Welcome to Gaia! ::

OOC Note: Nice introductions, all. Haha. I'm time paradoxing the meetings so that Lili arrived first, with Toneldren following about a minute or so after (since he saw multiple people). So they will enter at the same time. Erashnak will come about 15 minutes later and enter last. Keep that in mind when you're eventually entering. Should be the only part of the rp I have to paradox. 3nodding

Oh, and don't feel pressured to enter in one post. Go at your own pace.
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"Oh, thank you.", Varro whispered under his breath. The waves of relief washing over his heart were absolutely palpable. He couldn't resist cracking a grin in response. Another sigh escaped his lips, far longer and happier than the one before it. "I am." he responded simply, locked in thought. It was probably drilled into him by his previous 'career', but he never spoke to a person without sizing them up first.

His eyes seesawed as he took his time looking the woman over, his sanguine gaze finally coming to a still as he met with her eyes. "You know," he continued, his voice notably softer this time, "It might be the color of the smoke that's doing it," he paused, chuckling softly as he inclined to his glass with his head, "and it might be the amontillado, but I have to say this, Miss; you have very nice eyes. Very trusting. Very strong."

He slowly rose to his feet. The air chilled his back.

"I'd say you don't carry the appearance of a hardened warrior, but I learned a long time ago not to go by your first impression. One minute they look completely innocent, and the next-"

Flash. The light was absolutely astounding. The green of the smoke reacted to it, firing off in all directions as it cascaded through the ebony sky. Needless to say, it certainly caught his attention.

"Well, that." he concluded. "Except in my case it was with fire. Real day ruiner, that. Almost got me to quit smoking." he grinned, taking another long puff from his cigarette. "Almost."

"Come on over, sir!" he called out to the man in the darkness. "We're just getting started. I might as well kill two birds with one stone."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." he greeted the travelers warmly. "Indeed, my name is Varro. Varro of Strata, currently. I lack the words to express my gratitude to the two of you. I was concerned for a while that nobody was coming, you should hear what some people are claiming about this mission. Though," he laughed wickedly, "you probably have. But where are my manners? What are your names, travelers? And where do you hail from?"

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Time Paradox

Still in great spirits from his meeting with the two travelers, Varro's mood only grew more pleased as the colossal orc made his way down the narrow street. This was certainly unexpected. He'd heard from acquaintances that an orc had been looking for him all day, but this one stood two heads taller than most. As he quickly sized up the brute, and heard his rather blunt, extroverted greeting, he chose his words carefully.

Interacting with orcs was an interesting thing. One had to choose their words simply, yet at the same time not demean their audience to that of a child. The subtleties of rhetoric, sarcasm, metaphors, and a great deal of the aspects of language were effectively lost on the bulky green species.

What they looked for instead was unmistakable, clear directness in speech. And that was exactly what Varro intended to give him.

"I am." he nodded slowly and firmly. Varro rose to his feet, squaring off his shoulders, extending his chest fully. Orcs were never those to favor inconfidence.

"My name is Varro," he continued. "I am the man you are looking for. The smoke makes me happy. You are very strong, warrior." he grinned warmly. "And your equipment is very well made. Shedding blood is not my favorite thing, but I am good at it. It will be an honor to do it with you if necessary."

He extended his hand upward for a shake. "What is your name, warrior?"

Snarling, and spewing saliva from his gapping mouth. Flexing, and stretching his massive body. Muscle made up his entire frame, as if he was made from stone. Black armor covered most of his body. Mithril smithed and made especially for him. Deer skin, and basic leather finished off his outfit. Laying underneath his massive amount of armor, and almost topping off his complete outfit. As well as his giant club that rested in his right hand, smithed of the same metal his armor was. Leather wrapped around the handle, and gave the monster a comfortable grip. Topped off from the metal, was enchanted wood, hand picked, and created by a much more powerful being then himself. This material was almost as strong as the metal itself. What really made this weapon a destructive force was the six inch long spike(s), that covered most of the mass of the weapon.

Giving the man known as Varro a handshake, and a firm nod. But what Erashnak considered a handshake, was literally a death trap. Squeezing his hand with little force, but when that hand grabbed something, it usually tore it off with brute force. Seeing as Varro was helping the monster, Erashnak felt that if he injured the man, all hell would break loose. "I iz Erashnak!" A powerful shout, and a smack of the chest. Swinging his left hand, and hitting his own chest on target. Bouncing off his armor, with a loud noise. "Iz herd grate thyngz boat yuz." Erashnak sounded out, as he released Varro's hand, and turned slightly. Giving his other new found friend(s) a friendly snarl. Spewing even more saliva, and then turning back toward Varro. Raising his right hand, Erashnak soon placed his club on top of his shoulder. Resting it on the metal, and waiting for a instruction.

The two travelers approached, and began to make their greetings.

"Well now." Varro's voice went up an octave in response to seeing the colossal sword strapped to the woman's back. "Impressive." was all he said on the matter, his voice back to its' deeper pitch. The fact that she could even carry the robust sword was impressive. He looked forward to seeing her make use of it.

Varro laughed a little too enthusiastically in response to her statement, much to the chagrin of the mage alongside him. "Somehow I think we're going to get along well." he smiled. "You see, Miss Judge..."

The bright, bright red that his irises took on for all but a second was unmistakable. For those well versed in magic, the small beam of magic emanating from the house within, only to pour itself into his mind through the back of his head was about as subtle as a firecracker. It was a telltale sign of an artifact used for astral projection. "I don't trust everything I hear either."

Still smiling warmly yet deliberately, he slowly turned to the second fellow, who introduced himself in kind.

"I've never heard of Westlake, friend. And I've been around for a long time." There was no suspicion in his voice. "And somehow I don't doubt your sincerity for a second. Though I wonder if you doubt mine."

"I'm sure you felt that." He inflected to the large sack of books. "There are only two kinds of people in this world who carry around that many books at one time, and you're not quite boisterous enough to be a scholar. I'll explain in time, you have my word."

His eyes shifted over to the green plumes of smoke. They had shortened by about 25 percent in height. In about twenty five minutes, they would be all but smolders.


"So!" he said a bit too loudly, causing another violent flinch from the younger man. He caught himself, clearing his throat. "Er...So." he said more complacently this time, giving Toneldren a subtle nod, "I'm going to be out here a tad longer. Why don't the two of you make yourselves comfortable?" he inclined to the door to his right with his head.

"Help yourself to anything inside. I insist. I'll be in shortly, and it's been a pleasure meeting you." Lighting a cigarette once again, he breathed in deeply, and resumed his previous position, effectively ending their conversation.

Upon entering the room, the visitors would peer upon a standard sized yet grand dining room. Multiple chairs of a soft, exquisite leather sat around a hearty oak table. On the table sat a small stack of regal cigarettes, topped with an expensive looking lighter. Adjacent to them were several bottles of wine, all vintage years, all wonderfully palpable. A large roast sat to the right of the table, weighing about twelve pounds, several ornate plates and knives scattered around it. What was extremely notable was the ebony globe fixated to the top of the table. To those well versed in magic, the cascading black waves as information was fed back into it from all corners of Strata would display itself as an entrancing weaving in the air; a proud, powerful dance of energy.

The room to the right was crammed to the tee with hundreds of books, records, and maps, all covered in the same handwriting. Many were yellow and fading with age, others were crisp and new. A roaring furnace echoed out of the room to the left, keeping the cold night air at bay.

Overall, it was quite the comfortable abode.


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20 minutes later.

"I am pleased that you have heard great things. It brings me great honor." Varro smiled. "I hope that you will see even greater things."

As far as orcs went, this one was, though it would be hard to believe at first glance, rather dignified. Knowledge of his own strength; waiting patiently and containing himself, using complex reasoning. It was all the marks of an orc used to battle, and following tactics.

That didn't make him intelligent by any means. But it did mean he could follow orders. And that made him a very valuable person.

A quick glance was tossed over at the fire, now at 20% of its' original flare. In about three minutes it would contain itself drastically, and smolder within the urns.

He was quite pleased with the outcome. A strong young woman, a clearly adept mage, and a real berserker of an orc. Plus himself.

Things seemed brighter than ever on this dark, dark, night.

And this time, it wasn't the smoke.

"Come in, my friend." he genuflected to the door, turning the knob deliberately. "There are honorable people inside. Be kind to them."

They entered.


OOC Note: The time paradox has now ended.

Magic. He didnt need to sense it to see it. And he didnt need to see it to sense it in this place called gaia. It seemed like the arcane arts were amazingly common here from his experience, not like his own land, where magicians were few and far.

He nodded at Varro's suggestion to get indoors, and was by no means reluctant to comply. It was quite the lavish place, to say the least, as he took in the view. He made note of the globe on the table, the shelves of books, refreshments, and the warmth of the hearth.

He strolled around the table, starting on the right, passing the piles of books with interest as he glanced over their bindings and covers until he made his way to the refreshments. A drink after a day on the desert streets would be nice, and so, he poured himself a little bit of wine before he sat down at the table across from the woman.

He swirled the liquid within the glass a few times, letting it airate before sipping a little bit just for a taste.

"Indeed he does." he replied. And then awkward silence. Holding a conversation was not Toneldren's forte. His interaction with people on a regular basis was extremely limited, and striking up any sort of random meaningless conversation was something he found difficulty.

Awkward silence – a girl’s worst enemy. Liliana slid a finger over the table, tracing the grain of the wood. When Varro entered she looked over at the orc. “Hello,” she greeted the orc with a friendly smile. She didn’t know much about orcs, but in the brief few minutes of him entering the room she could tell the orc had an animalistic behavior. He dug right into the roast, devouring it. She drew her eyes away to look at Varro. She was anxious to find out what the mission involved.

Varro dealt in information. What information was he hoping they would find for him? Or maybe he has the information that leads to a special item? Those were the first thoughts that came to mind. She looked at the sphere that Varro called the Eye of Arash. As he elaborated on what the globe held Liliana couldn’t fathom how something could duplicate memories. “Impart some of its wisdom?” She asked, completely skeptical to what he was saying about this sphere.

Her eyes followed Varro’s hands to the sphere where they settled. She leaned back in her seat, shocked as his hands melded into the sphere. “This sounds dangerous,” she mumbled quietly. She watched his body language as he focused on the sphere. His eyes swirled with the black mist that surrounded the orb. That was scary for her. She could handle a lot of things, but she did not understand arcane magic. So, when he asked them to stare into the sphere and not blink until it turned white she did so with reluctance.

When she let go with resignation she did as she was told. She didn’t blink until the sphere turned white. Her eyes closed slowly in a relaxed manner, opening her mind to whatever was to come her way. All was fine until the explosion of color. It startled her at first, but as quickly as it came it had left just as fast. The vision started to clear to reveal a monotone map of the world.

“I can see it,” she answered with surprise. The image started to shake, which was none to pleasing to her mind, but she willed herself to stay focused and not pull away from the image she received in her mind’s eye.

Toneldren's advice was met with a brief, equally awkward moment of silence from Varro. It was quickly broken with an almost choked chortle of laughter, which erupted into peals of mirth, the image thundering more violently than ever before. Slowly, it reverberated more tightly and rapidly to a relative standstill.

"I suppose that's probably the best advice I'm going to get." he conceded. "I'll try to be as concise as possible, then. Deliberation can come later."

The image shimmers, to focus in on the sea of latent. No land is visible after the zoom.

"This is where we're headed." Varro remarked.

The image transforms once again, this time to reveal a gigantic rock formation rising up out of the water.

"This is Coldridge cove, our destination. The entrance-

A subterranean hole is present, barely visible over the dark blue water.

is submerged about 70 feet underwater."

The image takes on a striking change, splitting their vision in half horizontally. Both images are noticeably sped up. The top one shows a pirate vessel sailing toward the cove. They are very close. The weather is gorgeous. Various birds gather to perch atop the cove. Healthy looking fish leap out of the water. The lower image shows a merchant vessel, much further away. Lightning is striking the water at a tremendous rate. Several typhoons are abound. The area is pouring with rain. Nothing is alive. The image pauses after 60 seconds.

"The top image is from when the cove was used as a base. The lower image was observed roughly 50 years ago. As you can see, there is no natural cause for the weather."

The image begins to change setting. Unintelligible voices can be noticed. There is some sort of music, which gets more vibrant as time passes.

"This..." Varro paused, a pang of regret evident in his voice. "This is from an old friend, Marco. Marco is the perspective you will see here. Only twelve men escaped with their lives. I apologize in advance for the images being highly erratic. Much of this is reasonably repressed."

The image completes, shifting to a pirate den. Alcohol is abound. The men are laughing. Riches are strewn about the cave in all directions. The scene shifts. There is a cage with a woman inside it. An ear piercing scream rings through the head of all viewing the image.

The scene shifts once more. There is blood. Lots of blood. Man attacks man. Many of the attackers are missing their eyes. Enormous holes are pierced in their chests. Another scream.

The scene shifts rapidly to a colossal beast. The beast is blurry with black mist. Its' form is incomprehensible.

"He couldn't remember what it was..." Varro chimed in.

About 60 men charge the beast. It glows blue for a brief moment. The assault seems to have no effect. Enormous tentacles spurt forth from the beast and pierce the chests of each man, hoisting them into the air. The entire encounter takes place in less than ten seconds. Far too much is going on to understand exactly what occurred.

The men howl in agony for three seconds. All goes quiet. The beast roars.

Another scream.

"Come on, we're almost out!" a man shouts. The men climb up the rock wall. They carry no gear. Several of them are wounded from the previous fight. The form scales the rock wall and looks back. A man is straggling behind. The beast appears. It stares up at the man and a yellow glow is seen. The man is cut in half at the waist. He falls back into the pit screaming. The screams are heard as the man exits the cove. The weather outside is chaotic, matching the lower image seen earlier.

"This is all our burden..." Marco speaks. "Look what we've wrought...

Look what we've done."

The scene pauses.

"So..." Varro whispered as if sharing a dark secret, his tone not grim as much as it was analytical. "This is what we're going to most likely be encountering. At first glance it seems hopeless, but if there's something you'll come to learn about me," he proudly tooted his own horn, "it's that I do my research."

The image takes on its' most intense change yet, splitting into four completely different scenes. They shudder horribly for a moment before finally settling.

"Sorry about that." Labored breathing. "This one is going to be the hardest. It took almost a month of scouring through that orb to find this. It's worth it, though."

Each scene shows four completely different battlefields, and each contains a large group of men being slaughtered fighting creatures very similar to the beast encountered before. The fourth scene is the one witnessed previously. All of the creatures are blurred from exact memory, their forms coated with the blurry black mist of repression, which blocks out the finer details.

The images zoom in to a slowed down view of the creatures being stabbed by the men. The spears to not make contact with what appears to be an ethereal form.

The images rapidly jump to the upper region of the creatures, where the heart should lie. Something glows brightly for a moment. The creatures reel up to protect this glowing appendage from harm. Ten seconds later, they enter the physical realm, and commence slaughter. The scene plays back three more times, slower each time, emphasizing the transformation.

The orb's influence ceases.

"You may now open your eyes." Varro informed the group, giving everyone a minute to readjust to the light. "I suggest you don't look directly into fire for a good hour or so. It'll be brighter than bright."

"So." he deduced, quickly jumping back to business. "I'd say that's very likely a weak point. And one that we'd best ingrain to memory."

"You've all just seen a great deal." he continued, his tone amicable and warm once more. The scent of smoke began to fill the room. "An unnatural environmental hazard that kills dozens of innocents every year. A mighty fiend that revels in the dying screams of man. Some horrible mistake that has gone so far as to damage our world. And, of course, a great deal of riches. I'd like to hope that at least one of those causes motivates you to enter the cove with me. I sense worthiness in all of you. And I would be honored to have you along."

But of course, no matter how strong his rhetoric was, the final say was not his own.

"What do you say? Are you in?

And count me nosy if you'd like," he laughed. "But why?"

Erashnak snarled.

A burst of laughter escaped his move, and echoed in the small area they were in. "Erashnak inz." Another rash and hardly understandable phrase. Pounding his fist against his chest once again. Making his point very clear, and letting Varro know that he was obviously in for good. Then he continued with his speech. Lowering his fist, and placing it on his hip. "Erashnak keel stfz." This ended his talking, and his attention was turned toward the mysterious man that stood amongst them. Little was known about this spellcaster, but he interested the savage Orc none the less.