The Great Defiance

[[Faelan]]

The Great Defiance

(Starter #5 is up and running! Finally)!




Plot:

The parchment is tearing. And I don't have much time. If you are reading this, the chances are very good that I am gone. Therefore, my name is of no importance. I will tell you, however, that it is currently 22:43 on the 27th of Selenusk, 904CE. King Almir has already claimed so many lives, and mine is to be next. They have turned the hangings into a spectacle for entertainment purposes. Opalescent's residents may now watch as my brothers and sisters in Selene are hanged for their faith. What wrong have we, as Littoralists, committed simply by having faith? Certainly, Animoists have never taken much of a liking to us, but to have Littoralists killed for their practice is nothing short of hypocritical, for they appear to be equally steadfast in their beliefs. And what is air without water, or water without air? But I digress. Whoever you may be, I truly hope that my letter reaches you across the seas. I shall pray for Selene to give each goddess of the waves charge over this message, so that they may guide it to the shores of a potential savior. I thank you for reading this letter, and request only that you remain safe on your journey. Yours truly, ... {The fifty year-old parchment has been torn where its writer's signature was once written.}  

[[Faelan]]

Information

For reference, the Guild Rules can be found here: Rules and Guidelines, as well as a detailed Map of Lyndria, and information on its inhabitants. (It also includes an FAQ, to prevent confusion).

{For more information on Lyndria and its history, visit the Lyndrian Athenaeum.}


Remember: If you are new to the RP or have been away for some time, check the RP Guide!

Thank you all, very much, and enjoy the RP!

 

[Captain Bonsai]

“Good day, young lad! What are you doing wandering about all by yourself?” boomed the guard on the right, each time his jaw moved his second chin became more prominent under the chin strap that held his ridiculous steel cap in place.

“My dragon and I,” the man seemed taken aback by the sweetness of her obviously female voice, “have journeyed from afar to reach your beautiful city so that we may rest and perhaps make a new life for ourselves…”

“Well… Madam… welcome to the Opalescent city and may you find safe refuge here…”

The guard opened the door as the scrawny one on the left just kept a very peculiar eye on Tumai. She smiled at him briefly then gestured for Tage to follow her. The furry white dragon did as she bade and into the city they stepped together.

She took in her surroundings with a gentle, weary gaze. Dark circles had made their dusky home underneath Tumais’ eyes, accentuating the red-wine color to her irises.

“Where now?” Tage articulated out loud, so unlike most Dragon-folk.
“First Inn we see… you will most likely end up in their stable though…”
“That is fine… your little human back must be crying for a bed by now, my forearm can’t be that healthy for you…”

The two bantered on until they came across a small inn whose sign read “The Sotted Bar & Inn,” Tumai turned and hugged Tages’ neck best she could then stepped inside, the wooden floor creaking beneath her moccasins.

Tumai went and spoke to the man at the bar about a room, obtained one with her not-so-limited supply of gold stolen from her no-longer-master then shuffled up to her room to sleep. She hadn’t come from overseas. She had no knowledge of any sort of religious persecution in this town. She hadn’t received a letter from an anonymous sender seeking her help with this city.

Instead, Tumai dreamed sweetly on how this city would be her new home, her first real home, and how tomorrow she would explore her new utopia…  

[Rachetgirl11]

"Hello there, young one! What are you doing here?" A different guard, a different gate, but still an overweight man that would be kill in three seconds. Erik was really getting sick of this. "Um, saving the world?" The guard laughed, his triple chin bouncing and making Erik want to puke. "Why are you really here?" Erik sighed. "I've have been tracking an enemy of mine. You might know him, he's got a Claymore on his back and that's a dead giveaway." The guard regarded Erik curiously. "From where did you start tracking this man?" Erik shrugged. "Somewhere along the plains. He ran to this city, so I thought I'd follow him in and restock." The guard shrugged himself. "Go in, but don't chop anyone." Erik laughed. "I'm the good guy, anyone I chop will be posing a direct threat to this town." Erik walked through town, taking in everything in sight, eventually stopping at an Inn named "The Sotted Bar & Inn". No reason in particular, it just seemed to be the cleanest Inn around. As Erik got himself one of the few remaining rooms, he went over the reasons he came here: He had received a letter from some mysterious sender, but then he found out about Krious being here. People dying for religion, Krious within 100 miles, 2 and 2 make 4.  

[Captain Bonsai]

“Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”-THUD! Tumai hit the ground in a wad of blankets having fallen off of the absolutely divine feather bed she had slept so soundly upon. TAP. TAP. TAP.

“Are you up yet?”

“You are what woke me up?” she shouted in the direction of the window, untangling herself from the bed sheets and stomping over to throw open the curtains and sure enough there was a big white dragon nose fogging up the glass.

“Hey, you’re awake!”
“Now I am! Mangy beast, you scared the spirit right outta me… What do you want?”
“Breakfast?” Tage looked almost pleading when he said this through the glass despite his obvious effort to keep his stomach at bay. Tumai shuffled over to the nightstand, dug into her leather coin pouch, then shuffled back over to the window and pushed it open.

“Treat yourself,” she said as she placed the coins in his claws, knowing that a dragon could hold onto gold pieces any size they hoard so well. Tage scampered off happily as she wished she could see the look on the face of whomever he tried to buy from…

She readied herself for the day and shuffled downstairs to sit at the bar. A woman with a figure of mind-bogglingly ridiculous proportions and flaming red hair down to her attention-demanding hips soon swayed her way over to Tumai and leaned forward against the bar opposite her to let her elbows rest on the worn, pitted wood, the woman’s pendulous femininity escaping and becoming immensely visible through her low-cut poet top.

“ ‘Ow are yeh this morn’? Did ye sleep o’right?”
“I slept wonderfully, thank you,” the barmaid’s eyes were of such a brilliant emerald and lime Tumai was able to dismiss her harsh accent with ease.
“Good-ter hear! Be there anythin’ I can get ye?”
Tumai nodded and asked for black tea and eggs with toast and jam and the woman bustled off towards the kitchen.

Tumai looked around, the place was relatively occupied with a fair number of men, all of them just as, if not much more so, captivated by the barmaid as she was.

When the barmaid returned with her ‘grub’ she scarfed it down, happily, then sipped her tea staring out the eastern window. Zoning out then back in now and again (generally whenever the barmaid sauntered past...)
 

[Rachetgirl11]

"Hey, kid. Let me give you a word of advice: Don't start screaming about how a mangy beast is in your room. People might listen in." Erik had slid up next to the guy who was yelling and screaming this morning. "You're lucky I paid the barman off so that he wouldn't run up and break down your room's door." Erik ordered a mug of ale in order to keep the bartender busy. "Name's Erik. You?"  

[Captain Bonsai]

"Hello Erik!" the words sounded a little hurried and over-pronounced as though she had been startled, "uh... thanks for the tip, didn't realize the walls were so thin in this place... It's just that my friend really scared me this morning is all. But thanks for paying the barman off, really, I owe you one."

She sipped her tea, wondering where the 'mangy beast' was at and if he was causing too much trouble... Was he still looking at her? Oh yeah!

"Oh! I'm Tumai," she set down the small mug with a dull ceramic thud, shook her short splinters of white hair out of her eyes to look at Erik and extended a hand for shaking.  

[Rachetgirl11]

"Good to meet you." Erik shook Tumai's hand. "For the record, if the beast in question really isn't mangy, I deeply apologize. Anyway, I'm going to be leaving in a bit. I have an enemy to track." Erik's mind already started to wonder how he would track down Krious, and then kill him once Krious was found.  

[Captain Bonsai]

Enemy…? An enemy of what sort? She sipped her tea and wondered, eyeing Erik out of her peripheral as she stared even still out the eastern window...

She was almost startled to see him trot into the clearing and roll onto his back to sunbathe, stretching his neck exposing a reddened muzzle and throat.

“Well, he made short work of that didn’t he…” she muttered into her palm, her fingers sneaking into her closed lids beneath knitted brows.

With a sudden intake of air and correction of posture Tumai looked over at Erik and asked “What sort of enemy?”  

[Rachetgirl11]

"It's an enemy I alone must fight. Only I can counter his combat style, because only I have lived long enough to figure it out! His name is Krious, and my suspicions are that he's been creating what's been going on here." Erik looked off to the side. "If you would like to come with me, I would appreciate the company. I've traveled alone for many months. Gets very lonely."  

[Captain Bonsai]

"I can't say I've travelled alone," Tumai continued to gaze out the window as Tage began to bathe himself, "but I can say I understand the feeling," she smiled.

"I would love to accompany you though, when do you depart?"

She wanted to ask what he meant by 'what's been going on here' but she had a feeling she would have time to ask about that in depth in the future.  

[Rachetgirl11]

"Well, I'll be in the city for a while. I have things to do, and I have to figure out why so many Littoralists have been killed recently. If my suspicions are correct, a man named Krious is behind this, and if he is, then his plan is much more devious..." Erik started getting lost in thought.  

[Captain Bonsai]

"Hmm... I suppose I will gather supplies myself then," she was eager to learn more but also to explore the city, "Will you be rooming here again tonight? Meet you at the bar, perhaps?"  

[Rachetgirl11]

"As far as I know, Krious is here. And so, I will remain in this City until he leaves. I think I'll see if I could perhaps find a house to set up a sort of base at." Erik decided he would need a house to not only set up at, but also to have a place to stay for anyone that joined him. "Meet me back here tonight."  

[Captain Bonsai]

((This post is needlessly long, but I want a part in creating the world of Lyndaria because I'm selfish like that. Sorry))

Tumai nodded and set some gold pieces on the counter for her tea and breakfast.
“I will see you tonight, then.”

She threw her tattered, threadbare, faded-to-gray canvas jacket on over her pristine white tunic and stepped out the door while waving over her shoulder.

Tage was dozing in the sun around the corner of the building, still somewhat blood-stained.

“Hey you, I’m going shopping for supplies. You coming?”
The dragon groaned and shook his head. Tumai grinned in amusement then stepped off in the direction of… Well, hopefully the shops she’s looking for.

Eventually she arrived at The Enchantment Emporium and grinned. The place looked exactly how the name implied it would, overly elaborate colorful sign, velvet curtains, crystal balls and runes in the windows along with various bizarre potions.

The door creaked beneath her fingertips and the overwhelming scent of Frankincense assaulted her nostrils. She blinked away tears as she expelled a series of mousy sneezes. Bells tinkled as the door swung shut behind her.

“Blessed be!"

Tumai nearly jumped out of her skin in terror of the voice right at her shoulder, she whirled around to be met by a hefty dwarven women that came up to mid-chest on Tumai. The woman shut her fiery golden eyes and threw back her head letting out a full, throaty laugh.

“Dearie me, child, you’d jump at anything now wouldn’t you? I’ve some Chamomile tea on the kettle if you’d like some, calm your nerves a bit.”

Normally she would have declined but something about this short little woman with dirty blonde ringlet hair down to her broomstick-skirt-clad larger-than-life-hips bid her to nod.

“Ah kay then love, jus’ give me a few moments and I’ll be righ’ back with ye,” She said with a wink and then bustled off. The bells on her ankles tinkled as her bare feet pattered away, “Feel free to take a look around,” she called over her shoulder before disappearing behind some over-elaborate Celtic-knot draperies.

Sconces on the walls lighted the area along with a very strange candelabra in the center of the shop. The Candelabra was perhaps the first thing that caught Tumais eyes, each stem of a corroded copper spiraling tightly outward away from the inner silver shaft to contain a candle in a lotus-like holder. There had to be at least twenty candles in little bronze lotuses. The three metals seemed important. So did the various stones and crystals dangling from each lotus.

A counter top lined the walls of the shop, some with shelves underneath containing small trinkets, potions, stones or jewelry. Atop the counters were various bells, bowls, larger potions, small idols and statues, and a small deer-like animal who seemed to be alive near the register.

Tumai slowly inched towards it. It’s eyes were far too large for it’s head and glistened like pools of black ink. A horn protruded from it’s forehead and hooked forward, scales covered all four legs and entire hind quarters. The hooves were cloven and it had a small mane and horses’ tail.

“That’s Ki-Ki, dear, a Ki-rin. She’s a little beastie from the East-ie. Ahaha, I made a jest.”

The little woman bustled over to the other side of the counter and set the tea on it, “Think of her as a cousin of the unicorn, you can pet her if you like.”

Tumai did, hesitantly, as she sipped her tea. She felt calmer…

“So love, what brings you to my humble abode?” She waved a heavily ringed hand around, gesturing to the entire shop, as she said this.

“I was hoping you would have some healing potions for me?”

“Mhmm! Plenty of those! What else?”

“What could you do with these?” Tumai set her Kamas on the counter.

The little woman behind the counter grinned, “The name’s Bridgett, lemme tell you what I can do with those...”

It was dusk before Tumai left The Enchantment Emporium. She went and grabbed other supplies in a rush before closing time, rope, parchment, etc. She dropped her supplies off in her room and then sat at the bar for dinner and hopefully to meet Erik again. Tage was already dozing in the stable when she’d come in…