appearance pic, roughly 5' 7" with a lean build, confident mannerisms, clothing doesn't stand out or indicate any form of wealth/lack of wealth
Ivory had never liked Lothair. Delteria was warmer and Tarver was a beautiful vacation destination, among other wonderful places she had visited in her life. Lothair was just - underwhelming. There were things to do but it really lived up to it's purpose - a port city where people passed through on their way to something else. Plus the citizens didn't always take too kindly to outsiders, which was ironic given the frequency of visitors. It didn't really surprise her that the area was being targeted by Pixie Slavers. It was easy to trap Fae who were unfamiliar with the area then whisk them away quickly, never to be seen again. She had watched it happen many times. The quicker they left Lothair, the better it would be for them.
When Caeleo mentioned getting a boat, Ivory followed up with her own announcement. "I need to stop by a few shops as well. It's private business, I'm sure you'll all respect my wishes to be alone. We could meet outside of the Inn at sundown before turning in for the night, yes?" Without waiting for a reply, she headed off on her tasks.
appearance pic, roughly 5' 7" with a lean build, confident mannerisms, clothing doesn't stand out or indicate any form of wealth/lack of wealth
The door didn't budge. It was clearly locked and Ivory didn't have the skills to pick it. She turned back and slumped down into the chair. Maybe this was a mistake. She didn't really know this Xen guy and, despite his confidence in the idea that she would get the bloodthistle she was after, there was nothing to guarantee her safety. But at this point, did it matter? She had sold most of her belongings and moved into the tiny apartment above her apothecary. Her business was dying. When she went into alchemy training, her goal was to help people. Everyone in her family was a natural healer so she had no reason to think she wasn't the same. She did ok, but there were far better options for Delteria. When she came upon the journals, she discovered the power of bloodthistle. This would be her ticket to success. She wouldn't give up until she knew there was no other option. She would stick with Xen until he got her what she wanted.
Just then the massive ogre crossed at the bottom of the stairs from the sitting area. He was carrying a pouch that smelled of sweet rolls. Her stomach growled. "Um, pardon me." she spoke up. He stopped and turned to look at her wordlessly. "Are you carrying rolls?" The ogre looked down into his pouch and back up at Ivory. He grunted a response. "May I.....may I have one?" The ogre stared for what seemed like forever. Her stomach growled again, audibly. He finally reached his hand into the bag and pulled out two. He walked over to her and placed them into her lap. She trembled slightly at his size but otherwise didn't move. She could feel the warmth coming off of the bread. "Thank you," she whispered in a meek voice so as not to startle him. He didn't respond and turned to move. "Wait." She called out. He stopped but didn't look back. She knew that she would be walking out on a ledge with her next request but she was pretty convinced he didn't intend to hurt her in any way. "Would you be willing to let me into Xen's room? I'd like to take a nap soon."
The ogre grunted again and simply replied, "no," then he walked out of sight. In truth, Ivory was somewhat surprised. Xen must be pretty well respected to have his own sleeping place instead of one of the many bunks that were traditional on a ship. She peeled a bit of the bread and ate. It was the most extraordinary roll she had ever tasted. She would have to compliment the chef once she saw him again. After she finished the last roll, she decided to rest her head against the wall and wait for Xen's return. She was soon asleep.
Location:On the road Notes:Interacting withthe group // ogres
appearance pic, roughly 5' 7" with a lean build, confident mannerisms, clothing doesn't stand out or indicate any form of wealth/lack of wealth
Ivory halted the horses about 30 yards from where the pair of ogres were crossing the path. The smell of their cargo was overwhelming. Years of medical practice had conditioned her to control her expressions in uncomfortable situations but this was pushing her limits. Tarkus and Caeleo moved toward the front of the wagon, standing on either side of her. Sapphira was, no doubt, hiding and she couldn't see Igneous. Everyone appeared calm. In most situations, if they maintained a level head, the ogres were likely to continue on their way, especially since they weren't typically magic users or merchants of any kind. This time, however, was different. As soon as the men joined her at the front of the wagon, the two creatures turned and began walking toward them. Tarkus ducked back into the wagon and shuffled around, grabbing his chair. Caeleo didn't move but she prayed that his strength mimicked Igenous'. Where was he anyway? "Igneous?" Ivory spoke in a firm, low voice. She didn't know if Caeleo would fight so she wanted the presence of someone who would.
The ogres reached the horses. The larger of the two extended his hand and pet the mane of the one closest to him. He began speaking to it in a language Ivory was unfamiliar with. Then he reached into a small pouch strapped in front of him and pulled out an apple. He fed the horse while he continued to speak to it. The smaller of the two ogres approached the wagon near Caeleo's side.
"Greetings, sons of Ogren." Caeleo gave them a slight nod as he extended verbal formalities to the pair.
"'Ello there, travelers. Care for a friendly warning?" He reached into the sack dragging behind him. Ivory felt Tarkus tense slightly. The ogre turned back, holding a paper scroll that he handed to Caeleo. "Good luck on your journey." With that, the two creatures sauntered away, back in the direction they came. Ivory leaned over Caeleo's shoulder, eager to see what the paper contained. When the Nebula unrolled the scroll, Ivory heard Sapphira gasp above her.
appearance pic, roughly 5' 7" with a lean build, confident mannerisms, clothing doesn't stand out or indicate any form of wealth/lack of wealth
It always startled Ivory to see an ogre. Delteria was as diverse a place as any, but ogres were notorious for keeping to their own kind. Seeing one saunter across the deck of the ship was a shock, to say the least. “Wrong ship, miss.” He didn’t even bother to look at her, which didn’t surprise her. He was twice as tall as her and easily weighed more than a horse. He was likely under the belief that she was a prostitute as well.
“Pardon me sir,” she shouted. The giant creature glanced down over the balcony of the ship. When he didn’t say anything, she continued. “I’d like to come aboard. I’d like to speak with your captain.” The ogre made his way to the top of the stairs and squinted his eyes.
“Grimsley!” he called out. “Grimsley, c’mere!” A man peered out from behind the ogre and looked down at Ivory. She saw the ogre mumble something to the man then disappear back into the ship. The man, Grimsley she presumed, called down to her.
“Come this way.” Ivory made her way up to the steps and on to the ship. When she reached the deck, she saw the man up close. Surely he wasn’t the captain. His clothes were typical of meager peasants. It was likely he was a galley member. She didn’t see other movement, so she addressed the man.
“I’d like to speak with your captain please.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Grimsley pulled a dagger from somewhere in the belt of his pants. He held it to her throat. Her heart beat rapidly as he leaned in close. His breath smelled of tobacco and rot.
“I’ll take ya to the cap’n.” He smirked and pulled her while still holding the dagger. She tried to see if the ogre was still around, but she knew he probably wouldn’t help her anyway. Then she remembered what could.
“Wait!” she held up her hands, flashing the medallion that Xen gave her. Grimsley immediately took the knife from her throat and grabbed the medal. He examined it for a second before he took hold of her arm and yanked her through a nearby door of the ship. They walked down an undetailed hallway and into what looked like a typical Captain’s office. Or what she assumed a Captain’s office would look like. There were no decorations or indications of whether she was right. There was, however, a beautifully carved, dark wood oak desk in the center of the room. Maps were rolled into a neat bundle at the end. Grimsley made his way to the desk and sat in the chair, propping his feet up on the desk. He put his hands behind his head.
“What can I do fer ya?” Ivory’s heart dropped as she analyzed the scenario in front of her.
“You’re….you’re the Captain of the Cerberus?” The idea that a man with a presence such as Xen’s would take orders from this fool in front of her was preposterous. Had he not had a knife, she would have scoffed at the idea of being afraid of him.
“Ya, ‘s right. Name’s Grimsley. Cap’n Grimsley.” She watched him reach into the desk and pull out a pipe and matches. He lit the pip and took a long drag. When he blew it out, the smoke took the shape of a herd of wild mustangs. Her intuition flickered – he could control air somehow. This frightened her slightly. If he was skilled, he could kill her from where he sat. The smoke slowly rocked over his knuckles in the same manor that one might flip a coin across them. “Where’d ya get this here medallion?” He tossed it on the desk in front of him. It took her some effort to drag her eyes from his hand toward his eyes. She hesitated a second before answering.
“Your crewmember Xen gave it to me. He thought it might…” she trailed off, unsure of the exact reason he gave it to her. Protection? It didn’t seem to be doing her much good. Whatever this man decided to do with her, a medallion wouldn’t stop. Xen’s name, however, seemed to provoke a reaction from him. He dropped his feet to the floor and sat up, clearing his throat.
“Crew? Is uh, Cap…..is Xen with ya?” He tried to glance around her; a nervous look on his face, almost as if he was guilty of a crime. Ivory turned slightly and glanced behind her, unaware of what the man was searching for. When she looked back at him, she brushed a wrinkle out of the front of her cloak, knowing she was about to reveal all her cards and likely put herself in danger. She lifted her chin and looked him in the face.
“No. He’s not.” The man’s stature relaxed a bit and he grabbed the medallion. He stood up, walked around the desk and handed the medal to her. She flinched slightly when he grabbed her arm above the elbow, but his grip wasn’t hard. He led her back down the hallway, through a set of double doors that she hadn’t noticed on the way in, and up a short flight of stairs. They ended at a corridor with a simple leather loveseat outside of a closed door. He motioned for her to sit and she obeyed.
“This here’s Xen’s quarters. Wait ‘til you’re told t’do sommin’ else. I ‘ave business to ‘tend to.” He didn’t wait for an answer before leaving. Ivory sighed and glanced at her surroundings. There was no décor and no obvious lighting. There wasn’t even carpet, yet the area seemed warm. She stood and peeked down the staircase. No one stood guard. She looked back at the closed door. She walked a few steps forward and pulled handle.
Location:The docks at Wormsloe Notes:Interacting witha dock hand
appearance pic, roughly 5' 7" with a lean build, confident mannerisms, clothing doesn't stand out or indicate any form of wealth/lack of wealth
Once he left without another word, Ivory contemplated the instructions he had given her. Cerberus? Was Xen apart of the crew for ship named after the ship Celderon sailed? Maybe he knew more about the pyrat than he let on. He didn't strike her as a historian, which was typically a hobby reserved for bored noblemen who had excessive schooling, but had aged past the point of being useful to society. Anything was possible, however. She turned over the medallion Xen had given her while she made her way to where the harbormaster would be. The docks were busy with dock hands hustling to complete their tasks, fishmongers calling out the day's catch, and a few of Wormsloe's lawmen, pretending to keep order but no doubt searching out an opportunity to be bribed. She reached the head of the port, where the harbormaster typically stood but the area appeared to be vacant. She saw a dock hand leaned over, fiddling with something that looked like a simple wood plank. She crouched down to get his attention. "Excuse me sir, could you point me toward the ship Cerberus? I can't seem to locate the harbormaster." The man looked up. He took in her appearance and scowled, then jerked his head.
"The one on the end," he spat out. Ivory stood and peered down to the end of the row of docked ships. She held her hand up to block the sun from streaming in her eyes but the ship was still difficult to make out.
"Thank you," she said, attempting to smile despite the man's harsh demeanor. He stood in response.
"Yea, well, tell the woman who procured you that we don't need any of your kind 'round here, chasing sailors 'round. Half these men are married and the likes of you and your co-workers don't do us a damn bit of good. You can just stick to the areas in your part of town, where you belong." Ivory scoffed at the man's presumption.
"I beg your pardon, sir. Do you take me to be a whore?" The man's face flinched slightly but he held his ground.
"Of course. I know better, seein' a woman comin' here and askin' 'bout the Cerberus. No respectable woman would be seekin' that crew out. Now begone." He took the plank from the ground and walked away, giving Ivory one last scowl. She tilted her chin up in response. He could assume all he wanted, they were just words.
She finally made her way to the end of the row of ships and took in the ship's appearance. It was large but certainly not the largest one in port. The sails were dark and the wood looked worn, but still reliable and sea worthy. The most noteworthy part of the ship was the area for cannons. There were easily five along the outside. While Ivory was unfamiliar with the standard number of weapons on a ship, she knew this particular boat was quite heavily armed. The second most noteworthy part had nothing to do with the ship itself. Most of the other areas had men working tirelessly to either load or unload merchandise, or prep to set sail. The Cerberus had no one buzzing around. Where was the crew? She took a few steps toward the ladder set out for boarding. "Hello?" she called out.
appearance pic, roughly 5' 7" with a lean build, confident mannerisms, clothing doesn't stand out or indicate any form of wealth/lack of wealth
The fear that encapsulated Ivory when Xen towered over her was suffocating; it weaved itself into every crevice of her conscious mind. It had to be influential magic. She had never met someone with the ability but it was a notorious power and she had heard how it took over every inch of a person. Most of its users were in positions of nobility or warlords. Is Xen a criminal? After he barked at the man, he abruptly turned and stalked toward the docks. Should I follow him? As soon as his presence left her, her fear waned and her determination set in. He was the key she needed to continue Celderon's work. Obviously Cynthia was a point of anger for him, so she would not bring the goddess up in conversation. Simple. She rushed down the alleyway to catch up with the brusque stranger. "Xen," she called out. She reached out and grabbed his arm. "Wait please! I'd still like to accompany you to find blood thistle, if you'll have me."
Location:On the road Notes:Interacting withSapphira
appearance pic, roughly 5' 7" with a lean build, confident mannerisms, clothing doesn't stand out or indicate any form of wealth/lack of wealth
The thoughts that Caeleo inspired in her mind played over in Ivory's head. She watched Sapphira guide one of the horses down the path with her natural, nonchalant grace. It was a gripping reality that this small being had once been a part of the Void. Ivory got up, made her way to the front of the wagon, and sat in the traditional seat of the wagoner. Sapphira turned when she noticed the commotion and came to sit next to her. “You could just fly there, you know.” Ivory tried to smile at the fairy but her energy didn’t come close to matching the girl beside her.
“I know. But I like talking to you guys. You’re the first people who have talked to me since I came to Delteria.” She held on to the reigns despite the fact that the horses appeared to know exactly where they were supposed to be going. Her wings innately matched the rhythm of the wagon and shimmered in the setting sun. Ivory began to reach out to touch them. When she realized what she was doing, she jerked her hand back. Sapphira laughed. “Don’t worry about it. It happens more than you think." The Fae scooted over in the seat and turned so her wings were closer to Ivory. "It’s ok. You can touch them.” As if trying to emphasize her point, she flitted them. Ivory gave in and ran the tip of her finger along the outside edge. They were like touching silk. An energy buzzed from them that almost felt arousing. A sensation started to come over her – a familiar inkling from the past. Ivory pulled her finger away. While she cleared the cloud from her mind, Sapphira spoke up. “It’s part of my magic. Some people say it’s pure flux and can enhance any magic I use. Others say it’s just flight. Either way, it’s pretty powerful, huh? I don’t feel any different but people always have that reaction.” Ivory looked down at her hand where she touched the Fae. It looked completely normal. She felt the effects lingering, however.
“So that’s why they do it? The…uh,” She didn’t know a good way to bring up such a controversial topic. As per usual, Sapphira had no problem being blunt about it.
“The Pixie Slavers? Yeah, they’ll cut them right off; ground them up and sell it to junkies. The wings they don’t grind are usually purchased by pyrats. It gives their sails an edge. It’s a whole huge market. Crazy, right?” It wasn’t really that crazy to Ivory; she had seen her own share of ships powered by Fae wings. In her practice, she had come across those who were addicted to wing dust. It was hard finding magic to combat that addiction, since the drug was enhanced by the flux itself. And in the past, she had even been brave enough to try it. But that was another life. “What the hell is that?” Ivory’s head snapped up at the worry in Sapphira’s voice. The scene down the trail was difficult to make out with the sun setting in front of them. A few silhouettes were dragging something massive behind them, crossing the path. As they got closer, Ivory’s eyes focused.
appearance pic, roughly 5' 7" with a lean build, confident mannerisms, clothing doesn't stand out or indicate any form of wealth/lack of wealth
“Did you know her?” His eyes were like wine and it took her a second to register his question. Her? Who could he possibly have been talking about? The slight movement of the homeless main sitting at her feet connected the dots for her.
"Cynthia? Are you asking if I know Cynthia?" His face was unreadable. She backed up slightly, uneasy with the lack of space between them. His predatory looming made her feel like easy prey. She lifted her chin in attempted defiance against the fear that was beginning to generate inside of her. She knew nothing of this man and it could be a fatal mistake. "How could I possibly know her?" Xen must have been insane or else he was speaking of someone else.
appearance pic, roughly 5' 7" with a lean build, confident mannerisms, clothing doesn't stand out or indicate any form of wealth/lack of wealth
Xen made moderate pace while telling her what little he knew about Celderon. Based on the contents of the journal, it was no surprise that he was a pyrat. Although it never directly stated so, most of the stories were of more deviant activities. Being of a logical mind, though, Ivory was willing to look past a man's discrepancies in favor of the pursuit of science. As the pair got closer to the ship docks, they passed a few homeless people in the alley. One reached out, gripping the end of Ivory's cloak. "Excuse me miss, could you spare some change?" Ivory stopped, turned, and regarded the worn person slumped at her feet. A long, dark rash riddled his forearm where he clung to her garment. Without hesitation, Ivory took hold of his arm and ran her gloved hand along his skin, pulling from the flux to heal him. She tended to favor magic use in the form of potions or other healing instruments, but she had none on her at the time. His skin healed immediately and the relief on his face was visible. She grabbed a few coins from a purse in her bag and handed them to the man.
"May Cynthia bestow blessings upon you," she added. Then she turned away from him, directly into the stone frame of Xen.
Location:Outside of The Empty Bottle Notes:Interacting withXen
appearance pic, roughly 5' 7" with a lean build, confident mannerisms, clothing doesn't stand out or indicate any form of wealth/lack of wealth
Ivory didn't hesitate to follow him. She barely even regarded the shopkeeper as she walked out the door. Her drive to discover the secrets behind the journals she had found were overwhelming her thoughts. Maybe this man even knew where she could find the descendants of the journals' author. His brusque demeanor gave away a few hints of who he was as a person. He was confident in his decision, was likely respected, and he was knowledgeable about the things he spoke of. His appearance didn't indicate much about his status but the owner of the shop didn't act as though he was anyone of importance; just a man that was sure of himself, apparently. She moved from walking behind him to his side. She looked up at him, hoping to catch the color of his eyes again. "I, um, I have these journals..." she pulled one out from the bag hanging at her side. "They're written by this man named Celderon. It doesn't really say much more about him but, do you maybe know where I could find his, uh, children? Or grandchildren?"
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