Luminosity

Tombs and Blades (Swords of the Cutlass Coast) (Lum & Poo)

Cool, looks great! Should be able to get my first post in tonight as well.

Into The Dark: Tales of Maroleth

Yep, sorry just been busy. Trying to stay on top of everything this week.

Into The Dark: Tales of Maroleth

"What did you do next?"

Mira flashed her teeth, a gleaming, playful smile. "I dropped down carefully, bent my knees at the landing, and drew my sword. Darted from tent to tent, quick as I could manage. I crept up behind the Gnoll chieftain and... I yanked his tail, hard as I could!"

The little human girl's eyes went wide with wonder, jaw gaping open, and Mira's smile grew, from where she sat beside her on the side of the street. She had curly red hair and the cutest nose Mira had ever seen. Rose, she'd taken to calling her. When they'd met, the girl wouldn't tell Mira her name, said she didn't like. So Mira made one up, and the little girl loved it. For all intents and purposes, she was Rose. At least in their world.

"Was he angry?" Rose demanded to know, and by her tone, she certainly expected him to be. Mira pushed messy silver hair from one side of her face, blue eyes shining with mirth down at the little girl curled up next to her.

"Oh, he was furious. I'd never seen a Gnoll so mad before. But when he turned around, poof, I was gone, and there was only his second in command standing there, wondering what the problem was. The chieftain was in such a rage, he attacked the other Gnoll, thinking he did it!"

A roll of giggling thunder followed, Rose letting her head fall against Mira's shoulder while she laughed. "You're funny."

"The Gnolls didn't think so," Mira said, kissing the top of the girl's head lightly. "But I grabbed the elf boy they were hoping to have for a treat and made a daring getaway. Took him back to his parents." Despite the ending, Rose's laughter dampened a little, and Mira noticed. "Hey, how are you? Liliana treating you kids alright?"

"Mhm." The orphanage Rose lived in was just down the street. Mira made sure to check in every time she stopped by Riverhope. "Are you staying long this time?"

"Afraid not," she admitted, rubbing Rose's messy hair. "I've been called for a meeting. I doubt it'll keep me here. But you never know. Either way, I'll come see you as soon as I can, love." The two said their goodbyes, and Mira left the girl with a coin to buy herself something tasty for a snack. After that, it was back on the horse, and off to her duty.

The Queen's daughter never ignored her mother's call, especially not when it was sent by one of the city's best trackers. Poor guy had to leave several days early just to find Mira's trail, and give her the message in time for her to get back. She hoped he was being paid well. And she hoped whatever she was wanted for was important. Mira loved staying connected with everyone in Riverhope, but her place was out beyond the walls.

No one stopped her on her way to the Hearth and Flagon. Much as she might wish otherwise, many people knew her face, and who she was. Bastard daughter of mixed-blood, the wild wandering girl, Vanya's unsuccessful protege, fathered by a Praelian... really, only a few actually judged her for such things, but she would prefer if they were not known at all. People like Rose didn't care for her titles or origins, but instead for her company and her deeds.

She strode inside the tavern confidently, her hair done up in a loose and lazy bun so as to keep it from her face. Mira certainly wasn't going to clean up that much for a meeting in a tavern, but she did at least try to change into the least worn and dirtied of her available clothes. She caught Dirk's eye as she neared the feasting table, and he gave her that tiniest of smirks back.

"Fetch an ale for me, handsome?" she asked, pushing a chair back far enough so she could prop her boots up on the table. She sighed. Comfortable chairs. The barman huffed a single gruff laugh back at her. She loved that.

"Sure thing, Mira." He set to it, and brought around her cup a moment later. She took a long first drink, before checking over the early arrivals, one of which was inquiring as to each of their origins. They looked to be from all over. She wondered what was going on.

"Hi," she said casually. "I'm Mira. I'm... a regular patron here."

The Lord of the Rings

Calariel

---

Calariel observed the amusement that was the dwarf and the hobbit from where she sat with her back against the base of a large tree, just far enough away to see most of the others clearly. She nibble away at the modest portion of Ofnir's prepared food she'd taken for herself; she figured the man and the dwarf would need more of it, and she did not need much. Years of experience on her own in the wild had taught her to get by with little. And besides, she had her own.

She wondered how quickly they would be able to form an effective group. At first she thought they might not work together at all, being such disparate races and coming from such different backgrounds. Calariel knew that she wasn't particularly skilled, socially, but already she felt welcome with these others, perhaps even accepted. Perhaps they were wanderers themselves, halfway to outcasts. There was potential for kinship, she knew.

Her milky eyes flitted to Aelin after her sharp ears picked up on Thurin's muttering. "Could you play something for us, then? You soothed us to sleep wonderfully, I imagine you can help us find our energy as well." She felt a bit embarrassed for asking, for no particular reason, and a bit of color crept onto her cheeks. She didn't really need the jolt, as Ofnir had given her more than enough time to sleep, more than she'd probably needed. But she liked the sounds of her fellow elf's songs.

The Lord of the Rings

Probably won't have time to work on a collab efficiently this week. I think I'll be able to make a short post today, though.

The Elder Scrolls: Rage of the Waves

It went long, so I figured I would post here. Maybe Fiona can find the group at the end of someone else's post, I dunno. She's in a bad way, thought I should do justice to that.

Edit: just read above comment. Let me know if I should edit my post. I wrote Faruq being definitively dead (more for Fiona to wrestle with in her head), but I can always just have Fiona not find him.

The Elder Scrolls: Rage of the Waves

Fiona woke to the smell of blood and a burning city.

Tremendous pain immediately followed. She gasped and writhed on her back, every movement difficult and punishing. She blinked tears from her eyes, trying to figure out where she was, what had happened. Her head throbbed murderously, and she could feel blood on the right side of her face, still warm. Hers. She tried to rise, but the strain on her abdomen was like knives in her flesh. Something was jammed into her side, a small piece of wood from the looks of it, and she could immediately tell one of her ribs was broken. Fiona let her head fall back and tried to catch a bit of breath. This was not good.

Before any kind of hasty plan between her and Faruq could be cobbled together, before they could see what exactly would happen to Brynn or any of the others, there was alarm raised about a fleet of attackers. Dominion, Fiona had thought, along with all the others. She had to help, it was what she'd lobbied for for years now. Fight the elves that wanted their way of life destroyed and washed away. Faruq fought with her, on the walls, where the unprepared city guard had not turned away the much needed help.

But they were not Dominion Altmer that came so swiftly over the walls, cutting through them. Pirates were about as despicable in Fiona's eyes, and so she fought them too, not that they gave her much of a choice. Even managed to cut a few down, before they overwhelmed her. There were no arrows in her, thankfully, but she'd fought through half a dozen cuts, the worst horizontally across her lower back, before a blow sent her toppling over the edge of the wall, and out of the fight.

Fiona woke now in what looked to be a wooden merchant's stall of some kind. She'd fallen through the roof, judging by the hole above her, likely the only thing that had kept her alive. Still, she'd clearly hit her head on something, judging by the red smear across her fingers when she pulled her hand away. The sounds of fighting were distant now, not the cacophonous clamor that had been ringing in her ears from the moment the first enemy came over the wall.

She had to move, find Faruq, find the others, get out of here. With their prize lordling, if they could. The fight was obviously lost, but maybe their lives weren't just yet.

Huffing a few breaths, Fiona channeled the warrior that she claimed to be, and pulled the wood piece from her side. She grit her teeth against the scream, and immediately pressed her hand to the wound, trying to stem the tide. No time to stop. She rolled over, ignoring the cries of protest from her body, and forced herself up. Her sword was nearby; she grabbed it and sheathed it, knowing she had hardly the strength to swing it anymore.

She checked her path carefully once out of the stall, using the nearby wall for support. Bodies littered the streets, guards and soldiers and civilians, one or two she thought may be pirates. They'd clearly already passed through this area. They either thought Fiona dead, or never found her. She moved on, one hand reaching out for anything to brace herself against, while the other tried to keep more of her blood from escaping.

Down the next street, she found Faruq. He lay on his back, stripped of his armor and weapons, a half dozen dead pirates around him. There was a gaping hole in his throat and a few more on his torso, and he'd clearly passed on, after taking several of their enemy with him. Fiona sank to her knees next to him, as much to rest as to mourn. She'd not known him well, but... "You might say I fancy the foolish sort," he'd said. She never did find out if there was any truth to that, nor would she now. And if she did not move on, she would soon join him. She needed healing.

There was nothing Fiona was capable of doing for Faruq. The others could yet live and she expected if they were anywhere, it would be in the castle, under the castle, or near it. She had to get there.

Footsteps drew her to cover behind an overturned cart. She tried to steady and slow her breathing, and to hide the length of her sword. She had no skill at stealth, but it was necessary now, while she couldn't fight. A group of looters passed, armed and clearly with the pirates. Mixed races, as ever. She'd stopped sparing thoughts for who they were. A question for when she knew she would survive this.

When they were gone, Fiona continued forward, half-stumbling a dozen times but never losing her feet. She felt woozy, unstable, sleepy. She'd never been this badly wounded before. An apothecary's shop ahead caught her eye. It looked destroyed, and the building next door had caught fire, which would soon spread. But she had to try. Stepping through the doorway and over the kicked-down door, Fiona squinted through the darkness at the potions remaining on the shelves. Stepping back behind the counter, she tripped and fell over something, landing on her knees with a sharp cry. The apothecary lay before her, an arrow through his eye socket. She blinked at him, then forced herself back up.

Her search ended with a single health potion, not of the greatest strength either. Fiona downed it greedily, sighing as the bleeding was slowed and a bit more strength returned to her limbs. It was hardly enough, but it would keep her alive for the time being. Checking carefully as she exited the shop, she continued cautiously on her way towards the castle.

The Elder Scrolls: Rage of the Waves

Busy weekend. Hoping to have my post up by the end of tomorrow.

The Elder Scrolls: Rage of the Waves

Should I start writing my post today? The one that would remove Faruq that is.

:(

Into The Dark: Tales of Maroleth

Aaaaand there's my character to add to the bunch!