Fantasy Farunthian Chronicles

[Aqua Taurus]

Adelon Island slowly disappeared in the morning fog as the ferry left its shore, the long boat smoothly making its way through the narrow expense of water separating the independent small country from the far more vast lands belonging to the Empire of Farunthel. Nothing was left for the young adult leaving the Adelonian Orphanage, their previous home, as the hospitality of the small island only extended to children and the few remaining member of the Cult of Malon. As such, the only way forward was to reach Imperial soil and attempt to ascend to more than an unwanted burden or worst, a pest to be exterminated by the more worthy subjects of the far reaching Empire.


Each new adult was bundled in cheap and worn layers of frayed cloth, but a few coins to their name and with only rope sandals on their aching feet, the frosty early morning chill of the sea taking hold of their very bones as they huddled together on the rotting benches used as seats for the old ferryboat. The shrouded ferryman was silent during the journey, and an eerie hush fell over the forlorn expatriate, only the occasional wail or sniffle breaking the quiet. The sun was slowly rising over the horizon ever since they left, dawn tirelessly and carefully removing the deep mists from their line of sight until nothing was left but the now imposing sight of the port city of Glavide, where the young contingent of homeless youths would have their first taste of what the Farunthian Empire had to offer.


It seemed like age but was in fact merely an hour before they reached land, the ferryman brusquely shooing them away and leaving as quietly as he arrived. They were not left on their own for long, however, for a stately woman in neat and well kept garb approached them, a roll of parchment in one hand an a quill in another. Her sharp eyes making quick work of assessing them all, she nodded stiffly, a quiet sigh escaping her lips.


“I see new subjects of the Empire have once again reached us from Adelon. Very well, you may as well make yourself useful. I am in charge of registering each of you as new citizens of Glavide, but before I can do so I must have reason to believe you will be more worthy of this city than the common sewer rat. As such, I ask that each of you make their way to the Novice Guild and each entrance into their ranks. I am a busy woman, and as such can only point the way. The people there will be more able to answer any of the many questions you no doubt have.” Reaching into her cloak, the woman extracted a few pieces of parchment, giving one to each shivering youth.


“Do not tarry, and give this to whoever greet you there. One side is a basic map, the other is the proof that you indeed met me. Now, get out of my sight!” Turning away from her audience, the mysterious woman soon disappeared into the morning crowd.


The small group seemed to be in a harbor of sort, stalls and shady buildings crowding the slippery docks as the sound of the city awakening reached the shore from further in land. Looking at the parchment received, the Novice Guild seemed to be in the harbour itself, but a few minutes' walk east of their current position. The crowd was quickly becoming thick enough to get lost in, however, and some maneuverings would no doubt be needed.

 

[Girouette]

Today was the day, the day a life of safety and comfort was to be traded for something much less welcome. Hardship and trials were all that would most likely mark the destruction and downfall of many previously cared for orphans livelihood.


There was one such orphan, who was very disappointed to be leaving the island that had raised and nurtured him, and was currently expressing his dismay to some of the other passengers of the departure ferry.


"And they just throw us out here! With nothing but a pair of clothes and some coins..."


Truthfully, Albinus should be gracious about the last 20 so years of care and compassion given by the Adelonian Orphanage, sadly he was feeling very...Cast out, and not the joy he should be feeling.

In truth, he wasn't that put off, for this day marked not only removal of comfort, but the beginning of a conquest.

Today was the day Albinus Marko began his journey to become the greatest guild ruler ever known, a new age of history in the making, or so he would like to think. Of the many newly abandoned youth, most all had dreams of Grandeur.


Regardless, today was the day his life began.


Moving forward a bit as I'm sure you don't want to be bothered by what's already been said above, he was standing in a large crowd holding a map, given to him by a very rude sounding woman.


Then again, the lady had been nice enough to greet them and usher them toward the Novice Guild, which was the first step toward total conquest, but on the other hand, he had no clue what to do from this point on. He was more than a bit frightened by the prospect of being off on his own, and as such the first order of business would be to find some acquaintances he had gathered in the past few years.