Lying between the Central market place, and the Southern gate, is an old misshapen Hotel building. The owners sat up shop, and refurbished it's interior to the best of their ability. The outside could wait. Aside from it's ghastly appearance, it has a reputation for great food, and drink, fair prices, and poor service! YEY!! The rooms and food really do make up for the terrible service however.
OoC: Didn't really find a time or weather system so decided to go with this lol.
STATS ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆ ⊹⊱⋛⋋ Rhun, the mercenary Occupation: Mercenary for hire Where: The Prancing Poodle With: Strangers Status: Healthy. Relaxing from the journey. ⋌⋚⊰⊹ ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆
EQUIPMENT:
MH: Poisoned Dagger OH: Armor: General Clothing
It was getting dark, Rhun glanced at the sky. The clouds overhead were many and dark. They were casting an early darkness over the land. Of course the young man did his best to not pay it to much mind, but it was definitely making him anxious. Thankfully since he was walking he had an excuse to be using a lantern and he took it from his belt before mumbling some words until fire flew from his hand into the small lantern, casting a dancing light under his hood briefly lighting up the man's face, he then closed it and sighed a bit of relief. At least once it would get really dark he would still be walking in the light. The mage kept the lantern up and readjusted his hood a bit with his free hand which he had used to somewhat hide his features. There was no big need to fully hide himself, but Rhun rather didn't get to easily recognized on the streets. After all he wasn't really with one faction. This had advantages as in he could deal with whomever, but also disadvantages as it did mean he had a few more enemies and not actually a back up.
Still it was the life he was used to, what he grew up with and which he preferred. The young man looked around a bit as he searched for the tavern. He had been there once before. It was very unassuming on the outside, but it had nice food and soft beds. Every path he took the small circle of light from his lantern followed. He didn't stray his eyes from the buildings around him until a soft distant rumbling caused him to cast his his gaze to the sky. There was no mistaking now as to why the sky had darkened so quickly. Rhun cursed under his breath and picked up his pace, nor really fancying getting drenched. Although there was no certainty it would rain, it was likely once the thunderstorm would break loose. Thankfully it didn't take the young man long to find the tavern he had been looking for and he quickly opened the doors and walked inside. The moment he closed the doors a few gazes went to the door, probably to see who had walked inside but Rhun ignored it and walked straight to the counter.
"I'd like a room till tomorrow please and a mug of mead." he said to the man that came to ask what he wanted. Rhun waited at the counter until he got his key and the mead, paid the keeper and then walked with the mead to a table a little in the back where he blew out his own lantern since there was plenty of light here in the tavern. The young man sat down and finally lowered his hood, revealing his long blond hair and pale blue eyes. Inside here it was quiet enough and less piercing eyes. Rhun leaned back and took a sip of his mead as he allowed himself to wind down from the long journey. It had been a quiet few days. People usually knew how to reach him if they needed him and while he had no work, Rhun would just journey from Tavern to Tavern, poking around if there were any jobs available that paid him enough to consider it.
(It's fine. We don't usually worry too much about exact times and dates.)
A silent, unseen figure watched Rhun intently as he used magic to light his lantern and walked through the darkness in search of the tavern. He remained at a distance as he watched, studying the young mage as he tried to get to the tavern before the upcoming thunderstorm broke free and drenched everything and everyone unfortunate enough to be outside at the time. He followed into the tavern, his presence unnoticeable to all but the most powerful magic users.
As Rhun relaxed at his table, he would suddenly see the figure sitting across from him. The figure was fully covered by a shadowy cloak, and attempting to study him further would cause an unpleasant feeling that worsened until one was finally forced to look away. The figure studied Rhun for a moment and placed a small pouch on the table right in front of Rhun. "Your presence has been requested by my Master," he spoke, his voice a rough hiss that was extremely unpleasant to the ear. "He has a special job for someone of your skillset. When you are alone in your room, light the candle included in the pouch to initiate the meeting. Payment for the initial meeting has also been included. If you choose to accept the meeting, you will be offered magic and power greater than you can imagine. It is recommended that you not keep him waiting."
The mysterious figure was gone a moment later, as if he had never been there at all. The only thing that indicated the brief conversation had ever taken place was the pouch in front of Rhun. The pouch contained a strange candle that seemed to radiate chaotic magical energy, as well as a bit of gold and a scroll that contained a spell to create light that Rhun would be able to learn. It seemed that whoever wanted to meet knew of Rhun's interest in learning new magic and was including a taste in order to draw him in.
OoC: Oh that is not even remotely suspicious! Rhun what are you getting yourself into? xD
STATS ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆ ⊹⊱⋛⋋ Rhun, the mercenary Occupation: Mercenary for hire Where: His room With: Unknown Status: Healthy, slightly on edge. Waiting ⋌⋚⊰⊹ ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆
EQUIPMENT:
MH: Poisoned Dagger OH: Armor: General Clothing
Rhun had only looked away briefly from his table. But when he looked back his eyes suddenly met with another across of him. The mage startled slightly and lowered his mead that he was just about to drink as he wondered where this guy suddenly came from. He hadn't noticed them before. The longer he looked at them though the more he was getting the chills. They reminded him vaguely of what he had glimpsed in the portal back then. Rhun was just about to look away when the soft sound of gold sounded as the pouch was placed on the table. The mage glanced at the pouch that had been placed between them. Clearly this wasn't a random visitor. When they started to speak it wasn't much better. The way they sounded reminded the Mage of quite a few unpleasant memories. Before he could get a word in back to the other though they had disappeared as soon as they had appeared. The young mage couldn't help a slight cold shiver over his spine before he dismissed it for now and pulled the pouch towards him.
He opened it up to check the contents inside and the moment he opened it the energy radiating from the candle was palpable. At least for him, since he was more attuned to magic energy. Rhun's gaze then went to the scroll and he reached for it, pulling it out of the pouch. He read the incantation without uttering it for now and smiled a bit. Though the way of contacting was unusual, clearly they went to some lengths to ensure their meeting with Rhun. The offered reward was to great to ignore to him, so he decided to heed this minion's words and he picked up the pouch and his mead before he made his way to the room he had rented for this night. It was pretty cloak and dagger, but the young man accepted the risk. He looked at the spell once more before he pledged the words to his memory and then he tried it out once he was out of sight from the tavern main hall. For a moment he had to close his eyes against the bright light that came forth but once he moved his hand a bit the ball of light floated next to him as he walked.
"Useful." the mage muttered and smirked a bit. Clearly they had done their homework. It would only be right he would reply. He found his room without incident, walked in and then locked the door with the key, just to make sure he couldn't suddenly get interrupted. After that he placed the pouch on the bed before he emptied the nearby table and walked back to the pouch. Rhun wasn't eager to touch the candle with his bare hands due to the power of the energy coming from it, but he nonetheless took it out of the pouch and replaced the Inn candle with the obviously charmed one. He then took a few steps back just in case the flame would be bigger than he expected and turned to look at the candle. "Flammis venit ad me" he spoke and the same flames that had lit his lantern now floated to the candle on the table immediately igniting it. Briefly the bright flame lit up the entire room with it's radiance before it turned into an unassuming looking flame and then Rhun walked closer and sat down on the chair that came with the table to wait for this mysterious employer.
Rhun would only wait for a brief moment before something happened. The candle's flame would begin to shift in color repeatedly until it settled on a black flame that almost seemed to absorb the light around it. The scenery around him shifted, and he would suddenly find himself somewhere else. He was still sitting in a chair, but he didn't seem to be in his rented room anymore. Instead, he would find himself sitting at a table in what looked like a very elegant dining room in a manor far nicer than any he had ever seen. But if he looked closely, there seemed to be a brief moment every minute or so where the manor flickered around him and instead revealed a stormy, chaotic void.
"I see that you wasted no time in coming to meet me," an unfamiliar voice said, and Rhun would see a well-dressed man sitting across from him. The man looked quite normal, with long black hair, fair skin, and attractive features. But his eyes revealed that there was something inhuman about him. They seemed to show spark of raw, chaotic magic that Rhun could only ever dream of achieving in his lifetime. And even though he looked young, something about him gave off the feeling that he had been alive for countless centuries.
He gave Rhun a charming smile. "It's wonderful to see you so soon. I don't like to be kept waiting." His tone seemed friendly and charming, but Rhun wouldn't be able to miss the way the man's eyes seemed to light up with that same raw magic for a moment. Whoever this man was, he was immensely powerful, extremely old, and just barely containing intense rage at something Rhun didn't know. "But I don't wish to be impolite. Since we're in a dining hall, would you care for something to eat or drink? I can provide any sort of meal that you may want."
STATS ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆ ⊹⊱⋛⋋ Rhun, the mercenary Occupation: Mercenary for hire Where: Unknown With: His mysterious employer Status: Healthy, anxious and uneasy. Meeting with a potential new customer. ⋌⋚⊰⊹ ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆
EQUIPMENT:
MH: Poisoned Dagger OH: Armor: General Clothing
It seemed the events would now follow up rapidly. The mage noted how quickly the candle reacted and suddenly changed colors until settling on the black. With how it drew the light away around it, the mage couldn't help but feel more anxious at the approaching darkness now surrounding all but the flame. Thankfully it didn't last long and it started to shift to a more welcoming environment. Or at least as welcome as one could feel during one of these meetings. Not to mention when he looked closer he could see a flicker of the one thing he had come to 'fear' the most. The empty void seemed to be encroaching upon him. Rhun was about to say that this had not been the deal they made way back when he suddenly noticed the man sitting at the table with him. This was not the one he had made a pact with back then. At least he didn't recognize them as such. But that didn't take away he seemed to be transported to the void.
The mage had been having his misgivings already with how the meeting was arranged. A feeling that only increased as he observed the stranger before him. He was uneasy but the promise of power and knowledge won over his fear so he took a deep breath to control his creeping fear of the darkness and forced himself to focus on the lighter room and the man before him, rather than the void beneath. It was clear he was not dealing with a run of the mill employer. It would seem he somehow managed to get in touch with another demon. Of course Rhun had no certainty of that but the power he could feel emanating from this person was far above any mage he had seen in his life so far. When they spoke, however, their voice was all but like that of their runner. It was actually not all that bad, perhaps even pleasant. Still the way they spoke, Rhun didn't doubt they might have been a lot less friendly if he had made them wait.
"Your runner mentioned there was a preference for some haste so I obliged. And your reward is generous." he replied, sounding a lot more certain than he himself felt. Rhun, personally, was just glad his voice sounded even. While they spoke to him the mage took the opportunity to observe them a bit closer. They felt ancient and there was a tinge of dark emotion, but he wasn't yet as sensitive to energies as he could be so that was about all that he could glean from the person across him. As welcoming as their offer for food was however, Rhun had read somewhere that eating food offered in a place as this might not be the wisest one to take them up on. There were stories told by some about souls getting trapped by doing so and he was already tangled with the void more than he liked to be. He could feel the mark on his arm burning slightly and he subconsciously placed his hand on the mark.
"Thank you for the offer of refreshments but I'm alright. You're clearly a man of grand power." he spoke once more, his voice respectful to the other's position. "How can I be of help to you?" he asked, coming down to the reason of this meeting. Clearly there was something they needed his help with, though Rhun at this moment couldn't fathom why, and the reward was extremely tempting. So he wished to know what was expected of him if he were to accept this assignment. Not to mention he felt quite eager to leave this raging vortex behind. It was nothing personal to the man before him, after all Rhun couldn't care less who his employer was, let alone with a reward such as the one promised for this assignment. However he felt uneasy and anxious about being this close to the void, if he hadn't been transported into it already.
The man gave a quick nod when Rhun refused the offer of refreshments. "I have a matter that requires someone like you," he said. "As you said, I'm a man of grand power. But my power is only grand while within my domain. And that is for a simple reason. Many years ago, a group of my kind gathered together and stripped me of my physical body. In doing so, they limited what I can do. I've acquired a body to use for now, but it starts to break down as I spend time outside of my domain. I need your assistance to correct that problem."
An image of an unknown man appeared between the two of them. "As I'm sure you're aware, extremely powerful magic often has consequences and ways around it. The magic used to destroy my physical body was no different. It stripped me of my perfect body, but it also occasionally causes a human to be born that would serve as my perfect vessel to replace the one I lost. But the group responsible anticipated that and worked another bit of magic to hide those perfect vessels from me. Only one can exist at a time, and that person will always be born with a rather interesting ability. They are unnoticeable to all but a select few. So many have been born that I have simply been unable to find because of that. But the most recent one had that magic dampened for several years. He recently fell off of my radar again, but I felt him at the Sandman Alliance Base quite recently."
The image shifted to the Sandman Marketplace. "I have been searching for a way to locate and retrieve a vessel for a very long time, and I have grown tired of being restricted. I cannot see him with his powers unleashed again, but I have examined many that could be of assistance with that. You are the one I feel is best for the job. You are one of the rare few who will be able to see him with no difficulty. He cannot hide from you. I would like you to go to the Sandman Base and retrieve him for me."
A bracelet made of shiny black metal appeared in the man's hand and he slid it across the table to Rhun. "This will nullify his power while he wears it. I need you to place it on him and then bring him back to me so that I can take him as my vessel and become whole again. If you do this for me, I can promise you more than you could ever desire." The image between them shifted to a demon that would be very familiar to Rhun. "For starters, I can dissolve your pact with the demon who owns your soul. But I can do so much more." The image disappeared, and Rhun would be able to see the male with that same charming smile as before. "Can I count on your assistance with this matter?"
STATS ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆ ⊹⊱⋛⋋ Rhun, the mercenary Occupation: Mercenary for hire Where: Unknown With: His mysterious employer Status: Healthy, intrigued. ⋌⋚⊰⊹ ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆
EQUIPMENT:
MH: Poisoned Dagger OH: Armor: General Clothing
Rhun might have shown a sign of relief when the man didn't seem insulted when his offer was declined. They quickly turned to the subject as well, which served the mage fine. It would tell him what he needed to know. The young man allowed himself to relax just a little as he listened to the other's story. It sounded like they had a score to settle once whole. Not that Rhun cared about what would happen after. When an image showed up out of nowhere Rhun looked at it as his companion, for lack of a better word right now, continued the explanation. Most of it was known to Rhun, being a mage himself and he nodded when the man mentioned the loopholes. There were always loopholes. And it was safe to assume he thought that the image he was being shown now was that of the very 'vessel' this man needed. When the image changed to the Sandman Base, a flicker of recognition came over his features.
Though he had seen many places by now, Rhun was most known with the Sandman base as it had been where he remained for the longest time on end, even if it had been years ago. That would serve him now. "So that is why you knew to include a spell for light." he said matter-of-factually. It was clear to Rhun now that they must have been aware of his...unease with darkness. Rhun was staring at the image of the base but when the sound of the bracelet distracted him his gaze went from the image to the bracelet and he blocked it with his hand before picking it up carefully and looked at it. When they spoke of the reward he looked up from the bracelet to look at the man only to be met with the face of the very demon that had lay his claim on him. The sudden image still sent shivers down his spine as he was reminded about the fate that awaited him upon death. It sure added an extra incentive to guard his life.
Rhun's attention shifted to the other man the moment they mentioned they could dissolve that selfsame pact and the image had disappeared. At first he wondered what that would do with his power but he was quick to recount this man's runner's words. The mage smiled as he heard the offer. "You got my attention...and my cooperation." Rhun said looking at the bracelet in his hand once more. He could feel it was magically enhanced with the same energy as the candle, albeit less tangible. "Is there any specific place you want me to bring him before summoning you again?" he asked and looked back at the man across of him. With such an amazing reward, Rhun wouldn't mind to light the candle again at any place he preferred as long as it wouldn't directly endanger his own life. "At least I assume I will be using the same candle?" he added, quite confident in his abilities to see this done.
The man simply nodded as Rhun worked out how he had known to include a spell to create light. "Correct" he said. "I've taken the time to learn quite a lot about you. Finding the proper tool to convince you to meet me was simple."
He grinned when he sensed the way Rhun felt upon seeing the face of the demon that owned his soul. He knew in that instant that Rhun would do what he asked in order to be freed of his pact. "Wonderful! I'm very glad to hear that you'll take on the job for me. As for getting him to me once you've collected him, you are correct in your assumption that you'll be using the same candle. All you need to do is get him into a private room and light the candle while making physical contact. That will bring him to my realm with you."
The man's grin became wider. "I'll also offer you something more than what's already been promised. If you can get him to me quickly and impress me, then there will be far more in store for you than simply having your pact with that demon dissolved. Once I've claimed my perfect vessel and regained my full power, I'll be in need of a Herald and a Consort. And if you impress me, you may very well be offered one of those positions. Becoming my Herald would give you access to a bit of my power. Your magic would be far greater than you could ever imagine. You could smite the demon who terrifies you now with little more than a single thought. But if you impressed me enough to be chosen and accepted the place as my Consort, you would bear my Mark and have full access to my powers. You wouldn't be quite as powerful as me, but you would be powerful enough to rival gods. I'm certain than you understand just how significant that would be. Just keep that in mind, and move as quickly as you can."
He snapped his fingers, and Rhun would suddenly find himself back in his room in the tavern. The flame on the candle had stopped burning, and Rhun would be able to tell that the candle hadn't melted down at all. It still looked brand new and ready to be used at any point. The demon's mark on Rhun's arm suddenly sent a jolt of pain through him for a brief moment, and he would be able to feel that the bond to the demon had been muted for now. It seemed that the man knew the demon wouldn't be pleased about Rhun's new employment with the promise of dissolving the pact, so he had ensured that the demon wouldn't be able to use the mark to track him. He clearly didn't want any possible interruptions or delays that would threaten his plans to get his vessel.
STATS ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆ ⊹⊱⋛⋋ Rhun, the mercenary Occupation: Mercenary for hire Where: The Prancing Poodle With: No one Status: Healthy, determined. On a new mission ⋌⋚⊰⊹ ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆
EQUIPMENT:
MH: Poisoned Dagger OH: Armor: General Clothing
Rhun wouldn't need to be told twice about that reward. Of course mostly because this man offered more power than he already had, but also because that meant he wouldn't be dragged to the void on the event of his death. At least, he hoped not. His current surroundings didn't exactly ensure that. Even so, the mage accepted the assignment. It wasn't like he had expected to ever be freed from the pact, it had never stopped him from doing all he could to gain exactly what this man offered. He shifted his attention back to the other as they spoke about how to get back and deliver his quarry. It sounded easy enough. All he needed was a private area then, whether or not it was the inn. Though a lockable door would probably be preferable.
It would seem the stakes just got raised though. The mage looked at the man with clear interest when they mentioned the two bonus rewards. Of course he was aware there was more than one meaning to 'Consort' but the power that would come with it was immense by the sound of it. "Very well." he said with a grin. "I'll be as swift as I can." Before he could say more though, the other snapped his fingers and suddenly Rhun found himself alone once more with just the light and gentle sound of the small fireplace in his room for the night. If he didn't know any better it could all have been a dream. But Rhun knew the truth. As he stepped forward to pick up the candle though he suddenly called out in searing pain that started in his arm and spread through him as the bond, which had deepened over the years, was suddenly being tempered. The mage bit down more words as he pulled himself together, in that short brief moment he actually thought the demon had found out about this new agreement.
But as quickly as the pain had come it dissipated and the usual pull that always seemed to tug on the mark dulled notably. Rhun took a few deep breaths before he was interrupted by the sound of the doorknob followed by some bangs on the door. It was a good thing the mage was pretty good about handling pain by now as he moved to the door, unlocked it and opened it just a bit so whoever was there couldn't see to far into the room. He found himself face to face with the innkeeper's wife. "Are you alright? It sounded like you were in pain. Rhun managed to give them a slight smile and nodded. "I'm alright, I forgot the poker in the fire and burned myself a little that is all." he told them as smoothly as if that was all that happened. When they left after and Rhun had closed the door he rolled his eyes a bit. interfering fool. he thought to himself. The young man walked to the candle and took it off the candle holder.
The pure chaotic energy within was still unsettling to him, but this time it reminded him of the large reward that would await him if he managed to pull this off quick. Though he was mildly surprised to see it looked brand new. Rhun slipped the bracelet in his own pouch as well as the gold that was included before he burned the paper with the spell for light which he had now memorized. For some reason it seemed safer to him if no one else got a hold of that paper. After that he bound the pouch to his belt and secured the candle in a hidden pocket of his robe with the intend of leaving right away. The sooner he managed to fill this assignment the better and this way if something happened to lose the pouch, he would still have the candle, his link to his current employer. He was reminded of why he had hurried to the inn to begin with however as thunder roared through the sky and the rain broke from their cloudy prison above. For only a brief moment Rhun thought the better of it, but then he opened the window and waited for a moment his eyes closed until a gust passed by. "Ventus et Pellis" he muttered before he jumped out of the window and used the element of the gust of wind to land without a sound and with minimum energy expended. He didn't doubt he might need to rest before he would capture this vessel, but for now he wanted to make a head start in getting to the Sandman Base. He would eat on the way. The young man pulled his hood over his head again and his cloak around him shielding himself from the wind and rain as he went on his way with the light source following next to him.
INVENTORY
Gold: 1400 Several herbs Magicked candle Lantern Some food Water
