Aetheras's page

~The Strange Case of Illidan Ives~

"I am Illidan Ives." the man says. "I have in my possession a certain item - a black mirror, which allows me to create simulacrums of myself. The simulacrums have been very handy. I've used them to lighten the burden of my work. The simulacrums share my knowledge you see, so they can do complex tasks such as paperwork and business meetings. I've had some trouble with the latest one however. It began with incompliance to my orders, and when I tried to destroy it, it assaulted me and ran off. That was a week ago. A few days ago, I got word that a business associate of mine, Samaer Grimwald, had been killed. I am sure that the simulacrum did it, and is trying to have me set up for murder or killed. Now I've told you everything there is to know, Samaer Mherone. Now it's time for you to tell me your side of things."

~The Strange Case of Illidan Ives~

"Hah. I knew it. It's getting smarter. Someone who looked exactly like me, put you up to this right? Securitymech, retract your blades." The man says and sheathes his sword.

The mechanical man complies and the light coming from the eye in the middle of its bronze alloyed head turns blue.

~Upon a Rough Landing~

The carriage stops in front of the Council Basilica, a huge and beautifully put together limestone construction with a massive bronze dome and several bronze statues lining the square in front before the large archway leading into the Basilica's courtyard. You pay the driver his dret and step up out of the carriage, which drives off with a "Hiyarr!"

You find your way to a public affairs clerk's office inside the Basilica. After waiting in the waiting room for half an hour it is finally your turn and you approach the clerk behind the counter. It is an older roundfaced woman with grey streaks in her hair wearing a white and green uniform. She looks at you through a pair of spectacles.

"Yes, and what can I help you with, Samaer?"

~The Temple of Selentris~
Characters: Kara Sitala, Preysh Kavaan

@Kara. The gathering of information you mentioned we would like to do, we can retroact. For now I'm going to move the story a bit ahead to bring upon a meeting between you and Preysh.

Kara:
You decide to start your day by visiting the Grand Hall of Selentris. It is such a beautiful temple, and a good place to gather one's mind and attain some inner peace, and a little prayer to the Caring Lady, your patron goddess, never hurts.

As soon as you step into the Grand Hall, your eyes are immediatly drawn to a man in a leather longcoat and a dark blue scarf with a longbow on his back and a quiver and a beautifully crafted battleaxe on his sides. There's something wrong about him. His hands appear skeletal and are burning with a strange blue fire. He looks at you and you see that his eyes too are burning with the strange blue fire.

Preysh:
After a long walk, you finally reach the Grand Hall of Selentris in the Verdyntrent district. Soon after you've entered the Grand Hall, a beautiful woman in expensive garbs enter the temple. She looks straight at you.

~The Boatman's Cask~
Rix Gebson is the minstrel. Osis Nayth is your uncle. ;)

"That he would. May I ask you what you have been up to all this time?"

~The Strange Case of Illidan Ives~

"It would appear so." Rinzin replies. "We should make haste to the vault were the mirror is kept."

"What are you doing in my house?" a familiar voice calls out from the doorway, and you see Illidan Ives enter the room with one of his security machinemen. Illidan has a sword in his hand and swords are unfolded from the machineman's arms.

~Preysh~

"Well, there's a shrine to her right there." Alendro says nodding towards a dark blue stone building with a round mosaic window made to resemble a lady in white robes with blue hair holding a silver staff, above the entry way. "But if you want to go to the actual temple, the Grand Hall of Selentris, it is in the Verdyndrent district on the other side of the Cynaad Citadel. You're currently in the Kalentris district. The easiest way to get to the Verdyntrent district on foot would be to walk along the Obaaz river. The river is that way." Alendro points towards one of the streets leading from Copperleaf Square.

On your way to the Obaaz river, you soon come across a notice board. One of the notes read:

"Izamyrah Eldfalk, leader of the Flamefalcons, is looking for recruits. For application, go to the Flamefalcons guildhall on Wilkfigger Row in the Beldenbrac District."

Another reads:

"Help! My daughter Tezera Tymantris has disappeared. I will pay 1000 dret for any information that will help me find her. -Estelgar Tymantris."

~The Boatman's Cask~

"You probably don't remember me, but I am a friend of your uncle. Rix Gebson. You have certainly grown since last I saw you. Your uncle will be happy to learn that you are still alive."

~Upon a Rough Landing~

There are plenty of carriages in front of the Skydocks building. You might want to take one of those to the Council Basilica in the Verdyntrent district.

Vanishes in thin air even.

~Kara Sitala~

As Kara reaches the door into the entry hall of the building, she sees the man she is following being confronted by a silver and bronze alloyed security machineman says. The man gives a wrong pass phrase, and the machine man's big yellow-glowing eye turns red and blades unfold from its arms.

"You have ten seconds to give the correct password." The man utters some words and disappears.

OOC Bhevis Mherone

Just looking to see what Kara Sitala does before I update yours.

OOC Aleyn Soath
The large building you're currently in front of is the Skyship Docks in the Melintrass district. The Council Basilica is in the north end of the Verdyntrent district. Here's a map.

~The Boatman's Cask~

Nah it was just too much for me to update everyone's prelude so I focused on updating for the ones I knew for certain were checking the forum that day. Sorry. In hindsight, I should probably have started you all together in the same place instead of doing it like this. Too late now. Gotta make the best of it.

Oh, and remember to subtract the amount of money you tip to the minstrel.

The minstrel takes off his wide-brimmed dark blue hat and holds it to the side as he bows. He smiles and says:

"Talya right? The niece of Osis Nayth?"

~Visaer Sitala Returns~

Almost as a response to your thought process, a tressym (winged cat) took flight from some nearby bushes giving you quite the startle.

You brushed the feeling off as paranoia and continued towards the Embassy.

The streets were dimly lit by the orange light of the city's magical lampposts and the late evening air was cold and refreshing.

The sky is dark blue. Suddenly a lightning strike breaks the silence and the rain begins pouring.

Twenty minutes later you pass by an open bronze gate in tall metal-spiked walls surrounding a large three-story building.

A lightning flash illuminates the building and the garden in front of it, and you see a man walking through the garden towards the large house.

~The Revenant Awakes~

"For as long as you need it. This camp is a place where those who have nothing are always welcome." He smiles. "Selentris will always look after those in need." He mumbles a prayer to his goddess while looking up, and then turns his attention back to you again. "Is there anything else I can help you with, Samaer Preysh?"

~The Strange Case of Ilidan Ives~

After searching through piles and rows of business ledgers and official document files and letters, you finally find a black leather-bound journal in a hidden compartment in one of the desk drawers. On one of the pages there's a list of names written. Some of them have been striked through. On one of the last pages of the journal it reads:

The simulacrums are becoming uncontrollable and reckless. I fear I may have used the mirror too much. One has gone missing.

A later entry on one of the very last pages read:

It is the talk of the town. It is on the lips of every towncrier and gossiper. A murderer is on a killing spree, killing every night, seemingly at random. I know it is the missing simulacrum. If he ever leaves a witness, they'll be coming for me. I have no other option but to use the mirror one last time. I have to make another one to stop it.

The last entry reads:

It did the job. It returned with the head of the missing one and then I destroyed it with the mirror. I will not use the mirror any more. I should never have done so in the first place.

The rest of you post here in discussion to let me know you're here, and I will post updates to your character preludes.

~The Revenant Awakes~

Just as you are about to finish your careful approach towards the entrance to the tent, Alendro comes out.

"Ahh, Samaer Preysh. Did you sleep well?" the brown-robed man asks with a friendly smile.

~The Boatman's Cask~

The Boatman's Cask is one of your favorite drinking spots: it is lively enough not to be boring and it is not so lively that you feel bothered by it.

After about ten minutes of nothing significant occuring, a man in light blue clothes with a dark blue cloak and hat walks up to the stage in the middle of the bar room with a really longnecked lute - a theorbo - and start's playing.

~The Revenant Awakens~

Alendro's tent camp is largely unpopulated. The poor have probably left to go begging.

Alendro isn't anywhere to be seen, but you guess that he's probably inside the larger tent in the middle of camp.

If you're heading out, which way will you head? North, east, west, or south?

~The Revenant Awakens~

Mootday, Yarnath 5th
You awake in the tent the next day, lying next to the crate you fell asleep against.

~Visaer Sitala Returns~

"Kara." Moira exclaims with a big smile as she opens the door, obviously very happy to see you. "So good to have you back. How was your trip to Calys?"

~The Strange Case of Ilidan Ives~

Bevis casts a light into his hand as he closes the door behind him and carries it throughout Ivers office. Bevis is looking for nothing in particular but paying close attention to personal effects or anything that draws special attention. Then, Bevis casts another spell to discern magical properties so he can investigate those more closely. Special attention is paid to any list of contacts, as well as any mention of someone from Ivers list of rivals. Bevis spends a great deal of time learning about the man that is Ivers and sponging anything that might come in use later on.

Roll a Perception check.

~Upon A Rough Landing~

Sighing and then speaking again with anger in his voice "Would have been so, but because of bloody pirates in the vicinity of your city attacking honest merchants like, my ship is in dire needs of repairing and I do not happen that kind of money with me... so yes, I will be selling my cargo here, damn pirates and thieves all together. I was hoping to keep sailing but no so at least I hope your city will be somehow compensating for this kind of lack of security." anger in his voice but Aleyn still keeping his speaking steady.

"Now, its losses I earn plus of courses all the taxes additionally I need to pay. How much would that be now?"

The curly-haired scribe goes over the costs. After everything is paid you have little left: 364 dret to be exact. Whatever profit you make from selling the cargo will go towards paying your crew and repairing the Vynchalassar and you doubt it will be enough to get it fully repaired. You'll have to find a way to earn a considerable amount of drets in a short time here in Phendras, or you won't be leaving any time soon.

About twenty minutes later you find yourself on the grand avenue in front of the Skydock building.

~The Boatman's Cask~

Talya looks at the man, her face blank, her expression neutral. She just lets the silence grow between them for several moments. She holds up one finger, "I do not know you, therefore I do not especially trust you." A second finger joins the first, "I do not know what an abaia is, nor what kind fo threat it poses." A third finger rises, "I am eating lunch, such as it is." A fourth finger, "And finally, your eye makes me uncomfortable. Now why should this conversation proceed any further?"

The man with the silver eye looks quite offended and taken aback. "I was merely sharing some information with you. No need to be so rude. Oh, and an abaia is a giant eel." He gets up from the table and leaves.

~The Revenant Awakens~

"Good evening Samaer Preysh." Alendro replies.

You are not disturbed while you practice with Headsplitter. What will you do when you are done with that?

~The Revenant Awakens~

"What isn't there to do. Phendras is a large city. And the day is Myrday the fourth of Yarnath."

~Visaer Sitala Returns~

Vizana smiles understandingly and places her arms on your shoulders.

"You'll just have to come here more often then, dear"

She escorts you into the bathhouse proper and you are given your desired treatment.

~The Strange Case of Ilidan Ives~

"Subject gone. Initializing search." the machineman's eye turns yellow and begins to search for you, but you are already on your way up the stairs.

Soon after you find yourself in Ives Sr.'s office on the third floor. There are various bookshelves and cabinets and a large desk with a chair behind it and a bunch of papers and ledgers on it, as well as a brown globe of Aetheras with the two moons attached to it on bronze arms. The room is lit up by a flash of lightning outside the window.

~Upon A Rough Landing~

"Well, provided that your cargo stays in the ship, you don't have to pay a tariff. I expect that you have only landed in Phendras to get your ship repaired, or are you going to sell your cargo here?"

~The Strange Case of Ilidan Ives~

"Incorrect command word." the silver and bronze alloyed machineman says. Its big glowing eye turns red and blades unfold from its arms. "You have ten seconds to give the correct password."

"The simulacrum must have changed the command word. Looks like we have a fight on our hands." Rinzin stated.

~Visaer Sitala Returns~

"As you wish Visaer, and no, I think I'd better get home. Moira will appreciate knowing in advance that we'll be an extra person for dinner."

You are dropped up in front of the bathhouse, a large stone building with three green glass domes on the roof.

A beautiful woman in her mid-thirties with long raven-black hair in white robes welcome you in the entry hall. You recognize her as Vizana, one of the bathhouse hostesses.

"Ahh, Visaer Sitala. The usual I presume?"

~The Revenant Awakes~

Alendros smiles. "Thank you Samaer Preysh, but the people here don't really need protection. They own nothing of value, you see. Are you sure you do not need rest? You seem to have a mind, and every mind needs rest or it will go mad."

~Upon A Rough Landing~

You approach one of the guards standing by the stone arch with several glowing blue spheres on the inside, which acts as an entrance to the great copper and green glass dome which is the arrival and departure terminal of the Phendras Skydock.

The guard is a human wearing a blue and black uniform as well as metal plates protecting vital areas and a metal helmet with a metal viser covering all of his face except for the eyes. He has a sword and a shock baton in his belt.

"The Council Basilica is the huge blue building in the north end of the Verdyntrent District. You can't miss it."

As you move through the stone arch, a blue beam scans you, and the blue spheres glow yellow and a metalic voice emanates from the arch saying: "Unregistered male human."

"This way, Samaer, please. You need to be registered before you can enter the city." A guard on the other side of the arch says. You are not alarmed. This is pretty standard procedure.

You are escorted to a large room where a young male human scribe with curly blond hair in blue and brown outfit sits behind a table.

"Please take a seat, Samaer."

Once you are seated he dips his quill in the inkwell and puts it to the formular in front of him. "Please state your name, age, race, nationality and occupation."

~Upon A Rough Landing~

"I see." the green-eyed man in brown and blue uniform says. "You should file a report at the Council Basilica. The Council will want to know that there are pirates in Protectorate airspace."

He goes over the prices of repairing the ship for you, and you realize that you will need to get a lot of trets if you want to have the ship properly repaired. For now, you pay for docking space for a week.

~The Demesha Trading Coster~

You exit the Demesha Trading Coster House to Ebendrocia Row in the Raedanwald district, and go to the nearest bar, "The Hovering Stone", a bar in a large dome of greenglass, built around a hovering boulder.

A Maraak (a race of tall and slender red insectoid humanoids with four arms and blue eyes) in white and brown robes stands behind the bar.

Phendras is a big city. There are definitely other Mindprobers than those from the Valamyrian Wizard's Enclave.

~Visaer Sitala Returns~

"Of course Visair.. *Ahem* Kara." Amir says with a hearty smile, obviously appreciating the fact that you consider him and his wife to be friends.

"Well, you have nothing on your schedule for today. The cab is taking us to the Embassy, but perhaps you would rather be taken straight to my house, or something else entirely? We still have a couple of hours before dinner time. Perhaps you would like a walk in the Thrune Park? I know you like it so much there. Or stop by the Temple of Selentris? Or maybe a bathhouse?"

You follow the goddess Selentris, the Caring Lady.

~The Revenant Awakes~

Alendros nods. "I see. *Ahem* Well, I should probably prepare you then. Your skull is showing. Like, all of your skull. Your face is a dark grey, almost black, skull and you burn with an unnatural blue fire. I have no idea how you ended up in your current state, but I suggest you cover yourself up so as not to frighten anyone. The tent over there is empty. You can use that. I will bring you a mirror."

Shortly after you have entered the tent, Alendros comes and hands you a mirror. "I think it's best if I gave you some privacy. *Ahem.* If you need anything, you know where to find me. Oh, and here. Take this as well." He hands you a dark blue scarf. "To cover your face."

~The Demesha Trading Coster~

"I don't care." She motions for you to leave.

"Oh, one more thing before you leave, Juna." Vara opens a drawer in the desk then gets up and walks over to you, gracefully in her exquisite red dress, and hands you a pouch of drets.

"Here's 150 drets. Find me a Mindprober, but one who is not from the Valamyrian Wizard's Enclave. Pay them the drets just to come see me today, and tell them that I will pay them more for the probing."

~The Revenant Awakens~

"Arh, Dhurnac told you about us. I see. Well, this is a camp for the city's unfortunate and homeless. I am Alendros, priest of Selentris, the Caring Lady. Might I inquire as to what you are, Samaer Preysh. I haven't seen one such as you before."

~The Revenant Awakens~

You make your way to Alendro's Camp on Copperleaf Square. The tent camp is lit by several campfires and surrounded by Copperleaf trees and is full of people in ragged clothes, some of them cripples and mutants, and not all of them humans.

People begin to whisper and give you strange looks as you walk into camp. A man in brown hooded robes with a shaved face approaches you.

"Greetings Samaer. I am Alendro. Who might you be?"

~The Demesha Trading Coster~

Vara Demesha is comforted by the hug and stops sobbing. She listens to what you have to say, nods, and then she takes a seat in the carved black chair behind the matching desk and activates the scrivener device, a bronze box with an attached inkwell and black-feathered quill, which writes whatever the owner tells it to write and makes as many copies as is requested.

"Scrivener activate. Scrivener font type 14. Scrivener write: I, Vara Demesha, High Mercantor of the Phendrasian Branch of the Demesha Trading Coster, hereby invite any Sellsword, Private Investigator, Bounty Hunter, or other capable Vardeen seeking to earn an honest Profit, to attend a Meeting at the House of the Demesha Trading Coster, Ebendrocia Row 6, Raedanwald, on Noon of Abalday, Yarnaath 6th. Stop. Scrivener make fifty copies." The scrivener device makes a stack of papers with Vara's message written in a beautiful but easily readable black font. "Scrivener deactivate."

"Juna. Take these and put them up around Phendras, on noticeboards and in taverns and inns."

~Upon A Rough Landing~
Characters: Aleyn Soath

You barely made it. Few other pilots would have been able to fly, much less land, a ship in such a condition as what Vynchalassar was currently in. The repairs were going to be costly this time. Half of the dret from the meager last haul would all go to crew and for the docking space, and the rest wouldn't be enough to get the ship properly repaired. You are going to need more dret.

Some Skydock personel meets you in front of the copper and green glass dome.

"Is that your ship? What happened?"

~The Strange Case of Ilidan Ives~

"Good thinking Mherone. Ilidan spoke of a vault beneath the estate, where the mirror and other of his father's possessions are being kept. I suggest we either start looking there or in Ives Sr.'s office. I believe Ilidan said it was on the third floor. I am sure that I will be able to hurt the simulacrum due to my magical properties, and I suggest you keep me in hand, as it is probably somewhere around the house, and it will most likely fight to the death for its existence. Hmm.. Perhaps... No, nevermind. Look, there's one of Ives' machinemen. The command word was 'Whisk-Whask'"

A mechanical man walks into the hall from a side corridor, its large yellow eye locked on you. "Command word?" it demands.

~Visaer Sitala Returns~

"Moira is doing well, Visaer. She is doing a wonderful job with the little ones. I'm sure she would love if you joined us for dinnner tonight, if you would like?"

After seating themselves in the green two-wheeled carriage, the doors closed in front of them, and the driver who sat on the raised driver's seat at the back of the carriage, a man in a dark green jacket and hat matching the color of his carriage, gave the horse some slack on the reins and clicked his tongue, and the strong brown horse began to move, pulling the cab down the avenue, its big black wheels turning round and round.

~The Revenant Awakens~

Dhurnac lingers. "Valikos' bar. The Winged Serpent. They might kick you out if you don't buy anything, but they probably won't notice. Either way, it's not an inn. They don't have rooms. If you're looking for a place to stay the night go to Alendro's Camp. It's only a few blocks from here, on Copperleaf Square. If I'm not there myself, which I probably will be, tell him Dhurnac sent you."

Dhurnac wanders off.

As you approach the tavern the music coming from inside gets louder, and you can also hear the blended voices of the place's clientel. Sounds like the spirits are high inside. Will you enter the establishment?

~The Revenant Awakens~

"You hit your head or something? I believe amnesiac is the term that the physicians use. If that is what ails you, you might want to seek out a mindprober or something. Either way, you are in the Free City of Phendras, and I am Dhurnac. Welcome and may your stay be pleasant."

~The Strange Case of Ilidan Ives~

You hear the familiar echoeing whisper of Rinzin inside your head: "First off, I'd advise against breaking the mirror, if that was your idea. We have no way of knowing what that might do. Who knows if the simulacrum can even be killed... We might need the mirror intact to banish the simulacrum from this world back to wherever it originates from. I'm thinking there's a reason why Ilidan's father didn't destroy the mirror in the first place. I'm thinking that perhaps his father might have been guilty of using the mirror to get rid of business rivals and deemed it too valuable to get rid off, but another posibilty might be that the soul of the person peering into the mirror is somehow bound to it, and that the person instead of the simulacrum will perish if the mirror is destroyed."

Magical green lamps lit up the entrance hall. There was a double stairway leading to the floors above. A huge taxidermized six-armed bear standing on its hindlegs stood on a platform between the two sets of stairs. A beautiful dark red carpet covered the floor from wall to wall.

~Visaer Sitala Returns~

"Everything is more or less as when you left. There is a council meeting tomorrow evening regarding the most urgent matters in Phendras such as the rise of the Black Sickles and the trouble they are causing both in the outskirts, in the inner districts and in the whole Protectorate, the killings of both nobles, officials and figures of the underworld perpetrated by the mysterious Whirling Shadow, the matter of the trade embargo against Nerovar, and of course the situation in Odar. Both the Cynaadshar and Lord Azalan Merovin have requested to see you eye to eye before the meeting."

Amir escorts you to one of the cylindrical green glass and bronze elevators and soon you are walking through the ground level hall of the Phendras Skydock building.

"The green cab over there is ours." He says as you exit into the busy avenue in front of the Skydock building.