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#21
In Character Discussions / A Gift of Folly
Last post by Johan - August 24, 2016, 08:58:30 PM
Cameran recognized Sargent Farkus immediately. The borderline slovenly Sargent of Kurr's guard was a man that Cameran had encountered once or twice and though they had never spoken, Cameran knew the Sargent's reputation well.

Capable, but untrustworthy...stupid, by and large, and mean: a bad combination indeed.

Cameran hadn't previously been aware that Farkus was in Fitzsimmon's pocket, but by the way that the self-important Sargent was bullying the Courier Master the relationship was clear.

Farkus left the encounter smirking in what appeared to Cameran to be gross self-satisfaction and the youth from earlier had an arrogant gleam in his eye even as he tried to seem like he wasn't paying attention.

The Courier Master was shaken somewhere between furious and deathly frightened.

And while Cameran had a little more information, he still had no plan whatever.
#22
In Character Discussions / Gnarcheon's Festival at the Gr...
Last post by Johan - August 24, 2016, 12:43:56 PM
Ach, m' wee lad. Was Shankaria's only thought at Ashe's narration of the turns that Maccabeus's life had taken since he left her those months ago.

Near to sobbing, she toddled up to Ashe as he completed his narration and hugged his leg affectionately. Then she addressed the Gnarcheon assembled.

"It should come as no surprise to you that my heart throbs to near-bursting with these tidings. In part, because Zyxu Archeon is directing his agents again, but more because of the actions of our allies, and particularly of the actions of our own progeny: Maccabeus and Wolf."

Her eyes narrowed a bit as she spoke meaningfully words that most had heard before, but none had appreciated more than right then: "They'll have it Her way." Many voices in the Grove arose in a northwoods grunt of agreement.

"An' we'll do our part as well!" She called out, this met with a louder assent from the Grove. "To do otherwise is to let Zyxu Archeon - the Foul Bull - win this war, and if that happens, there'll be nuthin' left."

"Th' change is on us, an' on our Hammarahn allies. They are as much children of Mahiya as we are, and we need to engage them in this war!" The single voice of all present shook the Grove in agreement.

"Tonight, we celebrate, we live, we love, for tomorrow, we are at war!"

The great cry of all collected in the Grove drowned out Shankaria's voice, even augmented as it was by the Drone magic. All had heard. All understood. Even though some didn't like what was coming, including the interacting with others, all were aware of the alternative, which was nothing. Oblivion.

The festival had a few more hands to go until dawn. It was now time to celebrate, and with a simple, almost negligent wave of her sacred staff, the Drone magic was dismissed, though the raised voices of Gnarcheon and familiars continued for many heartbeats.

To war, then.
#23
In Character Discussions / Darkening Shadows
Last post by Johan - August 24, 2016, 12:05:38 PM
/whew! Got right under that 2-year mark! :)
#24
Character Info / Laren's Off-time
Last post by Griznuq - August 21, 2016, 12:45:56 PM
Jesus - This post was originally created ELEVEN YEARS ago.
#25
In Character Discussions / Darkening Shadows
Last post by Griznuq - August 10, 2016, 11:25:05 AM
*Bump*
#26
In Character Discussions / A Gift of Folly
Last post by Johan - June 23, 2016, 12:53:14 PM
Camaran was not able to get a lot out of Sabine, but there was a little.

Sayre and Jarmok - that was Sayre's odd companion - were only to be gone a day or so. The pair had spent the previous evening and a bit of this morning in collecting an understanding of the nuances of how the Arch Duke Vallensun communicated with other folks around the realm.

How did Vallensun's messages get to paper? How did the paper get to the mail? How did the mail make its way from Kurr to where-ever?

But not just to where-ever. Although the subtlety appeared to be lost on Sabine, it appeared to Camaran it was to Threshold in particular. Sabine suggested that the route to Threshold was being scrutinized only because that's where Sayre and Jarmok were from of late, but Camaran's instinct told him that Threshold was a bit of a key here.

Bits of half-memories surfaced of Fitzsimmons entertaining his associates. Camaran had known for some time that these men spoke in some code, emphasizing words here or there at odd times. One of the oft-over-emphasized words was "Threshold".

"Well, my dear Fitzsimmons, it seems that we are on a THRESHOLD of an agreement then." Rubious might say.

"Be careful of my THRESHOLD, Mr. Burgant." Camaran had heard Fitzsimmons say. "It's a bit SHADOWY these days and hazardous to the LOCALS. Let me bring a lantern to ensure that you do not trip as you leave."

So the investigation, then, was in regards to messages being sent at least TO, and possibly FROM Threshold, and specifically TO and FROM Vallensun himself, very likely.

Well, Fitzsimmons, in his role as Master of Scribes could well have affected such transitions to his wishes. It also explained the morning at the Courier Masters and could possibly explain the youth who eyed Sayre and Jarmok in the square.

Camaran took his leave of Sabine, making a date with her for later in the week, after his performance at the Northguild Theater. As he wandered slightly aimlessly through Kurr, he began writing his play.

Given the mischief afoot, how would he write the play from this point forward? He walked and wrote.

Fitzsimmons would be nervous...no...he was too confident for nervous, but he would be setting things in motion at any rate. Moving his pieces on the game board, as it were.

But he would not move against Sayre and Jarmok...that would be too suspicious, unless it happened on the road. Given that they had seemed to be headed south, they could only be going to Kelvin's Bridge, which was but a day away. Not enough time to move to ambush them (such a plan took longer than an hour to affect).

So what would he do? Well, he would hold a luncheon, no doubt! He would convene with his conspirators to update his network and ensure that all tracks were covered.

And speaking of tracks, he would also ensure that the people to whom Sayre and Jarmok spoke this day were reminded of their allegiances.

Camaran stopped abruptly and looked around to see where he was. He needed to get back to the Courier Master to see who might pay him a visit next.
#27
In Character Discussions / Gnarcheon's Festival at the Gr...
Last post by Wildfire - May 31, 2016, 08:18:15 PM
"Mahiya, though, is not the only one sending messages. The mere fact that agents of Zyxu were defiling the Ring of Mists means also that The Void is speaking to it's children." Ashe felt the need to explain to his kindred that Zyxu Archeon was The Void's champion just as Zebulon was Mahiya's.

He thought better of it and left any explanations that were sought would quickly be answered. So he continued, "Maccabeus along with the help of a Wolfjaw daughter found an ash ring." Again, Ashe let the weight of his words drop over the crowd like a hushed and eager blanket. Invoking the name of Wolfjaw was as though he was speaking of druid royalty. Orion Wolfjaw had attained a near deific status by communing so intimately with the natural world and more specifically, wolves, that he was blessed by Mahiya with the gift of "Kula'Myrthyn". In the common tongue that meant "at one with". "It was an ash ring that was wreathed with the impaled husks of what are believed to be Xanthakian Shadow Riders. As I said, change has arrived".

Cailyder gently took Maragarn's hand at the mention of the ash ring. While Maragarn had never so much as whispered that his Vallenbrush was taken by the defilement of the Archeans and their life eating magic, all of his mannerisms screamed of the tragedy. The typically jovial satyr was indeed shaken and Cailyder suspected that little would console him. She had to try.

"That is not the extent of the infection. It continues to grow. There is a fey friend of Threshold that wardens the Goldleaf Trees, a dryad named Whisper with whom I am very close." Ashe's tone became noticeably sullen and filled with worry. "She has become sick...as her trees have become sick. Whisper is a dryad and I need not tell you that her and her trees are one. She is the soul and essence of the trees and the trees are likewise to her. Her sickness was foisted upon her by twigjack nettles with a heart of defiling poison. They had attacked the Goldleaf Trees and fouled them with an ichor of The Void." A sadness crept into Ashe as he realized how dearly he felt for ailing fairie. She had become more than his friend, she was his consort. She was his bastion of peace in his world of tragedy past- a past he tried to leave behind but never could. She had a way of making him forget the burden he often struggled with so he could just be a man with nature. He prayed Maccabeus would succeed.

"I sought Zebulon's wisdom in this foul matter. The only way to save the grove and Whisper is to seek a seed that will spawn from a Vallenwood on the Day of Rejuvenation and plant it in the hallowed grove. Zebulon fears that the agents of Zyxu will also seek the seed to twist it to their nefarious ends...the devastation of which I dare not think on. Maccabeus, along with his stalwart friends, are in search of the seed and even now they rush to the Valley of Mist. Their task is not an easy one and the dangers are many even in the sacred Valley of Mist. I believe deep down in my roots that others we would call allies are in motion as we are in motion. We must be open to listening to Mahiya's voice for the song rings from many...and from places we may not expect." Ashe knew he was speaking though it seemed to him that he was not saying the words. His cadence came as a melody to all that heard him.

"Mahiya's blood flows through us all and as such we are, all of us, connected. We are not connected simply to each other but to the very fabric of Mahiya. To the trees and the water they drink, to the mountains and the snow that caps them, to the flame and the air that it breathes are we connected. When you gaze into an animals eyes you are staring at yourself and all others. When The Void takes any of that, it does not return it to the Great Cycle but rather it feeds an endless, eternally hungry chasm. Many years ago Zebulon came forth and lead our kind to the defeat of Zyxu Archeon Champion of The Void. We are here now to answer that call once again!"
#28
In Character Discussions / A Gift of Folly
Last post by Wildfire - May 31, 2016, 07:23:45 PM
This is fun seeing the story from a different angle!
#29
In Character Discussions / A Gift of Folly
Last post by Johan - May 23, 2016, 12:28:21 PM
Duthash Gyth Aryor VY. 237 (May 30)

After a night of pacing his rooms, Camaran set out for Vallensun Keep, hopeful that he might be able to spot Sayre and his companions when they might emerge from that keep on their investigation.

He still hadn't figured out how to help without actually interacting with the counselor, but he was optimistic that an opportunity would present.

Sayre emerged from the keep soon enough, with an odd and rough-looking outlander in tow, and Camaran followed the pair to the Courier's Post.

Although it was yet early in the day, there were always a number of youths near the Courier's Post...youths with no home, for the most part, looking for a running task from the Courier Master that might earn them a breakfast. By way of camouflage Camaran set himself to telling the children a story which, combined with a little slight-of-hand to make a stone disappear from a hand and reappear behind an ear, allowed the actor to hide in plain sight while watching the interactions between Sayre and the Courier Master.

This brief observation made another thing clear to Camaran: Sayre's companion was a wary fellow, indeed. By the looks of his dress, the outlander was a trailmaster, and by the looks of his bulbous eyes this trailmaster was very uncomfortable.

The two investigators weren't at the Courier's Post long, but they were there long enough for Camaran to see that they were being watched by one of the older youths in the square.

When Sayre and the outlander left the square, apparently headed back to the Keep, this youth slithered off, eyeing the pair with a look of disgust and pride in his young eyes. What he did not notice was that Sayre's odd outlander companion had made note of the youth, much as Camaran had.

Camaran hurried his story along to the children, trying to keep an eye on both Sayre and the suspicious youth. The youth disappeared around a corner in short order, and Camaran headed to the Keep, hoping to arrive there to see Sayre and his companion arrive there such that Camaran might not appear to be following them.

Although he still didn't have a plan, and that bothered him.

The only thing that bothered him more than not having a plan was that a half of a hand later, as he neared Vallensun Keep, Camaran spotted Sayre and his companion in a carriage that rattled past and rolled down the broad avenue towards the city gates.

This sort of frustration would only be assuaged by a breakfast with Sabine...Camaran plodded on towards the keep.
#30
In Character Discussions / A Gift of Folly
Last post by Johan - March 12, 2016, 10:09:10 PM
Duthash Gyth Arkus (May 28) VY 237

One of Cameran's favorite people in Kurr was a beautiful honey-blonde brown-eyed Herald of Vallensun Keep. Cameran never considered Sabine a source of information, though every now and then a seemingly meaningless tidbit of information escaped from her that Cameran found interesting indeed.

Over a post-rendezvous breakfast just a few days before Qwydeon, just such an interesting tidbit made itself known: after a brief absence, a longtime member of Vallensun's court and personal friend of Sabine's – Sayer – had returned to Kurr the previous night and had brought with him a small contingent of comrades.

Sayer was one person in Kurr that Cameran avoided whenever possible. It was Camerans' belief that the odd, enigmatic, silken advisor to the Arch-Duke saw through people as an owl sees through the night, and Cameran fretted that his otherwise  formidable façade would not survive even the most casual encounters with the advisor. Sayer was altogether too shrewd, too intelligent for Cameran to be comfortable around.

But Sayer was also loyal to the Arch-Duke, and utterly trustworthy, according to Sabine, and Cameran had come to similarly trust Sabine and her loyalty to Corwynn Vallensun and his sister, the Duchess Nicola.

Despite Cameran's acquired aversion to Sayer, his coming just then was  fortuitous timing indeed. With a little finesse, Cameran thought he must be able to get Sayer to unravel Fitzsimmons'      black scheme.

Only how...