alexlascribe

A Casual Greeting

The room was small but cozy, and Raikon was happy to finally have a place to rest and collect his thoughts. The mystery surrounding their arrival in this place was staggering him, but he knew that despite the many unknowns he had the capabilities to see the threats before him, protect himself and others, and take another step forward.

Leaving Dacheus behind had been difficult. More difficult than the elf woman, since he hadn't had an opportunity to meet her to dispel some of the fears and doubts he had. But he had met Dacheus, and while he had been quite odd, leaving someone behind was never a decision Raikon enjoyed making.

Caspian and Raikon didn't find anything leaving the castle. While they could have explored more inside, the feeling he got from the stone and the place in general made him think it was best to leave the place behind. He couldn't figure out what the building had been used for- they didn't find anything of note just a bunch of destroyed casks and old stone. The statues had given no hints. He remembered another door they could have checked, but decided the likelihood of something worth while being inside, given the decomposed quality of everything else, was minimal. He was much happier having been able to leave the gemstone and statues behind as quickly as possible. Maybe the people in town would have some information.

The weather outside was dreadfully cold, even testing his experience and fortitude. Caspian had taken things hard, he wondered if Dacheus had made it out, how he had fared. Thinking back to the avalanche, how it had destroyed the path they used to reach this place, he wondered whether Dacheus had been caught in it, or if the temple they had arrived in had been destroyed or buried. Had the avalanche been caused by the goblin's horn? Was it deliberate?

He looked across the room to Caspian carefully mending the wound in his leg. The goblin attack had gone well, but even small injuries could lead to lasting consequences. Things may not have gone as well if he hadn't managed to take out one of the three attackers immediately. He wasn't used to dealing with goblins or other lesser creatures- where he came from they mostly stayed on their own and avoided the business of man and their cities. The way the goblins attacked immediately instead of fleeing threw him off. One did escape though, after Raikon had flubbed his second throw, and he cursed himself once more in hindsight.

He had been lucky to avoid losing an arm to the jagged goblin javelin, but he had been saved. By Magic. Caspian had touched him while they fought the Goblins Raikon had gotten his first direct taste of magic and what it was capable of. His skin prickled at the memory of his flesh growing tight, hard and rough like the skin of a tree. His immediate panic had nearly made him lose his step, but his previous fighting experience and military training kept his mind focused. He could still move, it wasn't painful, and it didn't prevent him from doing what was necessary. He had been able to calm himself and continue the fight, but he feared his initial distraction is what caused Caspian to take the blade to his leg. He would need to remain more focused in the future; he didn't want to be the one who let an attack slide through.

They had survived. His skin changed back during their sprint to the town, and while he was relieved, he could not help but dread the things he might experience later, and also wondered in awe at the powers and abilities he couldn't even fathom.

The goblin swarm that forced him to this place was alarming. He had never seen that many in one place, let alone organized enough to form a swap and siege. His fear and bewilderment had cost him his focus, Caspian was much more quickly able to reach the gates as the swarm gained ground. While the town they were in now had managed to push them back, Raikon couldn't help but ponder whether only a little more tenacity and a few more withstood losses would be all the goblins needed to overtake the village and kill everyone inside. Maybe their eating the goblins wasn't so unusual, with the near constant threat he was sure existed.

He shook his head. Those things had passed now. The decisions had been made and he couldn't look back on them with regret now, only look forward to what he needed to do next to get himself home, and hopefully protect Caspian along the way. The cleric, while having a disposition frightfully unprepared for the events ahead of him, had proven himself capable in many ways. He was quick to follow orders when he found himself indecisive, eager to help in the ways he can, and always hoping to avoid conflict. His speed at offering to discard his weapons to satisfy the towns mayor was admirable, if maybe slightly foolish given their immediate dangers.

Raikon's stomach growled and he placed a hand over it, frowning at his unnoticed discomfort. The thought of slurping down goblin stew had made his stomach turn, forgetting his gnawing hunger, but now that he had time to think and recollect the distraction was frustrating and unwelcome. He couldn't afford bread. Caspian had mentioned he would provide, but Raikon saw no pack on him capable of carrying the food they would need to survive. More magic, perhaps? His mind spun with curiosity.

But only for a moment. The knock on the door came suddenly and Raikon's sword was in his hand and pointing towards the noise before the sound of ringing steel had finished spreading through the air. When he heard Dacheus' voice his blade lowered, but only slightly. Was it really him? They had tried to rouse him when the giant red stone in the temple had captivated him with no success. How had he managed to pull himself away, and what effects would be lasting? He was uncertain about opening the door, but decided without knowing anything for certain, abandoning him after he reached them would be cruel. He kept his blade in his hand but lowered it to his side, and stepped forward unlocking the door.

"I'm opening the door," Raikon called back through it, "But please, please tell me you didn't eat any of that stew."

A Casual Greeting

The mage was light enough, and Raikon hoisted him up onto his shoulders. As the copper eyed man stared at the gemstone Raikon craned his neck to try to get a better look. He couldn't really understand what Dacheus was saying, he kept mumbling and interrupting himself. He felt the shifting balance coming a few seconds too late. He tried to adjust, and would have been alright until Dacheus told him to move closer. The mage leaned too far, or something he couldn't quite tell, but it was enough.

Raikon gripped Dacheus' ankles as the man reeled forward, trying to pull him into an easier fall, but the mans upper body collided with the statue and everything shifted backwards, forcing the Captain to take a step back with it. Dacheus hit the ground in front of him with a painful thwack. The entire scene was more entertaining than it should have been, and Raikon had to stifle a laugh for a couple of seconds. He was brought back when the angry voice told him to let go of his feet.

He let go and coughed, covering his smirk with his hand as Caspian drew closer. Raikon turned to face the Cleric, and thought carefully about Kalakyth, Dulyns... He didn't know those places, not from anything, story or truth.

"Not nice at all, mhm." He nodded in agreement. He looked down at the elf, still unconscious on the floor, and then at the mage now staring intensely at the gem above him. "I think we should probably leave this room. If we were brought here for a reason, whatever did it will be coming to check this place." He looked back over to Dacheus, speaking louder, "It might be better to worry about the gem later. I want to get a look of the area."

Dacheus didn't respond. Raikon called to the mage again, but Dacheus was staring at the gem, mumbling low enough that he couldn't hear what the man was saying. The captain looked cautiously at the gem, too frightened now to want to be anywhere near it, and then turned to Caspian with a frown. He nodded towards the stupefied mage, "I think we need to get out of here." He glanced around and picked up a small branch and wrapped his oiled tarp around it, making a small, makeshift torch in case they needed it later. He stowed it in his belt for easy access.

He took a step toward the archway but then stopped himself. He glanced at the elf woman once more and then turned to the Cleric. "Caspian, are you going to have a problem with leaving them here? I can't scout and carry her at the same time, you'd have to do it if you want to take her with us. And I don't know what to do about him" He averted his eyes, "But I don't think its a good idea to try right now." He also wanted to say they should take their weapons, in case she decided to wake up and stalk them later or the mage felt sore about their leaving, but felt that his suggestion of leaving them here would be hard enough to swallow already.

A Casual Greeting

He looked down at the man's hand, pausing for only a moment. The word *mage* circled meaninglessly in his head. He had heard the word before, but not in any ways he could have applied to a person or title. More like forces of nature, destructive unknowns. He resisted a shudder and took the mans hand, shaking it eagerly. "Captain Raikon Delnai of the Unserving Band. Pleasure to meet you, Dacheus."

He remembered back when his mother used to tell him stories. Of mages waging wars and bringing ruin to the land. Beings of strife and chaos she called them, harbingers of the Gods and the embodiment of their fury. They had been spoken of like demons, but the man who stood before him looked nothing like what he had imagined as a boy. He wasn't shrouded in fire, or wielding a sword made of glass with the soul of a king trapped inside. His mouth twitched, uncertainty filling his mind.

He looked back at the statue for a moment, the feeling in the pit of his stomach expanding outward to fill his chest. He didn't know anything about this, and felt completely unprepared. He swallowed loudly and nodded towards the statue before turning back to face Dacheus, "I saw some railings near the top. I figure if you stood on my shoulders you may be able to reach them to steady yourself." His eyes narrowed, "Just... be careful. I don't think I like this thing. I remember something about it, before waking up here. At least I think so, I was fairly drunk at the time."

A Casual Greeting

He turned back and looked at the man named Caspian as he introduced himself, nodding his head in a short bow. He frowned and thought back to the places he'd been. "Its nice to meet you Caspian. Kalakyth, Where is that? I've been all over the eastern lands, I've never heard of the place." He grumbled, scratching the back of his head, "Where in the world are we?"

He spun around quickly, his hand reaching to his sword out of habit, as he heard the newcomer call out to them. When he saw the man had stayed a good distance away and appeared relatively unarmed he relaxed, letting his hand back down to his side. Caspian answered before he could, and the man seemed to lose interest almost instantly and started mumbling to himself and wandering around. An elf and... whoever that was. He sighed and shook his head, feeling a dark weight start to form in the pit of his stomach.

He watched the newcomer walk over to the window. He could hear the man talking about something but couldn't make out the words as he hadn't followed. But he saw the jacketed figure reaching and peering out the window and his gaze followed. He could see the icy mountains beyond, the frost and icicles clinging to the window ledge. The dark feeling grew. Magic, something he had no experience with and never understood.

Raikon glanced back over to the short blonde next to him, wondering what secrets he may be hiding as well. He felt oddly out of place, which only compounded the feeling of confusion that was building within him. He took two slow breaths and set his jaw, remembering to focus only on what was important. He looked around for supplies and signs of activity. First he had to make sure they were safe, and took advantage of everything possible.

He saw the cloak on the steps, broken casks of what could have been ale or mead long ago. None of that was useful. With the growth being undisturbed it looked as though the four of them were the first to be in this place in as long as they had been alive, probably longer. He shivered with unease, and turned to look at the statues. He didn't recognize the construction, everything looked ancient. His eyes moved up to the giant red ruby, or whatever it was being held by the center statue. The back of his head throbbed, and he remembered for a moment deciding to pray at the temple before going back to the inn, pray for their lost comrades. He remembered a great red stone. Everything else was a hazy mess.

His eyes looked down to just above the statue, and he wondered if he could climb up, or get someone else to reach the small wooden rails he could see positioned there. Raikon looked back to the dark haired man pondering at the window. He seemed to have an interest in the magic of this place, and Raikon wondered whether the gem or his memory would mean anything to the fellow. He looked over to Caspian and held out a hand. "I'll be right back," and then walked over to the steps. He called out to the other man at the window, "You there! Come here for a moment. What do you make of this gemstone?"

A Casual Greeting

Raikon let the slender man look around and get his bearings, and took the chance to look him over. He didn't appear injured, or to know anything about this... temple, or whatever it was; that or he was a decent actor. He was armed with a dagger, wore simple clothes. He didn't look familiar at all, and the pendant he wore was of a style the traveled warrior hadn't seen before. The blonde man took a step back and Raikon obliged, allowing him the space. "I don't know where or what this place is. I was hoping you would tell me."

He tried to remember more of the night before, now that the warm air and movement had cleared his mind a little. Everything was very hazy from when he left the meeting hall. He remembered someone helping him down the street. He had asked to go back to the inn, the Gnarled Pine. But he didn't remember making it to his bed. There was something else, they had gone somewhere... But the memory remained evasive.

He looked down at the other unconscious bodies, pondering if he should wake them as well. "My name is Raikon Delnai, I have no idea how I got here." He glanced back over to the man shifting nervously beside him. "Stay calm, it doesn't look like we're in any immediate danger. Can you tell me who you are?" He recognized the look of contained panic, something he had seen in many before a battle. He hoped there wouldn't be a battle.

Raikon walked over to one of the other bodies and knelt down. He pushed the hood back and frowned. A woman, an elf at that. That made him more nervous. The only elves he had encountered had put two arrows into him, and he wasn't keen on repeating the experience. He noticed the bow, quiver of arrows and well worn daggers and decided this one could stay asleep a while longer. He stood up carefully and stepped away.

A Casual Greeting

The large man unconscious to the left of the door was the first to stir. He groaned quietly, his voice muffled by the soft moss his face rested against. His eyes fluttered open slowly, and he groaned again rolling first onto his side, and then his back. He raised a large gloved hand to blot the sun from his eyes, and frowned quizzically. He didn't recognize this place.

Raikon slowly raised into a sitting position, resting his weight on one arm, the other hand still blocking the sun from his sleep filled eyes. "Joshua? Hector?" His voice was thick in his throat, and quiet. He coughed into his hand, squinting into the sunlight, and looks around once more. He remembered they were celebrating. Many of them, Joshua, Hector, Kayle, his whole band had been there. They had just received word of the full retreat of all Burean forces from the peninsula, and Alcuin had been kept free of their grasp. They had been fighting for three weeks with almost no rest, their morale had dwindled to a candle flame. But they outlasted the enemy and had prevented their resupply, allowing for a reprieve, and a chance to bolster their defenses to prevent another attack.

The celebration was fierce and well earned. Friends had been lost, and many of his comrades had held their grief until the end. They had a chance to let their emotions flow freely along with the mead. He had drank plenty on his own, and his memories grew hazy as the night went on. But he remembered being carried on a shoulder to his bed in the Gnarled Pine, laughing and swaying and singing. This place was not The Gnarled Pine.

He looked at the other bodies on the ground around him and lifted himself to stand on shaky legs. He realized he was still dressed in all of his armor, and his body was sore in many places, screaming at the pressure points from the belts and gear strapped to his chest and hips. He could tell this place was ancient, and his mind swirled trying to recreate the steps he had taken back to the inn. He had made it back to his room, hadn't he? Who had helped him back? The back of his head throbbed and he shielded his eyes from the sunlight again, frustrated.

He looked at the bodies again. They were breathing, alive, just unconscious or asleep. He didn't recognize them, and started to walk closer to the young blonde man closest to him. He took in the room once more as he crouched down. The building they were in looked ancient. He had seen overgrown ruins before, but nothing like this. The place almost vibrated with a force unknown to him, and he swallowed back his fear. He reached down and grasped the shoulder of the slender man next to him, shaking gently.

"Hey, you. Wake up, would you?"

A Casual Greeting

Name: Raikon Adamus Delnai (Rai to his friends)

Age: 28

Class: Fighter/Captain

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Appearance: Raikon is a tall, well built man. Standing at 6'2" and weighing 220lbs he is an imposing figure to behold while on the battlefield. His intimidating size is mitigated by a very kind face, constant genuine smile, and expressive green eyes. He has bright red hair cut short on the sides and left slightly longer on top, with side burns that connect to his beard, which is well kept and trimmed. His hands and forearms are marked by a smattering of scars from years of battle, others, more serious, are hidden under his armor and clothing.

Character Perk: Optimistic Leader- Raikon tries to see the best in everything, and always finds a ray of hope to guide him. He inspires his comrades to action, providing a resistance to intimidation, fear, and mental spell effects to them and himself.

Character Flaw: Sore Loser- When things don't go his way Raikon can have a hard time letting go, often trying to gain victory even when defeat is already assured. Others will have to force him to stand down, even if it means injury or death.

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Alignment: Chaotic Good

STR: 16
DEX: 12
CON: 14
INT: 10
WIS: 12
CHA: 14

Abilities:

Unshakable- Raikon is an experienced veteran and does not lose his composure in the midst of battle. He cannot be flanked unless it is from behind.

Quick Draw- Raikon can switch between his weapons and shield almost instantly, never losing a step in battle.

Last Stand- If Raikon were to receive a mortal blow, he may take one last offensive action before becoming incapacitated.

Skills:

Diplomacy (60)
Intimidate (20)
Sense Motive (60)
Perception (40)
Survival (20)

Spells: Raikon has no inherent magical ability.

Armor: Raikon wears a padded undershirt, chainmail armor, and a belted, hard dark leather tunic. His hands are protected by thick leather gloves which match his rough leather boots. Chainmail hosen are held tightly to his legs with strap and belts to maximize mobility and protection.

Weapons: His weaponry is varied with a javelin on his back, long shining steel sword strapped to his left hip, and a round steel shield hanging from his right. He also carries two sharp daggers tucked between his weapon belts.

Items/Misc: Raikon carries a backpack with various supplies including a 20ft coil of rope, tinder and firebox, maintenance gear such as whet stones and oil, rations and a water skin, thin wire, a bedroll, oiled tarp and waterproof cloak. He also has a collapsible oil lantern and basic medical supplies: A needle, thread, bandages, and herbs to fight back infection.

Biography:

In the capital city of the kingdom Mejise, in a small two room hut, a young boy with hair like fire learned a very early lesson about life and death. As his father beat his mother senseless on the floor of their shack, a young Raikon Delnai learned that often times there will be no one there to help you, and that sometimes to protect one you must kill another.

Raikon took his fathers sword and struck him through the side, instantly killing him and saving his mother. Free of his wickedness, his mother guided Raikon along a path of gentleness, teaching him to use his strength and courage to protect others, and to always be a careful, loving man.

The lessons were reforged and refined many times as Raikon grew to adulthood. He joined the military at 16 to protect his mother and city from enemy invasion. The empire of Burena had become greedy, and had lashed out on the independent provinces at her border, intent on gaining land and strength. As the battles went on, the trials of his position forged iron bands around his heart. He proved himself to be a capable warrior and effective leader, eventually gaining the ear of the generals around him. He continued to learn: to command, to inspire. As the war went on from months to years, and it was looking as though it would go on forever, he learned that sometimes it takes only one person standing fast for just a moment longer to make a difference, and that he could be that person.

In the final battle for Mejise, his comrades had nearly all fallen to the hands of the Burean military. The few survivors were hiding behind the walls, waiting for the enemy to finish their breach, and storm the final stronghold. Raikon fought along the battlements alone, taking down the enemy archers who had managed to entrench themselves. With the way clear, he descended into the courtyard, and began to barricade the final door alone. It wouldn't have been enough, but his courage inspired those around him, and more men felt the fire relight in their hearts. They continued fighting the enemy off until, finally, Burena retreated and the castle held.

The tide had turned, and a year later the war was won. Raikon had aged into a fine commander, and under his leadership Mejise rebuilt their fortifications, reworked alliances, and found a time of safety once again. But it wasn't long before Burena became hungry once more. With the enemy military mobilizing, Raikon and a small band of like minded mercenaries came together, marching to offer their services to defend the independent nations of the free Eastern lands.