SepticGentleman

Undiscovery

Aardvale Cleaver-Men

---

The Cleaver-Man eyed Cia and Saaria with bloodshot eyes. He grit his crooked black teeth and turned away from them, muttering under his breath, _{"Disgusting..."}

He walked away from them, towards the center of the ruined town, where many more were gathered. Past him, a door flew open and a scrawny, naked thing with bulging eyes and massive teeth scampered outside. Another Cleaver-Man followed it, yelling, and brought his foot down on its spine. He drove a metal rod through its neck as it trashed about madly, before growing still.

"FUCKING RATS." He called out, withdrawing the metal rod and wiping the blood off of it. He turned his gaze towards Cia and Saaria, teeth bared and grinding, before returning to his home and slamming his door shut.

This wasn't a very nice town, it seemed.

---

Gerald Pithers

---

The center of town was home to a congregation of Cleaver-Men, all mumbling to each other or drinking from some dirt-encrusted mugs. Gerald weaved his way through the crowd, earning no one's attention, and beheld a barrel with several filled mugs sitting atop it.

"AH-HA!" Gerald called out, reaching for a mug. He took it, examined the putrid liquid inside, shrugged, and poured it down his bony gullet.

The liquid fell through his bones and onto the cobblestone below, staining his robes a bit. There were little chunks of what appeared to be rotten fruit mixed into the liquid, some sticking to his bones. Gerald looked down, finally taking a minute to process the fact that he was no longer capable of the consumption of alcohol.

"WELL, PISS." Was his only reaction.

"Thief!" A skinnier Cleaver-Man called out, snatching the mug from Gerald's hand. "The nectar is not for you! It's..."

He paused for a moment, one of his pus-leaking eyes focusing on the mark the Vigil had given Gerald. The Cleaver-Man's eyes widened even more as he shouted, "THE SKELETON! HE'S MARKED!"

All the surrounding Cleaver-Men immediately turned their attention towards Gerald. A particularly large one brandished a hunk of iron with finger holes carved through it, calling out, "CRUSH HIM."

The Cleaver-Men all drew their weapons and approached. Gerald backed away from them with nothing else to say but...

"AW, BUGGAH..."

@Cuccoruler
@luclovers

Undiscovery

Gerald Pithers

---

"THE NAME'S GERALD, FAIRY-RICHARD." Gerald called out behind him as he climbed, "GERALD PITHERS."

...

After the trio had ascended past the rocky climb, they moved further through the jungle until the trees began to turn twisted and barren. The ground beneath them was charred, with patches of dirt becoming more and more common.

"EHHH, THE SCENERY 'AS TAKEN QUOITE THE UNFAVORABLE TURN, 'ASN'T IT?" Gerald said aloud.

They went further along, seeing stacks of smoke in the distance. Weaving past the trees, the ground beneath them turned to cobblestone. They stood before clusters of dilapidated houses, some barely holding while the rest were piles of rubble. Lanterns and campfires in the rubble were posted all over. And among it all, there were men. Ragged, savage-looking men wearing tattered clothes and cloaks of fur.

They seemed rather oddly oblivious to the trio's presence. Many were seated near their campfires. Some were sharpening their weapons. Others were stumbling about, staring blankly into the distance. Quite a few of them seemed obscenely larger and more brutish than normal humans.

And many of them were mumbling to themselves.

"WELL NOW." Gerald said, looking around, "LOOKS LOIKE A PLACE WITH A DECENT CHANCE A HOUSIN' AN APPROPRIATE DISPENSARY A ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. LET US COMMENCE THE DISCOVERY A SUCH AN ESTABLISHMENT."

And forward Gerald ventured ahead of his companions.

@Cuccoruler
@luclovers

Undiscovery

Gonna be pretty busy tomorrow with Christmas plans. I'll make whatever posts I can, though.

Undiscovery

Gerald Pithers

---

"WAIT, WAIT, HOLD YA BREATH JUNGLE-RICHARD, I'M FOINE!" Gerald called out, raising his hand to Saaria's mouth, inciting her to cease her incoming barrage of flames.

"EHHHH..." Gerald said, shaking his head, then turning towards Cia. "OI'M FOINE, FAIRY-RICHARD. JUST A BUMP ON ME..."

He felt the mark on the side of his skull. "OHHH, CANNY..." He said, "WOT AN UNPLEASANTLY-TEXTURED BLEMISH THAT TALL BLUE FELLA BEQUEATHED TEH ME." He got back up on his feet and continued, "AH WELL. I'LL ASSESS THE DAMAGES TEH ME NOGGIN ONCE WE FOIND A MIRRAH, IN A TOWN I HOPE BE OVAH YONDAH."

He turned and restarted his ascent up the rocks. "ONWARD, ME RCHARDS. GERALD REQOIRES 'IS ANNUAL INTOXICATION RITUAL." He called out.

@Cuccoruler
@luclovers

Undiscovery

Coastal Vigils

---

More horns signaled more arrivals. Today was a busy day for the Vigils. Yet so far, only one new charge had earned their action. The robed skeleton had already met two natives.

And though it seemed unlikely he would, he could not be permitted to ever leave the Continent.

One Vigil ventured forth to carry out the deed.

---

Gerald Pithers

---

"WE AH IN SEARCH A ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, FAIRY-RICHARD." Gerald replied, "AN' OI BE UNFAMILIAH WIT DA LAYOUT A THIS FOREIGN LAND, SO WE WILL 'AVE TO SCOWEH THE AREA FOR A SUITABLE AVENUE WOT PEDDLES 'EM."

The trio came about an elevation of rocks, with a few lamp posts jutting from between the crevices. "AH, SOIGNS A CIVILIZATION." Gerald said, climbing over the lowest hurdles. "LET US ASCEND THIS NATURAL STAIRCASE SO WE MAY-"

He was interrupted as one brighter rock jumped upward before him. Gerald paused as a looming figure stood before him. Pale blue skin, rags, and the iconic shell-head.

A Vigil.

"AH, YET ANOTHA JUNGLE INHABITANT." Gerald called out, "BE YOU INTERESTED IN AH PURSU-"

A dark, undulating tentacle arose from one of the holes in the Vigil's head, and swiped at Gerald's before he could finish his inquiry. The skeleton fell back down the rocks, onto the sand near Saaria and Cia. The Vigil wasted no time in vacating the area before the other two could react, jumping up the rocks and disappearing into the jungle.

The slimy residue from the tentacle settled on the side of Gerald's skull, forming a bumpy spot of brown, writhing like a little mass of tentacles. He slowly picked himself up off the sand.

"WOT IN BLAZES..." He called out, darting his vision this way and that.

@Cuccoruler
@luclovers

Undiscovery

Theresa ot an Bol'hjar

---

The duo descended down the pathway leading into the port city. They came upon the outskirts full of old, shanty wooden houses, made from ship parts as it seemed. People were mulling about, many looking somewhat downtrodden. Above them all hung an old mast, with a blood-stained flag adorning it.

Seemed pretty average, as far as foreign port cities went. But there was always room to be surprised.

"Let's split up for now." Theresa said, "You can handle your business, I'll look for someone who can tell us more about the mainland. Find a lead to somewhere... interesting, maybe."

Ben nodded, and set off on his own. Theresa scanned the area around her, spotting what seemed like a tavern built within an overturned ship. Few people as there seemed to be, it was definitely the best place to start.

...

She stepped inside. Dim lights, foul stenches, drinks and chatter aplenty. Theresa stepped forth, turning a few eyes her way as she approached the bar. There sat an old man in a chair, wrapped in blankets, with bedraggled gray hair. Before Theresa could get the attention of the bartender, he spoke to her.

"You..." The old man piped up, "You're not from 'round here?"

"No." Theresa replied, "Sailed here off of Fernheid's Galleon."

"A visitor." The old man said, "What're you here for?"

"Exploring the Continent. Same as plenty others are doing."

"Then you'd best listen to what I have to say. For your own health and preservation."

Theresa took a step closer towards the man. She assumed he may just be some old cook, but... the prospect of learning any hint of the Continent's nature still intrigued her. So she obliged, and said in return, "What, then?"

"Go no further than Rockvale. Step neither foot within the mainland. Find a boat, and leave this place. If the Vigils see you exploring, they'll come for you, like they have so many others."

"The Vigils?" Theresa asked.

"The Coastal Vigils, aye. You didn't see them, but you heard their calls." The man said, "The horns. They announce the arrivals of all newcomers. And if you're smart, then that's it, end of story. But if you go too deep into the mainland... they come for you. And they mark you."

The man raised his hand, revealing a patch of skin along his wrist that was brown and writhing. Theresa eyed it curiously.

"This mark. You have this, and you're no longer visiting the Continent... you're a prisoner within its confines. You try to leave... and it's not just the Vigils who'll hunt you down. I've watched monsters of the sea and crazed men rip apart people who've tried. And some don't even wait."

Theresa paused for a moment, before she replied, "So... you're trapped here yourself? Why's Rockvale not important to these... Vigils?"

"Rockvale's not their charge." The old man replied, "It's not under the Continent's Curse. It still has connections to the outside, however small they may be. This place is safe. And I'm too old to want to go anywhere else, anyway."

Theresa paused again. She processed everything the old man was saying, before she nodded and said, "Alright. Thank you for telling me all that."

The old man nodded as well. "Be smart, girl." He said, "Leave."

A lead wasn't important anymore. Theresa turned and proceeded out of the tavern, to go find Ben. Tell him what she heard.

This changed things.

Undiscovery

Gerald Pithers

---

"AH, FAIR JUNGLE BEAST." Gerald said, motioning towards Saaria, "THE OIRES OF THE DRINK DOTH MEANDER YEH BRAIN PROCESSES, AN' THUS YEH EMULATE MESELF."

Gerald sighed and nodded, pausing for a moment before he continued speaking to Saaria. "Y'KNOW," he said, "YEH REMOIND ME OF ME BEST MATE RICHARD, COPIOUS GODS AN' GOD-LOIKE FIGURES REST 'IS SOUL. 'E WAS ALWAYS A JOLLY BLOKE, LOIKE YOU. 'COURSE, HE LACKED THE HORNS. AN' THE WINGS. AN' THE BREASTS, TOO. OTHAH THAN THOSE, YEH A SPITTIN' IMAGE OF HIM. AN' IN LOIGHT OF YEH CURRENT STUPAH, OI SHALL TAKE TEH ADDRESSIN' YEH AS... JUNGLE-RICHARD."

He turned to Cia and continued, "AN' YOU REMOIND OF 'IM TOO. ALWAYS ASKIN' QUESTIONS. SO OI SUPPOSE I'LL CALL YOU EHHH, FAIRY-RICHARD. IT'LL BE LOIKE I LOST 'IM, AN' THEN OI GOT TWO BACK BOY THE GOOD WILL A THE HOIGHAH POWAHS."

They couldn't see it, but Gerald was definitely smiling. "NOW OI SUPPOSE WE'LL BE RESUMING AH PURSUIT A NUMEROUS LOIBATIONS." He turned and once again marched down the coastline, calling out, "ROIGHT DEN. LET'S AWAY."

@luclovers
@Cuccoruler

Undiscovery

I will be introducing Lillia eventually as she tries to navigate court life in Talii and speak on the behalf of her sister. She won't be venturing beyond the city walls, but she's trying to stop them from sending assassins after Saaria. I'm creating some creatures they could release to hunt her down. If anyone wants to play the king of Talii for these scenes, let me know, but otherwise I'm just going to write up scenes with both characters.
There'll only be one or two scenes from her point of view, and they won't happen until a bit later in the storyline.

@luclovers

Ah, more jungle beasts for Gerald to educate. I approve.

Undiscovery

Neat. That Loktiarian looks pretty baller.

Undiscovery

Hey got any where I can jump in at

@Mugin

Urban and I definitely want to use Crow Forest later on. But as for Roy, you'll have to ask around.