Helo

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Roshmi City
Interactions: Torvi @Tae

After inquiring from the bartender, the cost of renting a room in tavern’s inn, Bowyn found himself in for quite the shock. He could deal with the overpriced mead of The Leaky Tap, he rarely minded parting with amas in exchange for alcohol but the price for room in inn was completely unreasonable. He had expected things in Roshmi to be a bit more than they were up north but for someone used to living rent free in the forest he was finding the city to be far more expensive than he cared for. Clearly the bartender could read the annoyance at the price on Bowyn’s face and the man assured him that ‘they wouldn’t find rooms more reasonable in the city, at least not in any place you’d want to be in after dark’. Normally Bowyn wouldn’t think twice about staying in the rougher areas of a city, and he doubted that Torvi would be easily intimidated either, but getting into trouble would draw unwanted attention to them. It seemed wiser to stay in the more savory parts of the city and after a failed attempt to haggle the barkeep down on the price Bowyn gave in and quickly finished his drink and ordered another to take his mind off the incurring expenses. Of course, seeing how this adventure was more than likely to end in death he might as well live frivolously until they met their end.

“Best not to gawk too much.” Bowyn warned quietly as he noticed Torvi looking around at the bar’s patrons as they headed towards a table away from any invasive ears. “I assume you don’t have quite the variety of creatures where you’re from?” Bowyn asked, from what little he could remember about the old stories of humans, they all had the silly round ears and lack wings, being fairly uniform in appearance other than size and coloring. He had been surprised when he first met Torvi to learn that most humans did not posses magic, and it was strange for him to think of a world where so little magic existed. Her world had sounded just as brutal and unforgiving as his own but without magic, or even flight, he imagined that would make it all even harder to bare. “With no wings and little magic, if you don’t mind my asking, what exactly does your world and it’s people have going for it?” Bowyn asked.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location:Roshmi City
Interactions: Ayita @13org, Sakura @baraquiel

Cade gave Sakura a confused look as she happened to mention knowing of a disguise spell that requires the body part of an elf. He tilted his head to the side and wondered if it was some sort of dark joke. He couldn’t imagine any elves willing to part with any pieces of themselves and didn’t want to imagine the sort of shady merchants that would sell such a thing. Her trickery with the blueberries was much more to his liking, and while normally such magic would strike him as a coward’s trick, in their situation he was becoming much more comfortable with those who relied on magic. It had, after all, proven to be an exceptionally useful tool in one’s arsenal. ”Wonderful, and so much more pleasant than an elf part spell. What a terrible notion.” Cade said chuckling a bit as if he understood her strange joke. He was happy that his friend Ayita was more comfortable going into the city. It was hard to believe her home lacked magnificent cities, and he was excited to watch as someone saw Roshmi for the first time. He too had been awestruck during his first visit to this great city. He did not interrupt Ayita’s moment of awe as she took in the sites of Roshmi, speaking again when she mentioned buying some weapons.

”Sakura, I take it you have traveled through here before? I believe a reputable weapons merchant lies this way.” Cade said pointing, it had been a bit since his last visit here but he normally had a keen sense of direction. ”After we get the supplies we need we should certainly get something to eat.” Cade suggested, his new friends were likely not shocked by this suggestion, as he was almost always ready for a another meal. Although food caught by paw and claw was always fantastic, he also greatly enjoyed sampling the dishes prepared the various different creatures that called Roshmi home. ”One could easily live their entire life here and not have tried all that Roshmi has to offer.”

---

Time: Morning
Location: Roshmi City
Interactions: Torvi @Tae

Bowyn simply flashed Boreas a grin letting the bird know he had been outvoted. It would seem that Torvi shared his distaste for places crawling with people. It wasn’t that he hated other people, but strangers always carried uncertainty; you could never tell by looking at others what their motives and intentions were. This brought danger and their situation was already delicate enough, should Torvi’s ears happen to fall off, for instance, there were so many here who could easily turn them in for the reward. He did not share these fears with her though, both their lives were just a mistake away from being lost and he did not doubt she knew that just as well as he did. A lessened crowd, a drink or two of liquid courage to calm their nerves, and a welcomed escape from the sun would help them appear less nervous and out of place. And, if death was coming for them it was better not to face it sober.

As Torvi pointed out an establishment, The Leaky Tap Tavern and Inn, Bowyn couldn’t help but let a sarcastic remark slip out. “Yes, the sign does seem to suggest they are an inn, so glad they teach warriors where you are from how to read.” He headed towards the tavern and the working class vibe it gave off reminded him a bit of a place he had once worked at. Normally Bowyn did not care to be reminded of his past, but his time spent in taverns had always been pleasant. Upon the door were a few fliers for events around the city, notably one for some grand ball soon to take place. The thought of drunken nobles with their coin purses primed for the taking was amusing enough for him to enter the building with slight grin. Although nothing fancy, The Leaky Tap was well kept and offered a relaxed atmosphere. Approaching the bar, he ordered two pints of one of the tavern’s meads, a brew they were calling Warrior’s Whistle. He figured the name would amuse Torvi. When the mugs were placed on the bar, he lightly touched the glass with his finger, focusing his ice magic to cause the glass to frost.

“Need a cold drink to fend off the hellish heat here?” He asked offering to do the same for her.

Ossvien

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interaction with: Katurah@Tae

It seemed that Aharuhn had lost interest in harassing the kitten and with the unhinged man back to obsessing over his books and scrolls, Aodh and Katurah left the man to his ramblings. He often wondered why the captain kept the odd man on board and had come to assume that keeping the crew on edge and alert was a useful reason; complacent pirates often became dead pirates. He put a great deal of trust in their captain, although sometimes her choice in new crew seemed strange eventually, he saw how even those he originally doubted came to prove themselves to be the most valuable of crew. Nur, for instance, he originally thought to be lazy and too much of a distraction for many of the men, but having seen her skill as a healer, Aodh now believed she was worth her weight in gold. He had learned to put a great deal of faith in the captain’s decisions and was curious to find out what great spark she had seen in Katurah. Although this crew was much less conventional than others he had been with, this one ran well and had been the most enjoyable yet. It would seem that as soon as Aharuhn was no longer a threat, Katurah was again immediately excited to see the boat set sail. While her enthusiasm for piracy was a good start, her mannerisms, like trying to hold his hand, certainly did not scream pirate.

“Trust me kitten, you do not want the crew to see you require hand holding on your first day. Act like you belong here, and do not let anyone think they can fuck with you, or trouble will continue to follow you.” He said, keeping his tone soft, and pulling his hand free of her grip as he followed her back to the main deck. Much of the work in setting sail had already been done and he had no doubts that Malek had noted their absence. “You’re a pirate now, no one will give you anything, you must either demand it or take it. Watch how other’s do their jobs until we find what your suited for, until then you can expect to be doing a good amount of grunt work. No one likes a whiner, if your tasked with deck swabbing or peeling potatoes, just get it done. Keep a weapon on you at all times, never know when we’ll be running into trouble… Aodh paused and eyed Katurah noticing that she carried no sword or pistols. “Do you have a proper weapon?” He asked, feeling like he already knew the answer to this. Had she really boarded a pirate ship setting sail towards the Shadowmounts with nothing but claws to depend herself with? Aodh didn’t really wait for an answer as he led her over towards the ships main sail to explain how one was to man the sails. He thought perhaps a job involving climbing would be suited for a cat.

---

 

Time: Dawn
Location: Avalon Avenger
Interaction with:

---

Once the ship was set towards her course things on deck calmed down, everything ran about as smoothly as it could and the sailors fell into their rolls. Sylas was content to be out of the overpowering sunlight in the gun deck. Once the cannons were secured and inspected for signs of rust or defect, he allowed himself a brief moment to rest his weary muscles. He noticed another man watching him, a tall and muscular Gorilla demihuman, who he recognized as one of the gunners.

“You there, dark elf, what is your name?” The beast man who Sylas believed was called Titus, addressed and approached him. Sylas worried he had made some sort of error in his care of the cannons, but the gunner did not appear angry with him, but curious instead.

“Sylas.” He replied to the man. “Sylas Fyn.”

“I thought you looked familiar, now you must be Declan Fyn’s boy?" Titus flashed a toothy grin as he realized how he recognized the boy, and Sylas had been told by quite a few that he looked a lot like his father did as a young man.

“Yes sir. You know my father?” He asked, although it was obvious that man did. Sylas was interested in hearing any stories about his father’s younger days, wondering if his imposing father had always been the man he knew or if he too had struggled with same anxious energy Sylas himself did. Personally, he doubted this, figuring that his father had always been collected on board a ship.

”Aye, served many years with him, back he was a master gunner on Glasston’s Glory. Bit of a mean ol’ bastard though." The man let out a laugh and gave him what was likely intended as a friendly slap on the shoulder. The man’s primate strength though made the gesture much more abrasive, and Sylas already hated when people touched him. Although he jumped a bit, he managed a forced and nervous smile for the sake of being polite.

“He has high expectations.” Sylas said in agreement, fidgeting himself further away from the man. He wondered what exactly the man meant by his comment, and he had a feeling like he was being studied. He decided the man was trying to determine if he was a man like his father in more than just appearance. Although he aspired to be as similar to his father as he could, he knew great men were rarely well liked. Sylas had ambition enough to want more out of his military career and he was aware that without the support of others this would be difficult. He doubted that he could climb to the ranks his father had on skill alone; he was still a fairly green sailor. He would have to work on his interactions with the crew in order to play the more political game that most prestigious jobs usually required.

“I’d call that an understatement but I guess that’s why he’s a captain now and I’m still manning the guns. Surprised he wasn’t chomping at the bit for this mission though. Quite a bit of glory in it, if we live.” Titus continued and Sylas could hear a hint of bitterness in the man's tone.

Sylas thought on the remark his father had made when he’d shared his own excitement at having been accepted for such a mission. “He says the king is not likely to send his best towards certain death.” He repeated the words that had dulled his excitement with fear, he did not want to believe that the king lacked faith in their assignment. Even if Sylas was more than ready to make any sacrifice needed for his country he had always hoped he’d at least achieve something worthy before his time came.

“Ha, sounds like him. I’m sure he’s bitter as bile to have been passed over for this one.” Titus grinned again at the thought of elder dark elf being passed over for something.

“Huh, you think?" Sylas said, wondering if there was even a chance that his father had actually been jealous that his son was entrusted on a noble assignment while he was overlooked. He was rather fond of that thought.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location:Roshmi City
Interactions: Ayita @13org, Sakura @baraquiel

Cade enjoyed his time in the forest with Ayita and Sakura, with another ally amongst them things seemed more hopeful. Sakura was a bit guarded; it was no stretch to say he knew Ayita much better than he knew their new friend, but her bravery in battle had earned his trust. He was happy to have someone around who could explain magic, as Cade had no idea how it worked, how to control it, or how to train one’s self in magic. He was much better acquainted with practical skills, fighting with weapons, hunting, tracking, but these were all things Ayita seemed to need no help in. When they trained with magic, Cade either napped or went out hunting, preferring to keep watch at night incase the dragon came back. He did not trust that they had seen the last of the beast, as long as it remained unvanquished it was a threat.

During the nights around a fire, he finally got to hear some of Ayita’s stories from her home. He would sit completely enchanted by the stories she had from another world. He, in turn, shared legends of Avalia, tales of brave warriors, many of which featured humans, thinking that it would inspire her to know what her kind were capable of here. Their journey to Roshmi was a safe one, and Cade was thankful for a calm before the storm that was sure to come. Although he knew their quest would not be an easy one, he felt Avalia herself was guiding them towards allies, and Avalia herself would continue to aid them.

---

Cade though about her question regarding Roshmi and what to expect there. “It is a beautiful city, full of all sorts of creatures, one of the largest cities as well. For anyone to really notice you out of place I would imagine you would have to draw a great deal of attention to yourself. Most folks are concerned with their own troubles, they have neither the time nor the care to notice every random stranger. Avoid the dark elves if you can, but do not go out of your way to do so. Simply carry yourself as if you belong here.” Cade was confident the disguise would work, and although there was certainly risk in traveling to the city it was easier to remain unnoticed in a large crowd.

“Eventually not even the forests will be safe, this seems our best chance at finding more allies, and there are others out there who share our cause. I believe the spirit of Avalia herself has guided us together, and that she will protect us. But if it comes down to it, Ayita Ani’ Wa’ya you have my word that I will fight by your side until my last breath. I cannot promise we will be safe though, so if you wish to find another way, I will honor that.” Cade said, allowing the human to decided whether or not she wished to proceed to the city. Ayita had not been granted a choice whether or not she came to Avalia but he could at least allow her to have a hand in deciding her fate from here on. He then looked to Sakura, their new and powerful ally. “What do you think, she who faced down the dracolich?” He asked curious to hear her thoughts on the situation.

---

Time: Morning
Location: Roshmi City
Interactions: Torvi @Tae

Bowyn was more than comfortable hiking through the forests and hunting and forging for food. Much to his own surprise he found Torvi easier to get along with than he had first expected. She asked him no questions about his connections to the woman who had raised her sister from the dead, and he was thankful for this small kindness. He, in turn, did not attempt to pry into her personal life, knowing how little he wanted to talk about those he’d lost, so he assumed the same was true for her. He did, however, share all he knew of Avalia; its various races, villages, and which plants were safe to eat. Of course, this information was not objective, Bowyn’s explanations were often coated in his own personal biases; elves were arrogant, forest fae were frivolous creatures, orcs lacked intelligence. Demons, dragons, and dark elves were evil and dangerous, these were creatures that served Aklenroth. Doromos, although close to them, seemed too dangerous a direction to go, too close to the undead, so they continued south towards the collection of moon elf villages. He left out the option of going into winter fairy territory, not wishing to return home and the added eyes of those who once knew him seemed unwise anyhow.

On their way to the moon elf lands Torvi had been generous enough to gift Boreas one of the shiny adornments she wore in her hair. After the trying experience of their encounter with the undead it had been nice to watch the happy bird hopping around with a shiny treasure in his beak. He had helped slipped the shiny trinket over Boreas’s foot, after assuring Boreas that he would not steal his new treasure, and the bird now wore it as bracelet. Then next day Boreas gifted Torvi a squirrel he had caught as a thank you. The fact that Boreas was so taken with Torvi made it easier for him to trust her; he recognized a similar sadness in her and while he wasn’t ready to consider anyone but Boreas a friend, a comrade with a similar goal was a good start. He helped to train her in the ways of magic, advising that while tapping into intense emotions like rage or fear would yield great power, they would make the magic wild and difficult to control. It was one’s gentler emotions that would aid in the ability to control one’s magic. He wasn’t ever sure how much of his advice she listened to; she was far more headstrong than the majority of fairies he’d known. His attempts at compliments were often unintentionally snide, he was more than a bit out of practice with social interactions. Her retorts were often equally snide which Bowyn found amusing, and he was gratefully that he did not feel tension between them. Their situation was dire enough after all.

The moon elf territory had proven to be a good choice; here Bowyn attempted to teach the human how to steal. Snatching up small items to resell for coin was simple, but stealing new clothes was more of a challenge. Although Torvi’s skills in theft and stealth were lacking, in distracting merchants she was more than adept. Bowyn managed to get the things they needed, paying for the occasional item as they shopped so as not to arouse suspicion, and finally pick pocketing some tickets aboard an Amora to get as far south, and far away from the undead horde, as they could; Roshmi City. He had never ridden in an Amora before and was even a little excited about such a thing, normally it something only those with a bit of wealth go to do. He had stolen new clothes for himself as well, as a fairy dressed as a forest urchin would no doubt add suspicion on the ride there. Then, Bowyn found himself in a situation he’d never thought he’d be in, starring down from the window of an Amora at the sights of Avalia as it travelled through the sky.

---

It had taken a week of travel but finally they were in Roshmi, the largest southern city, and hopefully one that would provide the most protection from Aklenroth and his forces. He was completely exhausted as they walked the streets of Roshmi, a combination of difficulty adjusting to the climate of the south and lack of descent sleep, since encountering Aeryn in the woods, Bowyns nights had been plagued by nightmares. The heat of the southern sun as more than uncomfortable for Bowyn, used to the harsh winters and frosty summers of his home and he wasn’t used to seeing the sun shine so brightly. The first thing he did in Roshmi was buy a pair of shaded glasses, too distracted by the heat and brightness of this city to even try and steal them. The sun had given him a headache and the suggestion that they find somewhere to stay in the city was a welcomed one. He hoped the room would be dark and quiet.

“Welcome to Roshmi City, apparently living here is like living inside of a fire pit.” He said placing the shaded glasses over his eyes and feeling some relief from the sunshine. He watched the crowded streets, bustling with various types from all over Avalia. In such a large city it would be easier to remain anonymous. He glanced over at Torvi, curious to see what she thought of the city which must certainly be strange to her. ”Well if we’ve going to be staying in the city of sunshine and roses I am going to need a drink, or maybe a few.” Bowyn added looking around for decent tavern.

Boreas, perched upon Bowyn’s shoulder, his normal resting spot, shook his head. “Bad idea, you should keep your wits about you.“ The merlin advised.

“Boreas thinks that we should not have a drink, Torvi would you like to break the tie?” Bowyn said, now used to translating the bird for the human. He felt more than confidant that the human would vote his way, she out drank the moon elves at the last tavern they’d visited.

“Tell her it is foolish.” Boreas insisted.

“Boreas says it would be very foolish.” Bowyn added in a serious and disapproving tone. Then the fairy glanced back at the bird. “But everything we are doing is foolish, and what better place to find other foolish folks.” Bowyn suggested.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Woods
Interactions: Torvi @Tae

Bowyn grunted in annoyance at Torvi’s refusal to leave, having her around along with Boreas’s foolish decision to distract the undead minion pulled his attention away from Aeryn. The revenant that once was Torvi’s sister swung an axe at Boreas, and he realized the stupid bird was going to get himself killed. Although Boreas was just a merlin, and more than capable of making his own choices, he was a good and loyal companion and Bowyn did not want him to die like this. He heard Torvi shout and the ground trembled as an arm of earth sprang forward gripping the arm of the undead to stop the axe. It seemed that the elves had gotten it right after all; the human was certainly not defective. The tremble of the earth, and Torvi’s sudden display of magic had clearly caught Aeryn off guard. There was brief second, one in which time almost seemed to slow, as Aeryn regained balance from the earth tremor and her full attention rested on Torvi, in which Bowyn knew he could end this. In one swift motion he could grab the knife from his boot and throw it, and he was close enough that he would likely not miss. The thought of actively killing Aeryn though, rather than just bearing the weight of having made the choices that lead to her death, weighted down on him. Bowyn froze, unable to carry through with it, letting time catch back up with him.

As his moment passed Bowyn knew he’d failed again. He threw the ice shield at Aeryn’s hand before she could form more weapons, drawing her attention back onto him. He heard Torvi shouting that they needed to flee but he couldn’t just leave. If he stayed, he would likely die, and although he’d put his survival before just about anything else, he would always put Aeryn first. If he stayed, Torvi might stay as well, they would both die, and she had just saved Boreas. Torvi deserved better than to die for nothing. But to leave would be to leave Aeryn in this abhorrent state, even though he knew he could not kill her, he wasn’t sure he could leave her either. As his mind raced between the two terrible choices Boreas swooped down at him, talons scratching at the side of his face hitting his cheek. He stumbled backwards until his feet hit the ground, and Boreas continued to fly at him to keep him moving out of instinct alone.

“Bowyn move!” Boreas shouted with absolute authority. “Run!” For once, Bowyn did not argue with the bird. He allowed the merlin to choose for him, and he turned and ran. He ran in the direction Torvi chose, she seemed, somehow, to know there were more of the undead and so he followed as the human lead the way. The running did nothing to dull the intense swirl of emotions Bowyn tried desperately to bottle up. Eventually they had put enough distance between them and the undead that they had a second to rest. He knew he needed a moment to himself before he fully lost his mind and stated walking from Torvi, stopping for a second to hold up a finger to signal he just needed a minute. Boreas flew from Bowyn’s shoulder, where he had instinctively landed once they stopped, to Torvi’s shoulder. There he waited faithfully for his friend to return and rested his wings, staring with curiosity at the shiny things the human had adorned in her hair. The merlin did resist the urge to further investigate the glistening metal with his beak as he did not try to steal from those who had earned his respect.

It had been many years since Bowyn had felt so many things and with such intensity. The comforting numbness was completely stripped away and the grief and agony were raw open wounds again. His stomach twisted into a knot of nausea and he wretched violently, spitting bile into the ground. He felt cold tears trailing down his face and Bowyn was unable to control his emotions any longer. He wanted to curl up and die here in the forest but that would mean leaving Aeryn out there somewhere, her lifeless body serving Aklenroth. He’d gladly face a thousand deaths before he’d leave her like that. Aklenroth had no right to do these things; to force her body into doing evil for him, to taint her memory like this, to turn her into to everything she would’ve never become. He’d never liked Aklenroth, but he had always accepted that he was the king and that was the way things were. Now, Bowyn hated the lich with every part of his being, he wanted to rip the skeleton apart and shatter every bone that made him. Rage, unlike any he’d every felt, burned through him. Bowyn facing the nearest tree, unleased his rage through magic, freezing every ounce of water inside the tree and violently ripping it apart.

Bowyn felt some of the weight leave him. The thorough exhaustion of such a display of magic fueled only by rage had drained him enough to calm down. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths of the cold air. He felt the pain and the rage dull, more akin to the constant hunger he felt as a child, but no longer all encompassing. He had not been ready to kill Aeryn, but he would get there, he would survive long enough to ensure she could rest peacefully, it was the only thing he could do for her now and he would find a way to do it. He wiped the tears, and the blood from the scratches Boreas had given him, from his face. He did not have the energy left to heal himself but they were shallow and would heal on their own, perhaps leaving him with some scars to make him look a bit more the warrior he doubted he could ever really be. With his composure regained some he returned to Boreas and Torvi.

“I, apologize for my outburst. Today has not been a good day. I guess we should keep heading south, the further we get from Daka the better.” He said his tone detached. He did not try to further explain the situation for fear that he would lose the composure he had just regained.

“Still friends foolish fairy?” Boreas said as he leapt from Torvi and glided back to Bowyn’s shoulder.

“Always, birdbrain” Bowyn said nodding at the bird as they pressed on, knowing his friends attach had been for his own good.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location:Forest near the Sun Elf Kingdom
Interactions: Ayita @13org, Sakura @baraquiel

Once they were safely away from the dragon, and had all had a brief moment to catch their breath, Cade immediately threw his arms around Ayita in a celebratory bear hug. He wasn’t sure what the human customs were about hugs, but he was too proud of his friend for figuring out her magic that he didn’t think to worry about it. There was little that was as exhilarating as having to run for your life and he was so incredibly glad that they were all alive. He released Ayita from the hug after only a few seconds but wore a large tooth grin as he looked at her with pride. She had found her magic, which was the first step towards being able to stand against the lich.

“You did it! You used your magic!” Cade said with excitement. “I’ve never seen anything on two legs move so fast! You ran on the wind, I’ve never seen anything like it. I can’t even begin to imagine what you can do once you get the hang of your powers.” Cade continued, not bothering to hide his enthusiasm. Cade turned to the stranger who had helped them escape the dragon, and being so overcome with joy at not being slaughtered by an undead dragon, gave the stranger an enormous bear hug as well.

“And you, Sakura, thank you. Our fate would’ve been much bleaker without you.” He said before releasing the stranger. “It is truly wonderful to meet you. Anyone brave enough to face a dragon to help strangers is without a doubt, exceptional company.” He added, his voice a bit calmer now, but still wearing a huge grin.

Time: Morning
Location: Woods
Interactions: Torvi @Tae

Bowyn walked with Torvi, following the bird as he led the way, until Boreas again landed on his shoulder indicating that they were near the spot where Torvi’s sister lay in rest. There was an unnerving chill in the air, Bowyn felt it, and based on the way Boreas shifted his weight on his shoulder, he knew the bird felt it as well. Something here was wrong, and it wasn’t just the body that lie ahead of them, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end and his instincts told him he should run. Torvi pointed out a figure moving in the distance and his first thought was another had found the body and intended to turn it in for the reward. Then, as they got closer, he saw the body of Torvi’s sister began to rise. Boreas chattered and squeezed his talons into Bowyn shoulder. He wondered if his feathered companion was feeling the same overwhelming sense of dread and although his body screamed for him to run, he continued forward. Something was drawing him closer and against his better judgement he listened, dropping his possessions to the ground, continuing forward until he got a better look at the mysterious figure.

Bowyn’s blood ran cold as he stared at the ghastly image before him; the figure that had raised Torvi’s sister. Although she looked nothing like how he remembered, he recognized her instantly. Her eyes were glassy and glazed over, devoid of the spark they always contained in life. Parts of her skin, had rotted away, while other patches had the blue and frozen look of one succumbing to frostbite, and other parts simply had the paleness of corpse. She wore the same clothing she had on the day she died, though now it was torn, dirty, and stained with old blood. For years he’d dreamt that he’d see her face again, but not like this and tears blurred his vision as he looked upon the long-lost woman he loved.

“Aeryn.” He whispered, his voice cracking as he spoke her name. Her head tilted to the side as she turned to look at him. As difficult as it was, he did not turn away. Bowyn blinked through his tears just to look at the woman he’d lost for a few more seconds. This was his fault; he had left her and now the lich controlled her.

“Bowyn.” She answered back startling him. Her voice was unrecognizable, coarse and raspy from lack of use. A grim realization hit him as he saw a faint glimmer of the real Aeryn in her dead eyes. He felt something inside him break as he understood the full extent of Aeryn’s fate. Trapped in a corpse, forced to serve the lich, and having to watch, an unwilling participant, in every awful thing her corpse was forced to do.

“We must leave, Bowyn, now.” Boreas pleaded, digging his talons deeper into Bowyn’s shoulder hoping to snap him out of his daze. “She is gone.”

“No,” He whispered shaking his head. “I can’t leave her again.” He said taking a shaky step towards the undead fairy. “Part of her is still in there.” The foolish part of him clung to desperate idea that somehow this meant she could be brought back. The elves and fairy’s all had such great magic that maybe there was a way, if part of her was still in there, didn’t he owe it to her to try? He was distracted enough that he had missed the subtle movements of her hands as she drew moisture from the air and formed it into knives made of ice.

“Get out of here.” The voice that was barely Aeryn’s warned just before she threw an ice knife at him. He threw himself to the ground just in time to miss the knife and then his wings flapped hard pulling him off the ground and kept him hovering above the ground. He quickly used his magic to bind the moisture in the air into a small shield of ice he held in his left hand. He positioned himself between Aeryn and Torvi, blocking the throw of the second knife with his shield. Boreas, who had flown from Bowyn as the fairy threw himself to the ground, swooped at the reanimated corpse of Torvi’s sister keeping her distracted for a bit, knowing that his friend would focus on nothing but Aeryn now.

“Aeryn, please, don’t do this.” Bowyn shouted desperately. But this was not the Aeryn he knew, but rather a twisted and corrupted version of her. In his mind it was clear now what he needed to do; he would have to kill Aeryn to end her suffering, but his stomach churned at the thought of it and he knew his heart was not ready for such a task.

“Torvi, run, get out of here!” He cried out, half demanding and half pleading. He didn’t want what was left of Aeryn's spirit to watch as she killed another person, nor did he want it to be Torvi who would kill Aeryn. Bowyn felt that he had to be the one to put Aeryn to rest; this was his failure to correct, he was the one who had left her to this fate, and most importantly, he wanted the last face she saw to be that of someone who loved her. This was one fight he knew he could not run from.

Ossvien

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interaction with: Aharuhn @Legion02, Katurah@Tae

---

Aodh was somewhat confused by the cold shoulder he felt from Nur, he could not recall doing anything to get on her bad side but then again, the whims of women were often more difficult to navigate than the roughest of seas. He caught no sign of Katurah in the crew quarters and when he heard Malek’s voice booming from the deck above and was about to give up his search for where the kitten had wandered off to, figuring she’d turn up eventually. Then he heard someone, quiet clearly the kitten, shouting for help. He followed the voice to Aharuhn’s room where he found Katurah and the crazy old man. The new girl had a real knack for getting into trouble, keeping an eye on her was going to require more work than he originally thought.

“Aharuhn, leave the kitten be would ya, we’re already running short handed, let’s cut her some slack.” He said, keeping his tone friendly but moving close to Katurah and keeping a close eye on the unpredictable sea wizard. One glance at the girl told him she was pretty shaken up and close to tears. Although he was annoyed with the man for having frightened Katurah like this, Aharuhn was crazy and Aodh was not going to waste time arguing or trying to reason with a mad man.

“Malek called for all hands on deck, we’re casting off. You ready to set sail?” He said glancing over at Katurah and flashing a friendly smile. This woman was no pirate, true, but he had not been a pirate the first time he left as part of crew either. There had been many men who taken the time to show him the ropes and as long as she had a desire to learn he’d find the time to do the same. “Now, kindly unhand my friend, we have work that needs done.” He said sternly, looking Aharuhn in the eye.

Time: Dawn
Location: Avalon Avenger
Interaction with:

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Sylas immediately stood at attention as the captain addressed the crew, excitement coursed through him as orders were given. He shouted in unison with the rest of the crew, her orders were clear and once she had finished speaking, he set back into the flow of his work. A senior officer instructed him ensure the cannons were readied and secured and so headed to the gun deck to help the men working on the cannons. He worked hard, pushing himself to move faster and the diligence helped keep his mind calm. Military life was what helped keep him sane, without the constant structure and never-ending work list to get done, Sylas felt insecure and erratic. He was thankful that with so much needing done there was no time left to dwell on thoughts, and constant movement kept the exhaustion from restless nights at bay.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location:Forest near the Sun Elf Kingdom
Interactions: Ayita @13org, Sakura @baraquiel, Soruklithbaal@Alivefalling

As Cade ran, he slowly began to find it more and more difficult to keep up with Ayita. The more they moved the more it seemed like she was becoming a gust of wind herself, and with each stride the flames nearest them were extinguished. It took Cade a bit, but then he realized that she had found her magic, and it was air. If they weren’t running for their lives, he would’ve celebrated the moment right then, but the threat of the massive dragon still hung over them. He wasn’t focused on the dragon when it happened but stopped in confusion when Ayita stopped running as well. He looked around as the flames were extinguished and then back towards the dragon who was now distracted by mist. When a voice came from behind him every hair from his ears down to his tail stood on end in surprise. It was extremely rare that anyone or anything snuck up on Cade, he was a cat after all, and he did not enjoy being surprised in this manner. He hissed as he spun around to see who the voice belonged to and faced the demoness.

Although Cade easily figured out that the mist and the current confusion the dragon was in, was all the doing of this woman he was immediately annoyed. More so with himself, than the stranger, for letting himself be so easily startled, if he was to assist Ayita on this quest to defeat the lich he needed to do better than this. Ayita spoke to the strange new creature and with the scent of burnt forest and undead dragon so thick in the air Cade could not really get a scent from her. It didn’t matter anyhow; their choice was either run with the stranger or stay and be killed by a dragon. “We run.” Cade said quickly in agreement, wanting to be far away from the dragon. He could better asses this stranger once they were in less immediate danger.

 

Time: Morning
Location: Camp
Interactions: Torvi @Tae

Bowyn thought on Torvi’s point, that the young would die either way under the rule of tyrant. There was truth in that as well, he often wondered what terrible fate had befallen those taken from the village, it was likely something just as terrible as those he’d seen die. Maybe in her world this truth carried more weight, but humans did not have Aklenroth, and to chose to fight him would only bring more death, and with more death his power would continue to grow. Bowyn stood when Torvi did, ready for the arduous trek through the forest. Her final words, although he assumed she intended them to be noble, were ones he found truly troubling. “Although you are likely doomed, your life is not meaningless. No one’s is. I am sorry you were brought here, I wish I had the power to send you home, but I do not. If we are caught, we shall run our separate ways, let luck decide our fates. Do not throw your life away for mine, for anyone’s.” Although Bowyn valued his own self-preservation, he did not wish to see anyone put his life before their own. To have another life scarified for his would be a terrible burden to have to live with. He whistled for Boreas and as the merlin flew to him, he used the pot to fetch more water from the stream and put out the small fire.

“My friend is called Boreas, he will help us find your sister’s remains.” He said gesturing the merlin perched upon his shoulder. Bowyn looked back at the bird who remained on his shoulder, looking as annoyed as bird possibly could.

“Oh he will?” Boreas asked tilting his head slightly.

“Please.” Bowyn offered the bird, who then ruffled his feathers some and took off in flight, using his keen senses to seek out the scent of another human in the forest. Bowyn turned his attention to gathering up what he needed from the camp. He dug around inside the shelter, underneath the leaves and moss until he found the small box buried there, inside the box was the various stolen jewelry that he did not sell, the ones he kept. He placed the small wooden box inside the pot, along with the pouch of food and wrapped these few possessions up tightly in the fur blanket. The camp was now tainted with the human’s scent anyway, and he could not return here. The thought of leaving the human alone in a forest so close to Daka also seemed less than savory, this would truly doom her and while he’d rather not admit it, he found her difficult to dislike. It wasn’t too much longer before Boreas returned, and called for Bowyn from a nearby tree, signaling that he was ready to lead them.

“I can help you for as long as it’s safe to, maybe even long enough for you find others more willing to fight. For now we follow the bird.” He said, continuing to move the line of how much he would help.

Ossvien

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interaction with: Adrielle @Tae, Nur @dreamingflowers

---

Once Nur had whisked away the lost looking girl Aodh returned to work, shaking his head and grinning slightly at Aharuhn’s creepy welcoming, predicting the crew’s deaths seemed to be the man’s hobby. Simple manual labor, like loading and securing the cargo, was almost meditative for him, it was nice to do work on the ship without having to think too much, and just letting his body function on autopilot for a bit. He was more than certain that once they were in the thick of things everything would be more dangerous, and much more mentally taxing, so he was more than happy to enjoy the quiet moments for now. He snapped his attention immediately to the captain as he heard her speak his name. He was being asked to look after the kitten, and he stifled a sign as he nodded to captain, although he was pretty sure Malek had already assigned the task to Nur.

“Yes, Cap’n.” He responded, putting as much enthusiasm as he could muster in his words. Although the new girl seemed nice enough, babysitting wasn’t exactly his ideal job. Plus, if she was still around with Nur, he didn’t want to butt heads with the ship’s surgeon. Once the cargo was loaded up and secured, he set off to find the lost kitten, more than certain that Nur hadn’t found any real work for the new girl to do. Aodh headed down to the crew’s quarters but before he got there he passed Nur, who was no longer showing the new girl around. “Nur, where’d you leave the kitten?” He asked. “Cap’n wants me to find her some work.”

 

Time: Dawn
Location: Avalon Avenger
Interaction with:

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Sylas awoke during the very early hours of morning, while the deck of the ship was still wrapped in moonlight, to admire the vessel he was newly stationed on. As he admired the beauty that was the Avalon Avenger, he felt a great sense of pride and honor to be serving aboard such a ship on such an important mission. The Arcadian, a long with the future queen of Glasston, had gone missing, and in order to find the missing ship they would be sailing to the Shadowmount Isles, a place not even his father had been, a place said by most sailors thought to cursed. To be apart of this crew, and to succeed, would bring him notoriety that surely this would be the thing to finally make his father proud. This was the kind of mission that not only would showed courage, but his willingness to serve and sacrifice for Glasston. This was an opportunity that he had never dreamed would present itself so early in his career, and having proven himself a loyal solider before, Sylas had pulled every string he had to be stationed here. His excitement coiled with his anxiety to do well, and so the young elf wandered the ship committing its layout to memory. As the rays of sun began to break through the darkness signaling the arrival of dawn, Sylas moved below deck, memorizing every twist and turn of the hull as well. He kept meticulous notes of every piece of cargo he inspected, and any part of the ship needing maintenance.

Sylas liked getting as much done before the sun was up as possible, there were less crew wandering about, and he always felt most energized in the dark. He liked the peace and quiet, to be able to listen to the way the ship creaked and moaned about on the sea, these sounds were the heartbeat of the ship. He took in deep breaths of the salted air as he worked, focusing on keeping himself calm rather than allowing his anxious energy to take hold. He needed to do a good job, to prove himself worthy of being on such an important assignment. The ship continued to rock about on the open seas, this journey rougher than he expected, and these waters were normally much calmer than this. Eventually Sylas began to make his way back up deck, more than certain that there was work that needed done up there. On his way up from the hull he listened as the other crew members spoke of their fears and uncertainty about the voyage to the Shadowmounts. As the dwarven first mate instructed a unfamiliar, and seasick looking, sailor to inspect the cannons, Sylas set to work assisting the men manning the sails.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location:Forest near the Sun Elf Kingdom
Interactions: Ayita @13org, Soruklithbaal@Alivefalling

Cade’s ears flattened back and his tail twitched nervously as the wind brought a sickening scent their way. With the smell of death so thick in the air, Cade expected a legion of undead, but the all-encompassing sound of a dragon’s roar that followed told him they were instore for something far worse. A massive shadow passed over them and Cade slung his halberd back over his back and looked up at that which had temporarily blocked the sun from them. “ Soruklithbaal” He whispered and his blood ran cold as he remembered the stories he’d heard of the lich’s dragon as a child. Cade had never seen a dragon before, they rarely left Daka and he was certainly not expecting the lich to send his personal beast. Based on the shadow it cast, this undead dragon was far larger than anything he’d faced before, trolls and ogres had nothing on this beast. Even as the dragon passed them by Cade knew this did not mean safety, the beast surely had their scent. Cade knew he had no chance of defeating this monster; this creature was large, undead, and could fly. If human’s truly possessed magic as great as the stories claimed then Ayita was there best chance of surviving this.

Cade, frozen with fear and uncertainty, snapped out of it when Ayita grabbed his hand and they began to run. However, he knew that they would not be able to outrun the dragon, or the flames that would surly consume the forest as the beast tried to incinerate them. A sense of dread washed over him, to be taken out while fleeing a monster he could not truly battle was not a warrior’s death. His dread of such a tragic death was soon replaced by determination; Cadence of a Thunderstorm would not die by flame, and neither would his fellow warrior, Ayita. “Inori said magic would show itself in times of trauma, I can’t think of much that’s going to be more traumatic than a fire-breathing, undead, dragon.” He said quickly, as they moved deeper into the forest. “We can’t outrun a dragon. Tap into fear, rage, the will to survive. Whatever you can, Ayita, you have power, power even the undead fear and I know you can use it.” Cade said, desperation in his voice, as Soruklithbaal’s flames ignited the forest.

Time: Morning
Location: Camp
Interactions: Torvi @Tae

Bowyn sat down near the fire but with some distance between himself and Torvi. He listened to her as she talked and, although he disagreed with her every word, he could understand why she believed it. There was a time when he believed in the possibility that the world could change for the better, that there were things worth fighting for, and of noble deaths. That was all before, before he had truly seen battle and knew the horror that warfare brought. “An honor?” He repeated his tone implying a rhetorical question. “What an honor it is for the young to be slaughtered. To have their potential ripped from them. How glorious it is to die, choking on one’s own blood, or to feel the cold as one bleeds to death surrounded by others but completely alone. What a magnificent fate to watch life extinguish from another’s eyes. How comforted the families and loved one’s of those who died must be; to know that even though they died in vain, covered in blood and gore, that their death, is noble. And how easy it must be to go on, for those who survive, knowing that after watching all those you’ve loved, and considered friend, die horribly, at least you can fight again.” Bowyn stared deep into the fire as he spoke, dark and biting sarcasm coating his every word. “That is what battle is, the one I lived through was enough. My life has never been easy, but that is the single most horrific thing I have ever experienced.” Bowyn spoke now with a quiet and morose sincerity. He closed his eyes for moment as the grief he tried to keep buried took hold.

“Hope, and a twisted idea of honor, is what compels the young and foolish into battle, and when they die so young too few are left to speak about how truly awful it all is. Once I bought in to it all as well. I fought with others of my village, against Dark Elves, who would steal my people for Alkenroth whims. We were all naïve, none had ever truly seen battle before, and every friend I ever had died, so many lives sacrificed for nothing. I am here because another, one so much better than me, died in my place. They got no pyre, no goodbyes from family or friends, and I have no closure. I do not wish this fate for you, for anyone.” He continued, in the same soft tone. Although the thought of building a pyre and trekking back through the woods sounded exhausting, Bowyn was already physical tired and weak from the effects of the drugs leaving his system, he did not wish to add to his pile of regrets. He reflected further on the question of why he still offered to help, although he knew why it was not so easy to put it all into words. “You remind me of many I have lost, and perhaps, that is worth a bit of danger, and maybe, I still have some foolishness left in me.” He admitted, annoyed with himself for continuing to indulge in such dangers. He did not want to stick with Torvi long enough to see her die, nor did he want to leave another to face death alone, but maybe he had enough fool left in him to find her other companions just as eager to risk their lives. His world certainly had no shortage of fools.