Arsenal

Under Deep OOC (6 players only, first come first serve)

No need to worry, I'm a patient guy. Just worry about getting better for now, stress would only make things worse.

Under Deep OOC (6 players only, first come first serve)

Serkan had retired not long after he'd begun his evening of eavedropping. Unfortunately he came away with no new knowledge, nothing he hadn't already heard from the cart-driver. Ascending the steps, Serkan unlocked the door to his room and re-entered, hastily stripping off his armor and padding to drop onto the bed, falling asleep. Serkan did not dream that night, but it was no less pleasant a rest, given what was to come when he was to wake. He awoke in the early hours of the morning, just minutes before the sunrise came.

Serkan spent the first hour of the day fitting his padding and armor back on, hanging his sword with great care upon his left hip. He held his helmet in his hands, the yellowed light of the morning sun filling his room through a distorted and dusty window pane behind himself. Though, something started to seem off, it felt like it was an unusually warm and dry morning, especially given the downpour that soaked the landscape just the evening before. He realized what was happening the instant he noticed the heavy scent of burning wood wafting in from under the crack of his door. He received confirmation of his initial suspicions when a man kicked his door down and warned him of the flames, smoke beginning to pour in.

Serkan grabbed his belongings and in a brisk walk made his way through the hall, only momentarily catching a glimpse of the fire in one of the rooms. Already the innkeeper was working to douse the flames. Serkan continued down the steps, there was no real sense of urgency in the way Serkan carried his gait. He made it downstairs. There, almost the entirety of the inn's patrons had gathered, already in a clamor over the unexpectedly fiery alarm clock that had roused them this morning, the windows opened to allow fresh air to carry inside and wash away the burned odor that hung in the air. By now the sense of panic had long since gone, as the innkeeper had returned downstairs with a relieved look on his face, the fire had already been taken care of.

Serkan started towards the counter, retrieving his room key in order to return it when a voice called out to command everyone's attention. The half-elf glanced over his shoulder to catch sight of the man he'd remembered seeing last night, a man who appeared to know more than initial appearances might suggest. Serkan's attention had now been taken, and he turned to face the man, though he remained at a fair distance. He watched the man make his way out, disappearing from sight even through the open window. The crowd had fallen silent after hearing the man speak, this was exactly the kind of opportunity Serkan had been waiting for. Serkan leaned against the counter behind him, resting his left hand loosely upon the hilt of his blade.

"He's right, you know. Alone, none of us would stand for long in there." Serkan spoke out, breaking the quiet with the sound of his low, imperious voice, "I came here because of that Keep, and I doubt I am alone in this venture."

Under Deep OOC (6 players only, first come first serve)

Yeah, I was planning on skipping to the morning in the next post I make anyway. Just waiting for whenever we're ready for the next set of posts.

Under Deep OOC (6 players only, first come first serve)

Well, while I'm very tempted to think that Joric and that entity he's playing host to may have malevolent intentions, I'm open to the possibility that it's just a red herring and that he's actually not that bad a guy. As for the earthquakes, I'm thinking that it isn't natural in nature; there's somebody or something doing a lot of digging under the keep. For what reason I don't know, but to me that makes the most sense to explain that much unusual and sudden seismic activity. That or the keep was actually built on top of a volcano and we're about to get Pompeii'd.

Land of the Ancients: Return of Elderic

Actually, it's just Cyrus's father. Cyrus's dad was formerly a writer, he has connections to publishing companies so he would be able to get the news out quickly. It's also how I planned to eventually introduce my other character, the mercenary elf. Cyrus's dad is going to panic when he reads what happened and think his son is in danger, then hire a mercenary to go find and rescue Cyrus.

Under Deep OOC (6 players only, first come first serve)

Serkan used a rag he had found in the washroom to wick away the last of the moisture that had previously soaked his armor, gently rubbing his thumb over the smooth, gray-stained leather of his gauntlet, remembering the day he'd received the armor, the day he joined the old mercenary guild. While he distracted himself from thoughts of what once was, he fit the gauntlet over his hand, slowly placing his armor back on piece by piece, though he simply put his helmet into his bag, preferring not to wear it indoors. Serkan clipped his sword on his hip, checking to make sure the lock which kept the sword snug in the sheath was working with a gentle tug. The sword was perhaps too precious a keepsake to just leave in his room, especially considering the scuffle which had happened not a minute after he'd arrived at the inn anyway. He exited his room and locked the door to his room just behind himself, slipping the key into his collar between his armor and padding.

That was when Serkan was greeted by the sight of another patron of the inn disappearing into his own room, presumably to retire for the night. He didn't get a look at his face, but the gleam of something reflecting off an object on his back drew his eye: a red gemstone mounted upon the handle of a weapon of some kind, though he only had a passing glance and could not see what exactly. Serkan smiled and started towards the stairs to head below; the sight of a man carrying a weapon meant one thing, the rumors he had heard were true. People of his particular skillset, adventurers, warriors, fighters, mercenaries, all strong men and women of the sort were gathering. Being so close to the keep could only mean one thing, people like him were looking to find what lied within.

Serkan sidled up to the bar, stepping over the remnant debris from the earlier barfight, and took a seat on one of the stools, resting his left hand loosely atop the flat hilt of his sword. Anyone nearby who was sensitive to magic might have felt something the moment Serkan's gloved hand touched the pommel of his blade, it was but a tiny spark, imperceptible to the eyes of common folk, a magical blade reacting to the touch of its master. Serkan closed his eyes and listened to the crowd for a while, his half-elven ears twitching as he tried to listen through the dull murmuring drone of an evening crowd's conversation. He opened his eyes upon hearing the sound of the bartender approaching.

"Ey, can I be gettin' ya anythin' m'good man?" asked the bartender, "We got braised pig, and some of the finest ale this side of-"

"I'll have the pork," Serkan interrupted, being curt as usual while he spoke, "And do you have coffee?"

The bartender seemed to have been taken by surprise by the request, "Aye, we do, I take it you want a cup?"

"Yes," Serkan answered, pulling out enough coin to pay, "And also, I want to buy a tin of some coffee grounds."

The bartender smiled and scooped the money from the counter, the metal rasping against the wood as it was slid over to the edge. When he left, Serkan again searched the crowd, looking for anyone who might look to be heading to the keep soon. His eyes then crossed over another figure with pointed ears sitting not terribly far away. He turned his head away for a moment, but his eyes discretely shifted to look at the woman again. He wondered if she was a full elf, or a half-blood not unlike himself, but that was not what had gotten his attention. No, his ears had practically tingled at the mere utterance of the word 'Keep' by the man she was having a conversation with.

Serkan looked forwards again, but continued to listen and eavesdrop. His meal soon arrived, a dented, scratched tin filled with the grounds of coffee beans, a serving of crisp-skinned pork on a scratched-up metal plate, along with a misshapen, ceramic mug filled with an aromatic, black liquid. The scent brought a smile to Serkan's face, he slipped one hand into the lopsided loop of the mug's handle, gripping the other side of the mug with his opposite hand. He could feel the warmth even though the leather covering his fingers, and brought the mug closer to himself, letting the wispy steam float under his nostrils as he inhaled the bitter scent. He had become so absorbed into his cup that he'd nearly forgotten to keep listening to the conversation going on just behind him.

Under Deep OOC (6 players only, first come first serve)

Huh, I wasn't sure if my character was just supposed to go to sleep immediately and wait until morning or if we were supposed to have our characters chat the evening before, guess whenever I'm due to make my next post I'll have my guy come downstairs.

Under Deep OOC (6 players only, first come first serve)

The patter of rainfall masked the sound of a horse-drawn cart wandering northwards on the longroad. The driver, comfortably shielded from the rain in a large, hooded cloak, kept a wary eye ahead of himself. With every passing moment, they grew that much nearer towards Valuun Keep, and the cart-driver's anxiety and dread grew with it. His sole passenger, however, was a stone wall in comparison. Obscured by a leather and steel helmet, the passenger's face betrayed no hint of worry, nor any joy. He remained quietly seated on the floor of the cart, nestled between two barrels of dried goods on either side of the man. Rain pelted against his steel in a quieted melody, beading up on the leather of the man's armor before trickling down.

"Mr. Stahlwurm! Hey, Serkan!" Called out the driver, raising his voice a little to sound over the deluge, "We are nearly at Night-Raven Inn. I can take you there but I will not go any further! If you wish to visit that damned keep I apologize, but you will have to find your own way!"

At last, the man clad in leather and steel lifted his head, the faintest hint of blue eyes visible through the visor of the helmet. The driver had promised to give the passenger a ride north in exchange for some assistance in unloading some goods at an inn along the way. The passenger could hear the quivering fear hidden in the driver's words, and yet when the passenger himself opened his mouth to speak, he was far calmer, if a bit curt, "That will not be a problem."

Serkan slowly lifted himself to look over the edge of the cart. There, visible as a blurred shadow in the grey of heavy rainfall was the inn, and looming behind it, an even greater shadow. Through the rain and at this distance, the details of Valuun Keep were not yet visible; from here, it existed as a darkened shadow that blot out a fogged landscape, a dreary pinnacle amongst a dreary land. It was not a long wait until the driver took them off the longroad to pull the cart beside the inn, the workhorse huffing when allowed a moment's rest. The driver jumped down from his seat and walked over to take the horse over to the stables, while Serkan was already moving a barrel filled with grain off of the cart and towards the cellar door tucked behind the inn. It was quick work, Serkan and the driver rolled a half-dozen barrels of food and drink down to the cellar door, for the inn-workers to pick up and take inside.

Their work completed, the driver hurried around the inn to get into shelter and to get his pay for the delivery of goods, but Serkan returned to the cart to retrieve his belongings. He lifted up a cloth bag filled with necessities and a long, narrow object protectively and preciously wrapped in a cotton tarp to keep the rain from touching it. Serkan leisurely made his way to enter the inn through the front door, even with the rain beating down on him there was no sense of urgency in his stride; he bore every cold, wet drop, embraced it.

At last, Serkan pressed through the doors and was greeted by a wave of warmth and the aroma of roasting pork. His shoulders relaxed a little as he shook his bag off, rainwater dripping free. However, the low moan of a person in agony caught Serkan's attention, and he directed his gaze towards the bar to his left, where a pile of four men and broken furniture lied scattered. The cart driver stood not too far ahead, a dumbfounded look had overtaken his face. Serkan slowly drew near him, asking "What happened?"

"Ah, those loons tried to pick on some big guy, that man was a wall of muscle, I tell you," the cart-driver ran his head over his thinning head of hair, "Anyway, no need to worry. Don't think they'll be bothering anyone for a while, they certainly learned their lessons."

Serkan looked at the damage that had been caused with one last glance, before dismissing it. He reached up to unlatch the claps which help his helmet secure, removing the helmet to free a head of wild, black hair, and revealing a pair of sharp, alert eyes. Two large, pointed ears stood on either side of his head, revealing his nature as a half-elf. Serkan reached into his bag and retrieved enough money to pay for a single night's stay, gently lying it on the wooden countertop with a dull, metallic thud to get the innkeeper's attention, "I need a room for the night, please."

The innkeeper nodded and took the money, turning to retrieve a key. The cart-driver reached up to place his hand on He leaned forwards, "Are you still heading up to that place? You know what they say-"

"I already have heard, but I'm still going. Nothing is going to change that," Serkan was adamant in his resolve, "Safe travels on your return."

The cart-driver sighed, knowing there was no convincing the half-elf otherwise, "Thank you."

The innkeeper soon after returned with the key to a room; Serkan nodded in thanks and departed, ascending the steps to find his room. Once safely inside, the half-elf removed his armor piece by piece, setting them aside to allow them to dry. He sat down on the bed, and lifted the long, narrow object wrapped in cotton tarp onto his lap, tugging the twine to open the wrapping and reveal a sword set in a leather sheath with steel furnishings. Serkan turned his head downwards as he clutched the weapon, muttering under his breath, "I'm here, Ferran..."

Land of the Ancients: Return of Elderic

Same, I'm still here, still watching for what happens next. Anyway, personally I'm not sure what we should do, but until such a time maybe we should keep pushing on and see how much further we can get.

Under Deep OOC (6 players only, first come first serve)

It seems that in general a lot of good movies have been coming out recently, Robocop, the new Captain America, and the like. I plan on being at the theater a lot this season.