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]•••••• Winter winds whistle through the great rocks of Ayr, carrying with them many a rogue traveler’s whisper. A beast of mythic proportions, they say, is lurking in the winter passes, making its nest amidst the tallest of Ayr’s peaks in the northernmost portion known to the locals as Everwinter Plateau. It has the body of a rajsha, but the size of ten men, if rumors are to be believed, claws feral as any dragon, the head of a bird, and wings that stretch half the size of a noble’s courtyard with two wild tails that stare with feathered eyes. All insist they could tame it, were the winds just right and fate on their side, but none have returned successful yet.

This has not stopped hopeful beastmasters, collectors, and hunters from flocking to the area. Whether addled with lofty goals of taming the beast for their own and travelling astride it for all to see, or of mounting its head on their wall and wearing a cloak adorned with its feathers — or simply seeing it with their own eyes — the usually scarcely populated cliffs of Ayr are filling with travelers from all stretches of the world of Magesc: oblivionites, orderites, dovaa, khehora, and even a scattering of the mixes in between.

In addition, as though the fates were in particular favor of bringing the windy continent visitors despite the bitter chills of winter, another beast — never before seen by the eyes of Magescians — is rumored to be roaming the ancient Ruins of Nordaran, nestled deep amidst the rocks at the far opposite, southern end of the land. More canine than feline, this beast is nearly the size of a baowi, full grown, but manages to travel nonetheless with speed and finesse to put many a smaller, slighter creature to shame. Its winter coat gleams, largely white but accented with darker, frosted blue tones so that it meshes in with the shadows of the ruins and surrounding treeline, making it a tough sight to spot — and even more difficult to catch.

Is your character here on a quest? A mission of grandeur? A sight seeing expedition? Perhaps they’ve been hired by a wealthy noble to bring them back a trophy, or are simply seeking the spirit of adventure? Whatever the case, this RP is open to all! Rules, in addition to specific locations of note and more information on the creatures mentioned are in the following post.

Nehelini wrapped the fur lined traveling cloak around him as he looked around the winter terrain. The Ruins in the Southern part of Ayr were chilly, perfect for his new Aiskala blood to bask in. Still the one with a mind for practicality Nehelini wore the cloak as a means to appease his Uncle Rhys. The youth closed his eyes smiling as he felt just everything around him. With his new ice magic he was discovering that snow was a pleasant feeling, opening them he walked through the forest. Placing his hand on trees as he passed them, wondering what stories Cassiara would hear from the snow covered plants. He chuckled. His first adventure without family. Proof his Uncle trusted him...well...more like they knew he could find them again. He patted the large pouch which had a copy of his Uncle's map buried deep in it.

His view was momentarily blocked by several somethings dashing past him. He blinked as excitement ran through him, was that them?!? Uncle Jaxirus had mentioned a large canine creature who many Aiskala's in their clan had attempted to train as a mount, all failed. He steeled his nerves thinking of the various traps that he had been taught while with his Uncles these past few months. He wondered if he had the materials in his pouch for them. There was one which didn't require rope, but he knew he would get scuffed up. As he walked the male spotted a few of the large creatures. Holy crap they were huge!! He instantly crouched down, fearful of being spotted. Placing himself inbetween two large rocks he watched as what he assumed to be a pup, nuzzled itself against a larger creature.

Ikri....that's what his Uncle called them. He smiled at the family moment, taking note that it seem liked a few of the pups were periodically taken out for runs with an adult. He nodded to himself and slipped away. Sliding a little on the snow before finding his footing. He stilled in case he was heard, then made his way towards where he knew the merchant stall was located. Once there the youth made a few small purchases of little treats. He mentally tallied that he had some jerky his Uncle had made for him before he left their company a few weeks back. He smiled, this would be a easy bait and nab. Now what the heck would he use as a means of a leash...oh yeah...he looked at the spare rope he had. That would work.

Later in the day the youth sat between two trees as he watched a few Ikri's nose around the trap he set. It was a simple little hole that would snag a foot. The jerky and a few pieces of bread were the measly offering, a mere ploy as if a traveler had dropped them on accident. He sighed in frustration as the two larger ones padded away. The smallest of the little group sniffing around still. He got hopfull, his hope paying off as the little one got snagged in the small hole. It didn't let out a loud sound, but did tug at its leg in curiosity.

Nehelini slowly crept out, the little one snapping its head up to watch him. It was a staring contest as Nehelini made his way closer. Once near he kept eye contact as he readied his little makeshift collar. The youth had looped the rope a few times to try and make it comfortable. Moving quickly he looped the collar around the Ikri Pup before lassoing it to a nearby branch. He jumped back as the pup didn't make a sound, but trembled.

“I'm sorry little one. I really am. I just...want a friend.” he muttered before sitting down to watch the pup as it tugged at the collar.

Hours later had found that Nehelini and the pup had entered into several staring contests. Nehelni losing every time because something suddenly moved behind him and he jerked to see what it was. He sighed, as he looked back to the Ikri. Was it...watching his reactions. The male blinked. Oh that couldn't be good. Nehelini took a breath as he stood with a few pieces of jerky in his hand. Not risking the loss of a hand he tossed it at the Pup's front legs. The pup slowly lowered its head, watching the dovaa male as it gobbled them up again. Nehelini sighed, “We should move. I don't want a Hunter coming by and hurt you.”

He walked slowly over to the tree, “Now, I have lots more jerky for you if you be nice and walk with me.” he said to the pup. The creature just gave him a measured look before slowly rising to follow the male. Nehelini walked through the forest watching out for other Ikri's or even Hunters. He found a small clearing. Coming to a stop he was about to loop the rope back again before a sudden rather loud bark resounded behind him. He let out a high pitched squeal before falling on his arse and scooting back to look up at the pup.

“What?!? That was you!!!” he exclaimed before realizing two things. One- the rope was trailing on the ground, and Two- the pup was really...really big. Nehelini gulped, “Oh please don't eat me.” he whimpered.

The pup slowly blinked at the male before barking again, Nehelni flinched as a large pile of snow fell on him from the branches above. The male dug himself out and looked around...the pup was no where to be found.

But at least it had the decency (or rather the cleverness) to leave behind the makeshift collar he had made.

(word count: 960)

Keke was excited to be in Ayr, a land he'd never visited before. What new things, he wondered, would he find in this cold, stony, and windy land? He'd found wonders in Soldul, and even back in his homeland of the Expanse. He could hardly contain himself.

Of course, he had a distinct goal: to bring back one of those very fluffy Ikri creatures to his sister. He was sure she would love one, from what he heard, and he would love to get her one. It might, he hoped, cheer her up – searching for Oblivion was taking its toll on her. A shame she hadn't wanted to come along, but in the end it was probably for the best! Vazarri needed her time alone, too. He wondered what would come next in their adventure together, but first...

Pup.

He'd been searching all morning and he could find nothing. The young Gaili, however, spotted a dovaa digging himself out of a snowdrift.

“Hello!” he called, deciding – as he often did – against caution in favor of being friendly. Dovaa were still new enough to delight him, and maybe this one knew something of the area.

And where to find the Ikri.

“Need any help?”

Malta lingered by the Merchant stall as Siksyl'gra took out his frustration at being on this expedition by investigating the merchant's cache and muttering unhappily in dragon at their findings. Malta actually thought it was nice of the merchant to set up out here in the middle of nowhere – the tent provided some shelter from the biting cold, and the wares weren't all bad.

“No, Miss...” Malta said, very quietly, “I'm not looking to catch the beast.” She wasn't sure if she really wanted to get near a large, scary beast. Certainly, she didn't think she wanted to meet the beast that the merchant had seen, if she'd seen it at all. It sounded fearsome. “Just... looking for nice things to buy.”

The merchant, of course, was all too happy to sell the credulous khehora trinkets, and though a few were tempting, Malta understood enough about money now to know that none of these were worth their asking price. She didn't have a use for most of them, other than as lair or personal decorations, and most clashed with her colors and patterning, and with the rustic clay style of her lair back in the settlement. Siksyl, for his part, was unimpressed.

She shook her head at the merchant. “I'll come back later.” she promised – and there were things that she did want to come back to take a second look at. Maybe. But what she really wanted to do was make sure that the magescians that had invited her – or at least mentioned they would be going here - hadn't forgotten about her.

She walked out of the tent, her assistant padding next to her, and looked out into the snow-frosted ruins.

“I do not understand why you bother with the lesser beings.” muttered Siksyl'gra for what had to be the hundreth time.

“They're my friends...” said Malta, standing up on her hind legs and trying to find familiar faces amidst the travelers.

“And you are known for your taste in friends...” said the Giogimar sarcastically, “Perhaps they did not even arrive. Perhaps they decided to disrespect you by inviting you to this terrible place and never showing their faces.”

“They wouldn't do that. And they didn't invite me, I came on my own.” said Malta, “I wanted some ingredients for myself...”

“And that is well and good, Khehora, but you are looking for them. Leave them, we go into the ruins and find those ingredients ourselves.” he offered.

“No,” she said, “I'll wait a little longer.” she was confident, at least, that Detraeus and Ataya wouldn't leave her all alone. Still, she worried... what if something had happened? What, then, would she do?

Red idly threw a snowball at the base of the mountain, staring up into the distance as the peak faded from view. She smirked. She would climb this monster of a mountain. She would do it.

She'd come back from Aisko to find the big creatures that everybody was talking about – to find them and beat them up to prove her strength of course, but when she'd gotten there she hadn't been able to find them. Not a one.

She knew her sister thought her a coward, and that did not sit well with Red. The young Aiskalan Dovaa needed proof – undeniable proof – that she was brave, and since the Ikri and the Abral weren't going to part with their claws and feathers for her, she had to find another way.

And then she'd heard someone talking about Winter's peak and how it was a really badass spire, and then she knew: ice from Winter's peak would do just fine. And even if not, climbing the thing would be awesome.

So, here she was. And she would start climbing... in a bit. She needed to wait for the right wind... that was all. Nothing about being too afraid to do it. Nope.

Detraeus and Ataya
Location: Just outside the Ruins of Nordanar, making camp tucked away from the more populated areas.
Class: Oblivionite Archer (Expert), and Hybrid Aiskala Mage (Adept - 14yrs)
Activity: Det - traveling into the merchant stalls to scout the area. Ataya - plotting to take over the world get into trouble with his sister.
Interacting With: Araceli, Akara - no one else, yet. (Det is heading towards Malta.)

For all that Detraeus held the fondest of memories for Ayr — insisting to any who asked that, though he had been in love with his then-future mate upon arriving, he had fallen in love with her all over again during his time there — few things competed with his body’s distaste for sea travel. It was the winter of his childrens’ fourteenth year. Rumors, provided to them first by Lithian and Casseth and then outside sources, spoke of cause for adventure and travel: new, unheard of beasts lingering the ruins and peaks of Ayr’s rocky passes. In years past, they would have had to forgo it.

Now, however, his children — while still dangerously young — were at least capable of holding their own while being well-guarded, and so the promise of travel appealed not only to he and Araceli for their personal attachment to the windy continent, but also to their twins. Ataya and Akara expressed fervent interest in leaving their homeland, exploring for once, and seeing the world beyond. It would be the first that they had ever stepped foot off of Eowyn other than the brief trip to the Celestial Plane — where he could not follow. This, finally, would allow him to accompany them and experience the ‘new world’ together.

So, at length he had conceded.

The trip over, of course, had been miserable — for him — spent mostly below deck or at a rail while his mate and children basked in the sea breezes. He greeted solid ground with all the fervent devotion and worship he had once saved only for his goddess, praising the soil like a deity and already dreading the return trip. After a night spent lodged in Abban, they secured travel out, down the south pier of the continent and in, towards the Ruins of Nordaran — the purported location for these ‘mythic beasts.’ Detraeus stopped his family some distance out from the immediate area itself, well aware that — even on Ayr — a band composed of a mixed-race pureblood couple and their hybrid offspring was not likely to be openly accepted by all.

So, they made camp in a sheltered pass between two spires, out of the way of the crowds and defendable, but not so distant so as to make access impractical. Once satisfied with the security of their location, their tents set up and a small, managable fire started, Detraeus moved to the edge of their camp, eyeing the greater throngs of activity further on. It still put a race to his heart. Despite having taken his children into Taliuma where he knew all variety of persons dwelled, despite their growing age and capabilities, despite everything — it still put him distinctly on edge to think of so many untrustworthy, unfamiliar, unknowns so close to his mate and children.

He grunted, letting his hand drop from the chilled rock of the spire he had been peering around and trudging back through the crisp upper layer of snow towards their tent. Catching lightly at his mate’s waist and stepping up behind her, he pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

“I am going closer to the ruins…I will scout it, see who all is there. I will return shortly…” His gaze fell to the children, eyeing them over her shoulder. “Do make a point to behave yourselves and keep your mother’s job easy…”

Ataya, already busy scoping the surrounding rock spires and wondering how long it would take him to scale to the top if he created an adequate number of icicle spires to form a ladder, glanced around at the words. “Us, Father? When have we ever made your jobs difficult?”

Detraeus grunted, pressed a last parting kiss to Araceli’s cheek, and made his way out.

Immediately after his dark form disappeared around the lip of rock and out into the snow, Ataya grinned and leaned close enough to his sister’s ear to whisper into it. “How long do you think it’d take to climb to the top of one of the spires? I bet we could see everything from there…” He glanced over to their mother. “Or, we could take our chances trying to sneak into the ruins themselves, if we get an opening.”

Lithian
Location: At the very base of the spires below Everwinter Plateau, not yet climbing.
Class/Clan: Peisio Dovaa (Expert)
Activity: Travel. Talking with Casseth?
Interacting With: Casseth.

Lithian blew out, watching the frost of his breath curl upwards before his gaze climbed up to follow it, scaling the towering spires before them, shrouded at the highest levels, in thick, rolling mists. He slipped down from his hastar, drawing his thick cloak free from the beast’s back before tugging the hood of it in a fraction closer and glancing over towards his companion, and smiling.

“It seems an age since we’ve been out somewhere with just the two of us,” he said. “Far from Eowyn, in any case…the weather alone is enough to set it apart. Were you wanting to make camp at the base this evening, or see if we can make some headway into the peaks? From what I’ve heard, it only nests in the highest reaches, but we have as much time as we need before us from now until then…”

After a boat ride which lasted far too long in Casseth’s opinion and never long enough in Lithian’s, the two of them had come to shore on Ayr approximately two days ago. Since then, after securing hastars to ride for the trip, they had headed north, taking their time as they picked their way over the frosty landscape until now, they finally stood at the base of the set of peaks which would, purportedly, lead to a foggy set of high risen plateaus — the most frequent spotting grounds for one of the largest flying beasts, aside from dragons themselves, which Magesc had recorded.

Though not a natural fan of icy weather, Lithian tended towards preferring it slightly over the opposite, and these days, winter climates tended to bring about pleasant memories of years long past relating specifically to the man who now rode at his side. Smiling, he ran a fur-gloved hand down the flank of his hastar and glanced to Casseth.

“I leave our fate in your hands, brave adventurer. Where will the winds take us?”

The young dovaa blinked in surprise. Well this was interesting. Nehelini smiled at his new friend, finding the energy of the other quite invigorating. He nodded as he stood. Brushing the snow off his pants then shaking his cloak out to get the snow out of that as well. He nodded, "Yes I am. I've attempted three times so far and I think their getting wise to me..." he sighed as he looked around.

The snow was bright, everything seemed nearly innocent, but he knew from stories to be wary of thick snow. There was danger even in the most innocent of things. What could be a child's play ground could quickly turn into a death trap. He looked over the Khehoran in front of him. Taking in the neutral tones of the young..male...from the sounds of the voice he figured the being was male. He shrugged, "I wouldn't really know myself. I guess we'll find out, neh?"

The male turned back to the forest then looked to Keke, “I discovered that the pack closest to here seems to take their pups out for periodic runs. Usually two adults are with at least one to three pups. I think I stumbled onto a well used path of theirs. I've encountered them mainly on this one hard worn path. Difficult for two-legged creatures, but maybe we'll have a little more luck? Be careful though, it seems as if their intelligent to patterns. So...if you have any ideas?”

Nehelini was curious as to how his new friend would take on the challenge of going after a Ikri pup. Would Keke be aggressive? Would he be passive? Or just indifferent? Maybe this was a lesson, for the Dovaa in how to control himself as he had been starting to sympathize with the poor Pups. He was starting to get second thoughts, but the prospect of a friend who would always be there...that was something he wanted dearly. That or a great way to make new friends. Either way, Nehelini was looking forward to this prospect of a adventure.