Ьȴʊє Ͻ a r a v a n (The adventure continues elsewhere!)

Where should the characters in this thread be transported to after leaving the treasure room?

Aboveground under the tree (i.e. directly to the camp).	80.0%	[ 8 ]
Underground under the tree (i.e. under the hole in the ground that opened up).	10.0%	[ 1 ]
Indifferent.	10.0%	[ 1 ]
Total Votes:			[ 10 ]

[Samantha Whitfield]

↻xxＴｈｅxxｗｏｒｌｄxxｉｓxxａxxｃｒｕｅｌxxｐｌａｃｅ ・ ・ ・

Tobias would crack an honest to goodness smile at the woman's response. Of course not. Had he exagerrated the wound, then maybe. It would have also likely made it even easier to simply nab the woman as a hostage. But that was not in the cards for him tonight. Instead, the coal-haired male simply walked alongside his new companions. A talkative, dark-skinned woman and two silent males. Well, that changed to a single silent male when the scarfed one produced conversation along with a name.

He produced a nod in response, but did not add to the dialogue in any way. No. He wanted most of all to get to town and be safe from the dangers of these roads, both human and natural. Speaking of other people, it appeared that two of them were ahead on the road. A green rag being waved to and fro, presumably signaling them and not other raiders in the hills. Tobias' eyes shot to the treeline in a natural reaction.

A thief he was, but that was different from bandit. He did not quite enjoy the dirty work of murdering multiple people if he could help it. Two or three slashes to the throat he was fine with, but a caravan or two? That struck him as dangerous. The one time he did partake in such a raid, he had held back and finished off his 'partners' after the fact. It was the only way, right?

"More visitors, I see," noted their 'leader'.

She decided it best to greet them. Tobias could see this was going to be a long march to the nearest city, and sighed. His eyes then moved to the sky and then fell back to Nasrin's back. They were now moving faster, and as they did the rain finally came. A heavy downpour. Tobias, one might be surprised to find, did not seem as upset about being wet. It did hamper his strongest attribute in his agility and dexterity, which was where he got his distaste of water from. Whatever deity existed seemed to have a humor of sorts.

But that was neither here nor there. Speaking of where, they were fast approaching a sanctuary of sorts. Great oaks, or whatever tree they might be, provided them a safe haven from the rain. When they reached it, it wasn't long before the two figures previously seen also arrived. The woman, clad in armor and with a blade, was quick to greet them and explain their situation. More company? he groaned, the irony lost on him.

Not the one the question was directed to, Tobias carefully positioned himself at the edge of any arrangement that would be form. He had held his back to the other two long enough, and if a fight broke out he would much appreciate their sacrifices as human shields. Though, he did not much want to deal with battle in his slightly soggy state.

・ ・ ・ ｅｘｐｅｃｔxxｎｏxxｓｙｍｐａｔｈｙxxｆｒｏｍxxｍｅxx↺

[Sypher-Anthem]

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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXE l i j a h X A u r e l i s
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Why don't you let me Be
Leave me Alone
You start a fire Inside
That I could never Control
You wanna see a Reaction?

The smell of rain thickened as the party advanced along the road at a steady pace. They all seemed friendly enough for strangers though conversation was kept to a minimal. Not to mean Elijah was a talkative fellow but he always felt it helped to ease tensions among new faces; especially when softening them up for a sneak attack. That was when Nasrin turned back slightly to glance past them towards something in the distance. This had actually caught Elijah off guard since he'd kept his attention on those in his actual party to notice approaching ones specifically those that were as far as the one She had spotted. It was then that the first drops start to comedown signalling the beginning of a maelstrom. Nasrin decided that she would act as a scout and push ahead until a sufficient form of shelter was found. That was okay with Elijah since she was leaving her companion with them which was making sure she didn't go off to fetch a gang to ambush him and the other stranger. The skies opened up up wide after that bringing down rain in volumes that deafened anything else. Even the sound of the horse that trotted behind them became inaudible with the rains arrivals. That was the only sound for a while as they followed Nasrin's path through a thicket which then sprouted upwards in to an amazing canopy. What really signified that it was a suitable camp site was the return of sound mean that the branches above were packed together tightly enough to keep the rain out which was enough for Elijah to call it a night. Walking up to a soft patch of grass that would make for nice bedding once a sheet was thrown over it, Elijah dropped his bag from his shoulders and showed little manners getting straight to drying off. Removing the soaked scarf and wringing it out, he laid it across his bag before starting to unbutton his vest when a new voice reached out to them.

"Hail, traveler! Have you claimed this area as your camp for night?,My friend here is injured, and can't travel for very long. Might we share this site for one night, so she can rest and heal?" The female would say as she trotted in on horse back with a second female riding behind. This was unexpected to say the least seeing two females traveling together, but from what Elijah could make out from how they were outfitted they were obviously more than capable.Their question was directed to Nasrin though, which was fine with the emerald eyed male who still just wanted to get his wet clothing off and maybe get a fire started. His figure was slim though athletic which was what help the part time highway man sneak into camp and buildings when he needed to do a job. Now down to just his thin under shirt Elijah proceeded to try and wring out his long dark violet hair since it felt a lot heavier fill with water. He could easily been mistaken for just a tall women depending on weather they actually got a good look at him or heard him speak, which he did use to his advantage to lure in solo traveling males who didn't have their wits about them. To Elijah it was just about making easy targets and what better way than to make yourself look like a target in the first place.



Location:Somewhere between western Bethryl and Racluear
Mood: Accommodating
OOC:Sorry it took so long



╠ ◘ ✠ ◘ ╣"Good people only exist in times of peace. In times of chaos, there is no good or evil; Just survival."╠ ◘ ✠ ◘ ╣



Come on and cut me Down
You've gone as far as I'll Go
Now you're crossing the Line
And I am letting you Know
Well here's your Reaction!

[BallDrogo]

Maria Qhorin and her best friend Vera

An adventure hungry mercenary just looking for work

I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose fire away, fire away ricochet, you take your aim fire away, fire away you shoot me down, but I won't fall I am titanium you shoot me down, but I won't fall I am titanium

Location: Forests of Bethryl
Mood- Peachy.
In the Company of: Mysterious travelers, Horse, Fatima
Inventory: Her armor, a small coin-purse, Vera, knapsack consisting of: One loaf of bread, two apples, one small knife, and map

The minute she had removed her bandana, the downpour had started. In a matter of minutes, she was soaked, her hair partially obstructing her eyes. Peeling her bangs back, she felt the rain hitting her in the face, making it impossible to see. Today had just been great. First, she had stubbed her toe upon getting out of bed, almost got robbed, had managed to embarrass herself by falling down and breaking her rib, had ot be rescued by a person who probably thought Maria was a complete idiot and now it was raining and she ahd no protection from the elements. Least she made a new friend…She hoped Fatima and her were friends.

She didn’t mind the rain, she had experienced the four seasons before. She was partial to fall the most. She found herself sweating like a pig in the winter, she often found herself near fire in the winter and would always catch a cold and spring destroyed her with allergies, making her sound nasally and would induce laughs from children. She didn’t want a damn cold and only hoped these strangers Fatima had hailed would be kind enough to let them stay the night or let them travel with them the very least.

Though, upon Fatima calling to them, they seemed to do nothing but just stare at them. Puffing her cheeks out, she glared at them. How rude they were to just look at them? Couldn’t they see they were dealing with two woman soaked head to toe? Offer some way of warmth or at least a cloak that Fatima and her could share. They were soaked! Looking at Fatima, she still had the expression of displeasure on her face. Who were these people to not even offer a hand?!

She looked at the group there, four people there, only three had made their presence known, she swore she saw a fourth one. One was a brown skinned women. She seemed…exotic. The second stuck out to Maria the second most. He had long black hair, was thin as a stick and slender to boot. If it wasn’t for the lack of breasts, Maria could of easily mistaken him for a mail…Or it was a girl who was very underdeveloped. The third was a dark haired man who seemed to stay to himself. He position himself away from the group. They didn’t try to talk to Fatima or Maria, she felt a bit offended by all this.

Clearing her throat, she took it upon herself to make the first contact. “As my partner has mentioned, we are in both just looking for a place to stay. If allowed to travel wit you to the nearest town, I will gladly pay my share for a room. If you have anyone with medical experience with you, can you please have them sent forth,” she asked, hoping to get an answer out of one of them, her teeth chattering with every word, a sneeze to accompany as well. She hoped she wasn’t getting sick, she didn’t want to deal with that as well.

[anais nighteyed]

x

artwork by Midori Foo, from Book of Picturesxxx

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Nasrin waited for a spell, and one by one the others began to arrive. Thoughtful and collected, she watched as the motley collection of people straggled into the glade. She was surprised at the number of travelers they’d come across, certainly more than expected. Was that a smile from the gods? It was difficult to determine, and she wouldn’t make quick assumptions. Time would tell if she was fortunate in finding so many. For a moment she believed she smelled smoke, but the sense was there and gone before she was certain.

The two women seemed pleasant enough. They had the air of simple travelers about them, but their attire suggested otherwise. She eyed the pair, taking in their armor, her attention flitting to their weapons. Sell swords? The wounded fellow’s utterance didn’t go beyond her notice. Whether he was expressing displeasure or lamenting over his thigh, the cause was indistinct and she didn’t dwell on the matter. One of the women was drawing nearer; earlier, she had brandished a green cloth like a peddler trying to sell a long-dead fish, and now she was asking if they had already laid claim to the place.

“Claimed?” Nasrin echoed, mulling over this word. Absentminded, she brushed dust from her trousers. The thief was guarded in their presence. They looked ready for battle, and even if she weren’t on the run, any unease would be rightfully felt. If these women were hunting her, she had an inkling they would have revealed as much at first sight. Still, she was hesitant. Head tilted, she debated over this before coming to a prompt decision. “Not at all. You’re welcome to stay, if you like.” The more the merrier. By this point, if a troupe of performers came passing through, she wouldn’t be so taken aback.

Leaning forward, her eyes gleamed as she looked to the woman’s companion, whose teeth chattered when she spoke. She didn’t resist the cold well, it seemed; that was something the thief could relate to. “You’re the damaged one, yes? What happened to you?” she asked, prodding her for details. Injuries abound. The shaking one wasn’t blooded, and she could stand on her feet. Nasrin had her share of medicinal knowledge, limited but useful. “This stretch of Albrind is speckled with a few backwater towns. The people may or may not take kindly to strangers.”

Personally, she didn’t like to take her chances with rural settlements in a land she knew almost nothing about. It was easier to hide in the crowds and alleyways of the city. Then again, the more eyes she exposed herself to, the greater the odds that someone would recognize her. There was risk no matter where she went. The west was safe, but that did not change the past. It was no use to mourn over this. This life was one she had willingly chosen for herself; there were consequences to contend with. Nevertheless, now and then she was overcome by a longing for things lost.

A sigh escaped her. The din of the rain was distant, bearable. Brought together by the search for shelter, all that was left was the looming tension. To disperse it, she hoped to appeal to their need for warmth and comfort. No doubt it was a curious gathering, and Nasrin looked from one individual to the next before rising to her feet. “We ought to start a fire,” she said, mindful of Elijah’s wet clothes and the woman who was probably falling ill. Once that task was done, they could move on to other matters. “After that, I’d like to talk more. This chill touches my bones.” She began to wander off, picking up twigs and fallen branches as she went.

[WanderingMercenary]

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{{ϜᾳϮϊϻᾳ Ȧʅ'ᾳῳɧᾳɗϊ}}

Bounty Hunter

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You can find me here: Forests of Bethryl
With the company of: Sadie, Maria, a group of travelers

indentFatima breathed a little sigh of relief. She wouldn't have minded if the tanned woman had refused, but it was more for Maria's sake she was relieved. She could hear the chill in the woman's voice, and knew that she would have to get to warmth and dry clothes. "Thank you," she said. "Let me set up our camp and then I'll help with the fire." As she moved further under the trees, she figured that the tanned woman would have a fire already made, but there was no harm in gathering more firewood. She observed the tanned woman's companions. It looked like one of the men was injured, a leg wound. She still couldn't determine if one of them was a man or a woman. She figured she would find that out around the campfire.

indentShe chose a good spot right underneath one of the trees. The rain didn't fall in this place, the branches and leaves acting as a shield. She grabbed her tent off of Sadie, and began setting it up. Roughly fifteen minutes later, the tent was set up. It was about six feet long and three feet wide, a close fit for two people. She clicked her tongue, and Sadie knelt down. She gently helped Maria off her horse. As she took off the saddle and saddle bags, she said to Maria, "If you would like, I believe I have some spare clothes, a simple tunic and pants while your clothes dry. Or I have a blanket you could wrap yourself in. Either way, it is not good to stay in those wet clothes."

indentShe took the bedroll and a couple blankets and put them in the tent, so as to keep them dry. She took out the clothes she mentioned and set them on top of the blankets. She went back over to Sadie, and clicked her tongue. The horse stood up, and Fatima patted her rump, her signal for the horse to go grazing. She turned to Maria, saying "I shall go help the tanned woman make a fire, and learn more about the group as I do so. I don't imagine we'll run into any trouble, they seem kindly enough." Even though the tanned woman was the only one to offer any aid. She couldn't blame them, however. If the situation were reversed, she would probably act the same.

indentShe grabbed some sticks as she made her way towards the tanned woman. "My name is Fatima, and my companion is Maria. I found her in the woods not too far from here. She fell down an embankment and broke her rib, I believe. I don't have much experience dealing with ribs, I'm afraid. Could there be anything you can do to help?" she asked.

[BallDrogo]

Maria Qhorin and her best friend Vera

An adventure hungry mercenary just looking for work

I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose fire away, fire away ricochet, you take your aim fire away, fire away you shoot me down, but I won't fall I am titanium you shoot me down, but I won't fall I am titanium

Location: Forests of Bethryl
Mood- Frustrated
In the Company of: Fatima, her horse, group of travelers
Inventory: Her armor, a small coin-purse, Vera, knapsack consisting of: Two apples, one small knife, and map

Damaged? Did this woman just refer to Maria as damaged? How dare she? Who was she to refer to Maria as damaged? She was not a parcel, she wasns’t “damaged”, she was a human being who was injured. There was a difference! If she hadn’t broken her rib, she would have been down this woman’s throat…Though, if she wasn’t injured, she wouldn’t be having this conversation with herself, now would she?

If it wasn’t for Fatima stepping in, Maria would of tapped into her mother’s side and began screaming. Out of the two of them, Fatima seemed to be more levelheaded and wasn’t so easy to insult. They made quite the team. Fatima was more likely to resort to diplomacy and not lose it while Maria would have had Vera drawn ready to make some heads roll.

She was given the option of either changing into a fresh pair of clothing or wrapping herself in a blanket. A fresh change of clothes sounded good right now. She was cold, she was soaked and just wanted to eat and sleep. “Clothes sound good right now,” she chattered, wincing in pain slightly when she was helped off the horse. Watching the horse walk away, Maria had a distressed and paniced look on her face, that horse still had Vera. Vera wasn’t just an axe to Maria, it was a piece of her as well. Vera and her had been through it all and without her, not to mention Maria had a special connection with her. She knew that Fatima was just holding onto it for safe keeping, seeing as Maria shouldn’t be carrinyg anything in any way, but she just liked having it in her sight. She barely knew Fatima or any of these people. Who wasn’t to say that at a moment/s notice, one of them would run off with Vera and tried to sell it.

Sighing, she looked at the tent Fatima had made, happy to have some shelter to use for the night. With only a few words said, Fatima was off to collect firewood with this exotic looking women. Watching her leave, Maria hobbeled over to the tent, sitting down and leaning on a nearby tree, hand wrapped around her side. The rest of the group seemed reserved, none of them even cracking so much as a smile. She turned her attention to them, trying to read them. Her stomach growled, making her face turned a noticeable shade of red, embarrassed to have her body making noises. It wasn’t like she passed gas or belched, but it was still embrassing. She should at least eat something, hopefully try and get these fellow travlers to talk. Turning her knapsack around so it rested on her chest, she opened it and pulled out…Crushed and slightly soggy bread. Looking at it, she sighed. Maria really liked bread, it was a staple of her diet. Her day was even worse. She wanted just a loaf of bread and now she had this ruined piece. Tossing it into forest ouf of frustration, she felt like bursting into tears now. One thing after another and here she was, ready to cry over bread. Was she really going to cry over bread? Was she this on edge and stressed that she needed to cry over bread. She really needed to get laid.

She still ahd her apples though. Fishing them out of her knapsack, she looked at the group she was with, tilting her head.

“…You guys hungry?” she asked, offering up the apple. “We can split it if you want. Come on, take a load off and sit with me. I promise I won’t bite you,” she nervously smiled like an idiot, thinking of how horribly she was trying ot break the ice with these people. She was most likely staying the night and then tagging along until the next town where they would part ways and he would stay with Fatima for a bit before leaving her too. Granted, she wanted to stay with her for a bit, help out with Fatima’s work before finding a job for herself. Being a bounty hunter seemed like it paid well, even if Maria did cost Fatima her latest contract.

[Sypher-Anthem]

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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXE l i j a h X A u r e l i s
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX╚═══════════════════╝

Why don't you let me Be
Leave me Alone
You start a fire Inside
That I could never Control
You wanna see a Reaction?

Elijah was more or less damp rather than soaked and that was good enough for him. The rain itself wasn't a big problem since Elijah had not only been caught in it before, but knew what it was like to get sick from it. What he didn't want was to get sick in this part of the world since it wasn't known for its hospitality and while it could have been easy enough to simply buy a room when they got to town with the money he pillaged who's to say that wouldn't be making him a target to anyone watching at the time. The slender male over thought things far to much and proceeded to cast away those what if scenarios and got on with what he had to do to be comfortable that night.Opening his backpack, the emerald eyed male took out the blanket he planned to wrap himself in and laid it out for later use before listening up to what Nasrin had to say to their newcomers.

“We ought to start a fire, after that, I’d like to talk more. This chill touches my bones.” Nasrin would let out before starting to wander off in the shadow of the canopy in search of firewood. That was a relief that she knew what to do when actually camping since Elijah wouldn't have been surprised to see a few who would have had no idea at all. The two females seemed grateful enough and hurried right into setting up camp. The teal haired one, or dark teal because of the rain, who'd spoken up before about any knowing how to deal with an injury seemed to be the one with it as she was helped off of the horse by her companion. She didn't looked injured from where he was sitting but maybe there was more to her story. Elijah wasn't usually the type to worry about others since at a moments notice he may of had to just grab what he could and run, but if he panned on staying with them at the moment there was no reason not to learn a few things about them. After conversing amongst themselves for a bit the more able bodied of the two started off in Nasrin's direction most likely to help out with the material collecting. By this time Elijah had gotten his area pretty neat and squared away since he again wanted to leave himself the option of simply picking up and moving in the night if it was necessary. What caught his gaze next though was the teal haired women again rummaging through her personal bag. 'Maybe food?, or taking a count of her coin before sleeping so she knows if anything goes missing? Elijah thought but his questions were soon answered when the woefully tossed a soggy loaf of bread out of the encampment, before pulling out what looked to be a couple of nice ripe apples.

“…You guys hungry? We can split it if you want. Come on, take a load off and sit with me. I promise I won’t bite you,” She would call out toward them with a smile following. It seemed that she wanted to avoid the awkward silence as much as possible which Elijah was happy to oblige. Taking the time to dig deeper into his bag the male pulled out a smaller knapsack which was where he stored his small foodstuffs. Some dried out Jerky, a loaf of bread, and a can-tine if ale, the male bundled his things back up before walking over to the sitting female. His long his hid half his face as he took a seat against the tree that the teal haired female was leaning against. Opening up the sack just enough for her to peer inside he gave a small gesture for her to take a piece of what she liked with a half smile.

"I don't mind sharing. No need for you to split all that you have and expect nothing in return. I'm Elijah by the way." The male would start off with a little small talk since silence wasn't really what he wanted out of a traveling party. The only time he expected quiet action was when on a job and right now wasn't one of those time.



Location:Somewhere between western Bethryl and Racluear
Mood: Accommodating
OOC:Sorry it took so long



╠ ◘ ✠ ◘ ╣"Good people only exist in times of peace. In times of chaos, there is no good or evil; Just survival."╠ ◘ ✠ ◘ ╣



Come on and cut me Down
You've gone as far as I'll Go
Now you're crossing the Line
And I am letting you Know
Well here's your Reaction!

[SnaredWolf]

The young thief sat with his back pressed against the tree, though still hidden by its massive trunk, and the sound of the rain. Book held his breath back slowly breathing out, as he turned his head forward. Eyes falling down to see the flicker of flames in front of him, Book just glared at it for a second as he realized he went into stalk mode with a fire lit. Smart. There was no way the group of travelers would not notice the smell of fire without having made one themselves. And if Book put the flames out, the smoke would be visible. Also Book didn't really want to put out the only thing keeping him warm. His needs surly out wade his wants, and he had nothing other than the cross and this fire after his so called partner took off.

Book grunted as body slowly sagged down closer to the orange glow, he knew it was only a matter of time before they noticed him. It would just be better if he 'pulled up his pants' and got it over and done with, and if anything went wrong he would just get out of dough with his magical wind. Book could vaguely hear what was said, and knew that the group was starting to gather sticks and any else that would make good kindle. The young thief had already picked up most of what he could find in the area for his fire, and had quite the stack of dried leafs and pieces of bark to keep it burning threw out the rest of the day and night. Or he could use the pile as a way to get in the group’s good book's [good Book haha] it would be nice to have some company, and maybe some food. The more Book sat with himself and his thoughts, the more he wanted to go say 'hello', he really didn't want to be left alone with his 'thoughts' for too long, God knows where it would wander.

"I guess I'm heading over..." Book whispered to himself, but took some time to move. He was beside himself on giving a group of random strangers what he gathered, there was a chance he would be left to gather more latter if they took it and didn't invite him to say with them. "Come on... Let's go" He huffed falling to his side close to the bundle of bark and leaves, rolling over and then picking himself up. "I swear there is something wrong with me" Book noted picking up as much of the bundle as he could in his arms. With a sigh he kicked some dirt on his fire. "Time to make some friends... weeee... “He let out in a doubtful tone.

Walking to the edge of what hid him he shrugged his shoulder, and breathed in as he thought 'Let's hope this works' Still doubtful, Book walked out of hiding with his bundle of good's and a smile. "Why hello!" He greeted the two woman closest to where his former camp was "Seems like you, and your group are taking shelter from the rain here too.. Ummm." Book moved his arm's in a way to display his offering of peace to the two ladies before him. One had dark skin and bright hair, while the other was fair and had dark hair, the looked like complete opposites. Actually, now that Book was closer he could get a better look at all the members. This group of travelers was a very odd group indeed, everyone’s face was blank, and people where injured. ‘What the hell happened to them?’ Book’s eye’s started to wander and frowned. “Is~.. Everyone ok?”

[anais nighteyed]

x

artwork by Midori Foo, from Book of Picturesxxx

xxxxxxxxＮａｓｒｉｎ Ａｉｄｚｉａｍ

Nasrin placed collected wood in the crook of one arm. One of the women, having followed her, proceeded to introduce herself and explain the plight of her wounded companion. Hesitating, she listened with a furrowed brow. Unseen wounds were a tricky business; she was reluctant about involving herself, knowing the blame might be thrown at her if the woman were to die. Contrary to popular belief, she did not dream of having countless deaths on her hands. “I’m not a doctor, keep that in mind,” she candidly told Fatima, thoughtfully running her fingers across her chin. “But I’ll share what little I do know about injuries like these.”

She returned to gathering and took a moment to think, drawing distant knowledge from the back of her mind. “Are you sure she hasn’t just bruised her ribs?” she inquired. “You’ll want to wrap something about her waist, if you haven’t done so already. A strip of cloth will do, but it mustn’t be too tight.” Nasrin glanced over her shoulder at the shaking woman, Maria, and saw her holding up an apple; Elijah, in turn, was offering something unseen in his knapsack.

It hadn’t occurred to Nasrin that she might have to share her own provisions with these people, but she realized that business was better discussed over a good meal. Feeding so many was daunting task, and she knew she would have to ration what she had. It didn’t cross her mind to ask Sebastian to do the same; his food was his to keep. She didn’t mind sharing hers so very much, and that was only because she’d lived on meager meals before. “Let’s see… keep her breathing,” she added, “Give her something for the pain, as well, and don’t let her move about. Until you find someone who can properly treat her, that’s all you can do.”

Movement near one of the trees startled the thief. Before her stood a blue-eyed, slight-figured boy whose arms were laden with tree bark and forest duff. He wore a smile, but at first sight she mistook the lad for a spirit and began to recoil from him. She became very aware of the knife hidden underneath one trouser leg, nestled where the straps of her sandals met her shin. When she came to the realization that he wasn’t something menacing and otherworldly, she relaxed visibly. He was presenting them with kindling and inquiring about their well being. She couldn’t help but grin at that, they did look like they’d just taken part in some skirmish.

“Greetings,” she said, eyeing him. Yes, she’d been right in thinking she’d smelled smoke earlier. “A few of us took a tumble today, you see, nothing to worry yourself over. Join our merry group, I think we can make way for one more guest. There aren’t… more of you, are there?” Looking past him, a speck of white drew her attention. Thriving in a tree hollow, pale in color, was a single blossom the size of her fist. There was nothing extraordinary about the flower, but there was a spark of recognition in her eyes when she saw it. A change came over her, and she appeared troubled. Distracted, she fleetingly forgot she wasn’t alone, murmuring a few words under her breath.

She could distinctly recall a time in her childhood when a squall passed over her village. Every family was driven to higher ground; they packed up their tents, their belongings, and children, urging protesting livestock along all the while. The storm was terrible and unlike any she had ever seen, but when the rain finally let up, the desert stirred to life. After sleeping in the earth for untold years, an astonishing and lush assortment of grasses and white flowers erupted from the moist soil, seemingly overnight. Everyone rejoiced, nourishing their animals and brewing sweet teas from the blossoms. Nasrin and her sister, young girls, frolicked in this greenery and braided the white flowers into their hair.

Wearing these handmade crowns, they pretended they were princesses of Shahrazad, a distant city of unimaginable wonder. As a girl, Nasrin’s innocence was wool over her eyes, and there were many things she did not yet know. She was blissfully unaware of Shahrazad’s filthy underbelly, hidden beneath a fine jeweled coat; that she was living in the twilight of her people, that the tales of her tribe’s glory had long since passed. Nasrin did not know that her family would eventually be driven into the glittering, ruinous city she would come to hate. Her innocence lulled her to sleep at night.

The memories of those two little girls wearing flower crowns danced at the borders of her mind, they were almost too vivid to bear. Snapping out of her reverie, she unceremoniously deposited the wood she’d collected into Fatima’s arms. “Hold this for a moment.” Nasrin strode over to the tree with the intention of picking the flower, hoping she could somehow keep it. After all these years, she thought she would never see another. As she neared the tree, the ground at its roots began to open up, crumbling away beneath her feet.

This unfolded quickly, and there was little opportunity to react. Nasrin gave a loud, surprised shout. The word was unlike any in the common tongue, but it was most likely a curse. Her hands grasped at nothing but air. A flutter of flaxen hair and in an instant she was gone, swallowed by the earth.

[BallDrogo]

Maria Qhorin and her best friend Vera

An adventure hungry mercenary just looking for work

I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose fire away, fire away ricochet, you take your aim fire away, fire away you shoot me down, but I won't fall I am titanium you shoot me down, but I won't fall I am titanium

Location: Forests of Bethryl
Mood- Worried
In the Company of: Fatima, Elijah, group of travelers
Inventory: Her armor, a small coin-purse, Vera, knapsack consisting of: Slice of bread, one apple, one small knife, and map

The long haired man approached Maria first, taking a seat next to her and pulling out his own knapsack and showing Maria the contents. Jerky, a loaf of bread which brought a smile to Maria’s face and what looked like a tin can, probably contain some liquid. As much as Marai could go for a drink, she wasn’t touching someone’s else alcohol without permission.

He said his name was Elijah, so that was one name known He seemed nice enough, taking a seat next to Maria and offering his share of food. With a nod, she removed a paring knife from her bag. Setitng her knapsack on the ground, she placed the apple down, nto wanting to cover it in mud and dirt and began to slice it six even pieces. “Thank you Elijah, your courtesy is most welcome,” she nodded. “That is a pretty name though, Elijah. It just has this mystical feeling to it. Mine is Maria and the woman with me is Fatima,” she said, reaching itno Elijah’s bag and breaking off the end piece of bread before dumping four slices of her recently cut apple into his bag, a fair trade in her eyes. He was getting ripe apple, she was getting some bread. She took a bite out of the bread, eating it like a barbarian. Using both hands, she bit and took a huge chunk. Swalloing, she sighed before having to stifle laughter.

“I’m sorry, just bread is a staple in my diet and I just bought that loaf before I headed out this morning. I must of looked like the most uncivilized woman you ever set eyes on… I swear that is not the case. Just not having eaten anything since last night, having a long and annoying day, compounded with hunger turned me into just someone who wished to be left alone,” she listed off, shrugging her arms, lifting her hands and ehad into the air. She almost looked like a bird, fitting as her hair looked like a bird’s nest. She could use a bath as well. So many things she needed, but were going to be unavabile to her for a while.

She wondered how long Fatima would be. It is not that she didn’t like the group, but she just felt uncomfortable around them. She was unarmed, injured and surrounded by people who she didn’t know. She had found herself in quite the predicament now.

She ahd to relax, she was going to get herself overworked over nothing in particular. These people weren’t going ot slit her throat and leave her for dead, they were just travelers.

It must have been the deep routed trust issues that Maria had. Seeing as she was outed by who she thought to be her closest companions, separated from her lover and forced to leave, being shunned by all, even her parents. She wanted to go back, even if was for ten minutes. In those ten mintues, she would steal her from her parent’s home, gather up a few personal belongings and just ride north, find a small villiag,e settle down and open up a inn together, maybe adopt a child and just live and die old together. Maria did wonder what happended to her? She was but a barmaid, so she was probably spared the humiliation of being forced to leave. Maria didn’t see her face in the crowd when she was exiled. She saw many faces, some of them glaring at her, others showing no emotions, a small number feeling sorrow. Was that sorrow for Maria’s orienatation or for the unjust exile she was put through.

She was called many names that day. Sinner, devil, filth, corrupter. These were people who would walk up to Maria and thank her for her service, often inviting her for a free meal or giving her a freshly baked pie. Funny how people turned on you in a moment’s notice. Funny how you could put a decade into helping people and they would not even rise to your defense. She saw no one out there protesting or standing up for Maria.

Even worse than having no one to support her was her former mercenary squad choosing not to even show their faces. Six people and not one showed up. She called to them, screaming that they show their faces to see off their brave leader.

Not one showed, but she knew they were listening. In truth, Maria had no idea what she would of done if they showed. Vera would have been drawn and used against them, hoping to nick or wound them.

It was the shout that brought Maria back from her little flashback. It was not in any language Maria knew, it sounded foreign. Looking around her, she saw that everyone was here for the most part, so that left Fatima or the exotic woman. Taking a minute to compose herself, Maria turned to Elijah, flashing a smile the group would soon become well-aquantined with.

“Eli…OR do you prefer Elijah? Can you be a dear and help me up? I think I heard a scream coming from over were Fatima and your leader went,” she had the knife still in her hand, having not put it down after cutting the apple. Was Elijah thinking the same thing? Was their “leader” attacked or was it a elaborate trap set by this exotic woman? Popping a slice of apple into her mouth, she pondered the current situation. A scream from nearby and she was surrounded, how big was this hole that she was digging herself into deep?

[Dayum We Roll Hard]

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The Tower

The world under the earth would probably be unlike any they have ever seen. A giant, cream and coral pigmented mushroom would be at the bottom of their fall to cushion them, but only one at a time. It wasn't the only one that was there -- the mushrooms grew in patches, some big and some small. It didn't seem like there was any grand design in place to catch any stray humans during a fall, but things were what they were.

A carpet of moss and small grasses hugged the floor. The soil there was scarce though, and wherever flora did not grow, solid rock made purchase, and it bordered them on three sides. It would appear that the humans were holed up in a small nook of a vast cavern. There was enough flat land for the group to sleep comfortably, but beyond that, the ground would take a sudden plunge into the depths of a seemingly bottomless chasm.

The abyss greeted a slightly clouded haze, amongst which existed a tower that was clinging to the cavern's ceiling like a stalactite. By all design and architecture, the building must have been upside down; its widest section was the uppermost floor that was attached to the roof, and the battlements that should have been at the top of the walls could be found at the bottom. The entire fortification was made up of the same rock that constituted the rest of the cavern, giving away the hint that the building might have been dug out of the hard stone rather than built.

Only four structures sprouted out of the building. Three of them were aqueducts that sprouted from the base of the tower and led off into the fog. Water ran in them; it wasn't as if the humans would see it with their own eyes, but they would be able to hear the gentle rush of water and figure out the rest. The fourth construction was a narrow and windy path of rock. It connected the edge of the cliff Nasrin's group would find themselves on to the "top" floor of the inverted tower.

[WanderingMercenary]

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{{ϜᾳϮϊϻᾳ Ȧʅ'ᾳῳɧᾳɗϊ}}

Bounty Hunter

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You can find me here: Forests of Bethryl
With the company of: Sadie, Maria, a group of travelers

indentFatima listened intently as the woman gave her advice about how to treat Maria's injury. She was glad to find that what she wanted to do and what the woman was telling her were close to the same thing. She made a note to do that later that night, when everyone was settling down for the night. She'd have to do it outside of the tent. It's small space wasn't sufficient for the type of movement she had planned. Her mind, instead of providing an image of her bandaging Maria, gave her one that was a bit more risque. Her cheeks flushed at the image. "Thank you for the advice. I'll have to make sure to do that as soon I can." she said.

indentWhen the young man stepped out of the bushes, Fatima turned to meet him, hand flying to her sword. His appearance caught her off guard, notably the different shades of his arms. There was too much of a contrast for it to be just the light. While he gave off the aura of youth and naivety, she didn't fully trust him. Sometimes youth could be a facade for something darker. She let the woman explain the groups condition, and when it was clear that the boy wasn't going to make a move, she released her grip on the sword. Just in time, for the woman handed Fatima her load of sticks.

indentShe watched as the woman moved to a clearing, where a flower lay. Suddenly, so fast that if the woman hadn't shouted Fatima wouldn't have believed it, the woman disappeared. She dropped the pile of sticks and quickly made her way to where she saw the woman disappear. She found that there was a large hole in the group, opening up into a deep pit. Fatima swore under her breath. She couldn't quite see the bottom, and she didn't know if she had enough rope. She quickly made her way to her saddlebags.

indent"That dark-skinned woman just fell in a hole in the ground," she said as she approached Maria and the androgynous person. She unhooked her length from the saddlebag, and marched over to the others. "You're leader just fell into a hole. If you've got any spare rope, bring it and follow me."

[BallDrogo]

Maria Qhorin and her best friend Vera

An adventure hungry mercenary just looking for work

I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose fire away, fire away ricochet, you take your aim fire away, fire away you shoot me down, but I won't fall I am titanium you shoot me down, but I won't fall I am titanium

Location: No idea
Mood-Where am I?
In the Company of: Exotic Woman
Inventory: Her armor,

Elijah had not responded to Maria. Was he still trying to figure out what happened? Trying to pinpoint who had screamed? Or was he simply biding his time and waiting for the perfect moment to strike? Did Maria fall into a trap and was now at the mercy of this group? No, she had to go see what happened? Maybe someone took a tumble and hurt themselves.

No, that only happened to idiots like herself who thought they knew a forest trail. Idiots who couldn’t watch their step and ended up taking a nasty tumble down a unmarked path and ended up breaking their rib, thus making them weight to be carried around. Looking to Elijah, she eyed him, looking for any subtle movements that would indicated he was ready to strike. Taking a deep breath, she began the process of getting herself up. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself up, letting up a groan, clutching her side. She really needed to find a doctor, or at least some sort of a medical attention. Get a bandage around her side at the very least and have a trained doctor look at it.

She kept the knife on her, it may have been small, but it was something at least. If this exotic looking woman, Elijah or any other members of their little entourage came after Maria, she could be up some sort of fight. Stab them in the stomach, neck or try to cut them. Who was she kidding, she would die without any dignity, her body stripped of any valuables. Jokes was on them, all she had were the clothes on her back and even they would have no resale value. Still, laying down on the ground, face in the dirt and having her body being left to nature was not exactly that high up on her list.

Just as she stood up, Fatima had approached them, holding some rope. Oh, what had she done? Had she slayed this exotic woman and wanted to tie up the rest of them? Were these people harmful and Fatima wanted them to be secured? Or did she just manage to land herself into a horrible place? Was Fatima a crazed killer who was going to tie them all up and torture them for her pleasure? Some sort of sick serial killer who took pleasure in binding her victims, torturing them and then killing them. Fatima had her axe, she could get a pretty amount of coin from it. Oh, if Fatima sold her axe… Well, what would Maria do? She would either be tied to a tree with the rest of the group of dead.

Wow, she really had an imagination. She should write a book or something, put that mind to some use and hopefully get it sold, rack in some money and retire with a harem of beautiful woman and plenty of alcohol. That sounded like the life for her: Drinking and woman, maybe that should be her life.

It was then she said the magical words to Fatima, the words that could make her raise an eyebrow in suspicion. The exotic woman had fallen down a hole. “…She what?” was the only thing she could muster out of her confused expression. “She…fell down a hole,” she repeated Fatima’s statement, placing her hand on her forehead. Now, Maria wasn’t some fancy book-smart student, but she knew damn well holes just didn’t appear out of nowhere in the middle of the forest. “Fatima, that just sounds utterly ridiculous. I am afraid holes just don’t appear out of nowhere. Does it even work like that?” she asked, trying to get to the bottom of it. “Holes just don’t appear out of nowhere in the ground…Least not to my knowledge and I feel like our rain wasn’t that bad,” she repeated frantically, looking over Fatima’s shoulder, spying what looked like a young child. There was not one hair on his face, must have been a young one. He had something weird on him, his arm appeared to be shaded differently, this struck Maria was odd, even than the magical hole that this exotic woman had fallen down.

She took a minute to think this through, before patting Fatima on the shoulder. “You go break the news to the rest of them, I’m going to go check out this hole,” she told Fatima, making her best effort to walk towards the hole, hand on her side, a slight limp in her step. Passing by the young one that she had seen, she could only give a quizzical look to him, trying to figure out what he was doing here. Knife still in her hand, she gave him one more look before moving on, trying her best to recreate Fatima’s direction. Followed crushed leaves or boot marks, hopefully see where this “hole” was.

Well, s**t…She wasn’t kidding. Looking at this “hole” Fatima was talking about, Maria saw it bright as day… It was a pretty big hole. So, this hole had taken the exotic looking woman, but to where. Raising an eyebrow, she could only look down at it, getting closer, but not too close as she didn’t want a repeat of last time. Thinking for a second, she picked up some nearby pebbles and tossed them down.

No sound, it looked pretty deep. Turning on her foot, she placed her hands on her mouth.

“Looks pretty deep, we sure we have enough roo-“ she was cut off. Standing on loose ground, the earth gave out below her, letting out a scream as she fell, trying to grab onto anything for dear life. So, this is how she would die…Falling into the abyss. Closing her eyes and taking a spread eagle position, the mercenary accepted her fate.


Or not, she seemed to have landed on some sort of cushion. Opening her eyes, she looked around, trying to find some sign that she was really dead. Mushrooms, moss, and…a tower that seemed to have been designed by a drunk mason were her only clues to where she was. Wherever it was? Oh, she couldn’t tell. Running her hands through her hair, she mumbled to herself, her words unintelligible. The place had this mysterious feeling to it, like she had stumbled on a land lost to time. Turning to her side, she was greeted by a familiar face, the exotic looking woman from before.

“Hi…I’m Maria Qhorin, we never got to fully meet,” she awkward mumbled, hoping to make some small talk. Next to her, her knife, which she must of, dropped during her falling landed blade first into whatever had cushioned her fall.

[Sypher-Anthem]

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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXE l i j a h X A u r e l i s
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Why don't you let me Be
Leave me Alone
You start a fire Inside
That I could never Control
You wanna see a Reaction?

As the teal haired women thanked him Elijah would just nod and relax a little more. She seemed normal enough which was reassuring to the part time thief. At least it meant he didn't have to worry about her being a thief or anything. She would then go to compliment his name which was a first for him since he rarely found a need to introduce himself at all. Maybe that was why he found himself at a loss at how to respond but at least he got their names.'Maria and Fatima? Those should be easy to remember though I don't plan to stay long enough for it to matter.' Elijah thought as he watched Maria take the bread out of his bag and toss in four slices of apple. Elijah appreciated the gesture, and reached in removing the slices to eat there on the spot. He usually tried to eat vegetables and fruits when he could, but he usually tried to keep his pouch to thing he could drying out so they would last longer. looking over after finishing two slice the male observed Maria finish off her bread in quick order followed by almost a laugh of relief.

“I’m sorry, just bread is a staple in my diet and I just bought that loaf before I headed out this morning. I must of looked like the most uncivilized woman you ever set eyes on… I swear that is not the case. Just not having eaten anything since last night, having a long and annoying day, compounded with hunger turned me into just someone who wished to be left alone,” The women would follow up with. Elijah could understand how a day could seem to go from bad to worst and how that could wear down on someone. Again Elijah was realizing how weak his social skills were when the silence set in. He didn't know how to make her feel any better about her luck though he first had to reason why he would want to. What would finally do it though would be a far off shriek or maybe it was a curse? All Elijah knew was that he couldn't make out for sure what language it was. There were a lot of ways this could have been taken, but Elijah knew that in any case he needed to side on the air of caution.

“Eli…OR do you prefer Elijah? Can you be a dear and help me up? I think I heard a scream coming from over were Fatima and your leader went,” Maria would ask and Elijah would again be without a response. Any other time he would have just gathered up his things and moved on and He was sure with the only one who would have been able to give chase being injured he would have gotten away easily, but that changed quickly. He was at the time actually trying to listen for anymore screams or maybe the sound of a struggle in the distance. He was actually so focused on it that he didn't notice Maria starting to her feet next to him. What would break the silence though would be footsteps as the navy blue haired woman, Fatima, started back into camp with rope in hand.

"That dark-skinned woman just fell in a hole in the ground," She would say to them as she released a bundle of rope from her pack nearby and started back to the middle of the encampment before announcing the situation to the rest of the group. Now this was when Elijah really had to make a choice. Leaving now to avoid immediate hassle would only lead to more problems in having to find another camp, but who knew the exact details of what they would encounter when they got to this 'Hole'. The only thing that seemed to give Elijah any sense to how legitimate this claim was, was the lack of follow through from Maria. She was quick to claim that holes simply didn't appear which lead Elijah to believe that this wasn't something planned by the two of them. Either way he would sigh and stand up and head over to where he left his bag, before opening it up and rummaging through it. Once he had his own rope in hand he made sure to pack down his stash of coin and loot so that it would go unnoticed while he moved the bag around. Pulling the bag onto his back the only things he had to worry about losing if he could return would be his vest and sleeping sheets, both replaceable. When he looked up Maria had already started to follow Fatima's trail back to this supposed hole that swallowed up Nasrin. What caught Elijah eye next would be the child who was just at the edge of their camp. 'Was he the one who set this up? s**t, there are just to many questions. Leaving now is starting to look like a better idea by the minute.' The male thought as he passed the youth by still a few feet behind Maria. He didn't want to follow to closely or approach to quick since he'd only still just met these people and now they were in a suspicious situation. Soon though the hole or rather pit came into view and Maria would stand over it examining it for clues. Elijah would stop, keeping his distance as she tossed a few stones in trying to guess its depth before speaking up again.

"Looks pretty deep, we sure we have enough roo-" She would start before being cut off and swallowed by the earth as well. Now this wasn't a situation he wanted to be in. Nasrin ha already gone missing and now he'd just watched Maria take a fall right in front of him. Now it could all seem like this was his doing and be caught in a real mess and the worst part being he hadn't gotten to spend any of his well earned money yet. Now wasn't the time to think of what he hadn't done yet but what to do. Kneeling by the hole now he estimated the chance of the two of them even surviving that fall.



Location:Somewhere between western Bethryl and Racluear
Mood: Cautious
OOC:Sorry it took so long



╠ ◘ ✠ ◘ ╣"Good people only exist in times of peace. In times of chaos, there is no good or evil; Just survival."╠ ◘ ✠ ◘ ╣



Come on and cut me Down
You've gone as far as I'll Go
Now you're crossing the Line
And I am letting you Know
Well here's your Reaction!