Fantasy Kamirotha: End of an Age

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Kamirotha: End of an Age

History is written by the victor.

Were it but only irony that we vanquished evil with madness. Instead, it comes back to haunt us, starting from the minute Kamirotha was founded- its foundation built on the bones of those it destroyed. Eldar Valen Thorn

SYNOPSIS


In this RP you will be playing a group of adventurers who end up in the heart of a nation fighting to form its identity. When the nation of Kamirotha was formed, each race signed a treaty known as The Unity Concordant, that was a compromise in order to end the ongoing invasion by the human King Shamseya. The dwarves, knowing the value of labor, asked the humans to outlaw slavery. The humans, with their short life spans and fear of death, asked the elves to quit studying necromancy. The elves, who feared the power of blood magic after they witnessed its power during the war, asked the dwarves to abolish its practice.


The event that followed The Unity Concordant came to be known as The Slaughter, and is a dark stain on the new nation. In response to The Unity Concordant, each race went to abolish the practices laid out in the document. But those parties listed fought back. Slavers, necromancers, and the dwarven mages (already extremely rare, and scared that without blood magic they would hold no power in the arcane circles.) formed a resistance movement. Instead of taking them prisoner however, the newly formed Imperial Army destroyed each member of the resistance and sought to burn even their existence from the history books. It was a brutal response, but effective- and nearly succeeded in wiping these practices out.


But something still lurks in the shadows.

THE INCURSION


The races came together to form Kamirotha less than a decade ago, but the war that bonded them together started a decade before that. Small racial skirmishes were common as the societies grew and began bumping into one another. This changed however, when the human King Shamseya took the throne. Shamseya was a violent man, and took the throne by force during a civil war.


He sought to expand Humanities borders, and began a rapid militarization of human life. Within a few years, the humans had the largest army in Arkon, and Shamseya began to invade the elven lands of Grove.


His methods were brutal, and under his command the Incursion burned many villages to the ground. Within a decade, the Incursion had sliced a path through Grove and began to invade Dro'fyr, the dwarven lands.


In order to fund the Incursion, Shamseya had taxed the humans to near ruin. Finally, they became fed up, and many human nobles began to meet with elven and dwarven leadership in secret. The three races bonded together and created the Council, a 6 member governing body that was comprised of two members of each race.


The Council formed a rebellion against Shamseya, and the Unity War began. It took almost another decade to completely route the Incursion, but when the Council's forces reclaimed Axefell, the capitol city of the humans and seat of Shamseya's throne, they dealt the killing blow to their enemies. Shamseya was publicly executed, and The Council rose up to unite the races under one banner with the signing of The Unity Concordant.

• The World
• Races
• History & Timeline
• Magic
• Weapons
• Arc-tech
• Dwarven Research
• Common Knowledge
• Religion
• Cities
• Guilds
• Player Choice & Encounters

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  Nothing tops dwarven ingenuity; Our enterprises will do more than armies ever could! I ask you what is better to overtake another nation...an army, or a reliance on dwarven goods? Lord Deepstone

  
  
  Kamirotha has existed for less than a decade. Before the new nation was formed, the races had lived in fear of each-other. While they kept their own borders, it became harder as each society developed to avoid the others. War was inevitable.
  
  
  The Dwarves were primarily to the East in the lands of Dro'fyr, in their mountain strongholds and strange surface outposts. They endured the hottest and harshest desert climate.
  
  
  The Elves were born into the middle of the continent Arkon, in an area known as Grove, it has a mild climate that suited their outside lifestyles.
  
  
  The Humans were on the western coast of Arkon, the land called Iceburrow, in cold temperatures that made them fight for survival.
  
  
  The world has a vertical equator, meaning the the temperature gets colder the further west from the Eastern coast. The new nation of Kamirotha, comprised of all 3 races, takes up the entire continent of Arkon. Ships have not sailed far enough to find other continents as large as Arkon, but other islands have been found.
  
  
  
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  Click on spoilers below to see race descriptions
  
  
  Council Races
  
  Spoiler

  

  
  

  We are not without faults, and have a lot to make up for...but by the gods we are trying as best we can. Councillor Halyard

  
  
  Born in the old nation Iceburrow, Humans are resilient and hardy. They specialized in combat and livestock for survival. Human mercenaries were very popular during elven and dwarf conflicts. They have an average number of children born with magic affinity.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  

  We are blessed with the longest lifespans, the most knowledge...and the burden to be the world's protectors from the folly of mortal endeavors. Teacher Ashal

  
  
  From the mild lands of Grove were born the elves. Taller than the average human and with twice as long a lifespan, Elves have focused most of their culture on art and science. They have the highest quantity of those born with affinity to magic, and have a generally positive worldview. The upper echelons of their society is riddled with treachery, however.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  

  Ha! A dwarf may not match an elf in years, but I bet he could match 'em in drinks! Grand Desert Company President Lord Fullforge

  
  
  From the Eastern seas to the Mountains that border Grove, Dwarves control a vast trade empire. The Grand Desert Company, the largest trade organization in Kamirotha, have goods all the way to western human cities. They are a short and stout people, who seek riches at any cost. Despite their greed, they do work very hard, and produce some of the finest craftsman in the world. The majority of their cities are mountain enclaves under miles of stone. They have the lowest amount of those born with magic affinity.
  
  
  These bearded and short creatures aren't very literate, despite their skill at mathematics and science. Reading and writing are things only a few of them take time to study; however, with their love for mining and crafting they balance it out, forging various tools and equipment, as well as every day objects to help them out. Thanks to them, Arc-tech and Dark Matter machines are growing more advanced.
  
  
  Minor (Non-Council) Races
  
  Coming soon in The Coming Storm expansion.
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  Time in Arkon is separated by 100 year periods called Ages. Each age prior to the Unity Concordant was named by the Eldar of the elves, but that responsibility has since been given to the Council, who adopted this unit of time as the official calender system of Kamirotha. Since most history books already came from the Elves, this was not unfamiliar to anyone.
  
  
  Years within ages are denoted in texts and in speech as #:Age. So the 85th year in the Unity Age would be 85:Unity. In speech you will hear either "85 Unity." or "The 85th year of Unity"
  
  
  
  
  
  The newly formed Elven government instituted the time system of "Ages", and established the first Elven university, The Grove Academy (located in their capital city of Haven), in 50:Silent. Contact with the other races had been isolated and rare.
  
  
  
  
  
  Continued growth led to deeper understanding of magic and science, mostly centered around the Elven culture and universities. Almost all literature from this time is produced from The Grove Academy, and the spread of these books throughout Arkon provide the first real glimpses at a foreign nation's lifestyle.
  
  
  There is little warfare between races at this time as most focus was on learning as much about them as possible.
  
  
  In 25:Expansion, Humans opened their first university, modeled after the elves, The Iceburrow Academy.
  
  
  
  
  
  Named after the increased contact with the other races, trade and expansion began to increase dramatically during this time. This also marked the rise in racial tensions.
  
  
  In 13:Contact, The Grand Desert Company was formed. It would become the largest economic and political force for the dwarves.
  
  
  In 60:Contact the humans had a brief naval war with the dwarves over the Western Sea, which was resolved with an agreement that dwarven ships could fish in human waters as long as the humans didn't have to pay taxes when docking at dwarven ports in Dro'fyr.
  
  
  
  
  
  Got its name from the human civil war that ended in Shamseya taking the throne by force in 99:Contact. This troubled the Elven Eldar, and he saw warfare on the horizon. He was right, and by 9:Blood Shamseya's Incursion force had razed many Elven towns, reaching the Dwarves by 12:Blood.
  
  
  In 15:Blood, a group of human nobles fed up with the tryanny of Shamseya met with representatives from the Elves and Dwarves. It was agreed upon in these meetings that the races could no longer be divided. The Council was officially formed in 16:Blood, with the creation of the Imperial Army.
  
  
  After almost a decade of long warfare, the last of Shamseya's loyalists were defeated in 26:Blood. Shamseya was publicly executed the same year.
  
  
  In 27:Blood, The Council agreed upon and signed the Unity Concordant. This began The Slaughter.
  
  
  In 30:Blood, the last remnants of the practices outlined in the Unity Concordant were believed to be destroyed, and Kamirotha went about building its new nation. Projects on roads and embassies for each race in every city began. Universities also began accepting students of any race. In order to celebrate the newly formed government the rest of the age came to be known as the Unity Age
  
  
  30:Blood becomes 30:Unity - the public still uses them interchangeably because for most, the bloodshed never really stopped.
  
  
  37:Unity -(Present)-
  
  
  
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  Magic was used to do awful things during the Unity War, and we must remember that warfare is not the trade of mages, lest we become consumed by the power we control. Iceburrow First Mage Saven

  
  
  Magic in Kamirotha is not uncommon, but is rare outside of the Universities. (The Iceburrow Academy in Axefell and The Grove Academy in Haven.) There are many types of spells, and most born with an affinity to magic are also born with an affinity towards a particular element.
  
  
  Magic comes from a persons connection with the Aether, the spirit world. Why some people are more connected than others, and why they are connected to a particular element, is a mystery that has yet to be solved.
  
  
  Technology is growing by leaps and bounds in conjunction with magic. Technology made with a fusion of magic and engineering is referred to as Arc-tech. (The word being a fusion of Arcane and Technology).
  
  
  Magic does NOT require a catalyst such as a staff, wand, or orb to cast- but certain Arc-tech equipment can enhance power and diminish personal exhaustion. These do normally take the form of a staff, orb, or wand.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Those born with an affinity to fire magic have control over one of the most powerful forces in nature. Fireballs, weapon enchantments, and elemental manipulation are the primary aspects of Fire magic. Powerful Fire mages can even harness the power of Lightning, super heating the air without creating a flame.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Frost magic controls both ice and water, with the ability to turn freeze/melt as well. Ice bolts, elemental manipulation, weapon enchantments, and physical transmutation are primary aspects of Frost magic. Powerful frost mages can cause massive areas of damage and create very potent enchantments.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Earth magic revolves around all life, and focuses on one's connection to nature. Most of this magic focuses on elemental manipulation, although it is the only affinity that is able to heal others using magic. Their affinity for life also grants them magic that enhances their senses, and summon wildlife. Powerful earth mages can shapeshift their own bodies into powerful animals or nature spirits.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Every mage has access to raw magic. It comes directly from the Aether, and because of that can be dangerous to use. Powers stemming from this are sometimes referred to as Dark Magic. It normally materializes as a dark purple energy, and emits small purple sparks chaotically. It can be used to read minds, move objects, and a few other things. Those few powerful enough to harness true Raw Magic can use the energy of the Aether to devastating effect, shifting the very rules of spacetime.
  
  
  A rare few are born win an affinity to Raw Magic instead of an elemental alignment. Those who do are referred to as "Myopes", and can harness the power of the Aether with much less risk than other mages.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Blood magic uses life force to make up for a casters affinity or natural ability with magic. What makes Blood mages so dangerous is that they can cast from any school, provided with enough blood. It is outlawed from the Unity Concordant, and punishable by death.
  
  
  
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  You'll never see a man more honest than when he has a sword in his hand and a purpose to his step. Battlemaster Roland

  
  
  Combat can take years to master, and great skill is required to face the many dangers of Kamirotha. Melee/bow combat makes up the majority of skirmishes in Kamirotha, magic is very seldom seen outside the universities except in rare instances. Some young mages will leave and go rogue to work as mercenaries, but the universities try their best to entice mages to stay. Different races specialize in different fighting styles and weapons, so if your character is from one race, but is a master at a weapon that originates from another- you'll need to explain that. Your character more than likely studied in that area to become so skilled with a foreign weapon.
  
  
  
  
  
  Short Sword, Long Sword, Hand and a Half (bastard) sword, shield use, bow and arrow, halberd, spear, polearms.
  
  
  
  
  
  Katana, rapier, bo-staff, kunai/throwing knives, dual sword stances, shotel, scimitar, bow and arrow.
  
  
  
  
  
  One handed hammer, 2 handed war hammer, crossbows, axes, 2 handed axes, gladius, shields, claymore swords.
  
  
  
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  Arc-tech is still in its earliest stages of development, and is largely considered dangerous and unstable. An effort between dwarven craftsmen and mages, it uses a rare black crystal called dark matter to power devices able to do things otherwise impossible, even to mages.
  
  
  Arc-tech can mimic a mages power for non-mages, diminish a mages effort in casting, amplify a mages power, or even serve a basic function like heat or light.
  
  
  Dark matter is tied directly from the Aether, and is mined primarily by the dwarves, who only recently discovered it. It is extremely rare and expensive. Why dark matter is tied so much to the Aether still isn't understood, and a few accidents involving the sudden explosion of Arc-tech (sometimes leveling entire city blocks) has led some to question the safety of its research.
  
  
  
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  Dark Matter and arc-tech have never been more useful than patrolling the harsh desert of Dro'fyr. Previously limited to riding around on tamed wildlife from the desert, Sand Gliders and other various forms of magically powered transport are growing in popularity. Rare outside of Dro'fyr, these vehicles are changing dwarven society- increasing topside colonies and the trade power of the Grand Desert Company.
  
  
  Rumors of airships are circulating too....could it be soon those in Kamirotha could take to the skies? The Grand Desert Company says...soon, fellow Kamirothans...soon!
  
  
  
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  Head of the The Grand Desert Company and Lord of Stoneport. He is not one to run his company from behind his desk. Lord Deepstone can normally be found right on the frontier with his men, sailing his ships and catching his own game. His many sons normally handle more specific roles back at Stoneport. He is a dangerous man, and not one to cross.
  
  
  
  
  
  The Council Chamber is in Haven, the capitol city of Kamirotha. They meet every day and work by majority vote.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The oldest and most respected member of the council, Thorn was originally the Eldar of the elven people, and had been for 2 ages before he took a seat on the council. His voice often sways the council, and he has an imposing presence. He is ancient, and his voice is deep and strong. Rumors say that no blade can kill him, and that he is truly invincible. He is a good friend of Ser Alaric Wulf. Thorn is cynical by human standards, and by elf standards considered depressed beyond help. He is prone to long monologues and allegory, largely speaking in riddle that few can understand.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Also the head of The Grove Academy, Aowyn Sunspire comes from a long line of powerful mages in the Sunspire bloodline. Her father, Aldus Sunspire, is largely considered the most powerful mage that ever lived. He was assassinated shortly before the Unity War began. Despite the painful loss of her father, Aowyn is relatively young for her sucess, and is behaves the same. She is optimistic and quick to hope for the best.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  A human businessman who almost single handedly funded the human portion of the Unity Army, Solomon is a genius. He is the only human to ever graduate from the dwarven school (whose name is not even to be mentioned outside of the Deep Halls) and is helping pioneer Dark Matter Arc-tech. He can be overly pragmatic at times, maybe even downright cold...but he is never without logic.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Tykin grew up being trained at the Iceburrow Academy, and has since become its headmaster. He is aloof for an older man and rather flippant for his position, often joking out of turn. At times, he can also be blunt to the point of rudeness. Often seen as a fool, behind his aged exterior is the most powerful frost mage in all of Arkon.
  
  
  
  
  Ragnar was Lord of the Deep Hall long before the Unity War, and the Aeducan family has sat on the throne of Dro'fyr for centuries. He is a warrior king at heart, he fought on the front lines during the conflict, earning respect from every race for his valor. The 2nd most respected member of the council besides Thorn, Aeducan is proud of his people (sometimes to a fault) and rash. He has been known on more than one occasion to throw things (or people) when votes do not go his way.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The most unpleasant of the Council, Hiram truly doesn't even wish to have a seat in the government. Many thinks this makes him a better leader, though he would disagree.
  
  
  Rumor has it that the Deepstone family, forbidden on joining the council do to their vast trade empire and questionable ethics, have forced Hiram in as their proxy, and control every aspect of his life. Whether this is true or not has yet to be seen, but if his mood is any indicator, maybe someone is pulling on his beard.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  King Shamseya was the last human king, usurping the throne from the Pendragon family and ordering the execution of every member of its house. He led the Incursion against the other races out of obsession with human expansion. He was defeated and executed at the end of the Unity War.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The Incursion left a lot of Shamseya's human soldiers without work and declared criminals. Unable to return to human cities, many have become bandits. While most populate the woods and hills between Iceburrow and Grove (a dangerous place, indeed) their are less of the human bandits the further east you go.
  
  
  In Grove, there are wild elven tribes who refuse to adapt to the customs of modern elves, which they believe taint their natural connection to Arkon and its animals.
  
  
  In Dro'fyr, if the giant sized scaled dragons and monsters don't eat you, the roaming bands of Grand Desert Company pirates and rival "merchant" guilds (Organized crime syndicates) will eagerly relieve you of the gear on your back.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ysolden Varren is Lord of Axefell and its surrounding towns. He is a distant cousin to Tykin Morrow, and an Ice mage as well. He has a love of swordplay, and so rarely uses his frost magic.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Alistair is lord of the Port of Spring, and as such keeps its docks in line. He also checks all imports that come through his port.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Stryfe is lord of Seawind port, and as a retired pirate, he knows well how to patrol its waters.
  
  
  
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  Alas, the rock is not eternal; for the wind and the rain will lovingly graze its surface until it is but pebbles. These pebbles will be swallowed by the land, and one day rise up again as boulders and mountains. Such is all life, too short even for us to be taken for granted. Do not let your joyful being fall to ruin, for you will rise again. First Eldar Goju

  
  
  
  
  
  Uneron is a God whose tale originated with men, and they believe him to be the one god. Unerism is a monotheistic religion that has much to do with guilt/repentance. Their book, the Canticle of Uneron, is old as mankind itself, and invites all races under the mercy of their maker. The book was revealed to the Prophet Artimis before the modern recorded age system. Artimis was betrayed by his closest friend, Calthas, whom had grown jealous of his followers and thought him to be a false prophet. Calthas tied Artimis to a tree in the woods and let him die of exposure as a test, he believed if the man was truly a messenger of Uneron he could free himself.
  
  
  The Canticle of the Followers says that Carthas was struck by lightning not long after, killing him before the weeks end.
  
  
  It is a dual end religion, with a heaven (believed to be the Aether itself) and hell (referred to as the Void), and has a final chapter regarding the end of the world. This book is called 1st Canticle of the Maw, and details that the world will be consumed by its unforgivable sins, which have been feeding the life in the Void; whom will one day rise up and vanquish all life. Unerism acknowledges magic as a gift from Uneron, a fragment of his power gifted to his creation.
  
  
  Dwarves make up the majority of converts, with missions and temples in many Dro'fyr locations. Elves have proven reluctant to accept the probability of one God.
  
  
  It is a peaceful religion, which stresses personal duty and respect for ones neighbors. Shamseya was a non-believer, and had many copies of the Canticle of Uneron burned during his time as King. The religion is only know recovering. It is the most popular religion in Iceburrow, and their largest temple is seated in Axefell. Their church symbol is a circle with two parallel lines in it, a holy symbol to them that illustrates the duality of man and the seperation of Aether and Void.
  
  
  
  
  
  Elves are a thoughtful and philosophical people, who spend most of their long lives furthering Arkon's understanding of the universe. Modern elves, disdainfully referred to by their wild brethren as "city elves", are hesitant to subscribe to one school of thought regarding god when there is still so much they do not understand about the universe.
  
  
  As such, they often follow The Autumn of Life the way other cultures follow their religion, although no divine worship is involved.
  
  
  
  
  
  The Autumn of Life is a book written by First Eldar Goju, just before the Silent Age. Goju was on his death bed, having lived almost 2,000 years (and largely considered to be one of the only living elves to have witnessed the beginnings of elven society) Goju wrote a philosophical book regarding the nature of mortality and sentient beings relation to the earth around them.
  
  
  Goju was an earth mage, and as such much of his book speaks about the connection of ecosystems and the worlds beyond (the Void and Aether). While acknowledging that magic comes from the Aether, and that natural constants state there must be an opposite (the Void), Goju believed them to be worlds next to ours in the large tapestry of reality rather than spiritual ends.
  
  
  Many temples are dedicated to his teachings, elven monks seeking to become one with the world around them. It focuses on pacifism, though city elves rarely adhere to its pacifist teachings, instead leaning on its musings of the nature of the universe and their place in the ecosystem during life and death.
  
  
  
  
  
  Wild elves, those who have chosen to avoid modern elven society and live in small tribes that dot Grove's forests, worship ancient animal gods. These gods are more than likely the original gods of the elven people, though it is hard to tell since there was little recorded history before the Silent Age and the rise of communal ideas among the elves.
  
  
  These animal gods resemble apex-predators, such as bears or lions, and have their own unique personalities. Each god has its own jurisdiction, such as the Lion over leadership and decision making, the Falcon over warfare, and the Bear over survival and hardship.
  
  
  The gods are simply referred to as The Bear or The Dragon. They have no names, as the elves believe to name them would be a dishonor to their immortal place within the circle of life.
  
  
  
  
  
  Dwarven religion is a complex and political institution that causes much conflict within their society. Their beliefs started sometime before the Silent Age, and it is referred to as The Progeny. Progenists, as its followers are called, believe that dwarves are the descendants of Dragons. Dragons used to populate Dro'fyr in great numbers before the Silent age, but mysteriously dwindled to the point of near extinction. Few dragons remain in Arkon, and they are an extremely rare sight.
  
  
  Progenist legend claims that the ancient dragons were being hunted by a mysterious enemy, referred to in their texts only as The After. The After, whatever it was, nearly caused the dragons to go extinct, so in order to survive, the dragons called upon their deep and powerful magics to transform themselves. In order to become as different from dragons as possible, they became the dwarves; short, with little magic, and buried themselves in the mountains to hide.
  
  
  Whether or not this origin story is true, all dwarves do hold reverence to the magic elements due to the fact that dragons, like all creation, were born with an affinity to a certain element. The Progeny would remain a very firm belief until converts from the church of Uneron arrived on their borders.
  
  
  The Progeny faith puts no stress on salvation, saying that all will be reborn within the womb of the dragon one day. Instead they devote their lives to studying mathematics and engineering, with large temples called Mind Homes. Mind Homes are essentially dwarven schools, though only one outsider has ever been allowed to attend one (Councillor Solomon Tyr).
  
  
  They do have a great respect for stone and craftsmanship, and as such their burial rites are complex and feature elaborate coffins and mausoleums. Their coffins are often made to appear as dragon eggs.
  
  
  
  
  
  Dragons are rare and powerful creature who are immensely intelligent and equipped with powerful magic. Some even believe them to be gods, and as such build temples in their honor. The majority of Dragon Cultists are mages drawn to the immense magical power of their so called gods.
  
  
  More often than not these are actually frequented by a particular dragon, and the belief of the cults will change depending on what the dragon tells them (there are benevolent dragons, and truly evil dragons).
  
  
  Dragons enjoy the attention, and do believe themselves to be divine beings. They are the oldest creation in all of Arkon, and know many a secret about the true genesis of creation.
  
  
  
  
  
  Void Watchers are rare, and many died with the necromantic and blood schools of magic. They believe that there is equal magical power in the Void as there is in the Aether, and that it is the destiny of the Void to show itself as the more powerful spiritual realm.
  
  
  The Void often is described as chaos, while the Aether is described as creation. Natural magic comes from the Aether, and whatever beings may live there. Void magic, on the other hand, directly relies on summoning the powerful and evil beings that live within its vast emptiness.
  
  
  
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  On an average day, I have to deal with our human pride, elven self-righteousness, and dwarven drunkenness...but its better than a sword in the back, I suppose. Haven City Guardsman

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Capitol city of the humans and seat of their power. It is slightly elevated from the base of the Crippled Mountain, and is a bustling city. Heavily damaged during the final battle of the Incursion, rebuilding efforts are vast and complex. The financial ruin caused by Shamseya's taxes have left many destitute, though the Lord of Axefell is trying his hardest to fix this, employing many for the reconstruction of the city's damaged areas.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Nestled deep in an icy valley, The Iceburrow Academy has its own port, though it has many frost mages on duty at all time. Should a ship approach, they must use their magic to part the ice for the ship to pass. Thi also makes it incredibly defensible by sea.
  
  
  Classes are structured identically to its elven counterpart, with grades of magi determined by skill level via annual testing. The path is; Apprentice, Conjurer, Wizard, Warlock, Mage, Paragon.
  
  
  Few have ever achieved the rank of Paragon (Councillor Morrow being the Iceburrow Paragon of Frost). There is only one Paragon per element, and they make up the governing body of the school, one of them becoming headmaster elected from the rest of the Paragons.
  
  
  The Grove Paragons are a separate body.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  One of the most mild climates in Iceburrow, and the largest human port as well. Its culture has become heavily influenced by elves and dwarves, creating an odd blend of architecture and dress. It is a successful economic city, and is a popular destination for vacations.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Capitol city of the elves and Kamirotha. She is the largest city in Arkon and the most diverse as well. With the council chambers present here, many races came hoping this to be the center of a new and peacefull co-existence with the other races.
  
  
  So far it has worked exceptionally well, and remains a bustling and peaceful metropolis. There are problems with the thieves guild that resides within its walls, but violent crime is a rare occurrence.
  
  
  The Grove Academy is also here, its large spires dominating the skyline.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Much like its sister port across the Wounded Gulf, Seawind port is a bustling hub of imports and exports with its own unique blend of the three cultures. A popular stop for pirates, Lord Silver has done his best to quell their influence, but their business accounts for quite a bit of trade, so he keeps the peace while mostly turning a blind eye. After all, he used to be a pirate himself.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  One of the most dangerous places in Kamirotha, Stoneport is overrun with organized crime and greedy interests. Most of this is fueld by Lord Deepstone himself. Despite its rough streets, it is a hub of manufacturing and trade- the seat of the Grand Desert Company's immense trade empire.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Capitol City of the dwarves and home to what is actually the size of an underground continent. Outsiders are rarely allowed in, and therefore no one has mapped its complex underground network.
  
  
  Outside its gates is also a large city, where some dwarves and foreigners live and conduct research or trade.
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Guilds in Kamirotha are powerful sources of political power and employment for those who are skilled in trades or combat. They reduce the cost of keeping an army by privatizing its forces, and allow anyone to purchase contracts with them should the guild accept.
  
  
  Promotion within a guild varies from guild to guild, but the higher you rise within its ranks, the more money is to be made. To join a guild, you must enter the guild's Guild Hall within the city and undertake a "Prospect contract". Satisfactory completion of this contract will grant you a place among their lower ranks.
  
  
  There are district offices of guilds as well, though they do not offer the full service of the Guild Halls.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The Remnants guild has its Guild Hall in Axefell, which doubles as the arena. Focused on physical strength and combat prowess, the Remnants guild often undertakes contracts of defense.
  
  
  Mostly made up of veterans of the Unity War, the Remnants are the largest human guild. Fights in the arena are not to the death, as an earth mage is on standby at all times to heal whichever party becomes too wounded to continue fighting.
  
  
  Guild Hall: Axefell
  
  
  District Offices: Seawind, Iceburrow Academy, Stoneport, The Deep Halls.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The Quiver is a guild that specializes in hunting and tracking. Often used as escorts for merchants, and sometimes expeditions, they are an adept group of people.
  
  
  Guild Hall: Haven
  
  
  District Offices: Seawind, The Deep Halls
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Run by the infamous Lord Deepstone, the Grand Desert Company has a monopoly on almost all dwarven goods. They also fund some of the many politicians and shopkeeps in other cities to prefer their needs over others as well.
  
  
  That being said, they hold the largest expeditions into uncharted territories and help produce some truly amazing technology. They attract more adventurers than merchants these days, but business is good so no one complains.
  
  
  Guild Hall: Deepstone
  
  
  District Offices: The Deep Halls, Seawind Port, Port of Spring
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Illegal, and hidden away beneath the streets of Haven are the Gilded Shadows, master thieves and smugglers. They are a constant source of frustration for the Haven City Guard, but as of yet have not killed anyone, and only seem to rob the wealthier members of society.
  
  
  Guild Hall: Haven
  
  
  District Offices: Iceburrow Academy, Seawind Port, Port of Spring, The Deep Halls.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Not much is known about the House of Eyes...but rumors are beginning to circulate of a nefarious cult of Void worshipers growing in strength.
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Click on Spoilers below to learn about how player choice shapes the world of Kamirotha.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Kamirotha is designed in the vein of Skyrim, Dragon Age, and other great modern RPGs. You are not shoehorned into a story. The events of the story will be taking place worldwide, and while you may be directly involved in them if you choose, you may also take on other roles and let your character interact with the changing world in the way you see fit.
  
  
  The story of Kamirotha will come to you, no matter where you are or what you are doing, and every character will have chances to make meaningful, possibly world altering, decisions. The Guilds and their missions have parts to play as well, and if a character doesn't engage a certain area- it will continue on without their influence. It is a breathing world, and will develop as players contribute.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  These will be sent to you by Private message, normally during travel or while walking through a large city. These are not limited to combat, it could be a moral choice your character must make, sometimes both- Remember that how you act is very important to the world. Kamirotha will react to your character as your legend may grow.
  
  
  A combat encounter will read something like this;
  
  
  
  Combat Encounter

  While traveling to Haven, you are attacked by bandits!
  
  
  3 humans, remnants of Shamseya's army- ambush you during your travels, one is armed with a bow, one with a sword and what remains of his old armor, and one woman casting weak earth spells!
  
  
  You should leave this encounter with NO Injuries if you run, but you will receive no loot.
  
  
  You should leave this encounter with Minor Injuries if you stay and fight, roll (d6) in a reply for the injury table. Once you attach your dice roll to the PM for the injury table, you are locked in to the fight and cannot back out.
  
  
  I will add Loot to the PM after your post!
  
  
  Injury Table:
  
  
  1) (Critical Miss) An arrow pierces your right shoulder, hope that's not your weapon arm.
  
  
  2) A raw magic spell hits your chest, cracking a rib.
  
  
  3) You get a gash across your chest from the longsword, gonna need stitches.
  
  
  4.)An arrow grazes your calf, not too bad, but you're gonna need a bandage.
  
  
  5.) Earth magic causes a nearby thorned plant to wrap around one leg, lots of little puncture wounds, ouch!
  
  
  6.) (Critical Hit!) You take no damage
  
  
  
  So first you will decide whether you would like to run, fight, or any other options listed in the PM. In the event you choose to fight, then you are locked in once your dice rolls is posted to the PM.
  
  
  In order to roll, clock the "DICE ROLLER" tab at the top of the Dashboard, and enter the appropriate dice. The link provided can be attached to the PM, and then you may write your post with the result.
  
  
  Any special loot will be sent in the same PM thread, and you may include it in your next post, as well as add it to your inventory.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Your inventory should be maintained on your Character Sheet. Do not worry about exact gold counts, as this will be handled in generic terms such as "bags", etc. Denoting the number of bags can make your life a bit easier when making large purchases.
  
  
  Special items, like letters and other materials, should be kept track of as well.
  
  
  

Spoiler

1. 1 line sentences can drive me insane, please don't do it. You can actually do more than just say something in a post.
   
2. Speling does wonderrs and so does punctuatin
   
3. Please don't challenge the story.
   
4. Mary Sues, Gary Oaks, and Gary Stues will not be accepted.
   
5. Any race or gender character is accepted within this roleplay, if you make a half-race (i.e. Half elf, or Half Dwarf) be prepared for the worlds reaction to you, the races only just started to get along.
   
6. Sometimes you'll need to wait before you can continue, this is natural, but if someone takes too long to post just continue on.
   
7. To verify you read the rules put an iconic quote from your character at the end of your Character Sign-Up sheet. (please place it in quote blocks) and Put what the current date in Kamirotha is (hint its in the section about history)
   
8. Upon the death of a character, their items may be taken for personal usage. Dead player's inventory is fair game as long as you are able to access the items physically.
   
9. Remember player knowledge, characters don't know everything going on so if you're not anywhere nearby you can't possibly know what happened.
   
10. No controlling other characters. (you don't decide if something hits, they do)
    
11. You can't dodge everything.
    
12. Keep it within the rating!
    
13. There is a lot of cool history in Kamirotha! Ask NPC's about it if your character doesn't know. If it is something your character should know, PM me and I'll add it to the "Lore Book" under here.
    
14. If you need help with formatting your posts (spoilers, block quotes, headers, etc.) use this: http://www.rpnation.com/threads/rpnation-bbcode-guide.34813/
    

 

[BarkWolfBacon]

BarkWolfBacon updated Kamirotha: End of an Age with a new update entry:


Arc-tech

Patch notes 1.1
-added section on Arc-tech


-Edited Melee weapons to "Weapons", and made minor wording changes to make the inclusion of bows less awkward.


-Timeline edit explaining why the Blood age suddenly becomes the Unity Age

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[BarkWolfBacon]

BarkWolfBacon updated Kamirotha: End of an Age with a new update entry:


Patch 1.2 Notes

Patch 1.2
-Added polearm to (Weapons) tab under spoiler human weapons


-Added tab (Dwarven Research) in overview

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[BarkWolfBacon]

Kamirotha

Enemies within, enemies without

Behold! For I show you know what fire brings you when brought against fire! I show you what hate brings you when clashed against hate! I show you what blades brings you when thrust against blades! Here you witness the eternal folly of my mortal creation, the unlearn-able lesson that I fear you may never overcome; war is the work of the Void, and you will never attain the world you seek by cleansing it in blood. 3rd canticle of Uneron, the Divine Vessel, and One God of Men

Kamirotha is sick, but doesn't know it. Were you to somehow peel back the layers of her government, citizens, and wildlife... you would find no evidence of this. Her sickness is a tumor, somewhere just out of sight- somewhere no longer checked by anyone.


Somewhere forgotten.


She is a beautiful nation, one full of hope and wonder, for the dark times are said to be behind her. It is 37:Unity, a time of rebuilding after a long war for the heart and soul of this dear nation. Its people were thrust together, offered no other choice than to fight side by side or die under the Incursion. Some accept this new unity as a gift, the ever marching steps of progress. Others fear it, worrying about the long term sanctity of their culture while holding on to deep rooted fears from ages past.


But this day dawns the way many do in Kamirotha, the sun crests over the horizon with a radiant exuberance, as though it had much to say, and needed to get it all out before it passed out of sight again.


Wherever you are, adventurers, today is the day you will begin to shape the face of Kamirotha. For you have received a letter, however great the impossibility of you receiving this letter may be, it somehow found its way to you. It is a piece of thick, expensive parchment, stamped with an unfamiliar seal and bound with the finest twine. When it unrolls, the smell of lavender and honey are clear from the parchment- the seal on the gilded letterhead the same from the wax that bound its delicate form closed.


Your letter says this;

Were I a younger man, I could probably explain this better, but as the grey in my hair takes its rightful place I find myself unable to fully understand this message myself.


I am writing to you on behalf of Councillor Valen Thorn, who requests your presence in Haven regarding a manner of grave import. Why you were chosen, and the manner of the meeting are secrets unknown to me. I do trust Councillor Thorn however, and he is very adamant about your arrival in Haven.


Should it be an issue, the Council will pay for your accommodation during your stay.


If I am being honest, I can personally attest to the Councillors sudden change in demeanor. He claims that through visions, he has caught a fleeting glimpse of a storm just beyond the horizon. A storm he says, "that could blacken the lands of Arkon for eternity, damning them to ruin and despair."


I know not what he is referring to, nor your role in any of this...but I do know that the Councillor has never led me wrong before. So, despite my hesitance at accepting his prophetic visions, and my thoughts on your dubious existence, I have written to you.


Please, come to Haven...we will be waiting for you. When you arrive, please tell a member of the city guard, "Silence is Golden."


This will notify them of your invitation, and you will be brought to the Councillor post haste.


May Uneron guide your way, and may the shadows part with your step,


-- Ser Alaric Wulf, 37:Unity; Haven, Grand Council Hall

 

[Vol]

Solace Town / Somewhere in Arkon

​

As fast as his feet could carry him, Ars rushed past through the crowd of humans, elves and his own kind.


" 'cuse me, Pardon me, 'n a rush!" He yelled as a warning to the crowd as his hand clutched even more tightly on the thick, expensive parchment. 'This letter, d'esnt have a specific address. 'ight as well give it ter Pyr.'


Heading to the training grounds, which where the fire elf usually was found at, Ars bumped into one of the most corrupted people of Solacin University. Ars tried to pass by her but a quick swipe of her hand and the letter from his grasp was gone.


" 'ey! Give th't back! It's import'nt!" Ars snapped as he tried to steal the letter back.


"Speak properly, dumb dwarf." Roshika sneered as her red-tipped fingers caressed the parchment and laid still on the seal. Her purple irises narrowed in interest as she pressed the envelope to her nose.


" I'll talk properly, 'lright? Just gimme th't letter!"


"Lavender. The inside of this thing smells of Lavender"


"Like I care! C'mon Roshika, it's for Pyrder."


Roshika let the letter flutter down onto the ground and the dwarf quickly caught it, sighing in relief. Before letting Ars go, the tall elf woman eyed him in suspicion. "That seal isn't recognisable here. The letter could mean some trouble." Roshika warned him before continuing on her way. Ars frowned and shook his head. 'D'luded woman...'


Just as he had thought, Pyrder was in the training grounds, resting underneath a burnt tree. The fire elf looked drained, his eyes fluttering to a close and his ginger hair, a mess. Ars jogged towards him and knelt down, waving the parchment above his face. Pyrder lazily opened an eyelid and turned his head to face Ars.


"Why're you waving that in my face? I'll burn it, ya know." Pyrder murmured as his pupils followed the swaying motion of the parchment. Ars gave him a toothy grin.


"Tis' for ye. Well, it actually 'sn't cus' it doesn't say, but 'ere ye go 'nyway." Ars said as he thrusted the letter to him, hoping it wouldn't actually burn as Pyrder had said so. Pyrder caught it and sat up straighter so he could open it's content. As he untied the twine, the strong smell of lavender and honey wafted into the air and the two males sighed pleasantly.


Pyrder started scanning the letter and Ars continually prodded him on telling whatever he was reading. The fire elf's eyes stayed narrowed as he finished the letter with, "--Ser Alaric Wulf, 37:Unity, Haven, Grand Council Hall..."


His dwarf friend's eyes were wide with excitement.


"So yer goin' to Haven, are ye!? And 'pparently ye got accepted to somethin'!"


"Yeah, seems like it. We're in Grove so Haven could be near us. Thinkin' of asking directions before leaving"


" 'old on a minute! Ye ain't takin' me?"


"Sorry Ars. Not this time. I always took you somewhere, this could be a solo mission"


"Damn it..."


Pyrder smiled apologetically before slowly standing up and arcing his back. He started braiding his long hair as he ignored Ars' pleas. "You're not coming with, alright? Tell the Head Master about my leave too, so he wouldn't freak out." After saying this, Pyrder headed off to the exit of Solacin University, letter in hand and his scimitars afixed to his back.


To Haven.

​

 

[Izuru Kira]

Haven: Receiving the Parchment

Ishconor approached the gates of Haven, he brushed off the dust and leaves that had found a home on his coat. Ishconor looked around, he studied the area and it's inhabitants, keeping track of faces. He quickly checked his trusty blade was still at his side, 'Stay with me, Angel of Blood' he thought to himself.


An Elf wearing rather fancy clothes, around six feet tall approached him, the Elf held a letter in his hand, "Excuse me, sir" Ishconor looked up at the Elf with a stunned expression, "What is it?" Ishconor asked him, he could tell the Elf was male by his voice. "I have a letter here, I don't know who it's addressed to but, I thought you should have it, it just feels right" The strange Elf handed Ishconor the parchment, he took it cautiously. Ishconor looked over the parchment and saw the seal, the Elf had vanished moments after, without a trace.


Ishconor broke the seal and began to read the parchment, he slowly nodded taking in the information. He smiled to himself, 'Silence is Golden' He thought. He walked a bit further into the City, carefully putting away the parchment.

 

[khuyen]

Gwendolyn Dewitt - Travelling to Haven


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

​

"Gwen, a mysterious man asked me to give you this letter. And here I thought, you were keeping incognito." Her favorite barkeeper had told her this one night. She had been staying for 2 months in Axefell, enjoying the big city and how easy it was to blend in. Her eyebrows rose as she had read the letter and she let out a scoff at the formality. She sat for a while, wondering if this was some kind of joke. The seal was proper though, the barkeeper had told her. Gwen had merely grinned at him. "I guess I'll be on my way then... I have been bothering you for far too long anyway."


Packing her scarce belongings quickly, she was on her way. In her bag was a big pack of dried meat for the trip. A present, he had said, and she had smiled. Her grandfather's polearm was tightly tied to her backpack. Reaching another city after days of travelling by foot, the first thing she noticed, was the weather. It was getting warmer the closer, she got to Grove and it irked her greatly. She had been near the border of Iceburrow and Grove before, but had never stayed too long, always venturing back west


It had taken her longer than she thought to pass the border. Cities were farspread, and it had been long since she had refilled her supplies. Luckily hunting came naturally to her and it was easy to feed herself in the forests. Chewing on a crisp rabbit-leg, she let out a huge sigh as she looked into the horizon. She really wanted to reach a city, so she could wash the grime off her body. A jug of mead could do wonders right now.





Finally reaching a small village by the Great Lake in Grove, Gwen charmed her way to lodging and food for a small amount of work. The elven villagers were nice and welcomed her despite her human size. Maybe it was the hair. She let out a pleasant sigh as she patted her belly, having just finished a huge meal and two large jugs of mead. By nightfall, she would be gone from this village. It had been one of her favorites and the thought of leaving saddened her. She had already been staying for 5 moons and it was time to get going. Haven would only be a days travel away.

 

[Stickdom]

Red Barrens Wilderlands

Elendynn Glace

The wind is strong today.


Dunes fall past in a cascade of colour, reflecting the pinks and oranges from the new rising sun. Elendynn loved morning patrols, the desert slept still, waiting for the midday warmth to fully awaken. The temperature was still well above most of the rest of Arkon's climates, even with the sun barely risen, but this was nothing to the sweltering that would come in several hours. The nights could be freezing, comparative to the noon heat, but the fine grains were always cool underneath the top layer. This coolness, it reminded of home, which caused a mixed emotion of repulsion and longing to rise up in her heart.


She steadied herself, her heavy cloak catching the swift breeze almost as much as the sail on her Rider. She would prefer to go without it, but this was a necessary encumbrance. It not only held off the biting winds and the whipping sands, but also held in sweat, precious moisture that long travels over harsh deserts could not afford to be wasted. She would later wring her cloak's porous lining of every last drop to store it in a canteen for that purpose, at least, until she could reach a place to purify the liquid and reintroduce it to her body.


Elen's thoughts turned to that letter she had received, it was mysterious, coming from nowhere. She was not sure how to respond, surely it was not her father's doing. Could he have gone so far as to report her absence to the Council? Especially after all of these years, she had been away from home for at least seven. And for a man in his position, noble though it was in the local community, surely he didn't have access to the Council. Had he been petitioning for this for years, then, only now to be seen? Shaking her head, Elendynn cleared these clinging cobwebs of thought from her mind. Perhaps she would discuss this with Cadwy over a pint later, he tended to have good advice. When he was sober. Which was rare.


She continued her patrol, scouring the sector of barren, empty desert under her watch for any signs of disturbances. But neither thieves not monsters could be seen, the former having no reason to come out of hiding, the latter still rousing from their nightly hibernations. Elen turned her Rider towards River Town again, she had done her rounds, no sense in remaining here longer than she had to. She maneuvered her way over the dunes, riding the roiling sand as if it was water, sometimes crawling up a hill only to plunge down the other side of the wave.


The wind is strong today.

 

[Jays]

Arterus Altorian, A Place Beyond Roads

The cool breeze blew gently across the terrain carrying with it the scent of dirt and mud, of grass and dew, of rain and soil and the salty tingling taste of the sea. A South wind, not a very strong one despite the rich smells mixed within itself. From far, far beyond the mountains it came, through grasslands, through hills and valleys, through rivers and jungles and cities. It blew into palaces, ruffled kings' clothes, chased away the heat on the skin of a farmer after a day of hard-work, touching a thousand, a million lives unnoticed, for it was the wind and so free to roam the land unchallenged, for it was eternal and mortals were not.


High, high into the sky, riding the current of that very wind, there was a merlin. A small brown, tired and fragile merlin, its wings burning with exhaustion, its belly devoid of food or water, its tiny body quivering madly under the strain of staying aloft, seemingly so fragile as to fall out of the sky at any moment. Yet the stubborn creature flew on, daring its own life against time, for it had been given a task, a very important task that must not be failed. It was not a particularly bright animal, but even its limited mind understood the expectation set upon its wings. "Fly, Burginton, fly like the wind." Its master had said. "Bring him back to me, for without him, without any of them, this land's fate is in peril." And so it flew, as hard as it had ever flown, the destination glowed like a distant beacon in its mind, engraved there by magic. It rode the South wind across the land, over cities and grasslands, over human and elves and dwarfs, unnoticed like the breeze itself.


At last it reached the end of its journey. Over the last rise, hidden from the world, a valley of green tucked away between great mountains. The merlin dove a tired dive, its wings fluttering with the last of its strength to slow the momentum, its small black eyes focused on the clearing in front of a small cottage. And as it had done so many times, Burginton swoop low and gracefully landed, its talons gripping around the gloved finger of the man. Finally it was able to get some rest. A gloved hand reached out and stroked its back, making it quiver in pleasure. That hand undid the lit of the small leather pouch tied to its leg, pulling out a small parchment and broke the seal, The smell of lavender filled the air.


Burginton watched the figure intently. A dark cloak covered his torso to his knees, billowing softly on the gentle breeze. His long hair fell behind his shoulder, one the color of chestnut and autumn leaves. The pointy tips of his ear were partially covered by the hair, his dark shadowy eyes focused on the words on the letter in front of him. A chilly aura surrounded his person, making the merlin shuddered despite the hot air blowing all around.


The corner of his mouth quirked up in a half-smile. A storm indeed.

 

[BarkWolfBacon]

BarkWolfBacon updated Kamirotha: End of an Age with a new update entry:


Patch 1.4 "...now with religion!"

Patch Notes
-Added tab (Religion) under "overview"

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[X3 Infernal Infinity]

Seawind Port: A New Adventure(?)




The cool sea breeze stirred rose hued locks and caught up the faint scent of lavender and vanilla. Standing on the dock, the elf stared at the parchment she held in hand. For what felt like the fifteenth time in the past 3 days she reread the letter. She still had so many questions the most important of them being exactly what this letter was supposed to mean. Of course she knew she would find out eventually, once she reached Haven. Rolling the parchment back up she tucked it into the small pouch on her right leg. Her gaze slid over the sheer amount of people filling the busy port, a number that seemed to only increase the further one went into the city. She had never been around this many people, it was strange and new. But that seemed to pretty much describe her entire life, or at least the year of it she was capable of recalling, and most definitely was the appropriate term for these past three days. Sighing softly she began to move through the crowd, intent on finding her way to Haven which, by instinct she knew was going to be a rather long journey in and of itself. As she made her way through the city she pondered the events that led her to this point.


[COLOR=#ff4dff]Three Days Earlier[/COLOR]

The night was still and quiet the heat of the day long since dissipated and replaced by the deep cool of the desert nights. The sands of Dro'fyr stretched out over the endless miles, still and quite, the granules that had shone like the most brilliant of gold in the sun now as silvery blue as a still sea. One always marveled of how the simple shift between day and night could cast such dramatic change over a landscape, or at least those deeply involved in philosophy. But some, much like the slender elven girl standing guard, simply appreciated it for what it was, a natural and beautiful occurrence that needed no explanation.


The creature scampering across the endless sands however could care less for such things as beauty. The golden scaled lizard-like creature was a native of these lands. Webbed toes and small yet curved claws found purchase on the slippery dunes. The sleek body and long tail leaving little trails in its wake. Even in the night the large reptilian eyes saw as clearly as in the daytime. The little creature had been travelling for days, dispatched on this particular mission by unknown means and unknown persons. All it knew was the instructions it had been given. It was smart for a creature, a trait it was quite proud of and a testament to it's heritage from creatures far larger in size than itself. Just the thought of such pride was what had kept the creature going for countless hours across the vast lands of Dro'fyr, drawing ever closer to it's destination.


Finally it spotted it's goal, standing atop the stone and steel wall that bordered the large facility. Scampering closer it began the laborious climb upwards, making use of its hooked claws to find purchase in the stones of the wall. With one last effort it made it to the top swiftly climbing up the railing, uttering a soft hiss to get the attention of the woman. Grey eyes turned its way, as the form, with it's glowing and almost ethereal appearance, drew closer. When the female crouched to its level the lizard turned sideways on its perch making the tube strapped to its back visible.


Tessa was confused but also pleased, marveling at the strange lizard that had demanded her attention. She had been standing guard for hours, though she wasn't sure why. Nothing ever happened at the facility but it was her duty to guard and she could not deny her duties. She supposed it was because she didn't need to sleep and for once she was glad she hadn't. Reaching out she unclasped the tube attached to the lizards back, smiling as the creature uttered an appreciative noise and climbed up to rest on her shoulder. Opening the tube she removed the rolled parchment. The seal was strange and the paper obviously expensive. Untying the twine and opening the parchment she read it, her head tilting to the side. She was confused but she had no doubts; this letter was meant for her and it would be unwise not to answer it.

 

[Esoteric Truth]

ᎠᎬsᏆᎥᏆuᏆᎬ ᏆᎾ ᎠᎬsᏆᎥᏁᎽ
​

It was a cold bitter day in Axefell. The howling wind scratched at the reddened faces of those hardy folk that inhabited the city, sending along with it frozen gusts of snow and ice. People here were tough. They had grown up in the frosted villages of these lands and had gotten used to the weather. They'd learned that just because it was cold outside didn't give you reason to slack off, otherwise nothing would get done. You could always tell a visitor from the natives. They cowered inside bars nearby the fireplaces, muttering to themselves questions about why anyone would ever want to live there. The thing was, most of the population was human, and most humans lived in the bitter cold anyway. Why anyone who wasn't from Axefell would try to come here was indeed a mystery, though. Of the cities this far west, it had arguably the largest problem with the destitute, not to mention it was still under heavy repairs. Still, it was home to many, one such person being Merek Cartwright.


Merek Cartwright was poor. He hadn't always been, but in the more recent days he'd found it harder and harder to pay rent for the small shack he lived in until eventually he lost it altogether. The only things he'd refused to part with were his sword, shield, and a few pieces of armor. Aside from that, he had nothing. Granted, all of these things he could have sold for a pretty penny, perhaps enough to keep in the shack for a bit longer, but he needed all of those things to be able to do his job. His job didn't usually earn him enough to pay rent. There were too many poor folk, often veterans, that were willing to put themselves at risk for a few dollars. It drove down the cost of hiring them, which in turn meant that it earned the destitute very little. Of course, being an experienced and yet young man, Merek was good at what he did, undoubtedly one of the better freelance guards. But if he dared bring up that he wanted more money, it was all too common that he would be fired and replaced with another.


One might wonder why, given his skills and his age, he didn't join the fighter's guild. He at least had a fairly good chance in the arena, and if he was good enough it would pay far more than he currently earned with his on and off jobs here and there for a few rich folk. But the fact was, as a guard, he wasn't faced with too much combat, and there wasn't a guarantee that he would have to face any at all. It wasn't that he feared the combat directly so much as he feared what he had seen it do him. Merek feared turning into that heartless young man he had once been, and he felt that the act of fighting was perhaps the source of that. The prize of more money wasn't worth it to him anymore, and in those dank dark alleyways which he made his home, he convinced himself that this choice was honorable.


It was in one such dark alleyway that Merek was sleeping in when he received the letter. His gear was shoved tightly underneath him, his arms wrapped around it so that if anyone attempted to steal something from him he would know. He'd learned to be a light sleeper over the past few months, and as such he woke up when he heard thudding footsteps coming towards him at a fast speed. When Merek's blue eyes finally cleared and rested on the figure, he was surprised to see a young boy clutching a roll of parchment tightly in his right hand. The boy skidded to a stop, breathing heavily, and handed the parchment over.


"Sih, I've been hired t' delivuh this lettah to yah. Looks real impo'tent ifs yah asks me," the boy said, and looked down at the sack that lay underneath the red haired man, waiting expectantly for some coin. Merek lifted himself so he was standing and took the letter, looking hard at the mousey-haired boy that smiled before him.


"I give you my thanks. I can't spare coin, however. You did say that you were hired, after all. Now run along and receive the reward for your troubles from he whom hired you," Merek responded, waving a strong hand in dismissal. The boy hesitated a moment, his mouth in a frown, before running off. The redhead unfurled the thick parchment, noting the official-looking seal and the fine twine as he did so. It was beautiful compared to his grimy surroundings, smelling of honey and lavender and inscribed with lovely lettering. The meaning concealed within it was mysterious and strange to him, however. It did not do much in the ways of describing what he would be wanted for, only that he was wanted. Still, it said that accommodations would be paid for, and that was more than he had right now. What was the harm in making the journey, if only to get someplace to stay for a little while? Honestly, he would have thought it was all a trick if nor for the expensive paper and seal. That was something that was hard to fake. Besides, the only people he could think of who would want to do something like that were all far too poor and far too illiterate to be able to do so.


A few hours later and all of the savings that Merek did have were spent on a steed. The animal was bear-like, with large paws that prevented it from sinking into the snow and thick back claws for traction on ice. Its fur was thick and white, and it had a large gaping maw that contained too many teeth for the redhead's comfort. Still, it was something, so he uncomfortably sat astride the creature's back in an old worn saddle and set off. The ride was awful, for the beast had a way of moving that made its back roll, and it didn't go very fast for very long.


Many days passed before Merek reached Haven. His steed had begun to start shedding the past few days, and it was clear that the warm temperatures here were not what it was used to. Merek himself had been forced to remove a multitude of clothing, all of which he had wrapped around his waist. When the immense city came into view, his breath caught in his throat. It was wondrous. A pale grand city nestled into the vibrant green mountains. While Axefell was built of thick buildings that almost seemed stacked on top of one another, Haven was built of delicate spires and towers that reached towards the sky. Several roads led into the city, all of which were guarded by gates and more towers. When he reached said gates, still astride the white lumbering beast, he was greeted by stares by more than a few people. Merek pushed himself off of his beast, his furs hanging round his waist like a primitive skirt. Turning to a guard, of which there were quite a few, he smiled and uttered a single phrase:


"Silence is golden."

 

[Wrath Of Athena]

A small city in the Grove: A Rough Farewell

Isenrah arrived at her small home, soaked in sweat from a particularly intense training session. She opened the door, and walked in, only to see a piece of parchment on her floor. "What's this?" She said softly to herself. She picked it up. It was addressed to her. She almost never got letters, and never like this... It was probably a prank of some sort by some of the young elves. She opened it, and her eyes widened as she realized that this was no prank. Why would the Councillor want her, of all people? She would have thought they'd need diplomats in a time like this, not warriors. And she was only sixteen summers old! Whatever the reason, she was going to go. If not to help the unification of the races- Which honestly, she couldn't care less about- then she'd do it to get away from all these utaas here. She resolved to tell her parents in the morning. She did not wish to disrupt them from their slumber. She walked to her door, opened it, then walked inside her room. She laid down in her bed, and quickly fell asleep, dreams of adventure and excitement going through her mind.


The next morning, she found that her parents were still asleep. She sighed, then hastily wrote out a note for them. She didn't want to waste any time getting to Haven. She went out her door, and began to walk out of her town to where the carriage driver was when he was waiting for more passengers. Almost immediately, she was stopped by a group of elves, who were her age in elven years.


"Hello Castien," She said in Elvish to the one in front, a tall slender boy, with blue eyes and long white hair, and a smashed nose. He would have been attractive, if not for his ruined nose, and the fact that his personality was worse than that of a wild boar.


"We decided to come to say goodbye," Castien said, speaking in the human tongue. He always did that when he was mocking her, so pretty much every time he spoke to her. They were all fluent in the languages of each race, all in the town having at least moderately wealthy parents who could afford tutors.


"How do you know I'm leaving?" She asked, still speaking in Elvish.


"Oh, I have my sources," He replied, a sly grin on his face. "You didn't think we'd let you leave, did you? After what you did the other day?" He said, referring to when Isenrah had broken his nose after a particularly fierce round of teasing from him.


"Who's to say I'm not going to do that again?" She asked.


"They do." Castien replied, gesturing to the group of other elves behind him. Out of nowhere, a punch was flying toward Isenrah's head. She ducked beneath it, then drew one of her katanas.


"You don't want to do this," She said, trying to sound threatening, and succeeding. She could see a slight wariness in his eyes as he drew his own blade, a scimitar. He took a swing toward her neck, and she parried, slashing him across the torso, leaving a thin red scratch across his chest, tearing his fine silk shirt.


"You xhan!" He cried out in pain. "Get her!" He said to the other elves. Isenrah made a quick estimate in her head. There were five of them, each with a dagger now in hand. They stood nervously, obviously scared of her. One gathered his courage and charged forward with a clumsy swing toward her head. She parried easily, knocking the dagger out of his shaky grasp, and kicked him, sending him onto his back.


"Anyone else want to have a go?" She said to the lot of them. They all shook their heads nervously, then ran off. Castien was left standing alone, holding his scimitar in front of him in an offensive stance. He ran towards her, and she sidestepped him, putting out her leg. He tripped and fell onto his face. Isenrah walked away, not looking back at the unconscious elf. She made it to the carriage driver with no further interruptions.





"I need to go to Haven as soon as possible," She said to him, holding out a bag of gold.


He nodded, and took the bag of gold. She got in the back of the carriage, and the carriage driver readied the horses, then took off on the road towards Haven.

 

[Fus ro dah]

The Border Of Iceburrow and Grove

​

She'd been riding since dawn, the palomino mare she had 'aquired' just before dawn had proven to be a good choice. She was a quiet horse who had been keeping a good pace all morning, they'd been trotting for a while now and the elf nudged the horse into a canter. The border was coming up and once she was over it, she'd take a rest to have something to eat and let the mare rest for a while. The breeze was pleasant and there was just enough cloud cover for the sun to not sting her pale skin. That was the downside of being a redhead, the pale skin that sizzled like bacon in a pan on hot days.


"What do you think, time for a rest now?" She asked the mare as she stroked the mare's shoulder. "I know I'm getting a sore butt and you could probably do with a rest."


They cantered over the border and continued on until Arawen found a suitable place off the side of the road to rest, she dismounted the palomino and took her tack off. After laying it against a tree, she took a short loop of rope from her rucksack and slipped it over one of the mare's forelegs, twisted it several times and slipped the other end around her other leg. Just in case the mare wanted to wander, the basic hobble would stop her from going very far at all. She used the saddle as a back rest and sat down on the grass as the mare lowered her head to graze nearby.


The elf closed her eyes and opened them again as the distant sound of hoofbeats in the distance got her almost-paranoia twitching. A human male, younger than her was riding a chestnut horse towards her, he'd left the road and the redhead was on edge, watching him.


"You're Arawen, right?" He asked as he dismounted. "I've got a letter for you."


Warily, she nodded as he pulled a sealed letter from the saddlebag and approached her, holding the letter out for her to take, which she did. Without another word, he turned, mounted his horse and continued on the road. The redhead stared at the sealed letter for a few moments before breaking the wax seal and reading the writing contained within.


Interesting...


Well, she had been looking for something new to do and this seemed the thing to do. Good thing she was already heading towards Grove. Although right now, it was time to resume her rest and have something to eat before she'd continue her journey.

 

[Trevor B Harper]

Near River Hold, Dro'fyr

Cadwy Jetcoal

The dark green coat on Cadwy's tough back waved from the wind blowing right to his face. Fields of grass were trampled with his hard leather shoes. His beard, being as magnificent as it was, waved to the sides as Cadwy ran away from River Hold. Three other dwarves ran along side with him, all as magnificent and old-looking as Cadwy was. They were chasing someone. Someone, who had just stolen a bag of gold. Pure gold. It was a dwarf. His face was of familiar kind to Cadwy. He saw it somewhere else once before, however, that did not matter now.


"Oy men! Catch de thief n' rip his head off!" Cadwy yelled pointing his wooden crossbow at the running thief. His crossbow immediately materialized an icy bolt and as Cadwy pressed the trigger it shot right at the running dwarf's leg. "Gotcha' ye bag o' shit." He said to himself giggling as the thief fell down in pain. "Get 'im, boys!"

 

[Vol]

Bad Encounters
​

As the fire elf made his way out of Solace Town, his ears picked up three voices. Intrigued, the elf walked closer to the voices, but not close enough for them to spot him. Well, he thought they couldn't see him, anyway.


A female of his race was feebly holding onto her supplies while having a distressed expression on her face and a mouth moving in a fast motion. Two human men, he guessed from their muscular build, were surrounding her, one voice spitting out threats and one smirking. Their armour looked like it was half-way through it's durability but can still take a beating. Narrowing his eyes, Pryder scanned their weaponry. One of them was equipped with a claymore, which was swung over his shoulder and the other had a shield at his feet and a sword hanging loosely from his grasp.


'...Harrassing my fellow kin, disgusting humans.' Pryder thought, sparks igniting on his hands as he strode towards the trio.


"Oi!" The fire elf yelled in human tongue, catching one of the men's attention, the one with the claymore.


"Bothering a elven woman, are you? Both of you, leave her alone or you'll get burned." Right on cue as Pryder said burned, his palms lit up and flames were on his palms. Barbecued human.


The fire elf must've underestimated the claymore-wielding human, since he found himself on the floor with a huge bruise on his ginger head. The man with the shield stopped paying attention to the elven woman who took this chance to flee. 'Bloody knew it...' Pryder thought numbly, his hand rubbing against the huge bruise.


The two men were laughing and kicking at him. The fire elf was silently glad that they weren't prodding him with their swords, at least.


He took deep breaths, slowly regaining his composure and finally feeling the pain of being kicked. After a few kicks to the legs, they moved onto a part that made him go crazy. By crazy, it mean't him igniting his entire body in flames with the Fire of God that HURTS. One of the men's foot caught on fire and he started hopping around, trying to douse the flame. The shield that was on the floor, remained on the floor as it's owner rushed to help his ally.


Before they could douse the fire engulfing the boot and themselves being awfully hot due to the heat plus their armour, Pryder blasted them two enraged fireballs and their bodies also ignited in flames, but their human bodies couldn't handle it like he could. The fire elf watched them scream and run around in circles, occasionally bumping into him and burning faster.


Barbecued human, accompanied with a splitting headache. Pryder watched them collapse to the ground, their ragged screaming turning into whimpers and grunts before eventually, becoming silent. Had he killed them? Well, they're burnt to a crisp, so maybe he did.


The fire elf rolled his shoulders and moved his head to side-to-side to lessen the sore feeling of his body. When he felt that his body was ready to move on with only pangs of agony, he knelt down to the burning flesh of the men. The elf wasn't one to actually pick-pocket corpses but they could've stolen something from the woman. Turning the claymore-wielding man's body to face him, Pryder scrunched his face in disgust. Maybe he went a bit too far.


Nevertheless, he searched through his body and found a bag of gold. '...Don't think this was the woman's' He thought, shoving it into his pocket. Moving onto the shield-bearer, he found a bottle that had a odd-looking liquid stored inside it. Raising a brow, Pryder turned it around to see a label saying 'Warriors Will.'


"Sounds like one of 'em human energy drinks...best to keep it." He mumbled, pocketing another item that he would like to use later on.

 

[Stickdom]

Red Barrens Wilderlands, River Hold Outskirts

Elendynn Glace

The air rushed past Elen's head as she headed towards home. She took her cowl off, the day was not warm enough yet for her to justify nearly suffocating in the clinging fabric. The wind whipped the sand about, but she was generally able to avoid the large clouds of debris from hitting her in the face or the eyes. She had exited a canyon, almost within sight of River Hold, when a loud roar made her turn her head. A larger arc-tech skiff came barreling over a dune, three dwarves clearly pursuing her. Two of them had aimed crossbows at her, dwarvish engineering, they were repeaters, while the captain, obvious by his raised saber and barking orders, stood to the rear of the boat, piloting it directly towards her.


She barely had time to pull her hood over her face and replace her goggles before the shots were fired. A torrent of bolts came after her, each crossbow automatically reloading itself through a series of gears and levers, and the Captain had apparently set the vehicle to a Follow order, as it continued on even as he joined his companions at the fore. Several bolts hit the base of her Rider, while many embedded themselves in her sail, throwing her off balance. The Rider slipped out from under her feet and she tumbled onto the sand below, with less cushion than would be expected. A jolt of fire ran up her side as she clambered up from the sand, something must have broken. She hoped it wasn't anything important, because she would need all her strength for this fight.


The skiff bore down on her and she readied herself for the jump. A quick leap and she had grabbed the railing on the deck, pulling herself up, though painfully, due to her side injury. The dwarven thugs, out of ammunition and apparently not expecting this, took a few steps back. She used these few slim moments to throw herself over the railing and onto the deck, drawing her hammer. Her opponents charged, wielding their crossbows like pick-weapons, the arms of the bow bladed and sharp. She countered with a blow to one's helm, send his body crumpling to the deck, and the other with a kick to his weapon, sending it out of his hands. The disarmed dwarf scurried to retrieve his weapon, and the captain stepped forward, saber drawn. The crest on his helmet showed the symbol of The Eastern Stone Company, a flourishing business venture that sometimes employed pirates, as these must be.


"I give you this chance to back down," Elen said defiantly to the captain, taking note of the mook creeping up behind her as she prepared to be attacked again. The captain's answer came in a roar of manic laughter as he charged her, wildly swinging his saber. Elen whirled, not to attack him, but to dodge his blow. He ran past her, almost impaling his underling, who jumped out of the way and fell to the floor. She kicked him to the deck, then slid the saber out of his reach with her foot. "You are trespassing on River Hold sand space, the Eastern Stone Comapny is not welcome here. As an upholder of the law, you are under arrest." She pointed the head of her hammer down, and dropped all of her weight into a blow to his back, using the top of her hammer as the bludgeon. He cried out in pain then fell silent, unconscious from the blow to his internal organs. She turned to the other dwarf, who had risen again, shaking and stammering. "You are also under arrest, though I doubt you'll give me much trouble."


A few moments later, she had frisked and restrained all of the dwarves, two unconscious and tied securely to separate sides of the railing, the other bound into a chair, securely, but not cruelly. They would stand trial as the River Hold court saw fit, which tended to be imprisonment with hard labor as recompense, until the Eastern Stone heard of it and plied for bail. Still, she searched the entirety of the ship, looking for any illegal goods or stolen property, as well as anything useful. A rule among the Sand Rats: "Theft is illegal. Plundering is fair game."

 

[BarkWolfBacon]

BarkWolfBacon updated Kamirotha: End of an Age with a new update entry:


On Items and Item Usage

Items, for convenience, can be added to your character sheet if you would like to keep track of potions, salves, and other items you acquire during your journey.

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[Wrath Of Athena]

Deaths and Injuries.

Isenrah heard a sudden gasp of pain from in front of her, and the horses slowed down to almost a stop. She got out of the carriage, heard the twang of a bow, and suddenly there was an arrow in her right shoulder.


"Jukkete!" She cursed in the Elven tongue. She looked to where she thought the arrow had come from. She saw three people, one with rusted old armor and a sword, one with a bow and a quiver of arrows on his back, and a woman with nothing but some ragged clothes. She assumed that the one with no weapons or armor was a mage of some sort. Another arrow flew threw the air, this time missing her. She drew her katana with her left hand. She didn't know how bad her injury was, but she knew she couldn't fight with that arm right now. It hurt like hell. She charged forward, her katana held in front of her. A vine grew right in front of her feet, and she tripped and fell, but caught herself. At least she's not a fire mage. She thought to herself.


The man with the sword charged at her as she got back to her feet, and took a strong swing at her neck. She knew she couldn't block it, not with one hand, so she dodged it, jumping back a couple feet. She lunged forward with her sword, piercing his chest, and the brigand fell to the ground, dead. The mage wasn't too far behind him. Isenrah charged at her, and slashed at her neck. There was a spray of blood, then the woman fell to the ground, not moving. The man with the bow turned and began running in the opposite direction.


"Oh no you don't." Isenrah said, then dropped her sword. She pulled a throwing knife from her belt, and threw it towards the retreating bandit, catching him in the right shoulder, making him stumble and trip. Isenrah almost laughed at the irony. She ran towards him, intending to interrogate him as to who he was and why he and is friends had attacked her. That was, until she saw the puddle of blood that was slowly forming around him. The poor fool had cracked his head open on a rock. She then searched the bodies for anything worth looting from them.

 

[BarkWolfBacon]

BarkWolfBacon updated Kamirotha: End of an Age with a new update entry:


Patch 1.5 "Freedom"

-Added tab (Player Choice & Encounters) to Overview, populated with Encounter rules and information.

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[BarkWolfBacon]

BarkWolfBacon updated Kamirotha: End of an Age with a new update entry:


An expansion is coming!

HEADS UP EVERYONE.
The first large expansion pack-The Coming Storm-is drifting into Kamirotha within the next week (assuming the posts progress at current rate, you will be in proper place to trigger new content). It will be coming in the form of an event you will all experience, and it is totally your vote as to what it contains; some options/ideas are-


The Coming Storm Expansion Content


-New races (Orcs, Undead, Gnomes, Halflings, etc.) throw some more ideas in if you choose....

Read the rest of this update entry...

 

[X3 Infernal Infinity]

Seaport: Redhanded(?)


T.E.S.S.A sighed tapping the curved tech that was fitted over her ears a few times to turn up the volume of the white noise. The sound had little effect on her sense other than to force her mind to stop picking up on the thoughts of others. After a year she had expected to be somewhat better at controling that power on her own, but there were somethings she still wasn't used to yet. Being the semi-absent minded individual that she was she was only faintly aware of the fact that many people on the street were quite openly staring at her. Did she have something on her face. She frowned a bit seeming puzzled and then she realized it was probably her face itself. After all she did look rather strange. Besides being clad head to toe in what was obviously a blend or armor and ArcTech, her skin was covered with luminescent, albeit faint, pink markings. The covered her arms, chest, hand, and face. Almost any exposed area of her skin bore the luminescent mark of the same hue as her hair, where the Tech was visibly merged with her body. She sighed feeling out of place, this had never happened to her at the lab in Dro'fyr. But everyone there had worked to well...create her. As she reached up to rub the back of her head she was aware of a slight brush at her side.


Are all the people here so rude...





She was uttering another soft sigh as a elfish looking young man, presumably the person who bumped her moved swiftly away. Dropping her hand back to her side she was aware of something missing. Glancing down her eyes widened in surprise. The coin purse she wore on her hip was missing. Her eyes narrowed, her Battlesight sharpening as she spotted the elf who had bumped into her weaving swiftly through the crowd. There was a soft mechanical sound and a faint flare of pink through her suit as she took off running. She moved nimbly through the crowd, following the glimpses of the escaping male. Finally as he turned into an alley she was able to get a clear sight on him. Her right hand glowed purple, the lines on her skin changing to that hue as well. She reached out relying on her Raw Magic and focusing it into a telekinetic force. The crackle of purple sparks emitted from her hand as she wrapped the energy around the males throat practical yanking him off his feet mid-stride. Her hand partially closed she raised it slightly lifting him off the ground. She crossed the space between them moving around to his front so she could look at him more clearly. He looked rather disheveled and was swiping at his throat feebly with the hand that didn't hold her coin purse. Holding her other hand out she spoke her voice cold and even.





"Drop it and then I'll drop you..."





Her tone, when combined with the stoic look on her face and the purpleish pink glow of the ring around her iris invited no argument. The elf dropped the coin purse which T.E.S.S.A caught in her hand. The glow around her other hand faded and the male dropped quite unceremoniously to the ground spluttering as he rubbed his throat. T.E.S.S.A had not moved and was simply staring at the male, her expression now inquisitive rather that the blank one she had before. Having caught his breath the elf stood hand raised defensively as he began to ramble profusely, backing in to the wall.





"Please forgive me miss. I meant no harm, I just needed the money. My parents they died you see. Our village was burned during the incursion and I have siblings, younger brothers and sisters to raise. But I can't find a job and we really need the money. I sorry really. Please don't kill me."





The last part came out as a whimper. T.E.S.S.A tilted her head to the side for a moment, her face blank. She seemed to be pondering something for a moment. She didn't exactly understand half of the rambling. But something about the fact that he was taking care of his siblings all on his own struck a chord with her. She smiled opening her coin purse. She removed a few coins, enough for food and possibly a carraige to Haven. Tucking it in a pocket of her armor she pulled the string of the bag shut. Stepping closer to the trembling elf she grabbed his hand and placed the bag of coins in it. She tilted her head a grin on her face. As she stepped back.





"There ya go... You can have it... But you shouldn't steal Anii and Raf say that stealing is bad and can get you in serious trouble... It wouldn't be good for you sibling if you got hurt or arrested, yea...? You should join the guard here... That way you can make money honestly and protect those you care about..."


T.E.S.S.A nodded at her own advice, grinning slightly. Waving at the stunned elf she turned and headed out of the alley humming to herself. She barely heard the softly whispered "Thank you" as she made her way back into the crowded main street.

 

[Fus ro dah]

The Lurker Within The Ruins
​

"Hold still..."


The palomino was apparently anxious to get going on the road again and the mare kept pawing at the ground, snuffing softly. Arawen placed the saddle upon her back and inched it forward so it sat correctly, she tugged the saddle blanket so it was laying flat and reached underneath the horse to grab the girdle. The mare started to move forward a little in anticipation and the redhead sighed, glad she left the hobbles on. Once the girth was tightened, she knelt down and slipped the rope hobble off and stashed it in the saddlebag. She slipped her foot into the stirrup and swiftly mounted the mare, who started to walk forward even before the elf was seated. Taking the reins, she turned the horse in the right direction and nudged her forward into a canter.


An old ruin in the distance got her attention, as she drew closer Arawen realised it was some kind of old temple. The smooth black obelisks of the temple were overgrown by plantlife and she decided to have a look inside, even if it was already ransacked, there might be something of value left inside. Tying the mare to a nearby tree, Arawen steps inside the temple a feeling of dread filling her almost instantly.


Strange script covers the walls and the inside of the temple is empty, she can't read it, it's not anything she's ever seen before. Whatever used to be in here, was surely evil. A cold shudder twisted up her spine and she decided that she'd been in here long enough. Turning to leave, she found her path blocked by a hooded figure holding both a wrought iron staff and a longsword. His eyes begin to glow red and Arawen draws her swords, looks like this guy wants to fight. He uses the longsword to slice into his own flesh, casting magics at her.


"Looks like I've found a blood mage, time to die, scum." Arawen scowls in the darkness, twisting away as one of the spells glances off of her.


Using her speed, she charges the mage, zigzagging to avoid his spells. As she closes on him, she leaps into the air to bring the swords down ont his head. His sudden speed surprises her, he's quick for a pale guy. Her blades miss their mark, but manage to slice into the flesh of his right arm. He scuttles away and flings blood magic at her in retaliation, the spells slam into her blades and dissipate, knocking her back slightly across the dusty floor.


"You'll have to try harder than that." She sneered a laugh and slid her left sword back into it's scabbard.


As the mage snarled from beneath his hood and flung more magic at the elf, she dashed to the side and flung three kunai at him. They sped through the air, two finding their mark. One lodged in his chest, the other in his right shoulder. The mage grunted in pain and dropped his staff, which clattered loudly to the floor. Even through his pain, he threw another spell at her, this one flying madly towards her. Apparently she'd injured his spell arm. The spell whizzed past her and slammed into the wall behind her, knocking some of it loose.


As he tried to pull the kunai from his body, Arawen took the open opportunity and she rushed him, drawing her other sword again. Being light on her feet, she closed on him quickly. The black blades penetrated his body quickly and with a loud cry, he knocked the elf backward with a large explosion of blood magic. Arawen tumbled across the room, slamming into a wall which knocked the breath from her lungs. Dazed, she tried to catch her breath as the mage crumpled to the ground, the swords still inside his body. A tendril of wild magic sparked from his kneeling form and sped towards the dazed assassin, a large rock was lifted into the air. It was hurled toward Arawen's head, but lost trajectory as the mage finally died. It fell heavily and landed on the elf's forearm, snapping the bone.


That was all it took to snap her from her dazed state and she cried out in pain, pushing the rock from her arm. The pain shot up her arm as she cradled it against herself, looking over at the blood mage. Slowly, she got to her feet, gritting her teeth from the pain and made her way outside, she needed a splint and fast. Once she found an acceptable stick, she went back inside. The blood mage's robe would come in handy. She knelt beside the corpse and awkwardly tore off some of the material, using it to bind the splint to her broken arm. Using her teeth and free hand, she knotted it firmly in place and cut off a large section to make into a sling.


Good thing this wasn't the first time she'd had to do this. If only she had a healer, or healing magic or something... With her arm secured and the pain just bearable, she pulled her swords from the cooling corpse and started to search him for loot.

 

[Trevor B Harper]

On his way to River Hold to find Elendynn, Dro'fyr

Cadwy Jetcoal

Three heavyweight River Hold dwarf guards jumped the thief pinning him down. They knew their orders well. Each and every chase ended the same exact way - bolt to the leg, pin down, interrogate, and then either rip the culprit's head off or bring him to the Leader of River Hold. However, Cadwy was the general of the military in River Hold, so bringing anyone to the leader was not necessary. He only did it if it was of great importance. If not for the vast fields around him, he wouldn't have shot that bolt. Violence within the River Hold walls was considered breaking the law.


"Aight' ye piece o' garbage, why'd ye steal de gold from yer own men?" Cadwy kicked him in the shin asking the fella. He had a wrinkly face and a beard as white as winter snow. He was old and wise, however, stupid for stealing that gold. Leather clothing covered his whole body. Even though he was a dwarf, Cadwy had not seen him before around his own parts.


"I stole de gold t'get yer attention, Cadwy. I have somethin' for ye." The thief said as he pulled out a small scroll from his pockets. It was a piece of old paper with a seal. Cadwy picked up the paper and unrolled it to read what was written.


...


"Well, well, well, someone's in need o' me assistance? I can't just leave me gang 'ere without a general." He said after he read the letter. He was really surprised, however, he believed what had been written. He had the urge to go look for whoever wrote the letter.


"Howeva', Temley, yer de new general, got it? Treat me men well." Cadwy said as he gave a handshake to Temley, a dwarf who was next in line to take the general position. It was actually about time Cadwy retired. Without further hesitation Cadwy started marching towards River Hold.


"Oh, Cadwy!" He yelled, "Yer de new general, do what ye will with de culprit." Walking away he yelled. River hold was in sight after a few minutes of walking. "I need to find Elendynn." He thought to himself. Elendynn was the only one who he knew that had a vehicle, and Cadwy wasn't going to buy one himself with the amount of money he had.


@Stickdom

 

[Stickdom]

Red Barrens, Within Sight of River Hold

Elendynn Glace

She was already on her way, the Rider's tracks sliding over the sand between her and home. She had left the pirates and their stores on the ship, she could not have carried it all on her small craft anyway. Among the spoils she had found two large crates of pure, crystalline Dark Matter, stolen from the Grand Desert Company by the symbols on the box. She helped herself to a handful of crystals, a small price for her "rescue" of the crates. She had heard of their power to enhance magical abilities, this was am opportunity she could not miss, and she was sure the Grand Desert Company would not miss them either. There were a few other crates, mostly cheap ores, meant to hide the fact that the pirates had stolen goods, they were of no interest to her, along with some cartons of items, obviously caravan materials, foodstuffs and tools, and she had browsed through this briefly, but found nothing of interest. On the pirates themselves, she had found two flasks of healing ointment, one she had immediately used on her bruised and cracked rib, just to stave off the pain and keep it from worsening, as well as some gold pieces and an interesting letter:

Maybe this was unclear in our previous messages, that dark matter WILL get here...or I will bring wrath down on your entire namesake, and you will believe the Void is falling on you every waking moment.


But in the interest of pleasant business, I do believe you will find a way for it to get here. I desire no more of your complaints regarding the difficulty (or the quantity) of the order.


May fortune favor you,


-I

Rolled inside of the letter was a map, which she discovered to her horror held key locations of many slaving routes and dens. "The bastards, they must be transporting all kinds of innocents to these places." She left the pirate craft, keeping the map, the accompanying letter and the remaining jar of healing salve, as well as taking the crossbows and the saber. She may or may not use them herself, but they would sell for a good price, though the saber had a good mark about it, it might be handy to keep around. She stowed all of the larger items in a crate on the back of her Rider, donning her hood and goggles again, raced off into the desert towards River Hold.


As she drew near, she saw a figure running out to greet her, a dwarf by the size of him. She recognized him as Cadwy, her friend and drinking partner, and sent him hand-signals from a distance, motioning for him to take her arm as she flew by. He did so, and she hauled him up onto the Rider behind her, without losing a moment's sped. There was enough room for the both of them, but not by much. He may have been talking to her, but on with the wind whipping past her ears, she couldn't hear a word and hoped that he could explain just as well back in River Hold as out here. The sun was starting to get higher, she didn't want to be out here when the larger creatures stirred in the roiling heat.


@Trevor B Harper