A gathering such as this had not been about since days of old. The King of the Holy Kingdom, the Emperor of the city of the snow, The Heir to the jewel of the Sands and last but certainly not least, the Ruler of the Province Adrift all gathered under one roof for a colloquy to discuss the future of Ruyunae. In the past such a gathering had another filled seat, that of the King of Aucrun. Ever since that fateful day all those years ago a seat always remained empty at these gatherings. Amidst the stuffy room the multiple candle lights and shining aura of the chandelier above provided a more than adequate means of setting the mood. The lavish red carpets against the mahogany and cushioned chairs made for a cozy addition to the atmosphere. The room the leaders were in was nestled in the middle of the Grand Castle in the Holy Kingdom. This room was specifically designed with these kinds of meetings in mind. Given such a notion the room had all the different banners of the major kingdoms adorning the walls. The glass stained windows along the back wall letting those see the outside world and gaze upon the vast landscape from the midpoint of the castle. The land was currently beset by a ravaging storm at the moment. Thunder boomed and heavy rained pounded against the gorgeous windows. The two Holy Kingdom guards standing by the door could feel the tension in the air as their eyes darted around the room. The Heir to the Sands brought her own trusted guard as well and he was standing tall right next to her chair. While none had the notion of harming another leader, the extra layer of security was mostly seen as an addition of trust. The silence in the room was met with piercing gazes from each of the major leaders save for the Ruler of the Province Adrift. Breaking the silence the Heir of the Sands spoke up, placing one of her hands on the table and another pointed towards the King of the Holy Kingdom. ”So tell me this then, what would you have us do? We are not the leaders of old, we do not have enough information to act so tell me jun’lan what is it you propose?” The heir was still young and she was exactly as the time old tradition of Sweym Sma: an heir to the hold. Her bronzed skin had a myriad of multi color markings all along her arms and legs and her sun bleached blonde hair was pulled back into a long ponytail. She had a multitude of jewels acting as a makeshift crown of some kind as well as a necklace. The King of the Holy Kingdom opened his mouth but he was quickly interrupted by another at the table. The Emperor of the city in the snow raised his voice at first, ”We understand your frustration young one, given this is your first of many meetings with such prestigious voices. But please act as your nobility entails. As we are all aware your father’s health is an ill omen, we understand your father’s declining health as well but if anger on that matter is holding your heart then you will not be able to have sound judgement. Like it or not you lead people now. There is a reason your father sent you here and not himself. I mean all due respect.” The high elf stood from his chair and gave the woman a proper bow. His pale skin and long pointed ears would stick out in a room anywhere. His long black and blue robe fitted with runic symbols along the sleeves spelled mystery. His voice was cold but one could tell given his age and status he harbored no ill will. The King still had his hand up, holding a thought but the Emperor was not finished. He finished his bow and fixed his robe before sitting back down. ”Now then, I propose the High King send the young man to the Empire for further study. If he is connected to that which you believe he is then we could learn so very much. I implore you High King, think not only of your people but the good of Ruyunae. Centuries ago our ancestors lost the one thing they had to gain more knowledge of what exactly HE WAS! Now you tell us that another one has been granted the same gifts and you want him to what exactly? Stay here in the Holy Kingdom and rot away? Do not play coy with me High King. I know where the young man is and if I was not a respecting Emperor I would take him back to Linmark before you could recite your pledge to the Mother-Goddess. Furthermore I-“ ”That is enough…” A soft, almost endearing voice raised itself from the room. All fell silent once again as the sound of the rain and winds outside echoed through the room. The high king had tabled his thought as he remained calm from the fire of the Emperor. The Ruler of the Province Adrift had spoken up, her own hand softly grasping the forearm of the Emperor and lowering it to the table before releasing it. ”You must understand great Emperor everyone at this table values the progress of knowledge as much as you do. However, the young man is a citizen of the Holy Kingdom and as such his being belongs here. If I may add as well, if this young man is truly who the High King claims him to be then we have a much more pressing matter to discuss: Aucrun. You all felt it, I am sure. If you say you did not then you are lying. Coming from the four corners brought us closer to that cursed land than ever and we can all sense that something is festering in the darkness. Something truly evil. If this follows the legend of old then should we not be preparing for coming conflict? Your gates are the closest High King…” All eyes turned to the grizzled elderly man in the golden crown. His gruff expression radiating respect as he was clearly a man who had seen his fair share of life. His guards were also looking to him, now caught up in the conversation even though they were meant to be focusing on security.
”I will not deny the aura of evil radiating from the betrayed land closest to my Holy Kingdom. But we are a land bathed in the light of the Mother-Goddess so we have nothing to fear.” The king stood up from his chair with a soft grunt and held his hands behind his back as he walked over to one of the windows. The faces in the room followed and the Emperor himself stood up as well. ”I believe in the legend of the Seraph. It is why my Kingdom holds his title in such a prestigious manner. If my forefathers had the chance to thank him properly after that day… I can only imagine what would have transpired. Regardless, the Festival of the Lights is fast approaching. You all gathered here for this meeting but also to attend the Festival. I can assure you our security will be on high alert. I hope you all enjoy yourselves. On the day of the Festival you will see the young man I speak of. The day of the Festival will decide a lot of things for the future...”
The High King fixed his robe and made his way back to his chair. The Emperor sat down as well but his arms were folded over his chest. ”I have sent my finest knights into the betrayed land to find and purge this evil. They encountered random monsters, even a few beings of demonic nature here and there but they all returned. I sent them multiple times and they all reported the same thing: monsters, more demons and a dead land. That was until recently. For this voyage I sent one my most notable paladins into the dark land with a small gambit. The man returned but not everyone in his company came back. I sent 8 into the land that day and only two came back. Such is the price, they knew the risk but it still pains me to this day to know I sent innocent men and women to die. I apologize, I am getting off track. My paladin, he spoke to me when he returned. He said the aura in the city was among the most foul and evil things he had ever felt. He said it spoke to him. Claimed it was wanting back what was originally its own. The paladin assured me this was demonic nonsense but… I do not believe it to be so. The arrival of the young man I have closely guarded in the Sanctum of my Kingdom and this evil presence are most certainly connected. But I implore you all to wait until after the Festival. I want my people, and those coming from all corners of Ruyunae to feel at ease during this time of Festivities. Let the burdens of our people fall on our shoulders. Now then… we have more to discuss…”
The Day of the Festival…
A few days passed since that colloquy of leaders met to discuss heavy topics. Now life had moved on and the people of Ruyunae were flooding into the largest gathering area in all of Ruyunae. The Holy Kingdom of Khrousahvell had been dolled up for the occasion. It’s gorgeous white walls and towering buildings had been outfitted with banners of all the different major holds and cities of Ruyunae. As well as the banners of small cities and holds and even representation of towns and leagues or guilds. The gates to the Holy Kingdom did not open until about Mid-day and once they did the city felt like the center of the universe. The streets were packed, voices were booming over each other and those that wanted a quiet respite had to search quite hard to find one. Only a few parts of the Holy Kingdom were off limits during the festival. The King’s Castle, the Barracks of the knights and the Sanctum of the Mother-Goddess. The rest of the city and its winding and twisting streets were open. Though the major festivities were happening in the center, the grand pavilion right next to the Glorious Market. No one had seen such finer festivities. In the center of the grand pavilion stood the steps up to the four braziers as well as the statue of the Seraph of Old. He stood proud, his stone cape depicted as fluttering with the wind but obviously stationary. His right hand raised aloft with sword in hand and his left clutching a book. The four braziers by his feet were unlit of course, as the main event of the festival was the lighting of such braziers.
Right now, one would find great merriment among the mixing of the people. Strands selling the different kinds of foods available from the different corners of the world were available. Merchants selling their wares stood around every corner. The races were enjoying this great time to mingle and mix with each other. Elves with Humans, Dwarves with Beast-folk and all the other races. Anyone who was civil could find themselves having a good time. No one in the midst seemed to be having a sour time. A multitude of mead drinking contests had started up and they intended to go on for the entire day and potentially even the night!
Song and dance had sprung about as the stand next to the steps to the braziers was adorned with dancing jesters, bards playing different instruments and vocalists singing the most beautiful of tunes. Hours into the joyous festival a schedule of events for bards and other performers appeared on the stage. It would seem the Bard’s Guild had devised a plan for the festival this year to be more organized and give exposure to song and dance of the various regions. It started off with traditional song and dance of the Elthari people, followed soon by an epic tale of heroism and the founding of Sweym Sma, the Holy Kingdom’s closest ally. Soon, song and dance of the people of Linmark found its way to the eyes and ears of the festival goes and those who heard it would swear there was siren or two involved. The people of Linmark even worked magic into their performance to bring about a truly breathtaking experience.
Games had sprung about as well. Hatchet throwing contests, tournaments of strength and a wide range of games for little ones was available as well. Tours of the city were going on and one could even visit the Library if they so choose to do so. Amidst the chaos of merriment one thing did bring about attention to the masses. The doors to the Sanctum of the Mother-Goddess opened and a very serious looking priest all dressed in white and red garb came marching out. He was followed by a small group of three priests who had their faces hidden by hoods. They meandered through the crowds and parted the sea of people as they did. Once they reached the steps leading up to the braziers the priest leading the people stopped a few steps up while the hooded priests continued their way up to the braziers. The song and dance subsided slowly and the talking quieted down as the many faces of the people of Ruyunae in the grand pavilion. His expression forced a change as a smile adorned his face followed by a still wave,
“Be calm, festival goers. The lighting of the Braziers will not begin yet.” His voice was somewhat shrill… but that was to be expected of a man in his position one would thing. His long nose and hobbled posture gave way to slow movements now. He cleared his throat and waved once again. “The King is not here to recite the pledge to the Mother-Goddess! You may continue to be merry. The festival is far from over!”
With that the people went about their business. Music started back up and the conversations started to pile over each other once again. The priests stood together and talked among themselves. The three others still had their hoods up and still had what appeared to be traditional garb. Shortly after this two of them stepped down the steps and made their way back in the direction of the Sanctum of the Mother-Goddess. The lighting of the lights would begin very soon. The Festival still had a long way to go, but the sun was nearly setting and the braziers were meant to be lit right before sun set to pay homage to the Seraph and his companions bringing light to the darkness. The journey of new heroes would begin very soon. The plan by those who work in the darkness was about to begin. Those who had received visions prior to attending the festival would be visited by one final true sight no matter what they were doing. If they were passed out drunk, engaging in song and dance or simply having a good time with lively conversation a voice would ring out in their ears. “… You… You are here! A… Oh how wonderful! Please… Please find my child…! Aaaalll… All will be made, clear… yOu must trust me.” With that the voice would fade and would not repeat itself.
Looks good! Quite the interesting character I say haha We certainly have a colorful cast. I like it.
Alright, we are just waiting on one more character to be put up. I may go ahead and write up the first post since it will mostly be introductory stuff and how everyone gets to the Holy Kingdom. Then shortly after that things will get real.
Looks good to me! Man it will certainly be interesting seeing him interact with the party now. Plus this gives a lot more depth to the city of Linmark since I wanted it to be a sort of mysterious kind of place.
Alright. I believe we are just waiting on two more characters and then I will write up the first post and we can go from there.
Looks good to me. Certainly an interesting character I have to say. Should be fun to interact with and see how they handle themselves around the other party members. Looking forward to it!
Name: Inais (No last name that he can recall) Gender: Male Race: Human Appearance: A relaxed looking individual, Inais stands at about 6'1. His hair a dark black, about shoulder length and parted away from his eyes to allow him to see clearly. His current hair is quite long in the back and he keeps it tied up in a small ponytail on the back of his head. His eyes are a dark bronze. He is usually seen in his regular leather clothing and tunic when he is not in attire needed of him.
Birthplace: He believes he was born and raised in Khrousahvell. That is the city he currently calls home. Status or Nobility?: Commoner status. Though he does work for the Sanctum with the priests. He does not lead religious services of any kind, he merely tidies up the place and takes odd jobs around the city.
Knack for magic or fighting prowess: He has received minimal training from a few close friends who went on to become knights for the King. Though those friends quickly moved on when duty called. The training he received was when he was quite young so he has not had any chance to hone his swordsmanship. He is blessed with hidden potential and has plenty of room to grow.
Personality: In the past the main thing driving the young Inais was to make a name for himself. He used to be rather quiet and reserved but through working with the priests and worshipers of the Sanctum in the Holy Kingdom he has broken out of that shell and became quite the talker. He idolizes knights and the King of the Holy Kingdom and plans to travel the world in safe travels hoping to let the land of Ruyunae know his name. Though most of his aspirations changed when he got a bit older. He is kept under strict watch by the priests of the Sanctum and this has caused him to grow slightly angry with the Sanctum. Those that speak with Inais will tell you that he is a friendly face and eager to talk your ear off. That may be a fault given how he can be a bit gullible even for his somewhat matured age.
Brief Background: Inais has lived in the Holy Kingdom for as long as he can remember. He has worked with the Priests of the Sanctum in the Holy Kingdom since he was a boy and life was much more simple back then. He would help out with whatever needed doing and as he matured he sort of took charge of maintenance of the Sanctum. They were small odd jobs as he was certainly no carpenter and had no knack for magic at the time. Then things changed drastically when he matured even more. Now an adult the rules for him in the Sanctum changed like night to day. He is not allowed to have his own place in the city and the Sanctum claimed ownership of his name, basically adopting him and under the High Priest's decree he was to remain in the Sanctum. But that is no way to live. He was still permitted to leave but only for very quick shopping runs or close errands and he had a priest to go with him at all times.
Back in the Sanctum the young man would stay up late in the pondering why things had changed so much. Had he done something? It was around this time he started to have a series of visions. Visions of strange things he did not recognize. A burning sensation would overcome his body at random points during the day and anytime this happened he was quickly sent to the Sanctum's Infirmary and kept under close watch. The feelings usually subsided quickly but again, he was not permitted to leave. He lost friends and soon became adjusted to this new lifestyle. Even though he was basically kept under house arrest he still managed to develop some life skills. He became very close with many of the priests that worked in the Sanctum and he managed to keep his episodes suppressed to a degree. The healing magic given to him by the various priests worked wonders when he needed it and he was given an ample supply of books to quell the time he spent confined in the walls of the Sanctum. Still, as he wandered the grounds he grew more and more curious. He could not believe as a child to young adult he never noticed the underground chamber he would sometimes catch the High Priest working his way into. What was down there? What was it for and why did the Sanctum have such a chamber? One day, after the sun had set and it was late into the night, Inais’s curiosity got the best of him and he left his room from the inner workings of the Sanctum and made his way to the entrance of the underground chamber he had seen the High Priest use several times. But the door would not budge. After trying to open the door a few times he felt a sense of dread wash over him. Something down there was… calling to him. But it did not feel right. He quickly stole himself away from the door and collided with none other than the High Priest himself. He was quite angry and Inais received a harsh punishment to follow. Weeks passed now and Inais never set a foot back towards that chamber door. He was still quite curious but whatever was down there felt like something he had never felt before. Around the time he reached proper adulthood the burning sensations on his right side picked up even more. They were stronger than ever and in one instance the pain from the burning was so great the young man passed out. When he woke, he had strange rune like symbols all along his right arm. Stretching all the way down to his fingertips as well as well as up to the peak of his shoulder. He asked the High Priest what this was… what did it mean. The High Priest simply told him it was a “Blessing”. But his strange mannerisms and way of speaking filled Inais with unease. It was a strange scenario after all. Things changed in the Sanctum after that. It was much quieter around the once lively place. The High Priest would randomly close the doors to the Sanctum. Inais was still not permitted to leave and his duties around the Sanctum shifted again. The visions began again but this time he did not say anything. The High Priest seemed aware somehow and berated the young man with questions and angry words but Inais stood his ground. He played the fool. Weeks later some of the priests spoke to Inais about preparations for the Festival of the Lights. He was overjoyed at the thought of being able to leave the Sanctum. Could he even sneak away perhaps? Did he need to? He needed to get out and see the world… The High Priest approved and gave him instructions for the day of the festival and what he would be doing. It would seem he would be helping with lighting the four holy braziers when the King motioned for them to along with the other priests.
Sylvan