Fantasy The Araal Campaign

[Xel]

Local Security Forces​

8:47 PM
Tallas, Velhellyiah

​

"Captain..." She quietly repeated the word after the Judge addressed her as such. She expected as much but said nothing on it, instead glancing between the two women as the Judge addressed them before letting her gaze rest on the officer looking to her for guidance. With a nod she sent the man off to fetch one of the collars. The woman wasn't exactly forthcoming earlier, so she doubted she would be now. But if the Judge wanted to try he was more than welcome to. The voice of the elf stole her focus as she once again rested her stoic gaze on the woman. Whether the woman was telling the truth or not it didn't change the fact that she had an insufferable personality. "We have already contacted the family you mentioned, but we still need to verify with your government. As someone of such stature surely you understand." Her voice was as flat as her expression as she otherwise ignored the rest of the privileged paragon's little tirade.

Yet another one of the cell dwellers called out to her, drawing her attention to the vampire. At his question she thumbed towards the door she came through. "All of your belongings are safe. They'll be returned to you as you leave so do not worry about that." With the snow woman being tended to the remaining officer moved to guide the group out of the holding cell. She, however, stepped forward to ensure the Elf didn't just waltz out. "We've prepared a new room for you, Miss Qaeliss. You can reside there while we get everything sorted." The elf was difficult enough to deal with, but there was still a trouble-maker that still remained silent. She glanced over at the lone resident of the adjacent cell. A former princess from a conquered country, she could pretty much already guess where that was going. She shifted her focus to the door as one of the officers returned, handing the magitek translator to the judge as requested. She couldn't care less about the snow woman, she had nothing to do with what was now keeping her there, but she also wasn't going to prevent the Judge from doing his job. So with that squared away she looked back at the elf. "If you would like I can show you the way."

The One Eyed Bandit BriiAngelic Blackvelvet AnonyMouse SoftSmile Hubub101 BlacklegSanji PyroMonomania EquinoxLeonidas​

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Kalani Ligaya Roxas #12

• 
  
  
  Interacting With:
  Anyone outside the prison
  

  ~Jail Cell -> Outside Prison~
  Give me the Night || Kalani’s CS File
  She couldn’t say that she felt the best with the murderess not being immediately charged with all this evidence and the original instigator of the problem off somewhere in the distance.Ultimately that was the least of her focus. What really mattered is that she now got out of paying a rather sizable tab, which is good considering it bought her nothing in the long run. She supposed that the mage was still around as an avenue to pursue, the paragon was rather intriguing as well but she hardly knew her.
  
  She circled up her right arm working the kinks out of her from the rather unexpected brawl. Well like it or not she’d to be getting back to the stables and feeding Ephemeral soon, since the stablehands should have left by now. Still she supposed if she walked off completely then she’d be leaving any chance at connecting with the strangers she met. She’d gain something from this venture or she’d be booking it out of town as soon as the next light hit.
  
  She stood to the side of the building obviously waiting to see the next move of the others. Yet she was not the type with a well of patience either, before long she was shifting her weight back and forth between her right and left legs. She decided that if she wanted to know their plans and intentions the easiest thing to do was ask. Especially for those who’d rented a room in the now closed down bar.
  
  “So what are you guys going to do now? Why’d you all get stuck here anyways?”
  
  Wait that was rather unbalanced. Playing her hand close to her chest had never gotten her too far, especially since they were likely already on the defensive. She wondered if this would have all gone differently if less mages and fighters happened to frequent this bar. Heck the place was likely to implode on its own even without the woman.
  
  “Well I guess I should explain my bit at the least then. I’m passing through and while I managed to get some lodgings in a nearby inn to the stables I don’t plan on staying if it looks like I’ll be dragged back into that crap. Especially if it’s not getting me any of the information I care about out of the deal. Oh not all of you know my name… I’m Kalani Ligaya.”
  

 

[Xel]

Narrator​

​

It had been several days since the incident at the bar. All those caught up within the mess were released that same night save for the two claiming to be foreign dignitaries. The Sky Elf promptly gave her escorts the slip with the princess escaping soon thereafter. The white haired woman also revealed her identity to the good Judge, revealing herself to be Cera Carmine, a member of the Council's Guard. With the princess and the sky elf both slipping away she returned to Vysoria to report on both her mission and the little side-quest. Now it was left to be seen where those involved would wind up and what adventures await them.

The One Eyed Bandit BriiAngelic Blackvelvet AnonyMouse SoftSmile Hubub101 BlacklegSanji PyroMonomania EquinoxLeonidas​

 

[AnonyMouse]

Aesveria Qaeliss
with BriiAngelic and Hubub101​

Fellow bar fight participants rarely make good, wholesome travel companions. Then again, isn’t there a saying about bonds forged in chains lasting a lifetime? Aesveria had been to prison with these people, so that had to be worth something, right? Well, jail, not prison. Same difference.

At first, she only took a passing fancy in Kalani and Ajax. They seemed interesting. More interesting than most of the slack-jawed, faceless masses, anyway. For humans, she found them quite tolerable, even likable, at times. After being released from the cell, the Sky Elf returned to the ruined bar to gather her belongings and was pleased (though she would never admit it) to find them there. It was a little like an adorable puppy following you home.

So, she struck up a conversation with them and discovered they were going no place in particular and doing nothing in particular. In short, they were both aimless bums, going wherever the wind takes them. How sad. As their elder and superior, it was Aesveria’s duty to guide these wandering souls to a higher purpose… despite being a bit of an aimless bum herself. So, the pair became a trio and decided to head east.

What followed was half a day of traipsing around town, under the excuse that they were preparing for the journey. But it only took an hour or two of shopping for supplies before Aesveria began to wish they’d chosen to travel by train instead. Because horses smell. And saddles hurt. And you can’t lie down, stretch out, and sip whiskey while riding a horse. So, Aesveria slipped away, under the pretense that she was going to a tailor to purchase a comfortable travel dress. Instead, she returned with three train tickets. Comfortable, indeed.

The following morning, they boarded the train to Saedar, a town she’d never heard of, much less traveled to. A bearded man at the train station told her it’s a mining town, situated on a mountainside, with beautiful vistas and such. Not many outsiders go there unless they’re looking for work. Armed with virtually no information about their destination, Aesveria and her two servants friends departed on their next adventure.

Aesveria spent most of the trip pretending to read. She buried her nose in a book, but was actually just trying not to fall asleep. Unfortunately, nearly every book she owned was either a heady treatise on magical theory or a dense technical manual about proper spellcasting techniques. Not exactly the kind of thing you’d read to keep yourself up at night. About an hour into the trip, the beautiful Sky Elf lost the battle and slumped onto Ajax’s shoulder. Trapped between her and Kalani, who had the window seat, he had nowhere to go.

She awoke an unknown period of time later to find the train plowing through heavy fog. Aes nudged her glasses onto her forehead and rubbed her eyes. No, not fog. Clouds. The train broke through the cloud cover and she found it was riding on a perilous mountain railway, with a steep drop off one side, rough grey stone on the other, and a bed of fluffy white clouds far below. As someone who called a flying city home, this wasn’t an entirely unfamiliar sight to Aesveria, but the air here didn't feel the way it felt in Altamura. Despite them being above the clouds, she could tell they weren't nearly as high as the floating city.

The screeching of brakes signaled the train was coming to a stop. They would soon arrive at their destination.

 

[Hubub101]

Well... this was happening.

After retrieving his cortex and other belongings, feeling a thousand waves of relief wash over him, Ajax had every expectation of resuming his solo travel after the jail incident. Yet, somehow, he had formed something of a traveling party with the sniper and a miscellaneous sky elf that held herself with an air of great importance. Their formal introduction to each other was awkward, but Ajax would like to think he was improving. There was no discussion, she just decided she would be traveling with Ajax and Kalani eastward with such authority that Ajax didn't want to argue. He hadn't even established if he would be traveling with the sniper, but now apparently he was. Though he may not have realized it right away, he was glad for this outcome. Loneliness is a burden he had gotten used to, but he could feel it lift ever so slightly. He had been traveling alone for years. Whether he had a say in the matter or not hardly mattered, this was nice.

Apparently, they were taking the train. Ajax didn't mind. While he was fully equipped to walk the several mile trip as he had been traveling, the train would give him much needed work time. He had a multitude of ideas for that rifle. Before he was done with it, it wold be an engine fit for royalty. While they prepared Ajax purchased a mana battery for his work as well as a new coat that he had an idea for.

The following day they boarded the train for Saedar. He was told it would not be a terribly long journey so he opted not to start any major projects. Instead, to keep himself busy, he requested to do a diagnostic of Kalani's rifle, just to make sure there wasn't more damage that he didn't initially see. He worked with his rings, disassembling parts of the weapon and reassembling them with ease. he felt a weight put on his shoulder at one point, but was too occupied to investigate. He didn't see any major damage, just some scuffs and scratches and a dent or two. Easy fixes.

Eventually, The train broke free of the fog and a majestic mountainside view tore Ajax from his work and left him in a state of awe. Try as he might to prove otherwise, he knew that that nature was the greatest artisan. He stared for a few minutes, lost in thought as the train began to slow with the screech of the breaks.

AnonyMouse BriiAngelic

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Kalani Ligaya Roxas #13

• 
  
  
  Interacting With:
  Aes ( AnonyMouse ) , Ajax ( Hubub101 )
  Mentions:
  A man in blue ( Xel )
  

  ~Train Car 4~
  Your Scarf || Kalani’s CS File
  Kalani didn’t figure that it be this easy to gain traveling companions. She found it slightly hilarious that the sky elf seemed to be under the belief that she was running the show. While Kalani had no objections to the path they took since they were all unfamiliar with the area it by no means meant anything that she let Aes direct them a bit, especially if the woman was going to be picking up tabs left and right. The woman seemed to dislike the horse travel, which was rather unfortunate considering Ephemeral seemed quite interested in her. Still it wasn’t a problem a ticket to board her horse was rather easily in her budget considering she lucked out of paying the bar tab she’d been originally planning to make good on.
  
  Kalani was rather glad she managed to steal a window seat through the trip though as she’d always had a heart for new views. Even if she did lack the feel of the wind on her face she could still enjoy watching as they ascended the mountaintop. She wondered vaguely if they’d see some miners or if they’d all be busy. While she’d never risk taking Ephemeral into the caves she herself wanted to see just what it was they mined for in this town. The desert she grew up in had its own mountains just beyond the way but she’d only seen bits as she rode off never once looking back. If she ever did go back that way she’d want to see them in greater detail, even if she’d need to be quite cautious lest she be dragged back and have the money she borrowed taken back.
  
  The few things she had purchased had little entertainment value and far more practical value. For one she made sure to buy a map of the area, her companions didn’t need to know that just yet though as she got that while they went to shop on their own. She loaded up her magically reinforced bag with a fair deal of food and water making sure that she’d have enough for the three people should they at any point have an emergency stretch of travel, after all she’d had a few bad experiences with travel detours. She’d already had enough supplies to sustain her but she’d grabbed a few medical supplies on the off chance that something happen as they headed deeper into Velhellyiah that would make her need to avoid using detectable magic.
  
  In fact when it came down to it she almost wished her companions rushed less. She’d only barely managed to grab a set of cards for entertainment. Around the time that Aes started to take a nap on Ajax she decided she would play a couple of rounds of Blade with some of the other lone travelers of the train. After all waking the elf would be bad and ajax couldn’t quite play without the same result in the long run. Still considering she was leaving her gun with the man she did well to not stray far. She came back around the time that they announced the train coming to their destination.
  
  “Oh you are awake now? Seems we will be arriving soon, did you guys want to get anything from the other cars before departing? The dining car seemed to have a fair deal of good food from what the man in blue was saying during our game.”
  

 

[AnonyMouse]

Aesveria Qaeliss
BriiAngelic & Hubub101 ​

“I wasn’t asleep, dear, only meditating. You see, it takes great mental fortitude to suppress such immense magical power. I don’t expect you to understand,” Aesveria said, turning up her nose at the insinuation she couldn’t stay awake on a simple train ride. But, after a pause, she glanced at Kalani and gave the girl a sly smirk. “Although, maybe there was a small nap involved… just a little one… only for a minute or two.”

The tall elf stood and stretched, her fingertips nearly reaching the low ceiling. As she did, the train’s brakes came on in earnest and she grabbed the overhead rail to steady herself. If the lighting beyond the windows was any indicator, she surmised the time was nearing noon. That would mean they had been traveling about two hours. Kalani’s ideas about grabbing a bite before disembarking didn’t sound half bad, but Aes had no interest in remaining on this train any longer than necessary.

“I believe I shall swing by the dining car and pick up a few things to go,” she said as she pulled her bags from the overhead storage. ”I suppose we can regroup on the platform and see what wonders this city holds.”

Aesveria preferred to travel light and had brought only a backpack and a single suitcase. She maintained a quantum anchor to her home in Altamura, allowing her to link a portal to that location at any time, so she had no fear of being stranded or trapped in a foreign land. But, even with the anchor, such magic wasn’t without risks and was best reserved for emergencies. So, she prepared for travel the same way anyone else might, but with the added reassurance of a magical safety net.

She made her way to the dining car, where she found a buffet-style spread. Two servers were clearing away some of the breakfast items, presumably to make way for a lunch spread, which probably wouldn’t appear until the train continued on the next leg of its journey. Despite her posh exterior, Aes wasn’t above eating leftovers. Letting food go to waste was criminal. So, she quickly glanced over her shoulder to make sure her companions didn’t see, then asked one of the servers to bundle up a few things, to go. A few moment later, she departed the train, nibbling some sort of breakfast pastry. In her bag were half a dozen bagels and a few slices of some sort of breakfast quiche, wrapped and saved for later.

Disembarking onto the platform revealed a quiet station, with only a few other travelers stepping off. Hmmm, not a tourist town, I suppose, Aes thought as she drank in her surroundings. The air had a cool, freshness found only in the mountains… but with a faint metallic scent. Aesveria took a deep breath of it and savored it for a moment. This was the true joy of travel. Each town had a different feel, a different taste. The air, the sights, the sounds, even the ground under her feet could feel alien. She was truly amazed at how one world could have such variety.

But Aesveria was not so absorbed in wonder that she lost track of her surroundings. The railway platform was open to the elements. There was an overhead canopy, but it was entirely exposed on the sides with high, vaulted archways and flying buttresses, reminiscent of an old cathedral. Perhaps, in a past life it had been. To one side, was the cliff face, which dropped off so sharply, Aesveria could only see open air, just like the view they had from inside the train. To the other side, was the train station itself, which she and her companions would have to pass through to reach the city streets.

As she stepped aside to wait for Kalani and Ajax, Aesveria noticed a pair of Velian soldiers standing near one of the station doors. She thought nothing of it, at first, figuring they were probably on leave or traveling. She didn’t see any weapons, after all, and they didn’t appear to be on duty or particularly watchful of their surroundings. And then she spotted three more standing by the mountainside windows, sipping what she assumed was tea or coffee from tin cups, while they enjoyed the view and chatted among themselves.

"Definitely not a tourist town," Aesveria whispered under her breath and began to wonder what she and her new friends had gotten themselves into.

 

[Hubub101]

Stepping off the train with his companions, Ajax was welcomed by a metallic smelling breeze. For most, such a small may be slightly uncomfortable, but for an artificer it was magnificent. He took a moment to close his eyes and drink it in as the train rolled away. Ajax had plans to experiment with some new alloys he heard he could get in this town, and was eager to see what his travels had brought him. Upon opening his eyes however, he saw that his travels had brought tension and stewing conflict. The increased military presence was evidence of that much.

The kalashar male took a moment to study the guards. something was different about these soldiers than the ones he had seen in his prior travels. It had nothing to do with their faces or bodies, but rather their equipment. First, he saw no weapons, which was odd in its own right. Second, the armor they wore bore a unique design and color scheme that could only be accomplished with highly purified silver. The silver was most prevalent in the gauntlets and the few shields scattered about. Someone had spend some serious coin to outfit these men, making it clear they were elite. But silver was a very impractical metal to use in armor and shields... unless...

"I suggest we find an inn quickly, if we intend to stay." Ajax said to his party in a slightly hushed tone. Without another word he led the group into town, passing many more such guards along the way. They didn't seem to be paying the civilians or the party much mind, but were still vigilant, confirming part of his theory. His years of travel had taught him how to find an inn quickly enough, so when they arrived he wasted no time paying for a room and ushering his party inside.

"There, now that we are behind closed doors we can talk. Sorry for the abruptness but i know you both noticed the guard presence. What troubles me in their armor. Their silver armor. You don't make armor out of silver unless you are up against something week to it. In other words, I think this town has a supernatural problem..."

 

[AnonyMouse]

Nyrallavi “Sen” Xhenzaeris
simj26​

“It don’t look like no dragon I ever seen,” Sen said, kneeling beside the still-hot corpse of the beast they had slain together. She pried open its jaws and peered into the gaping maw, past its twin rows of serrated teeth. Its long, slimy tongue lolled out of its mouth in an almost comical fashion.

“I don’t think you should stand so close,” Niles commented, keeping his distance. “It might be diseased or something. Come over here, Sen.”

But Sen ignored him. The dragon was definitely dead. While alive, it had burned hotter than a desert sun. She didn’t see any chance such a thing could carry sickness. It was purified in its own flames.

The fight had been over too soon. The dragon went on the defensive after the shura wounded its eye. They never got a chance to enact Niles’s plan to extinguish its flames with a steam explosion. The beast tried to fly away before they could act, only to be shot down by artillery from a seaside town over a mile away. They didn’t see where the shots had come from, but whoever did it was either a master marksman or incredibly lucky. Or both.

After that, the dragon came crashing down and the real fight began. With only one eye and one wing, it fought the way any wounded, cornered animal would. Sen and the shura were pushed to their limits, but it was clear the creature wouldn’t be getting out of here alive. When all was said and done, they had peppered its hide with bullets and blades before, at last, the sky elf cleaved its head from its shoulders and everything came to an abrupt, almost anticlimactic, end.

Putting out the fires took longer than the battle. The abandoned train depot wasn’t particularly close to any settlements, but they knew it could spell disaster if the flames were left unchecked. So, Sen, Niles, the shura, and the remaining crewmen from the train began hustling buckets of water. It took over an hour to douse all of the fires. Some of the structures, they just had to let burn. Now, it was late afternoon and they were all exhausted as they stood amongst steaming wreckage.

The only silver lining in all of this was that the dragon’s blazing hot corpse had now cooled off enough for Sen to take a closer look. The pit of molten metal in its belly had cooled to a dull red glow and begun to solidify. During the fight, she and the shura had slashed its abdomen more than a few times. Splashes of molten steel oozed from the wound, confirming Sen’s earlier theory that the beast was a living furnace, smelting iron and steel in its guts.

Many parts of its body were armored. During the fight, she thought these parts were man-made, but could now see where flesh and steel had fused together. It devoured metal to grow its armor.

“It don’t look like no dragon I ever seen,” Sen said again as she stood and moved from the severed head to the body. “Seems almost aquatic. Those slits on its sides. The ones it uses to fly around like a damn rocket. I think they’re gills… or were gills. And its got webbing between its claws. And this slimy shit in its mouth… it’s like a mucous coating to keep moisture in, like some amphibians have on their skin. There’s a lot of weird shit that don’t add up. This thing’s a fucking mess…” she trailed off, as if deep in thought.

Niles, who had no idea she was even capable of ‘deep thought’ just looked on, growing more annoyed with every passing minute. “So, you’re a biologist now? Great. Can we please just leave? This place gives me the creeps. I don’t wanna be here when night falls. And I gotta get back to town, to write home. We have to let them know we’re done here.”

“Ain’t nobody stopping you. Bye,” Sen said, without truly paying him any mind.

“I can’t go by myself.”

“Take the train crew. You got half a dozen big, burly men to keep you company,” Sen said. “Or is there some reason you want me to go. You a mama’s boy or something? Need a woman to hold your hand?” She snickered. “Take Four Arms with you, then. She’s got a great big, motherly bosom and more hands than you'd know what to do with." She grinned at the shura.

“I don't care about hands or... b-bosoms,” Niles stammered nervously. "Quit joking around. I'm serious." His eyes briefly flitted to the shura, but quickly returned to Sen. Their mysterious companion really creeped him out and he didn’t care about trying to hide it anymore. Her multiple arms were weird, and, even though she seemed nice enough on the surface, she was a little too nice. They hadn’t even gotten her name, yet. Although, that was probably because they hadn’t bothered to ask.

“Sen, I would really like for you to come to town with me,” Niles pleaded. But, then, he changed his tactics and took a sterner approach, He stood up a little straighter and put some bass in his voice. “That’s an order. You work for my dad. So that means you work for me and gotta do what I say.”

Sen burst into laughter. Not the polite kind, either. No, this was a snorting, obnoxious, loud guffaw. The type of condescending laugh that makes a man feel two inches tall. When she was finally done insulting him, she approached. Niles stood his ground, though she could clearly see he was trembling.

“You’re scared of her. You’re scared of me. You’re scared of your dad. You’re scared of the damn dragon. Is there anything in this world you’re not afraid of, you fucking pansy!?” she said, prodding him in the chest. "What's this really about?"

“Nothing. I just...”

“You think she’s from Sarathal.”

“W-w-what? No," Niles said, glancing from Sen to the shura and back again. He felt cornered between two predators. "I never said… I... I would never accuse anyone of...”

“Well, I will,” Sen said and shoved him aside, nearly knocking him to the ground. "If you thought that, you should'a ordered me to kill the bitch, instead of beating around the bush. Hey, you," she said, glaring at the shura. "Nyrallavi Xhenzaeris. I'm pretty sure you heard of me. I think I beheaded, like, three hundred... five hundred Sathals in the war. Maybe a thousand. Who's counting, right?" she said with a shrug. "And now that you know my name, what's yours, pal, and what brings you here, halfway between 'no' and 'where?' That's some timing you got, hmm, showin' up just when the dragon did?"

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Kalani Ligaya Roxas #14

• 
  
  
  Interacting With:
  Ajax ( Hubub101 ) Aes ( AnonyMouse )
  

  ~Town Inn~
  Foreboding || Kalani’s CS File
  The reception was cold. The soldiers stood around with purpose. Part of her wondered just what it was they could be expecting. She kicked at a loose stone with her boots. She’d been worried that Sarathal wasn’t done but it seemed like even if Velhellyiah wasn’t they were worried about something. Her new companion voiced the concern that she’d leave unsaid. Part of her wanted to question them straight out about it and yet another wanted to avoid whatever they were foreseeing on the horizon.
  
  
  “No it seems not…”
  
  She was quick to follow her companions into the nearest inn as directed after she’d brought Ephemeral to the nearest stables. If the soldiers were preparing for something than it was better that they could discuss what to do in private as she would be taking no risks without a place to hole up in should the chips get rough. Still she couldn’t have imagined just what Ajax had believed it to mean. Without meaning to she let loose a snort.
  
  “Supernatural? Just what do you mean? I hope you are not implying you believe the lunatics? I have never seen such people come up with any proof of their rambles. They let their words run free and the common folk come to hold fear in their hearts. It’s better that we fear the real threats.”
  
  She sat down on one of the chairs held near the table that came with the room. She’d hardly had the chance to start worrying before a sense of relief came at the man’s ideas. She crossed her legs and sat with her gun right on her left. There was no doubt a problem in the town but it seemed rather quick to jump to conclusions. Though it was rather endearing that he believed as such.
  
  “Well there is one way we could find out. How confident are you two in your investigation skills?”
  

 

[AnonyMouse]

Aesveria Qaeliss
BriiAngelic / Hubub101​

Aesveria followed her companions to the inn. She wasn’t quite sure what had gotten into the young man, but he seemed adamant on getting behind closed doors. There was definitely something odd going on in this town, but he seemed to be taking it personally, as if the problem pertained to him. His behavior in Tallis hadn’t given her the impression he was wanted by the authorities, so why would the sight of soldiers put him on edge?

Normally, this sort of thing might make her suspicious of him. But, frankly, she’d seen nothing to give her the impression Ajax was a wanted fugitive or a threat to himself or others. Aesveria meant what she said when she declared he and Kalani were “heroes” for what they did during the bar brawl. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating a little, she mused, thinking back on that incident. But, heroes or not, they certainly weren’t villains… yet.

Once they were in the room, he explained his theory. Aes couldn’t help but smile. Kalani, on the other hand, seemed amused and slightly dismissive.

“Aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves a little, here?” Aesveria said. The tall sky elf leaned by the door, with her baggage at her feet. “First of all, I don’t believe in the ‘supernatural.’ Everything is natural. Everything has a place in the Design,” she said, wagging her finger at them like a lecturing schoolmarm instructing children. “The things you call supernatural are merely aspects of the natural order we have yet to understand. To call them supernatural or unnatural is to surrender to the unknown. And that is something I simply cannot allow.”

She folded her arms and continued in a gentler tone, looking to Ajax. “To be quite frank, I think you’re jumping the gun, dear. I agree with your assessment that their silver armor hints at the presence of a threat that is magical, intangible, or spiritual in nature. But why such a thing would warrant you to haul us to a concealed location is beyond me. If they are ghost-hunters or exorcists or what-have-you, I can’t fathom why that would put you on edge. Have you had experience with such people in the past?”

 

[Hubub101]

"Something like that..."

The voice was low and ominous. It would echo in the minds of Ajax's companions for a moment before silence prevailed over the room. Yet, it would only be then that they realized that the room had been silent all along. No one had said a word, for the voice had not been spoken, it had been transmitted directly into their minds. Psionic communication, the only thing that kept Ajax alive back home.

"Forgive the mental intrusion, it seemed like the best way to get my point across. While I typically have no reason to hide this, the presence of anti-etherial guards makes me not wish to say much aloud. You see, I am a Kalashtar, a mortal host for a Quori spirit of dreams. And the only reason why I worry about the guards is that any of their armaments that could put out a spectral being would be just as deadly to me. In short, I am vulnerable here."

Throughout this "conversation", Ajax had stood perfectly still, eyes closed and head lowered and arms crossed. Despite his posture, he looked to be in a calm, almost meditative state. When he roused however, genuine worry shown on his face. "I know we have not known each other for very long, But I need you both to trust me when I say to be cautious," He let out a long sigh before expressing his biggest worry. "And if this threat, if there even is one, in Quori in nature, then I have a responsibility to it."

BriiAngelic AnonyMouse

 

[BriiAngelic]

• Kalani Ligaya Roxas #15

• 
  
  
  Interacting With:
  Ajax ( Hubub101 ) Aes ( AnonyMouse )
  

  ~Inn~
  I'm in Love || Kalani’s CS File
  Her amused posture faltered slightly as she shifted to a more serious demeanor. She leaned over her crossed legs as she stared down the man. Hmmm now this was interesting. She looked back and forth between the two. Without warning she gave out a low wolf whistle. She uncrossed her legs as she stood up. She swaggered over to the two and threw an arm around each for only a moment.
  
  “Well ordinarily I’d say that I don’t believe in anything I can’t see or prove. But damn if that wasn’t a good way to talk me into humoring this.”
  
  She let go and went back to go through her bag which she had left on her own bed. Realistically she’d prefer a gun to tote around but it wasn’t the only way she could use her magic. Besides if they were going to investigate the area they needed to be inconspicuous so no gunplay today. She reached in and brought out a set of clothes that were closer to the typical Velian would wear.
  
  “I’m going to assume that you guys have something that could help a bit with fitting in? If not I think I may have a thing or two Aes could squeeze into but Ajax you’ll need something less obvious than that cloak.”
  
  She brought out a set of longer pants and a shirt that was more of a workers shirt than the typical hang around wear she’d been enjoying previously. They were plain and unassuming but didn’t scream, “I’m trying to hide here!” like a few others she’d seen when she’d bought it. Without waiting for their answer she began to undress and switch into the new set of clothes. Hmm her boots would need to be replaced as well as they screamed that they cost a nice silver even with the worn condition and slightly messy state. She turned to address them with a question about halfway changed.
  
  “Hmm where do you think we should be starting our search then?”
  

 

[AnonyMouse]

Aesveria Qaeliss
BriiAngelic / Hubub101​

“Well, that is… interesting,” Aesveria remarked under her breath. She had seen more than her fair share of magical creatures and oddities in her day, but this was new. Well, not exactly. Spiritual possession was something she’d seen before, but this stuff about Kalashtars and Quori wasn’t something she’d seen or heard before. And, best of all, he described himself as ‘a’ Kalashtar, not ‘the’ Kalashtar.

So, there are more like him, somewhere. An entire village, perhaps. An entire tribe? A race?

She knew a paragon or two who’d love to pick him apart --literally-- but this wasn’t within her realm of study. Then again, an inability to fully understand the substance of souls, spirits and such was a major reason she struggled with transporting living beings through her portals. The soul had a tendency to… ummm… not make the journey. Yet, here he was, walking around with two in one body, like a big shot. There is knowledge to be gleaned here…

But she shoved such thoughts aside, for now. Partly because he was vulnerable and pleading for their help and partly because vivisection on the first date is soooo uncouth. Mostly the latter.

And then Kalani began to undress, sidelining any hope of an academic discussion.

“Classy, as always,” Aesveria remarked dryly as she tactfully maneuvered herself between Kalani and Ajax. Her slender frame could hardly block the man’s view of anything, but let the record show she at least tried. “The poor fellow said he’s a dream spirit in a mortal shell. But he’s still male. Save something for the honeymoon, dear.

“As for me, I’ll keep my clothes on, if you don’t mind. No sense trying to blend in; I’m clearly not from around here,” she said plainly. As she spoke, she began to maneuver around the room, looking under the bed and behind the furniture. She eventually reached a small closet, opened the door and smiled. This will do.

“We should leave our weapons here, to avoid attracting too much of the wrong attention,” she said as she knelt and began to draw runes on the floor, using a piece of chalk fetched from her pocket. She drew a perfect circle in one swift stroke and quickly began to fill it with symbols and runes, her hand moving with the practiced stroke of someone who has done this far too many times. When it was done, she collected her rapier from her baggage and placed it inside the closet, and turned to Ajax and Kalani.

“The spell is anchored and primed. If we find ourselves in a bind, I can conjure this portal’s twin faster than you can snap your fingers, and our belongings will be delivered to us,” Aesveria said, with a flourishing gesture to the closet, indicating they should put their their weapons there. “Now, with that out of the way, lead on, my Kalashtar friend. You seem more well-versed in this than either of us... and it’s your life on the line. Impress me, darling."

 

[Xel]

Narrator​

​

The mountain city of Saedar was Velhellyiah's leading producer in a myriad of ores and other mined substances. And amid this oversized mining town there was a secret crisis. A crisis unbeknownst to the citizenry, but one that plagued the local government. The troops deployed throughout the city managed to keep the peace, but if a solution wasn't found soon they wouldn't be able to keep it a secret. In the depths of the mountain, far from prying eyes was an older man. His hair white as snow with a well-kept beard adorning his jaw. Before him was a large table, documents and equipment strewn across it's surface. At the center of the mess resided a metallic orb. It's surface etched with runic carvings, it's texture almost stone-like. The man seemed focus on the device. Indeed he had spent a great deal of time studying it. Decades of his life had been spent in his pursuit to understand and utilize the device. It was only in recent weeks that he had managed to even activate the orb. He cared little for the consequences of his actions, for the problems it caused the inhabitants of the city. He cared only for the secrets locked within the treasure before him.

Up above, within the city, rumors had already begun to spread. While the true nature had been kept under wraps you couldn't station silver-clad soldiers throughout the city and not stir up idle chatter. Rumors circulated of ethereal demons lurking in the mines and isolated quarters of the city. They were said to be immune to harm, able to pass through solid objects, able to possess people, able to fire magical attacks along with a host of other abilities. Each tale more outlandish than the last. Of course, when asked if anyone had seen these demons the best you would get is a "I saw one once!" from a drunken miner, or an "My friend said his friend lost an arm to one!" from another. Even those that perpetuated the rumors didn't seem to view them as anything but scary tales to share over a beer after work. Some absurd tale to explain the increased military presence. There were those select few, however, that adamantly insisted the demons were real. They would be met with laughter and noncommittal agreement like any other sharing the tale. But for them it was far more genuine, not some simple rumor or amusing story, but an actual truth that they tried desperately to make people believe. And today was yet another one of those days. The city moved on, the rumors were shared, the guards stood idly by, and no one seemed all that concerned with what was happening within their city.

AnonyMouse BriiAngelic Hubub101​