Fantasy [Closed] A nation in havoc

[Caffeine Freak]

Sam wasn't sure what to say, what combination of words could offer comfort to Nia, when he couldn't even find comfort himself.
So he didn't say anything. He just strode up to where Nia set down the bottles, grabbed the oldest looking one, and drained the contents. "Drowning my sorrows sounds like a perfectly good plan to me." He muttered bitterly, tossing the empty bottle aside. "Maybe after a few of these, it might even seem reasonable." He huffed, reaching for the next one.

@everyoneintheroomrn

 

[Uasal]

The Great Tinker: Clair O'Reilly

Clair had just recently returned to her manor in the city/town of Beachwood, when the volcano erupted. Just days before hand Clair had been perched near the top of that mountain, making a sketchy deal with a dwarven fellow. It was unbelievable, the sight she witnessed was that of pure destruction, the capital had surely fallen and there was little that could be done about that now. Luckily however, Beachwood was relatively safe. It's position was near that of a valley while also right beside the ocean, therefor should the lava reach Beachwood it would simply become caught in the valley and should any fire arise water was abundant.

Unfortunately though the smoke and ash was a problem, with the current weather conditions smoke would travel quickly to the village. However with the right measures taken the smoke would pose much less of threat. And so said measures were taken . And when they were, and only when Clair was sure that the people of Beachwood were safe, did she embark for the capital.

The trip was normally quite a pleasant one, however today it was horrid. Clair and an escort of two royal guards moved slowly through the wasteland, taking every precaution possible until the of course reached a vantage point.... what little vantage they could get in the poor conditions. No matter the visibility Clair and her party were shocked by the decimated city they seen. In less than a day the city had been completely reduced to rubble. No sign of life remained and the only reason Clair and her party were still left standing was due to a prototype filter mask Clair had been working on, and well prototypes never went well. In fact time was of the essence as the single mask the three were sharing was now starting to malfunction.

With the city inspected from a safe distance Clair had one final job to complete, she had to ensure the well being of the royal family. And so Clair and her party headed straight for the royal safety bunker. Upon reaching the bunker Clair found it to be locked and so she did what any normal person would do she knocked upon it and waited for an answer. And both her and her party wished for someone to do so before the device (and their bodies) completely gave out.

Everyone in the bunker

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Samuel paused mid-reach. A knock echoed through the cavern.

Suppressing a hiccup, Samuel broke the silence that followed. "Is... someone out there?" He murmured, trying not to stumble as he turned around. "Yeah, right." He mumbled after an extended pause. "I really am going insane down here."

[Dying to make this longer, hopefully I'll find something worth rambling about when we're all grouped up] @anyonern

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia glanced up at the door. "Someone get that." She said looking at the floor, at this point she was just waiting for nightfall. But she couldnt tell what time is is, because one- they are underground, and two- the ash has blotted out the sun.
Rhaine TheCountryWarrior Uasal

 

[Rhaine]

Ru shot to a standing position as a knock came at the door. Her face wore utter surprise, and a bit of fear. She took a small step closer to Dan, her eyes remaining fixed on the door. She had thought at first that it might have been her mind playing tricks on her, but Nia and Samuel acknowledged the sound as well.

Someone else had made it this long? Out there? She didn't know how exactly that was possible, considering the state of the capitol city. "Who could that be?" Her words were almost just a breath, as if she were talking to herself. She was rendered still, fear making its way through her, though she wasn't sure why. They had to harbor any survivors. She began to make her way to the door, though there was caution in her limbs.

TheCountryWarrior Duke of Doge Uasal Caffeine Freak

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Dan's gaze was shrouded by worry as he grabbed Ru's arm, pulled out his weapon, nodded to her and approached the door next her cautiously. If she was going to be the spokesperson for their little group, Dan wasn't going to let her go alone. Finding the mechanism to open the door, he opened it up to a girl and two guards. "Yes?" He asked with caution.
Duke of Doge Rhaine Uasal Caffeine Freak

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Samuel, already becoming delirious, incoherently strode over to the entrance, pushing past Dan. "Well, we can't just- *hic* leave our guests out there, now can we?" Was the sentence he managed to form, the slur evident in his voice. Without a second thought, he flung open the door - a molten whirlwind of ash cascading through the open doorway, which Sam just ignored. "Welcome! Weary travelers," He threw out his arms dramatically. "to our humble abode! Come, Drink with us!" As his motor skills quickly slipped from his control, Samuel's consciousness momentarily returned. "Yeah... I'm going to pass out. Please come in." He muttered, extending a hand toward the cavern before slumping down against the cave wall and blanking out. Again.

Duke of Doge Rhaine Uasal TheCountryWarrior

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia continued to sit, breathing slowly trying to calm down. "If they kill us I'm blaming Samuel." She said slowly getting up to her feet.

She was beginning to think about how desperate the survivors were going to be. Desperation and trust dont mix. People were going to become bandits. And this vault makes a good target...
Rhaine TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak Uasal

 

[Rhaine]

Ru's fear was lessened slightly when she felt a firm grasp on her arm. She returned Dan's nod gratefully as he approached the door by her side, weapon drawn. While she certainly felt more safe than she had before, there was no telling who would be on the other side or what state they'd be in for that matter. She knew terror, loss, desperation. She had seen it. She knew its look and the unspeakable things it could push someone to commit. Her anxious thoughts were pushed to the side a moment as Samuel brushed past them - a slur in his voice, an ungainly sway to his movement.

As the door opened in a thick flurry of ash, Ru immediately buried her nose and mouth in the crook of her elbow, doing what she could to shield herself from it. Never the less, there was a hitch in her breath, and she gave a few short, shuddering coughs. She made out the figures of a woman accompanied by two men.

Cassander watched on, tensed and ready to act if need be. He came to stand at his full height once Nia rose from her sitting position. He accepted her words in lightly, yet there was a troubled edge to his gaze as he watched the door open. He naturally took on a protective sensibility, staying close to the red-haired girl.

TheCountryWarrior Duke of Doge Caffeine Freak Uasal

 

[SirGrey]

Decarcy kept sat nearby the vault door, simply finishing off his pipe. He would keep playing with the gold on his hand. Looking to the door when the knock comes he says "Guess we have guests" in a low tone. Keeping a hold on his blackjack and bow, Decarcy keeps himself optimistic by thinking that if it were someone come to hide or exact vengeance on the royals who abandoned them, either way, hey will no doubt go after the queen and her mates first. Seeing the drunk go to door Decarcy mutters, "So I'm stuck with a princess full of woe, a loved struck crime bosses son and elf, If I'm honest that door can't open fast enough" to himself as drunk man opens the door revealing a wave of as that broke Decarcy out into a coughing fit of brilliant proportions. Perhaps smoking isn't such a good idea. Rising to his feet, the thief keeps his arms on his limited weaponry as he approaches the unconscious Samuel he says "Sorry about him my dear he hasn't dealt with recent events well, still, could you tell us who ye are first".
Duke of Doge Caffeine Freak Uasal TheCountryWarrior Rhaine

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

As Dan reached for the door, Samuel pushed him out of the way and flung it open with drunken abandon. "Sa-" was all the Dan could muster before ash flew into his mouth as Dan threw his hands up to block the wind, futile as that is. Coughing Dan tried to look at the newcomers, weapon at the ready. Disaster always spawn looters who are looking to grab what they can. Others had spoken, so Dan waited.
Duke of Doge SirGrey Caffeine Freak Rhaine Uasal

 

[Uasal]

The Great Tinker: Clair O'Reilly

Clair and her party were covered from head to toe in ash and their clothing was singed and burnt in numerous places, the group looked like walking dead however despite their appearance all three were able bodied, debatably more so than those within the bunker. None the less Clair needed to get inside quickly if she was to remain as able bodied as she was and so once she was certain she was welcome she entered the cavern, her guards in pursuit.

Once within Clair removed her ash stained mask and tossed it to the guard behind her with an annoyance filled sigh "It's a miracle the prototype managed to make it this far while still retaining minimal function. The real question is how the hell am I supposed to make repairs to it down here..... never mind I'll cross that bridge later, just don't damage it anymore than it already is."

With that said Clair closed the door and sealed it in one swift motion while simultaneously introducing herself "Thank you for opening this door for me and my party, we really would have been at a loss had you not. Anyway where are my manners, I'm Clair O'Reilly. Lady Clair O'Reilly, I rule over Beachwood in the name of the king..... Hmmm not ringing any bells ? Ah yes what's that thing people call me ? The Great Tinker ? Is that it ? I honestly don't have a clue, titles don't really suit me very well, I like to just be addressed as myself, you know ?"

As Clair rambled on one of the guards spoke up "Milady, you have begun to ramble again..."

Upon hearing the Guard's words Clair began to blush "ha sorry about that, it can happen sometimes. Anyway, I'm here to check that the royal family are safe, that's the whole reason I even renovated this old bunker. Please tell me this and then I shall join you for whatever"

TheCountryWarrior SirGrey Duke of Doge Rhaine Caffeine Freak

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia stepped forward "You wanted the royal family" she held out her arms, doing a half bow "here it is" she said sarcastically.
Rhaine TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak SirGrey
Uasal

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Samuel stirred from his sleep for a moment. "Royal family!" He fisted the air, eyes still closed. "Hell yeah!" before pretty much immediately slumping back over.

Rhaine TheCountryWarrior Duke of Doge SirGrey Uasal

 

[Rhaine]

Ru struggled with the ash until a few moments after the door was closed. Giving a few more regressing coughs into the crook of her elbow, she watched as the new woman removed the mask from her face and introduced herself. Ru had never seen or heard of the woman before, and her green gaze studied her closely. Against her will and her better judgement, the Thief's words from earlier came back with a force. Would there really be people sent to do away with the Princess now that Delania was left to ruin with nothing to protect it from the outside world? Ru knew the notion was ridiculous, especially considering how quickly the woman had arrived.

Still, there was a hint of apprehension in her posture that could have been easily missed. The fact that the woman was looking for the royal family only increased her consternation, and she was frightened at how easily Nia offered herself up. She looked to the others, Dan and Nia mainly, to see if any recognition crossed their features. Did either of them know or know of this woman? Was she truly who she said she was? She wanted to discuss her speculation, but even a quiet murmur to Dan at her side would be heard in echo of the cavern.

Uasal Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior SirGrey Caffeine Freak

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Dan quickly recovered from the ash with a few coughs, completely ignoring Samuel in his inebriated state, and thought hard about who this woman said she was. Claire? Clair... wait, didn't she invent clockwork appendages? Ohhh! Yeah, she was that hotshot that "impressed the King" so to speak. Supposed to be a genius. His recognized the name, but there was no way of telling if that's who she is. She did, however, come with two Royal Guards of Dalania, so that helped a good bit. Dan kept his weapon in a ready position, not letting these new arrivals out of his sight, doing his best to stay in between Ru and these potential threats.
Rhaine Duke of Doge Caffeine Freak Uasal

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

So cramped...
So... angry!
I am ready. I am ready. I am ready!

A spirit feels around, and senses... Dwarves. Crawling around in their mountain, safe and sheltered.
No longer.

The spirit feels the land in his grasp and shakes. The land shakes with him.

"Too small."

The spirit shakes harder, and feels the earth cracking with the weight of his grasp. Bit by bit the spirit shakes the planet, shaking and shaking. Then it feels something. Heat. Magma, deep within the earth and the mountain. The Red Mountain.

The spirit felt the Magma deep within the earth, and pushed upwards. Faster and faster and faster the Magma rose. The Lava didn't stop for the tunnels of Dwarves, mining away, oblivious to the popping and cracking of the stone around them, until the stone melted around their feet.

The Red Mountain exploded, showering the surrounding lands with choking, burning ash; burning stone, as liquid fire swept down the mountain.

The Mountain could hardly be called more than a ridged crater now.

The spirit felt someone enter the vault. "Rage, despair, love, fear."

He felt it. The blood of Davion has entered my tomb...

But I should rest and prepare. Soon I will be free!

Duke of Doge Rhaine Caffeine Freak Uasal SirGrey

 

[Duke of Doge]

(Going to move on 12 hours is usually the most I wait before moving on, unless informed before hand)
Nia nodded to herself "Right. Well, I'm going to prep for the long haul" she reached into her satchel, pulling out a notebook and pen. "Starting with everyone in this room. What does everyone have on them?" She asked them, preparing to take inventory.
Rhaine TheCountryWarrior SirGrey Caffeine Freak Uasal

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

This caused Dan to look away from the suspicious newcomers and tilt his head quizzically. "Umm. The clothes on my back and this." He held up his weapon. He, still quite confused, looked back to the newcomers.

Rhaine Duke of Doge Caffeine Freak SirGrey Uasal

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Samuel rubbed at his eyes. "Everything I own is in this satchel." He said wearily, stroking at the smooth leather of the bag across his shoulder. A nod toward Dan. "Oh yeah. I own these clothes too, I guess." Sam tried to get to his feet. "I'll... I'll carry the drinks." He muttered, stumbling towards the alcohol.

Rhaine Duke of Doge Caffeine Freak SirGrey Uasal

 

[Rhaine]

Nia caught Ru's attention with her question, and after Dan and Samuel had spoken, she began to relate the possessions she carried. "I have my satchel, a dagger, five rolls of bandage, several clean cloths...and, I'm sorry - quite an extensive amount of bottles of medicine and herbs. Do you need me to name all of them?" She was slightly uncomfortable about providing everything she carried in front of the newcomers.


Cassander felt a shift. A pull. It wasn't physical - not a voice or a blow, but it was strong all the same. His head pounded, and a painful shiver ran through him. He held his head in his hands, fingers threading through his dark, curly strands of hair. He exhaled in a shudder. He didn't voice the sudden spike of distress, though it was more potent than anything he had experienced before. It was its familiarity that kept him silent. It possessed much of the same nature that his night terrors did, and he had conditioned himself to repress such things. The feeling began to fade in intensity, though it was still there like a constant weight over his chest. He shook his head, only now taking in Nia's words.

"Nothing," He said, and it was slightly pained in cadence. "I have nothing."

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior Uasal Caffeine Freak SirGrey

 

[Uasal]

The Great Tinker: Clair O'Reilly

Clair was relived to see the princess and the warded price alive and well however Nia's response left Clair with very little hope for the King's well being. With a soft sigh Clair wiped the sweat from her brow and moved from the hallway and into the main entry room, her guards following behind her like loyal dogs.

Once within the room Clair moved quickly to take a seat and upon doing so took a glace around the room. With this glance Clair inspected everyone and everything in her surrounding, mainly the gas piping that illuminated the room. "The gas won't last all that long Nia, I'd say we have three day's max illumination. And that's taking into consideration the fact that at some stage the control cylinders will need to be swapped out. If that's not done this whole bunker will light up in flames..... I'll take charge of maintaining the current functions, does anyone have anything to say against this ?"

With this said Clair returned to focus on the princess' words and answered honestly upon getting a chance to do so "I myself carry with me a faulty prototype, the clothes I have upon me and a satchel of tools. My two guards carry with them royal order out fittings and some water to ration"

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Samuel piped up from where he was stuffing bottles of alcohol into his satchel, his ears, and quite possibly his ego, prickling up at the newcomers claim about the gas system. "Four days." He muttered, lobbing in another bottle, he satchel began to bulge awkwardly. "Taking into account the increased pressure from the overhead sedimentary disturbance, perhaps reducing incomplete combustion by roughly forty per-cent, which would extend the system's efficient life by at least twenty four hours." After considerable effort, he held up the bottle that refused to fit into his satchel. "But that's just my two coppers. Can't say I mind someone taking over."

Uasal Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior Rhaine SirGrey

 

[Duke of Doge]

"Ok..." Nia said writing down the items. "Ru, I would like a complete list. I am taking inventory. Also we are not reliant on gas for light, all the wood outside is charcoal. We can make torches"
@Everyone,imtoolazytotag

 

[Rhaine]

Ru nodded with a quick, "Yes, your Grace." She opened the large satchel at her hip to begin naming off its contents, earlier hesitation and anxiety almost completely forgotten once her attention turned to a purpose. "For hygiene and general cleanliness," She began, "I have oils. Peppermint, lavender, lemongrass, sage, myrrh, neem, burdock, fennel, and basil. I have a concoction of oregano and ginger to help with my shortness of breath. For fever I have yarrow and elderberry flowers. For burns I have aloe, chamomile, witch hazel, and St. John's Wort. For wounds, cuts, and abrasions I have balms - comfrey, calendula, rose, and thyme. These are all contained in very small bottles, Princess, just this size." She held up a small, round bottle between her thumb and index finger before returning it to her bag. "Save for the balms, which are held in larger containers." She held up a round, dish shaped container.

"Oh! I have rosemary as well. I think that's everything."

Weariness dragged against Cassander's limbs. "Is it coming close to nightfall yet?" It would have been an understatement to say that the day had taken a toll on him. His words were strained, as if they had been hard to grip. He doubted they would be able to tell the time of day even if they could see the sky.

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak SirGrey Uasal