Fantasy &nbsp; Light In The Darkness (IC thread)

The slums of the The Grand City of Telaran were larger than some cities that existed within the Imperium. When you had a large bastion of civilization, it was inevitable that the dregs of society would end up somewhere. And they tended to end up here. But within that section, society flourished in its own way, living by their own rules. The soldiers rarely patrolled this section unless major trouble was stirred up that they needed to either investigate or put down.

Around the center of the slums was a major well that was where any sort of major proclamations were given and considering all the buzz that was being generated, it must be a good one. A squirrelly looking man in brown robes with a shaved head was flanked by two heavily armed men with sharp blades. The bald man spoke up in a loud voice, "To all those that wish to partake, his Imperial Emperorship is offering full pardons to those that wish it as well as massive riches and land to those that can solve the Imperium's issues with the rise in bandits, warlords and monsters. Report to the castle gates for further instructions."

With that, he stepped down and left a stunned crowd that began to speak loudly amongst themselves. Was this true? Could this be the break that they were looking for? The way out of this poverty striken lifestyle?

Marketplace

BarakaisBae

LumaThePhoenix

The marketplace was all a hustle and bustle from the middle of the day with people needing to always buy things from the heart of the Empire. Even people that lived within the large city, they always needed something. Especially since the city was one that rarely fully slept and there was always something to do. Here in the marketplace near the front gates of the city, there was much traffic coming and going. No one questioned any of the various monstrous races that came and went. All were welcome within the Imperium. Even if not everyone was always welcoming. It was long ago decreed that all could find a place within the Imperium, a shelter from the harsher lands and people that existed elsewhere within the world.

Horses and carts were being pulled on by with various types of goods and even goblins and bugbears seemed to find places to exist side by side with humans and elves.

Conversations could be overheard throughout the hustle and bustle as town criers spouted the news that many people were interested in. The Emperor was offering large amounts of riches and land to those that could rid the Imperium of the growing number of bandits, warlords and great powerful beasts that lurk around. It seemed many people were interested and some already began to funnel towards the Imperial Palace to find out more.

Docks

There were many boats of varying sizes located in the docks. Large merchant boats with big crews that loaded and unloaded merchandise, smaller shops for pleasure outing and medium sized ships that transported people to the nearby Aesir Islands to visit the city of Terminus and it's beaches. It was a hustle and bustle among the docks with people going this way and that, trying to get the days work done as quickly as possible.

The water was calm and the winds were light and breezy, feeling good on anyone's face. People talked amongst themselves until the weather took a turn for the colder. They began to look towards the open waters and a recognizable visage could be seen.

The Blackwater, one of the most feared pirate ships on the open ocean. Everyone was soon quick to finish up what they were doing and find someplace else to be. No one wanted to be there when that ship pulled into dock.

Some papers from a nearby newsboy detailing the Emperor's proclamations were scattered on the docks in the hurried rush to leave.

Barracks

The barracks was a hustle and bustle of activity. With the proclamation that the Emperor had ordered, they were all very busy getting ready to maintain order. And with all the soon to be groups of adventurers, members of the military are going to be assigned to assist.

While Auric had been waiting on a nearby bench for assignment, a large Kainar in full plate walked up to him . Her grizzled snout betrayed her canine features, but she wore a kind, but stern face.

"I am Seargent Linore. I will be assigning you to an experienced soldier for this upcoming detail. Follow me recruit." She began to walk deeper into the barracks where others were training in preparation for the major event that is going to be happening. Her full plate clanked and clashed as she walked and stopped short of Olivia Friar.

"Olivia, this young recruit shall be your charge during this assignment." She stepped aside to show her Auric. "You'll educate him on the ropes while you report to the Imperial Palace for your group assignment." She smiled a toothy grin. "You're going to finally be able to help the Imperium like you always wanted kiddo."

LegoLad659 · Aug 13, 2019

The Slums/Palace Courtyard

Catherine blinked and turned her head towards the well, not sure if she had heard the man right. The Blue Fox had just finished selling an enchanted amulet, and was on her way out of the city when the announcement was made. Just like the crowd, Catherine was questioning if this was true as well. It could be a trap... She wouldn't be surprised if the army had started to take more and more measures to try and capture her and her kind. But this was... Too public. Maybe that was the point.

But the idea itself was also too interesting for her to just ignore. If this was legit, coming from the Emperor himself, it could be exactly what she was looking for. A chance to have a proper, normal life, and leave this past of hers behind her without consequence from the law? Even if it was grandiose, she just had to investigate it for herself.

So, after hiding from the departing messenger's attention behind a building just in case, she started to make her way to the castle, out of sight. Not that people here didn't recognize her already, but in the more wealthy parts of the city the people actually cared enough to call the guards if they saw the Blue Fox in the area. So she hopped up onto buildings and hid in alleyways as she headed for the castle, before finally parking in a hiding spot outside the castle, observing the people who went inside. She may be interested, but she wasn't stupid - She'd wait, and see if she could spot any other wanted criminals entering as well, and how the guards reacted to their presence.

Okay, so that wasn't exactly a good indicator. But she was entering the goddamn royal palace, even with her skills there wasn't exactly an easy way to do that without being seen. She had to take what she could get and be prepared for the worst if things go wrong.

Barracks

Olivia smiled, and bowed respectfully to the Sergeant as she approached and spoke to her "Thank you, Sergeant." She said, looking back up only after the Kainar had finished speaking "It's an honor to be able to..." She trailed off as she saw the man she was talking about "...Auric? Oh my goodness, is that really you?!" She asked, ecstatic to see her old friend again "Oh my, it feels like it's been so long! What are you doing all the way in the capital city?"

The answer was obvious, of course, but that didn't stop her from asking anyway.

Rainbow Knight · Aug 13, 2019

The Slums

In a back alley, dregs of rancid sewerage flowed slowly down an open gutter. Cass slouched against the cobble walls of a rundown house, he sank his teeth into a stale loaf of bread and tugged hard to tear a piece away. The stubborn loaf complied after a brief struggle, he chewed with difficulty and swallowed as to not let the taste linger. He stopped. The light pat of paws came running down cobblestone path, Cass looked up; a skinny mut, with bones and ribs poking out from under its mangy fur, stared back. Cassius tore the bread in half and held it out, the dog approached and snapped the food from his hands.

"Good boy." Cass chuckled, itching behind the dog's flea ridden ear.

It was then he noticed a commotion out on the street, a herd of people flocked past the alley, towards the well. Cassius stood, shoving the last of his bread into his mouth. He followed the crowd, weaving his way into their midst, taking the opportunity to slip his fingers into a few unguarded pockets. The huddle of people came to a stop at the gathering at the well. A bald man and his guard stood at the centre, an official proclamation; Cassius sighed, nothing interesting. He half listened to the man as he yammered. Something about "Riches and Pardons", a load of bollocks. If only it was that simple.

After the man was done the crowd began to part and the people gossiped amongst themselves. Cass checked his earnings, a few measly coins. Pickings were slim in the slums, another trip to the markets seemed in order. The purses there were fat with gold but the streets were thick with guards. His stomach moaned. It was a risk he'd have to take.

Gen · Aug 13, 2019

The Docks

Mercy walked across the ramp, and stepped onto land. Behind him followed the siren, Merva. There was no one else within earshot. In the distance, sailors and merchants glanced at the black ship, and then quickly darted their gaze away. Evidently, the Blackwater’s reputation had reached as far as the Imperium. A paper, carried by the light wind, drifted near the ground towards them. Mercy stepped on it. He read it.

“The Imperial Palace is not far away from the docks,” he said, motioning down to the directions in the Emperor’s proclamation. “Swee was right, after all.”

When they had gotten word, an ocean away, of the immense gold and fortune that awaited them at the fabled Kelaran Imperium, they began making plans immediately. One did not pass an opportunity like this. Swee, with her nine-sided prophetic visions, had guided them around the worst storms. The young girl had also glimpsed the coordinates of docks of the Grand City of Teleran—and by extension, the Imperial Palace. Mercy had used his coldwater magic to sail the crewless Blackwater, as always. When the Blackwater had been attacked by a large ship too insignificant to name, Mercy had smiled. After the battle, Merva, their newest member, had called upon the sharks to ensure that there were no survivors. Twice, the Blackwater had passed another legend more formidable than their own —the Throned Rose, then Sea King—but the siren had illusion-weaved their way out of confrontation. They made a good trio.

A curious face then poked above the starboard side of the Blackwater. Fair-skinned, green eyes, ginger hair. It was Swee Hearth. When she saw that no one else was around, she made her way across the ramp. She could be shy around strangers. In the distance, people scratched their heads in confusion, muttering to each other when they realized the young girl had happily joined Mercy and Merva like the two were her best ever friends.

The trio headed towards the Imperium Palace. Swee looked back at the docks. “They say that the Aesir Islands is the most beautiful place. Some of the ships in the docks take tourists there, to City of Terminus and its many beaches.” Swee closed her eyes and smiled happily. Then she looked at her two friends. “Anyways, so when we get to the Palace, should we say we’re from the League of Pirates?” When the trio had arrived in the Kelaran Imperium, before making port at Teleran’s docks, they had first negotiated their way into the League. It was a backup plan in case things went south.

“The Imperium and League... Umm, they aren’t exactly friendly... Merva, what do you think?” Swee asked, tentatively. The girl did not bother asking Mercy. She knew him enough to know his answer: “We look out for ourselves first. Us three, and no one else.” To Mercy, if you were not part of Blackwater, you were the enemy.

Clockwork Syringe · Aug 13, 2019

Now most individuals would not hear idle talk if someone was trying to be quiet. However, Sildar, being a half dragon, was able to pick up some of what was said. What piqued his curiosity was the mention of the Emperor providing a reward of gold and titles for those who would help stop bandits and warlords. That brought up some unpleasant feelings whilst he wrote on the chalkboard for the lesson today. He made a mental note to head over to the Imperial Palace once the lesson had concluded; he was not about to abandon his students' education for himself.

Turning around to address the class also provided Sildar a great view of the classroom. There were quite a few two person tables, in fact he noticed a few more crammed into the room. No doubt this was the work of some other students who just wanted to listen to him teach. The classroom itself was a stone room with a barrel vaulted ceiling and while you would find the normal shelves and supplies with it, paintings also littered the walls. These paintings were from the best of the best of his students who took his art classes and each had a nasty enchantment on them. If one other than Sildar, or given permission by Sildar, removed it a nasty injury would befall them. He was able to get this arranged so long as he informed the other professors to not touch them. Clearing his throat, Sildar spoke.

"So! In conclusion there are four tiers of magical prowess and they are as follows." Holding up his right hand, he curled his thumb into his palm before beginning. "The fourth tier is possessing no magical aptitude whatsoever; I certainly hope that if you are in this class you do not belong to this tier else why would you be here?" Laughter erupted from the class before dying down quickly causing Sildar to smirk as well. Touching his little finger to his thumb, he continued, "Tier three involves magical possession or an accord. This isn't much better than tier four while despite possessing some magic you rely on another to grant you that ability." Placing his ring finger with the other two Sildar spoke again, "And here we have the basis of most individuals. Tier two is the aptitude for magic that involves hard work and studying to attain magical prowess." Clenching his fist and raising his pointer finger to the air he spoke once more. "Finally we have Tier 1 which is magical aptitude derived from bloodlines. However, there is much debate over whether bloodlines or hard work are the superior form of magic and it changes frequently."

"How did you get your magical prowess professor?" A voice rang out from the back.

"I attained my skill through hard work nothing more nothing less." In truth this was a white lie as while Sildar did train to use his powers, he had a head start due to his bloodline. "But I think I may have lost some of you," Sildar mused. "Lets see what the three main kinds of magic are with a practical demonstration." Pulling up his sleeves to reveal his muscled arm he did so in order to reduce the risk that his clothes would be damaged or smudged from this next demonstration. He also heard some gasps and some less audible "oohs" from the back of the room. "First! We have water." Sildar conjured some water in his hand before causing it to float in his hand before freezing it. "Next we have lightning," Sildar transfered the water cube to his left hand and threw it in the air. He then held out right hand with his fingers arched at the cube before lighting erupted from them, colliding with the cube and shattering it. This earned some claps of approval from the class. "Self explanatory, lighting is a very damaging type of magic. Finally, we have fire." Sildar conjured some flames in his right hand and kept it stable earning some oohs from the class. Sildar was in fact taking advantage of his half dragon nature in order to pull this off. "Fire can harm and heal and it's why its my favorite of the three." closing his fist he snuffed out the flame and then placed his hands behind his back. "Now, before I forget, I would like to remind you that we will be testing your magic the next time we meet. Class Dismissed!"

As everyone filled out Sildar remained for a moment to think about the opportunity the Emperor was giving and why he wanted to accept it. Bandits caused the death of his mother so he felt as if he had a duty to prevent such a thing from happening to anyone if he could help it. The money wasn't an issue for him as the wealth his father gave him coupled with his earnings as a teacher made sure that he never ran low on funds. With his mind made up, Sildar exited his classroom and the Gilgamesh Tower as a whole and joined the mass of people while keeping an eye on his pockets under his robe. He could have used his wings, but Sildar was not about to reveal to the city and empire that a half-dragon was in their midst. He had kept that secret for these past twenty-two years and wasn't going to break it now.

Peckinou · Aug 13, 2019

The Docks
Gen
Merva was standing closely behind her captain, she made sure to soak her hair into some water to make sure it was wet and would last her long enough when she is away from the water. She recalled last time where she nearly died of dehydration due to her hair being dry and not having any spare water with her, she was luckily saved by Captain Mercy and Swee. Ever since then she always carried two water canisters since then in case of emergencies, she never wanted a repeat of that again. When her attention was put back to reality however, she looked around and saw the place was deserted except for the few merchants whose attention was focused on just about anything but them, more likely a bit shaken by the crews presence. Ever since she joined up anyone that saw the Blackwater out on the open see was no longer alive, she made sure of it, matter of fact the only reason people would know she was even part of the Blackwater crew was due to the trips they made onto shore.

She then looked at Swee who seemed all to happy to be going to the Imperial Palace, Merva always found it fascinating on how someone as pure as her would end up with them. She apparently been listening to many rumors about the Aesir Islands and the City of Terminus, although Merva woud admit that going to the beach did sound pretty appealing to her. Although she would no doubt end up trying to drown a few swimmers if any one else was there. She also took note of how she wanted to reveal that they were with the League Of Pirates, she thought about that for a minute before replying "Well the League would only take action if something major were to come up, maybe if a lot of pirates were attending this then they may decide to take action if things went wrong. But since their is only the three of us and who knows how many others members of the league are attending ,then i doubt the League would bat a eye." She was pretty blunt with her statement she was a bit nervous about entering a palace full of guards who were no doubt highly trained, and she had no idea if their would be any source of water that she would be able to use to fight back if things went south. The most they would be able to rely on is her illusion weaving skills and their is a possibility that they would be able to use some sorta magic that lets them see through it or just be incredibly perceptive enough to see that she is using a illusion. She continued on wards though following the Captain as he made his way to the Imperial Palace.

Anne Boolean · Aug 13, 2019

LegoLad659

The blond elf waited seated on the bench for the new recruits where he had been told to, tapping his foot at a somewhat rapid pace. He felt butterflies fluttering around his knotted stomach as it bubbled up with a mix of anxiety and excitement. It had been just yesterday that he had passed the qualifiers for the military, in many areas just barely, and this morning he had been given a sword, a shield, and some armor before being brought here to be assigned an experienced soldier for him to train under. When a shadow fell onto him he looked up to meet the eyes of the Kainar, immediately shooting up at attention when the woman introduced herself as a sergeant.

"Yes, ma'am!" he responded in a robust voice to her words and marched behind her like he had seen other soldiers do. Auric managed to keep a calm expression on his face as he barely sucked air into his tight chest. This was the first military official he had met and there was no way he was going to leave a bad impression. Until the sergeant turned around and spoke, all he could hear was the clanking of her armor. He had kept eye contact with her the whole time and hadn't even tried to look at the figure in front of them until she introduced them. The name she gave caused the slightest furrow of his brow as he turned his head to see his mentor. Upon the sight of her his jaw dropped slightly and his posture fell into ease.

"Olivia?! It's so good to see you!" He ran up to hug her. "I knew you were in the military but I didn't think I'd run into you this soon!" He had a grin on his face as he stepped back from the embrace but then looked over to notice the sergeant still with them. He quickly cleared his throat and returned to attention. "I-I mean, I'm looking forward to working under you, ma'am!" His blue eyes met Olivia's but darted over to Sergeant Linore occasionally.

BarakaisBae · Aug 13, 2019

Charona

Although the harpy was short in comparison to the other people in the marketplace, she still found it difficult to traverse the crowded marketplace that bustled with land-dwellers, as she was a part of one of the few humanoid races to be a digitigrade, which is a fancy word for a species that walks on it's toes without the heel touching the ground. Her steps were also longer and further than most, which only added to the issue. For once, the woman looked awkward as she took small, uncomfortable steps as she attempted to follow the speed of the crowd. She already hated walking, so being forced to walk slower and take smaller steps only made her the more miserable.

The only reason that Charona had come to the marketplace was to get herself a map of some kind, which she had succeeded in doing. While she could not read the names of the places, the small drawings representing them was enough to give her what she needed. The common tongue in these lands had not been difficult to speak, as there was a similar language spoken by the dwarves that lived near the mountain where she grew up and harpies were accustomed to learning new languages anyway as they needed men of other species to reproduce, but reading was a much different story. Word of mouth was sufficient in her flock, and sitting down to read would be waste of time when there were mouths to feed. She had been looking at the map and wondering what the strange shapes known as letters meant when she heard a town crier speak of an "emperor".

Normally, Charona would've paid it no mind as she had no idea what an emperor even was. But then she heard something about "land" and that caught her interest very quickly. She knew that word. That's a good word. Charona listened intently to the conditions she'd need to get her hands on this land that was offered. Go adventuring, kill a few things, and get your own place? Well, she would've done those things for free anyway, why wouldn't she take up that offer? If she were to even think about starting her own flock, she would need land and territory to raise the first brood of chicks. The rest of the rewards were irrelevant and meant little to her, but the reward of a new home was enough to convince the avian to investigate further.

A wide grin spread across her tanned face, revealing her razor sharp teeth as her canary yellow eyes brightened with glee. Her impressive, scarlet wings suddenly spread open, surprising those passing by as they quickly moved out of her way as she took a running start forwards. They flapped one or twice before Charona took a giant leap and finally became airborne. Taking only a quick glance at the map to figure out where she must go, she began to fly towards the Imperium Palace to inquire about this opportunity. Charona could've stayed on the ground, but why wait in a crowd or line when you can simply skip it by flying? She didn't care if any land-dwellers were envious or thought it was unfair, she wasn't going to sacrifice her comfort and time to be "fair". The harpy couldn't help but to feel excited and her booming laughter could be heard faintly from down below.

(Location: Marketplace, heading towards Imperium Palace)
(Interactions: Free!)

Trektek · Aug 16, 2019

The Barracks

Sergeant Linore chuckled lightly at the reaction of the fresh recruit to the senior member that she had assigned him to. From his paperwork, she had realized that they both came from the same area, but not that they knew each other and certainly not well enough to be on a hugging state of affairs. At least that would make things easier since they wouldn't need to get to know each other.

Auric Rosewood certainly seemed as though he had a lot of potential to become a good and strong soldier with the right training. And Olivia Friar had enough experience and discipline to make that happen, having already trained long and hard. The Sergeant was proud of her which was why she was giving her the next level of her education; training a fresh recruit.

"Alright you two. You can catch up on the way to the Imperial Palace. Time to gather up your equipment and meet with lieutenant Ganders at the main gate for further orders." She turned to Olivia and gave her a salute, "Do me proud soldier." Followed up with her walking away to her other duties.

The Slums

Rainbow Knight

There were still plenty of people in the slums, even though many had cleared out to go to the Imperial Palace. To them, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. A complete pardon of any crimes that were committed, plus land and more coin than you could count? The ones that stayed behind were either ones still discussing the ideas with their comrades or those that believed it was a trap to round up all the dangerous criminals in one fell swoop and raise city morale.

A tall man with shaggy hair was talking with a heavy set woman. "Come on, do you really think that they would just hand out mass pardons for killing some enemies of the state? And I mean really, what's to stop them from deciding that we outlived our usefulness and turn the same crowd against us with those promises."

"But what if it's just that simple? What if the Imperium is just in that bad of shape?"

"Then I guess that we just try to make happy with the Empire then. Before things go completely crazy."

The crowd was beginning to spread out and dissipate. People were either heading to the Palace gates or back to their daily routines as though the announcement never happened.

In the air on the way to the Imperial Palace

BarakaisBae

The nearby members of the crowded market looked up as the harpy caught their attention with her theatrics of taking off into the air. A young child giggled with laughter as he clapped his hands at the sight of her. She was certainly going to make good time getting to the palace as she could see many others down below trying to get to the palace as quickly as.

Some looked up and were clearly envious as to her speed and grace through the air. Nearby seagulls dispersed at her presence to make room and avoid becoming a meal. The sky was crystal clear with a slight breeze that allowed her to catch some gusts of air during her flight and without much time she landed at the Palace Gates.

The Imperial Palace Gates

The Imperial Palace Gates were all the hustle and bustle since the announcement. Everyone and everyone wanted to take advantage of what was being offered, especially since it could dry up at any minute, leaving people with nothing but broken dreams. People from all walks of life were there for their opportunity to shine for all different reasons. Some just wanted the money, some the power that came from owning land, and others were merely there to earn the Glory and honor of fighting and ridding the Imperium of its enemies.

There seemed to be four guards at the gate that were processing the people as they were heading inside. Each wearing full plate with the Imperial Crest of a Yellow Dragon surrounded by spears pointing outwards. Looking carefully, anyone would be able to see that known criminals were being allowed inside the palace without any difficulty after talking with one of the guards at the front gate.

The clear skies began to become cloudy and overcast with a slight chill in the air. As the three pirates approached the crowd, some people who recognized Mercy from his description alone, began to move out of the way or just give them a wide birth. The reputation of this dangerous pirate had spread far and wide indeed.

Listening in while waiting, everyone would hear the guards asking these questions of all those that approached, "What is your name? What is your profession? Are you affiliated with any groups? What are your capabilities in combat?"

After answering those questions, as long as they were satisfactory, the guard would write the answers down on a piece of parchment and direct them inside where they would be placed into adventuring groups.

LegoLad659 · Aug 16, 2019

Barracks, Walking to Imperial Palace

Olivia chuckled as Auric ran over to hug her, clearly just as excited to see her, if not more. She gave him a small hug back before he broke it off, as if remembering where they were suddenly "Hehe, no need to be so formal, Auric. I think we're good enough friends that you don't have to do anything different just because I'm helping train you." She assured, him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Then Sergeant Linore told them that they should be making their way to the Imperial palace, to which Olivia nodded in response, and couldn't help but smile when the Sergeant saluted her, and she returned the favor as well "Thank you, Sergeant. We'll make our way there right away." She told Linore before she left.

Olivia made sure the both of them were ready to leave before heading out with Auric towards the palace. On the way there, she started a conversation with him "So, how have you been, Auric? It must have been a tough journey here to the capital, did you manage to get a good chance to rest before coming to the Barracks?"

Palace Gates/Courtyard

Catherine continued to watch the crowds of people trickle into the Palace gates. Trap or not, it was quite bold to let all of these people into the Imperial Palace, whether or not they were criminals. But Catherine still wasn't quite convinced.

At least, not until the Blackwater crew rolled up to the gates. Even if Catherine hadn't recognized them from seeing them in passing (She'd never dared to approach them, herself), even if they hadn't been legendary pirates known all throughout the Imperium much like herself, she could've told that they were seriously bad news from all the people avoiding coming anywhere close or even making eye contact with them. That was what convinced Catherine to begin approaching the gate herself. If they were letting Captain Mercy come within fifty miles of the Imperial Palace without opposition, that was enough guts to let her know that yes, this was almost certainly the real thing.

Or, if it wasn't, then she'd have some seriously good backup when they decided to spring their trap.

Catherine got a few looks from the crowd, though most of them were distracted with Mercy, which was understandable. She didn't mind it, anyway, since that meant she herself was getting less attention than she usually would have. She approached one of the guards, prepared to answer the questions she'd heard them giving to the others "Blue Fox." She answered the first one, intending to stay firm if they'd pressed her on her real name unless they absolutely wouldn't let her in without it. She didn't like people knowing her real name, especially the authorities, but she couldn't help it if it was absolutely required for entry "Thief. No, I'm solo. Agility and pinpoint striking."

Clockwork Syringe · Aug 16, 2019

Palace Gates/Courtyard

Sildar watched as people began to trickle in through the gates and start to assign people to groups. However, he also noticed a wide berth was being given to some pirates from the Blackwater Ship. Mercy, if he recalled, was the captain of that ship and students would tell stories under their breath about him and his crew. However, he was not about to give privilege to the pirates and that was not going to affect his goal here. Slowly but surely, he made his way to the gate and to an exasperated guard who looked as though this was not something he planned on doing at all today.

"Name please," he started.

"Sildar Evans," Sildar responded promptly.

"Profession"

"Gilgamesh Tower Professor." The guard looked up from his paper with a surprised and shocked look to appear on the guard's face.

"What the shit? Why in the hell are you even here?" The guard incredulously responded before pointing his writing utensil accusingly at Sildar. "You have a cushy job like that teaching the nobility and you want to ditch it to help the empire? You're nuts!"

"Empire is in trouble from bandits and I can't just let them have their way."

"You've got a stronger will than I do." Sighing and shaking his head the guard continued. "What sort of combat skills do you possess."

"I am a sorcerer of many magics and I can handle myself in close quarters combat." The guard then looked him over and raised an eyebrow as if to say "Really now? Prove it" before Sildar rolled up his sleeves before the guard nodded and continued.

"Please proceed through the gates and await further instruction, we will sort you shortly." Sildar nodded in appreciation and made his way into the courtyard.

Interactions: None(but open!)

Rainbow Knight · Aug 16, 2019

Slums/Palace Gates

"Idiots." Cass mumbled to himself as an excited brood of urchins hurried past him towards the Palace.

Even if the reward was real, what chance would a bunch of slum rats have at seeing any of it? How many would end up getting themselves killed in this bloody farce? The military must be in some sad state if they're resorting to such desperate measures. Never mined, Cass smirked, there were other ways to make some gold off of this whole affair.
The stench of misery and shit started to fade as he left the slums, the houses and the streets looked less run down and even the skies seemed clearer. He was watched carefully by shopkeepers and well dressed residents, he wasn't welcome here.
He passed regardless.
There would be countless wide eyed idiots with unguarded purses flocking to the palace, perfect targets. The guards would be so busy dealing with the crowds, they wouldn't be too interested in some petty theft. Once he got to the palace he'd join the crowd and pick out some good marks.

LumaThePhoenix · Aug 16, 2019

Monica Battaglia
Location: Marketplace => Imperial Palace

Ahh the joys of having a day off. For many, it provides a chance to catch up on lost sleep caused by the previous work day(s). Others used it to stack up on supplies or work on other things. Monica was the latter. She was off today and knew exactly what she wanted to do. The pink haired wonder made her way to the market place in search of water. She had nearly run out of bottles to drink while she was working as a nurse, so it was time to refill the stash.

The marketplace was busy as per usual. Countless beings traveling back and forth to exchange currency for goods and vice versa. Monica wore a hat to shield her from the sun's heat. More importantly, it was to cover her hair and allow her to blend in with the crowd. Despite there being a sense of peace in the area, the half-mermaid never took to chance when she was in public. Most of her hair was in a ponytail and tucked into the back of her shirt while her bandana was tied around the area between her hat and shirt to conceal her hair. It was a bit strange, but it was necessary to keep soldiers from the Red Goblin Empire from recognizing her. As she made her way to a booth in the shade, she gave a friendly smile and wave to the man on the other side. He was getting up there in age, but his heart was still full of youthful joy.

"Well if it isn't my favorite customer." The old man said with a smile of his own. "I take it you've come for your usual?"

"Yes sir." Monica replied with her soft voice. "One half-dozen water bottles please."

As Monica was completing the purchase, she heard an announcement about the Palace needing recruits. It was a golden opportunity for her. She could help others and collect enough riches to buy enough land to house liberated slaves and other unfortunate people who were down on their luck. The half-mermaid smirked a little when she figured it would also be a grand chance to exact revenge on her former captives. Alone, she wouldn't be able to take them down, but having others with her would surely turn the tide.

Just as things were going smoothly, a gust of wind blew her hat off of her head. She frantically grabbed it and placed it back on top of her head as quickly as she could, but she was not fast enough. Monica glanced and saw a pair of Red Goblin soldiers looking in her direction with suspicious looks on their faces. It was likely they saw her hair before she could cover it again and recognized her. The two made their way over to the booth, but when they got there, all that was left was the old man and a different customer whom they had seen talking to him. Luckily for Monica, that was enough of a reason for him to not see which way she went. She had ducked down and snuck off into the crowd. Her heart was racing just like she was racing to the palace. The pink haired nurse had dodged a bullet for now.

When she finally got to the meeting place of those wanting to assist in fighting for the Imperial Palace, Monica came across quite a few people. Her eyes scanned the mass of bodies before they stopped at a trio if pirates, specifically Captain Mercy. She had heard numerous stories about this legendary terror of the seas, and stayed clear of his ship on the rare occasions she noticed it while swimming since she wasn't fully sure of the extent of his capabilities. However, if he's here to fight for the cause, then it's at least worth giving a shot. Another person she noticed was the well-known professor Sildar Evans. He had a bit of a reputation as a highly respected and very popular teacher. Even the students that she happened to be chosen to tend to after incidents from their own separate activities spoke about him. This gave her enough confidence to approach one of the quartet of guards that asked her a series of questions.

"I am nurse Monica Battaglia. I traveled here alone and I can provide medical attention to others on the battlefield." She answered. The guard nodded, but was a bit worried for her safety, even going as far as to ask if she's sure she wants to do this as it is a very dangerous decision. Monica nodded. "I'm capable of holding my own in combat."

"Very well. We'll see where we can put you at." The guard replied and then led her inside. She thanked him and watched as he made his way back to the gates. Meanwhile, she opened one of the bottles and began to drink from it.

Interactions: Open

Gen · Aug 17, 2019

The Imperial Palace Gates

The Blackwater trio walked towards the palace gates. Captain Mercy in the lead, the siren Merva and the young girl Swee two steps behind. Swee felt secretly relieved about the generous space many people gave them. She was already feeling so anxious at seeing so many new faces. But then, she spotted a figure ahead that made her heart lighten. It was Professor Sildar Evans. Excitedly, she informed her two friends, “…and his courses are always full… and I read about the beautiful paintings… and he teaches in the Gilgamesh Tower, the most reputable…Mercy! Can I enroll in his class sometime?” What Mercy thought, he gave no indication.

The palace guard was still thinking about the unexpected appearance of the professor, who he had interviewed not a few minutes ago. “Next…” he called, absentmindedly. As the guard looked up, he found himself meeting the gaze of nobody less than the Captain of the Blackwater. Shock electrocuted him for the second time today. Muscle memory somehow made the guard’s mouth move promptly. But at the questions, Mercy only smiled. Amusement shown on his lips. Then, at the last question on combat, Mercy showed the guard his ornate double-sided battle axe, fringed with golden edges. The Captain did not really feel the need to say any more: not his coldmagic magic, nor his dead gloved hands.

“Like my ship, I had this made from the black city. They say the dark steel is sharp enough to cut through armor, and slick enough to keep the blood off.” The guard stepped aside.

Swee was about to pass behind his protector, when she was stopped by the same guard. “W-what do you mean I can’t pass!? Oh… oh, questions? Y-yes, of course! Well, I’m Swee Hearth… I’m from the Blackwater, yes…” The guard was in utter disbelief. “Combat… skills?” she squeaked, “N-no, I’m not a fighter, but I do have these visions sometimes. They call it nine-sided prophecies, I mean, they’re not always the right thing, but some of them are…” As anxiety clutched her, she rambled on, “So sometimes I see nine things… from far away, like, different languages and… like, you know, celestial alignments tell you things… so if, you know, I can just pass now… t-that would be great… r-right?”

Swee looked like she was about to cry. From the other side, Mercy looked like he wanted to kill someone. But then the guard did not know what else to do but let the girl pass. Mercy and Swee looked back from inside the palace, as they waited for the siren, Merva.

Anne Boolean · Aug 17, 2019

Trektek

Auric eased up just a bit when he felt Olivia's hand on his shoulder. Despite her words, he still needed to glance over at the captain a few times before completely relaxing. Upon seeing she didn't seem to mind some informality either, he eased up his stance with a small smile. He did make sure to properly salute her before she took off though.

After she was gone, he let out a soft sigh. "Guess I got lucky to meet with a somewhat lax sergeant first," he said. "And I'm super lucky to have you be training me!" He gave a grin. "It'll be just like when I was a kid and you used to watch over me while my parents were out!" Of course that was a bit of an exaggeration, but he still had a positive view of the situation as he began walking along with Olivia.

"I actually arrived yesterday, and took their entrance exam," he explained. "I didn't sleep like a log or anything, since I was so antsy about what would happen today, but I don't feel tired or anything. I guess the nervousness and excitement are giving me energy." He let out a soft chuckle. "How about you? How've things been for you in the military so far? I bet a mage would be pretty useful in combat."

Auric wondered, had she been in combat yet though? How did that go about for her? Had she changed after? One of the things his parents told him when trying to deter him was about all the people who become completely different after combat. Their cheery spirits seemed to leave their bodies, and left them just a cynical zombie of sorts. Despite this being his dream, combat was probably what he feared most. The thought of seeing his friends and allies die in front of him, and the fear of freezing up right before taking an enemy soldier's life, those were things that almost made him want to continue at the farm.

He tried to shake the worries out of his head. "So, Lieutenant Ganders. What are they like?"

BarakaisBae · Aug 17, 2019

Charona

When the harpy arrived, she made a loud, caw-like shriek, as the crowd was making it difficult to land and didn't seem to want to move out of her way at first, so she resorted to scaring them out of the way. It was unsurprisingly successful and she found herself in the very front of the crowd. Looking around at her surroundings with her abnormally large eyes, she made some observations on the types of people she may be working with.

There were many mages who either already were walking inside the palace, or were talking with the guards, which was slightly disappointing. It would seem mages were trusted highly in these lands, especially the one with the raven black hair who was known as Sildar and seemed to be respected to boot. She couldn't help but snort when he claimed he could "handle himself in close quarters combat". He couldn't even just call it fighting! And he could only "handle" it? Please. He may have high value in these lands, but she doubted the stranger would last a day in her homelands without his fancy schools and magic.

The only promising people she could find within the crowd was the group of three and a blue-haired woman. The group of three would not of been of interest except for the fact there was a rather muscular human in the group brandishing a large axe that could actually challenge her mace. Finally, a true fighter! He must be good, as why else would crowd be intimidated merely by his presence? To say the least, she was already impressed with that one. Although, she was unsure of why he was in company with a small, weak-looking woman who didn't look like she could even hold a weapon, let alone use one. The pairing was strange indeed. As for the third member, she hadn't quite formed an opinion on her yet.

The blue-haired woman caught her attention as well, as she was surprised to find a human with such pretty colouration. They always seemed to have such boring browns, blacks, and occasionally blonde or orange hair, which got rather boring to look at after a while and made her long to see the colourful patterns of her sisters again. While strange to see such a bright colour on such a usually plain race, she was happy to see it and be reminded of where she came from, as well as what she planned to build in the future. She wondered what colours the first hatchlings would be...

Upon hearing word that they'd be placed into groups, she already knew who she hoped to be placed with and who she hoped wouldn't be in her group. Nonetheless, she was excited to be put in a group, as she longed for companionship and this was the closest thing she'd have to a flock since leaving. It wouldn't be the same, of course, but it would definitely be close enough to comfort her and make her feel less lonely. It had been rather difficult being alone when usually you're surrounded by family.

Soon, she found herself in front of the guards. They were dressed heavily in armour, which suggested they were squishy underneath and severely needed the protection. Her arms crossed over her chest, confident as she listened to their questions. "I am Charona, I have only one name, no need for another." She answered the first question, finding it rather strange that most people in these parts had more than one name, which seemed unnecessary to her. "No job, except to fight and acquire land for my future flock. I have no affiliations now, however I was in a fierce flock of harpies before I got here, very far away." Charona couldn't help but snicker when asked about her capabilities in combat. "Sir, I'm a harpy. If I can't pick it up, I beat it up." She answered, gesturing to the mace she had in her talon-like hands. "I have my talons, my wings, my strength, a mace, and a strong hatred of cowardice. I am more than capable of helping with the problems you currently face." Charona finished going through all the questions, although she felt they were more of a formality than a requirement for her. "Is that all?" She questioned, looking the guard she was speaking to up and down.

(Location: Imperial Palace Gates)
(Interactions: (Mentions)

Clockwork Syringe

LegoLad659 )

vielpotato · Aug 17, 2019

Outside of the Church of Y'srenna, people haven't seen the High Priest known to be the most loved of the Goddess for quite some time. Years previously, he would walk around and pray with civilians in the slums for good fortune yet suddenly the boy had stopped and has been held up in the Church as far as the public eye knows. However, this day was different as Llyke walked out with his rapier, something of legends among the church, with an entourage of 4 Sisters. Llyke walked from their home to the Imperial Palace Gates, with news of the bandit 'cleanup', the term Llyke used when got word of this event, and saw the impressive line. One of the Sisters, who at first glance would more look like a mercenary with her rough exterior, got the attention of anyone at the end of the mob.
"Make way for the Church of Y'srenna!" Her booming voice startles people at first, before seeing the 'group of sisters' as Llyke was in long robes similar to the Sisters he was accompanied with. Reaching the front with the guard taking role, the guard chuckled, unknowing the High Priest himself was here to take care of the impure, and begins his lines except adds a flirtatious tone as one of the Sisters was commonly hit on for her looks despite her not looking.
"You are mistaken sir, for I am the High Priest Llyke, unlike my Sisters behind me. We are here for the Church of Y'srenna, as I can support the stronger members of this hunt while they can easily take on people of that caliber together." Llyke says, looking towards the mob of criminals who are there simply for the removal of their sins. Like that could do anything, for once they cease to live, their sins become evident to the Goddess.. Fist curled up, Llyke bows towards the guard as he joins the crowd and exclaims "The Church of Y'srenna has arrived to aid all in this hunt. Come, and be removed of your sins! The Goddess is always open to forgive everyone, you just have to step forward and admit your sins!" Llyke clears towards an open area, ready to receive the dozen or so people who slowly walk over to be forgiven.

Imperial Palace Gates
Open

Peckinou · Aug 17, 2019

Merva Wisp

vielpotato
As Merva was walking she noticed how Swees eyes lit up when she saw a man who was no doubt wearing mages clothing she then started explaining who he was and where he worked at. Merva took quite a interest in what she said, she always did have a interest in magic it could be very powerful if used right and she always did love learning about things. Although she doubted she would take any classes there though, she would not only need to have a steady supply of water to keep herself there but she also loathed the idea of being stuck with a bunch of other people who she was more than likely going to want to kill. Upon arriving at the gate though she took note of how stunned the guard was to see her Captain she let a sinister smirk hit her lips at his reaction as he then proceeded to question him. It didn't take long before the guard waved him in though and she was then subjected to the same questions as her captain on the she simply answered in a plain and board tune "Merva, Pirate, Member of the Blackwater" when they got to the last question though she gave him a sinister smirk and revealed her sharp teeth before pulling her black coat back revealing all the daggers underneath it "Why yes I would say im quite capable of killing someone who annoys me in so many different ways." The guard stiffened up a bit but waved her in non the less, Merva walked past him intending to catch up with the her captain before hearing some yelling from behind.
She took notice of how the man was surrounded by 4 women who were no doubt wearing church attire, and the man started speaking of some sorta sin removal. She grew annoyed just thinking about all the nonsense he was saying, she remembered someone like him who she no doubt drowned ,it was very under amusing to say the least and it honestly got on her nervs with how he just called her a bunch of names instead of doing something like begging for his life. She sighed a bit before rejoining her captain "Well this is certainly a event that has captured everyone's attention kinda nice but also very annoying." She stated flatly to both Swee and her captain although she doubted he would pay much heed to her words any how.

Clockwork Syringe · Aug 18, 2019

The Imperial Palace Gates

Sildar watched as people began to flow into the courtyard with the intention of capitalizing on the Emperor's offer. As he watched with his heightened senses, several individuals became apparent to him. There was a hat wearing woman who was drinking from a bottle of water, ~Was that an actual harpy in the crowd?~, and then there was the crew of the Blackwater. As much as he wanted to talk to the Blackwater crew, he decided that he was not going to talk to them; yet. Before he could make that decision, however, a different commotion took place. Four women followed by what looked to be a priest began to shout to make way for a high priest from the church and then he himself began to offer to clear their sins. It left a bad taste in his mouth as his father had spoken about priests offering the same thing for monetary gain. Indulgences, is what he called them, for supposed absolvement of sins. ~lets not talk to the priest just yet.~. Then there was a blue haired woman who he could have sworn gave the name of the outlaw "Blue Fox." He definitely wanted to talk to her at some point, but much like the crew of the Blackwater, now was not the time. Ultimately, after going back and forth on the decision of who to talk to he decided that he wanted to talk to the woman wearing the hat. She looked the most normal out of the bunch and decided that he would not cause a stir talking to her. Walking over to her, he spoke, "So why did you decide to take the Emperor's offer? My name is Sildar by the way."

LumaThePhoenix

LegoLad659 · Aug 18, 2019

City Streets

Anne Boolean

"Ah, I actually haven't seen any real combat yet... This'll be my first time, hehe..." Olivia admitted, chuckling nervously as she walked through the streets with Auric "To my understanding, we're kind of like a stand-in for artillery. Well, we do still need artillery because it takes a lot of energy to get the same kind of power from a mage... But we stay towards the back and fire spells at enemies, and unlike most siege weapons we can leverage the power of our spells as needed so it's not as dangerous to our allies."

Then Auric asked about Lieutenant Ganders, to which Olivia shook her head "I have no idea. I haven't seen much of the army outside the training grounds. I figure we'll get to know them soon, though." She told him, smiling "In the meantime I prefer not to worry about it."

Palace Gates/Interior

Oh god fucking damn it, there was a preacher here now. That much was a given, of course, holy knights and such would obviously join a crusade like this. But Catherine really, really, really hoped there wouldn't be one of those super obnoxious ones that shouted their crap to everyone like they were more important than the Gods themselves. Not that she didn't believe their teachings - One can't really disbelieve what they've never been bothered to listen to - but all this stuff about 'Sins being forgiven' and 'Cleansing of the soul' and things like that... She planned to deal with that after she didn't have guards breathing down her neck at every moment. She had a lot to ask forgiveness for, she knew that. She'd accepted that part of herself a long time ago. But living an honest life right now was literally impossible for her, and she was pretty sure the law didn't care if some Goddess had absolved her of wrongdoing. She'd still done wrong in the kingdom's eyes. The law doesn't forgive. Not easily. She still had the death sentence looming over her head, over how much she'd stolen.

Once she was done dealing with all of that. Then she would look for forgiveness from the Gods.

Not from this man. Like she said, he was most certainly the type who thought himself above the Gods he claimed to worship, she could tell just by the way he spoke (Well, screamed. That was a pretty telltale sign in itself). Hence the internal heavy swearing at his sudden proclaimed presence. She wondered why the Gods didn't simply strike them down for being so vain, but the Gods let a lot of much, much worse things take place in this world, so she figured to them this would be a relatively harmless thing to let pass as well.

For now, she just ignored the annoying saint and made her way inside. She eyed the Blackwater crew and stayed a reasonable distance from them. She wanted to stay close by them at all times if something were to happen, but at the same time she didn't want to catch their attention by staying too close. Something told her they didn't like strangers following them. So she blended into the crowd nearby and tailed them from there.

Anne Boolean · Aug 18, 2019

Trektek

"Ah, I see..." Auric responded. By her reaction, it seemed that she was either embarrassed by this or just as nervous as he was about being in actual combat. He opened his mouth, considering talking about it, but after a moment just ended up closing it.

"Wow, sounds like you're pretty well-versed about the role you'll be playing on the battlefield," the elf commented. He, on the other hand, only knew so much as to kill and not be killed while he was on there. Of course he figured there would be strategy involved in order to minimize deaths on his side and maximize the force on the opponent's, but he figured he would eventually learn about all that in training.

"Yeah... that'll probably be for the best," he agreed when Olivia mentioned not worrying. Still, he couldn't help but do so. What if Lieutenant Ganders was a total hardass? What if Auric messed up? Hopefully he would pick up Olivia's calmness during training as well.

"Wow..." he muttered when the crowd in front of the palace came into view. "I guess the promise of riches really can convince anyone..." It wasn't what he was interested in, honestly, and after a fulfilling military career he didn't mind the thought of retiring back on the farm. He was more interested in protecting the people of the KI. "I'm glad I managed to sign up yesterday, and avoided having to wait in this crowd." As he scanned the hordes of civilians, he couldn't help but feel some judgment coming up. Would most of them really pass the fitness portion of the entrance exam? Some of them looked even scrawnier than he was.

"Well, we'd better not keep the Lieutenant waiting," he said to his mentor.

Gen · Aug 18, 2019

The Imperial Palace Gates