weird world of humanity. Against her better judgement, she eventually decided that it was worth at least… a glance. With a roll of her eyes, she picked up her staff and, with a few bounds, jumps and leaps, ran down the side of the mountain before using said staff to vault over a gaping ravine. Within half a hour, she had reached the gates to the village.

It was as loud, bright and terrible as she had expected. But at the same time, she had come all this distance. Turning around and leaving right as she arrived was, well… cowardly. And Apples knew in her very roots that she was not a coward. Her hawkish eyes flashed from person to person as she took a few careful steps inward, unaware of the stares people were giving her for tracking so much mud on the cobbled road. Despite living in the wild for the last few years, Apples was, unexpectedly, quite a hygienic creature no doubt thanks to her frequent trips to ponds and lakes to absorb the water needed to keep going. The only exception to this was her legs, which were always covered in a very healthy coat of mud. The little saplings on her ankles twitched and her heavy eyebrow gave a small jump whenever one of them touched the ground or anything solid. They were extremely sensitive to touch, hence the mud. It both nourished the saplings and cushioned them from harm. She tried to avoid any gazes her way.

Suddenly, flashes of red and orange caught her eye and Apples froze. A great big inferno was raging in the middle of the square. Instantly, the nymph felt herself freeze. She gripped onto her staff for support, feeling her fear rising. There was an awful blaze engulfing this space- why were they all so jovial!? And why were so many laughing, shaky on their feet and seemed almost out of their minds? If Apples knew anything about fire, it was that fire caused nothing but destruction!

"Wha- the what-?" The deity spluttered, ignoring a gaggle of tipsy elves pointing and laughing at her ears. This made no sense to her! "Why are you all celebrating?! Do none of you see that fire?!" The nymph was not shouting, but her disbelieving voice did ring. She was so fixated on the flames, that she barely noticed the giantess standing nearby.


Nearby: TheMightyRedLemon TheMightyRedLemon
 
Alaric Hayden

Finishing his ale and bread Alaric walked over to the merchant that had sold them to him and deposited his empty flagon as well as an extra tip for the quality of the ale. ~All right, I've taken a load off and celebrated a little bit, let me see if I can now figure out where I am going to sleep for the night. Asking some of the merchants, Alaric decided that he would at least check out the Fairy's Fall Inn upon their recommendation. Turning around, he became aware of several things. First, a dance had broken out in the town square not far from the fire where he was sitting; he must not have noticed it. Second, he also became aware of a giant of a human wandering around. ~By Enone, she's tall!~ Alaric thought to himself. Shaking his head for a moment, he decided to follow the merchant's directions to the Inn and began to make his way there.

Alaric's boots continued to step along the cobblestone road, sword tapping lightly against his armor as he did, and made his way towards the Inn thinking about the last time he was in a town such as this. It had been a long time seeing individuals batting the dust off their windows, tending to their flowers and ~wait, what's that noise?~ Alaric heard something whistling through the air causing him to look around suddenly. Frantically looking around his eyes settled on the source of the noise, a young armored woman was falling off the rooftop and was racing towards the cobblestone. ~Curse my luck! I'm not gonna make it!~ Alaric swore in his head. However, he was surprised at the young woman's use of, air magic?, to steady herself and land on her feet. As she bowed Alaric thought to himself, ~I may want to ask her how she did that, Air magic isn't one of my strongest arcanas.~ Walking over to the woman, Alaric began.

"Neat trick with air magic," he started, "How'd you manage that?"

Mentioned: TheMightyRedLemon TheMightyRedLemon
Interactions: sxperhuman sxperhuman
 

LINNEA VOREALIS - LITTLE KNIGHT

MOOD
: sunny.
LOCATION: halamead.
MENTIONS: Clockwork Syringe Clockwork Syringe

linnea raised her head, not yet upright from her bow and grinned at the man that had approached her, hair falling in front of her face from the remnants of her spell.

" why thank you kindly " she stood herself upright, bouncing on the balls of her feet, placing her gloved hands on her hips. " oh - that ole thing, i picked it up when i was a child "

it was true, air magic had come very easily to her, though she wasn't being completely honest. she had failed to mention that the reason she had learned it was due to her plummeting to her death at age 8. it's a long story that involved a goat, an acorn, and a very large cliff. the long and short of it being- she fell off the cliff and had instinctively produced that same gust of wind that was preformed earlier. since then, cliff diving had been a favorite of linnea's. but that particular magic was a raw affinity, untrained.

" my grandmother is very proficient in the craft, she taught me how to control this kinda thing..."

she trailed off as the sweet smell of pastries once again reached her. she was practically salivating. there must be a stand nearby, if she was right they were standing only a couple of streets over from the town square. linnea tilted her head, a mischievous smile creeping onto her features. she grabbed the armored arms of the man who had approached. she was a fair bit shorter than the man, but stood with the cockiness confidence of a goliath.

" hey, soldier ! what say you buy me a sweet bun and maybe i could try to teach ya a thing or two ? "

 
Arcturus & Enver

Arcturus' situational awareness was at an all-time low at the moment, so Ozzy had to grab him and turn him around to face the paladin that had tried to stop them because otherwise, he would've just kept moving.

"Ah!" Arcturus said, surprised as he was turned to face the man. His gaze was unfocused, his balance off, and he was staring straight past the left side of the man's face. "Lost? Incredibly so. If you wouldn't mind directing me to the nearest healing hand, that would be greatly appreciated" Arcturus said, words slurred as Ozzy kept him on his feet.

"As you can see," Arcturus began, patting a hand to the middle of his seemingly perfectly clean white scalp before withdrawing and presenting the palm of his hand speckled in small drops of blood, before ending, cheerfully, with "I'm a tad battered!"

Healing hand? Enver wore an amazed look for a second before answering. “What serendipity! It happens you found such a person. Enver Bronte, light magic practitioner, at your service.” He doubted anyone would recognize the name of a low-ranking noble from a relatively isolated town, though he was certain most knew of light magic’s popular restorative applications.

Enver cocked an eyebrow at the sudden spots of blood, despite there not being any obvious wounds. There was an illusion at play, likely for good reason. “A head wound? I‘d best examine this carefully as I work. I have a room at the inn here, just upstairs. May I bring you there?”

"Arcturus, no last name," He said, brightly, his mood uplifting noticeably now that there was hope of fixing his aching head.

Ozzy looked close to fainting though. Right. Maybe he shouldn't have said his real name? At least he remembered he wasn't legally allowed to use the De'Rune name, being disowned and all. Well, it wasn't like they were wanted in this part of the country, yet. Arcturus wasn't that uncommon of a name for Elves either, so he doubted he'd be tracked down on a first name alone.

"And please do, I can't remember whether a head injury looks worse than it really is or if it's worse then it looks" Arcturus said, clapping his hands together and making a small gesture of appreciation.

“If I’m perfectly honest, it tends to be the latter,” Enver replied while leading the two through the crowds and into the inn. He made no remark on the name, but did notice the unease on the human’s face. ‘Was it something I said?’ he thought.

A few classmates noticed the grad and the pair following him. The lot watched like a bunch of owls as Enver led them upstairs and into the safety of the room. Of course, their minds were on a different course as they cheered for their fellow graduate.

Enver’s door swung open to reveal an immaculate room—nothing out of place, not even a wrinkle on the bedding. His armor, weapons, and travel bags sat neatly against the wall in one corner. “Have a seat, please,” he offered, gesturing to a chair in front of a vanity table. His reassuring beam denoted no ill intent.

Arcturus did as he was told, taking a seat, crossing his legs, and smiling pleasantly. Ozzy stood near the door, content to let the interaction go by. Leaning back, Arcturus eyed the paladin, raising an eyebrow as if to ask 'what next?'.

After closing and locking the door to prevent any classmates from peeping, Enver took his place behind the seated Arcturus. He stared critically at the falsely pristine scalp. “May I see without the illusion?” he asked, anticipating a grisly sight.

Arcturus gave an over-exaggerated gasp at that, somehow surprised the man had found him out.

Across the room, Ozzy's head fell into his hands. He muttered something that sounded like "Idiot...".

"How did you-wait," Arcturus began, eyes beginning to furrow in thought. "Oh-yep, I can see how you figured that one out" he laughed, dazed, "Feeling a little light-headed, completely slipped my mind". With a wave of his hand, the illusion over his hair disappeared. His white hair instantly turned black as the wound fully revealed itself. An almost worrying amount of blood coated the middle of his scalp, slowly trickling down the sides to be absorbed by his headband. A jagged line sat in his hairline, barely visible through his naturally bushy hair. It wasn't a pretty sight.

There was no look of recognition, though Enver did raise his eyebrows at the change of hair color, even more so at the laceration. “Oh my!” he gasped. “This is quite grievous. I’m impressed you can still walk. Arcturus, good sir! Were you attacked?” With his fingers, he gently brushed aside the tangled hair and raised his hands over Arcturus’ head.

A glowing circle traced itself in a two-foot radius around Enver as he prepared the spell. His hands seemed to catch and retain some of the soft, golden-white light. The magical energies built around him, the mild frills on his coat billowing lightly.

Arcturus gave a little snort before saying "You should see the other guy!"

Looking to Ozzy, he got a tired, blank expression in return. "Well, I thought it was funny" Arcturus huffed.

"Experiment gone wrong," Arcturus said more seriously, "Happens all the time. Blew me a good thirty feet, has to be a record."

With an exhale, the glow grew into a flash that subsided in a flourish of quasi-real feathers that dissipated before touching the ground. A mote of light from Enver’s hands melded into the fissure. The pressure and swelling slowly released as the magic did its work on Arcturus’s skull. Eventually, the gash pulled itself shut, bone and flesh mending. Only the bloodstains remained.

“Feel better?” Enver asked. His breathing had grown more labored from the exertion of the intense spell. “You may clean off the blood in this wash pan. The water‘s fresh.” He drew in a breath sharply, as he forgot to add something. “Oh! Also try to remove or at least secure all the sharp edges in your workspace next time. I can tell you a thousand stories of people at the academy having accidents during experiments.”

"Infinitely better!" The man said brightly, rubbing his head in blissful peace. Pointedly ignoring good advice the man was spewing, Arcturus hopped to his feet. Giving his head a quick rinse, he turned back to the paladin.

"You are a godsend, you know that? What do you need for payment?"

“Oh, uh... payment?” Enver stopped dead with a blank stare. “I require nothing of the sort. It’s a day of celebration and I work for the common good anyway.” He silently prayed that would settle the matter. “Your friend here did well to bring you this way, even if by accident. I fear most healers are away from their practices today.”

His own comment reminded him of the ongoing festivities. “Will you be staying long in Halamead, gentlemen? Business tends to surge this time of year.”

"Not for long, no. Likely to ditch town and travel to the next poor, unsuspecting village that gets between me and innovation" Arcturus said, casually. Snapping his fingers, a new burst of energy burst through him, causing him to smile.

"Right, the festival! Let me buy you a pint or two, at least" Arcturus said, slinging an arm around the man's shoulder and heading towards the door.

"Oh, wait" He stopped, waving his hand and coating his dark hair white, "Better."

The remark on innovation and unsuspecting villages prompted a confused glance. Enver shook himself from his own suspicion and nodded. “Of course. There’s a selection of fine wine and ale downstairs.” He helped with the door, ushering the men out of his room. “I could join you in a moment, if you prefer. My colleagues are especially rowdy after our graduation ceremony. I should give them time to dry out...”

"Of course, I'll order you a round in advance. Feel free to dive headfirst into the cesspit of sin known as a bar anytime!" Arcturus chirped jovially, practically skipping out of the room and downstairs, Ozzy following quickly after him after giving Enver a nod of appreciation himself.

“Certainly. Many thanks!” Enver glanced back to the room and noticed a few light blood smears. He stayed behind to wipe up that slight mess, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that he should know this guy. After all, the magic-practicing community wasn’t that large. Word tended to spread rapidly if someone was particularly innovative. Who was this character, Arcturus...?

-0-
"Hello, most reputable fellow!" Arcturus greeted, loudly, as he sat down next to the lone man nestled in the corner of the bar, their only drinking companion being a dire-wolf. Ozzy was watching him like a hawk from where he sat on a barstool, intimately aware with how badly Arcturus and alcohol mixed. "The armor gives you away, sir! Either you're an upstanding member of society, or you stole it off a dead man's corpse. Are you a guard? What do you guard? I always see so many guards in my travels, but never stop to consider what they guard. Really, rather inconsiderate of me. Do you guard the constabulary? The temple to an imaginary god? The woman's quarters?" Arcturus blanched at the last part, leaning away from the man, looking solemn.

"If you are a eunuch, you have my deepest condolences."
 
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Lashandaril

"If your that interested in his- *hic* - Junk why not check yourself? Hes right there!" A certain elf who had managed to wander around and come upon the two conversationalists. Wander, but more like he stumbled his way forwards, trying to find something fun, and generally it seems he had found something fun.

"A eu- *hic* nuch, I once had to do that procedure once! Poor fellow was diseased to the extreme, dead skin all over you wouldn't- *Hic* believe the way he was. Excruciating pain yo be sure!

But thats what you get for toying with Recluse venom! Why anyone would have a damn vial and muchless a needle of it is beyond me but I for one prefer nicer and less potentially volitile marital aids."

The good doctor made a handful of nearby men blanche at the thought of their lad litterally rotting off... Or needing amputation.

"Anywhoo~! Does anybody know what a man has to do to get a drink? Again? I am by no means drunk enough to last the day and I assure you, I have need to clear my mind for tomorroooooowwww~!

Lots of work and dumb thigs to stitch back onto dumb people who lost them!

No, doubt that would be the case, but certainly a stitch or three.

...What was I talking about? Surely there was something important...? Where is my bag...?"

It was clear, he was out of his mind, this elven man who was currently gently looking over the area with a concerned look for this eponimous bag he had lost. "Herbs in there... Important for... Business... Hmm..."

Togy Togy FireMaiden FireMaiden (interactions.
 
Alaric Hayden

Listening to the woman talk about how her grandmother was proficient in air magic Alaric surmised that she probably taught it to her granddaughter. In his own case it sort of just instinctually happened one day while sparing with his father. His brother didn't possess it and neither did his little sister so that was why he was given a free ride thanks to his grandfather's curiosity. ~Huh, I guess grandparents are strange like that~ Alaric mentally thought. He then wondered how much he could ask her about it.

Such a question was answered when she suddenly latched onto his arms and in no uncertain terms asked for him to buy her a sweet bun while also complimenting him as a soldier. The sweet scent of pastries, cakes, and other baked goods began to waft under his nose as soon as she finished. "Well I'm flattered you think of me as a soldier, but alas I am no such thing. I'm simply a wandering swordsman named Alaric. However, I don't see why we both can't have something sweet to eat and I just came from the town square. I was going to try to figure out where I was going to spend the night, but I suppose a small detour wouldn't hurt now would it?" Alaric rescued his right arm from the woman's grasp in case he needed access to his sword.

Going back the way he came Alaric, with the young woman in tow, soon arrived back at the merchant stalls near the roaring fire. He then made his way over to a baker and what he saw he almost did a double take. It was his and his brother's creation for sale, Cloud Pastries! It had been a bit since he tasted one so he bought a cloud pastry for himself and a sweet bun for the woman before handing her said bun.

Interactions: sxperhuman sxperhuman
nearby TheMightyRedLemon TheMightyRedLemon Rumble Fish Rumble Fish
 
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  • 056e0c796102f135083c2e914da348d6~2.jpgAurelia Barrows
    Location: Halamead, Town Square
    Interaction: CaptainSully CaptainSully (Sully)
    Mentioned: Seraph Darkfire Seraph Darkfire (Aloi)

    With spin and new step, Aurelia would occasionally see something out of the corner of her eye. It would also be gone when she tried to focus on it, hoping to see just exactly what it was. Her first thoughts were leaves or maybe mice...a local must have been watching her though, the man letting out a laugh as partners switched and Aurelia began to dance with him. "Don't mind the shadows lass," He spoke, his tone rather kind despite a somewhat rugged appearance and the scent of alcohol on his breath. "The small creatures like this town, so we just leave them be." He had to speak a little louder to be heard over the music and other dancers.

    "Small creatures?"

    "The Faye!" He replied with a laugh. "Halamead is full of them! But just the small ones, the big'uns don't get too near. I think all the noise bothers 'em," He chuckled. Aurelia had heard the stories of course about Halamead being blessed by Faye, though she never knew if it was true. It might not be, he could have just been messing with her, Aurelia was obviously from out of town. But it was a nice thought thinking that the Faye actually did care about everyone else. At least if you lived here. About to open her mouth to speak again, she recognized the step just before another partner change. "Have fun lass!" The man smiled, turning to pick another person to dance with. Aurelia couldn't help a chuckle, it was always nice seeing people having fun. Aurelia turned, she bumped into someone! Aurelia stumbled forward a few steps, turning to apologize to her random dance partner. Which wasn't wrong...

    But Aurelia was definitely more surprised than normally. A man dressed in...a jester's attire? Why was he dressed like that? Aurelia's confusion would most likely been seen In her eyes. "Oh, it's okay, it is a bit of a lively crowd," Aurelia laughed softly as he explained. He seemed a bit suspicious, but glancing to the side, she saw the same woman who had been kind to her earlier. And she was yet again, dancing like nobody was watching with someone who was surprisingly, keeping up. Must have been her husband. Her gaze shifted back to the jester as he asked her to dance, Aurelia feeling her ears turn a little hot. She didn't...know why. "I don't mind at all," Aurelia finally smiled, taking his hand so they could re-join the dancing crowd. A few moments would pass as they found their rhythm, Aurelia's smile still refusing to fade. "You know, I'm not sure what your wearing is the best for a festival," She giggled. "Unless you're a preformer of course."

 
Alixaviah & Apples
Location: Halamead,
Near the Bonfire
Rumble Fish Rumble Fish


Alixaviah had just finished eating a large cut of pork as frantic yelling filled her ears. Was someone actually in danger? Could there be a proper justification for her remaining sober?? Swiftly, the giant scanned over the heads of the crowd until she located the source of the yelling. Moving with a long stride, Viah effortlessly moved through the crowd and to the seemingly distraught… woman? Fey? The giantess was not sure. "Excuse me, ma'am? I am Captain Alixaviah, Roalon Guard. Is everything alright?" She said, her eyes darting around for a possible assailant scurrying away to hide, but seeing none.


Apples jumped as a voice addressed her. She turned, meeting the chest of an extremely tall woman. She had to crane her neck up to look her in the face. Strange indeed. Nevertheless, she had spoken to her so surely it would be impolite to ignore her. She looked back to the fire, then to the woman. Captain? What was that? “That fire, why is- why is there no panic? Why is nobody fleeing?” Her voice was husky and gravelled, as she was unaccustomed to using it. She took a step back from the fire, the heat was already beginning to hurt the saplings on her feet. She looked around again. “They’re much too happy- what is going on? This all seems so ludicrous.”


Viah looked this woman up and down, raising an eyebrow. "You are not from around here, I take it?" She questioned in a kind tone."You need not worry, we are just having a celebration. As for the fire, it's contained." She affirmed in an attempt to reassure her.


The deity lifted her head again, flicking her hair behind her, sending it sweeping down to her heels. “No. I am not.” She answered, gaining some of her lost composure. “What is it you are celebrating that warrants such a,” she gives the fire another disgruntled look, “spectical?”


"Honesty, I'm not sure. A good harvest maybe? This is Halamead, so they will take any excuse to party and draw in outside income." The redhead answered with a bit of a chuckle. "Why don't you come enjoy the festivities? We have good food and drink, as well as games and dancing to be had. Little something for everyone really."


“I have no need for this.” Apples answered simply, now looking around with an air of curiosity rather than disdain, “Curious seeing how mortals entertain themselves,” she added, noticing a couple of people looking at her, almost like in awe and whispering. She chose to ignore them. Lifting her head slightly, she blinked and her nose twitched, “...What’s that?” she asked. It smelled sweet and baked. Honestly, she felt quite assaulted by the ontrage of smells.


The captain tilted her head slightly. "What is what?" She questioned. The woman seemed to be smelling something, but with how many sweet aromas there were, why knew what she meant. "They have stalls selling Honey Mead and Wine, sweet baked pastries and berry tarts. And at the big fire in the center they are constantly roasting meat."


“Hm.” Apples sniffed as she turned around noticing a stand nearby operated by a plump woman in a patchwork apron, presenting a delectable assortment of cakes. Of course what Apples saw was mounds of… naked wood topped with soft white stuff? She took a step closer to investigate, “This stuff.” she answered the giantess, bending down to look at them, her nose an inch from them. The lady at the stand blinked in confusion but said nothing.


"You mean the cake? You're telling me you don't know what cake is?" Viah said in disbelief. "It's too sweet for my taste, but some like it."


“Is that what this is?” Apples asked and, without thinking, picked up a slice of white cake. Tilting her head, she inspected it from all sides as if it was some strange metal. “I have no need for um… food.” she struggled for the words. Still, this was interesting. She had only watched people from afar and seen them eat, but never be close enough to smell their food.


"Hey, you can't just pick that up! You have to buy it first." Viah said giving the vendor a nervous glance.


“I have to what?” Apples blinked with a slight frown, still holding the cake. What was she so worried about?


The giant squeezed the bridge of her nose. This was going to be a lot more than she had bargained for. "I'm guessing you don't know what money is either then?"


“No.” The hermit answered, finally putting the cake back down.


"What have you been living under a rock?"


“I’ll have you know that I have been a tree for I do not remember how long so no. I have not been living under a rock.”


The large woman sighed and reached for her coin purse. "Sweet Enone, this is going to be a long evening."
 
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Vruthra of the Urbrord Camp

Knight boi Knight boi
As Hugo was in the process of heading out of town, an orc was on her way in. The sight of an armor clad warrior, complete with helmet, axes and a great big sword drew her attention and she grinned in fond memory. It'd been a while since she'd seen a fighter in full mail, prepared for imminent battle. Most soldiers and warriors with a long distance to travel packed their armor and weapons instead of carrying them. Which would suggest he was a local, if not for the fact that this was Halamead which was one of the last towns she would have expected to need a fighter dressed for war. And, of course, he was heading away from town.

As she drew close enough for conversation, the orc lifted her voice and said "Ho there, friend. There's a Midsummer Festival on, judging by the music and yelling I can hear from here. You can't possibly have somewhere better to be than here." There was a remarkable lack of accent in her words and her manner of speech suggested more education than her race typically received.

She slowed to a stop to speak with the...was he a knight? Probably? Vruthra, for her part, wore a set of robes plainly meant to keep road dust and rain off of her. Other than the heavy pack she wore without strain, she had no obvious weapon on her and didn't appear to be wearing armor herself. Then the orc smiled in a way meant to be friendly, though with orc teeth such a display could provoke the opposite.

"I am Vruthra! Of the Urbrord Camp. Call me Ruth. I've come a long way to get here. And you have a long way to go before you reach anywhere else, if you've set your heart on leaving. Come, share a drink with me, and tell me of your deeds so I have something to look forward to besides drunken villagers and arm wrestling matches."

If he's so willing, she leads the way into town with the plain intention of finding a large tankard of beer.
 
247556305590367a62495228c3f5096b.jpg

[Location: Halamead, Town Square]
{Interactions: No One Yet!}
{Mentions: Aurelia [ FireMaiden FireMaiden ]}

A dark green hood without any adornments. It would be a nice finisher to this challenge. Aloi grinned and shot forwards, timing the moment of the woman's dip in dancing with his own jump. However, there was a small miscalculation. One was the foot he'd jumped off of, it kicked higher than he intended. Second was the moment when the man in the jester's outfit bumped into his target.

He'd certainly made it to the hood, but his trajectory had found him falling into it. He blinked as he found himself staring at a mass of hair. HIs position meant that he wasn't directly touching her but if she attempted to shift the hood she'd definitely notice the increased weight. The illusion magic shielding him from being noticed would only hold as long as no one made direct contact with him and attempting to get out of the hood would definitely break the spell. He was stuck.

Aloi's new position however did afford him some better viewing as he could look through the gaps of the hood at the rest of the individuals. It was certainly an unusual group finding themselves in the town. Festivities called all sorts he supposed.

'Just got to wait until this woman gets tired, should give me enough time to slip away' he thought. Still, it could have been worse than his current position and if fate had plans for him to be here, he'd remain. Calm and relaxed was the way of Pholomos after all...at least most of the time. In the meantime, he pulled out his tiny needle and thread and began to make minute patterns in the hood.​
 
If Roman had paid more attention to Arcturus as the drunken elf ranted about eunuchs, then he would have realized, with no small amount of horror, that Arcturus was enraptured by the other elf's words, genuinely considering what they were saying.

"Well..." Arcturus began, slowly turning back towards the knight, "If you wouldn't...particularly mind..."

That, expectedly, hadn't gone over well. He was surprised it took them this long to get to threats of physical violence honestly. More often than not, people opened conversations with Arcturus by decking him across the face. He really did wonder why that happened so often. Ozzy had said it was because he wasn't self-aware, but, well, Arcturus thinks he'd know if he wasn't self-aware.

"Okay, okay" Arcturus said, placatingly. "I won't try to look, honest!" he said, hand over his heart.

A few seconds of awkward silence followed.

"...Are you sure you're not a eunuch though? Because you strike me as a eunu-"

Arcturus doesn't finish, then, because he's too busy being punched in the face.
 
Enver had finished the ounce of cleaning his impromptu 'workspace' required, though he went overboard with it. He then took a few minutes to don his armor; a feeling of unease kept creeping in, and no matter how much he tried to fight off the sensation and chalk it up to simple anxiety, he felt he should trust his gut. The fancy armor fit nicely over his clothing, fastened by thick leather straps and iron buckles. Finally, he donned his sword belt and secured the shillelagh at his side.

When he left his room, Enver could hear a commotion, distinct from the usual roar of drinking games galore and jovial fun. This was a mix of annoyed exclamations, amazed whistles and shouts, and mean-spirited laughing. As he scanned the room for familiar faces, he noticed his patient wasn't at the bar, though his companion; closer inspection revealed he was, in fact, in the floor by the bar with a bit of blood on his face. "Oh, for crying out loud!" he complained while rushing over to his new acquaintance. "Arcturus? Surely, this wasn't an experiment!" he lamented before turning to Ozzy. "How did this happen? What brute would deal such a vicious blow?" Enver asked dramatically, not realizing the source of the elf's forming bruise was about four feet away.

FireMaiden FireMaiden Togy Togy
 
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Chapter One: Halamead
17th of Calder, 1032
As the festival carried on, those on the outskirts of Halamead would hear what at first, reminded them of distant thunder. Gazes shifted upward, searching the clear sky for any sign of rain or storm. But all they saw were the white whisps of clouds streaking across the sky with the wind. For the moment they though nothing of it, returning to whatever it was they were doing until they heard it again. This time, closer. Confused once more, those that heard it paused what they were doing and began to look around. The thundering only got louder over the next few minutes until someone was finally able to place it. "Are those horses?" One man asked, hobbling around to the front of his cart to see. His confused was cleared immediately when he spotted what had caused the other's to go silent. He immediately backed away, giving the new arrivals a wide berth.

That silence would spread as large, armored horses trotted through Halamead, bar fights and haggling put on pause as empire colors invaded the lovely decorations the citizens had put up. The dancing and music would be the last to stop as the man at the head of the pack stopped in the middle of the town square. Halamead was almost never this silent, even at night. There was always something, the animals, the inn and tavern, the kids who snuck out to do whatever it was they wanted. But for now...it was dead silent. The man seated upon the lead horse was older, salt and pepper brows hair and clearly wearing a set of distinguished armor. "Good afternoon everyone," He spoke, his voice holding the flat, regal tone of Terberis "I apologize for interrupting your good times, but I'm afraid I come on urgent news. So long as you cooperate, we will be on our way as quickly as possible." The crowd watching would give him no answers, but the man would take that as acceptance.

He would reach to the left side of his saddle, opening one of the saddlebags. And front it, he pulled a rolled piece of parchment, the green wax seal bearing the Liomuran Empire seal. "Where is the mayor?" The question would spark the locals turning heads, searching the crowd for their mayor.

"Just a moment!" A man would call out, the tapping of a cane breaking the silence. The crowd would part in some places then grow closer once again as a short man hobbled forward. "Right her sir, I am Gerald Oswald, to what do we owe the pleasure?" He asked, the man in the horse handing down the parchment.

"All business I'm afraid," He'd reply as Gerald popped the wax seal and began to read. "It is a shame really, my family use to make the trip yearly to enjoy the first brews of the season," He spoke, readjusting in the saddle as Gerald read. The accommodating smile on the man's face slowly fell, his eyes darting between the paper in his hand and the man in horse back.

"N-no this, this has to be a mistake," The mayor spoke, the man on horse back focusing on him once again, brows narrowed.

"Are you saying that his Majesty is wrong?" The man questioned, the tone of his voice changing to that of poorly hidden anger. After a few seconds, Gerald stumbling to find the right words, the other man's face soften and returned to the neutral expression he had previously. "The decree on that parchment is correct, I expect you to follow through with it peacefully."

"But how, how can it be correct? There has to be a mistake, surely you-" The man on horse back would not let him speak further, leaning down to take the parchment away from Gerald with a scowl.

"Enone does not look favorably upon cowards," He growled in a low tone before straighting up and clearing his throat. "People of Halamead, we are here to aquire rebel mage Malachi Fields, and take him back to Terberis where he will stand trial for his crimes against King Sebastian." As soon as that name had fallen from his lips, gasps of disbelief and concerned murmurs managed to hide a heartbroken sob from somewhere in the crowd. But the man would be met with no answers. Nobody moved to give up this Malachi person, and those visiting would be left confused by his identity. Silence had once more taken over the usually lively streets of Halamead. Slowly, the soldier's face would redden as his request, the king's request, went ignored. "Your defiance is not amusing," the man warned, "Give us Malachi Fields, and you may resume the festival."

But still, nobody moved. A minute would.pass, the silence persisting until finally the man balled the parchment in a fit and was dropped to the floor. "I see...Lieutenant!" He called, looking behind him as another man in well taken care of armor pulled ahead to the front of the pack.

"Yes General?"

"I want Malachi Fields found at any cost," He spoke, turning slightly to look at the lieutenant. "Burn it down." The command caused gasps, the soldiers behind him already moving to set their torches ablaze, lobbing them into the roofs of nearby buildings. They split as the general turned his horse, "I leave the search to you lieutenant!" He spoke, digging his spurs sharply into the sides of his horse, causing it to neigh before it ran off, the General leaving Halamead to his subordinates.

The fire would spread quickly, leaping from home to home, building to building as the soldiers spread out, weapons drawn. The screams of the town folks replaced the silence that once hung so heavy over the streets. "Quickly!" The mayor yelled. "Get to the town hall! It can withstand the flames!" The crowd was already moving, the large stone building on the far side of the town the citizen's destination.

And seemingly, only hope.
 

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