Mileana |
Before entering the palace of the king, Mileana will procure a room at a local inn, to leave her traveling gear and Rygas, who is simply left in the room with the command to guard their belongings. After making herself presentable, she will take the documents summoning her and venture to the palace for her audience with the king.
Zulan Khoza |
Zulan clasped the papers in his hand. Uncertain of how the King of Talios would view a tiger in his throne room, he instantly pushed the thought aside and proceeded, with Beza at his side, gear on his back, toward the castle for the arranged assembly.
Shavel Gysselylth |
It was a summons that made Shavel groan. He was not one to seek audiences with any of the nobles of Talios, let alone the royalty, especially the king. He'd almost had had enough of the court politics and packed up and left for Ophelia,but this was his homeland and despite the pains he had suffered over the years, he didn't really want to leave.
So, he gathered his gear, and lastly dons his silver holy symbol of Shelyn and departs for the capital. "Hopefully it isn't some 'put down a noble uprising' or something. I need something to truly test myself in..."
Dias-Lewis |
The king awaited the 5 adventurers he had summoned. Granted he had summoned others before this, but none had answered the previous times he had done so.
The man was human, had deep frosty blue eyes, pale skin, a beard that went down to his collar-bone and hair that went down to his shoulders. He sat quietly on his throne. He had specified the time for the 5 to meet. Even if all 5 didn’t show up, he’d likely send who did out with his daughter. The man pulled out a scroll and looked it over. A contract he had made up to ensure that the 5 would agree.
He let out a sigh and then looked up at the entrance of his castle. His hair was a light brown and was starting to grey, he looked like he was in his middle ages.
He looked over to the 11 year old girl who was sitting quietly in the corner of the room. She had a chair, she had her gear packed up, she was ready to go, but to send his daughter out on this quest he knew he wasn’t too fond of this. It would span quite some time.
Wendell Almant |
A request from the king himself! Wendell smiled.
What could he want? To personally thank me for the pastry the other night? Perhaps his stew hit the spot. Of course, it was entirely possible he made some grievous mistake in preparation or presentation, yet he wouldn't allow himself to think that possibility for long.
He donned a clean apron and prepared to present himself to his lord.
Anchard Wulfphear |
Anchard patted his familiar with a satisfied look on his slender face. Looks like my patience is finally going to pay off.
Anchards familiar conveys a sense of worry, to which Anchard laughs softly, Legends are born from ordinary people doing the impossible. Escaping this cell is where my story begins.
The familiar leaps down from Anchard's lap in doubt.
Well I suppose you are right, this letter with the kings seal is where it all starts. What do you say we go ahead and open it.
Zulan Khoza |
Zulan and Beza could see the imposing aspect of the castle before them and its well guarded gates. Gripping the papers, Zulan quietly commanded Beza forward, his eyes never leaving the guards' faces. He extended his hand, knowing they would not permit a stranger accompanied by wild beast readily into the courtyard.
"We have been summoned by the King", was the only explanation the hunter gave, believing it sufficient with the documents he had just presented. After giving the guard enough time for a cursory glance at the papers, Zulan withdrew his hand holding the documents and waited to be allowed inside the gates.
Mileana |
Approaching the castle alone, but bearing a similar array of paperwork to the half elven hunter, a coincidence of timing finds Mileana arriving at nearly the same time.
"Well well, it seems like I was not the only one called. I wonder what this is all about..." the Aasimar muses, speaking aloud though almost to herself as she walks towards the same guards Zulan is speaking to. A bright curiosity in that amethyst eyed gaze as she looks at the tiger companion, perhaps not having encountered such a beast so close before. To the guards, she lifts her own papers, "I have been called upon as well. His Highness is expecting us."
Zulan Khoza |
Zulan turned upon hearing the female. She was a slight creature with shiny hair and jewelled eyes; her colouring and form unlike the females of his village. He noted the shiny woman's gaze at Beza and was proud of the magnificence and restraint of the tiger. Zulan gave a brisk nod in acknowledgement of their similar circumstance.
"I am Zulan. This is Beza. We have come to hear the King's words."
Mileana |
"A most impressive beast." Mileana says with a small, charming smile as she dips into a slight curtsey in greeting. Her delicate features and shimmering hair more evident in contrast to the plain clothing worn.
Her curiosity turns from the tiger to the half elven man that accompanies the beast. "I am Mileana. A pleasure to meet you." the slightest of pauses before she directs words towards the tiger. After all, the creature could be more than it appears and it doesn't hurt to be polite. "And you as well."
Zulan Khoza |
Her name rolled across his lips as he mouthed it silently - practising the sound. Such strange names the people of the other lands possessed.
"Mil-e-ana, you travel alone? Where is man, whose duty is to protect you?"
Beza |
Beza stood beside Zulan and listened to the wo-man. She had grown accustomed to the presence of the two-leggeds in the jungles and village. Even in this strange land Zulan had brought her to.
The wo-man's voice sounded friendly and Beza responded with a chuffing sound (like she was blowing air from her nose) in greeting.
Zulan Khoza |
With the few words exchanged between he and the shiny Mileana, Zulan stowed the papers in his coat pocket and proceeded forward with Beza; their silent guard escort leading them through the courtyard and into the entrance hall.
Zulan's gaze roamed the castle interior, fascinated by the opulence and repelled by it in the same breath. Never had he seen such a place.
The heavy door into the throne room was opened and their presence announced to the occupants of the chamber.
Zulan walked inside, noting the figure of the king sitting upon his throne. Beza's eyes moved to the young girl, sitting in a chair in the corner. Zulan noted the target of the tiger's fascination and turned his own gaze to the child, wondering at her presence and the pack by her feet.
The man who had ushered them into the chamber bade them stand closer to the throne. Zulan yielded to his authority and looked toward the king. He bowed his head and introduced himself simply yet with respect, "King Corniera, I am Zulan Khosa of the village of Tagore in Zantar. I answer your summons, as does my tiger, Beza."
Anchard Wulfphear |
Anchard raises a brow at the king.
Bearded like a dwarf, but something, not of greed, weighs heavily on this one's mind.
Anchard makes no attempt at pleasantries as he inspects his robes and smoothes out any accidental folds in his attempt at perfect presentation. Occasionally he looks to the door.
Am I early, or am I late? Maybe they were unable to escape their captors, or worse, they may have been killed... No! I have never been wrong about my dreams before, and I'll be cursed if I start now. Besides, it would be foolish to assume the king would call on only poorly adjusted citizens to accomplish any task of import.
Anchard smiles politely to the king's daughter, the princess.
I wonder if it normal for the princess to be included in official matters such as this.
Mileana |
With a quietly musical laugh, Mileana smiles at Zulan and shakes her head. "I do not require a man to look after me. But if you are offering? How charming. But first, we should answer the call that brought us here." This seems to amuse her, but in an indulgent sort of way and not carrying the tone of mockery. Instead, she breezes along with their escort until they are presented to the lord of the land himself.
To the king she curtseys formally and a simple, "Mileana Destara at your service, your Highness." Though after the greeting, she does glance curiously at the young girl present before her attention once more focuses fully upon the king. This could be interesting, and a little excitement shows in those amethyst eyes.
Zulan Khoza |
A little retcon as Zulan, Beza and Mileana are moving into castle.
With a quietly musical laugh, Mileana smiles at Zulan and shakes her head. "I do not require a man to look after me. But if you are offering? How charming. But first, we should answer the call that brought us here."
The hunter cocked his head at the shiny woman's declaration and reaction. He replied earnestly, "Every woman needs man to protect and provide for her and village. I will do what I can for you, Mil-e-ana." With brisk nod to emphasise his pledge, Zulan turned and walked forward in silence.
Zulan comes from a patriarchal society/culture ... He doesn't mean to insult/demean Mileana -- it is just how he was raised and part of his duty as a male. :)
Anchard Wulfphear |
Anchard watches Zulan and Mileana enter the throne room, his black eyes wide with curiosity, his polite smile fading to its natural thin lipped frown.
An aasimar, a half elf and a cat... But where are the remaining two? Wait a moment, are these two familiar? My mind is normally a fortress of knowledge, and yet my time in custody may have been too long. I fear some of my memory has slipped. No matter, Ill simply mimic indifference or apathy and wait for their introductions prior to the King's address.
Anchard watches them until they come to a stop. He meets their eyes when they look at him, but only for a moment before he begins to look them over with more curiosity than malign intent.
Zulan Khoza |
As he, Beza and Mileana stood some distance from the seated king, Zulan felt eyes upon him and turned his gaze to locate the watcher.
Zulan's expression remained neutral even as his mind acutely registered the presence of another -- an Elf. His hand curled inward slightly -- Zulan did not have much interaction with the wild elves to the north of his village. This was decreed by his great-auntie, Ayize, who, as Tagore's wisewoman, was the only human permitted to venture onto the Elven lands as emissary. Yet, to see an Elven male this close brought many strange internal reactions and buried thoughts.
Zulan's amber gaze held the dark eyes of the other. The silent assessment was a mutual interplay.
The hunter inclined his head to the Elven male. In steady voice he spoke to break the silence, "Are you one of the king's summoned? If it is so, join us where we stand."
Anchard Wulfphear |
What is this? A strange accent, clearly not a local. He addresses me in common tongue so either not one for tradition or not aware that tradition even exists.
With a nod and while still eyeing Zulan and his assortment of belongings.
"Ume. Avarnev-luume-oquen-neva. Diole." Anchard softly speaks but his voice carries a nautral echo unlike many surface elves, and also carries a lilting accent that repeats on the first syllable of each word not unlike many subterranean dwarves for those with prior experience.
Submission to orders from a stranger would show favor for a chaotic, non-established relationship, for which I am not in favor at all. Or perhaps he was simply being polite and offering a chance to freely join them in their small community. Argh, I loathe social graces and pleasantries. I envy the dwarf bluntness and knack for crude etiquette- always know where you stand with a dwarf.
Zulan Khoza |
Zulan understood the Elven words well enough. He may have not had much use for the language in his everyday life, but Great-Auntie Ayize would speak to him in Elven when they were alone and shared confidences and Zulan listened to her teachings.
He hesitantly responded, in his unknown father's native tongue, to the stranger who was to be part of the strange, royal summons, "An bhfuil cad ní mór duit . Bhí mé ach a thairiscint dúinn chun seasamh mar aon ní amháin . Ciallaíonn mé aon easpa measa."
@Anchard: Sorry, didn't know what language you used for your Elven text. I tend to use a form of Gaelic. I hope that's okay. :)
Wendell Almant |
Upon entering the room, Wendell gave a bow to the noble lady; it helped mask his disappointment.
Why am I here with these outsiders? They didn't look like honored guests at a feast. We are all waiting it seems.
As the elven tongue began to flow, the chef was unsure why they chose to use it. "I trust there are no need for secrets before my lord," he said with a hint of snobbishness. It wasn't for the king's benefit really, but his own - I'd rather him not in a sour mood at alienation.
Mileana |
The pleasant smile on Mileana's face fades slightly as her head turns and she peers curiously at the elf and the half-elf speaking in an alien tongue. She arches her brows delicately and seems about to speak, but instead she opts for silence and simply nods. Perhaps in agreement with the words of the newest arrival.
Quietly, she looks once more towards the king and studies him curiously as she folds her hands before her. Waiting patiently, for the moment, to find out what the purpose of their summons is. Exercising patience for the moment and not chiding the rudeness of speaking languages that exclude the others in the room from the conversation. But there is a sense that a mental note is being made. A tiny mark in a ledger of the mind.
Zulan Khoza |
Zulan glanced toward the haughty voiced one who had entered the chamber soon after them. Yet another with similar ancestor.
"You understood what was said. No secrets were spoken. Do not suggest otherwise." The hunter's voice was not loud nor aggressive. It was firm and sure in tone and manner as if the newcomer had attempted to stain the hunter's honour and Zulan was merely remedying the other's misjudgement.
The hunter returned his focus on the silent king upon his throne and gave no more attention to the haughty, strangely garbed one.
Anchard Wulfphear |
Another half human? In an apron no, less. Im surprised at the number of chefs in this city, perhaps there is a university here. Anchard thinks to himself as he watches the new one enter.
At his comment Anchard's curiosity fades and his eyes narrow.These half elves are definately more human in nature and custom than I would have guessed.
"Níl an teanga ar an quendë ar cheann de na rúin. Chun tuiscint fiú go ndéanann tú aon seirbhís."
I suppose the nationalistic culture here may presume everyone should speak the local dialect, but if I am to accomplish my goal, I must hold true to my ancestors ways.
No worries Zulan, gaelic translation is easier than what I was doing with a cipher.
Shavel Gysselylth |
Arriving in the city, Shavel looks around. It had been about a decade since he'd been in the capital, and he was disappointed to see little had changed. He pokes around for a short while, certain that he'd make a better entrance being 'fashionably late' than arriving early.
But after some time, he finally makes his way towards the king's residence, a rather opulent castle in the capital. He shows his papers to the guards at the entrance and one raised an eyebrow at reading his name. But he was admitted and, dusting himself off, proceeded towards the throne room.
As he enters, he sees a small group of people not dressed as nobles or royal. Don't tell me they were summoned as well... He had nt really expected others to be present, his own slight arrogance having gotten the better of him. Looking up at the king, he notices far more white in his hair than the last he had seen the man.
"Your Highness, Shavel Gysselylth at your service." He takes a short but courteous bow.
Dias-Lewis |
The king looked on as he sees Shavel come in, the last one that needed to arrive. He stands up and clears his throat now. Knowing he had been rude up until this point for them to show up. He gave a grim expression before walking up to the group, he held the 5 contracts in his hand, the ones that they would all sign.
They were all the same, all written out the same and written by the king himself even, something that was a bit rare.
“I have summoned the 5 of you for a quest, though this is no ordinary quest. I’m sure you all have noticed that the winters have been longer, the spring and fall shorter, and the summer much shorter than the rest. This is because there is a curse on our world. My daughter Arianna knows what is causing it, and she has the means, but I fear if we wait any longer to get rid of the problem then the world will be destroyed, all living and unliving creatures killed. Most gods and goddesses wouldn’t want this of our world I’m sure. The more that live, the more that die, if the world is destroyed there is no more life being created,” He stated.
He hands each of them a contract along with a pen that is currently holding ink.
Contract
I cannot reward more than 100,000 platinum per recruit
You will be entrusted to take my daughter Arianna with you to find and destroy the 7 crystals and find the creator of the crystals.
Signature
-Recruit ___________________________
Signature
-King ______________________________
Signature
Witness ____________________________
Shavel Gysselylth |
Shavel raises an eyebrow. The king was being rather forward about all this. Must be really bad...
He reads the contract over and for a moment has no words. 100,000 platinum! Is he mad or is the threat truly this great!?
"Your... Your Highness, I believe there might be an error with your contract. There appear to be far too many zeros, and it says that said coins are in... Platinum..."
Anchard Wulfphear |
Straight to business then.
Anchard takes a moment to read the contract and inspecting the royal seal.
So many questions, but I dared to tread where my dreams led. I'll hold questions, for now is not the time. I must show that the spirit is willing, even if the mind and body are under prepared.
"Glacaim." Anchard says with a slight bow as he cantrips an arcane mark of his symbol on the contract and places back in the kings hands. "I accept this responsibility, as long as the others of my fellowship are not in decline." edited to sign instead of keeping it
"I am Anchard Wulfphear, one of the last Dusk Elves of my forgotten home, and although I have no home, rebuilding it requires there be a foundation to build upon. This quest will ensure my home can be rebuilt and my ancestors put to rest after over a century of their haunting suffering. Where should we begin, Princess Arianna?"
The first of many questions! Surely there is cause for such a desperation. Is discovering the answers worth the crushing despair this man king carries the burden of knowing for?
Arianna Coniera |
The girl stood up and walked over, holding an ink vial along with an inkpen. She brought a table with her with some effort, a simple wooden one and placed it between the king and the recruits. She looked up at them and smiled weakly nodding to Anchard.
“Well, we need to head north, I have a map of Talios on my person, but we need to retrieve a crystal from a baby dragon… It’s a river dragon, but it’s new, this was the last continent to be given a crystal,” She stated before she pulled out her map of Talios and sprawled it out on the table.
Anchard Wulfphear |
Perhaps she is nervous to smile so meakly? Why only six of us to save the world? Why his own daughter? Silver eyes, is she related to the king by blood or by name only?
Anchard stands in obvious deep thought, placing his hand on his chin. He looks to see the others and their reactions before further inquiries.
I am ill prepared for a longer journey. No mount, no cart, hardly enough money, and yet it is a dragon we face. The dwarves oft dealt with a red dragon claiming the Crags as home, but even with their numbers and sophisticated weapons they were only barely capable of staving it off. Granted the dragon is but a baby, but babies are never far from their mothers.
Zulan Khoza |
Beza sat quietly on the stone floor of the throne room. Zulan had listened intently to the king's words and glanced briefly at the young girl, who was his daughter and the princess, and who would accompany them on the quest. He would send one so young? Perhaps she is blessed with potent gift or skill, Zulan considered silently.
When the king handed him another paper, a con-tract, Zulan wondered at the necessity of these papers. Was not solemn word or oath sufficient in Talios? The hunter scanned the chamber, noting each participant in turn. We are a strange selection.
Still clutching the new paper in his hand, Zulan waited until the princess had moved a table and positioned herself before them. She had mentioned a dragon to the dusk elf. Zulan had never seen such a creature before -- not even a young dragon, but he was not afraid. He merely wanted to know more about the creature. And the crystals. But he held his tongue for the moment.
He looked down at the words on the paper and began to read silently. The reward was vast and it made sense for the danger and difficulty would be of a high level. Taking a step toward the small table, Zulan leaned down and, taking the ink pen, signed his name in the appropriate place and gently pushed the paper toward Princess Arianna. He and Beza would be formally accepted once the royal girl and her royal father had also signed the paper.
Dias-Lewis |
The king looked over Zulan’s paper and then signed his signature before looking to his daughter who did the same. She was, after all, enough witness. He didn’t want to send his youngest out, but there were not many options left to him, though he wouldn’t speak of it.
“Thank you Zulan for accepting my offer, now Anchard, I would appreciate it if you were to sign the contract,” The king stated.
Mileana |
Mileana takes the contract, with a polite curtsey to the king out of respect for his position if nothing else. Taking a moment to read the contract, the merchants widow tips her head and then looks up and asks in all seriousness. "How does one calculate the monetary value of a title? If say, I wished to claim fifty thousand platinum, and the balance in the form of a title...?" she flashes a charming smile, showing off a dimple. "Pardon me, your Highness. I could not resist asking. I take it that since it is you giving this contract, then any title of lands will within the bounds of your kingdom? Just to make sure I have a clear understanding of the reward. Regardless, it should be more than adequate to serve as reward." that said, she signs the paper, and turns to the princess.
To the Princess, she offers the contract to be witnessed with a smile. "If you would, highness? I would like to hear more on this matter." she murmurs in a warm tone. "You say this was the last continent to be /given/ a crystal? From where did the crystals come, or from whom? I am not very familiar with this country..." she takes a good look at the map. "Can you show me where we are now? And where you think this river dragon and the crystal can be found?"
Is there a legend? That would also denote the significance of the red lines, that appear to be borders? Is this a land with one kingdom, or several kingdoms on the same continent? (if such information is 'general knowledge'.)
As an aside, she glances towards Anchard. "I believe he wishes an actual signature, not a magical marking. Perhaps it is custom or legal requirement." she gently suggests.
Shavel Gysselylth |
Watching the group slowly sign off, Shavel sighs. Sanity from insanity, I guess. He looks at the contract once more and shrugs. At the very least, if they do succeed, he'd be able to do a lot with coin like that. A new and magical elven curved blade... land to build a school to teach others the art...
He approaches the girl, the princess apparently, and takes a pen from the well, signing his name on it. "May this be the beginning of a swift and successful mission."
Dias-Lewis |
“A title can be anything you like except Princess, Prince, King, or Queen,” The king stated, chuckling some at Mileana’s mention of how to balance a title with money. He hadn’t quite written the contract right, though her reward sounded ‘reasonable’ enough. Granted, he was, in a sense, going to be depleting his treasury for this mission.
The red lines indicated political borders, the king rules the entire continent, but there are lords and ladies of the lands that control each region on a political scale. Make their own rules of the land. I’ll work on making a legend shortly.
Arianna Coniera |
Arianna smiles at Mileana before she points to the red palace looking spot on the map.
“This is where we are at right now, and we’ll be traveling from here, up north to this particular area,” She pointed to the middle hump up of the major continent.
“This land is ruled by my father, but there are lords who take residence in each town (the castles),” She stated before nodding some.
“There is a river that goes through Allensburg and then heads out to the forest… That is where we’ll find the dragon. Though we should stop a few times… it will takes us 10 days to get there,” She stated.
Mileana |
"Interesting." Mileana says to the king with a small smile on her lips. "It is acceptable if I wait to actually choose the nature of my reward until completion of the task at hand? That is a weighty decision, and it would give you some time to think further on just what things are truly worth in monetary terms." A brief pause, then she asks, "Would it be too forward to ask if there will be any funds in advance? If we're looking at a ten day journey one way, horses and other traveling niceties would make the trip less taxing."
Looking to Arianna, the silver haired Aasimar nods and offers another pleasant smile. "Thank you. Is there anything else you can tell us regarding this crystal, or where it came from? You said this continent was the last given one. That implies a giver and a purpose... but so far, we have been told very little of the circumstances."
Arianna Coniera |
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“Well, I am unsure, though I know it is a powerful magic user of the arcane arts, and he has lived a long time, longer than human so I can’t presume what race he is… His goal… is to destroy this world in order to become a god,” Arianna stated.
“There are 7 crystals, one on each continent… and each given to a specific dragon in order to corrupt them. The crystal feeds off of the dragon’s life energy in order to change the weather, though as the crystals gain their energy, they will cause more problems, famine will strike each continent… diseases of unknown origin will strike fast and whipe out everyone, and then… the stragglers left behind will suddenly burst into ashes for no reason, leaving these 7 dragons being fed off of until the crystals have gained enough energy to destroy the world. We can’t stop at destroying the crystals as the magic user has the ability to recreate them, though the crystals must be combined and destroyed as one single entity.”
Wendell Almant |
"Pardon, my lady, but could the one large crystal not be destroyed in the same manner? I confess the particulars of magecraft are not my specialty." Neither is barristers' language, but this contract seems quite lucrative...
Arianna Coniera |
“Uhm, we need to combine them and destroy them in a very specific way, though it needs to be on large crystal first, to dispell what they have caused so far… and then destroying them as one whole crystal… well that will take a lot, but I’m sure the 6 of us can manage,” She stated.
Anchard Wulfphear |
"How fortunate for us that six people will be able to manage." Anchard says flatly with only the lilt of his accent to give the phrase expression.
Anchard takes the contract and puts his mark to it with busied haste.
Expextantly Anchard asks, "What additional assistance will he have in our assignment?"