Fantasy The Extirpation of Illios

[Mopzee]

The world was born of two gods.
Pyrhim, and Illia, two brilliant beacons of immense power and wisdom in a universe of emptiness.

They labored to create a world that would host other living beings that they could love and care for as their children. In their efforts, they failed many times. Until at last Illia knew what must be done. They would try once more, and this time, Illia split herself into four beings, each controlling a different element of creation. Nort created the land, Oster created the wind and the air, Vesten created fire and volcanoes, and the last was Silf, who created oceans, lakes and rivers.

Upon this humble sphere, life began to take shape. Nurtured by the light of the sun and the water, plants began to sprout as they had in previous worlds. Should these plants die, should the planet become barren and the climate unbearable, the sacrifice of Illia would be for nothing. In this their final attempt, he would be sure that their past mistakes would not be repeated. With great care sentient beings were formed. They would serve to watch over the land, an early warning should anything go wrong. These people would later be known as the Vern, the first race of the new world. And far from the last.

Humans came next. Born among the fields tended by Nort, seeds bathed in the blood and sweat of the God's labors. Mankind would learn to plant and grow crops from their Father-God. In time, their species flourished, hardworking and dedicated as their creator. However, there were yet those who refused the teachings of their god. They abandoned fields, devoured livestock, and when the threat of starvation loomed close they began to hunt, forage, and pillage to survive. Furious, Nort cursed these deviants to become one with the wild beasts they had imitated. Those that had followed his teachings moved on to build small villages across the massive continent. As they spread and thrived, the other gods grew envious, creating their own peoples to nurture and guide. These races would trade supplies, knowledge and manpower to further improve their cities.

Language, traditions, tools and professions began to emerge. Among the species, some individuals were born with unique skills. Powers like unto the gods themselves, power that would be named magic and would flow anew throughout the world.

At last. Pyrhim and Illia had been successful. At last, they had created a world of their own. Unlike the others, this one would not fall to ruin. Or so they hoped.

​

Major Cities

• Osterlund
• Northeim
• Vestos
• Silfren Isles
• Illios

• 
  The city named for Oster in the East. Once a mine, the city is built deep into a pit. The richest residents of Oster reside in the center at the very bottom of the conical pit. Slaves and the poor reside at the top in the outermost rings. Osterlund is a matriarchal city, where strength means everything. If you can seize the power, then the power is yours. Children of the wealthy families are trained in combat at a very young age. Women grow strong to increase their power and wealth, and men grow strong to prove themselves worthy.
  
  Theft and crime are a rampant problem in the outermost rings of the city. The innermost rings are enforced with an iron fist. Slavers bring captured people here to be sold off to the highest bidder.
  
• 
  The city named for Nort, a massive village surrounded by fields. Northeim is known for its fields and breweries. The people of this region are hard-working and honest. Beast men are not allowed within this city, and the people here refuse to associate with them. Many of the buildings are simple and the community comes together to build each and every home or storehouse. Almost all food in the human cities is grown in Northeim.
  
• 
  Vesten's city is built into the side of a mountain, many of the major buildings and streets are carved right into the stone. This city was built with the help of the Orsren to honor their Father-God. The mountain is an inactive volcano and radiates an unnatural warmth from within. Vestos is the city of artisans and it's people are known for their passion, hospitality, and artistry. It's streets are lined with shops and forges, during the day the shops and stalls are bustling with people and alive with noise.
  
• 
  A massive cauldron-shaped island rises from the Southern sea, a long jagged spiraling path of jet black stone spirals from the beachfront up the impressive structure. Surrounding the city are dense tropical jungles, wherein a great number of beast men subside. The It is here where the skilled mages from all around come to study and practice magic. Only accessible by boat, a massive statue of Silf greets the boats into the harbor, holding a magnificent magical green flame within her hands to light the way for sailors in the dark or through stormy seas.
  
• 
  The central city, located in the middle of the fractured continent. This shining city is built of spires and pale stone. Illios is the pillar of human might and principle. The glowing beacon of all their knowledge and power. In the center of the city is a bright spire decorated in gold, erected to honor Pyrhim. Illios and Osterlund have a long held rivalry, tensions between the two cities have been growing.
  
  Something strange is happening in Illios, many people sneak through the streets at night. Guards, outsiders, and citizens have begun disappearing.
  

Races​

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• Humans
• Zadovern
• Kallvern
• Beastmen - Carnivores
• Beastmen - Herbivores
• Beastmen - Omnivores
• Orsren
• The Blighted

• 
  
  
  Humans are the most widespread and social of all the races. Humans seem to vary in personality and magic ability depending on their birthplace. Magic is rather uncommon among humans, only 55-65 percent of the population has magic at all. The majority of humans that possess magic are passive magic users. Active magic users are typically sent to the Silfren Isle when they begin displaying magical abilities. Due to the infrequency of magic among humans, they have taken to developing tools and weapons for survival.​
  
  
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• 
  
  
  More reclusive in nature than the Kallvern, the Zadovern can be found within the oldest of forests. They care for the native plants, going so far as to transplant organisms into their own flesh if no suitable soil is available. On death, the body will stiffen and begin sprouting roots and stalks, corpses often resembling the trees of the forest they once resided in. The Zadovern typically keep to themselves, but have been known to interact with humans from time to time.​
  
  
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  They can easily reach heights of 7 feet or more and their skin can be green or brown tinged. It is not uncommon to see lichen or fungi growing out of their skin.​
  
  
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  Being the children of Pyrhim, all Vern are capable of generating and using magic. It is possible for Vern to use two types of magic, though the type of magic can be influenced by long term environmental exposure in infancy.​
  
  
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• 
  
  
  Though bipedal and similar in body structure to humans, Kallvern are specially adapted to their environment. Sensitive to changes in temperature, they can become ill if their bodies grow too warm. Because of this, the Kall have progressively begun to migrate Northward, their skin growing paler and losing the reddish hues seen in humans.​
  
  
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  Kallvern do not age as quickly as the other races, seeming to live longer and longer with each passing generation. They are also much larger than a human, often reaching heights of 7 to 8 feet. Though they can become ill, these Vern are rather resistant to diseases. Like the Zadovern, Kallish people are devout worshipers of Pyrhim and the sun. Though they respect the human gods, they see them as lesser beings and seem indifferent to their presences. The Kallvern are pacifists by nature, and will actively avoid or even refuse to engage in conflicts. Being the children of Pyrhim, all Vern are capable of generating and using magic. It is possible for Vern to use two types of magic, though the type of magic can be influenced by long term environmental exposure in infancy.​
  
  
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• 
  
  
  Canids, Felines, Ursids​
  
  
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  Wild and aggressive. These beastmen have little to no sense of community, and though they can and have worked together to hunt larger threats they actively avoid or attack one another.​
  
  
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  These beast men are typically not capable of speech, though some tribes have leaned to use basic speech from living nearby human settlements. Often the leaders of these tribes are the most powerful warriors, and status is determined by strength and age. They will almost always attack any creature or person that comes across them.​
  
  
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• 
  
  
  Bovine, Equine, Cervinae​
  
  
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  Simple and united. These beastmen often work and live together, travelling in herds to protect the young and the weak. Though typically docile, some of the larger bovine creatures are prone to a form of madness that causes them to become wild and aggressive like the Carnivorous beastmen, and have been known to attack and devour travellers without warning.​
  
  
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• 
  
  
  Amphibians, Reptiles, Avians​
  
  
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  Opportunistic and intelligent. These beastmen are seldom seen working with their own kind, instead they are often found scavenging or living in human settlements. Though not typically aggressive, they can and will attack if threatened. These species are frequently taken as slaves, and working as servants.​
  
  
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  These Beastmen are capable of speech. Using their mastery of language to work alongside humans or to become merchants.​
  
  
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• 
  
  
  Living in close proximity to volcanic mountains, this race worships Vesten and are accomplished craftsmen. They helped to create the Western human city, carving and building it into the mountainside. Though they do have magic, their magic naturally lacks any elemental alignment. To combat this they use harmonics to assign elemental effects to their magic. Wide bodies and long tusk-like teeth are signature features of this species.​
  
  
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  The Osren have a great reverence for their dead, performing ritual cremations of their dead. They forge weapons and armor in these fires, believing that the fires imbue the strength, skill and wisdom of the dead into the metal. The more valuable the armor, the more souls are present in the armor.​
  
  
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• 
  
  
  Carnivorous, cannibalistic, highly unpredictable and extremely aggressive. Bare husks of humanoids, they seem to suffer a sort of madness. It is unknown if they can speak or if they are capable of using any magic. They appear to hunt in groups, but do not appear to acknowledge one another, wildly thrashing about and tearing apart friend and foe alike.​
  
  
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In the end, Illios will fall.​

LinksCharacter Pages: One x One - The Extirpation of Illios: Characters
Out of Character Chat: One x One - The Extirpation of Illios: OOC
Extra: One x One - The Extirpation of Illios
Participants: Mopzee , beedis

 

[Mopzee]

When at last her eyelids flickered open she felt the stinging sensation of bright sunlight force them into an agonized squint. Through this narrow view she struggled to identify her surroundings, yet nothing seemed familiar. Instead of wasting time wondering where she was, she felt at the tender lump that had formed at the back of her head. Her hands moved sluggishly to feel for the spot only to discover that her wrists had been tightly bound with ratty looking lengths of rope against a moderately sized tree. Above them, a singular arrow had been buried into the bark, and after a brief struggle she managed enough slack in the rope to shuffle her wrists towards the arrowhead and begin running them along the barely sharpened edge. Had she awoken later, she would have been trapped in the heat of the sun, cooking alive as she labored to free her limbs. Luckily she had awoken draped in the cooling shade of the leaves. In the distance, as she sawed at the rope, she began to survey her limited surroundings with greater clarity. There was little here, trees were exceptionally sparse, though there were some large patches of long grass that blew in the fearsome breeze. In time, she would venture to guess that she had awoken somewhere to the East. The majority of the Eastern region was unfavorable land. Dry plains areas, swamps, and a single thinly populated forest. The areas where these environments overlapped was even more undesirable. How far East she was remained a prime question. She had yet to ponder why she had been left thus, it was unusual that a captor would provide a means of escape. She would never know that one of her captors had shown her such great mercy, not wanting to leave the woman stranded and helpless in the terrible Eastern lands. It was here that the greatest terrors called home. Packs of the predatory beast men, awful shrieking husk like humanoids, and all manner of ravenous wild creatures would tear apart the unarmed or unprepared without a seconds pause.

Once her hands were finally free, Neriah pulled the arrow from the tree trunk, using the sharp tip to cut away the bindings on her ankles. Finally getting to her feet, she felt her joints ache from being cramped up for so long. Come to think of it, how had she gotten into this mess? She stretched carefully as she tried to recall what had happened. She had been making her rounds through the market district of Illios, the brilliant white buildings shone brightly even in the afternoon light. It had been a rather quiet day, there hadn't been any major accidents or criminal activities. She had spotted people here and there sneaking around in the evening, ducking into a large dome-shaped tent in the courtyard. That night Neriah had followed one of them, curious to see what it was that these civilians kept sneaking off to see. It wasn't often that so many people would sneak around like this. And in a way, it was her duty to ensure that whatever it was they were doing wouldn't cause any harm to the city or other civilians. As she had approached the tent, moving as slowly and carefully as she could to keep from making too much sound, she could hear voices from within. She remembered pulling the fabric back to peek inside.

A searing pain shot through her head, and with a pained cry her hands moved to cradle her forehead. It didn't help stop the pain, not even the tiniest bit, yet the instinct remained. Crumpling to the ground she emptied the little that was in her stomach in miserable heaves, her head aching all the while. She didn't know how long it had been before she was finally able to get to her feet. Neriah dragged her boots through the sparse grass. There was no time to spend waiting, and though her armor, weapons, and the money she had hidden in her breastplate were left to her,wthout food or a horse she wouldn't last long. She had to get moving, get to a town, she had to get someplace safe before she was found by creatures. Though that was the least of her concerns. If she was truly in the Eastern region, then she would have to be careful to avoid slavers. Injured and hungry, no matter how tough she was, she would stand no chance against Osterlund slavers. The last thing she wanted was to be captured and sold off.

Two days of dragging herself through the disgusting swamps, and she had yet to find a settlement. Osterlund was sparsely settled, the majority of the people who lived in this region had settled within or nearby the city. And in a region where conquest was celebrated, the likelihood of finding a village that hadn't been raided, burned to ash, or abandoned, was very slim. She spotted something in the distance, a great black shape across the plains. Neriah pressed onward, pushing herself though weak and starving, the potential for a meal and a safe place to rest renewed her energy. The village was small, the people were impolite, yet tolerable. And though it took an irritating amount of her money she managed to purchase a small meal and a bed to sleep in for the night from one of the villagers. It wasn't much, in fact it was hardly anything. But it was progress, in the morning she would venture out again. Hopefully she wouldn't run into any problems.

 

[beedis]

"Disgusting" Delgue murmured as he wiped the blood from his blade with an old rag. "I really hate being forced to use this thing, it's always so messy." He mumbled before tossing the now dirtied rag onto the arid ground. He gave the freshly cleaned saber one last check before sheathing it and walking over to the corpse of the beast-man he had just slain, a twisted mixture of what looked to be man and hyena.

"How did you think this was going to go?" He asked before giving the remains of the creature a light kick to ensure the job was done. The beast-man had rushed him from behind a nearby hill only moments ago. The struggle wasn't pretty, but he managed to get in a few clean hits, more than enough to bleed the creature dry. "Now lets see what you have for me." he murmured with a cackle before crouching down beside the bloodied remains.

 

[Mopzee]

Exhaustion had been the only thing that brought her the peace of sleep that night. The grasp of sleep had been strong enough that even the shrieking of the predatory nocturnal birds had not woken her. Morning flooded the home she had rested in with golden light, and she managed to convince a native to provide her a skin of passable water and a woven bag for a handful of ingots each. This individual had been more courteous than the others, she thanked them profusely before heading out on her journey. Once a villager pointed her in the correct direction, she began her journey anew. Though in all truth Neriah wasn't sure where it was she should go. It could be dangerous for her to head back to Illios, if the same people who had dragged her off once already there was no telling what they would do if she returned.

Hours of walking glazed her skin with sweat, dust from the merciless wind found its way through the gaps in her armor and stuck to her skin. At the very least, the wind helped to keep her cool in the bright sun. There was no shade beneath which she could hide, so each torrent of wind was fonder to her than the last. A pack of wild beasts snarled at her from a patch of thick mud, their long thin legs allowing them to prance through the mud with ease. In a way she envied them. For the travelling was made all the more difficult in the bulk of the armor. She walked around what she could only loosely refer to as a watering hole, keeping a significant distance between her and them. Aside from the birds that swooped a screeched through the air and the array of insects buzzing along the ground or in the air, these had been the first creatures she had come across. She kept her hand firmly rested upon her axe for some time, ready for anything that might choose to attack.

In the distance she was alerted to a long string of coughing yips and howls, a sort of cackling she thought reserved to hyenas. She glanced around, lifting her faceplate to get a better look. It was far off yet, but she could make out the figure of what could only be one of the beast men hurtling toward a lone humanoid form. Pausing a moment to invest a mouthful of water before willing herself to jog through the dry earth and grasses towards the scuffle. On her approach, the figure she presumed human dispatched the mindless beast with a sort of ease that could only come from familiarity with a weapon and an opponent. She hesitated. This had been the only other traveller she had come across. He didn't seem to be a merchant, there was no livestock or companions that she could see. A deep breath labored to calm her nerves, and she felt her heartbeat return to a calm pace. Her training allowed her to relax, though the rest of her was preparing itself for what may come next. She brought her faceplate securely back down over her face, loosened her shield from her back, and drew her axe. Whatever would come, she would be ready.

[Bold] "Nice work. It appears you've fought beast kin before." [/Bold] She called out, unsure of what else there was to say to a stranger. And until she knew if this man was friend or foe, she didn't dare introduce herself.

 

[beedis]

Delgue began to whistle to himself as he picked over his fallen foe. The creature didn't seem to own anything of much worth. It wore no jewelry, and lacked any ornamentation. Its weapon probably wasn't worth much either. The craftsmanship was crude at best, and the steel looked to be of low quality. It wouldn't be worth the hassle of trying to find somebody desperate enough to buy it. Grunting he flipped the corpse to check its other side, it was then he spotted what he wanted. A rough-hewn pouch hung from the creatures belt. He produced a small blade from a pouch on his armor before cutting it free, it jingled pleasantly with the sound of ingots. "Won't be needing that anymore." he murmured.

The mercenary wouldn't get the chance to finish his search as the sound of a woman's voice interrupted him. He shot up, quickly stashing the pouch before drawing his crossbow. The stranger that stood before him was female, that much was apparent from her voice but that was the only thing that gave it away. She was clad head to toe in some kind of medium armor with weapon drawn, her shield bore an Illian crest. This stranger was far from home. The question was why did she approach him? It would have been easy to avoid the obvious squabble. Was she a bandit? That didn't seem likely. She was too well equipped, and starting a conversation with a potential victim wasn't how those type operated. Wash she a slaver? That too seemed unlikely. Those lot usually hunted in packs, and she lacked their unique killer instinct. He couldn't figure out her game but he decided it was worth the gamble to try and defuse the situation. He would be ready to fight if he had to but he thought he had a shot at making her drop those weapons.

"So you some kind of hero who goes around helping strangers in the middle of nowhere out of the kindness of your heart?" he asked with a cackle. "Or maybe you were lonely traveling alone and thought a pretty face would help brighten the trip up a bit." he continued before flashing her a wink. "Well lucky for you, I'm easy, I really like women who don't brandish axes at me." he explained with a smirk. This woman didn't seem the joking type but the conversation would probably help put her at ease at the very least.

 

[Mopzee]

Upon her approach, it was obvious the man was searching the corpse's possessions. Flipping the body over more than once to locate goodies. It was a bit unusual, seeing someone looking over a beastman's things. She had never considered that they might hold anything of value. However, she had seen one or two with stalls or carts of their very own in Illios before, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise to her. A crude satchel caught the man's eye, and she observed as he cut the pouch to claim for himself. The bag jingled some as it was handled, clearing any doubt that either human may have had about it's contents. She shifted her breastplate quickly to prevent her own finances from being spotted or displaced before she had ventured to speak.

The man turned and started quickly with a string of wild assumptions as soon as she finished speaking. It was an unusual sort of way he spoke. Rich diction declared him to belong to a wealthy lineage, though his interest in such pitiful spoils pointed elsewhere. Though It would never be seen, her lips contorted into an uneasy frown and the faintest dusting of red tinted her cheeks. He implied that he would like her to put her weapon away, and she gripped all the tighter in response. Nothing was so suspicious as someone asking you to put away your weapon the second they meet you.

"I saw another human being attacked, so I came to help. It's my duty to help someone of they are in danger." Her voice was rough and crakled in the air, but her tone remained calm. "I just want to return home and out this all behind me. It's far too dangerous to waste time here." She refused to put her weapon down, and avoided his questioning as best she could. She still had no reason to trust him, and she simply couldn't agree to return it to her belt until she was sure that he posed no threat to her. It would have been simpler if she had stayed out of it. Her choice was made, all that remained was to see if her decision was a bad one.

 

[beedis]

Try as he may to calm the stranger down his efforts only managed to agitate her further. She remained on guard and he could almost feel the tension in her voice as she spoke. She didn't answer any of his questions but what she said told him everything he needed to know anyway. She was simply lost, and desperate enough to go to a total stranger for help on top of that. It seemed she was the adventuring sort, or maybe some rich merchant's bodyguard that lost her way. Either way her intent wasn't malicious, and he was on his way to Osterlund anyway so letting her tag along with him would be a great way to make some quick money.

"Ahhh, so you're just lost then Miss Hero, and Quite a ways from home too huh?" he asked before pointing to her shield, his features twisted into a smirk. "Well lucky for you I just so happen to be on my way to Osterlund right now. Might not be home for you but I can guarantee it's safer than out here." He continued as he began to pace back and forth "But if you want to come with me that is going to cost you.” He explained “And tell you what, I'll even give you the premium service. In fact, you won’t even have to lift a finger. I’ll handle any bad guys who try to ruin our day, and you only have to pay me if we get there in one piece.” He offered. "Or…we go our separate ways and you keep wandering alone out here.” He explained, his smirk turning wicked "So what's the verdict?" he asked.

 

[Mopzee]

He appeared to be consumed in thought for a few moments, looking her over with scrutinizing eyes as if to try and solve some great mystery. A shuffling half step backward to make some space between the two of them. She watched in growing disgust as a sinister smirk spread across his face, the way he smiled at her was unsettling. What exactly was he thinking? Neriah was uncertain if she even wanted to know.

The man began pacing around in front of her, speaking of his intention to head to Illios and how he would be willing to take her with him for a small fee. The armored head shook to deny the offer. She had money of course, but there was no telling how much he would ask for. Mercenaries though useful, weren't always the most loyal companions. Even if one had the coin, they weren't bound by alliegances or rules, and could change their mind with little warning. She had seen plenty agreements go sour and break out into fierce brawls. She would choose her words carefully. Perhaps if she was cautious enough she could avoid insulting him. "As much as i appreciate the offer, I barely have enough coin for the ferrymen. Unfortunately it seems I have no choice but to go at it alone." She lowered her axe back into place upon her belt, resting her hand upon the axe head in case he made a move to stop her. Distancing herself from the stranger by taking smooth steps backward and then to the side. She circled around him carefully before eventually deciding to risk turning her back to the man. She returned her shield to it's place upon her back and started off again through the dirt. Violent gusts of wind against her back, she glanced to the sky thoughtfully. "The lady is angry today." She muttered to herself, it was a bad sign for any travellers. Hopefully the folktale that the blighted came on fearsome winds wasn't true. She had heard the horrifying tales of pale, sinewy and mindless men tearing people limb from limb. Her hand tightened on the axe. There was no time to waste. She had to run. Get away from him at the very least. And should the stories be closer to truth than fiction, it was in her best interest to get to the docks as soon as possible. She would be safe on the ferries. If only she wasn't so far away. A day at best. At worst, more. She refused to die here.

 

[beedis]

He offered only a shrug in response as she declined his offer. He had a feeling she was lying but if she was that determined to hold onto what she had she could go it alone. He wouldn't push any harder. The stranger needed the help but he wasn't a charity, there was no way he was going to work for free. Their dealings now over with the stranger made her leave. He couldn't help but smirk at her overly cautious retreat. She seemed to think he was some kind of wild animal that would charge once provoked.

With the excitement finally over it was time for him to get on his way back to Osterlund. He re-oriented himself before starting back towards the city. It would be roughly half a days hike but he could make faster if he hustled. Of course that would only be the case if nothing else attacked him on the way back. The further he traveled the more apparent it became something was wrong. The air felt unusual, heavy, oppressive even. He had felt this before and it wasn't good news. These plains would be swarming with crazies soon enough. He'd make it back in time but his friend from earlier surely wouldn't, and that was bad luck for her. Getting caught out alone with the blighted was a death sentence. It didn't matter how well trained or equipped you were. Only a super human could handle a swarm of them alone. But that gave him an idea. If he could make it back to her in time he would show up in style, rescue her, and then charge her double for the save.

Happy with his plan he turned and took off back in the direction the stranger left in. He was being reckless and impulsive of course but if it meant more than just a small pouch of ingots for the day's work it would all be worth it.

 

[Mopzee]

The relief that swept over her when she determined he had not followed her dramatically improved her mood. Not that she particularly was afraid or upset about the man, but she felt there was plenty enough to worry about already. Adding a stranger with questionable values to her list of concerns was a bonus she would rather not accept. She couldn't be sure, but with this improved mood and the wind pushing at her back, it felt like she was making rather fast progress towards her goal. Once they got closer to the vast spans of water that divided the regions, even the scenery would improve. All in all, things were looking up. Unfortunately, this joy she felt would be short lived.

It was slight at first, like a nagging feeling that you'd forgotten something important. Over the next hour the feeling steadily built up. The air though certainly fresh, felt stale in her mouth. A drink, though measurably refreshing, did nothing to solve the issue. It grew heavy now, and she labored to breathe. Even moving felt sluggish in the weight of the air. A spot of moisture tickled her nose. When she made to wipe this away on the scrap of cloth she kept on her person, a blaring red streak smeared across the white. It was then that she could hear it. A miserable symphony of hisses, snarls and screams in the distance. Her head snapped towards the direction of the sound and she felt her face drain of color when her eyes rested upon the source. There, in the distance but approaching with great haste, was a horde of pale and sickly looking husks of humanity. They crawled over one another, bit and hissed in the faces of their own kind. Each and every one of the over two dozen or so creatures desperate to be the first to reach her.

There was no way she could outrun them. Even without the weight of the air or the armor, they possessed the sort of speed beyond that which even the most desperate person could achieve. Only one choice would remain. She drew her axe, raised her shield. The chance was slim, being so outnumbered, but she had little choice. It was stand and fight, or die. The first few to reach her were caught with axe head and bashed with her shield, a heavy swing tore into the skin and bones form and severed the legs from the rest. A second cleaved through a haunted face. Backing away carefully as she fought to maintain a small distance. She only managed to slay seven or eight before she found herself surrounded. Though she had tried to prevent it, there were too many to hold back while protecting herself and they had gradually begun to encircle her. Gritting her teeth, she cursed her luck. Of course she would find herself in the exact situation where she needed help within hours of turning it away. In all likelihood, this would be her last remaining moments. Her only solace would be in how many she could slay before she fell. Settling for her grim task, she swung out once more, and stood tall in the face of the end.

 

[beedis]

Delgue moved as quickly as he could manage back in the direction he had come from. The trip back was unfortunately more exciting than he would have liked. Small groups of blighted had already begun roaming the plains. Sickly and pale, they were originally normal men and women but they had been driven mad by Oster. They acted without reason now, and they attacked unprovoked. One wasn't a problem, they lacked technique. But in numbers their frenzied strikes were far more effective. He had to tread lightly to avoid their attention. There wasn't much cover out in the plains but he managed. They wandered aimlessly so one only had to wait until their backs were turned to move from cover.

He was on the right track. Soon he found the remains of the beast man he had slain earlier in the day. The corpse has been partially devoured. The smell of fresh blood must have drawn the blighted or some other scavengers to the spot. It was a good thing he arrived when he did, any earlier and he would have had to face whatever did this. Counting his blessings he continued in the direction he remembered the stranger leaving in. There was no way of knowing exactly what direction she was traveling but he remembered her saying something about the ferry. The ferry house was to the north-east, if she was going to try and get back to Illios she would be headed in that direction. There was no time to lose, he had to keep moving or he wouldn't have a client to save at all.

The closer he got to the stranger the more signs of activity he spotted, and the more miserable things got. The air soon made him feel sluggish, it was as if Oster herself was actively trying to ruin his plan. He had to stop for a moment to clutch his head as his ears began to ring. "Not today." he muttered with a wince before pushing through the pain. Thankfully he wouldn't have to go much further until he heard the faint sounds of a struggle. In the distance the wails of the blighted and the sounds of clanking steel could be heard. He had found his "friend" but he had to move. By the sound of things there wouldn't be anybody left of her if he didn't hurry. With haste he drew his crossbow before sprinting towards the source of the noise. Climbing atop a nearby vantage point he spotted the stranger fending off the blighted. So far so good but he still had to get her out in one piece. With practiced ease he loaded his crossbow before taking aim. The shot hit its mark, one of the blighted dropped dead a bolt now embedded in its skull. A few of the remaining creatures began searching frantically for the source of the attack. He let out a piercing whistle to get their attention and give the stranger some room to breathe.

 

[Mopzee]

Again and again her weapon struck pallid flesh, rending and cleaving through her foes. Occasionally she drove the spike through a skull, hearing a sickening crunch of bone from the impact. Clawing hands reached for her, grasping at her armor and weapons. Snarling, drooling, hungering. There was a mindless ferocity to them and they would charge through or climb over one another just to get nearer to her. And though she did well to strike at their hands and free herself from their grip when they managed to catch hold of her. Her shield, though an invaluable tool against an armed opponent, seemed to be more of a hindrance to her against these strange beings. The husks would latch onto the shield and hang the entirety of their weight upon it, and as strong as Neriah had become, it was still taxing on her shield-arm and made it difficult to concentrate on keeping them at bay. Another swing announced the eleventh slain, and they closed in ever tighter.

A loud and solid sounding thunk captured her attention, her head snapped towards the direction of the noise. She found herself staring into a face that had been punctured by a crossbow bolt, and it slumped to the ground dead. The husk-like beings turned quickly to seek the source of the shot, letting out an awful throaty howl. Neriah took the chance, moving quickly away from the group by ducking through a gap in the ring that had formed around her. Taking a second she glanced in the direction the mindless beings had run to, and spotted the stranger from before. He hadn't been following her as far as she had known. But it still didn't explain why he was here, now, and how he could possibly have known she had needed help. Wondering wouldn't get the job done however, and even if he had come to help she still felt that she should help take out more of them as well. A few moments to breathe, and she entered the fray again, winding back for a powerful strike into the back of one of their foes. Alone, she had been outnumbered. But together, they stood a chance.

 

[beedis]

His plan to get the attention of the blighted worked, the stranger had managed to break free from the crowd. But his distraction worked a little too well. Instead of grabbing the attention of just a few of the creatures nearly the entire swarm was now after him. "Shit." he muttered under his breath before hastily loading another bolt into his crossbow. He took aim at the blighted closest to him, now running up the hill he had been using as a vantage point. The bolt dropped the creature embedding itself right in its forehead. But before he got the chance to load in another a second blighted leaped at him. He blocked the lunge with the side of the crossbow before pushing the unsteady monster down. He tossed the weapon aside before drawing his sabre and finishing the creature with a downward thrust. As much as he hated the fact, his bow would be of no use now. As good as he was with it the blighted were coming too fast. More had already begun up the hill. He had to cut them down as soon as they reached the peak, or he would find himself surrounded.

The onslaught continued as another blighted rushed him. He dodged its wild swipes before impaling it, and kicking it off his weapon back down the hill. This wasn't turning out to be his best plan. If the stranger tried to use the distraction to run he would be in some trouble. If she helped him fight they still had an entire swarm of these things to deal with. Then they would have to get to some place safe without alerting more, and after that he would still have to convince her to pay him. But if things went smoothly he'd get his payday and maybe even a chance to see what kind of woman was hiding inside that tin can.

 

[Mopzee]

They were falling. Ever so slowly the two humans picked away the numbers. It was difficult work, surely splitting hairs was an easier task. Regardless, there was but one way out of this mess. Tired, outnumbered, they still pressed on. One more fell to the axe, a carefully aimed strike from her shield broke another. She could hear the man making his own progress, but was too busy to get much more than a glance here and there to assure herself he yet lived. Surely there must have been a better way to approach this fight. Though they both worked to thin the numbers of their foes, it was all he could do to keep himself from being surrounded. Even with the advantage the terrain had given him. The dead merely served as stepping stones for the living, and each one felled brought them closer to him.

Beneath the helm she bit into her lip, gnawed furiously at it as she formulated a plan. They were close to him. Too close. The saber was effective but lacked the heft needed to throw them back. Her axe was the only weapon between them with that kind of advantage. She bit down again, hooking the blade over a shoulder and yanking the attacking creature away from him. A shield knocked away another as she beheaded the first. No time could be wasted collecting thoughts or Sterling nerves. She carved a path through them. Standing instead at the front of the assault. The man behind and above her on his perch. A spare second gave just enough time for her to bring the flat of the axe against the shield, drawing the attention of the nearby foes to her instead.

Bringing up her shield to protect herself, and using her axe to fend off others. She managed to put some much needed distance between the man and the creatures. With him atop his perch just behind her, they couldn't surround her entirely. She could manage them this way, and then... "Use your crossbow!" She cried out. It was perfect. He could pick them off while they focused on her. It would be safer than their previous predicament. She just hoped it would be enough to get them through this. Thankfully, it seemed there weren't all that many of them left. But she didn't want to let the flicker of hope distract her from the task at hand. This was no time to be distracted.

 

[beedis]

One by one the blighted continued to funnel up the hill. Once they reached him it was only a matter of dodging or blocking their haphazard strikes before counter attacking. They were unarmored so a well placed strike was all he needed, there was almost a rhythm to it.The only problem was the creatures weren't slowing down, but he was. As the adrenaline began to wear off, fatigue started to set in. His weapons and armor were starting to feel heavy and his strikes grew labored. Yet still he remained stoic, it would be difficult but he'd make it. Their numbers were dwindling, and from what he could see the stranger was holding her own as well. He just had to hope she wouldn't die on him.

The sound of his partner's weapon striking her shield rung out through the plains spoiling his focus and drawing what remained of the blighted right to her. He took a moment to catch his breath before realizing the opportunity she had granted him. As she called out he took off in the direction of his discarded crossbow, loading the weapon as quickly as he could manage before sprinting back to his perch. He aimed down the sights and began to fire. One by one the blighted fell starting with the one closest to the stranger, bolts punctured their heads as he helped to eliminate what remained of them with ruthless efficiency.

With the threat gone he took a few minutes to recuperate before trotting down the hill to the stranger. So far things were going according to plan, more or less. Now all he had to do was negotiate. "You know you're quite the brute with that axe miss hero, but imagine what would have happened if I showed up only a few minutes later." he remarked with a cackle. "I think it was a real stroke of luck that I was so timely. But if I were you, I wouldn't bet on getting so fortunate again." he continued "So I'll put another offer on the table. I change my plans and get you back to Illios safely, then you pay me double what I wanted to get you to Osterlund." he offered, a smirk returning to his face. "And don't complain, I tried to give you the special deal before but you turned me down. Plus, I'm worth it. I grew up here after all, been dealing with these things my entire life so I know how to avoid them" he explained. "I'll even throw in my name for no additional charge because we're friends now, so what do you say partner?" he asked with a wink.

 

[Mopzee]

One by one the sound of the string releasing marked the fall of their foes. Thud. To the right, one fell. Thud. To the left. Thud. Another. The pressure against her shield waned, the mob of foes thinned and a pile of corpses remained. Neriah lowered her shield, returning it to her back to free up one of her hands. Passively she wandered among the bodies, prodding at the bodies with her axe with morbid curiosity. They didn't seem to have much on them, their clothing had long since grown tattered, any weapons they had were dull and weathered. She reached down to pluck a pendant from the neck of one of the fallen, looking over the small glass trinket. A heavy sigh released the tension of the battle, and beneath the helmet her expression reflected her thoughts of where the person had come from and who they were. It was sad, it made her think of herself and how someone could have found her and her armor out here and pondered the very same thing.

The man behind her spoke, and broke the quiet reflection. She listened as he spoke, but continued to peruse the fallen as he had done to the beast man when she first encountered him. There was little to find, striking stones for fire making, leftover trinkets, a spare ingot here and there perhaps. But they had been out here for too long to hold onto such things, pockets had developed holes or the clothes had been lost entirely. They looked so much more peaceful now that they were dead. "These.... are the blighted. Aren't they?" She asked in a soft voice, turning to him. "I heard the stories... but I never thought they were real. Oster breaks their will and... they become this." Her helm shook from side to side slowly. It was sad. But there was little sense mourning those she had never known. At least now they could rest. She returned the weapon to her belt, reaching up with a free hand to lift her helm just enough to rub her cheek with the other before pulling it back down over her face.

Finally she acknowledged what he had been saying. Reaching down into her breastplate, turning away from him so he couldn't peek at her, she produced her coin pouch. A quick peek before looking back up to him. "I don't know how you knew that I was in trouble, I would be lying if I said I didn't appreciate it." Tentatively at first, she wasn't entirely fond of the idea of handing over so much coin to him. He had helped, saved her life probably, it would be rude to not thank him. Another sigh announced her decision. "Half now. The rest when we get to Illios." It seemed a safe bet, it wasn't uncommon for such deals to be made. Some people would all to happily run off with everything and leave someone to die. "Neriah Einfauld. I suppose you can call me Neriah." She muttered as she counted out the coin, passing over the triangular pieces to him, hoping they could put this all behind them. As much as she felt a tinge of fear at the idea of returning to Illios, she had nowhere else to go, and was anxious to get back to the city and out of the dangerous eastern region.

 

[beedis]

He watched as the stranger picked over the corpses of the blighted. They never had anything of value on them but she wouldn't know that if she had never encountered them before, and judging by how shaken she was at the moment that seemed likely. "You're not wrong. These were all probably perfectly normal people at some point, but now they're nothing more than brain dead husks, they attack anything they see." he explained. "And right again. Around here when Oster has a bad day you feel it. It's too much for some people and they snap, turn into these freaks and roam the plains. They're pretty easy to avoid if you know what you're doing but getting caught out alone is a surefire way to get yourself killed." he added.

After he answered her questions she finally got around to responding to him. "Don't mention it. I had a feeling you were going to run yourself into trouble the second I knew the blighted were coming. They have a habit of tearing travelers apart after all. Plus you look like a tourist, and tourists don't make great warriors" He explained, his lips curling into a smirk. "All you need to do is pay me and we'll call it even." he offered watching as she hesitated before turning to dig for her coin pouch. It seemed his plan was going to work after all. The stranger had finally come to her senses, but he would have to work for the second half of his payday. Traveling to Iliios would be easy enough. The trip to the ferry could get treacherous, but after that it would be a peaceful ride. He could spend the night sampling Illian spirits afterwards then head back home first thing in the morning. Gladly he took her ingots before stashing them "Delgue, that's what everybody calls me. Now stick close to me and I'll get us there in one piece" he promised before leaving in the direction of the coast.

Luckily the trip to the ferry was uneventful. They made good time, and managed to avoid what remained of the blighted on the way. After paying the small fare they were able to take their seats. The boat was empty. Which made sense considering how dangerous the plains were today, it would be near suicidal to travel. Finally settled he dug out a small wooden case, and a flint striker before popping the case open and removing a cigar. He produced a blade cutting and lighting the cigar before placing it into the corner of his mouth. He took out another offering it to Neriah before putting everything away, and stretching out. "So Neriah other than wandering alone out in the desert what else do you do for fun? How is the night life in Illios?" He asked. "And what would you say to me treating you to a drink once we get there? I think you owe your knight in shining armor that much." he joked, with a wink before taking a puff from his cigar, the smoke smelled sweet.

 

[Mopzee]

His smirk was rather infectious, and as much as she tried go restrain herself she couldn't help but give a smirk in return. Not that he would see it. Her armor was almost a part of her, it wasn't uncommon for her to forget about it altogether as she had worn it for so long almost every day. "Thank you, Delgue" she responded, indicating she had been listening. Soon enough they would be off for the ferry. The man did well to keep them out of trouble on the way, only a native could have done so well. It helped to ease her reservations about him. He was a charmer it seemed, full of himself, but some shred of him meant well and that would be enough for her. They boarded the ferry at last, the ferryman eyed Neriah suspiciously at first. Her armor seemed to put the man on edge, it wasn't common for guards to leave the city, and when they did it was rarely a good sign. More than likely the man was busy trying to determine if he was in trouble or not. But Neriah didn't want to confront him about it, and merely reserved herself to ignoring him almost entirely.

Delgue set about lighting a cigar almost immediately, settling into a seat and looking out over the water. She held up a hand to deny the offered cigar and chose a nearby seat, sitting close to the edge for the best view. The air was moist and refreshing to her skin, and though it wasn't a short trip across the water she would spend the majority of the time enjoying as much as she could. Her body ached for relief from the armor, and at last she gave in a bit. Carefully she removed the gauntlets, one at a time revealing her pale forearms before reaching up to remove her helmet. Beneath the helm her brown hair had flattened to her head, the reddish tint only visible when the sun caught it just so. She ran her fingers through her hair to fluff it once more and ease the strain on her tender scalp. Her hair may be short, but the helmet forcing it down around her head for so long had left her sore and in need of a break.

He asked about her hobbies and the gray blue of her eyes focused on him at last. Her soft, gentle feminine features crumpled into a troubled frown. It was easy to see that she was a native of the western region, where people tended to have softer, curvaceous figures and bright wide grins. Their appearance was as warm and inviting as their demeanor, making them successful merchants. Far different from the haughty, standoffish nature of the people from Osterlund. "I didn't choose to come out here, I'm a city guard, I haven't left Illios for years." She muttered, and let out a great sigh before she continued "I don't really do all that much besides work and train to be honest." She admitted, grabbing for her small bag and producing a short hunk of wood and a sharp well-made knife to show him briefly before returning them to the bag once more. She would do that in a minute, but for now she just wanted to enjoy the ride. "I do some carving here and there. Nothing fancy. It's nice to have something to focus on when in stressed out. Some of the other guards like to visit the taverns or the arena in their spare time, it sounds like they have a good time." She considered for the first time just how sad her life seemed in comparison, perhaps she would start joining them from now on. If only to stop sounding so uninteresting, no wonder her parents worried she wouldn't find a husband. No, she would work on that later. She reached down and let her fingers gently dip into the water that flowed around the boat, it was cool and felt great on her skin. The term through the east had left her skin dry, so it was a welcome change. Every few moments a fin would pierce the surface of the water, and though potentially quite dangerous, much of the life in these waters cared little for the humans and passed by without noticing them. "A drink sounds nice." Neriah nodded thoughtfully "You should avoid staying at the inns, you might wake up and find some of your possessions missing. It happens all the time." She could barely see the tallest spire in the distance, the pale stone was blinding in the light. It was a beautiful city, a combination of the other four. A celebration of Pyrhim and Illia, the white buildings were adorned with sun motifs as well as symbols of the four human gods in their respective directions. Clinging vines draped across walls and over the streets on arbors to cool those walking below. Elegant silks from Osterlund, fine meals made from the crops of Northeim, books and trinkets of delicate shells and seaglass from the Silfren Isles, and of course the crafted arms armor and other goods from Vestos were all sold in a single place. A shining example of the glory of humans. Though of course, there were less honorable examples as well. Illios was the only city with armed guards in place, there was no telling when a fight would break out or a theft would occur. Illios had a bad habit of attracting mercenaries, thieves and troublemakers, making defense of the citizens a priority. Despite this. A great number of non-humand visited Illios, and it wasn't uncommon to see Vern worshiping at the spires or the more socially capable beastman attempting to sell their primitive wares and services. Whatever she had seen that night didn't matter, right now she was just happy to be heading home.

 

[beedis]

As he spoke Neriah decided to remove her helmet. He wasn't sure what had come over her but he wouldn't complain, he got what he wanted after all. To avoid looking too obvious he waited until she was fixing her hair before sneaking in a glance and sizing her up. She was attractive, that much was for certain, the type of girl that would turn heads in the bars back home. He would have to remember to give himself an extra pat on the back for saving her, that put him in her good graces. If he could work his magic a little bit more while he was still in Illios maybe he would get somewhere.

He turned his gaze to meet hers as she responded. "So you're a city guard then? Could have fooled me. I was thinking caravan guard. Sometimes they get separated from the group and end up wandering alone. It happens more than you'd think." he explained before taking another puff from his cigar. "Now what brought you to Osterlund if it wasn't personal? Some kind of special mission for the guard?" he pried. "You know, on second thought, don't answer that. I don't want to get you into more trouble than I already have. So we'll just change the subject to something a bit more lighthearted." he continued. "Hobbies then? You like to work, train, and carve wood huh? That's not exactly my idea of fun, but who am I to judge. If it works for you then that's great." he teased with a cackle before glancing back out over the horizon. He was never fond of the sea breeze, or the ocean for that matter. He could swim but not faster than anything that could eat him, and that was enough to keep him away. "Alright, I'll take it. You know it's not often somebody as good looking as you agrees to get a drink with me that easily. Usually it's more of a fight." he explained with a smirk "and I wouldn't worry about me. I spend a lot of time in seedy places. I know how to handle myself, I promise." he assured her. Their conversation came to a close just as the tops of buildings began to appear on the horizon, they were nearly there. He had only ever been to Illios once, many years ago. His parents took him as a boy but he couldn't remember much about the trip, and so his knowledge of the city was limited.

Once the ferry finally came ashore he tossed what remained of his cigar aside before hopping out of the boat. He took a moment to enjoy the view of the city before him as he stretched his legs. Massive pearly white towers stood above the grand walls. All kinds of greenery decorated the streets ahead of them, and the harbor buzzed as people went about their business. It definitely a change of pace from the more claustrophobic Osturlund he was so used to. "Alright we made it in one piece. Now before you get too excited to be home, don't forget you owe a certain mercenary some ingots." he reminded her.

 

[Mopzee]

Neriah dutifully nodded her head to confirm that he had heard right, she was in fact a city guard. Thinking it was rather strange that he had yet to figure it out himself, particularly because she hadn't gone through any effort to hide the fact from him. Another long drag produced silken plumes from his cigar, her eyes trailing after the whisps as they caught the air and drifted delicately away. His second question was something she had anticipated him asking but still gave her brief pause. How could she manage to explain it when her own understanding was so blurred? In these cases it felt best to simply go with the truth and start from the beninning. Her lips pursed, mouth opened and started to form words before abruptly being cut off. He didn't want to know. Made it sound like some mystery or great secret. But it wasn't. She fell silent and looked back to the water that her fingertips had been gliding through.

Delgue prattled on about her confessed "hobbies", implying that he approved though she didn't recall asking for it. Regardless, having someone to talk to, or listen to at the very least, was finally beginning to appeal to her. It gave her something else to wrap her mind around, something else that would keep her from wondering what exactly she had done or seen to have been abducted like that. This of course, ground to a screeching halt when he let slip his thoughts on her appearance. Neriah's cheeks betrayed her first, flashing a bright crimson in shock. Her muscles froze up, eyes darted away and carried with them her head which turned quickly towards the water so he couldn't see. She wasn't sure how to feel, what to say to that. She had been called cute as a child, referred to as "pretty enough" by family friends and relatives. Being called "good looking" by a practical stranger though was entirely new. "T-thanks, I guess" she blurted, stealing a glance back at the man after they docked when he wasn't paying attention. The city however had captured his gaze and as he looked upon the buildings growing before them it had become impossible to clearly see his face. Fine. She could look later, now that she had promised to accompany him for a drink.

Shortly thereafter they found themselves stepping up and out of the boat onto the dock, Neriah having grabbed her things quickly before calmly stepping onto the weather-worn wood. Stopping only when he mentioned the payment she owed him. Earning a sigh and a yielding hand waving him closer. The rest of the sum was counted out in a huddle between the two. Neriah didn't care flash so many ingots in a place where only a few could get you robbed. "Okay. I'm guessing you haven't been here before, so I can bring you to the tavern if you want. I suppose I should also show you where I live." She was thinking aloud until her eyes rested on another city guard who stood on a dock a few over speaking with what must be a merchant and gesturing intently at the vessel. "I'll have to report to my captain." She mused, fiddling with the fingertips on one of the gauntlets she had removed absentmindedly. She took a few pages towards the city, stopping for a split second to jab him in the arm with the gauntlets to indicate he should come with. Neriah leading him through the wide stone paved street towards the center of the city. She only stopped to scan for the captain at the base of the central pillar. Here there was a great diversity of peoples humans, some beastman, and a few Vern huddled around the pillar for worship and devotion. Neriah caught one of the Vern by the shoulder with a hand, asking if he had seen Captain Jarvas. The huge figure shook their head softly. "He was here earlier I believe." The young Vern offered as he returned to his feet and his massive stature of nearly 3 meters, regarding Delgue with a nod before wandering away. Neriah didn't waste time asking if they knew where Jarvas had gone, she knew he didn't. But there were only 2 other places he would be, so it wouldn't be long before they found him. Not long before she would find herself permanently dismissed from duty for abandoning her post days prior.

 

[beedis]

Delgue's expression changed to his usual smirk as she beckoned him over for his payment. "Don't hesitate to call on me if you need my services again. I might even give you a discount next time Miss Hero." he said smugly before stashing the payment in his bag. With that taken care of he turned his attention back to the city. "You could say that, I'm definitely not opposed to a tour if you're offering." he replied. "And you sure you want me hanging around while you talk to your boss? I'm not too great with first impressions so I'll just disappear when the time comes." he explained. He knew what the guard captain would be like, and he wasn't interested in the potential interrogation.

He was stirred from inactivity when Neriah jabbed him. "Alright, alright, I'm coming." he remarked before following after her. As they walked through the ivory streets he lagged behind a bit as he enjoyed the sights, taking note of a few storefronts he would have to come back to later. A merchant peddling exotic treats, a smith with some impressive looking weaponry on display, and a bath house. All good choices to spend his fresh gotten gains on. Eventually they came to a stop in front of the pillar that decorated the center of the city, a place of worship apparently. Neriah's captain was nowhere to be seen so he stood by as she questioned one of the worshipers, a Kallvern. He was never too fond of them. They claimed to be pacifists but he knew the lot of them were just cowards. He waited for the Vern to leave before speaking up "Tell you what, you go find your boss, and I'll go and get something to eat. I really worked up an appetite earlier and I saw a pastry stand on the way here that I think could use my business. You won't miss me too much right?" he joked with a cackle.

 

[Mopzee]

"Pastries?" She inquired, glancing back at him curiously "I wouldn't have guessed you're a pastry person." A few nervous chuckles before she nodded to him "I can meet up with you later. Head to the west spire, we can meet at the tavern near there." A passive wave, walking backwards away from him until she finally turned to stride northward to the guards barracks where those without homes of their own as well as where the fledgling guards slept. As glad as she was to be home she was still on edge. It felt as if a dozen or so pairs of eyes were watching her every move. She wiggled her way through the dense crowds in the markets, being jostled this way and that by others fighting to get to their own destinations. Just as she pushed past the densest section, a man passed closely by her, eyes fixed hard on her own. Dark circles ringed his eyes that narrowed as if to express a silent threat to the woman. Mouthing something beneath his breath. When Neriah stopped to look behind her, to catch him and ask just what he wanted, he was gone. Dissolved into the crowd. A stray, shaken breath passed her lips. Her chest held that electric, terrified feeling. The rest of her journey was spent on main paths, busy, but there was a certain security being surrounded by people like this.

The barracks were active as they always were, guards leaving or returning from their stations. The young and the seasoned training, honing their abilities or learning new skills. Gathered to the side was a large collection of guards listening to Captain Jarvas prattle on about some new potential threat to the citizens of Illios. Had she been closer, been listening, she would have heard him speaking of the rising numbers of missing citizens, merchants, even beggars or visitors had disappeared without a trace. Neriah approached the back of the group, standing quietly as Jarvas went through newly assigned posts. One by one the group disappeared until it was just the Captian and her.

"Einfauld." The man hissed through his prickly, well groomed beard. Eyes narrowing as they rested on her. "Aren't we bold, returning to our deserted post. Reporting to the Captain himself even."

"Sir. I didn't desert my post. I-"

"Shut it Einfauld. I've got witnesses to you wandering off. Then you're gone for days without a word, and you have the gall to claim you aren't a deserter?" He spat to both express and restrain his own irritation.

"It's not my fault! I was investigating a suspicious individual and I was abducted-"

"Horseshit!" Two long strides and a sharp pain silenced the woman, the other guards, even birds had stopped their chirping at the sound of steel gauntlet striking her bare cheek. What followed was the most creative and terrifying string of insults, interspersed with cold reprimanding. Guards were to be better that, stronger than that. It was "inexcusable" for her to leave her post unattended. She was "unremarkable" as a guard and there were many others who could and would replace her. He continued to scold her, talking over her apologies and "excuses", not stopping for a moment as she was ordered to publicly surrender her armor and shield. Only her personal weapon and affects were left to her. Red-faced, shaking, dressed only in a thin tunic, worn knee-length pants and openly weeping, Neriah didn't waste any time running home in shame. She didn't know how to face Delgue now, still occasionally letting out a panicked sniffle, he was a stranger and even he was bound to notice something was wrong. She had made a promise though. It would be rude to break it. She sat in the simple basin that serves as a bath, sniffling and trying hard to gather herself back up. It felt as if she had shattered into a million pieces and scattered across the floor.

Hours later she had selected some simple clothes, a pale burgundy colored shirt and long slate colored pants fit into a pair of worn dark leather boots. The clothes were simple in cut, but bore tiny glass beads that followed the lines of her shoulder and collar bones. The pants were a durable fabric that most artisans wore, function over fashion in this case. It was quite the look, very reminiscent of Vestos. The thoughts of home seemed to comfort her a little. Her axe, for the time being, would remain at home.

She made her way slowly towards the tavern, it wasn't far from her home. The air coming off the water was cool, and the chill helped ease the puffiness of a face that had just recently been subjected to crying and near hysterics. The Limp Wurm was bustling with people and voices, the huge hearth burned in the middle with vivid flames. It was warm and inviting like the owner, a heavyset woman with wide shoulders and thick muscular arms. At one point Neriah recalled speaking with the woman, remembered her saying she had been an armorsmith. That explained her strength, how she could throw barrels around with little strain. Choosing a place near the steps on a short stone wall that served as a railing for the steps, Neriah sat down and produced a short piece of wood from her pocket that had been partially whittled into the rough shape of a ram. At least she had something to distract herself with as she waited. Tiny wood shaving soon littered the ground beneath her. Thinking to herself all the while about what she would say if... no, when, he asked. At least a stiff drink and a meal would help her to forget her woes, even if just for one evening.

 

[beedis]

"Yeah, I like pastries Neriah. Bite me." he replied snarkily before acknowledging her instructions. "Alright, you got it. Try not to get yourself into mortal danger again because I'll cry if you stand me up, I swear." he joked before she parted ways with him. Once alone he took off back in the direction of the storefronts they had passed.

Delgue found his way back through the crowd to the sweets vendor without much trouble. A colorful wooden cart tended by a large man with a welcoming smile. His lips curled into a smirk as he admired all the treats on display. He had eaten nothing the whole day so everything looked delicious. After much deliberation he settled on a small fruit pie with a cherry filling. He forked the requested ingots over the counter before claiming his prize. Satisfied with the choice he took a seat on top of a nearby crate to eat. Once his appetite was sated, the next thing on the list was to get cleaned up. He was practically covered with dust and dried blood from the fight earlier in the day, so he would have to find a way to take care of that.

After some more meandering he found himself at the bath house they had passed earlier. All the baths were public but that wouldn't be an issue for him. He pushed through the large wooden double doors before strolling over to the front counter. Two plain looking women greeted him at the front desk, and after paying a small fee they granted him admission. The interior of the bath house was quite a sight, it was pristine. The walls were a smooth white stone and the floors were composed of pure white tiling. The sounds of running water, and the idle chatter between the other patrons filled the room. He found a spot before shedding his equipment and settling into the water. It was a comfortable temperature, not too hot nor too cold, just how he liked it. He wasted no time rinsing himself and as he did his mind wandered. It surprised him how well his scheme had gone thus far. Almost everything was falling into place. He got paid, got to enjoy his day, and now he would get to spend an evening with Neriah. Things usually didn't go this smoothly for him, he was a magnet for trouble most days. Well there was no reason to look a gift horse in the mouth, he'd take the small victory.

Once clean he redressed before heading out of the bath house. The sun had already started to set, he was probably late at this point so he would have to buy replacement bolts later. As instructed he made his way to the western spire, keeping his eyes peeled for the Tavern Neriah had mentioned. He quickly found what he was looking for, a place called The Limp Wurm. Despite how busy the tavern was he didn't have much difficulty finding who he was looking for. Neriah was seated nearby the staircase leading up to the entryway, he shouldered his way through the crowd before taking his seat next to her. "I bet you missed me." he joked with a cackle. "What's with the red eyes by the way? Your boss chew you out for needing my help?" he asked not waiting for her answer before beckoning a barmaid over. "Can we get two pints of the strongest booze you have? A pint for me, and a pint for the lady." he asked.

 

[Mopzee]

A sudden voice startled Neriah more than she wanted to admit, the tip of the carving knife just barely caught her thumb and made her jolt in response. "Delgue! By his light you startled me" she whimpered, moving to the side to make room for him to sit beside her on the wide, flat stone. Brushing the shavings away quickly and patting the stone beside her. So far she was holding it together, as long as he didn't bring it up she would be fine. "I'm not sure I'd say I miss you. In fact, my coin purse doesn't miss you at all." Humor might help, anything to distract her would help to keep her calm. It wasn't long lived however.

He asked about her eyes, and she turned her head away to hide the betraying optics from his sight. Of course he would mention it, she was foolish to believe that it wouldn't come up this night. A deep, shaky sigh to prepare herself before she revealed the details. Before she could answer he called out to one of the tavern maids, who rushed for the requested drinks. Neriah pressed the toe of her plain boots into the sand that always gathered in the corners of the steps, the rough grinding sound of the sand continued until the drinks were brought to them. The woman passed the beverage to her with an empathetic smile, informing her to let the woman know if she needed anything else. Neriah thanked her before taking a couple eager gulps of the liquor. Finally, talking her fingers against the tankard she let it out. "I went to report to my captain... and, he was so upset that I wasnt at my post." She swirled the drink around and watched the liquid form a tiny whirlpool "So I've been dismissed from the guard." Warm pinpricks signalled the onset of tears, burying her face into the cup and mumbling into the booze that it wasn't fair. Wasn't her fault.

"I don't know what I'm going to do. That job was everything to me, and now..." she lowered the cup, cradled it with both hands and ground the sand beneath her foot as the hot tears bubbled over and dripped onto the ground. Even in the noise of the tavern you could almost hear the teardrop splatter onto the white stone steps darkening them with the moisture, into the sand they made tiny gritty balls of mud. "Nobody wants to hire a disgraced guard. I'll have to work for scraps, try and sell these" she held up the tiny ram to indicate she would need to carve trinkets to feed herself "Sell my house within a month probably, maybe I can make it back to my hometown, if not I'll be on the street... enslaved or..." the words came out choked bursts, shaky voices, falling off into barely restrained sobs. She clutched her head, trying to remember what she had seen. They had taken it all away from her in an instant, but who were they?

 

[beedis]

It wouldn't be long before the bar maid returned with their drinks. A pair of tall glass mugs filled with heady liquor. By the time he took his first sip Neriah had already chugged about a third of her drink. It seemed whatever happened to her earlier in the day must have been much worse than just a stern talking to. "So about that meeting with your boss then?" He asked before taking another sip of his drink. Once the truth finally came out his suspicions were confirmed. Not only had Neriah been reprimanded but she had been fired as well. That seemed a little extreme to him but he didn't know the full story, he'd have to ask what she was doing in Osterlund again later.

It was then the hysterics started. "Woah, woah slow down Einfauld, easy with the waterworks." he said in an attempt to calm her down, he was crass, but not heartless. "Look it's not the end of the world, you're not going to end up enslaved, and you're not going to have to sell stupid wooden totems to survive." he assured her. "Think outside the box a little, you're a mercenary now." he explained. "And when you're a mercenary people just want to know if you can get the job done and nothing else." he continued. "I've seen you swinging that axe around, and I can promise you're the type of person who can get the job done." he said. "I can even put in a good word for you with a couple merchants I know." he offered. "And if they took your guard equipment I can help get you some new gear too. Personally I think you'd look a lot better with armor that fits a bit more snugly." he joked.