The Struggles Of Gadria: IC thread

[Dextkiller]

The house was far less grand than Velais had expected it to be. Unlike the surrounding manses, with their expanses of verdant gardens and grand ivory fountains, the home him and Vicis now stood before was very quaint. So quint in fact, that Velais questioned that he was even at the right building.
"Is this the correct building?" Vicis inquired.

"This is where the Elder has lead us..So it must be where we are supposed to be." Velais closed his eyes another moment just to be sure, but same as before the glowing path stopped at the door to the home, swirling slowly about the handle that opened the door. Velais stepped forward to more closely inspect the home. Although quaint, the home had exquisite decorations in the form of small flowing script along the rim of the door and around the windows, which were framed with a dark wood he did not recognize. He leaned in close to inspect the script, and to his surprise found that they were Raiyeen. The angular runes pulsed almost incomprehensibly with a deep blue light. He brushed the runes with his gauntleted hand and they flared a brighter blue. He squinted at them as he felt a sliver of magic run over the surface of his armor.
A Raiyeen spell. A soothing incantation. The magic did not effect him,for his armor dissipated the force easily enough, but he knew the touch of Raiyeen magicks well enough to discern one of their most frequently used spells.
"This magick is not harmful. This is something more.." he paused to find the correct word "Clever." A small smile broke on his face. "Soothing the savage saves one from expending energy." Velais brushed the window one more time and this time let the calmness wash over his mind. "Unfortunately for you, I do not come with malevolent intentions."

Standing straight again, he beckoned Vicis over and approached the main door. Before he reached for the handle, he first inspected the door, that was made of the same dark wood. Another spell was written in tiny script around the edges of the door, this one, however, was not as benevolent as the one on the windows. At closer inspection, the script culminated at the handle.
"Right." Velais said, stepping back. "This then." He kicked forward swiftly and felt the spell break like a tiny silver chain. The door flew inward and smashed against the inside wall. Velais Strode inside and drew Ignus Mare in a fluid motion that brought the blade up parallel to his torso. Vicis stepped in behind him, blocking the faint light from the road outside. The room they stood in was dark. Portraits and frames hung on the walls, some of which had nothing inside them and hung at odd angles. There were several pedestals along the far wall and broken sculptures littered the floor in front of them. One still stood on the pedestal against the far wall, however, and depicted a dwarf with an upraised arm, holding what appeared to be a crystal fragment. Cobwebs covered most everything. The only thing that seemed disturbed in this otherwise picturesque scene, was the fanciful rug that was moved aside at the far end of the room.
Behind the rug there was a hallway that was wreathed in shadow. That was not what interested Velais, However. The rug that had been moved aside exposed a hinge, which flashed in the light when Vicis moved from the doorway. Velais moved forward, taking care to where he laid his feet. When he reached the rug, he pulled it aside to expose a thick wooden hatch with a lock embedded into the center of the wood. Unlike the rest of the room, which was covered in an undisturbed layer of dust, the hatch was still in pristine condition. Velais brushed his hand over the lock at the center. There were three slots in it that held different runes. When he ran his hand over the slots, they changed in the most peculiar way, the runes fading away and another appearing it it's place.
"It's a code" Velais whispered. Vicis heard him however, and lumbered forward to inspect the hatch.

"I am no good with codes." The giant said as he lightly pushed Velais aside.
"Wait, it could be tr-" Velais was interrupted as the giant stamped down on the hatch with his full force, snapping the hinges with the force of his weight. The hatch gave way under the weight and Vicis lurched forward as his leg fell with the hatch. Velais yelped and lunged forward, grabbing onto the giants arm before he could fall into the unknown. They stood for a moment. Velais leaned back, using all his weight and strength to keep the blue giant from falling into the hole. They listened as the hatch fell way, echoing down and down for twenty heartbeats before landing with a conspicuous clatter on some stone material below. Vicis leaned forward to inspect the hole and Velais strained, sliding on the wooden floor as he struggled to keep the giant upright.

"Vicis!" Velais croaked, "You are slightly heavy my friend, perhaps move to sturdier ground before taking a gander."

The giant looked over his shoulder at Velais and leaned back, stumbling onto solid ground. "There is a ladder, and a torch at the bottom. It is very far down."

"So I gathered from the echoes." Velais replied, stretching his arm to make sure he had not damaged it trying to hold the giant up. "after you."

Vicis looked at him and raised a thin eyebrow. "Perhaps you should go first, The ladder does not appear to be the sturdiest."

"Perhaps you are right." Velais replied. He walked to the newly formed hole in the ground and peered into the moderately sized tunnel that lead straight down. Far down at the bottom he could barely make out a sconce with a flickering torch burning low in the center. it was smaller than his thumbnail from so high up. "Right.." Velais said again. He closed his eyes, and observed the faintly glowing trail move down the ladder and off into the unknown. "Down we go then." Velais said, apprehension clear in his voice as he reached down and began his descent. Vicis watched intently as the half elf moved down the ladder, creaks and groans accompanying him all the way.

[ArchangelUriel]

As Lyonnem and Taf walked down a lush green valley that rest between two looming mountains, the likes of which Lyonnem was only just getting familiar with, he took in a deep breath through his nose. It was a beautiful day to start his journey once more; however something was not quite right. All his senses didn't bring any hint of trouble, yet he could feel something was off. He was hesitant to put his guard up in case he was wrong, and only end up worrying Taf for no reason, but if he was right and didn't act upon his instincts, someone or something could ambush them, and easily take the upper hand. He furrowed his brow and bit his lip due worrying uncertainty.

He made up his mind, "Taf, stay on your guard, something is not right." He looked back, "Our path will take us through many places that we may be ambushed. We will be heading through this valley west until dusk, then south, for a half day, and west again for another half day. That should bring us to lake Tongar. Then we have few days following the shores until we reach the Arkan, and only a couple days by boat until we reach Velais after that. However, until we reach lake Tongar, stay alert. Tell me if you see anything at all," he gave his companion a breif grin, "we are on our way my friend, with any luck, our travels will be swift."

[Blathers]

Tafkarl nodded. He felt a bit better about his ability to defend himself since he had went through his training but he was still inexperienced. If combat could be avoided he would avoid it. Taf rested his hand on the staff on his back. The Raiyeen was prepared to pull it out at a moment's notice.
"That's the reality of traveling this time of age. Highwaymen and other criminals are as prevalent as ever." Tafkarl turned his head to Lyon with a grin.
"I didn't train in the use of a staff for no reason. Anyone who decides to jump us will have to negotiate with the blunt end of this stick." Taf said with a light hearted tone. However, a tinge of unease was in his voice. Violence was not his preferred method. Taf considered healing to be much more rewarding.

[Dextkiller]

NARRATOR POST

All the birds in the valley took flight at once; as if all the cages of a rookery had been opened simultaneously. Their wing beats brought about a sense of synchronicity that sent the heads of all the land-dwelling creatures on the valley floor questing into the air for scents. Then a rumble sent them scattering as well, seeking the safety of their dens from the unknown. The mountains shook with violent intent. All became silent in the face of such a monumental force. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the shaking came to an abrupt halt, and was replaced with the crisp sound of cracking stone.

Like a thunderbolt striking from the heavens, a crack ran from top of an indent in the side of the dominating mountain, scrambling downward toward the ground. Over four-hundred feet this crack ran, from top to bottom, and when it was complete, the sound of grinding stones became the dominating sound. The crack was the dividing line. The stones began sliding away from one another, leaving in its place a hollow expanse of monumental proportions. This tunnel could fit eighty men on horseback riding breast with room to spare, and surpassed even the heart trees of the whispering wood in height. When the grinding reached its zenith, it halted as well. Bringing silence back to the valley. Time passed in complete silence. The creatures of the valley crept from their burrows and safe havens to recommence their searches for food, but stopped again when another booming filled the valley, echoing off the surrounding peaks in queer ways. After an inexorable amount of time, a figure came into the dim light of the sun. The goliath was massive. Taller than ten-score men put together. It grided smoothly as it moved, placing each massive foot in front of the next. The stone it was made of, work of the forgemaster, gave dim reflection in some places, while seeming to absorb the sunlight in others.

The construct held a staff of equal proportions to its size. At the top stood a gem bigger than an ogre, glowing with flowing azure light. Perhaps the dominating feature of what was yet to come, the construct strode into the center of the valley in five paces. Covering in only minutes what would take a man hours. Behind the construct came men. Men on horseback in darkly gleaming armor. Thousands followed the construct, armored for war, and tightly formed into a massive square.

Behind those came the Erduires. Dwarves in front, with Erdui lumbering along in tight formation behind them. Hundreds of the metal machinations that had brought the heartlanders to their knees. At the back came another behemoth, only a fraction of the size of the construct. On the shoulders of this construct stood three figures where the head should have rested. A platform of smooth stone extended across the shoulders, giving ample room for the figures and all their servents to move around. In the center, stood two thrones. Upon one sat the king of the dwarves, Carkog Ebonfist. The descendant of Gorik Ebonfist, the king during the war so long ago. Beside him, on the second throne, sat the emissary for the realm of man, the emperor's envoy. His mismatched eyes shone with equal intensity. Gold and green, like the sashes of his robes.

The procession came to a rough halt, the construct out front giving in to curiosity for a moment to stray off toward a nearby mountainside. The envoy smiled. He was told to keep the construct on a tight watch, but he saw no harm in allowing it to explore the enclosed valley. He let a brief smile cross his face.

The construct lumbered off toward the mysterious figures heading up a mountain path. Its massive eyes observing with unknowable intelligence overlaid with a child's ignorance. It came to a halt and the figures froze, staring back and the monolithic being watching over them. The pupils of the construct's massive eyes dilated and adjusted to get a better view of what it was looking at.
A man..no, an elf. The figure stood poised for action, while the lizard man..the Raiyeen, as its consciousness told it, stood with a terrified look and a stick hanging from his grip. The construct dropped as lightly as it could to its knees, looking over the terrified pair. It turned it's monumental head a fraction, thinking perhaps of something. Then it felt the familiar tug at the back of it's mind, the tug that said it had strayed to far from where it was supposed to be. The Construct rose again, turning back to its place at the head of the procession, all the while playing the image of the figures in its mind. They were significant in a way, to the construct, but as the emissary sifted through the images it had collected, deemed them harmless. The construct banished the thought from its mind, again lumbering away toward it's unseen destination.

[Blathers]

Tafkarl could feel the earth vibrate as something seemed to approach. Something large. He turned his gaze to Lyonnem. The Elf seemed focused on what was approaching and didn't return Taf's gaze. Tafkarl returned his gaze to the forward pass just as a stone block appeared. The block seemed connected to another, then another... soon a gigantic being of stone stood there, analyzing the two travelers. It was at that moment the witch doctor pulled out the enchanted skull from his bags and held it over his chest. He begin speaking incantations in an unidentifiable language under his breath as his free hand reached back to grab his staff. Not that a piece of wood could do anything to harm such a gargantuan entity.

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence. Lyonnem was coiled like a spring and ready to leap into action. Tafkarl on the other hand.. his legs felt a bit more like spaghetti noodles. Tafkarl expected for the towering construct to charge at them any moment. Suddenly the golem decided to turn around. It simply walked away, seemingly loosing interest in the two of them. Tafkarl stood there motionless for a few moments afraid that it would change it's minds and come back to destroy them. Only after it became apparent that it wasn't coming back did Tafkarl allow himself to breathe normally. He exhaled deeply to allow his nerves to calm before he spoke.

"By the gods.. I've never seen a man-made servant of that size before. I've trained in the use of a staff, but I think a gigantic stone monster is a tad out of my league." He looked down at the stick in his hand. "This is a toothpick in comparison to that thing... Who do you think could command such a marvel? Somebody with a lot of power. That's for sure."

[Nivrexis]

Nivy was flying through the sky along the Arkan river, in the simple form of a common blackbird. The halfling had no particular destination, he was just enjoying flying though the sky and surveying the scenery below for anything interesting. Nivy suddenly spotted two creatures walking along the river, as he got closer he could tell one was a Raiyleen but from the high that Nivy was flying he couldn't really tell the race of the Raiyleen's travelling partner. As he was wondering whether to introduce himself to the two travellers, a large noise caught Nivy's attention.

The noise was the approach of a large beast of a creature, who's foot steps shook the very ground with each step. It didn't take long for the Creature to meet with the two travellers. Nivy knew he needed to help them so he dove down from the sky ready to aid them in their escape. Although before he could even reach the two travellers the strange creature turned having simply lost interest in them.

Now that he was much closer to the two he could tell that the other stranger was an elf, although he was a surprisingly intimidating one. Nivy never thought of a Elf being anything but gentle, peaceful and beautiful but then again Nivy really only had stereotypes to do on. The Raileen had seemed friendly enough and he seemed like he might be a magic user biased on his manner of dress. Nivy had no idea Raiyleen had feathers on their neck, the two stangers were proving to be a very odd pair indeed.

He gathered up his courage and shape shifted into his regular self, and hoped they wouldn't be alarmed.
"Um sorry, Please don't be alarmed..I came down to help you deal with that Golem" Nivy nervously rambled "It seems he is gone.....I wish to accompany you...If that's okay...with you two." Nivy's couldn't find the strength to look them in the eyes as he spoke he was just to embarrassed . Nivy wished he had waited for a better time to introduce himself they were probably already on edge from the golem, his sudden appearance made him look suspicious.

[ArchangelUriel]

Lyonnem remained especssionless as he observed the peculiar creature, and his offer. He felt not sense of threat from him, but it may just be masked by what he'd just seen. The small halfbreed, of which it was obvious he was, was clearly unlike anything Lyonnem had ever seen, which resonaned with Lyon immediatly, because of his own brand of peculiarity. He thought it prudent not to let stranger to see that just yet.

Lyon looked to Taf, "He doesn't seem to be a threat; he may acompany us as long as you wish it, but do not expect me to let him stay further than the Arkan. We do not need things slowing us down." With that he began walking again, leaving Tafkarl to do what he wished with stranger.

[Blathers]

Tafkarl smiled to the odd being they had met. He had never met one of their kind before, but they didn't seem immediately threatening. If anything he seemed rather pleasant. As Lyonnem walked away Tafkarl nodded to his new friend.
"The roads are dangerous around here, especially with gigantic Golems of stone.. I'm sure we could use your help if it decides to come back." Tafkarl said in a friendly tone. "Join us! We could use the extra set of hands."

"Oh, by the way my name is Tafkarl and this is Lyonnem. We've been traveling through these parts and we have quite some distance to cross yet." He turned to follow behind the elf. "We'll talk on the way there."

[Dextkiller]

SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

-Dextkiller