Fantasy A Breaking World: Of Alanvar and the Vyn'rath

OOC: It's very daunting to come into such a game already well underway...but I do it nonetheless.

GM APPROVED


Name: Leocanto Ravelle
Age: 25
Weight: 215 lbs
Height: 6' 2"
Appearance: A thin, wiry man with an aquiline face and gray eyes. He wears a wide-brimmed hat and a long overcoat over a fine shirt, worn pants and dusty boots.
Home Kingdom: Fire
Occupation: Nothing too legal or strenuous.
Personality: Cocky and snide, but above all else lazy.

Affiliation: None

Weapon of Preference: Rapier

Biography: Leocanto Ravelle - lover, fighter, dancer, warrior, hero, thief - he is both all and nothing. Born the son of a well-off tailor, young Leocanto's family prospered under the patronage of the wealthy. The youth had limitless potential, provided he set his mind to something, and when he set his mind to dancing, he became the most gifted novice in the whole of the Fire Kingdom to learn the art. As he became a young man, so too did his skills increase, and his father sent him for regular fencing lessons at the behest of their patron. It was, of course, rude to refuse a gift. The young one prospered, a true master of the blade from the years of dancing.

Leocanto, once the model student, picked up bad habits from his fellow dancers. Promiscuity, a fondness for alcohol and late hours, and arrogance became his undoing. Disowned by his family, the skilled performer took to wandering and working the only ways he now knew how - dishonestly.

 

OOC: welcome aboard peng. look forward to seeing your charrie.

IC: Sassana Elanun
Rebel Camp, Earth Kingdom

Things never go how you expect, and only sometimes do they go how you hope. In this case the result had lined up with Sassana's expectations, but had been vastly far from her hopes. Pretty far from the hopes of pretty well everyone surrounding her, actually. They hadn't managed to retrieve very many of their wounded, it simply wasn't practical when yours was the side that was running. Still the cries of pain and despair still resonated throughout the camp, making it rather difficult to concentrate on much of anything. Also making sleep a bit more difficult to come by than it otherwise would have been.

Sassana sighed softly, sleep wasn't going to be coming to her anytime in the near future. Such was the lot of officers in any army, they always have to stay up after everyone else, win or lose, evaluating what happened and making sure everything will run smoothly after. Healers had it worse however. They were the ones who had to stay awake and able to keep people from dieing. That was one job she never wanted to have a part in again. Ever.

Walking through the camp, trying to sort out what logistics and such she would need to deal with and in what order a messenger came up to her. "The High Commander wants to see you. He's in his tent." Obviously something was wrong, beyond the obvious, as the messenger looked disturbed. Given what they had just been through, the sheer brutality of it, everyone there should be disturbed. Yea, but you sure took part in it awful happily, didn't you? It was the voice again, It had started to pop up more frequently of late, and Sassana was getting quite thoroughly irritated with it.

Doing her best to ignore it, as she always tried, Elanun replied to the messenger. "I'm on my way. Thank you." She gave him a weary, but hopefully, encouraging smile. Remember the mage? Remember how much you enjoyed crushing him? Making him into just a little paste? What does that make you, huh? You're just like them. And you know it. Growling low in her throat, the messenger jerked and saluted her, worry even more marked in his face than before.

Having a set destination in mind, she stared walking towards it not in a terrible hurry. After all she did need to compose herself. Blood spurting like a geyser. And you kept the pressure on, making sure he would never even resemble a man again. Why? Because he wanted to kill you? That's no reason to mutilate him so thoroughly. It wasn't her conscious speaking. Sassana knew that. Her conscious wasn't so bloody obnoxious about things. What got on her nerves the most was that the voice never tried to stop her, only talked to her after she was done. Couldn't you have at least left him some dignity?

Slamming the hilt of Tsumhershne into the ground she almost yelled. Almost. Shut up you! You know what they've done, just as well as I do. They don't deserve any dignity. Everyone one of them are monsters. So shut the hell up! There wasn't another reply, but a sense of sharp disapproval remained with her as she continued walking.

Ignoring it, and eventually shoving that feeling down Sassana arrived at Xaviers tent. Without waiting, knocking or anything, she entered the comparatively massive cloth structure. It was easily the size of a small cottage, but most officers had larger tents as they had to be able to write somewhere. But there were maps, and other things scattered about on a table. The small travel desk was very organized however, and everything else was in it's place. Xavier had his armor and weapons on their racks, and was now dressed in his uniform. Such as it was.

Sassana realized she should have done the same, not that her clothes would ever be terribly usable again. Why had she worn white into battle? Not that it was anything new, she always wore white into battle. But she was still covered in blood and viscera from the battle, and was likely one of v

 

OOC: Hi all, I'm back and intrigued by what will happen next! I'm sorry to see that blu had to step out, but like Trimaj I'm looking forward very much to seeing your character in the game, Penguinator. He looks like a lot of fun to have around



IC: Skillan Iarnsen
~Woods, outlaw encampment~


Skillan stood a bit away from the bustle of the camp they had come to, leaning against a tree with low-hanging branches that partly hid him. His bow, finally unstrung, stood before him, one slender hand holding it up.

There were as many, maybe even more, people in the camp the woman had led them to as there were in his own village. With women and children around even. Only no houses for them, or the small gardens he had seen surround the villages in these lower lands. Just the woods, the firepits, inadequate dwellings and tents.

He had been trying to get a feel for these people from the moment they had reached the camp following the woman who, it turned out, led them. ?Ell? he had heard them call her, and ?Elicia? and ?Mistress?. He had tried them both out, ?Ell? and ?Elicia?, silently in his own mouth, but he knew he would call her ?Mistress? for now. What else could he say to someone he barely knew and who led a whole village? Even if they had fought side by side?

That thought brought back the image of three dead bodies with his arrows in them. It made him feel sick all over again. He pushed the memory away immediately, not up to dealing with what he had done, not yet. Maybe not ever.

Two small children came crawling from a low tent, their arms full, and brought what they held to a woman with a lined and tired looking face. She managed to smile down at them, but he didn?t think that smile came easy to her. Weariness, that?s what he felt from these people, weariness and resignation and fear, but also a fierce determination. These were people struggling to survive.

Against the mages.

He needed to understand. He had come down from his village, high up in the mountains where the stories told were ancient and traditional, and any news that reached them had been old, sometimes years after it had happened, and he had found the world to be different from what he had expected.

Like the cities. He had known they existed, had heard the tales about them, but the reality of them had been overwhelming all the same. So many people in one place and it had made him feel lonelier than he?d ever felt before, including when his father had finally breathed out for the last time. More alone than when he walked through the woods, no other human around within days. He had avoided them after two tries and stuck to small communities ever since to try and learn more about the rest of the world, the world he had entered to find out who and what he was.

Unfortunately he hadn?t found out enough and he knew a big reason for that was his inability to connect with people and simply ask. He saw them look at him, appraise him and suddenly all he had wanted to say, to ask, simply evaporated. So he usually only listened ? but those fragments had mainly told him one thing: he was vastly ignorant.

The battle had shown him how dangerous that was. He still didn?t understand why one army had sent men into the woods to kill him and the others when they hadn?t been a part of the battle or a threat in any way. Or why the other army, the rebellion, now seemed to want them to join. All because they had happened to be there, in the wrong place at the wrong time?

He at least had some connection with the people he had encountered there, even if it was a connection trough violence and death, not really what he had been looking for. It was what had made him tag along, because it was more than he had had before. And he still needed answers.

He saw the man who had invited them to join the rebellion walk through the encampment, looking at the women, appraising them, as he had done from the start. Ell had reacted to those looks, he remembered, and the man had reacted to that in turn.

That wasn?t what intrigued S

 

Just a quick post to get Peng into the game.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

?The night wore on, the moon shining brightly through a cloudless sky. It was truly amazing how the rebellion?s home base had not been discovered as of yet. It was nestled in a small mountain range on the border of the Earth, Ice, and Dark Kingdom, and was not far from Neo Alanvar, relatively speaking.

?A dreary gloom had settled over the large encampment, and as such the almost jovial Leocanto Ravelle drew a good bit of attention. His occasion for being in the rebel camp was unknown, as he was not officially affiliated with them. The mysteries increase as our story unfolds.?

TAG: Penguinator-176

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

 

IC: Alleria Deron
Mage Tower, Neo Alanvar, Earth Kingdom

Alleria ran, stumbling, out of the room. She bolted out into the courtyard - its beauty seemed like such a sham this time around, such a sham, if it hid such horrors - and through it to the corridor beyond. Her feet seemed to move on their own volition, carrying her far away from the little room where a boy's flesh burned.

Where a boy's flesh burned because Alve had set it on fire. Deliberately.

She turned a corner blindly, her booted footsteps echoing loudly in the quiet of the night. Alve, Alve, Alve. Her mentor, the one who had been kind to her and encouraged her - who had pinned that lapel pin on her collar just this afternoon -

Collapsing against a wall, Alleria ripped it off and stared at it. It glinted redly in the moonlight. Such a little thing, but it meant so much - it meant that she had survived a year, that her magical prowess was up to standard, and it confirmed that she was an Apprentice of the Mages of Alanvar. Alve's apprentice.

She had been so proud. So happy.

Alleria threw the lapel pin. It bounced off the far wall and rolled somewhere.

How could he torture a kid? Torture anyone?

She was suddenly furious with herself. The old man at the tavern - he had known something was up. Perhaps not this, but something. He had tried to ask her about it and she had denied it to protect the Mages - to protect Alve. She felt sick.

Grimacing, she pushed off the wall and looked around. This tower - this fascinating, beautifully crafted tower where the Mages lived and worked - suddenly felt like a prison, and she wanted out. She might be an apprentice (for whom leaving the tower without the company of her mentor was a serious offence - she didn't care any more, now), and still dressed in a sleeping shirt and a worn pair of slacks, but she didn't want to stay here for a moment longer.

Besides, Alve knew where her quarters were. He might have gone there to intercept her. If he was done burning people, that is.

The halls were empty at this hour, and it didn't take too much effort for Alleria to find a way out unseen. Before long she was back in the city, heading towards - for lack of anywhere else to go - the tavern she had visited that afternoon.

TAG: Chuks

 

Orml Chal
Woods, Outlaw Encampment

Why am I doing this again?

Orml let out a small sigh. He still wasn't quite sure why he had decided to follow one army rather than not simply leaving them and heading off on his own. Really, he still hadn't fully come to terms with the fact that, despite his vow of absolute pacifism, he was carrying a sword at his side. A sword made by his father, and lost by a dead man, no less. It was like a weight, this blade, one that pulled at the very fiber of his soul. He longed to toss the instrument of death away, lest the ghosts from his dreams become manifest and attack him for this utter blasphemy.

Still, he could not throw it away. He would have it undone in a smith's forge, and it would halt its killing forever. Perhaps this would appease the phantoms, and they would leave his dreams in peace. How he longed to sleep and merely dwell on the countryside he loved so much - the vibrant green of the Earth Kingdom, the endless sunshine of the Light Kingdom, the almost sinister majesty of the Fire Kingdom, the frozen mountains of the Ice Kingdom, the Wind Kingdom he had yet to behold.

The rebel corporal was making his rounds through the civilians, no doubt gauging their worth in battle based on their physical fitness. "Disgusting," Orml muttered, and reached for a stick of fireweed out of his pocket. He suddenly felt a tremendous compulsion to steady his nerves, almost like everything had caught up with him at once, and nothing cured anxiety quite like the burning leaf.

Lighting it in a fire not far from where he was standing, he took a slow drag and let the smoke work its way out through the nostrils, as he made his way over to a secluded spot nearby, whereupon he sprawled himself out on the ground, his hands behind his head, and sat in quite contemplation. Some of the other members who had been around the campfire were either conversing or helping out with duties, but Orml felt no compelling need to assist these people. They were well off enough, and they could work.

They could fight. Maybe that was the real reason he didn't want to help them. He took another puff on his fireweed. He wanted nothing to do with his former compatriots - compatriots was probably too strong a word, actually - or this damnable rebellion. They were all monsters, no different from the mages. Killing people over stupid ideological quibbles and ancient legends that were probably more crooked than Orml's first, and only, attempt to forge a sword on his own. Hell, even his old man recognized that fact.

"Dragons? I put stock in men, lad, not beasts that never existed. To hell with dragons."

A somewhat cruel lesson for a young, fancy-filled boy, but a necessary one. If you let delusions grip you too strongly, well, you got characters like Mynron. As for the fire mage, he'd run off with a contingent of archers in search of glory.

"Hope you found some, kid," Orml chuckled, and the smoke wafted over him, obscuring his face.

TAG: Any in the campfire Crew, Sarge, or Chuks, if they feel so compelled

 

IC Elicia Bathory
Her little camp thingy

"ALL OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP" Ell yelled at the pack of jackels trying to commit suicide.

"I don't care anymore. The hell with you and your imaginary democracy, I have made every Decision, planned every raid, and settled every squable in this place since I created it. ME! ALONE! WITHOUT ANY OF YOU MUCKING THINGS UP!"

She calmed herself and looked at the members of the "Council" That had been elected last year. That had not been one of her best ideas.

She almost smiled at the expressions on their faces.

"Now here is what is going to happen, you are going to start getting your people organized, taking ONLY food, money and weapons, and you are going to line them up in the clearing to the west where our friend from the rebellion is going to lead us to their rendezvous, where we will then join up and help them as they see fit since they will now be protecting us".

Her face hardened again "Any of you who don't like that can stay here and die, either from the mages scouring these woods or from winters cold. I don't care which you choose" And with that she stormed of to pack up her own gear and load it onto one of their few wagons.

She found Allen having already packed most of it.

"You really don't care anymore huh Ell?" he asked in a mock serious voice.

She smiled and threw her bed roll at him from where he had stacked it by the entrance to one of the only tents in the entire camp.

"That was amazing by the way, I'd be willing to bet every last person here comes after the way you told those old farts off"

Helping him finish up she replied "They elected those old farts Allen, if anyting I propably just insulted almopst everybody in the camp"

"No, no you didn't, they've been making trouble for months now and I'm surprised you hadn't handled them before now"

Feeling tired now after a long, long night she looked at Allen "Go help Nora with her herbs, I'll finish up here, and then go around making sure everything is running smoothly."

"Alright, see you at the clearing" he said as he left the tent.

She finished laoding up her peronal itmes into the wagon and then had one of her soldiers help her lift their treasury into the wagon with her stuff, and left him their to guard it as she went around the camp.

As she walked among her followers, shouting incouragment and orders, she took in the camp that had been her home for the last few years.

They had kept it very simple, with only a few buildings and most of the people sleeping in the one large hall that they had built. The only thing that had kept disease from killing them all was Momma Nora's healing prowess.

She continued on past the hall and down to the only other large buildings in the camp, the storage Buildings, saw that they were already almost empty.

She then went back to her wagon, tore down the tent, packed it under the drivers seat after dismissing her guard and headed towards the clearing.

She thought she spotted Skillian in the crowd, but lost him in the mix.

That young man really knows how to blend in She thought as she saw some other potential trouble. Corporal Zahara was currently ogling one of her sheild maidens.

She had drillied it into these women that because men where naturally stronger than they where that they would need to be fast, manuverable, and fight with an exelence few people could maintain. That was why there were only ten of them. To help with that, she had made them all move with a shield and longsword like they where extensions of their own bodies, and as such they where seldom seen without them.

Lyle just happened to be talking to Fara, the captain and most talented fighter in the entire camp other than Elicia and maybe Allen. Due to her skill, the rest of the maidens had dramatically taken to calling her "The valkeries hand maiden". Elicia of course, they called the valkerie.

None of that was really a problem, the problem was, Fara did not like being looked at by anyone but her husband, Allen.

TAG Chuckels, Sarg

 

Valen Tomask
The Rebellion Encampment

Back at the rebellion encampment, Valen was not happy. Not one bit. He had done a quick headcount, while they waited for the archers to regroup with them. Then men were dejected and tired. That was to be expected. What was not, was Xavier. Xavier had sat dejectedly in his tent, since they had reached their camp. Things were not looking good. The battle had been a terrible failure. And Xavier was acting as a broken man, ever since he had run into the thing called Remuza.

As Valen checked on his men, he received word that he was wanted in Xavier's tent. The large man turned, and stomped his way back to his leader's tent, mulling over recent events.

As Valen reached the huge tent, he gave a nod to the guards, and quickly pushed aside the large tent flap. He looked and saw that Sassana had also been summoned as well. He gave her a nod as he stepped inside the tent. "I see you managed to keep your head." he said with just a bit of a wry grin on his face, as he tried to raise the dower mood within the tent. He then looked over at Xavier. The man's moping was beginning to sourer his stomach. Did he not know his troops were looking to him for strength? Valen frowned, as he looked over at Xavier.

"You sent for us?" he asked, his deep voice rumbled low, as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. He had not had time to clean up yet, he had been far too busy checking on his troops. He pushed a lock of hair back out of his face. He then looked at Xavier, waiting to hear from the man.



TAG: Trimaj, Chukles

 

ooc: I´ve been away for a few days and even though I am reading all the stuff I am a little lost WHERE we are right now and WHAT we are doing. I assume therefore we are still on our way to the meeting point. If we already arrived, consider this a retropost.

Igrene
On the way

The young boy had left. Myron. He had shown himself to be powerful. Much like her. A shame. The other archers, too. And only the man who was so strangely looking at her lead them the way. Towards the rebellion. Towards war. Everybody seemed to feel strong about it. Only the Archer from the Rebellion stayed cool. And his eyes betrayed different thoughts. She wondered which. Did she had to know? Was this something others would understand?

The effets of her long isolation began to become annoying. Tortorous. She felt much better and natural when she had killed. As if that had been what she had been created to do. Her purpose.

And again she know this thought was frightening, but there was a shocking absence of fright in her.

Her eyes shifted to the man they called Orml. He looked like he was uncomfortable. Igrene was proud to recognize that look. Maybe because people reacted that way to her.

"Are you uneasy, Orml?" She asked and realized her voice might actually sound a lot more icy than she had wanted it to. "The killing, perhaps? I realize many people feel uneasy about death." She said then, this time forcing this trained smile into her features. "Perhaps you´re afraid?" The idea that she was unploite and much to persoanl did not even cross her mind.

Someone mentioned dragons. Someone mentioned rebellion and camps. She kept up her speed. Tired from the fight, beyond the tirement expected usually from physical activity like this . . . she did not allow herself to slow them down. Her spear was now on her back. She had taken the best weapon she found with the dead men. And a dagger in addition. Even though she felt like her hands might be much deadlier.

Magic.

Just a word. It was a gift bestowed on her that had brought suffering and doom to those who protected her. She considered a warning. Towards her new benefactors. But decided these facts were to intimate to tell others. It was probably unappropriate. And actually, she really felt these men could be of good use in the tast she had cooly chosen to be her mission.

Kill those who wanted to kill her.

Tag: Ramza, Sarge, other Campfire People, Chukles, obviously

 

OOC: Hi Sirak, welcome back. We?re currently at the camp of El?s people, which is being evacuated. All her people are going to come to the rebellion rendezvous as well.



IC: Skillan Iarnsen
~Woods, outlaw encampment~


Carry supplies from some crude storage shelters to the few wagons these people possessed had been the easiest way to help out, but since that work had been more than halfway done before he arrived at the scene, Skillan found himself soon wandering around the camp again, lending a hand where he saw it was needed.

Another woman with a tired, and too thin, face was struggling with a too heavy pack, but before he could help her someone from the camp walked up to her and opened it, taking things out and telling her they would only take food, money and weapons. Seeing how sad her face became, he quickly retreated.

And almost fell over a boy of no more than five, who was dragging a bedroll behind him with a determined look on his face. ?Here, let me help,? he said, smiling at the child and picking up the part laying on the forest ground. He shook the leaves off. ?You carry that part, I carry this part and follow you, all right??

The boy frowned at him, but then nodded. ?I guess?.? With only those words he turned and trudged on towards an elderly couple nearby.

?Thank you, sweetheart,? the woman said. ?Can you see if there is more??

?Yes, Omi,? the child said cheerfully and ran back. When Skillan turned he saw the boy being hailed by another before they both dove into the big building that seemed to form the center of the activities.

?Thank you for helping him,? the woman said to Skillan. ?We try to keep him occupied, so he won?t get scared.?

?Told him we?re gonna meet with the soldiers of the rebellion,? the old man said. His voice sounded rough and Skillan saw he was looking at the bedroll he was still holding with suspiciously bright eyes.

He didn?t know what to say, so he offered, ?Shall I roll this up for you??

The man immediately looked away, while the woman sighed. ?We can?t take it with us,? she said. ?We already have ours. This one was our son?s. He died in one of the fights against the mages and their minions. His little boy, bless him, is all we have left of our family now.?

The man cleared his throat and stood. ?Damn mages took all we had, killed half of our village for not being able to pay the extra taxes couple of years ago, when the harvest was bad. So I?m glad we?re finally going to join the rebellion. The more we are, the better.? He kept his face averted as he spoke and quickly walked away after he was done.

Skillan looked at the woman, now completely at a loss, the bedroll still dangling from his hands. She smiled at him. ?Don?t mind him. It?s? hard, the only reason we go on is because of our grandson. We hope that maybe one day he can live in a kingdom without terror. But then, you know all about that, being with the rebellion and all.?

She nodded at the bedroll and was already speaking again before he could correct her. ?Won?t you take it, young man? You probably already have one, but this is a very fine bedroll, the leather guaranteed waterproof, so you?ll sleep dry even if the ground is wet.? She caressed the top blanket. ?I remember sewing it together for him,? she said softly. ?Even if you have a fine one yourself, maybe you know someone else who will have a use for it??

?I? actually I don?t have a bedroll right now,? Skillan confessed. Which was true; he had left his pack at the campfire when they went to check out the unnatural light.

?Good,? the woman said and Skillan realized she took his blurred out words as an acceptance of the bedroll. ?I?m glad it goes to someone fighting for our freedom. It?s what our son would have wanted. Oi, I think I better go see what that boy is up to now. Dylan, leave that be, it?s not ours!?

She was gone and he stood, holding a bedroll he felt he wasn?t entitled to, not after what she had just said. But how could he leave it here? He quickly folded the blankets and leather so he

 

ooc: Thanks Serm, I guess I kept my post internalized enough to make it still work. And I am sorry for my many spelling mistakes. Usually I got a program to highlight them, on which I rely (not being a native speaker). But it was switched of by accident. Therefore the many mistakes. I apologize.

 

OOC: no worries sirak. stuff like that happens. and welcome back.

chuk, i'mma waif for you to post before i do again.

 

Sirak, yeah that's fine. I have been in the same situation many times. Your post is fine, and requires no rewrite or anything. Hope you can get back into the swing of the game. If you need help, feel free to pm me.

As for updates, I will allow the Forest Folk a little longer to chit chat and what not, so get those posts in.


?Xavier sat sprawled in his chair, his hand shielding his eyes from the light of the lanterns in his tent. As Sassana entered, Xavier made no sign of acknowledging it. Even as she spoke, Xavier only replied with a slight nod. ?I assume we're still waiting on someone, Sir??

?It was not long after when Valen moved into the tent, his hulking form in stark contrast to Sassana?s small frame. Xavier remained silent as they bantered for a moment. Valen then turned his attention to his leader. ?You sent for us??

?Xavier stood, casting a glance at the two. He began pacing. Pacing always helps. Have you noticed that?? The crowd stirred in agitation, and the bard merely laughed. ?Xavier remained quiet for a moment, and then spoke some more as he paced. ?I have been thinking. The battle was a failure. We had the numbers. We had surprise, as far as it could go. What did we lack?? This last question was obviously rhetorical, for Xavier didn?t give them a chance to answer. He stopped and looked at them for a brief second. ?We lack the magical superiority. It?s a sad state of affairs, but we cannot win a battle without more mages.?

?He watched carefully for reactions, and then continued. ?I have had several men inside of Neo Alanvar scouting out the incoming Mages. So far intel is short, but they have been recruiting quite avidly. We need to do likewise, though wisely.? He looked over his two most trusted advisors. ?Suggestions, ideas?? He drifted off as he awaited their responses.?

TAG: Trimaj, Ktala

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?Meanwhile, Alleria rushed from the tower and into the streets of Neo Alanvar. It was late, and the streets were empty. She made her way towards the tavern. The streets of the city were placed almost randomly as the city had quickly evolved from a small town to the Capitol of the known world. This late at night, the shops were closed and the lantern out, and the city lacked the luster of earlier that day.

?She could see the tavern as the darkness of the streets was broken by a single lantern hanging by its door. Her destination seemed in reach when it was stalled surprisingly. She became aware of a sharp pain at the back of her head, and darkness engulfed her as her body crumpled to the ground.?

**********

?Two men stood over the body of the young Alleria, one with a sword drawn. If we had seen them a moment before, we?d have noticed that it was the pommel of his sword against the back of her head that had rendered Alleria unconscious. The two quickly dragged her off the streets and into the greater darkness nearby.

?They spoke quietly as they darted glances around, trying to remain concealed. ?What do you think, Jordan?? asked one.

?Jordan spoke next. ?Adam, she?s a mage. We saw her coming from the tower.?

?Adam nodded. ?True. Think she?s on business? She was moving fast.?

?Jordan considered this. ?She?s pretty young.?

?Adam nodded. ?But you can never tell with these Mages.?

?Jordan was silently a moment. ?Take her?? Adam responded with a nod, and Jordan picked Alleria up and threw her over his shoulder. The two then began moving through the streets.?

**********

?At first, Alleria was aware of only two things. First was her splitting headache. Second was that her hands were tied behind her back and something was in her mouth. Slowly, her vision moved from darkness to a blur and gradually into discernable images. She could tell that she was in a forest, and that she was lying on her side. The sunrise was just beginning to touch the sky. Next she became aware of two men sitting by a campfire, their conversation quite as they ate some meat that they had just finishe

 

Valen Tomask
Rebellion Excampment

Valen moved into the tent. He made a bit of small talk with Sassana, before he then turned his attention to his leader. "You sent for us?"

Xavier stood, casting a glance at the two. He began pacing. Valen was silent as he watched the man. Xavier remained quiet for a moment, and then spoke some more as he paced. "I have been thinking. The battle was a failure. We had the numbers. We had surprise, as far as it could go. What did we lack?" This last question was obviously rhetorical, for Xavier didn?t give them a chance to answer. He stopped and looked at them for a brief second. "We lack the magical superiority. It?s a sad state of affairs, but we cannot win a battle without more mages."

'Wonderful' Valen thought to himself. Just what we need. Mages have already turned this into some farce. But he kept silent, as Xavier continued, his arms crossed in front of him, his face slightly dark.

Xavier continued. "I have had several men inside of Neo Alanvar scouting out the incoming Mages. So far intel is short, but they have been recruiting quite avidly. We need to do likewise, though wisely." He looked over his two most trusted advisors. "Suggestions, ideas?"Xavier drew silent.

Valen grunted, as he looked over at Sassana and shrugged his shoulders. "I would leave that question to Sassana My Lord, as she would know much more about such things than I do. I prefer to getting ride of the mages before they got to the battle field. But if we're not able to do that, then getting more mages sounds like a plan to me. But getting seasoned mages to follow might be a bit ... " He looked over at Sassana. "Difficult. At least, not without proper motivation."

Valen shrugged once more, and waited for Sassana to say something.


TAG: Trimaj, Chuckles

 

Orml Chal
Woods, Outlaw Encampment

The real problem with taking time out to smoke, Orml had long ago come to terms with, was it gave you a lot of time for reflection. Too much time, really. You went back to subjects you really didn't feel like reexamining right at that moment, or perhaps even ever. But what else could you do? The mind was fond of probing itself when it had too little to occupy itself with, and worst of all, it never seemed to follow your requests.

So it was he found his train of thought wandering back to a conversation he had with one of the other folks from the forest on the way to this encampment.

---

[i][b]"Are you uneasy, Orml? The killing, perhaps? I realize many people feel uneasy about death. Perhaps you´re afraid?"[/b] She was, Orml had to note, spectacularly insensitive. Cold, really, you could practically see the frost dripping off her words. If memory served, Igrene - or something to that effect - was her name.

"Of course I'm uneasy," he practically snapped back, his gaze hardening considerably. "And of course I'm afraid. Killing, hell, [u]fighting[/u] disgusts me, and I'll be honest, I have no desire to die for causes I have no stake in. I'm afraid for my safety, and I'm afraid for all of us." He let out a low whistle. "You seem to be rather in control of the situation, though," he added, as dryly as he could manage.[/i]
[hr]
It had been more than a bit creepy, honestly. It was almost like Igrene was totally cut off from other people and emotions, and Orml didn't like to think people could end up that far gone. With a sigh, he sat up on his haunches and took another drag on the fireweed.

[b]TAG: Sirak (In the flashback), others in campsite, Chuks[/b]

 

Igrene
Settlement

The conversation was all that clouded her otherwise fine day. Not that she showed any sort of enthusiasm. But her plans had radically evolved and even better than she had hoped for.

The enemy was now in sight, the rebellion nearby and she had killed some of the others. Had revenged her people. The closest thing to people she had. It hadn´t given her great satisfaction, but she had made it her aim to kill many of them and she had finally got hold on some. Since she had realized that she had to find a purpose she hadn´t had a lot success with her chosen one. Well, revenge had been the obvious choice and hse had not been to comfortable to make a non-obvious choice.

"You seem to be rather in control of the situation, though," Orml has told her and she had seen something like an accusation in his eyes. It had to be another misinterpretation, why should he?

"Yes, I think so. Good, isn´t it?" She had replied and catched up with the lead.

Now she watched things unfold around her and wondered when they met the rebellion. Maybe she shouldn´t hurry too much. If things developed that fast on and on, she might fulfill her mission too soon and need a new one.

Igrene stepped back to Orml´s side. Folding her thin arms she made sure to look normal. Casual. Relaxed. Then she said something she had heard people talk a lot about, when they had nothing else to talk about. Weather. "It´s nice weather, is it?" She asked and looked uo, imitating the gesture she had seen so often from commoners. "No rain, I think." Imitating another gesture she spitted to the ground next ot her. She wondered what that was good for.

Tag: Ramza, others, Chukles

 

The Rebel Camp

The coin danced across the man's fingers as he spoke.

"Anyone fancy a game of cards?"

The few rebels around eating their meal looked up curiously. The man grinned, and an astute observer would just barely notice the predatory glint that flashed in his eye for the briefest of moments. His boots were fine, if scuffed, and his jacket bore marks of wear, but was of excellent quality. His hat, too, looked like it would have once been found on the head of a wealthy country gentleman...but those days had most certainly passed. About his waist, beneath the coat, was a fine rapier, though it too had seen better days.

The rebels eyed him suspiciously. He sighed. "I assure you, gentlemen, that whatever names your comrades may call me behind my back are utterly unfair and in no way reflect my character. The gentlemen last night were merely having an extremely unfortunate day, is all."

And like moths to the flame, they all eventually sat down with the coin dancer.

---

"Thief!"

"Cheat!"

"Liar!"

"Cheat!"

As he picked himself up from the mud, he raised a hand with a lecturing finger raised up. "Now, that's not fair, you've called me a cheat twice now."

Any further response from [b]Leocanto Ravelle[/b] was cut off by a mean right hook.

[b]Tag: Chuks[/b]


[/blockquote]

 

IC: Alleria Deron
Somewhere

The first thing Alleria became aware of was discomfort. The world was all blurry, her head felt like it was splitting open, there was something digging into her side, her mouth felt like it was full of sand, and all she wanted to do was roll over and go back to sleep -

Hang on, some more awake part of her mind thought. Where am I?

Alleria didn't know. That puzzled her for a moment. She blinked, wishing she could rub her eyes (her arms didn't want to work for some reason) and gradually the blurs resolved into grass, trees, and ... a campfire? Yes, that was definitely a campfire. And the sun was rising; the sun should not be rising yet. But more to the point, it was a campfire with two unfamiliar men sitting around it and as she watched, one of the men came over and crouched down in front of her. "Are you hungry?" he asked quietly, holding out a small piece of cooked meat.

Then Alleria made her next discovery: there was something in her mouth, it wasn't sand, and the reason why her arms didn't work was that they were bound behind her back.

She was bound and gagged in the middle of a forest with two men she had never seen before.

So she did the only sensible thing for a seventeen-year-old girl to do: she panicked.

Her eyes wide, Alleria shot backwards, her legs scrambling awkwardly in the ground as she tried to get as far away from this man as she could.

TAG: Chuks

 

IC: Sassana Elanun
Rebel Camp, Earth Kingdom

Valen arrived a mere few moments later, and commented that she was hale and hearty. Also there was a nod, which was returned without any other comment. It wasn't like there was much to say. She was glad he had survived, he was glad she survived. It was something they had said to each other on more than one occasion, and she, quite simply, was not interested in going through that right then. What she DID want was to know why Xavier had sent for them right then. And why he thought it was so urgent. She didn't have long to find out, and thankfully the voice was being silent for now.

Sadness and despondency seemed to be the order of the day. Xavier was down, depressed, and otherwise in a rather un-useful mood at the moment. At least he was asking for advice now. Sassana could have told him that a full fledged battle was utterly moronic given the magical disparity. She could have told him that they would lose, and that they would lose badly. Remuza by himself was enough to turn the battle against them. Remuza... Someone she had not thought about for a decade or so now, and wished she hadn't needed to. But now he was in the playing field again, and would have to be dealt with. The blue skinned woman shuddered at the thought.

Now that Xavier had found things out the hard way he was asking for advice. Now that they were down several hundred soldiers, possibly thousands depending on the wounded situation. Now that morale had been all but destroyed. How many more would they lose to desertion? Shaking her head, what little recruitment they had been able to have would not cover it. Not for several years potentially. Sassana wasn't sure if they'd lost any Mages or not, but those were loses they might never replace. While there were Mages with with a conscious, that didn't mean they were willing to give their lives for a lost cause.

Then it was Valens turn, and he basically said what she was thinking. She remained silent and still while he spoke, leaning on her weapons staff. Bed was starting to call to her as the magical energy she had used needed to be replaced, among other things. The fact of battle was also wearing on her badly. Very badly. That was the problem of being an officer, you never got enough sleep. Ever. Sighing, and shaking her head very slightly, Sassana found that it was her turn to speak.

Another sigh escaped her lips. "What Valen says is true. Killing the Mages before they even make it to a battlefield is the best answer. Capturing them would be even better, so we can potentially get them to join us. Who knows, we might get lucky." Pursing her lips for a second, Sassana considered. "The only thing we can really do is what we have been previously. Hit them in smaller groups, take them out in places they aren't ready for us." She shrugged as well, "But then that's probably reasonably obvious now. To deal with the Mages armies without a nearly equal number of magic users... Well, we would need more than quadruple their numbers. And even then I wouldn't bet on use winning. But we could hurt them." Tilting her head for a moment, remembering something she had felt in the battle. "There was a group of very powerful magic users in the forest at the edge of the battle. Powerful on a level that only a trained Mage can reach, yet these did not seem to be so. I... hate to suggest it, but maybe there are more Vyn'rath out there than the Mages realize? Maybe this is what we have found? Maybe they would be willing to help us?" That was about all she had to say. "Our odds of recruiting out of the Mages themselves are slim." Here she shook her head. "They are cold and ambitious, and by the time they have learned to use their power most are utterly unwilling to consider another path. They like what they do, the power and pain they can cause." A shudder ran through her. "I remember..." That last was very soft. It was why she had left after all.

TAG: KTALA, CHUK

 

And, a much awaited update, I am sure. Quick note, I suggest everyone give a read over of the first part, even though it does not, apparently, directly effect many of you. However, it does give important information on the state of the Mages of Alanvar a bit, and so I would recommend glancing over it a bit. Plus, I love the writing.

Incidentally, Forest Folk--basically everyone not tagged by name--I am giving you guys some time to converse a bit and go through some more character development. You seem to enjoy it so.... enjoy.

-_-_-_-_-_-

The bard looked between the faces of his anxious audience. ?Now, back in Neo Alanvar events were unfolding that I think you should be aware of.

?From the South, fierce winds rolled over the Earth Kingdom. Intermingled with the strong gusts was the unmistakable damp aroma of rain. The morning sky darkened in the distance as colossal storm clouds spanned the horizon, lightning bolts leaping amidst the thunderheads. Ergun Harbor was the first to see the torrential downpours begin. The storm was moving quickly, and soon Neo Alanvar was enveloped by the tumultuous weather.

?A single pinnacle rose above the rest of the city, reaching towards the blackened heavens. In the given light, it appeared as dark and foreboding as the clouds racing ever faster across the beatific Earth Kingdom. The majestic forests bent in the wind, moaning their objection to the harsh elements and adding to the gloomy atmosphere that descended upon the capitol city.

?A lone figure, as dark as the shrouding night around him, moved through the flooding streets, his cloak pulled tightly around him. Despite the damp cold, the man moved assuredly. He reached the gates of the Mage?s Tower and was immediately admitted. The figure moved to the doors and shoved them open. His footsteps echoed throughout the empty corridors. The torches were all extinguished and the man blended perfectly into the shadows. He began climbing the stairs at the center of the tower, spiraling towards the top until he came to a single, round room. Seven other men and women sat in regal chairs evenly spaced around the brightly lit chamber, a window placed evenly between each seat.

?Remuza came through the doorway, dripping onto the ornately tiled floor. One man, dressed in royal purple robes, spoke gruffly. ?You?re late.? His voice showed his age, but had an air of regal strength.

?His shoulder-length hair dripping down his face, Remuza sunk down into the one vacant seat with nothing more than a grunt. After several moments of silence, the other man, clearly the Arch Mage, spoke again. ?Well? Did you find her??

?He was now lounging in his seat, and Remuza merely said, ?No.? His voice was matter of fact and his usual hollow tone. The others stared at him expectantly until it became clear he did not plan on saying more. Finally, the Arch Mage spoke.

??Very well. Who was she?? A smile touched Remuza?s lips. Clearly it was a foreign expression on his face, for even members of the Mage?s Council sat back a bit as they saw it.

??Oh? you don?t know?? He laughed, a cold and heartless sound. ?I?m surprised, Olantar. It was a girl from the Fire Kingdom. Her power was small now, but her potential? oh, she had potential, I could feel it. I could smell it on her.? Remuza inhaled, his eyes closing. His body shuddered as if in pleasure, and the rest of the Councilors stared at him, almost scared expressions in their faces. The room settled into an eerie silence once more.

?At some length Olantar spoke. His voice was low and menacing. ?Was it? her?? he asked, almost a hiss.

?Remuza smiled once more and it froze the blood of all in the room. ?Oh, yes. It was her.?

?Fury burst across Olantar?s face as he trembled in rage. After a moment, he slammed his fists on the arms of his chair. ?How could you let her escape!? he roared in fury.

?Remuza chuckled coldly, and then leaned against the armrest, resting his head on his fist. ?Oh, my dear Olantar,? the corner of his mouth twitching in a smile. ?Her trai

 

And now, an announcement to the RPF as a whole. I will be accepting new players as of this post. They will be worked in gradually as the game progresses, but I am willing to take on, for the time being, any number of players that wish to participate. As I fill up, I may limit it again, but if you are interested, please send me a pm. As well, players, if you know someone who you think would be interested in this game, please feel free to invite them to send a Character Sheet my way. Thank you. That is all.

 

IC: Alleria Deron
Somewhere

Alleria's struggles seemed to have no effect whatsoever. She had not gotten more than a few feet away before they caught her; they had picked her up and thrown her unceremoniously over a shoulder as if she weighed no more than a child, and bound her feet before she could do anything else.

Now she was well and truly trussed up.

They carried her from then on, talking to one another as if she wasn't really there. Truth be told, she was too scared to really pay attention ... though as they trudged on, Alleria felt her fear melt away. It was the way the man carrying her - Jordan? - was cradling her in his arms, and the steady stream of idle commentary he offered on their surroundings, and even the rain. Alleria had always disliked the rain - it was rare in the Fire Kingdom to begin with, and always an inconvenient downpour like this one when it happened - but now the cold water woke her up and gave her something else to focus on.

By the time they reached the cave, she was almost calm.

Jordan set her down as the other man kindled a fire. It occurred to Alleria, suddenly, that she could do such a thing by magic ... or at least, if she were in an empty classroom in the tower in Neo Alanvar with no pressure and all the time she wanted, she could have done it. Good thing they hadn't bothered asking her to do it, then.

?Now?? Jordan said, watching her carefully. ?You must be starving. I?m going to remove the gag, and give you some food, and please don?t scream, or anything. It?s all okay. I promise.?

Alleria nodded cautiously, but he was as good as his word, and in short order the scrap of cloth was out of her mouth. She took a grateful swallow from the canteen - her mouth was so dry - and when he offered her a biscuit, she discovered she was actually hungry. It was nice and crunchy, and by the time Alleria swallowed, she was feeling a bit better.

She felt well enough to ask a question, anyway, and Jordan seemed the reasonable type. "Wh-" she began. Her voice failed her; she cleared her throat, and tried again, stuttering a little from the cold. "Who- who're you? Where are y- you taking me?"

TAG: Chuks

 

"Jordan shifted uncomfortably at her question. Of course she'd have to ask that... well... it did make sense. I mean, kidnapping was a major event in anyone's life... it would make sense she'd want to know why her life had been so rudely intruded upon. Plus, she was scared, and this was easily apparent. He looked at her shyly, suddenly embarrassed for having kidnapped the girl. Alex, seeing this, rolled his eyes and left the cave, preferring the cold rain to what he knew was to come.

"If Alleria chose to examine Jordan, she'd find he was a young man, perhaps eighteen or nineteen. He was an attractive fellow with a clean shaven face and shortly cut, if not slightly messy, hair. Altogether.... hehe...." The bard chuckled slightly. "he had a very innocent air about him. He spoke nervously, and it became clear he was an... odd fellow, to say the least.

"'Uh... yeah... about that... well... well.... My name is Jordan. Born and raised in the Earth Kingdom.' He flashed her a proud smile, but it soon faded back to the awkward look on his face. 'Well... um... I can't really tell you where we're going, per se...' He rushed to comfort her now. 'Oh, but... but, don't worry. You're perfectly safe. I promise. Please, please believe me."

The bard chuckled now at the thought in his head. "His voice had a pleading tone to it... it was rather pitiful that a kidnapper should be this nervous about the given situation. After a brief period of awkward silence, Jordan started suddenly, as if someone had just lightly kicked his shin. 'Oh my... you must be cold. Here, let me...' The young man didn't finish, but instead wrapped his arms gently around her and lifted her a few inches off the ground, moving her closer to the fire in hopes of drying and warming her. He released Alleria, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying to warm her some and hopefully get some of the water out of her clothing. Her clothing was..."

Again the bard laughed. "Oh, I am so sorry. The scene is truly just that funny. You'll understand in a moment." The bard continued again with mirth in his voice. "He looked down to see the condition of her clothing. Now... she was wet, and her clothes clung quite closely to her body. The poor boy saw this, and his eyes widened. He pulled his arm quickly back from around her shoulders and jumped backwards a bit, a blush exploding across his face. After another second, he looked up at Alleria. She had a strand of wet hair plastered onto her face, concealing her right eye. Unthinkingly, Jordan reached out and brushed it back, tucking the lock of hair behind her ear. He..." more chuckled laughter, "He yanked his hand back again as the blush moved from a pale red to a bright crimson. At a loss for what to do, the boy buried his face in his hands and released an embarrassed groan.

"'I'm... I'm sorr-y. I didn't mean to.... It wasn't trying.... um.... uh... Please, I... I.... eh... Wh-what.... what's your name?' He finally croaked out, his head still in his hands. He could feel the blush on his face, and death sounded like a good option about now."

TAG: DarthXan318

 

IC: Lyle Zahara
Forest

Hm...

Though perhaps seemingly a bit incompetent at times, Lyle was much more observant and just all around very good at his job despite what others may think. As a hunter and an archer he had not only sharp eyesight but his other senses had been sharpened as well. Such as touch of firm ground to step and position himself upon and hearing for detecting unusual sounds - or even lack thereof - that would give him the hint of a nearby target.

These senses were useful for not just hunting. As the group moved out, the sun came up, Lyle was able to detect signs. The decrease in temperature, the leaves of the nearby tree that turned upwards, these signs and more that hinted Lyle to the dark clouds just before they formed and the rain just before it fell.

The archer didn't mind the rain and he had actually pulled down the hood of his cloak so that the rain could drop down atop his head, wetting his hair and causing it to stick to his scalp. Being born in the Earth Kingdom, Lyle was used to not only the fields and forests but the rain that routinely dropped to supply water to not only the landscape but the people that made a living upon it. So the water that managed to slip in between his leather armor, making his tunic and other clothing wet and cold, and the mud that started to stick to his boots didn't make him mind it at all.

Which was good because he was focused on more important things.

Leading the company to the rendezvous point was one important task but not one that Lyle had to really focus on. He knew where he was going and all he had to do was march in one direction until they stumbled onto the Rebellion.

The other important thing was keeping his eye out for certain...people. With the rain falling down, causing clothes to get wet and stick to an individual's body, Lyle was using this chance to inspect a few of their more female members of the group. Some had some protection - whether armor or rain-oriented clothing - that caused Lyle's search to initially fail, but the more time that went by was just a growing chance at him spotting what he wanted to spot.

And here we go! A glance to one side allowed Lyle to spot the first catch. The silly grin that wanted to appear - and one he had mastered control over - was killed and instead Lyle did the usual up-and-down motion with his eyes to get what he can. The clothes that stuck to shapely legs, curves, and the more then generous package that Lyle could spot further up. This was nice...

His peep show did remind him about one certain mistake back at the camp that he was going to have to make sure to watch himself for this time. That woman - Fara - ...yeah she didn't like his staring. Probably because she was married which put Lyle on the spot. Despite being the womanizer that he knew he was, he also knew 'off limits' when he heard it and respected it greatly. Less trouble that way. Course, though he soon found out his mistake, that didn't stop him from being able to prevent that sheathed blade from striking him in the leg when she had turned so abruptly to leave. He was left with a bit of a limp after that and even now his leg continued to sting just a little where he had been struck.

It was going to take a lot more then that to stop his peeping of course but he was working with a degree of care for now.

Staring for as long as he thought he could, Lyle turned to look forward again, his eyes now examining the path ahead, making sure that he hadn't inadvertently started stumbling off to the side during his staring. This was a nice show he was getting and all but it was probably a good idea that he really got back to the Rebellion. Who knew what kind of craziness was going on without him.

Course, when he thought of some of the people that he would be bringing back - and Lyle made another glance back to try and spot them - the archer wondered what kind of craziness he may be bringing.

TAG: Forest People