Fantasy Island of Heroes (Open)

[Melon Bomb]

"Come on! Off the streets, this is no public affair! Caravans coming through!" Guardsmen shooed away the gathering crowds to the sides of the road. Awnings were erected over doorways, providing essential shade to the bystanders and vendors who seized the opportunity to set up shop. Leaning against the cool stone wall, a fiddler in a feathered hat drew her bow across her strings to the tune of an old Quiol melody. Beside her, a middle-aged man in a different hat glanced occasionally to the crowds as he used his knife to shave down the wooden sculpture in his hand.

The dusty streets kicked up clouds under the trotting horseshoes of entering riders, the overbearing summer heat pairing the busy scene with thick, odorous animal musk.

Traffic into the imperial capitol was higher than usual, for obvious reasons. And, for those same reasons, it became doubly imperative to keep an eye out for spies who had stake in the arriving quarry. Many found themselves being turned away at the gate, including political refugees seeking asylum. Bad timing, it would seem. As merchants and pleading mothers alike were redirected to neighboring cities or villages, the next arrangement of visitors pulled up to the checkpoint.

"Ariter," declared the man at its lead, slowing his horse to a halt. He retrieved a scroll from his cloak and passed it on to the guard, who inspected it closely.

"... Lord Hewyn's seal," the guardsman nodded, recognizing the wax signature. "Welcome back, sir knight."

The man silently nodded back and led his men through the open gates. By now, the Makuran natives and their one extra had been crammed back under the cover of the wagon's tarp, out of sight of the public eye. At length, they made their stop at a nearby military garrison, where the men disembarked to untether the horses and return them to the stables. Chioran climbed out the back with a yawn and a stretch.

"Right," Ariter said, doffing his helmet. The knight wiped back his sweaty hair and turned to face them, slightly relieved but mostly tired. "This is as far as we've been ordered to take you. Here are your options." He threw some documents haphazardly onto the table and began lighting up a pipe. "You can't sleep in the streets. If you want somewhere to stay you need money, or a sponsor. Right now, you have neither. Read the papers. Those are all offers made by nobles who want to take you under their wing, including my lord, Hewyn. Don't bother trying to find the best deal, they're all basically the same. You get money, shelter, servants, yadda yadda. In exchange, you lend them your power. Simple stuff. If you're interested in Lord Hewyn's offer, I can take you there, since he's personally invited you all to his manor."

He plucked the pipe from his lips and exhaled smoke. "If you don't like the idea of being tied down, you can try your luck with the adventurer's guild. Don't expect to be rolling in riches. Or for anyone to like you. Most toren go for this option, but I wouldn't recommend it. Something goes wrong on your little 'adventure', nobody is going to be around to help you. Lastly, you can enroll into Highwater -- it's an academy to help toren train their abilities. That costs money too. It's mainly used as a gateway back into the first option -- the initial noble offers you see here on the table will sound good, but they get the better end of the deal. You do well in Highwater, and someone actually important might notice you. I'm talking royal family important. Alright, that's it. Rest is up to you, if you have any other questions you can ask around but I'm gonna go take a shit."

With that, he disappeared behind one of the doors, leaving them with a handful of idle soldiers meandering about and chatting amongst themselves. Chioran picked up one of the papers, poring over the contents with interest.

"Wow... huh. A lot of choices... what do you guys think?" She peered over the edge of the page. "I'll be honest, I was preparing for the worst but I'm kind of surprised they're giving us free reign on things. These all sound pretty good, but you already know what my vote's gonna on." Chioran tossed the invitation back with a casual shrug. "It's got to be the adventurer's guild. That's what we're here for, right? Adventure? Or at least..." She tapped her index fingers together sheepishly. "... that's what I'm here for. But I'm willing to hear out everyone else's take, too! Whatever we settle on, I want us all to be together."

-

Vol Kassandra Topless Firelie obscured_light egglover Strategos PiePillager

 

[egglover]

Bib looked to Yrshta with a frown, "All of these options seem like work. What do you think? Whatever you choose I will follow."

 

[Topless]

By the time of their arrival, Ariter gives the group options; one to be under the care of a noble, one to be enlisted at the adventurer's guild, and one to be taken to the academy. Chioran suggested the guild, but Luna is unsure if they could do such especially since they've just arrived. "I don't know about that, Chioran. Remember what that guy said?" She asked.

Melon Bomb Kassandra Vol obscured_light egglover PiePillager Firelie​

 

[PiePillager]

Crawling from beneath the wagon, a masked figure darted through the cloud of dust, and slid directly into the alleyways, out of sight....

 

[obscured_light]

"He did say it was an ill-advised option," Yrshta said in reference to Luna's words. She took a few steps away from the group, relieved to finally have some room to stretch her wings. "But that guard didn't tell us under what conditions those Toren were in. Many may have gone that option but they may have chosen to work alone. I think Chioran likely has the right idea. If we stay as a group then we may have a better chance to survive."

She gave a small grin to Bib, "You already know what option I'm going with old friend."

"I personally came down here to help others. The adventurer's guild seems like the one with the most freedom with no lord or teacher to answer to," Yrshta chuckled. "Riches and popularity be damned. I want to lend our aid without restraints."

Vol Kassandra Topless egglover Firelie Melon Bomb

 

[Topless]

"Freedom? Hmm...that sounded foreign to me if I'm being honest." Luna said, looking down as she ponders what freedom is like. For years she had been under good servitude and the concept of freedom is something she is not familiar of. "I...I guess we can go to the guild, after all..." Luna spoke as she glances at Chioran "I wanted to serve someone, that's all. Maybe I might find my former master in the process."

Melon Bomb Kassandra Vol obscured_light egglover PiePillager Firelie​

 

[Strategos]

Location: Military Garrison
While the Torens discussed around a table and some papers, two armoured guards walked past them, with an unusually calm man wearing odd clothing between the two. It wouldn't be hard to decipher that this man that was being "escorted" was arrested, evident by the fact that the guards were holding the man's arms with one of the two holding two blades, one long and one short. The man being escorted was Tadashi, whose eyes were still closed and face still expressionless. He needn't worry, he's a regular in these quarters and has even been acquainted with many of the guards within the garrison, but he's only a regular because these kinds of things keep happening and he keeps getting into trouble. Regarding what happened though...

A while back. . .
Location: Streets of Quiol
"LOOK LOOK! THERE THEY ARE! THEY'RE INSIDE THE CARRIAGE I KNOW IT" a girl, probably in her late teens shouted. Her eyes were full of energy and excitement, like the many others that were excited to see the new "heroes" that would come to save them and make the world a better place. The general public needed heroes to look up to, and who fits the bill better than the descendent of the gods that fall from the sky every year? Still, this event isn't one that the guards were exceptionally excited to be a part of, as most of them had to be assigned to crowd control and prevent another disastrous group of fans from mauling the caravan.

As the crowd began to thicken, a rather large person pushed and shoved his way through the crowd, also wanting to see the Torens arriving. While his actions got him a few stray comments and disdainful stares, it wasn't until he shoved down the girl from before that things became heated. "LOOK WHAT YOU DID JACKASS, CAN'T YOU JUST BE PATIENT!?" a man shouted from the crowd, furious that this man's brashness made a young lady fall. Others began to join in on hurling insults and comments, the heat of the crowd infecting others with a mob mentality. It wasn't soon until the tension was palpable, as the crowd began to roar in anger and disdain.

Tadashi, who was standing in front of the crowd, heard the commotion from behind him and went to investigate. Slipping and pardoning his way through the crowd, he saw the large man being circled and a ring forming around him, with the anger being carried through the air infecting the minds of others. In a fit of desperation, the man pulled out a double-edged sword from his back and began swinging it wildly, fearing for his life. Men and women started screaming and running, the ensuing chaos prevented guards from reaching the danger and with no one else able to take any action, Tadashi walked forward.

"Calm yourself, and put down the sword. I won't ask twice." Tadashi spoke sternly, his right hand on the hilt of his sword. The man was clearly in a state of 'fight or flight', and unluckily he chose the former and he rushed Tadashi with an overhead strike. The crowd yelped and closed their eyes in anticipation of murder, but before anyone knew what happened, a loud FTING sounded and the larger man fell. In the blink of an eye, Tadashi unsheathed his blade, deflected the sword from striking down and in a fluid motion, smacked the side of the man's head with the back of his katana, rendering him unconscious.

The crowd cheered for Tadashi, but the guards who just arrived sighed and approached Tadashi, the same old dance every time. "You have to come with us," one of the guards demanded, which isn't the first time he has said that. This sort of occurrence was rather common for Tadashi apparently, common enough that his "arrest" seemed choreographed from an outsider's perspective. It was the same old dance, playing the same old tune. Tadashi gave a silent, understanding nod, sheathing his blade and handing both swords to the guards. He then went silent as the crowd still cheered, Tadashi at least knew he had many witnesses to prove his innocence.

Present time. . .
Location: Military garrison
"You again?" an officer said, which clearly insinuates this wasn't the first time they've met. Tadashi took a seat and said, "You know how it is, just doing my part as a citizen.". "Yeah, by making my life harder, thanks for that." she replied, writing down his name in an absurdly thick book, one that tries to keep count of all reported crimes within Quiol - no doubt her job is a stressful one. "There are dozens of witnesses who can-", he spoke, before the officer cut him off by replying "Save it, I know you didn't do anything wrong. Guards told me what happened, I just have to process you and you'll have your swords back. Just stop getting into trouble and spare me the headache", all without even looking up from her diligent writing. He can only chuckle in amusement and although he is thankful that there are many good people who work to protect the city as he does, he cannot help but be amused by its inefficiency in trying to be "formal". He believes record-keeping to be a waste of time and believes that one shouldn't spend the prime years of their youth rotting away at a desk.

The two guards who witnessed Tadashi's swordsmanship first hand couldn't help but spread the news to their colleagues, "I'm telling you! He did it so fast that I didn't know if I blinked or not! He went swoosh and all of a sudden, the big fella was already on the ground! He moved like water!" he spoke. "Save your delusions, no one can wield a sword better than the knights of Quiol, I'm betting you were just in a state of shock," one sceptical guard said before another spoke "No I saw it, the entire motion was fluid. From unsheathing his blade, lifting it up to deflect the strike, then striking back, all in one movement I swear to Aius,". He couldn't help but grin at hearing them praise his skill with the blade, and while some may be infuriated that those sceptical won't believe it until they see it, it's that same scepticism that keeps "the outsider" an urban legend and not a hero. That is an arrangement he's satisfied with.

He looks over to his right to see the Torens coincidentally in the same place as he is, talking about their plans and where they should go from here. Eavesdropping may be rude, but he could use some of the information if he is to at least remain knowledgable in their movements. He mostly observed from a distance, but he intently listens to the conversation they are having, partially hoping that none of them notices him listening.

Melon Bomb Vol Kassandra Topless egglover Firelie PiePillager obscured_light

 

[Firelie]

A Branching Path; First of Many
Interactions: Melon Bomb Kassandra obscured_light Vol egglover PiePillager Topless Strategos
Location: Barracks​

Celine kept her head low as the party was ushered back into the wagon. She did wave to Luna as a response to the greeting, but she didn't dare speak. She didn't raise her head as the caravan pushed through the crowded gates, despite the urge to peek her head out to examine the inhabitants of the city. Celine was naturally curious after all, and the nature of these strange lands piqued her interests, even after six months of a gruelling trip through them. She was still technically a foreigner after all, and she was far more used to the industrious cities of her homeland. In fact, she was technically riding her first horse drawn carriage.

Finally, the carriage had come to a stop, and The Toren began to file out of the cramped space. Celine would follow soon after, making sure to dismount after the rest of the party. It seemed the group was discussing their next steps. Celine made her way to join the group, walking up behind Chioran with silent steps and peaking at the document she held. A troubled frown formed on her face, and she spoke. "You have not a single coin, meager supplies, barely anzthing to eat, nowhere to house for the night, and nary a single thought on how to remedy zhese issues." She muttered calmly, speaking not in accusation nor belittlement, instead as if what she spoke was mere fact. The rag clothed girl slipped past Chioran and set the large bag she had on her back onto the table. "Here." She slipped a small pouch clipped to the side and popped it in front of the bag, the contents of the pouch clinking and clattering together as she did so. "Zhese are zhe funds I have gathered on my journey here, zhrough both mundane work and fortune telling alike. WIzh a group zhis size, it should last us two nights stay at an inn, should it come to zhat." She glanced back and forth between the group, then the foreign girl gasped. She stepped back a step and bowed deeply. "My apologies. I forgot to introduce myself. While I cannot divulge unto you my name, I can tell you my purpose." She rose from her bow, and continued. "I have been sent from zhe far away land of Galaeia by an organiztion known as Zhe Mirror of Glory. I have been sent unto you all for a variety of reasons, zhe main being to assist you in your endeavors." The young girl stopped and thought a moment then reached into her bag to pull out a red wax candle.

Celine held the fuse close to her lips, then began to whisper a rite. "In your flickering light do we seek zhe truth in its shadow." Then, she blew softly, her breath coming out in tiny sparks that danced across the candle rope. The wax candle flickered to life, and Celine gently released the base of the candle, allowing to float mid air with nothing supporting it. "As you can see, I am well versed in the ancient magic arts, though my abilities probably pale in comparison to your own." The candle began to move slowly as she spoke, coming to a rest above the table the group was gathered around. "In addition to an attunement of zhe magical arts, I have zhe skills of a professional locksmith, I can speak and understand many languages, I am well versed in zhis world and magic alike, and I have extensive combat training. With zhis in mind, I humbly ask that I may join you on your journey." She finished, hands folded neatly and professionally in front of her. Her face remained professional and calm as well, though inwardly Celine was horribly nervous and afraid. For her, this was a big moment. She travelled six months across this continent for this moment, and if she was denied here, it would most certainly be troublesome.

As she finished speaking, a man arrived behind the group, scorted by two guards. They went to the far side of the room, supposedly to get processed. Celine paid them no mind for now, far too focused on trying to get The Torens approval.

 

[Melon Bomb]

"Of course you can come with us. I think we could all use some guidance." Chioran smiled sweetly, gently sliding Celine's bag of coins back with her fingertips. "Sorry, we can't accept this. This is your hard-earned money. We'll just have to make our own!" Her smile grew wider at Yrshta's words and she grabbed her wing, jumping up and down excitedly. "Yes! Yes, you understand! It's about the adventu-- I mean, helping people!"

"You may want to... apply for citizenship first at the city hall," one of the soldiers grunted as he stripped off the heaviest layers of his armor. "Otherwise they might not let you back in."

Chioran turned around with a quizzical stare, still holding on to Yrstha's wing. "Citizen... ship? What's that?"

"It's, ah... well..." He scratched his head in thought. "Basically, it means you'll be given rights as a subject of the empire."

"What are rights?"

"Oh boy." The man sighed, wiping down his sweaty hands on his pants. "Look, just register for one. I promise it'll help you in the long run. You're a toren, right? They'll grant you citizenship for free, even though you're an outsider. If there's anyone in your group that isn't, I'm afraid they're out of luck. There's an off-chance that some lord or lady might take a liking to them, but unless you take one of these..." He picked up one of the noble invitations. "... it's not likely."

"What!?" Chioran said in surprise. She slammed her hands down on the table, sending the papers flying all over the room. "Is that really the only way? That's not fair! What if they're our friends? Why do we need the, the-- the citizen... thing... just to come in? You know what? Screw this place! And the adventurer's guild! Maybe we'll just leave!"

She turned around with a huff, folding her arms. Admittedly, she was looking forward to a life of challenge and adversity down here, but... this was the annoying kind of adversity! What was all this red tape baloney? This sucks! If it was just them, it would've been smooth sailing, but she didn't want to leave Bib or the new girl behind. Alright, let's think about this. In the empire, it looks like you need some amount of pull just to get by as a foreigner -- for us, that's being toren. What about the others? Maybe if we... somehow tricked them into believing they were toren like us? Is that possible? It could be worth a shot. I'll bring it up later in private.

 

[Vol]

PRIVILEGES
Location: Military Garrison
Interactions: Another guard guy Melon Bomb
Honourable Mentions: N/A​

Whilst the others were conversing about options on what they planned to do next, Konan had been skimming through the pamphlet about Highwater. If that was a place for a Toren to train, then did that mean there were other Toren there too? Not that he wanted to meet more, but it would make sense, wouldn't it?

All that talk of ditching the others just to explore on his own was a half truth. He wanted them to leave him alone if he was going to start on the promise he made with his mother. His hand bunched the edges of the pamphlet as he let out a frustrated sigh. But the adventurer's guild sounded way more fun and the rough-housing he(?) was so craving. It was a real shame though that the others seemed to had the same idea.

Konan stuffed the pamphlet into the pocket of his shabby knee-high shorts. "Sounds like a great idea. Go and take your buddies and don't come back, eh, Chio?" Konan muttered half-heartedly under his breath.

"So anyways, it's just a permit or something, right?" The half-genasi suddenly spoke up, draconic eyes hovering over the guard that explained the stuff about citizenship. Konan was just as clueless as Chioran, and probably the others, about what a citizenship was. But he's had some experience with being handed something that shows he could do particular things or enter somewhere special.

"Isn't there a faster way for this shit? Why can't you just give it to us here?" Konan went up to the guard and poked at his chest, the iron glowing a soft orange. It warming up, but not enough to roast the flesh inside.

 

[Melon Bomb]

Fear lit up in the man's eyes as Konan approached him, but it didn't last. "... That's not our job."

"Ah, whatever! Fine, we'll go to this city hall place. We'll work the rest out later." Half-paying attention to the exchange behind her, Chioran scooped up the various letters from the table and crammed them into her bag like a horrible piece of origami. Her boots left scuff marks against the floor in her impatience, circling around the table and stopping to pick up all the loose sheets she knocked over. When she tucked the last of them in with the rest of her belongings, she straightened her back stiff just in time to see Ariter returning, somehow even moodier than he was before. "Must not have gone down smoothly," she whispered to herself into her hand.

He stopped in his tracks to stare at her, as if overhearing her words. His face scrunched into an angry squint. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing." Chioran looked away.

Scowling, he snapped his fingers at the two guards overseeing Tadashi. "Hurry up and get this man out of here, I don't want to see his smug little face today." Tucked under his arm was a bundle of rolled up vellum, to which he tossed one of each to everyone. Chioran caught hers and unfurled it, the scent of fresh ink wafting outwards. There wasn't much writing on it and it was blatantly written in haste, but it seemed to declare that the holder of the parchment will be granted access in and out of the city for seven days. At the bottom was a wax seal, identical to the one she saw Ariter use at the checkpoint, only this one was much smaller. Her gaze traveled down to his left hand, spotting an engraved ring on his finger. It was the same house emblem.

"You lot are hopeless," Ariter grunted as he dropped onto a stool and scooted into the table, clearly having overheard some of their conversation. "Figure yourselves out in a week. Mills, Dacey, come here. We're playing cards. And we're betting real money this time."

 

[Topless]

Luna caught her own vellum and reads it's contents. She wonders what will happen if the seven days expire. Maybe they won't be able to get out again? Who knows. But right before anyone of them would set out, Luna approaches Ariter and ask him "Um...pardon me, but before we set off, may I ask if...well...do you happen to know of a man named Diogaf Biowulf? He's someone related to me and I was wondering if you know something about him. If not, that's fine, we'll be off anyway."

Melon Bomb Kassandra Vol obscured_light egglover PiePillager Firelie​

 

[Vol]

PRIVILEGES
Location: Military Garrison -> Inner City Walls of Holowald
Interactions: N/A
Honourable Mentions: Chioran Melon Bomb / Celine Firelie / Tadashi Strategos / Bhara Kassandra / Luna Topless
​

Konan had been too busy glowering at the guard to have caught the vellum Ariter threw at each of them. He flinched as it slapped against his head, then caught it with his foot before it could hit the floor. With a simple flick, it flew up and he grabbed it; eyes trailing back to the disgruntled guard.
The half-genasi raised his index finger as to signal 'gimme a second', and he unrolled the vellum with as much flourish as one would unroll something. It was hastily written with a few ink splotches here and there but it looked official enough, especially with the pretty wax seal at the end. He quirked a brow and faced the guard again, who seemed to have gotten a bit further from him than a moment ago.

"Lucky you, your boss seems to atleast know how to get the job done." Konan sighed dramatically as he rolled up the permit and waved it a little. "Thanks for nothing." The words dripped with sarcastic sweetness.

He turned on his heel to try and find his way out of this awfully cramped tent. It wasn't physically cramped, it just mentally was.

He didn't want to engage with the guards for as long as he had to, unlike Luna it seemed. He did hear Chioran pipe up about finally deciding to go to the city hall, which unfortunately he was trying to head to, but Konan would try get the step ahead. Directions could be asked later or aimlessly wandering until he found it -- the latter sounded more his style. But before he left the table, Konan paused at the bag of gold that the unknown straggler (pretty accent, he had to admit, but the organisation sounded like a cult) had offered but was rejected by the noble Chioran. He bit his lip then rolled his shoulders before quickly weaving between the other Toren to snatch it up.

As soon as his hand touched it, a firm arm grabbed his own and Konan bared teeth at the interloper. It was the shieldmaiden, Bhara, and her eye like daggers pierced into his gaze. His snarl turned to a bitter smirk as he shook off her grip, steam trailing the spot her hand had been. He still took the coin pouch with him, and poked out his tongue in smug victory at Bhara with his loot.

The fire vessel briefly glanced at the man with his eyes closed, the one Ariter had addressed as complacent, before making his way out of the Garrison.

_______________________

Holowald, one of Quiol's imperial cities. The excitement of the arrival of new Toren had died down somewhat as the denizens went on about their daily business. With the abundance of cityfolk wandering the streets combined with the sun's tendrils beating down the cobblestone paths, one could see a haze in the air. A woman dumped down a bucket of questionable liquids out her window and an unsuspecting peddler was drenched -- a petty squabble ensued. Voices of merchants shouting their wares complemented the melody of idle chatter.

Konan stood bewitched by it all -- Makuran was beautiful in every single way of the word. Though this city, as grimy and steeped in the stench of sweat and hardwork as it was, definitely had it's own unique charm. It felt...very down-to-earth, if he had to describe it. He shook his head in attempt to rid himself of the trance, and stuffed the coin pouch in the satchel he forgot he actually had.

"Fuck, this is a big city." He said aloud dumbly, trading stares with curious passerbys. Konan then allowed himself to fall into that trance once more, it was just too much to take in. Far more than the forest of icy death and ambushes had been.

He squinted, zero-ing on a particular denizen. He swore that person had the strangest of hairstyles amongst the sea of others. It looked like it was made out of clouds, and it moved to it's own breeze.

Another.

Oh he was wondering why it was quiet inside lately. Seems like he didn't have much to say until now.

​

​

​

 

[Kassandra]

Bhara found that the way the humans conducted business... Distasteful. They were kin to gods, and already people had the gall to expect them to start bending to the whim of their silly laws, and hoping their non-toren companions were lucky enough to gain the favor of what passed for nobility amongst what seemed like an already excessively haughty people. She descended from Makuran expecting a fight for her life, but Bhara was only half-correct in her assumptions. Once she realized that was the case, some part of her held out hope that they'd be treated with the same reverence as their ancestors, but clearly, anyone with any influence was only willing to accommodate them for as far as they were willing to play silly human games.

The others had similar levels of patience for the roundabout way simply 'adventuring' required, but predictably, Konan's was the shortest fuse in the bunch. Though not short enough for him to storm off without pocketing the gold on the table. Bhara tried being subtle about stopping him from running off with the money, but it came at the cost of not being able to overpower someone who had no reservations of embarrassing them all with all his physical effort. Konan managed go wrestle the money from her grasp, such was inevitable, She gave her companions a sheepish smile as Konan walked off, but as soon as he was out of sight, Bhara stormed after him.

It was only a moment that she lost track of him, because once she trained her eyes down the street Konan took, there wouldn't be a second that he escaped her supervision until he was back under Chioran's purview. Stomping her way past bickering citywalkers and vendors, she closed rhe distance in no time, then clocked Konan in the back of the head. "Where do you think you're going, dummy? You know Chioran will kill you if you get into any trouble."

- Vol

 

[Melon Bomb]

In the imperial city of Holowald, the affairs of the common and noble districts seldom overlapped. However...

"... it would seem that this day is turning out to be more interesting than most. Tell me, what brings you here?" A thin pane of golden light divided the room, peeking between drawn curtains. Its glow reflected briefly against a polished white shoe each time it rocked back and forth, slowly but with rhythm. That shoe belonged to Lady Wior Natahl, who lounged in the comfort of a puffy velvet chair. A noblewoman through and through, and a powerful one at that. At her side, a rather disinterested young woman with brown hair stood by silently.

Opposite to them, two men sat side by side in a posture of subtle submission. The younger of the pair fidgeted with the bandage on his right hand -- a severed stump where his thumb used to be.

"My son," the elder began, nodding as she acknowledged him. Gray locks hung over his face, worn with difficult years. "Days ago, he was attacked by a madman on the streets. He managed to escape, but as you can see..." He gestured to the wound. "He has lost his thumb in the process. Frankly, I no longer see knighthood in his future. And if that is the case..." The man lowered his head in shame and frustration, tightening his fists into balls. "It may not be long before our house falls out of relevancy. Unless... we prove that our boy fell not to some nameless hoodlum, but a true menace to our society. A menace that our house will bring to justice." He looked up and took in a small breath. "What do you say? All I ask is a favor for an old friend."

The lady smiled, folding one leg over the other. Her gloved hand lifted a wine glass from the table and raised it. "Looking to spin another tall tale? Oh, that is really quite like you." She took a sip from her drink and licked her lips. "So, what do you know of our 'madman', exactly?"

"People call him the Wanderer," the man answered grimly. The name dripped from his tongue like it was something disgusting.

"The Wanderer, hm? How mysterious. Now..." Lady Wior took another sip of her wine, her smile growing wider. "Why don't you describe his appearance for me? I believe I have an idea that may benefit us both."

 

[Vol]

STALKING IN THE STREETS
Location: Inner City Walls of Holowald
Interactions: Bhara Kassandra
Honourable Mentions: Chioran Melon Bomb​

While he roamed the street he steered clear of the other passerbys (if possible). But then he noticed that they too were doing the same. Eventually he relaxed and walked his usual pace and way, confident strides and eyes wandering freely. As much as a few of the cityfolk were curious about him, they literally couldn't stand being near his proximity. It was too far hot, the simmering haze following where he went.

Good.

Konan found himself stalking after the denizen with cloud-like hair; at one point he had been atleast few steps behind them, close enough to reach out and grab their arm...

"Ach, what the f---" The fire vessel yelped as he clutched his head. He had bitten his tongue in the process. He growled, deep and animalistic, before spitting out a glob of blood that sizzled onto the cobblestone. "You, damn! You're fucking de--" Konan hissed as he looked up at his attacker with one fist alight, as the other was nursing the ache in his skull.

The flame psshed out as soon as he locked eyes with the shieldmaiden.

"Where do you think you're going, dummy? You know Chioran will kill you if you get into any trouble."

Konan had a look of a dog that was being scolded, ears drawn back defensively. He shot her a half-hearted glower before rolling his eyes with a sigh.

"What's it to you? I never promised to stick around," He faced away from her and looked back to the direction of where the stranger he was tailing had been. Gone. Great.
"Chio can't even knock me out, so there's no way she could kill me, dumbass." Konan barked, frustration of being bonked in the head combining with the fact he lost his target.

"Damn it! Damn you, stupid Bhara."

 

[Kassandra]

"And I didn't promise I wouldn't start knocking human heads together the moment we got down here. I'm just not doing it because I have the good sense not to piss off the savages that killed our ancestors' friends and family. Makes a lot of sense if you think about it. Or if you think, like, at all." Bhara matched his stride and extended her palm out toward him, intending to transplant the gold back into responsible hands. "And Chioran could totally skewer you if she wanted, by the way. Just like I can knock you around. Now be a good torch and hand me the money. We don't need you wasting it on some trinket."

Vol

 

[Vol]

STALKING IN THE STREETS
Location: Inner City Walls of Holowald
Interactions: Bhara Kassandra
Honourable Mentions: N/A​

"And I didn't promise I wouldn't start knocking human heads together the moment we got down here. I'm just not doing it because I have the good sense not to piss off the savages that killed our ancestors' friends and family. Makes a lot of sense if you think about it. Or if you think, like, at all."

Konan side-eyed the ground while he lowly whistled, his walking pace stuttering for a second. He let the jab about his intellect pass, because he had to agree with her. Most of the time he thought after the consequences, but there were rare moments where he did the opposite. Obviously he didn't think this was the time for that though.

"O-kay. That's, there was a lot to unpack there but I don't think I really care to know about that right now." The half genasi had other things on his mind and he didn't need Bhara's deeply buried revenge scheme to be a part of it.

Very useful. She understands, somewhat.

No seriously, that's a can of worms to open up later.

"And Chioran could totally skewer you if she wanted, by the way. Just like I can knock you around. Now be a good torch and hand me the money. We don't need you wasting it on some trinket."

Konan shot her a glare, some teeth bared in visual retaliation. "No? She couldn't? I dunno how long you've known her for, but you definitely don't know me that well. But--" He looked away from her, smugness levels lowering because Bhara could possibly take him on. He had the ferocity and power, but she had the patience and endurance. In a battle of stamina, he would sure lose.

"I'm not gonna buy that kind of shit around here, unless it's food and a roof over my head," He said as he patted the satchel that stored his belongings, "so, yeah -- nah".
As soon as "nah" left his mouth, Konan darted ahead like a blur, leaving some steam behind like an afterimage. Unfortunately he had to knock aside some poor cityfolk; some yelled in surprise, some complained upon their clothing being singed. Konan inhaled deeply, almost giggling to himself as this scenario was awfully familiar to him -- his mind wandering back to the streets of Makuran.

He managed to leap over a peddler's wagon, before looking back over his shoulder to see if he was losing the shieldmaiden.
"Take that, shield b---OOF!" Konan wheezed as he slammed directly against a cabbage cart. The cabbages rained down onto the cobblestone, alongside with Konan as he tried to recover from the shock. He could barely hear the owner of the cart cry out "My cabbages!!"

During the commotion his satchel had flown through the air and skidded a distance away, before being carefully picked up by a stranger with cloud-like hair that danced within it's own breeze. If their hair wasn't unique enough, their skin was a nice shade of azure and almost translucent enough that one could see the network of veins and arteries inside.

 

[Firelie]

Fresh Kindling
Interactions: Melon Bomb Strategos Topless egglover obscured_light
Location: Barracks​

"Hm." The grime covered girl hummed as her funds were first pushed back towards her then forcefully yanked away. She watched the Half Gensai storm away. She was glad the group seemed to accept her, but she was having trouble calling the party that now as the Sield Maiden went after the fiery boy, cutting the numbers of the group only five or so minutes of them trying to form any comprehensible plan.

Rolled up vellum hit the table whilst she was staring blankly at the tents entrance the two had left from. She glanced down, then picked up the sheet she could only assume to be hers. She unrolled it and gave it a once through, then smiled. Seven days would be more than enough, if they were smart. "Say, why don't we all try to stick togezher for now. We must establish our roots in zhis city if we are to have any chance of helping it, no?" She chimed in with a calm tone. She gently plucked her candle from the air and blew it out, stuffing it in her bag, along with the Vellum. She grabbed her bag from the table and strapped it upon her shoulder. "Now zhen." She held a hand in front of her right eye and opened it. She couldn't see her hand, of course, but she was able to confirm that her eye was working once more. She set her hand to her side once more, fully revealing to the group the unnerving red tinted goats eye she had. She didn't really think it would bother anyone, considering how the rest of the group looked, so she saw no reason to hide it. She smiled at the revelation. "Fantastic. Shall we go? I would like to get somezhing to eat. Haven't eaten much recently." She said as she headed for the door, silently cursing herself for allowing the Half Gensai to take her funds. "Oh, and a bazh. I am... disgusting." She looked down at herself, her face scrunching up. "Eugh."

 

[obscured_light]

Interactions: egglover Firelie
Mentions: Vol Kassandra​

"Ah yes, nourishment! Cleanliness! It is indeed what we all need I feel," Yrshta said in agreement to the new addition's words with a wise nod.

She had spent the past few minutes complaining quietly to Bib who had heard these type of rants before. They had often been about the hatchlings back at the nest and their impertinence. The same impertinence Konan had shown by going off on his own. Especially since Yrshta and Chioran had both stated that staying together was best.

"But the passion of youth does burn rather wildly," Yrshta had concluded in her rant to Bib who held both of their vellums. She had tuned back in as the new girl had made the comment about getting food.

"Ah what are we to call you by the way?" Yrshta asked the new girl, eyeing the rather strange eye she had. "I know you're keeping shut about your true name but calling you 'new girl' seems rather impersonal."

 

[revior]

"Aurelius! Aurelius! Listen, I've just heard about this incredible thing!"

"And what would that be, milady?"

"Did you know? Did you know about the torens?"

"I've heard a thing or two. In fact, I think it's about the time when they would descend from their home in the sky and visit our world below."

"That's it! That's what I heard! Father and mother were talking about it. They said that our standing will improve if we have a toren working for us."

"That would certainly be nice, wouldn't it? We'll be able to have cake every single day."

"I know, right? But, mother said that since we're not as wealthy as the other nobles, we can't possibly compete. Apparently, it takes a lot of money to hire a toren."

"Ah, that's true. I don't even get enough to afford a new sword, how can we afford a toren?"

"So, so, I've been thinking. Maybe, if we made friends with one of them, they'll want to help us out even if we can't pay them a lot."

"Ah, of course! After all, friendship is one of the most precious things in the world, isn't it?"

"Isn't it! Isn't it!"

"Very well, I've got it now. Don't you worry, young mistress, I'll go and befriend a toren and I shall not return till I bring one home with me."

"Huh? You're... you're not coming back!?"

"That's right, I, your loyal knight, shall bring back a toren or die trying."

"B-b-but, Aurelius..."

"I'll be off then milady, wish me luck."

"W-wait, Aurelius!!!"

And so, Aurelius Fortner, loyal knight of the Rosenbury household set off to find himself a toren.

***​

It had been three months since then and at last, he had found himself at the city of Holowald, where it was said that the torens would land close to.

"So this is a city. Everything is so much bigger here."

Aurelius was deeply impressed by the scale he could not have imagined in the past. He had lived all his life in the countryside, after all. Still, this was no time to be impressed. From the chatter of the crowd, it would seem that the torens had already arrived. He best hurry, before the other nobles snatch them all up.

He asked around, starting from the first person he saw about the torens. "Excuse me good sir, but have you seen any torens about?" he would ask. Most city folks tend to stare at him as if he was some kind of weirdo, but some did answer him honestly, that they haven't seen any, that is.

"Well, that's a bummer. I'm pretty sure I'm at the right place. The torens must have come and gone in a hurry. I suppose they did not descend from heaven just to loiter around without a single goal in mind. No, since they've gone through the trouble of getting here, they must have some important goal in mind."

Talking to himself, Aurelius tried to think of his next move. It was at this very moment, was he struck by a rain of cabbages.

"So in the city, it rains cabbages from the sky. Incredible! Now I see how they can afford to keep so many people fed."

As he arrived upon the amazing epiphany, at the corner of his eyes, Aurelius spotted a most peculiar man, his skin all red and hot, seemingly to have fallen.

What terrible sunburn, Aurelius thought to himself, the poor man must have had a heatstroke.

"Greetings, good sir," Aurelius approached and knelt down to meet the man's eye. "Are you perhaps injured? Do you require assistance?"


Interaction: Vol
Nearby: Kassandra

 

[Strategos]

Location: Military Garrison
Many things happened while he was listening, but he was happy to see an old face - even if that face wasn't happy to see him. "Ariter, ever so curt. Toren-season isn't so bad, you should relax for a bit, come to the dojo again from time-to-time," he said after chuckling, getting to know the people who arrest you semi-regularly is a good way to keep things light and fun after all. The officer in front of him closer her book and stood up, nodding to the two guards. "You know where it's placed, see you soon Tadashi. Dacey I'm putting my money on you-" a guard replied, "Yeah yeah, damn freeloader." he replied. Tadashi stood up and took his two swords from a rack near the table where the Torens were, a rack which was full of other confiscated weapons. After observing the conversation they had, it was clear to him that the Torens were not so united in their cause, not everyone was as altruistic or heroic as he hoped. Nonetheless, he placed his Daisho through his sash and went over to the person who seemed like she commanded the Torens, or at least had their respect.

"It's not much but my Dojo is free during the nighttime. As long as you can tolerate the occasional training students in the garden grounds, you're more than free to take shelter in my abode - I have a few futons," he spoke to Chioran, before bowing - a tradition he still does, even if it is odd outside of Eastown. "Hoshino Tadashi is my name, it is a pleasure to meet you. I hope you consider my offer," he said, before standing up again and facing the group, "We would be honoured to have the descendants of the gods, as our guests.".

Melon Bomb Vol Kassandra Topless egglover Firelie PiePillager obscured_light

 

[Vol]

STALKING IN THE STREETS
Location: Inner City Walls of Holowald
Interactions: Aurelius revior
Honourable Mentions: N/A​

Konan stared up at the sky, for a moment thinking he was back at home. The skies weren't so different.
A wandering hand slapped away a cabbage and it burned in the process; the smell of burnt vegetable mixing in with the sweat and other foodstuffs in Holowald's busy air.

"Greetings, good sir. Are you perhaps injured? Do you require assistance?"

"What? No, fuck off!" The half-genasi hissed as he pushed himself up to one knee before feeling his person -- his satchel. The younger man stood up so fast his forehead almost collided with the stranger's, but luckily all he got was a feeling of an uncomfortable warm draft whipping by his face.

Konan looked from side-to-side for the satchel; the money, his belongings or whatever, were in there. Where the hell did it go?
But that wasn't his only problem, as the cabbage cart owner started causing a ruckus in front of Konan.

"You! I don't know what your problem is but this can't go unpunished," The peddler gestured haphazardly to his vegetables, "My cabbages!"

Konan didn't bother to face the man as he scanned the small crowd that was forming around them.
"Go grow some more or something, I'm busy." He muttered as he tried to move away. The peddler grabbed his arm but yelped back in pain as he had touched a hot iron.

"I'm getting the guards, you nuisance. I'm getting compensation for this!"
"What's the guards gonna do? Throw me in jail? I'm a fucking Toren, that's nothing. Now piss off I lost something too!"
"Y-you're a Toren...?"

The air genasi from earlier, dissipated back into the crowd, satchel in hand.

 

[Neko_Kasai]

~Kaira~ Location: Training Grounds Mentions: Melon Bomb Vol Kassandra Topless egglover Firelie PiePillager obscured_light

Kaira had been looking around for the new torens for the past few weeks. She had heard that the descent wasn't always exact on the surface and she wanted to see what they were all about. Gaining favour from the master of the dojo, she helped train the pupils inside for a board. The tiefling-toren was curious to see what her brothers and sisters at arms were going to do. If they had aligned goals she would rather venture into this world with them then the people she fell down with.

She didn't feel like her original companions did any wrong, but they were all over the place. Each of them wanting to do something left field in comparison to the others. She just wanted to see the dead rest and help the spirits that have aided her in her life-time.

The dancers palm-striked the student she was teaching, causing them to fly background and land on thier ass. "Oh sorry!" she exclaimed, her ability to hold back lost in her thoughts. "But you need to bend your knees more. Go back into third position and train how to move from fourth and fifth back to third. It will help you keep you balance." Kaira helped the man up, and showed him the steps she talked about before moving onto the next student.

This student didn't like her for whatever reason, maybe it was because he could sense the divine underneath a supposed tainted race here on the surface. That his instincts were moving him in two different ways. He was always confrontational towards her, though the brute never seemed to learn that she could put him on his ass without much thought. Her strength wasn't with her fists, but with knowledge of her surroundings and of the human body. The man the threw himself at her, and Kaira reacted almost immediately. Her body lowered, hand going towards the center of the man's chest as she stomped her foot on the ground. To anyone paying attention they could see a ripple affect occur, which really caused the falling of the man onto the ground hard. "You selfish bitch! he yells at her loudly. Loud enough for the people in the barracks to hear.

 

[revior]

Location: Holowald, Inner City Wall
Interaction: Vol
Nearby: Kassandra
​

It would seem that help was unnecessary as the burning red man sprung up from the ground with the liveliness of a startled hare. He was, however, quite crude with his use of language. Perhaps that's just how city folks are. Either way, if he said he's fine, then there's no need for Aurelius to meddle in his affairs. He has a business of his own to attend to after all, a quest that he swore to complete no matter what. As he was about to head off, however, an angry voice kept his attention.

It appeared that a peddler of cabbages was angry at the red burny man, the latter had supposedly caused the rain of cabbages earlier. It would seem that cabbages raining from the sky naturally was an impossible phenomenon after all. The dream died far too young. That aside, the burny man had no intention of apologizing in the slightest, claiming that he somehow cannot be jailed for his actions. Why? Because apparently, he's a Toren of all things. Wait, A Torren!?

Without hesitation, Aurelius reached out and grabbed onto the burny man's wrist. The heat from his body was abnormal, even through the gauntlet, Aurelius could feel the scalding heat upon his palm. Even so, he wasn't about to let go, not after finding what he had been searching for after three longs months. That being said...

"You know, when you do something wrong, you should apologize at the very least."

If it's true that he's a Toren, then Aurelius would be more than glad to befriend him. However, he can't exactly introduce the young mistress to a bad person. No can do. This Toren needed to apologize and make things right, not only for the young mistress but also because it was only right to do so.