Reqium of Mana (IC)

[Storyboy]

Life in Syzuk was prosperous, the Empire was growing uniting lands, mecha were being built to protect those lands, and there was no war raging throughout the land. There was however a conflict between two groups known as the Vanguard, and the Force. The Vanguard were people who wanted to protect magic and its users, the Force however saw magic as a means of destruction. The feud has been rising as of late and many fear it will lead to a civil war. To top that there have been dissapearances and theoryoligist are starting to say magic has a side affect that is hazerdous to the lands existence, and it's building up.

But life was good to those outside of the know. People like the southern bandits. Not the most creative of people, hence the title. They weren't the brightest either, they had just robbed a town by the name of Elsenor. Elsenor was usualy a rather peaceful place, out in the woods away from harm so few guards were stationed there. A perfect place for bandits to hit you would think. Well not today, today however if the bandits would have done just a bit of observing on the town they were to hit they would know a man by the name of Joseph Ironworks, aka Gauntlet, was in town. Gauntlet was no other than the most noturious bounty hunter of the south eastern region of Syzuk, perhaps of all Syzuk. He was known for his massive machines known as...

"MECHA!" A bandit screamed running with an assortment of items owned by the people of Syzuk. "He's catching up to us what do we do?" There was a party of four, armed but seriously stupid bandits. "Drop the loot it's slowing you down Rodney!" One of the bandits said to the other in the back. The sound of large foot steps and hydraulics weren't far behind them. Rodney ran up to the back of the cart that the others three others were on. "Oh what are we going to do now?"

"There's nothing you can do." Said a voice behind them.

"Oh no!" The bandits said in unison.

"I'VE GOT YOU NOW YOU BASTARDS!!!" There was a loud thump as the golden mecha jumped of the ground. It shimmered in the light of the sun before coming down and swinging at the cart which sent it crashing into the trees.

The mecha walked over to the dazed bandits covered in miscellaneous items. "So are you guys going to come in easy or do we have to do that again?" The man in the mech had a grand smile, the bandits all shook their heads they were done.

[dreamingflowers]

Syzuk, United Empire the Kingdom of Humans.
The fortune of the fool

The fire in the hearth hissed softly as it fed on the wood turning it into charred remains.
Something got tossed into the fire, a handful of herbs and some other items which were impossible to identify. A heavy aroma filled the room as the herbs burned away it was a heady scent which could make one drowsy if not accustomed to it.

Iit by only a few candles and the fire in the hearth the small room and its contents were shrowded in shadows. All one could see was a young man waiting nervously at the dim lit table. He was dressed in very fine clothes indeed and carried a sword mostly for decoration.
He did not appear to have the ability to actually wield one.
The way he sat at the table wringing his hands together gave the impression he was about to do something he wasn´t supposed to be doing. Something frowned upon, something forbidden. He was waiting for the secrets of his life to be reveiled.
His friends had warned him not to go to her. They had told him stories about the Lescanzi, black hearted witches who stole away men and ravaged them in the dark of night. They had gone into particular detail about a young soothsayer a Lescanzi who had her eyes cut out as punishment for predicitng the death of a wealthy land owner. Enough to scare away any fool but yet here he was seemingly unfazed by these stories.

The woman near the hearth got up and walked over to the table slowly. Her walk was strange unbalanced probably because of her age. It was hard to make out her figure in the darkness of the room. A shawl covered her almost completely and her flowing skirts hid her legs. Her face was covered as well by a veil probably a good thing the young men mused.
He wouldn’t want to look at the old hag.
"Put your money on the table and we will begin" The sound of her voice struck him. It was pleasant but had a condescending tone to it. But most of all it didn’t sound like the voice he was expecting. He took out his purse and put a few gold pieces into a curiously shaped bowl. The precious metal made a resounding clank when it hit the bottom.
She leaned on the table before edging her way to the seat opposite of him. She took off her shawl and lifted her veil. He was astonished she was……..young. She looked to be around his age. He could see everything except her eyes they were covered with fabric. The story of the young soothsayer floated somewhere in the back of his mind but he did not care. He only noticed the way her dark curles framed her small face and flowed down her pale shoulders. The way her lips moved when she…..
“Now what do you wish of me?”
His heart stuck in his throat when he realized he had been staring at her which she must have sensed taken his silence.
“I want to know if I am soon to be married” The fire hissed and turned blue for a few seconds before returning to a warm orange. It remaind silent for a while as the young woman folded her hands on the table.
“Retrieve your items from the fire” The young man looked at her strangly and hesitated when he approached the hearth.
“But…..” he protested. If he went to take out the necklace and the bone he would surely burn his hand. Maybe if he was quick he could get out with just some blisters but he doubted it.
The iron poke offered itself as the sollution and he breathed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately his reflief was short lived as the women spoke yet again.
“If you wish to know the things of which you speak you must pay the price”

He reluctantly put his hand in the fire and retrieved both items as fast as he could. Once he was seated at the table she took his hand. Her fingers were soft and cool as she opened his hand and took the two items. Small blisters had formed on his palm and she placed his hand in a bowl of water which she had prepared before he came to see her.
The only sounds came from the crackling fire and his heavy breathing. It was uncomfortably silent and the women let the dainty necklace slide through her fingers first. The bone lay still on the table showing small cracks from its time in the hearth.
“She is very beautiful the woman you desire” an obvious guess but the man seemed to buy into it as he leaned in closer to listen to the words of the woman. The necklace showed her more but nothing the young man would want to know. People who came to her never wanted the truth they just wanted good news. The truth used to be clear like the surface of water but now she could only guess……..
Next to pass into her hands was the cracked bone and she took the time to feel how the fire had tempered the surface. It looked like a bone from a small animal but it was something else.
“You will marry…..” she fell silent for a moment as she heard the man breath a sigh of happiness. “But” she continued.
“Your wife will be unable to have children and you will never a family of your own” Suddenly the table flew across the room and candles rolled over the stone floor. The young man grabbed her by her arms yelling at her.
“You are lying you witch!” she remained calm placing her hands on his chest trying to push him away from her.
“That is what I have seen” she spoke calmy.
The door opened and a soldier who guarded her entrance entered the room making his way over to the pair. He only looked at the young noble.
“You need to leave……now” His voice had a hint of malice to it.

After he was gone she kneeled down to the floor trying to gather her things. The man who had entered kneeled down beside her and handed her the candles and other trinkets. “You are being foolish Lamia….” He placed a hand on her shoulder. She yanked his hand of her shoulder angrily.
“I don’t need your judgement fool!”
With effort she made it to the chair which was still standing and put on her veil again.
“Now leave me be”

[Sylvaky]

The war between magic and non-magic users affected nearly everyone in Syzuk. Whether you were elvish, human, animal, or beast, you were bound to stumble into the war. Some mages fought for the right to use magic, others for control over the province. Those without magic, however; fought for equality, domination and in the name of fear. Both sides went about it the wrong way, where diplomacy was needed, fighting ensued. There were those that didn't concern themselves with politics or laws, underground groups. Thieves, assassins, mercenaries, and many other factions existed purely for the coin or the adrenaline rush that came with completing a job.

Aleena Farcry, an elf from the Southern Mountains, was part of one of these underground organizations. The Blood Brotherhood, one of the largest assassin guilds in Lumina. Their roots reached far across the world, but their strongest presence was in Syzuk, the province at war. The war had done much to increase the amount of contracts flowing in to the Brotherhood's hands. Aleena received a particular contract to take out a Force courier and retrieve any orders and sent it to the Vanguard. Aleena's choice of weapons consisted of her short swords and a short bow. Her quiver carried fifteen well crafted arrows, one of which was now trained on the neck of a man carrying the sign of the Force. The elf held her breath, waited a heart beat for her hands to steady and loosed the arrow. The projectile embedded itself where the neck met the shoulder. The courier fell like a sac of flour.

Aleena rushed down to the corpse and riffled through the documents in the satchel attached to the man's waist. They papers contained minor orders, moving men here, fortifying a stronghold there. Nothing of immediate concern for the Vanguard. It seemed as though the orders were false. But this was her assignment and all she needed to do was send a raven with the orders to the Vanguard, then receive her pay. Perhaps she would even invest her reward in a new raven as hers had grown old.

Aleena rolled the courier's body off the road and into the bushes, wild animals would find it eventually and there would be nothing left. Standing, Aleena put the orders into her own satchel and started off down the path. she was heading south east, around the dessert and toward the mountain range from there she would head south for the Blood Brotherhood hide out, a raven would be sent and her contract complete.

[Lunaxy]

A huge creature stood itself ontop of a mountain, it's azure blue scales matching well with the sky, the cold gaze of the creature deeply staring into the nothingness of the endless. The creature seemed like a lizard, except with two huge and long wings, that had a surprising grace to them, it was dragon. "You are foolish, Steven." It's voice echoed in Steven's mind, a calm and gentle voice, despite the extremely intimidating tone. "You are ingenue." The words echoed through Steven's mind once again, and a soft sigh was exhaled by the young man. "Why, Zephyr?" He spoke up, glancing up at the huge azure dragon, frowning slightly at what the dragon had 'said' previously.

"You are being used, you're far too ingenue. You believe you're doing the good by aiding people, but you've been fooled more than once." The dragon breathed calmly, the air he exhaled being even visible due to it's cold... breath. "... It was only once, I had no idea she was a bandit, how could I even know? She dressed so well." Steven glanced up at the sky, shaking his head slightly in frustration. "It won't happen again, ever." He spoke confidently, although he knew he could get used like he had been again, it was a matter of fact. Steven always wanted to help, and some people with malicious intentions used of that, by fooling him.

"Do as you wish. Just remember, repeated mistakes might make you unfit." The Dragon stood himself up, stretching it's long and powerful legs, his long tail curling up slightly, then the dragon stretched it's long blue wings. "Unfit? For what?" Steven questioned, just as the dragon flapped it's wings twice before leaping into the air. "Unfit for being my master." These were the last few words before the Dragon took his flight and in brief seconds, he was out of Steven's sight.

Steven gave a roll of his eyes, extending his legs slightly forward, resting his hands over his knees, groaning slightly. "... Perhaps I should indeed watch out for these.. Malicious one." He thought aloud, pressing his palms against the ground as he stood himself up, picking his sword up in the process. Steven stretched himself, sheathing the sword at his waist. "... And once again, he left without taking me down." A playful chuckle escaped Steven.

And briefly after, he started to walk his way down off the cliff, luckily, it was one of these mountains which had enough space for one to walk, almost as if it was made by man. It probably was, judging how the 'road' which led up to it was circuling over the huge mountain, almost perfectly so. About thirty minutes after, Steven would be at the ground again, walking towards the Vanguard's hold. It would be quite the long walk.

[Elyk]

Angel stood by the secretary of the Brotherhood, silent and still, like a shadow. He waited patiently until the elderly man finished up sorting through papers and distributing payments. It seemed like forever, Angel's patience and obedience were being tested and he knew it, but it was still hard for him to wait so long. Finally the man rested his quill in the inkwell and looked up at the young assassin. "Angel, is there something I can help you with?" The elderly book keeper pretended as if Angel just walked in.

"Elder, I was told you had contracts for me. They were minor ones if I am correct, sir." Angel barely moved from his position, being taught to only move when needed. The secretary filed through papers until he found scrolls bound in leather string. "Yes, yes there are some for you. However, you have the the scraps that your superiors and colleagues don't want." Angel was used to the rejected contracts, the ones that paid little and usually required even less skill. These tended to be less important in the larger scheme of things; poisonings, harassment and generally sending messages on behalf of the employer.

Angel graciously accepted what he was given and after bowing and leaving the presence of the Elder Assassin, he began to quickly scan through the contracts. He expected the usual petty stuff, but one caught his eye. This looked to be reserved for Angel himself, bearing the Brotherhood Insignia with his name imprinted in a wax seal, instead of the other leather bounds. This one looked important. This one looked like a new test.

[dreamingflowers]

Syzuk, somewhere on the roads of the United Empire
The Absens Sortilegus

Katerina was being led by a indocile black stallion which she had bought to replace her other horse. The merchant told her a rather ridiculous story about the breed of the horse. He must have thought her to be stupid and yet she still bought the horse because there had been no time to find an alternative. Information had come her way and someone had been trying to find her. She didn't trust anyone and the message could also have been a lie. A distraction to lure her into a trap. She needed to get away from the city as fast as possible.The Lescanzi could not take her back after what happened. She was tainted and her magic long lost. Sometimes she could not find a reason to carry on other then the sake of travel. The roads always called to her and she loved to wander from town to town before she was made blind. Still the feeling of dirt and gravel under her boots comforted her. The stallion started to diverge from the road probably distracted by distant sights. She gave the reigns a forcefull yank to keep the animal under control. The stallion snorted forcefully as she pulled him closer. She was surprised by his sudden nearness as she felt the breath of the stallion blowing against her veil. This animal enjoyed her complete trust and to her it was a more valuable companion than any she traveled with. She was determined not to show the unpredictable behaviour of the stallion scared her because the animal would know. A horse not under the control of man would become foolish.

She purposefully stayed at the back of the group traveling infront of her because for one she didn’t know who they were and secondly she didn’t want them to walk behind her. With her limited sight she would tread rather slowly and she didn’t want anyone at her back she didn’t know. For now it was just her and the stallion for all she cared.
They had been traveling for a couple of hours or so she guessed. Her sense of time wasn’t what it used to be. The way the black stallion led her on was tiresome. He kept halting probably to graze at the grass and it wouldn’t move unless she kept tugging at the reigns and ushering him to continue on. She didn’t want to admit it but she was getting tired. The sudden brightness of the sun didn’t help either. While it warmed them it also burned them down with its rays.

She didn’t know where exactly they were but she suspected they were on a grassland of some sort. The ground felt uneven as if they walked up a hill. The horse had already started to graze when she had decided to stand still and determine her next move effectively tying her to that spot. She didn’t have the energy to pull him along anymore. A soft sigh escaped her lips a feature of her face not hidden by her veil. After feeling around the saddle she had found her traveling bag. From the sound of their chatter she knew she was still a reasonable distance away from the other travelers. She knelt down into the tall grass and started to take off her cloak and veil. Her dark curls weighed down heavily on her shoulders and she held them up with her hands to cool her back.The stallion nudged her now bare shoulder and she leaned on him when she got up. There was still some water left in her skin and he was probably thirsty. She felt around for his head and pulled the reigns to get him closer to her. She opened the skin and lifted it up so the animal could swallow. Now that she had lost her shawl and veil she could feel the cool breeze on her neck and shoulders.

In the privacy of the tall grass and only in the company of her horse she started to take off her bandages. It had only been a couple of months and the wounds still hurt. They had cut out her eyes forcefully also scarring the area around her eyes. She got out a small bottle containing some sort of thick liquid which she applied very gently around her eye sockets. She flinched at the pain but did not let up. Afterwards she covered it with a clean bandage and the usual fabric. After resting for a good while the stallion began acting up again and she was fed up with the animal. Releasing the reigns she whispered a quiet treath into his ears.
“If you do not return when I need you to I’ll have you killed and slaughtered for dinner” The animal probably couldn’t understand her but she needed something or someone to be angry at. It walked away from her and started a steady gallop across the fields working off some of his pent up energy. After she didn’t feel him around her anymore she grabbed her traveling bag and felt around for something small. Her hand caught a small cloth bag filled with what sounded like little stones. She knew her divination wasn’t reliable anymore but she was taught to trust it always. Besides she didn't know where to go and she needed to put all of her faith in the habits of old. What else was she going to do? If she wanted to know which path to take it was up to her. The pure white stones rolled out of the bag and into her hands. Small symbols were engraved into the stones so even a blind could read them.
Her breathing slowed down and she concentrated on the air around her a small verse passed her lips.
“Vis ostendo merih mitas umos” it was a strange language, it did not sound like any other dialect in Syzuk . She cast the stones onto the square cloth carefully so they wouldn’t roll off.

The path she was on would lead the betrayel.
Despite the warm sun a shiver ran down her spine. She continued to feel around trying to decipher the symbols engraved on the stones.
A meeting of strangers, a young naive man.
After she felt the carvings of the next stone she held in her breath.
Because of her intense focus on trying to understand the messages the runes sent her she had neglected to be vigilant of her surroundings. She had not heard the approach of the man behind her. Frustrated by the unclarity of her predictions she got up angrily. The sudden rough hand on her shoulder surprised her and she vented out her frustration at the stranger
She slapped his hand away and turned to where she thought she heard him.
“Get off me!”
“Give me your horse and your money” the stranger had the voice of a commoner. Probably a desperate villager but not a real thief. A real thief would have known she was defenseless and would have either killed or robbed her maybe even both.
The sound of a knife being unsheated got her on edge and she reached down below her skirts to take out her own knife.
“Wha…..what are you doing…!” there was a hint of panic in his voice. She was not impressed for a thief he did not sound particularly skilled or confident.
She stayed calm and tried to use her witt to get out of the situation.
“My dear sir you must be familiar with the knowledge that whatever you inflict upon others will return to you threefold”
As she had expected the man immediately recognized this rule. It was one of the infamous laws of the Lescanzi similar to the one she had broken only months ago.
“You……you are from the Lescanzi……..”
“Witches…..” he mumbled to himself.
She flicked her knife between her pale fingers and had a mischevious smile on her face.
“Go ahead take whatever you want, but know this my curse will follow you everywhere until…….you die” There was a moment of tention before the thief decided not to take his chances with this witch woman and made a run for it. He left…….
A sigh of relief left her and she started to gathered her things producing a soft whistle using only her lips. It seemed useless at first, in truth it was a charm taught to her by her grandmother to lure a stallion. It did not work an a mare, for it to work an a mare the one whisteling had to be a man. Strangly enough even this wild horse responded to her call. It was a eerie sight to behold. She pulled the reigns forcefully to remind the stallion who was in control. Her little trick might have worked but he was still a wild horse.

[Sylvaky]

It was normal for Aleena to travel along the roads as she traveled further east. Most assassins wouldn't dare, it wasn't as though they blended in with normal merchants and villagers. Their stunning armor that was blacker than night and unholy as the dark void itself centered them out in a crowd. Aleena was no exception. Along with her her mana infused markings and glowing eyes, it was hard to miss her, on or off the road. That wasn't to say that she couldn't hide when she wanted to. If she needed not to be seen, then nothing could lay eyes on her. A gift from her people in a way. She could wrap and weave shadows around herself like a cloak, silence her feet and the drawing of her weapons. It was why she had joined the Blood Brotherhood.

Aleena had reached the mountain range now. Their snowy peaks rose above the clouds, blurring together in the sky. Some mountains ended before the sky, offering refuge for those brave enough to climb the paths. It was where lizard like creatures resided, ones with wings it was said. Though Aleena didn't have the heart nor foolish mind to believe in such fairy-tales. She had went on a pilgrimage to the top of a mountain when she was young. She had shivered through the nights and was sleek with sweat during the day. Beasts had hunted her for food and she had killed them for their fur.

Aleena's elvish eyes caught sight of a man, clad in black leather, cape flowing willfully in the soft breeze as he came down from a mountain. The carved path had been traveled many times and she recognized the mountain as one that her own people had once laid claim. It had been taken from them but the clans gave it willingly out of generosity. What type of man would have business up a deserted mountain. Her curiosity got the better of her and with flowing feminine movements, she went to him. She did not speak until she was very close, circling around him and drawing a finger over his armor. Her weapons were not hidden but her overall demeanor was not threatening, it was peaceful, almost inviting.

"A man in black armor, seemingly an assassin but movements restricted by a cape." Aleena said, grabbing a fistful of his cape and letting it drop. She circled once more, stopping in front of him, "Back straight, chest out and chin proudly thrust in the air. My deepest apologies, but if it was not for the color you adorn or the magic I can feel coursing from deep within, I would have placed you as a knight.

[Lunaxy]

Steven had come to a small halt, his left hand reaching for the small satchel at his left, flickering through the small compartment. He apparently didn't found what he wanted, a small brief sigh of annoyance escaping the young man's lips as he glanced up, only to catch the sight of an elf walking around him, her slender finger running over his armor. He turned his head to follow her, his intent gaze making sure to take note of every movement, he had no idea of who she was or from where she came from, it was just a moment of distraction and suddenly, she was there, quite close to him. Had she been a bandit, mercenary or even assassin hired to kill him, he'd be surely dead now, but much to his luck, she didn't appeared dangerous, or well, not now at least.

"I'm no assassin, you however... You're one, are you not?" He spoke out, his voice holding a confident tone to it, almost as if he was sure that she was indeed one. His sky colored eyes narrowing slightly at the elf at her observation, she was quite observant, much to his distate. The way she took note of his armor and cloak, probably even weapons by now. Slowly, he took a single step back, rolling his shoulders briefly. "... Some call me knight, some call me mercenary, it doesn't truly matters." A pause, Steve tilted his head to the side, slightly, eyes running over the figure of the elf in front of him. "... Who are you, though?" He asked, the same confident tone in his voice, except it had that usual curious tone as well.

His voice of armor was indeed quite strange for a... knight, like him. But it helped keeping his identify hidden, it was also better for him, since he wasn't quite the strongest man in the world. Light armor made it easier for him to fight, faster movement, faster counters, it was just the perfect choice for someone like him, even though the armor was rather... Rusty by now, clear marks that it had been damaged and repaired were easily visible over it, especially the chest and arms. Steven, of course, was quite aware of that, and that was why he was heading back to the vanguard hold, he had saved some coin to buy a new set of armor.

[Elyk]

Angel was always taught to take care of the most important contracts first. They were the highest paid, they were issued by most valued customers, they were also the most dangerous to carry out. He read about his target, it was not much to go off of, but it was enough to get a grasp of who he was dealing with. A woman, Lescanzi, a soothsayer...Excellent, she can predict the future and yet I must follow and eventually kill her... It was already looking to be a hell of a mission.

Why were the Elders issuing this mission to him, a rookie with little killing experience? This would take time, planning, and agonizing patience. This unfortunately meant he had to go against the basics and settle out the small missions first, along the way he could always try to obtain more information, it was apparent she was used to the high class of Syzuk.

Angel was frustrated, but he knew he had to keep his mind clear of any outside distractions. He scanned his arsenal for tools to use for the small time missions. Although petty they required the same degree of excellence that the Brotherhood was known for; fast results and no loose ends. This was why they have become the elite of the guilds who dealt with death and subterfuge. Unlike the higher ranks, Angel did not have his own raven to send and retrieve all the paperwork, he was forced to do all by foot until the day the Elders saw him worthy enough for such a luxury.

After some time of reviewing the details he had decided upon what was needed; his typical weapons along with incendiary objects to dispose of classified details for scouts, herbs to give a particular nobleman a terrible case of stomach and bowel problems, and deer's blood to paint a warning to lower the morale of a small force to the west. A rather typical day for Angel indeed.

[Storyboy]

It turns out the people of Elsenor weren't to fond of their valuebles to be brought back to them only to find hald of them had been damaged or curshed.

"Look what you've done. Many of those things were family heirlooms passed down for generations. What kind of legend are you?" The village leader said. Joseph rubbed the back of his head with one hand, "Yeah, sorry about that. On the bright side though you wouldn't have any of it if it weren't for me being here."

The man shook his head, "Fine, you have a point. Still next time try to be a little more careful."

Joseph was no longer in his mech. It was currently "parked" over by the wagon he brought back full of items. A few girls were kicking it after finding their porcelain broken. "How about we go grab a drink?"

"That sounds good to me." The two walked off to the local pub.

*moments later

"I grow bored of it though. The same routine, get a contract catch the bad guy. There's no adventure to it, the people who convict crimes tend to have no brains in their skull. If there are any real thinkers amongst them, they're hidden amongst us and have no bounties on their head."

"Maybe it's time you go out and find yourself an adventure, stop hunting for awhile. your father has long been avenged." The village leader suggested.

"Yeah, maybe." Joseph said in a quiet tone. It was quiet for a moment. The Joseph spoke again, "You know what, I think I'll take you up on that. It's time for me to explore, find something new." He stood up from the bar and patted the man on the back, "Thanks." He walked towards the door, "And I know exactly where to start."

The United Empire