Reply With Quote~~~~~~~For anything Else~~~~~~~~
The kingdom of Olanek, once a pride and bountiful land has been ravaged and desecrated through the actions of a great war with a God. As the dust clears showing the true scars that run rampage throughout the kingdom, word has broken from the castle that the efforts of a great many Priest, who have laid down their lives, is the cost to add to the welcomed peace that now silences the land.
But the cost for this peace has even greater effect in the walls that surround the King. For even now a greater quest of importance has become the talk of the Taverns, their walls plastered with the advertisement for adventurous glory and most importantly a large sum of gold. The King in all his wisdom has sent out a missive calling for the best adventurer through his lands for an Escort Mission of Royal Importance.
The goal of this Mission is to Escort the last remaining Priest and their body guarded Knight as well as their caravan to a Temple far to the West so that the Priest may Ally the Kingdom with the Temple in case another war of this caliber were ever to break out again.
Alright guys!. We will be starting in the Kingdom heading towards the castle to be briefed.
CHARACTER PROFILES
OUR OOC
STORY SO FAR...
Last edited by Dardanus88; 01-27-2013 at 05:38 PM.
~~~~~~~For anything Else~~~~~~~~
Solaris Redd - Royal Knight and Protector of His Majesty's People
Golden hair fluttered softly in the breeze as Solaris sighed happily to have the cool air flow over her heated skin. Practice had been brutal today and with numbers as low as they were she could understand the need to keep what they had at the ready. Callused hands worked tirelessly over the keen steel of her sword, even with the final battle over and done she would never be caught dead with anything less than her weapon at its optimal condition. It was strange, the weird settle of calm that settled over the village but refused to settle in the castle. The King was restless and she couldn’t stand to hear a bad word over his performance, he had done the best he could to keep his kingdom safe even at the cost of his blood kin and the sorrow etched over his kind face was enough to keep her sword at the ready should he ever call on her.
Brilliant emerald eyes looked to the grey skies as high pitched whistle cut through her silent corner of the barracks, reminding her of those that took to practicing in the evening to better their reflects in the dimmer light. As it stood she had little use for the practice and instead took to her solitude to reflect on her day, seeking out any missteps or sloppy movements she had made. It was her evening ritual to go through her days events; it did more than help her on her foot and weapon work but had a distinct advantage of helping her notice if something was new or different within her little world. Today had been different, that she was sure of.
Passing her whetstone over her sword and listening to the familiar rhythmic sound, she sighed and allowed herself to really mull over the differences. There had been two men, so out of place in a world of metal armor that they had caught her attention for a moment before she was forced to regain her focus on the mock duel she had participated in. Instead of wearing any metal, which might have helped to hide their presence, they had worn thin cloth with the crest of both the church and the King; that much on its own was enough to raise suspicion that they had no business on or in the Knights field. To add more to their suspicious looks, they had travelled around the whole field taking notes even as each Knight stepped up to fight.
Solaris frowned as she paused in her meticulous ritual as one of the two men stood out further in her mind. He had seen her fight and while her modesty kept her from flaunting her abilities, she had become concerned when she had been followed from fight to fight. Some she had lost, mostly to those who still had decades of practice on her, but over all her scores spoke for her talent. She had ranked rather high in the archery participation, had come out much higher in sword fighting then most would think of a girl her age and had flat out won nearly any fighting on horseback.
A chuckle threatened to break her icy demeanor as one of her brothers in arms walked by and gave her a rather wide berth. It was common knowledge among her peers that she was a half elf and while some would cry ‘cheat’ if she won anything distinctly “elfish” in nature, others would use her instinctive talents to their advantage to teach the codes and honor bound ethics to a willing and quick student. However much she learned there was always a price to be paid and usually it came from her own peers, who mocked her habits and her ‘fanatic’ loyalty to the King and his rulings. Some would even go so far as to call her obsessed but to her she was only repaying a life debt to a man she owed everything.
Lost in thought the golden haired Knight let her guard down as she ritualistically packed away her whetstone without so much as a thought to her own motions. Slightly pointed ears pricked up as the sound of paper reached them. Looking up she held back her surprise when she came face to face with the man who had been following her earlier. Eyes ran over his crest as her mind searched for how to address him before the man took her attention as a queue to begin. “You are Solaris Redd, Royal Knight of the King and protector of his lands?” Standing as he questioned her, she gave a slight dip of her head in the positive before he continued. “Good, I have here a summon from the King to give to a Knight worthy of being his Champion for a mission.” Shock ran through the blonde as she carefully kept up appearances and did nothing more than tilt her head slightly to the side curiously. “You, Knight Redd, have been found worthy of being summoned along with 4 other of your peers to see his highness at sunset. May God Bless you for your service to this Kingdom.” Taking the offered scroll she watched the man bow slightly to her before backing up a few steps and leaving her presence. Confusion lit the woman’s eyes as she stared at the summoning scroll before a whisper broke her lips. “A summon?”
Last edited by Solaris Hunter; 01-26-2013 at 09:28 PM.
The dark wolf dropped his water barrier, he spent for too much time hiding for the masses. "I need drink," Kaine said in his tribe's trait of broken English. He'd been working all day by an old well he found outside of the city, it surprisingly still had water in it. As he entered the city walls, sneaking past whatever authorities that cared at the time, he made a swift movement towards the local tavern.
Once there, he opened the door to the dirty, smelly room. It was only made worse by his enhanced sense of smell, but, nonetheless, he still sat down at the counter. "So I heard that the king was offering this quest to anyone!" Kaine heard someone say. "Yeah! He must be really desperate to accept peasants into one of his quests!" the other replied. Kaine, intrigued, walked over to the two men.
"Woah buddy!" one of them said in fright, "We don't got anything! We're poor!" The other one nodded swiftly, "Yeah! We got nothing!" Kaine let out a small chuckle at this, "Relax. I am not here to rob you. I am here for information." One of the men raised a brow, "Information? On what?" The wolf tilted his head, "King's quest, what I heard you talking about." The other man nodded, "Ohh! That one! Well, we don't just give information out for free," he said slyly. "And besides, what makes you think that the king would allow you in anyway?" the other said. Kaine twitched at this comment, oh how he hated it when people underestimated him.
"You should not have said that..." Kaine said darkly. Suddenly, a volley of water hit the two males with enough force to send them flying out of their seats. The wolf walked over to the confidently, "Now, tell me I am weak." The two scared men shook their heads, and Kaine smiled. "Okay. Now, I want information." One of the men nodded, and pointed at a flyer on the other wall. Kaine walked over to the flyer, and tore it off. His eyes scanned over the piece of paper. Now, that is a lot of money! Kaine thought, And I am bored with all this wandering anyway. "Thank you," he said to the men, before he sped off outside the tavern.
"The castle," Kaine said, "I must meet at the castle." He kept running, his speed outmatched most humans he met, and even some of his own tribe's people! He steadily slowed down, until he was just doing a hasty walk. Maybe, I can find mate.... Maybe... he thought as he walked towards the castle.
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Theronea sat within the public house, seated at a corner stall. A flagon of mead stood on the roughly hewn wooden table in front of her, and the tavern itself was half-full with patrons lost themselves in a drink after their workdays. It was a common scene from country to country, people who'd spent the days toiling for coin indulged a bit to wind down from their efforts. There was something else here that was common from country to country, too. A table away from where she sat, a scrawny little man reclined with a pair of women clinging to each of his arms. The pretty young women were swooning over him, almost senselessly; they laughed at the most unimaginative jokes and tittered at the basest of flattery. Of course, they didn't see a scrawny little man or even hear what he was saying; the girls were in their own little worlds, seeing and hearing whatever it was they wanted.
With a sharp tongue, Theronea snapped at the man from over her mug of warm booze. "Stop." Her blunt interjection was enough to catch the man's attention, and he turned his annoyed gaze on her. Craning his neck to glare at her, the man shot back a mouthful of nasty words. "Mind yourself, churl. I've got some lovely ladies ere and I don't need you scarin' them." Standing from her seat, Theronea walked towards the man and pulled back her hood. Catching a glance at her face, the man let out a low, long whistle. "Well isn't that the surprise, a beaut like you. How about you and me and these girls here find a bush or somefing to go behind and make two or three minutes of squelching noises? I'd like to-" His voice was cut off as a gloved hand hoisted him out of his seat by his collar. "Oi, what's the big idea?! I said we should go make-nice somewhere dark!" His confused, almost offended stammering was met by her cold gaze. "And I told you to stop. You didn't seem keen on the idea, so I'm going to make you."
There was an instant of quiet between the two, pierced by a sickened cry from the girls. "Gah, who are you? Why am I... Ugh!" It took only a moment for the young women to clear out, confused and uncomfortable. That left just Theronea and the amateur enchanter at the table, her fist still around the collar of his shirt. "W-what did you do?" His tone was accusative, and it made her teeth grind together. He had the gall to ask, she wouldn't waste her breath explaining it to him. Leaning in, she spoke quietly by his ear. "If I see you try this again, I'll carve out your tongue. Stop." Hearing her words, the man paled and hurried out of the drinkery, leaving her to finish her lukewarm drink.
~~||~~
Nearly finished her drink, Theronea witnessed a much less familiar scene from across the bar. A man-wolf and some other patrons of the tavern were busy talking, though the words were drown out by the din of the other drinkers. The men seemed wary of the wolf, then assured, then haughty, and then... Very wet. The wolf had sent them sprawling to the floor with a jet of water, and the panicky men quickly directed him to a bulletin board. Whatever it was he was looking for there, he tore it down and took it with him as he ran out of the establishment. A couple possibilities flickered through her mind, but given his behavior one particular idea came to the forefront: Wanted poster. That was more than enough for the young mage-hunter to give chase, hastily tossing a pair of silver coins onto her table before running after her mark.
He was fast, far too fast to follow on foot. Theronea was a remarkable runner, but even she couldn't outrun an animal in full sprint. It wasn't long before he was out of sight, and she had to rely on asking pedestrians if they'd seen him pass. It wasn't long before their path became clear. The wolf, and her by extension, were headed towards the royal castle. It wasn't until then that all the puzzle pieces fit together, and the realization almost made her buckle with laughter. He wasn't wanted, the scroll he'd torn down was the same one posted in every inn in the kingdom. The Quest. Stopping to catch her breath, Theronea thought for a moment about how strange the world was. She had already intended to offer her services, so it was only too fitting that she was already on her way. Following after the wolf at a more relaxed pace, she hiked the long path up to the precipitous stone fortress.
Gallipoli Fvndir cautiously, and rather awkwardly, walked the mossy, waterlogged plank that conjoined his fairly small wooden transport to the rickety dock. He didn't enjoy the rough sways of the raft, which, on another note, was much too thin, height-wise, and close to the unforgiving waters for him. Gah, the thoughts of what horrors lurked below the algae-filled muck sent a tremor through his half-man, half-horse body.
His short, but unnerving, walk on the plank came to a satisfying end. Relieved, the centaur trotted down the dock, towards the wonderful, firm earth. His hooves ground the moist dirt, indulging in his sole desire since his departure from the port of Itza. With a sigh, Gallipoli surveyed the quiet forest before him. It was his first sight of Olanek, and he wanted the moment to be memorable. Only the sound of the water rippling as the raft pushed itself from the dock could be heard.
Calmed, he began his trek inland, heading for the palace. The war-torn kingdom's king requested aid from its neighboring ally, the Kingdom of Roval. A young messenger was sent to deliver a letter, written by some lowly scribe. The letter declared Olanek's urgent need for help in the escort of a person of immense importance, and to "bring forth the best ye breed." From the dry and sunlit plains, the roaming centaurs were called to council, for the king of Roval felt they were best suited for such a quest. The elder centaurs, hesitantly, suggested Gallipoli Fvdir, one skilled with the bow, and of 'lightning speed'. And so, Gallipoli was commanded to join the forces of their ally, but to not reveal his origins, for Roval had no desire to be drawn into war.
Three days into his journey, he arrived at his destination. From his first impression, he could see that order had ceased, for a humanoid beast attacked two men, and women rushed from a public building. Through the open door, he could see a fairly tall hooded figure grab ahold of another, prepared to assault. This is war, Gallipoli thought solemnly, as he continued for the palace.
Last edited by TheFrontLine; 01-27-2013 at 01:25 PM.
Spencer Chie -- Lady of Alleria (Kingdom Tantra)
A lonely howl broke through the shadowed forest that surrounded a rather impressive stone mansion, cutting through the silence that generally plagued this land. Spencer’s stern lips curled up in to a smirk as the feral noise bounced off well-kept marbled halls and continued to echo even after the creature had given chase to whatever it had been hunting. “Such a beautifully haunted sound helps give credit to their claim to the top.” She spoke to seemingly no one, her throne room empty and void of life as lingering blood traces slowly sunk deep into the once pristine white marbled floor. “Life has given those poor creatures such a bad lore.” She sighed, her voice dropping slightly in sorrow as the sound of rattling chains started up near the entrance door. Not bothering to look up at her guest the wheat haired Lady of Alleria ran her fingers over the intricate carvings that decorated her throne. “You better have good news for me.” She warned, her lips curling back into a sneer showcasing the almost vampiric set of canines she had. “I have become weary with your boring failures…and you know what I do to those who bore me.”
It was almost too easy, too simple for her to amass such a network of ghosts, ghouls and other dark and undead creatures. It was simply not a challenge anymore with everyone and their mother wanting to sell their souls for peace, money or fame. The fact she could bind them to bow to her wishes and torture their spirits into insanity almost always seem to slip their minds; a fact she used to her advantage quite a lot. She had never lied to one of her subjects or those that came out of the wood work to fall at her feet and beg for ‘salvation’, she never had reason too since they came all to willingly; arms open to embrace the human she-devil in a contract out of greed or desperation. It was funny in a way how someone could so easily give their soul to another and her dealings with the spirit world did mandate it be a willing contract.
Distracted by her thoughts she barely heard the simpering of the ghost whom had been on the lookout for something of priceless value. A name however had caught her attention, her grey eyes sparking with interest as the ghost continued to spill what he had found. “I see.” Tapping her fingers against her cheek as she mulled over the information, she suddenly flicked her fingers and dragged the spirit closer to her. “While this information is all well and good, your timing has been less than pleasant.” Her voice dipped to a dark whisper as she reached out grabbed the spirit, the man making a great howling noise as her flesh came into contact with his astral being. “I gave you warning time and time again and I do not appreciate being held at bay till the last second.” Se hissed her tone cutting through the screams of agony. “You should have heeded my warnings the first time and not made me repeat them a second or a third. For that…” She paused as the fears of hell reflected in the spirits misty eyes, her own darkening to black. “Our contract is broken and has instigated section D6.” A feral almost demonic smirk broke over the elegantly pale face, a look that seemed so foreign that those who knew the woman would swear she had been possessed. “Ultra fossae ad inferos, quia anima requiescat in tormentis praestare potero. Recesserimus spiritum!” She snarled twisting her hold on the spirit and letting out a pleasurable gasp as he disappeared with an unearthly scream and a swirl of black smoke.
Collapsing back into her throne, Spencer panted at the erotic pleasure she gained from her power rippled through her. Any wounds dotting her frame healed with in sparse seconds as another soul was sent from this plane of existence to one she hoped to one day slaughter, rebuild then rule. Her temple pounded with the newest stretch of her powers and to ease the steady tension she reached up and carefully rubbed her fingers against it before another spirit interrupted her. Looking down at the spiritual maid she threw a gaze to the open circular window that let both the sun and moon shine down on her. “The sun shall set soon, bring me Caim…I have a mission for him.”
**Latin to English Translation**
Ultra fossae ad inferos, quia anima requiescat in tormentis praestare potero. Recesserimus spiritum!
To hell and the pit beyond, your soul shall rest on the rack that provide my power. Be gone spirit!
Worn paper rested under Reyle's gloved hands, her fingers traced the ancient words of wisdom which was known to this world as 'magic'. The phrases lingered in her mind, expanding her knowledge, teaching her things she had never before dreamed of. With only a few words and the objects needed to complete the spell, any given thing could have an enchantment placed upon it. But the best part was, that there were so many enchantments to chose from. If she wanted she could create a locket that made the wearer fall in love with the person who's hair was placed inside it. Or maybe a goblet that would paralyze the person who drank out of it. The possibilities were endless, but unfortunately far out of reach. Even the simplest of enchantments required great... sacrifices and unknown ingredients. Not to mention that some of the more advanced enchantments probably weren't even legal. But she could still dream of one day creating something so extraordinary that would be recognized to be great. Just like her former teacher.
"REYLE!" Shouted Ral from across the room. Startled, Reyle dropped her book of enchantments and turned to face the old doctor. In his hands he held several bubbling vials and poultices. Their colors varied due to their contents, Reyle recognized one vial containing a large amount of rosemary, another gave off the appearance of juniper. This could only mean one thing, it was time for the weekly potion delivery. And not to just anywhere, to the royal castle.
"Don't tell me I have to-"
Ral stopped her mid sentence, "Do you really think my aching old bones can make it up to the castle?" He stood up and began packing the vials into an over sized pouch with also contained a vast variety of herbs and bandages. She recognized most of them to be nothing but petty topical potions to put on lightly cut flesh and shallow battle wounds. He was giving her the honor of healing the guard's minor scratches from patrol. Both Reyle and Ral knew agreed that is was just about the worst job in the kingdom, well Ral thought all forms of work was terrible, but it was close enough. The gaurds skin their knee then end up thinking they'll die. Relye glared at Ral, he'd get payback for this. "Now be a good girl for once, if you need me, I'll be in the tavern." He chuckled to himself and ran a hand through his long frayed beard, a mischievous look in his eye.
Reyle groaned, "Some Doctor you are." She took the worn leather bag from his hands and slung it over her shoulder. It was heavy, but she needed to gain some muscle, this would have to help. Although, that was about the only positive thing she would receive from the trip to the castle. The only time she had found actual joy in treating injuries was when she helped Ral treat to the wounds of knights fresh out of combat. Their lives were in her hands alone because Ral was a good for nothing doctor that just happened to be lucky that the city respected him, believe it or not. It was Relye doing all of the work behind the scenes and Ral got all of the credit. Although, despite the old man's terrible personality and healing skills, there was a spark in his eye. He seemed to have all the wisdom in the world but absolutely no common sense, there was a lot to learn from him. "Don't blow all your money on mead. You still need to pay me my salary," she said, softening her voice.
He chuckled, "Silly child, it's not mead I spend it on, it-"
Before he could finish, Reyle stopped him. "I don't even want to know." Any positive emotion she had for the old man vanished, sadly, she'd have to work as this man's assistant until she was fired or he died. This was the only well paying job she could manage to get considering she wad a young lass of twenty. She picked up her book of enchantments which had previously fallen to the ground. The worn cover showed no more damage than it had before the fall, although, it was the contents that counted, not the cover. Learning new spells and enchantments would have to wait until she delivered the weekly round of medicine to the castle. It seemed like every noble had either a battle wound that caused them pain, bad joints, headaches or some kind of ailment. The only upside to this job is that the pay was somewhat decent. That being the only thing that kept her going during the more 'tedious' tasks.
Relye opened the aged wooden door, only to come face to face with a pair of guards. She took a step back and did everything she could to repress a gasp. What did she do now to catch their suspicion? Out of habit, she tugged at the fabric hiding her dark magic seal. Surley they only came here for more medicine, one of them probably got a papercut and needed an ointment.
"Good day gentlemen, would you like to step in?" She asked, motioning inside. The guards stayed in place, neither of the two moved. This was strange, usually they were more than happy to share their 'adventures' to her and Ral, never noticing that the healers never exactly listened. It made them seem less imtimadating though, and more like small childern who got hurt on the playground while playing pretend. Relye's lips twitch, trying to form into an involuntary smile. One day Karma would come back to hit her due to her ill judgements of others.
"We are here to speak to Ral. There is a summon for him, he must accompany a group of travelers to act as healer-" The guard was cut off by Ral, who quickly jumped out of his chair obviously in disagreement. Never had Relye seen him move so fast, usually he would laze around in a chair all day then get drunk. This was also quite unusual, what was going on...
"Do you really think an old man like me would last on a long journey?" He bent over and clutched his back. "My old joints have betrayed me."
"Sir, The ki-" the gaurd tried to continue, oblivious to Ral's terrible old-man impersonation.
"Send the girl in my place, she's not needed here," blutred Ral. He picked up a bottle of what appeared to be some sort of alcohol and took a swig of it before sitting back down in his chair. Reyle was going to get back at Ral for doing this.
"but sir-"
"It's her or no one." Ral bent over from his seat at the table and grabbed a medicine bag, twice the size of the one Relye was currently carrying. He tossed it across the room, it landed directly at Relye's feet. Grumbling, she picked up the pack and slung it over her free shoulder, she felt as weighed down as a pack mule. Karma must have came back to hit her early. But that was not all, he tossed one more bag at her feet, motioning her to carry it. "You'll need a change of clothes for the journey," he said, getting back to his beverage. Relye didn't even want to know what was in it or why he had her personal clothing inside one of his grimy bags.
Carrying both giant bags of medical supplies along with a bag of 'needed objects' that Ral had given her, Relye followed the guards through the crowded city. On the way she passed several villagers who she had treated. Some of the survivors she liked much better than others. It wasn't long until they were standing directly in front of the castle doors. Relye had to admit, it was quite extravagant and beautiful, but that just made her additude toward the king worsen. He could of spent some of the money used to make the castle so luxurious on the poor villagers who needed it more than him.
"We are almost there, " the Gaurd said, motioning her to follow him. She groaned and trudged after the men, Karma was a bitch.
Kaine walked up towards the castle. It was a grand castle, an ironic piece to the war-torn landscape of the rest of the area. He walked up towards the gate, but was stopped by a pair of guards and their spears. "Halt!" one of them said, "You have no permission to enter this castle." "You sure?" Kaine asked. The other nodded, "No entrance to peasants. Nor to animals." Kaine showed them the flyer at this, "I am here for quest." The two guards looked at each other, before bursting out laughing, "What makes us think that someone like you could even begin to be part of this quest!?"
Kaine growled at the two guards, "Do not underestimate me." His claws peeked out, and his teeth were barred. "Hah! Do you think your little claws and teeth will hurt us!?" one of the guards taunted, tapping his metal armor. "No," Kaine replied, "This will." He summoned a volley of water, and attacked the guards with it, knocking them down with its pressure. "That is not the full power!" Kaine exclaimed. One of the guards growled, before throwing his spear at him. Kaine summoned a barrier of water, stopping the spear in its tracks.
After dropping the barrier, Kaine walked over, and extended a hand to the guards. "Need help?" he asked. They pushed him away, and got up themselves, "We don't need you." Kaine glared at them, "Am I weak now?" "Just go inside, the king's at his throne." One of them said. Kaine happily walked in, and headed to wherever the throne room was.
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Alexander Wright- Woodsman
To Alexander the sudden peace was more of a burden than the much needed period of rest for the world. Everything remained on edge as if the silence could be broken by mere thought, and the presence of a scraggly man wearing a decrepit, wooden mask wouldn't help. In essence he stuck out like a sore thumb, childishly short at five feet even, long sword strapped to his waist, bow with quiver upon his back, and a dirty hood on his head. Not to mention the smell of animal urine and uncleanliness emanating off him. The man just slowly bumbling his way into the kingdom within the direction of the palace. "Following his ear" he would say if someone stopped him out of some curiosity.
For he just like many of the others have been attracted to the calls of a quest. Anyone with a blade could be chosen, and only some demented form of fate urged him to the call. He never understood why the events of these men mattered to him. He was the very definition of backwards hermit lacking any form of cultural understanding. He was kicked out of the tavern's and Inns for 'Marking his territory' whenever he bought a room, and always had the same confused look. Yet what remained in his head was simple. Protect the priest. Get reward. Just like the many faceless others rushing towards the palace gates. Yet a few souls stood out among the rest. A wolfman of infinite speed moving past like lighting, and a powerful looking woman failing to keep up but moving into the same direction.
His just awkwardly drifted into the direction of the palace. His mind foggy and hazy often ignoring the men he would bump into and bribing away those who would bring him harm with a slowly dwindling coin purse. Gold was never a object to him, yet only because he could never truly understand the value. The unlucky souls to die within his forests leave there coin to world and he would collect. He trudged along some foreign pathway moving ever close to the castle.
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