Group 17

Dark moonlight · Post by **Dark moonlight** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 2:44 pm

The crossbow bolt jammed it's barbed tip into Kalash's skull, blood almost leaped out of the top of the dead guide's head. Kalash slumped to the side, his head seemed extremely heavy ontop of his lifeless body, the only movement now was his arm twitching a little, Maldain's hands were covered in blood and so was his torso and face. The trainee didn't care much as he was in shock, he then looked down at Kalash's crossbow, Maldain picked it up and strapped it to his belt along with the ammunition. He said to himself "sleep now Kalash, may you be in Khaine's arms for now till the end of the universe."

The druchii was filling up with rage, Maldain was getting hot and his face was turning a scarlet colour. He stood up and turned around, the slave leader was facing away from him, occupied by Sarath and Ilokir. Maldain saw the norseman and became frenzied with anger. He thought about when the slaves came out of the bushes and one of them threw the spear at kalash, pinning him against the tree that he is now lying on. Dead. The red mist that he saw earlier now came back, Maldain's vision was covered in red. He was almost possessed by something, his actions were not his own now. The frenzied trainee sprinted towards the slave leaders back, he unsheathed his weapons, He had his shortsord in his left hand and his dagger in his right.

Maldain will attempt to jump onto the slave leaders back, jamming his shortsword in the norseman's shoulder as he is in the air. Then, if he is successfull, will try to stab his dagger into his neck from the side.

Ilokir lúinwë · Post by **Ilokir lúinwë** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 4:33 pm

It wasn’t difficult for Ilokir to read the defending patterns of his adversary. Ilokir is not surprised to see the Norseman fall for his faint and thus leaving his side unprotected. Eager to strike the blow, Ilokir dives for the gap in his adversary’s defense and smashes the spikes of his vambraces in the Norseman’s thigh. Ilokir tries to spin on his heels, to immediately recover a defensive position, but is astounded by the Norseman’s speed of reaction. Before he realizes what is going on, Ilokir is smashed with his back to a tree. He feels the air been kicked from his lungs. Instinctly, he reaches for his ribs but he can’t feel a thing because of his breastplate. Was it not for my armour, my ribs would probably be broken. Still coughing and slightly dazed from the pain, Ilokir sees Sarath taking over the initiative and almost severing the man’s swordarm. Blood is gushing out of the man’s wounds, as he is displaying one last pathetic display of defiance.

What a pity. With at least a decent training this would have been an excellent warrior. If we have to encounter humans like this in the Old World, we’ll have a hell of a task at hand.

Ilokir is reassured Sarath will take care of the Norseman. When Spotting Draich-na and Maldain, he realizes the battle is over with the four of them still standing, but with their guide dead. Ilokir tries to stand, by using his scabbard as a crutch. He inhales deep, to make certain no ribs are bruised. When he manages to stand, still numb of the blow, Ilokir decides not to show weakness in front of the others. Suddenly, he sees Maldain sprint with drawn weapons towards the Norseman. It takes a second before it dawns to Ilokir what Maldain’s intentions are. ”Stay your weapon! Syndicit wants him alive!” Ilokir shouts, knowing this probably will not stop a frenzied khainite. When Maldain doesn’t react, Ilokir will utter a strong curse and will try to knock down the oncoming Trainee with the flat of his sword at the back of his head, as Maldain will pass him by to reach the slave leader.

Raven knight · Post by **Raven knight** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:46 pm

Draich-na looks around at his companions, the norseman is still standing although he is covered in his own blood, he notices Ilokir is recovering from a blow which sent him into the tree and tries to make his way over to him.
I seriously hope we can get some training somewhere in the Old World, these slaves almost killed some of us.

I must accept my shame and remain passive in the decision making until I have earned the right to provide my opinion again

Draich-na looked down at his worn longsword which was covered in the slaves blood; I have got too get a finer sword, this piece of junk jammed in that slaves chest, that almost got me killed thought Draich-na making a note to purchase a new sword whenever possible.

Just then Draich-na notices Maldain charge recklessly at the norsemen intending to kill him, he notices Ilokir attempting to intercept him but he is worried that with him being recently winded he might not make it, determined to finish the job properly Draich-na will attempt to rush forward and tackle Maldain to the ground.

Stg · Post by **Stg** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:22 pm

Astonishment. It’s all that is passing through Sarath’s mind at the moment. Astonishment at the Norseman’s endurance and defiance in the face of the druchii’s assault. Astonishment at the man’s quick recovery from Ilokir’s attack and subsequently tossing the elf into a tree. Astonishment at his own successful attack that nearly took the man’s hand off. Astonishment at the sudden and frenzied charge of Maldain and the attempts of Ilokir and Draich-na to intercept him. It was all happening so fast, Sarath could barely keep track. Just a moment before, he had managed to dive into the Norseman following Ilokir’s brutal assault and disable his main hand, reducing him to wielding his sword in his off hand. Out of the corner of his eye, it appeared their guide Kalash had died, and Maldain was quickly joining the fight. Sarath took a moment to look down at the Norseman, defiance burning in his eyes. “You’ll never surrender, will you brute? Not that you can understand me.”

Now Maldain was charging full force towards the Norseman’s back, intent on dealing him a deathblow. Sarath was content to let him, and keep the slave leaders attention focused on himself, when Ilokir yelled out to the sprinting Maldain. Of course, I forgot this brute is to be taken alive Sarath thought as he processed Ilokir’s shouts. And I highly doubt Maldain will take that into consideration. He appears to be in a frenzy. Ilokir had deduced this as well, and was quickly trying to stop him. At this point Draich-na had also caught onto to situation and began to sprint towards the frenzied Maldain in an attempt to stop him as well. If neither of them make it in time, Maldain is likely to tear this Norseman apart. Thinking quickly, Sarath forced himself into action, lifting his sword and shield and preparing for more combat.

Sarath will raise his shield up and rush forwards in an attempt to bash it into the Norseman’s head, hopefully knocking him unconscious. If successful, he will step over him and keep his shield raised in the event that Maldain continues his charge without interruption, hoping to stop his advance. If Maldain is stopped beforehand, however, he will just breathe a sigh of relief.

Beastmaster kurlan · Post by **Beastmaster kurlan** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:02 pm

Maldain: You leave Kalash where he is, taking his crossbow as your own. After strapping it onto your back you turn to charge towards the Norseman, engulfed completely in your frenzy. Grasping your weapons tightly you charge towards the Norseman. Out of the corner of you eye you realise Ilokir shout something, but you remain oblivious and continue the charge. You see Ilokir come racing towards you, and the next thing you know you are forced roughly to the ground.

Ilokir: Leaving Sarath to deal with the Norseman, you call out to Maldain, trying to stop him charging. However as expected your words fall on deaf ears and you take matters in to your own hands. Hefting yourself to your feet you charge towards him, coming between him and the Norseman. Using the flat of your sword and a leg you manage to force him sprawling to the floor successfully.

Draich-na: Getting up you realise the intentions of the frenzied Khainite and rush towards him, trying to stop him harming the Norseman. But you are far away and even while sprinting you know you will not reach him; however you let a sigh of relief pass your lips as Ilokir successfully stops him.

Sarath: You move towards the Norseman, who is now swaying, in a poor state. In his last assault he half heartedly swings his sword towards your head, but it is merely met by yours in a strong parry. The sword flies from his hand and he takes a step back, trying to get away from you, but you advance swiftly with your shield raised high, and knock him unconscious.

The group now all stand around the unconscious Norseman, the strewn bodies around you, it is fast getting dark however, and you can already hear several growls rumbling in the depth of the woods. No doubt coming from dark creatures soon coming out to feed. You may choose to spend precious time searching the area for anything of value, or may attempt to carry the Norseman between yourselves and make your exit straight away. You must decide amongst yourselves, and division will certainly waste time, this will test your communication levels as a group.

OOC: Ok basically you can spend time looting the area, searching for anything that might be sold, at the moment the only inventory changes are that Draich-Na’s longsword is stuck fast, and is considered lost, and Maldain has gained a crossbow along with a single cartridge of ammunition. You will of coarse at some point have to transport the unconscious Norseman, bear in mind his wounds are also pumping blood at an alarming rate.

Stg · Post by **Stg** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 4:22 pm

Sarath let out a massive sigh of relief as the brutish Norseman fell to the ground unconscious. His head was swimming with everything that had happened so far, and was trying his best to calm himself down. He took a few more heavy breathes to lower his heart rate, and then scanned the area around him. Well, it seems Maldain was stopped short of his goal, but it’s for the best. Sarath noted everyone else seemed to be ok, with little to no wounds, except for their guide Kalash of course.

“A job well done everyone, if I do say so myself. Now what should we do?” Sarath looked to the others as they all approached the Norseman, seeing if anyone had an idea. “He will most likely bleed to death from all these wounds, so I suppose something must be done about them.” Before anyone else had a chance to respond, a thought crossed Sarath’s mind, and he quickly moved into action. He first ran towards the bodies of the two slaves who stood their ground near the Norseman, but were eventually cut down by Ilokir. Scanning the ground, he quickly found their discarded swords and picked them up. He then ran back to the Norseman and collected both of the man’s bastard swords before turning and looking around for more fallen blades. Facing the group, Sarath noted a few quizzical looks given to him by the others, and responded with a simple “…What?”

OOC: Ok, a few things here. Firstly, I left this post a bit smaller than normal as to allow more room for faster paced conversation between the group and less action. Second, is Draich-na’s sword lost forever, or is there any way to get him a replacement? I would hate for him to lose his weapon. Lastly, I do not intend to keep all of the swords I picked up. This is more to display my character’s silly/goofy/clumsy attributes; I don’t want him to come off like a battle hardened warrior/badass. So feel free to bring this up or make me get rid of them or anything.

Dark moonlight · Post by **Dark moonlight** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:51 pm

Maldain was knocked to the floor with some force, he really didn't see the sword or Ilokir for that matter. His back landed first and winded him for a little while, He tried to breath but couldn't for a while, he tried to gulp in some air but didn't succeed, the druchii hit himself hard on his chest and then finally he managed to get some air. Maldain then reolised that he looked really silly. He swiftly got up and wiped himself down, he then looked around to see the other druchii stopped and the slave leader on the floor, unconscious.

Maldain said to his companions "I have to say I am extremely sorry about going for the slave leader, it's just when i get into a fight, i get very angry and cannot controll myself. I also want to say that we need to get out here soonish, because the night creatures will be here soon. Every-one grab a sword from one of the slave's bodies and then let's pick up the leader and get the hell out of here."

Maldain then ran over to the nearest slave's corpse and picked up his shortsword. He then ran back to the norseman's unconscious body and grabbed one of his legs. "Come on lads lil' help!"

Ilokir lúinwë · Post by **Ilokir lúinwë** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 5:27 pm

Ilokir manages to block Maldain’s path just in time. Spinning on his heels, he creates enough momentum to smash the Trainee’s head with the flat of his sword to send him sprawling to the ground. Not convinced that he has put Maldain out of action, Ilokir prepares to strike Maldain again if the latter would recover and still be in frenzy. Relieved, he sees Maldain gasping for air, the obsessed look in his eyes disappeared. Ilokir can’t help but smile at the comical situation. He stretches out a hand to help Maldain getting up ”Apologies accepted. Perhaps we should try to direct these frenzies of yours at more convenient targets. It seems we will have to coordinate our actions in combat if we want to become a team.”

Ilokir walks over to one of the slaves he took out and retrieves his throwing knife. He grabs a piece of ragged cloth from the slaves’ garment and wipes his sword and dagger clean. ”Minaith Senlui Cynath Khaine”, Ilokir murmurs under his breath when sheathing his longsword, making sure he is not overheard by the living. Then slowly he walks over to the Norseman where Sarath, Draich-na and Maldain are discussing what to do next.

With growing astonishment, Ilokir watches Sarath setting off collecting the swords of the fallen slaves. Letting out a sigh of unbelief, Ilokir turns to the Norseman and realises his wounds are lethal. Not caring if he will insult Maldain or not, Ilokir addresses the Trainee after examining the unconscious barbarian: ”The wound in the leg is not lethal, but the slash Sarath inflicted on his arm however is. Did you only learn how to kill in the Temple or did they teach you how to put on a bandage? We have to staunch the flow of blood, or he is lost. If we transport him like this, he will never make it. Another possibility is to sear the wound."

Suddenly the evening quiet is torn apart by the growls of predators in the nearby bush. "It seems we don’t have the time for that. Let’s set up a perimeter while we bandage the wound and get out of here." If no-one will take the initiative, Ilokir will rip the slave’s garment to pieces, and starts putting on a temporarily dressing as good as it gets. ”Help me to carry him!”, Ilokir shouts to Maldain. Ilokir will take the left armpit of the Norseman on his shoulder and will try to carry the Norseman back to the Harpies Den, if Maldain will assist him.

”Do you have any idea what was out there in the bushes?", Ilokir asks Maldain, immediately realising his mistake because any Druchii would know what kind of animal made that particulary growl, as would any Asur living nearby the Annulii recognise the typical sound of a Cocatrice or a Chimera. ”Nevermind”

Raven knight · Post by **Raven knight** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 4:20 pm

Draich-na listens to the others talking about what to do next, he then hears predatory roars from the nearby bushes;Dammit! Probably drawn by the large amounts of blood lying in pools around the clearing

He looks down at the norseman who is in pretty bad shape and spots Ilokir tending to his most serious wounds, scavaging around for one of the norseman's swords Draich-na retrieves his shield and forms himself up facing the nearest bush; Gotta make sure we get this bloody norseman back in a reasonable condition.

"Alright guys I think we should tend to the norseman's wounds but the second he is fit to be dragged we should get the hell out of here"

Beastmaster kurlan · Post by **Beastmaster kurlan** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:04 pm

You all decide quickly to take a few weapons and get out as fast as possible. Using the slaves’ old dusty rags Ilokir manages to slow the bleeding on his arm. The other two minor wounds are no longer bleeding; they have clotted but are slightly dirty. Deciding this is the best you can do under the time constraint you ensure the rag is tied tightly and begin to lift him.

You each take an arm and a leg and attempt to lift him; you are all astonished by the weight and struggle at first to lift him from the ground. However once you have him in the air and begin walking you soon find it easy enough to walk. You all chat amongst yourselves while walking back through the dark streets, the cool crisp air upon your skin keeping you awake.

All around you can be seen the nightlife of Vikarh, young scantily clad women running around and speaking in hushed tones. Older males all huddled round different doorways, some setting out for the night with blankets, others throwing dice about and cheering amongst themselves. You get some strange looks from the patrolling city guards, but noticing it as a human, allow you to carry on without question.

After about an hour of walking the Harpies Den is in clear sight. You all let out a sigh of relief, as most of your bodies are aching from the fight and carrying the Norseman back. You walk into the bar and see Syndikit sitting at a table eating a green apple, resting his boots upon the bar.

Upon seeing you he lets out a sigh of relief, the panic that you would not return vanquished. However this quickly turns to scorn, and he rises, kicking over the table, the wine crashing to the floor. He draws his bastard sword and points it towards you, you idiots! Morons! I give you an easy task! You all lay the Norseman on the floor and look at Syndikit, confused. I said my friend wanted him alive, as a slave, will he lift with one arm? Chop wood with one arm? He will probably die of these wounds, and cannot even be used in my arena. I made a promise, and my word is how I get on in this business. Not only will I be embarrassed, but I shall have to recompense him. And I am going to make the guess that Kalash is dead? That’s perfect, and you,Syndikit points towards Maldain you just take his crossbow? Loot his corpse? He kicks another stool over in frustration and throws an empty bottle towards Maldain, which barely misses, smashing into the wall. If I did not need you so bad, I would have you killed by now, you have angered me, however I am kind, and patient, you will be given a second chance. As it is I have acquired this fine establishment, so it is not all bad.Syndikit gives a smirk and plunges his sword into the Norseman’s chest, wrenching it, causing blood to poor onto the floor. Well you have some loot, go sell it, or do whatever you wish to, but meet me back here in an hour. Your rooms are all ready, with clean sheets, towels, and a bathroom to clean yourselves up in. Get going, before I change my mind about keeping you.

Syndikit wipes his blade with a white cloth, cleaning off the blood, and then sheathes it. He points to the door while finishing his apple, signalling for you to all leave.

OOC: Ok guys, as you can probably tell, Syndikit is pissed off, not the best start, but a roll of a 20 out of 100 means it cannot have been a great success. Maldain looted a shortsword and a repeater crossbow. Ilokir retrieved his throwing dagger. Sarath has taken 2 shortswords and a bastard sword, the other one is given to Draich-na as a replacement to the one he lost.

Right you may now all visit one place of your choice before you must return to the inn and get some sleep, your choices are

The Weaponsmith: May purchase “MELEE EQUIPMENT” (See ‘Item and Skills’ thread in the Character Creation & Trading forum)

The Fletcher: May purchase “RANGED EQUIPMENT” (See ‘Item and Skills’ thread in the Character Creation & Trading forum)

The Armourer: May purchase “ARMOUR” (See ‘Item and Skills’ thread in the Character Creation & Trading forum)

The General Store: Purchase food and helpful items such as rope, firewood and backpacks from the General Store.

Barracks: For a fee, have an instructor teach you a new fighting skill or improve your skill with a chosen weapon (WARRIORS ONLY)

Thieves Guild: For a fee, have an instructor teach you a new stealth or agility skill or improve your skill with a chosen weapon (SHADES ONLY)

Temple of Khaine: For a fee, have an instructor teach you a new Khainite skill or improve your skill with a chosen weapon. Alternatively, you may purchase speciality weapons and/or poisons (TRAINEES ONLY)

Gambling Dens: Take a chance and play a number of games of luck for the chance to win gold pieces

Black Market: Although pricey, it is possible to buy magic items and potions from the black market, although no items are guaranteed to actually work correctly!

Fighting Pits: Battle it out in fights to the death against Slaves in the fighting pits. If you win, you are rewarded with prizes, if the slave wins, they are rewarded with freedom!

The Docks: Earn gold coin for hard labour. Also, the destination if you require the “services” of one of the cities many harlots and prostitutes.

The Slave Pits/Stables: For a large sum of money, you can purchase a slave to do with as you please. Alternatively, Mules and Dark Steeds can be purchased if you need to get anywhere in a hurry.

Dark moonlight · Post by **Dark moonlight** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 7:08 pm

Maldain ducked to avoid the object that was thrown at him, it whizzed past his head with surprising speed. He knew that Syndikit was not someone to mess with. Maldain readied himself for any more projectiles that were to be thrown. Surprisingly, Syndikit took a deep breath and calmed down. Maldain let out a sigh of relief and stood back in his normal position again. He was quite excited to hear that he was going to be able to go to the nearby fighting pits and test out what his frenzies can do.

It took a while for Maldain to find the nearby Fighting pits, when he arrived, he was awstruck. Infront of the druchii was a giant arena, it was alive with noise and lights. The trainee's stomach started to rumble with butterflies, he wasn't even this nervous when he got into the proper mission with all the other Druchii and Kalash. Maldain's mind drifted back to the ambush, when the slave jumped out and threw the spear at kalash, impailing him to the tree. Then later when Kalash shot himself in the skull, the tip of the bolt showing at the top of his head. Maldain started to get enraged before he had even set foot in the Arena.

Inside the colluseum there was lots of contestants waiting to get in on the action. The slaves were all lined up on the other side of the hallway. It was quite a sad site, they were all chained together but the leg and there was corsairs standing around them. The corsairs were armed with a shortsword and dagger, also they all wore a sea dragon cloak. Maldain thought to himself "Man i want a sea dragon cloak!" He then talked to the guard standing by the gate into the arena, he wore heavy armour and had a halberd. "I would like to fight one of the slaves." He was then shown into the arena by the guard.

On the other side of the arena was the slave he was going to be fighting. It was weird to know that he had no idea who or what he was fighting. All Maldain could see was a shadowy black figure on the other side of the arena, the only thing between them was a gate, it looked normal but perhaps it had some kind of enchantment on it so that the fighter couldn't see the slave he was fighting. The slave could be human or orc or possibly even a high elf. The thought of high elves mad Maldain boil up with rage, he thought to himself "Now lets test out this frenzy!"

Maldain will take out his repeater crossbow and grip it in two hands. When the gates open, he will shoot two bolts at the slave. If he is unseccessfull, he will put away his crossbow and take out his dagger in his left hand and his shortsword in his right.

OOC: I apologise for the short post last time, and i didn't reolise that you may only go to one place. I hope this post is better. Apologies to you Beastmaster Kurlan, I have never been in a fighting pit or even seen one being posted in other groups. I hope the paragraph is better now

Ilokir lúinwë · Post by **Ilokir lúinwë** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:04 am

Syndicit’s reaction does not altogether surprise Ilokir. Their task was to bring the Norseman alive. Alive he was, but in what condition? What bothers Ilokir is that they are scorned like little elflings. This Syndicit must be very sure of himself… But not that powerful if he wants to impress his fellow elves with trinkets from the Old World. Hunt an escaped slave for a friend… If he is that powerful as he claims, it would be the other way around. Why would he send us to the Old Word if he has a private army? Are these soldiers too expensive perhaps? And why would he come with us? That he doesn’t trust us, we already know, but it shows again that he is quite desperate. He even doesn’t tell what to expect there, if he even knows. If necessary, we can always turn the tables. That won’t be a problem if he keeps behaving like this.

When Syndicit throws his mug at Maldain to express his anger because of loosing Kalash, Ilokir takes two of the bottles of wine from the tables and turns around without a word, walking to the door. While leaving, he hears Syndicit franticly shouting that he is to be expected to return within the hour. Ilokir somehow understands the reaction of Syndicit. With Kalash dead and the slave in a terrible condition, Ilokir has to admit that they screwed up. Letting the past events unfold in his mind once more, Ilokir paces through Vikarh towards the barracks. Where did it go wrong? Ilokir thinks about the separate actions of the four of them. Where it seemed they had a sound plan, they managed to end up fighting as individuals. Maldain because he frenzied, Draich-na was hesitant to enter combat for some reason and Sarath had rushed directly on the largest threat. Ilokir has to admit he had been eager too, to test himself against the Norseman. He realises their group actually lacks two vital ingredients: firepower, and more important, leadership to make up for their inexperience. Ilokir had tried to somehow lead the attack on the slaves, but admits to himself he didn’t do well. He realises he probably had not the charisma it would take. But then again, who of the four had?

Not caring at all whether one of his future brothers-in-arms follows him or not, Ilokir sets off to one of the individuals he became to trust during the time he stayed in Vikahr. Setting aside his thoughts, Ilokir heads for the barracks. A chance meeting put him in touch with one of the sergeants of the barracks. Again it was his sword that had drawn the attention of this scarred elf. Ilokir had been hesitant at first, but after this battle hardened veteran insisted on a mock fight, he had agreed. Their weekly habit of sparring each other would prove to be the most exciting event during Ilokir’s stay in Vikahr. That was, the training and the wine afterwards. Ilokir enters the barracks and absently gives one of the bottles of wine to the sentries, answering their welcoming nods with a smile. With sword drawn, he enters the training ground expecting the sergeant will be drilling some unlucky recruits. Taking an extra sword from one of the racks and throwing it to the sergeant, Ilokir will challenge his sparring partner with a grin: “You told me you would learn me how to parry an attacker wielding two swords, If you weren’t boasting, defend yourself!

OOC: Ilokir will try to learn the skill ‘Parry’.

Stg · Post by **Stg** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 11:10 pm

Realizing the rest of the group is right concerning their priorities; Sarath wraps the swords in some cloth and slings them over his shoulder before joining the group with the Norseman. Grunting under the effort, Sarath helps to carry the bleeding slave back to Syndikit in Vikarh. Mother of Night, this brute must weigh as much as a Cold One Sarath thought as they made the trek back to the Harpies Den. As they passed within the borders of the mercenary city, more druchii appeared, reveling in the nightlife, only a few of which gave them a second glance. Good, the last thing we need is an interruption or inquiry into our business. It didn’t take much longer to find the Harpies Den, and the chance to be rid of their cumbersome burden. After setting the wounded slave on the ground, Sarath expected Syndikit to praise the group for their good job, and eagerly anticipated his reaction. What he got, however, was far from what he was expecting. Syndikit seemed to burst into a fury, kicking and screaming at the group rather than express his gratitude. Sarath recoiled slightly from the sudden outburst, his thoughts swimming as he tried to take in the situation. What is he so upset for, we brought his slave? Sure he may be wounded but he is still alive. If he wanted him returned in a better condition maybe he should have done it himself. This could turn ugly; maybe I should try to… the hurled empty bottle causes Sarath to practically jump in fright, but he calms slightly when he realizes it isn’t directed at himself. He turns to see Maldain barely avoid the flying bottle as it passes by him and crashes into a wall.

“Dark Abyss!” Sarath exclaims as he turns quickly back towards Syndikit and prepares for anything, his hand reaching for his sword on reflex. But just as suddenly as Syndikit exploded he seemed to completely change and started to relax. He must be susceptible to random outbursts of anger that can pass just as quickly. At least it looks like things wont be getting worse. Syndikit makes a show of slaying the Norseman the group worked so hard to bring back alive, and then abruptly dismisses them to do as they wish before returning to board up for the night. First he yells as us for nearly killing the human, then he kills him himself, and now sends us on our merry way. Sarath turned towards the door as Syndikit gestures for them to leave, and followed Maldain and Ilokir, who was already on his way out the door and seemed all to eager to rid himself of Syndikit, out the Harpies Den. Both Maldain and Ilokir appeared to have an agenda already, and took off in separate directions. Sarath took a moment to calm himself from the recent events and ponder what he would do next. Well, I suppose I had better sell off these swords I collected. I wonder how much I would get from them? Lets see, which way was the nearest weaponsmith again? Ah yes, this way if I do recall correctly. Sarath turned towards the alley on his left and set of at a brisk pace, eager to sell his loot.

The closer he got to the weaponsmith, the more excited he got about the thought of buying a new weapon with any money he makes. Paying little thought to the events of the night Sarath begins to quicken his pace as he feels the weaponsmith getting closer. Sure enough, around the next block of houses he spies the weaponsmith’s shop at the end of a road, smoke billowing out of the chimney as the smith no likely busied himself with his work. Finally, these swords are beginning to weigh me down. Oh! I wonder if they have any spears or halberds? That would be too good. With these thoughts in mind, Sarath dashes down the road to the smiths shop, overwhelmed with anticipation. Once he reaches the door, he takes a quick second to calm himself again, taking a more nonchalant attitude and prepares himself for a little business. Stepping in, Sarath quickly sees the smith has a fine collection of weapons on display, and feels his heart skip a beat when he spots a gleaming halberd on display above the counter. Yes!! Quick, control yourself, don’t let him see your eagerness for the weapon or he will likely exploit you for more money. Sarath walks up to the counter and looks around for any sign on the smith before spotting a small bell sitting on the countertop. Guessing as to its purpose, Sarath picks the bell up and rings it a few times. Sure enough, he hears a gruff shout from the back doorway of the shop, no doubt where the furnace workshop stuff are. “Hold on a second, I’ll be right there” the smith shouts. A moment later he emerges from the back of the room.

Or at least 'he' is what Sarath expected, but not a 'she.' The female druchii was quite well built, a result of the trade of course, but it still surprised Sarath, which it turns out he didn't hide very well. “Yes I am a female, so what? That doesn’t mean I’m any less good at what I do than any male smith. What do you want?” Sarath quickly recomposes himself lest he anger the smith any more, and un-slings the swords from his back. Damn, I may have already ruined my chances at getting a good price. Just be smooth. “My apologies. I’m sure your wares are superb and I will get much use out of them. Now, I have these three swords, two short swords and one bastard sword, I wish to sell you. They may not be of the best quality, as I’m sure your blades are, but they are still useful nonetheless. So I thought, 15 gold for each short sword, and 50 gold for the bastard sword. A fine deal, wouldn’t you agree? Also, I am interested in the halberd you have on display on the wall behind you. I believe the standard going price for one is 75 gold?” Sarath smiles warmly towards the weaponsmith, mentally hoping she agrees to everything thus far.

Sarath will attempt to barter of the swords he is selling and the halberd he wishes to purchase. He will try to sell the swords for a total of 80 gold, and combine that with his present 50 gold to purchase the halberd that appears to be for sale. If he fails to sell the swords for the prices he states, he will try to sell them for 5 less gold each, but no less. He will also be willing to go as high as 90 gold for the halberd in an attempt to secure it.

Beastmaster kurlan · Post by **Beastmaster kurlan** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:32 pm

OOC: Draich-Na you have until friday to post before I make my next mod post. If you have not posted expect a minor punishment and you will miss the oppertunity to visit a destination in Vikarh.

Raven knight · Post by **Raven knight** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:32 pm

Draich-na walks out of the Harpies den and heads immediately for the weaponsmith, he peruses the wares before selecting a rather wicked looking longsword; " This will do shopkeeper" using his 50 gold coins to purchase the new longsword.

Draich-na also offers the weaponsmith the scavenged shortsword he picked up in the glade and awaits the druchii's offer.

OOC: Really sorry guys, for some reason im not getting emails when new posts are made anymore, anyway I have to go on holiday for two weeks tommorow so we could make it that my character has prior engagments before rejoining the other mercs somewhere. Sorry guys!

Beastmaster kurlan · Post by **Beastmaster kurlan** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 8:13 am

Maldain: You are taken by a guard and shown into the arena, you can hear the shouts of the crowd, only cut out by the slam of the gate, sealing you in. The crowd looks in awe to see your opponent. Out of the darkness comes an asuryan, upon sight of him hate instantly fills your mind. However you realise he is likely a skilled warrior, and prepare for a hard fight to the death. Drawing your repeater crossbow and looking down the sight you notice he wears a light chest plate and carries only a blunt looking longsword, obviously the owner was not too keen on giving an asur any help.

Squeezing hard on the trigger with your sweaty fingers you release two bolts. They fly towards your elven adversary, but he is able to duck below them, avoiding both. He then charges towards you, mustering up all the momentum his legs can give. Drawing your blades you grip them tightly before charging forwards to meet him. He strikes first, swinging his blade towards your left flank. Luckily your agility allows you to dodge out of the way and bring your shortsword down in a violent counterattack. He drops his sword to the floor and look at his hand, the fingers covered in blood after being disarmed brutally. He looks into your eyes with his, despair in his eyes. Backing up he runs back several feet. You follow, bloodlust in your eyes, confident that an unarmed slave will not beat you.

However one of the other slaves screams to him, throwing out his weapon through the gaps in the Iron Gate, a crude flail. The corsair guard standing near him instantly cuts him down for his good deed. The asur immediately sees some glint of hope and rushes to pick up the flail from the sand. Crying out he lumbers towards you before swinging out, one of the balls hitting your arm, forcing you to drop your shortsword as it goes numb. He brings up the flail again and swings downwards, however you sidestep and his weapon is stuck fast in the ground. Smashing a knee into his side you hear him cough before punching him down. You stand over him and he looks at you with sorry eyes. Showing no mercy you force your dagger through his eye, forcing his body into a final spasm. The crowd cheers your victory, and the gate is opened for you to go through. A grizzly looking corsair sits at a table you did good kid, now take this and get out of my sight. He hands you five gold coins and a bottle of cheap wine.

Ilokir: The sergeant takes hold of both longswords in his hands. He quickly turns to the recruits who are doing press-ups. Nobody stops until you have done fifty, now go! He then turns back to you, if I cannot draw blood from you in ten minutes of combat, know you have succeeded. I tell you what, manage to draw blood from me and it’s free. But I draw blood from you and it costs fifty coins, not forty, now be prepared!

The sergeant charges towards you, swinging one blade down towards your head, which you easily block with a horizontal parry, hearing the ring of metal echo throughout the room. As he does this he sweeps his other blade towards your left knee, and you only just manage to jump back. He prepares to assault you again and changes tactics, swinging both blades towards your left side with as much force as he can muster. You manage to block but are being forced back by his strength. You quickly notice your opportunity and step back quickly and he stumbles forward, not quite expecting you to just move out of the way. Seizing the advantage you become one with your blade, breathing deeply before thrusting left and right, leaving him only enough time to parry and move back, after five minutes of this he is running out of space to be forced back and you are both sweating. He tries to retake the advantage by over thrusting, but you quickly exploit his rash attack and move to the side before swiftly slicing your blade upon the skin of his outstretched arm. Only a flesh wound he moves back, astonished as he sees a few drops of blood trickle out. Congratulations, you show great promise, whatever mission it is you’re on now, be sure to return here, there is much more you can learn, you show a great ability to learn quickly.

Sarath: After declaring your offer you place the blades down on the counter and allow the weaponsmith to look over them. She lifts each one up and looks at it, turning it over, checking for damage. She then looks at you

You are correct, these blades are not of fine quality, but not all mercenaries can afford quality so I am interested in them. The halberd is of extreme quality, going price means nothing if you want a good weapon. It is made of strong oak for the shaft, and a steel blade, one of my finest wares. So I will offer it to you for all three of your blades and five of your coins. She holds out her hand to yours, do we have a deal? Reluctantly you take out five coins and place them down on the counter before shaking her hand firmly. She takes the halberd down from the rack and hands it to you, and you test its weight. She collects the blades off the counter and places them on the floor, should you come into possession of any more blades come to me first, those who do repeated business can expect a discount. With that said you leave, happy with your purchase.

Draich-Na: You walk into a weaponsmith and see a young elf in an apron standing behind a counter, looking sternly at you. Picking up the longsword you place it on the counter, the elf mumours Fifty coins. You draw them from your pocket and place it on the counter. You offer him your shortsword, but he hits it on the counter and the blade shatters instantly, he looks at you in disgust “do not try to sell me faulty goods, I have a reputation to keep up”. With that you walk out and sheath your blade.

All of you: you meet back at the Harpies Den after going about your business. You all get in to your beds and prepare for a good nights sleep, anticipating the trip tomorrow. When you each awake you go downstairs and see Syndikit already waiting, chatting away with a group of mercenaries. He quickly spots you and stops talking, he stands to greet you and his group of mercenaries stand. These are my troops you will be working with. He then introduced them one by one, a large man who speaks with a strong Kislevite accent, his bronze muscular body shines in the light, and he carries a massive round iron shield and a large steel warhammer. He is proclaimed as the greatest gladiator and pit fighter in all of Vikarh, possibly the world. Next is a pair of shades, wrapped in dark blue cloaks each holding a crossbow pistol in each hand. Behind them can be seen an assassin, cloaked from head to foot in black robes, a black bandana mask concealing his face. He has two scimitars sheathed over his back. Lastly you can see three corsairs, with sea battered sea dragon cloaks, armed with a shortsword and a dagger each.

Without allowing time for you to ask questions the large group now is led swiftly down to the docks, where Syndikits ship is being loaded with a large wagon, a few horses, and all other necessary supplies. All the slaves are hard at work and Syndikit can be seen totting all this up in his head, knowing this is financially crippling him.
After it is all loaded on you all climb aboard. The slaves take their rowing spots and with everything on the small ship ready, the ropes are cut and you set sail for the old world. One of the corsairs remains up top with a whip, cruelly lashing the unprotected backs of the slaves, screaming for them to row faster.

You are all taken to the lower level where a few old chairs are scattered around a large oak table. The group sits and begins chatting. Syndikit gets out a bottle of wine and begins pouring drinks, while one of the corsairs gets out a deck of cards and begins dealing to all of you. Syndikit hands everybody a glass of his cheap wine and then addresses you all. I assume you are all up for a game of cards over a chat? If you have any questions about the mission or anything else, now is the time to ask. With this Syndikit takes a sip of his wine and awaits your responses.

Stg · Post by **Stg** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 5:29 pm

Stepping out of the blacksmith’s shop, Sarath felt genuinely satisfied. Not since his days in the Warrior regiments of Karond Kar had he felt the reassuring weight of a polearm weapon in his hands, and it felt good. So it may have cost me a bit more than I had hoped, nevertheless the weapon is of amazing quality. It was well worth it. Testing the balance of the weapon, Sarath made a few quick swings in the air. The weight is suburb. Enough weight in the blade to drive it home, yet enough counterweight to keep myself from overextending. Sarath continued to test his new weapon as he made his was back to the Harpies Den, earlier it seemed than his fellow mercenaries. Well, I might as well retire to my room; I imagine I’ll need the energy tomorrow. The inn was empty and dark when he entered, giving an overall eerie feel to the place. Thinking little of it, Sarath proceeded up the stairs and towards his room. He found it was quite modest, with a simple mattress of heavy cloths resting on the floor, and a small table standing next to it, a nearly burnt out candle resting on top. Even these less than appealing quarters could do little to dampen his spirits, however, as he held his newest prized possession in his hands. Suddenly feeling his weariness from the busy day’s activities, Sarath propped the halberd up against the wall next to the bed, within easy reaching distance. Then he slumped onto the bed and felt asleep within minutes.

In what seemed like only a few hours he was awake again, the light from dawn shinning through the window directly onto his face. Grunting, he sat up and quickly checked to see that his halberd was still there. After a moment of waking his mind up, Sarath stood up and began stretching and flexing his limbs, working the sleep out of the rest of his body. Satisfied he was ready, he left his room and headed downstairs, eager for some breakfast. Instead of a warm meal, he was instead greeted with the sight of Syndikit waiting for them, talking with a rough looking crew behind him. Syndikit stopped conversing with the group and walked over to him, saying a quick introduction for the crew that it appeared would be their fellows on the journey ahead. Sarath took a moment to size up each member of this group as Syndikit introduced each. The first was a monster of a man, larger even than the Norseman they had fought the night before. The giant human was apparently a gladiator of much fame, so Sarath could only guess as to his combat capabilities. His massive warhammer and shield were no less intimidating. The remainder of the group were all druchii, much to Sarath’s relief. I couldn’t imagine traveling with a group made up of mainly humans. There was a pair of Shades, an imposing Assassin, and three Corsairs. No sooner had Syndikit finished introducing these new mercenaries that he was rushing the whole group out of the inn and down to the docks, leaving no chance for anyone of the original group, which Sarath had only just realized had also came downstairs and witnessed the introductions, to ask any questions.

At the docks a ship was being loaded with all sorts of supplies needed for a long trek at sea, and Syndikit quickly took control of the entire scene, checking on the overall progress. Sarath was still taking the whole scene in when they were once again rushed off, this time onto the boat and below the deck. With everything in order, the ship quickly departed while the group settled in a small level below the deck with a few old chairs and a table sitting in the middle. Everyone quickly sat themselves down while Syndikit produced a bottle of wine and began pouring glasses and a Corsair brought out a deck of cards and began to deal them out. Sarath took a seat as far from the massive human as he could, and tried to make sense of all the sudden happenings that had already taken place in the short span of the morning. Once everyone had sat down, Syndikit opened up to conversation and allowed anyone of the group to press him for questions. Sarath took an offered glass of wine from Syndikit and sat for a moment before a thought occurred to him, something he had never even considered up to this point. “Yes, Syndikit, I have a question. Where exactly are we going?”

Syndikit turns to you, looking into your eyes and answers your question, We are going to the south of the old world, for that is where the tomb is located. Reaching the tomb is our number one priority, until we arrive, I am afraid I will be unable to fully evaluate what we have to do. We will land in a small trading town by the sea, known as boarbrick. It is popular with traders and mercanaries as a stopping off point.

Ilokir lúinwë · Post by **Ilokir lúinwë** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 10:22 pm

Without any reserve, Ilokir attacks the sergeant, but immediately realises his mistake when he barely avoids a low cut at his legs. Before he can utter a curse, he realises this is part of the test. There doesn’t exist something like a fair fight. Ilokir tries to watch the attacking pattern of his adversary as he was taught many times before. This time is different. He is not facing one sword, but two at the time. Moreover, they are wielded by an excellent swordelf. Ilokir feels becoming dazed when trying to focus on the two swords. After avoiding several cuts more by sheer luck than prowess, he realises the fault he makes. It is not the swords he has to focus on, but the elf. Looking straight at the sergeant’s face, Ilokir blocks a cut at his side, and immediately parries a thrust at his neck. Spinning around on his heels, he gains momentum and smashes his sword at the sergeant’s face, who is barely able to block the blow. Uttering a grin in excitement, Ilokir launches blow after blow at the sergeant, trying to find the holes in his adversary’s defence. Seeing his opponent’s face harden, Ilokir manoeuvres himself out of the blades reach when the expected counterattack comes. He reacts with a thrust of his own at the sergeants exposed arm, who drops his weapon uttering a shout of surprise.
Ilokir sheaths his sword and walks with the sergeant to the mess. “Another scar for your collection,” he laughs when opening the bottle of wine. “I’ll gladly accept the offer to defeat you again as soon as I get back here. I accepted an offer to embark on a mission to the Old World for a certain Syndicit. I’m sure you have heard of him. Do you think we can expect that he will betray us? ..Nevermind, I already signed up.”

After finishing the wine, Ilokir decides to return to the Harpies Den. Finding the bar empty, he takes time for a bath and afterwards probes the bed. Letting his last fight unfold over again in his memory, Ilokir realises his friend has taught him something none of his former teachers could: try not to read your enemies swordplay, read him. Satisfied, he falls asleep.

Descending the stairs the following morning, Ilokir sees the bar is crowded with Syndicit and his men. Corsairs, no surprise if we have to sail to the Old World, and Khaine be praised he has brought shades. Syndicit barely takes his time to introduce the newcomers to the assembled group, but afterwards rushes off to the docks immediately with the four of them and his retinue in tow. Ilokir wonders about the presence of the human. It is clear to him that this colossus has to be formidable in melee, but only because of his strength, wielding crude but clumsy weapons like a warhammer and a shield. Ilokir feels far more intimidated by the presence of the assassin. He realises the imminent threat Syndicit wants to display: obey or you will be dealt with. While the group walks with a quick pace to the harbour, Ilokir spots Sarath in front of him, holding a long halberd. Uttering a sigh of dejection, Ilokir enters the ship, feeling trapped.

Ilokir taps Sarath softly on the shoulder: “Sarath, I want to speak to you for a moment,” Waiting until the others are below deck, Ilokir frowns and hisses to Sarath: “A halberd, are you out of your mind? Do you know how to handle one? You have to wield a halberd in formation or alone, but not in a small group. No-one can protect your back while you are swinging it in great arcs. You can’t handle a halberd and a shield at the same time. More important, do you have any idea how to use such a thing in close quarters? That is because it is designed to break cavalry charges. Besides, your enemies probably know its potential too. A weapon like that draws arrows like a magnet …”Remembering the contentment in Sarath’s eyes when he saw him for the first time with that weapon, Ilokir sighs and turns towards the stairs leading to the deck below. Before entering, he hesitates and turns around: “Take care of it, it is a beautiful weapon.”

Ilokir decides to confirm himself with the current situation. While seating himself at the table, he casts a defiant gaze at the Kislevite. Ilokir decides not to question Syndicit, but to think the situation over: Perhaps the assassin is Syndicit’s bodyguard. But he immediately rejects the idea: That will probably be the task of the human. We have to get rid of that assassin before we return from the Old World, or I fear we won't return.
Ilokir’s full attention is drawn when Sarath addresses Syndicit and inquires their destination. He awaits Syndicit’s answer with anticipation

OOC: stg, you mentioned earlier you wanted more conversation between our characters. I second that.

OOC: What will we do now when Raven Knight is on holidays?

Well, I leave for my holidays on tuesday 29th. I will be gone about a month, so the group will be taking a break. The space of time up until I leave can be spent asking questions and or conversing with eachother. Should while I am away, you wish to keep chatting amongst yourselves, that is fine by me.

Dark moonlight · Post by **Dark moonlight** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:47 pm

The guard showed Maldain into the arena and told him to wait behind the gate. Maldain got his crossbow ready and aimed at the other side of the arena. As the gates were opened Maldain shot two bolts at the slave that had just came charging out of the gates. The slave was very skinny and pretty tall, too tall to be a human and he defiantly was not a high elf. He must have been a wood elf, an athletic one at the as the bolts whizzed past his head after he dodged both of them. Maldain hastily put his repeater crossbow onto his back and drew out his short sword and dagger. The asur charged towards Maldain with quite some speed, he was only armed with a long sword and that looked pretty blunt from where Maldain was standing. The slave had a swing at Maldain’s leg but the trainee easily dodged it. Maldain then sliced downwards towards the slave’s hand, the short sword made contact with the slave and he immediately dropped his sword. He then looked down at his bloody hand and then took a few steps backwards, only to be followed by the slightly crazed trainee. There was a sudden cry out from the other side of the arena from another slave, he threw a mace towards the wood elf slave. The slave was then quickly cut down by one of the corsair guards. The wood elf sprinted back to the mace and grabbed it and gripped it in two hands. He then charged towards Maldain, the slave swung the mace recklessly and made contact with Maldain’s arm. This knocked the slave out of his frenzy and drove him back a bit, he dropped his short sword and was only armed with his dagger now. The slave then swung his mace over his head and brought it down towards Maldain, however the trainee then sidestepped and dodged the ball that was aimed at him. Maldain brought his knee up and caught the slave in the side, winding him. Then with the dagger in his hand, Maldain punched the slave clean in the face, making him fall to the floor. The trainee stood over the dazed slave and looked him in the eyes, the slave looked sorry for himself and the closed his eyes, awaiting death. The crowd were all cheering Maldain and started chanting “Finish Him! Finish Him!” Maldain knew what to do and drove his dagger into the slave’s eye, killing him swiftly. He then stood up and cleaned his dagger on the slaves clothes, then he sheathed his weapon and picked up his short sword, sheathing that as well. Maldain then left the arena and waited for his reward. A mean and old looking corsair put 5 gold coins and a bottle of cheap wine on the table. Maldain was about to say: “Is that it??” but he thought he had better not as the corsair would probably send him back in the arena, so he took is reward and left swiftly, heading towards the Harpies Den.

When Maldain returned he asked where is room was and went there swiftly. The room was pretty small but it was very cosy looking. He took off his weapons belt and his crossbow and wrapped his arm up in a temporary sling. Maldain then collapsed onto his bed, he still was fully dressed but he was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

In the morning Maldain’s arm was a lot better so he took off the sling, he picked up his weapons and crossbow and put them on. He then went to the tap and splashed his face with the cold water. Maldain then quickly jogged downstairs as he knew he was a bit late. As he got to the ground floor he noticed his companions standing near Syndikit. There was also a few other mercenaries standing around them. There was Three corsairs, all with sea dragon cloaks, a dagger and a short sword, Two shades who were wearing dark colours and had a repeater crossbow and a short sword. Also there was an assassin standing in the corner, wearing a mask so no-one could see his face. Lastly there was a beast of a man who was defiantly a kislevite. He had a giant warhammer and a shield, Maldain instantly recognised him as one of the best fighters in the known world. Syndikit asked everybody to follow him to the docks and then he boarded the ship that was already docked and was ready to go.

As they were all sailing, they got into a game of cards and Syndikit asked if they had any questions. Sarath asked where we were going, which was one of the key questions on Maldain’s mind.

Maldain will wait until Sarath’s question has been answered and then he will ask “Will the payment be the same as last time or will it be different?”

After Syndikit had answered Sarath's question, he turns to you. Your payment, will always depend on your performance as a group, get the job done efficiently, and you will be rewarded greatly. It is impossible to tell at this time what will be in the tomb, what treasures await, but rest assured, you will be paid handsomely if you work hard and are loyal.

Stg · Post by **Stg** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 5:06 pm

Sarath took a moment to contemplated what Syndikit was sharing with them. To the south of The Old World huh? If the stories some of the veterans in the warrior regiments used to tell are true, undead inhabit the southern portions of The Old World. I’ve never seen such a thing, nor did I truly believe the stories, but now who knows? Well, at least there appears to be a trader settlement, so it can’t be barren and lifeless. Sarath shook himself out of his thoughts as Maldain posed the question of payment. Upon hearing Syndikits answer, Sarath nods his head in agreement. “I would expect nothing less than to be paid based on our worth.” That provides Syndikit with the excuse of not paying us if he decides we’re not doing as well as he wishes.

Thinking of no other questions, Sarath attempts to occupy himself with the cards. “Well my fellow druchii, what say we play some cards? I expect this to be a long voyage. Now, what should we play? I confess I don’t know many games.” Sarath shuffles the cards in his hand, his thoughts drifting back to his small exchange with Ilokir before boarding the ship. Humph. Well then, I’ll just have to prove my ability and worth if he doesn’t feel a halberd is a practical weapon given our situation. Sure he means well, but I’ll show him. I’ll show everyone. I’ve had extensive experience with a drannach, and a little with a halberd, but they can’t be much harder to wield. It’s the chosen weapon of the Black Guard, and I will master its use.

OOC: Well, with Raven Knight and Kurlan on vacation for about a month, I figured we could use the card game to keep group interaction up. We can chalk Raven’s inactivity up to him keeping to himself during the voyage, but we can still keep the group active for the month. A month can go pretty quickly when you don’t pay much attention. My group hit a stump with inactivity and before I knew it we had gone a month without much happening.

Dark moonlight · Post by **Dark moonlight** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 10:19 pm

The Boat was rocking quite alot as the group were sailing to their destination, Maldain tried to calm himself to stop himself feeling sick, he was quite scared of boats but didn't want to tell his companions as he thought they would laugh at him, so Maldian took in a deep breath and tried to concentrate on the conversation that Sarath was starting. He knew that if he could get his mind off of the fact that he was on a rocking boat, then he would stop feeling scared and sick.

Maldain tried to think of any card games that he had played in the past, unluckily he wasn't really a card playing type druchii, he was always too busy with work to even have time to think about sitting down with some friends and having a good game of cards with some beers and putting a bit of money on the line. Maldain says to Sarath "Sorry but i don't know of any games to play, I have not played cards for quite a while to be honest with you."

OOC: I think it is and excellent idea to carry on the group while Raven Knight and Beastmaster Kurlan are away. However it may get a little bit same-ish if it is just conversation's between our characters. I think we should think of something to liven things up a bit

Stg · Post by **Stg** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:17 pm

OOC: Sorry for the lack of posting, I’ve had a busy week and a bit of writers block with my other group, discouraging my efforts in here as well. I liked the idea I thought you had posted Dark, but I don’t know if you changed your mind and edited that out or what. I guess we can take small liberties, but without the added color text, I do prefer that reserved for moderator postings. Anyway, I’m going to take a small liberty with the card game, if you guys don’t mind.

IC: After a while, Sarath and the rest of the group had managed to decide on a game of cards to play; an old card game Sarath actually knew from when he was a young druchii playing with the corsairs who passed through Karond Kar from their raiding trips. After a quick explanation of how to play the group was deep into a game, each one concentrating on the cards in their hands as they played.

Sarath sat absolutely still, focusing on the cards in the hand, starring intently and the numbers and symbols printed on them. He lifted his gaze ever so slightly to look at the corsair sitting across from him. He furled his brow in further concentration, trying to measure his opponent’s movements and body language, looking for the slightest hint of hesitation that might give away something. Sarath looked back down at his hand, then back up at the corsair. With the slightest of motions, he glanced to his left to gage the looks of the rest of the group, sizing up his options. His muscles ached from the strain, his fingers stung from his tight grip on the cards. A bead of sweat trickled from his temple down to his jaw. Sarath paid it little mind, far to involved in the cards to notice much else around him. He took in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, always keeping his gaze forward at the corsair. After nearly a minute he finally made up his mind and let the breath go. A slight smile spread across his face and he knew what to do. He sat up straighter and leaned back a bit, clearing his throat. “Do you have any threes?” “Nope, go raiding” came the corsair’s response. “Son of an Asur whore,” Sarath cursed bitterly, reaching forward to draw a card from the pile sitting on the old oak table in between them. Drawing nothing that could help him, he sighed to himself and turned to the elf whose turn it was next.

OOC: Yes it’s ‘Go Fish,’ but with a druchii twist. Since I doubt we go fishing often, I thought ‘Go Raiding’ would make more sense. Feel free to build off of this if you’d like.

Ilokir lúinwë · Post by **Ilokir lúinwë** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:01 am

Unlike most elves, Ilokir never particularly enjoyed the sea. Raised in Chrace, Ilokir was more at home in the vast Chracian woods and the Annulli mountains. Having yet experienced the voyage from Ulthuan to Naggaroth, he knows what it means to be on board of a ship for several weeks. The dull, monotonous life at see doesn’t appeal to him at all, except that this time he is about to see the Old World for the first time in his life. Time and time again he thought this mission over, only to realize he doesn’t have a clue at all where this will lead them to.

As the cards are shuffled, Ilokir with a slow gesture turns the offer down to participate in the play. Although the game is tempting, Ilokir doesn’t want to be drawn into the inevitable fight that will occur when one of the players realises he lost to much. Ilokir decides to observe the game, while slowly wetting his throwing dagger.

The game hasn’t been going on for long, when he sees Sarath already start to act his first coup de theathre. Ilokir realises he practically doesn’t know a thing about his brothers in arms. He has only seen them in combat once. About their motives or background, he virtually doesn’t know a thing. Ilokir decides that when they want to become a team, they will have to trust each other as the moment will come where they will have to protect each other’s back. In the current situation, the four of them are just strangers. Acknowledging the danger of exposing himself, Ilokir decides to be very careful not to let him lure into the trap of telling to much about himself. Absently wetting the dagger stroke after stroke, Ilokir addresses Maldain and Sarath: ”As we’ll certainly have to fight side by side, we now have plenty of time to get to know each other. Sarath, I wonder where your fascination for the Halberd comes from. Have you any experience with it? You did seem quite a capable swordsman to me. From the way you behaved in melee, it was clear you’ve seen plenty of combat yet. Therefore, your choice for the halberd surprises me.” Ilokir slowly sheats his dagger, and with a smile sees he has the attention of Sarath and Maldain, though they still continue their game. Ilokir takes a sip from his wine and addresses Maldain: ”Maldain, may I ask you why a Temple Acolyte embarks on a mission towards the Old World? Are you sent by the Temple? Are you specialized in a certain way of fighting? Rumours tell that the Temple has many different kind of warriors. Are you allowed to tell what path you choose?”

OOC: My apologies, it has been a long time since I posted. I will try to post at least once a week. It seems not appropriate to me to include external events in the RPG. After all, that is the task of the Mod. But then again, that’s my opinion.

Dark moonlight · Post by **Dark moonlight** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:09 pm

OOC: Firstly, lets all attempt to post regularly as it will make it easier for Kurlan when he gets back and also will keep the group nice and active. Secondly, the reason I changed my post was because I didn’t know if you like the idea as it is the mod’s job to do those types of things.

IC: Maldain was starting to enjoy the conversation that was taking place and started to stop feeling so sick, He was actually enjoying the atmosphere on the boat, the rocking and swaying of the large wooded structure was actually quite soothing when he had gotten used to it. One thing was annoying the Trainee greatly; there was a small hole above his head and every so often a drip of salty seawater would drip on his head. Maldain moved his chair up a few inches to the right so it wouldn’t annoy him so much but this didn’t help as now it just dripped on his shoulder and the cold water splashed into his ear.

Maldain realised that Ilokir was addressing him and asked why he was on a trip to the old world, the trainee’s mind wondered back to the time when Maldain was shamed to be in the temple of Khaine. “ When I was in the temple of Khaine after a very long and hard training session with my master, I thought I would take a snooze in one of the beds, well rugs really, a friend of mine put his blade to my throat. I am sure you are aware that trainee’s must kill each other to become assassins. Well I woke up immediately, I am not a very heavy sleeper, I saw my friend with his blade to my throat and thought to myself. ‘This is it, no way out for me.’ I looked him straight in the eyes and he looked back at mine. And did something that should not be done, ever. He took the blade away from my neck. So I asked my master if I could leave the temple for a while. He reluctantly let me go. And now I am Training to become stronger and quicker so that when I return to the temple, I shall be the best student and then I will become an assassin. Every being that I kill will be for Khaine. Also I have came here to learn to control my frenzy and my murderous magic."

"Ilokir, you look like a battle veteran, have you got any stories of battles or any tips for when you are in combat?"

Ilokir lúinwë · Post by **Ilokir lúinwë** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:38 am

Fascinated, Ilokir listens to Maldains story. Somehow, he feels sorry for the Trainee. What was an act of compassion must have been an awful humiliation to him. Ilokir doesn’t know what he would have preferred in the same situation: humiliation or death. Somehow, he is surprised the Trainee is that open with him and doesn’t seem embittered at all. Ilokir realizes that he should have hated his attacker with every fiber of his body, but Maldain only seemed even more encouraged to prove himself. Instantly, Ilokir feels an urge of respect for this young Dark Elf. Is it not ironically,Ilokir thinks by himself, My cursed kin fears these Dark Elf assassins above all and now I have ermarked on this yourney with a future assassin.. Somehow ashamed, Ilokir realizes Maldain has proven to have far more spine than he. Where Ilokir realises he is driven on hatred, Maldain chose to evade that trap and seek a new challenge to eventually reach his goal.

Still surprised by the genuine response of Maldain, Ilokir decides to answer Maldain’s question sincerely himself. ”I was trained in the way of the sword since I was an elfling. Our ancestors believed the sword is the favourite weapon of the Blooded Handed One. Therefore, we honor both Him and our ancestors when eliminating His enemies.” Ilokir pauses a moment to take a sip of his wine and with a gently stroke caresses the pommel of his sword. ”It was my wish to enter the forces of our King from the moment I could hold a sword. I wished to enter his elite troops if possible. Eventually I participated in the Last Invasion against our cursed kin. I can assure you, when you see a wall of Asur steel withstand a charge, you really learn what hatred is. It was there that I learned that war is not about mercy or tactics. When you are engulfed in Melee, when you are sucked in a maelstrom of violence, then you start to see the patterns Khaine has lain bare. You only have to follow them.”

Ilokir hesitates to continue his story, letting the past events unfold in his mind, reenacting the fatal thrust from behind that took the life of his former Swordmaster Tutor.. hearing again his own frantic cursing when seeing the light die in the eyes of his most hated enemy… ”You know how the story went on. Our dragons were shot from the sky and eventually we weren’t able to breach the Phoenix Gate. But we can claim our enemies lost more than we did, and he knows we’ll return. I embarked on this mission because one thing I truly hate are barracks. I can’t stand the dull, monotonous life without a challenge. I want to further hone my skills with the sword. That, my friend, is why I’m here.”