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 Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2014 10:28 am
This Quest is for Xilarn who is striving to become a Lancer.
 OOC
||. The quest prompt must be answered with a 2000 word reply (can be more).
||. Respond to the prompt given with an adventure of your own creation as long as it meets the requirements of the specific tasks.
||. NPCs may be used as long as they advance the quest in an interesting manner.
||. You cannot include any playable characters other than the quest taker.
||. Your responses will be graded with a Pass or Fail. Those who fail will have to continue with assistance from the staff.
||. Questions about quests can be asked here.
IC
The forests of Jahaur were teaming with life, although this was a different sort of life than what would be deemed natural. The soldiers of Oba had taken up residence on the fringes of the forest, upsetting the balance as they chopped down trees, hunted the wild life as well ravaging the edible foliage . They seemed to hold little regard for the natural wonders around them, instead solely focused on the impending attack.
A nervous energy had filled the camp as orders had been received about possible movement coming soon. The soldiers were ready for it, some eager to get a taste of glory, whilst others wishing that they could just go home. It was one of these camps that Xilarn happened to come upon...and unfortunately was not able to sneak away unseen..
Quest Points
|| Xilarn will stumble across an Oban camp and is 'caught' by those in charge.
|| His siblings are well known in this particular encampment, thus when the generals discover who he is and whom he is related to, everyone holding rank will begin to have rather high expectations for him to contribute to the upcoming attack.
|| XIlarn will have to decide if he wants to ride on his siblings 'coattails' to rise in rank quickly or try to get out of fighting.
|| Note: If Xilarn is caught trying to sneak away, his actions will be viewed as defecting from the cause and will be punished harshly.
|| This quest is to test Xilarn's loyalty to his people.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 9:41 am
P A R T x O N E x S O L O
The Next Camp "Gadot!" Xilarn shouted as he shoved his way through the dense foliage lining the bottom of the trees. What was he supposed to do with this strange creature? It didn't listen to him or even stay by his side... It just came and went as it pleased. A lot of good that did Xil. If he was surprise attacked right now, he'd be good as dead. Gadot was supposed to be a guard pet, but if he was never here, those fangs and claws did Xilarn little good.
The Fire Earthling sighed and leaned back against one of the trees, flicking his hood down to get a better view of his surroundings. It was strange to think that he was adjusting to living alone in the wilderness. Where he'd once been terrified of every sound, every shift of leaves, all of it seemed almost normal now... The once-crippling darkness was still an obstacle, but no longer inspired fear without due cause.
He was capable of hunting on his own, knew a few places to avoid with creatures he couldn't defeat, could find clean water, and even get back to one or two of the Oban camps if he really needed to. What had been unfamiliar territory at the start of his adventure was almost like... Well, it wasn't home or even a suitable headquarters, but it was becoming more livable each day. Mostly all that concerned him now was running into natives. He was still ridiculously outclassed in one-on-one combat by just about everyone, so it would do him no good to run into someone that had been raised in this terrain and would die to defend it.
Xil cast his gaze around one last time. Gadot always seemed to find his way back, so there was really no reason to stay in one spot for very long. Even now, lingering in places he wasn't distinctly familiar with was a bit unnerving. With a sigh, the Oban boy pushed from his perch and continued on his way.
At least, that was the plan.
He'd hardly leaned his weight forward when something snapped around his wrist. The simple touch (forceful as it was) was enough to snap his mind into fight-or--flight mode. Animal? No, human. It was a hand. It yanked backward on him with enough force to rip him from his feet. Xil sucked in a breath as the darkness of the forest floor swirled around his vision. Someone that had approached so quietly had to be a native, not one of his own, which meant he was in real danger. Nothing good could come of being grabbed like that by a Shifter or Alkidike.
With a grunt, he shoved his way backward into the pull, smashing his shoulder into the chest of whomever had grabbed him. The bark of the tree he'd been leaning against scraped into his arm, but Xil didn't care. The person - a male by the sound of the surprised gasp - didn't release him, and instead the two toppled off to the side, landing on a mat of thick, knotting roots. There was a brief tussle in which Xil tried to force his weight away from the other person, until he realized he was pitifully smaller than his captor. His best bet was to land a punch right into his solar plexus and then slink away before-
The larger man kneed him in the stomach, grabbed his shoulder, and shoved him to the forest floor. Xilarn twisted and yanked at the hold on his arm, snarling out a, "Release me, you stupid-!" His words choked off as the back of his cloak was grabbed. The fabric tightened around his neck, cutting off any arguments and leaving only the sound of a whine in its place.
Suddenly, everything was still. Another second or two and his cloak was released. Xil sucked in a gulp of air, flicking his head to the side to try and see any of the person atop him. "Xilarn?" Questioned a depp, familiar voice.
He literally would've been happier if it was an Alkidike trying to kill him. "Cether," Xilarn hissed, the words seeping from his lips like poison. Even now, despite his best attempts at sight, he could hardly make out his brother's features in the darkness; skin just as inky as their surroundings, hair dark and pulled into a tight horsetail behind him. Xil didn't need to see his brother's face to feel the stab of annoyance at being caught by him. Caught and pinned. Like a bug.
The weight shifted off of him as Cether rose to his feet. He didn't extend a hand to offer Xil help, merely stood there staring down at the younger boy as Xilarn shoved his body off and away from the tree roots.
"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Cether demanded. "And in those clothes... You look... disgusting."
Xil grit his teeth. "Not that it's any of your business what I do," the younger Oban snapped, "But I'm searching for... a better way," he finished uncertainly.
"A better way?" Cether repeated. "You were serious then, when you left. You really think you know better than what His Magesty has decided. We're not out here just for the hell of it. We're out here on orders. And if you're brave enough to be in the forest by yourself, then you're brave enough to fight."
Cether crossed his arms as Xilarn glared at him. Serious. He was actually serious. He really wanted his untrained, scrawny kid brother to fight in a war on the enemy's terrain. Completely idiotic, all of it. He should refuse. He should tell Cether to go shove a branch up his-
"Let's go back to camp. If nothing else, we can at least put you in some more respectable attire..." Xilarn tried not to grimace as Cether started back through the trees. He didn't need or even want anything his brother had to offer him, so... "Hurry up, already, Xilarn!"
So why did he follow?x
x
Results: Meets Cether in the forest and is taken back to camp
Words This Step: 1005
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 9:43 am
P A R T x T W O x S O L O
Ideals "I... didn't know you had a younger brother," General Beyln admitted as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "I knew of Ahdaia, but..." There was obvious hesitance in his voice, despite hearing it straight from Cether himself. The brothers hadn't shared many words as they headed into the more well-lit camp. The elder Oban had procured a cleaner set of breeches, and a loose top, despite Xilarn's insistence that he didn't really need it with his cloak and all. But Cether wanted him to appear presentable before going to face the general. He had appearances to keep up, after all.
Xilarn did not, however.
"I don't actually care whether you believe it or not," He hissed out between clenched teeth. The second he stepped foot in this camp, he knew anything anyone had to say to him would be insulting. It was in the way everyone greeted his brother, with a grin and a clap on the shoulder, the way even the General welcomed him into his tent with a hearty laugh, the way Cether's stupid smug face cocked him that stupid smug grin. It made Xilarn sick.
He could've sworn he even spotted a squire leaning toward Cether from the corner of his eye, and heard the boy mutter, "Doesn't even look like you..."
"Quiet, child." Xilarn's brows furrowed as the man addressed him, rather than the squire who had no business talking out of turn. Beyln scratched at his chin, his ruby gaze scrutinizingly scraping over Xil. "Don't look like he'd do us much good, but if you're willing to vouch for him, Cether..."
"We are blood," Xil's brother admitted with a careless shrug. "But Xilarn has... wasted too much of his time on his own antics rather than preparing to help out here. For now, it's probably best if he stays at my side." Wasted time. The younger boy grimaced. That's all this was to Cether was wasted time. Xilarn's presence in this forest was a complete and utter waste, a useless endeavor unless he was fighting alongside the army.
It would've been too much to ask the gods to force Cether to choke on his own spit and die right there, clawing at the lavish crimson and gold rug laying across the dirt. The young Oban would've been too satisfied by that. Instead, he felt humiliation, rejection, belittled. It was one thing for his brother to bad-mouth him to his face, and another to do it in front of someone else. "I don't want to be by your side!" Xilarn found himself blurting before he could stop it. Even once the words had left his mouth, he was hard-pressed to regret it. He'd almost rather be dead that have to go along with anything Cether wanted.
His brother's gaze was cool, calm, collected, something the bloodthirsty man was not entirely. He tipped his head, gazing at the younger man from the corner of his eye. "I don't doubt it." Ceth huffed, his voice low and warning. Xil's throat tightened. "But you'll die on your own, and I won't be the one to explain it to Mother. Besides, you have no right being out here getting in everyone else's way, wasting your time, wasting our time. If you're going to stay, you're going to fight. If you can't prove yourself an asset, I'll take you home personally. That is all."
The words were a dismissal, cold and firm, leaving little room for argument. For once, Xilarn's mind was blank. How many times had he thought of similar conversations and always knew exactly what he wanted to say? But somehow now, he couldn't think of anything.
"Riandur." The squire bolted to attention at Xil's side. "Please escort Master Xilarn somewhere he can freshen up. We'll reconvene in the morning."x
x
Results: Assigned to fight alongside Cether.
Words This Step: 621
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 9:44 am
P A R T x T H R E E x S O L O
Choices The night was obnoxiously long. Over and over, Xil replayed what was said, and then what could've been said in response. Go home? As if he'd allow that to happen. He could simply relent and fight, but the stab to his pride at the mere thought was enough to put him in physical pain. Anything that Cether actively wanted him to do was probably bad for him.
And Cether wanted him here.
Xilarn hadn't even wanted to be here before that, so... He would leave. He'd been creeping through the forests, dodging natives on his own for months now. How hard could it be to escape a camp of Obans? He shifted to the side, peering at his two tent-mates out the corner of his eye. Sleeping soundly, it seemed. He was sure the soldiers here grabbed sleep whenever they could. They'd probably bolt out of bed if they needed to, but for now, they may just as well be rocks.
Xil silently collected his things and peered out through the tent flap. Everything was dim and quiet. He could hear mutterings off out of his sight somewhere, but they seemed unimportant. Perhaps just two of the soldiers trying to keep themselves awake while on guard. That was fine with Xilarn. He'd be sure to avoid them. He slipped from his cover and slunk through the camp's shadows, making use of the tactics Hijil had taught him during his time with her. It was like tracking, only in reverse, sort of. There weren't many soldiers out of bed, so it wasn't terribly challenging.
As he approached the edge, where the residual light from fires and lanterns had dimmed to practically nothing, Xil let out a sigh of relief. Once he was in the forest again, he doubt he'd have to worry about Cether, or anyone else for that matter, catching him. He brushed a few leaves aside...
"Xilarn, where are you going?" The voice that made him literally want to strangle babies. He half-hoped that he'd imagined the words. It was dark, quiet, with branches rustling in the night. His mind could've easily tricked him into thinking- "I'm talking to you, Xilarn." An arm grabbed his shoulder, and Xil turned to face his brother.
It had been a long time since he'd had an actual confrontation with the larger man. A lot larger, Xil realized as he tipped his head back to meet Cether's gaze. The dim lighting made his eyes glint, made his already dark face seem malicious somehow, but it was still just Cether, and Xilarn had never been good at mincing words. "I'm leaving," the younger Oban stated firmly, quite assured of himself as he glared back at his brother.x
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Results: Cether confronts Xil as he tries to leave camp.
Words This Step: 453
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 9:45 am
P A R T x F O U R x S O L O
Confrontation "That wasn't one of the choices I gave you," Cether informed him tartly, his brows furrowing and drawing darkness down between his eyes.
There was virtually nothing Xilarn could do to look half as intimidating, so he simply straightened himself and crossed his arms. "I didn't like my options," he retorted. "I think you're wrong about fighting them here, and I doubt you'll get anywhere no matter how hard you try. It's useless to sacrifice our own people if we don't get something greater in return. And at this rate, it doesn't look like we will." He tried to stay calm, to keep his voice level. There was no need to attract unnecessary attention to themselves, whether from inside or outside the camp.
"You think I like this?" Cether demanded. Xil had to bite his tongue to keep from saying, yes, this seemed exactly the type of thing the elder Oban would get his jollies from. "I'm only here because it was an order. His Majesty wants us to take over these lands, so we will. You think you're the only one who doesn't want to fight? Well think again. At least half of the men and woman in that camp would rather be safe and comfortable at home with their families, rather than out here in this abyss of a jungle. But they have their orders, which is exactly what I gave you." Xil's lips puckered and his eyes narrowed as if he'd eaten something bitter. "You aren't a child anymore, and you're expected to obey just like any other soldier."
Cether took a step back and extended his arm toward the camp. "I'll forgive you if you go back now. We don't have to make a scene of this. You're my little brother, and I don't want to see you get hurt. But if you refuse, I'll drag you- Ugh!"
Xil smashed into him, kicking from the ground and shoving his shoulder into Cether's chest. Every single word his brother said just set his blood to boil. He wasn't a weak little kid, anymore, and he wasn't about to let someone he'd despised for most of his life dictate what he was going to do. He agreed that the superior race - his race - should have control over the inferior races. But the 'orders' Cether was so keen on following were wrong, and he wouldn't condone or further the notion that Obans should risk their lives just for a few extra slaves. If Cether was really going to drag him back to anywhere, Xil would fight him.
Of course, Cether was larger and physically stronger, so all Xilarn had was surprise and agility. So shoving his weight against the older boy when he least expected it was probably his best bet. Cether staggered from the attack. As much as the smaller boy would've loved to get in an extra punch or two before his brother fully recovered, that would be wasting time he didn't have. Instead, he pivoted and dove in the other direction. He could put plenty of distance between himself and Cether before his brother even knew where to look. All he had to do was-
"Ack!" Xilarn choked and was yanked off his feet as the tail end of his cloak was grabbed and jerked backwards. This stupid thing! Hadn't he learned after the first time that it was only going to get him hurt. He had to stay on his feet. As soon as he hit the ground, it may as well be over. He stumbled backward, ducking down and hopefully avoiding anything else Cether was going to hit him with.
In the back of his mind, Xilarn knew he was <********>. He'd had only one advantage, and it was gone now. He could flail and kick and scream, throw whatever punches he liked, but it was painfully obvious that Cether could easily overpower and outmaneuver him. The older boy yanked his cloak again, pulling back and looping the end of it around his wrist. His other hand snatched out and grabbed the back of it, fingers tangling in the thick hood and a few knots of Xilarn's hair.
The younger boy floundered, fingers reaching back and struggling to disentangle his brother's hand. He writhed, wriggled, scratched, anything, because he felt trapped. He felt like he'd lost and he didn't know what to do, didn't know what would happen when Cether told the generals he'd tried to run, was actually kind of scared. "Cether, stop!" He hissed tightly.
"Would you have some dignity? Quit squirming. Ugh, you're making this harder than it needs to be! Xilarn, don't make me-" Xil twisted and shoved his weight forward, landing against the immovable plane of his brother's chest. Cether gave the hood a rough shake, jarring the smaller boy for a moment before he fought back with renewed vigor. "Fine!" Cether spat, freeing one of his hands from Xilarn's claws to reach down and unclip a knife from its sheath.
Xilarn hardly had a chance to try and bat it away before his older brother jerked his arm out and laid a thin, shallow cut across his cheek, the easiest part of him to reach while he was swatting so ferociously at him.
More than anything else, the younger boy was shocked into stillness. It stung a little, yes, but that was nothing compared to the realization that his own flesh and blood was willing to pull a blade on him. It hurt him more than he thought it would, especially when concerning Cether. He quieted, and stopped his desperate struggles. "Why does it matter to you so much?" Xilarn muttered, his gaze falling to the ground. "Why are you against me?"
"I'm not." Cether almost sounded earnest. "But you have to follow the rules. You can't just decide to do something when it goes against everyone else."
The elder Oban still had one hand bunched in the fabric of Xil's cloak. The other was around his arm. Xilarn didn't think much of it until he tried to move. Tried... and couldn't. His heartbeat quickened. He couldn't move anything, or at least, not like he wanted to. Some trick, some, some... Poison. The knife... What was once stinging cut across his cheek a few seconds ago now felt completely numb. "What did you do?!" Xil demanded. His limbs felt heavy, sluggish even. He became acutely aware that it was only Cether's arms holding him up, rather than his own power. In that short matter of moments, just moving became a chore.
"It's... a paralytic toxin we use to capture our enemies. For slaves, information, prisoners, whatever." He kind of sounded upset. "If you just surrendered- But it... Well, it doesn't matter now." Cether paused. "I'm sorry."
He really might have been. Who was to say for sure? But Xilarn didn't care. Never mind what may happen to him when he was dragged back. He grit his teeth, clenched his eyes shut. "I'll never forgive you," he muttered softly. As things were going, he might as well resign himself to his fate. He could think of absolutely nothing that would get him out of this. There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do... At this point, he'd be lucky if they merely sent him back to Oba...
"Rrrwoof."
Xilarn sucked in a breath. Maybe one thing. One thing that the gods had blessed him with in all this time. One thing he'd cursed over and over because it literally did him no good. "Gadot!"
The raptrix leapt from the brush, it's thick, armored claws swooping over Xilarn's head and landing across Cether's shoulders, shoving the older male away. With nothing supporting him, Xil crashed to the ground. Cether yelped in shock and scrambled backwards across the ground. The familiar snapped and batted at him while Xil struggled with every ounce of his strength just to latch onto a fistful of that golden fur.
Gadot batted his wings, keeping the elder Oban away. The new found commotion was sure to attract attention. Even with Gadot here, time was of the essence. He'd always kind of expected the foreign beast was secretly smart. Perhaps even more intelligent than the natives themselves. It sent one last snarl in Cether's direction before turning on its heel and dipping to the ground. It shoved its nose under Xil's chest, followed by a wing and then a shoulder. "Go, go," Xilarn hissed out once he was sure he was just steady enough to make it far enough away that they'd be safe.
With a quiet "ruff," Gadot tucked his wings in and dove off through the trees. Flying with a limp passenger was next to impossible in this terrain, but even if he was limited to all fours, he should still have no trouble outspeeding one measly two-legger.x
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Results: Escapes, though not unscathed.
Words This Step: 1475
Total Words: 3554
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 9:46 am
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Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 11:27 pm
Class Quest Result
Pass!
Xilarn has passed and received the rank of Lancer!
And for the compelling conflict between Xilarn and Cether, and the set-up for the raptrix rescue, you have been awarded a Shop Item. Congratulations!
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