Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Dec 25, 2010 22:07:06 GMT -6
OoC: Continued from Wandering Onward
BiC: Once they'd stopped to make camp for the night, they'd bundled up as best they were able. A fire was out of the question, because the hills were bandit territory, and that was exactly the kind of attention they would be wanting to avoid.
Still, the night hadn't been too terribly awful, with only a small amount of dew covering the swordsman once he'd awoken. A hasty breakfast was to follow, and then last minute prepartions for their trip to the tomb. What a happy place to visit. He thought, with a small smile on his lips
"Cecil, Red, Mana, and Nathan...." Garnet counted outloud, trying to figure out just how things were going to work out. "Cecil, you're the one who's got to get us to wherever this place is. What kind of place is it? Big? Small? What?"
Cecil looked over from where he was reading that book he kept with him, pipe gripped in between his teeth.
"I don't know specific details, Garnet. This book only references that he died, and his remains were interred at our destination." The old man tapped the ashes out of his pipe, before putting it, away, and flipping through the pages of his book.
"From what I've managed to decipher, the place is built right into the side of a hill, and could be rather extensive. I can't quite decide on what the place actually was though....Even entering may prove difficult." He seemed to fall back into thought staring into the nearby ground as if it would reveal hidden knowledge to him.
"I guess we'll find out soon enough. Let's be ready everyone. I'm not sure what kind of trouble we'll run into, but I intend to show it who's boss."
Garnet had taken extra time to secure his iron blade, Sunrise, over his right shoulder, and his worn slim sword to his left hip.
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Elias
Mage Knight
The Crimson Mage
I'm just saying that the problem isn't going away, no matter how good we get at stabbing them.
Posts: 451
Etruria Fame: 1
Sacae Fame: 2
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: The Crimson Mage
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Profile (updated)
OoC Alias: Elias
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Post by Elias on Dec 26, 2010 4:34:01 GMT -6
Finally free of that festering equestrian demon, Elias had regained his normal composure. No longer was he the whining baby who could barely hold on to the reins, but now her was a self-confident mage. Perhaps so self-confident it was more of a poisonous curse then anything. Though if anything could hold it back, it was magic. His mind buzzed with questions, answers, and more questions derived from those answers. He barely made an 'uh-huh' in acknowledgment when Garnet addressed him.
"We should try to avoid the trouble all together Garnet." Elias mused. "We are dreadfully under-numbered, and probably under-armed. Considering they've been here for a while, chances are they've been able to attack more then one Etrurian supply caravan. It isn't unlikely to think they may have fine weapons to stick in our sides, if we do have to fight it would be best to keep it in small skirmishes without a lot of flair to keep our presence hidden. Nathan, I will assume you know enough about your magic to keep the flashing down." Elias muttered offhandedly. His mind was still on Cecil, on the Book of Scrying, on Alchemy. Cecil mentioned it before, saying that he studied much of it as a child. It didn't connect to anything they were doing now, but still he couldn't shake the thought.
Alchemy, Elias knew of it. Mostly for similar reasons that he knew of scrying, it didn't mean it didn't interest him however. "We should hurry." Elias tilted his head back, ahead of the rest of the group but not so much that it put him in danger. "I'm curious to see these ruins."
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Post by Mana on Dec 29, 2010 12:08:29 GMT -6
Mana didn't like it when she knew that they were in bandits territory, her body sweating a bit when the memories came back and haunted her. She endured it and acted calm in front of the others.
Mana was lying on her horse's back before Garnet told her to get ready. She felt sleepy because the air felt nice so she kept lying while the others were preparing themselves. Mana didn't need to prepare anything, her sword had been polished and it was still attached on her waist. She waited until the others were ready before finally decided to get up
"Me too!" She responded to Elias' statement. It was fun and exciting for her. "I am not familiar with magic but this Scrying sounds cool. I want to see and touch it."
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Nathaniel
Monk
Morning Lord, your daughter said there would be eggs?
Posts: 58
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Nathaniel on Dec 29, 2010 21:51:56 GMT -6
Yawning Nathaniel remarked, "Maybe we take our time?" He felt uncomfortable about going to the tomb. He wantedto be fully ready before they attempted to brave the tomb.
He could tell that Mana got a bit flustered as she heard bandits. He had learned to read women's... expressions. Simple bandts wouldn't be to much trouble. He shook his head to himself. That had been the attitude that brought onto the continent the Bandit War. SO maybe they would.
Nathaniel said, "Although I'll tell you, If we go early, now is best."
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Dec 30, 2010 19:40:55 GMT -6
"Agreed, to all of you." Garnet said. Actually, he was agreeing with several statements. Elias' suggestion to avoid trouble, Mana's excitement at beginning, and Nathaniel's talk of taking their time, as well as now being a good time to go.
"Cecil, you're going to have to be the one to get us inside. You've got the most knowledge about this. Also, we should probably leave the horses. I wouldn't trust the footing on these hills as far as I could throw one." It wasn't that Garnet was particularly distrustful. He just took a very long time to truly put his faith in something, people included Elias had done well to catch the merc in a particularly good mood when they met..
"It should be..." Cecil consulted his book for a moment, before gazing around at the hills, and finally seeming to recognize something. "...between those two hills, climbing out of the valley they form." He pointed to a pair of particularly high, distant hills, which could be seen rising above some of the nearer hills.
"Great..." Garnet said, letting out a sigh. "That will only take most of the morning....Ok. Let's move out. Watch your step, and watch for scouts. We've got a ways to go."
As they moved out, Garnet dropped back and whispered to Elias. "Hey... Elias, keep your eyes on Cecil. We know little to nothing about him, and Nathan's suspicious." Garnet's voice was a little sour as he spoke. He didn't like mistrusting people, but he'd rather be safe than sorry.
Ahead, forested hills with the occasional rocky cliff, or babbling brook could be seen. And that was what they'd be moving through....
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Elias
Mage Knight
The Crimson Mage
I'm just saying that the problem isn't going away, no matter how good we get at stabbing them.
Posts: 451
Etruria Fame: 1
Sacae Fame: 2
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: The Crimson Mage
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Profile (updated)
OoC Alias: Elias
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Post by Elias on Dec 30, 2010 20:25:32 GMT -6
Elias smirked at Garnet's suggestion. "Don't worry, I'm already on top of it Garnet." He spoke quietly, but with a certain heaviness that let his voice be heard anyways. "I've been watching him ever since..." He gave a short shudder. "Well, let's just say 'earlier'." He took his hand, which was currently holding his chin in thought, and dove it into his cloak. He retrieved from it his torn fire tome that was wonderfully decorated with a sizable spear hole that was giant on the cover, but slowly shrank in size the further into the tome he dug. It was the final page he was wanting, in his nonsensical excitement earlier, he had almost forgotten about it. He needed to make sure it was alright...
The page had a significant hole in it, to be expected with how the blade pierced his precious book, but it wasn't horrible. On the back cover of the tome was something strapped to in and flattened. It looked like a folded up slip of paper, it was... well it was pierced. Damn it. But he'll live, stupid mage getting worked up and letter his things get damaged because it was cool... But it was cool though, wasn't it?
With an almost unreadable look on his face, Elias retrieved the paper and shoved it back into his robe. This would be important later, he needed to keep it safe... It would probably be best if he trashed the fire tome, but he could bring his self to do such a thing... He had a lot of little notes in it too. Of course most of them were about how awesome he was, there was a few that might actually be useful.
"Well, I've been in this area before." Elias muttered darkly. He couldn't help but be annoyed about the giant circle he went in. Leaving Lycia, and now he was right back where he started. Elias had been all over Lycia, and now Elibe. In fact Nabata was the only land he had not seen with his own eyes. That and the West Isles... well he knew his next vacation spot. Still this area in specific Elias knew, like he said he's scoured these hills looking for the Book of Scrying with his father.
"If I recall..." He tapped his chin, his mouth drawn into a straight line. "The main trail is that way." He pointed off a little to the west. "Meaning we should avoid going over there at all costs. They probably have multiple lookout watching the roads for good targets. Knowing bandits, that is. They... They're simple minded like that." Now that Elias thought of it... He fought a LOT of bandits. It was amazing really.
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Post by Mana on Dec 30, 2010 22:13:24 GMT -6
Mana just noticed it now, when Garnet and Elias walked side by side they looked match each other, by their color of course. But they also looked like good friends. She wondered what they were talking about but decided not to bother them with questions. She glanced at Nathaniel, the priest seemed enjoy their adventure too. Mana ran ahead of the group, she wanted to be the first to reach the ruins. "Come on. You guys are slow." She looked back while running, she would learn that she shouldn't do that again. Well, it was dangerous. She didn't see a small crack on the ground, few seconds later...(you know what happen) she fell to the ground. "Mother Earth..." Mana felt angry and embarrassed to herself, she was lying on the ground like an idiot. But before she could turn red in embarrassment Mana saw something in distance. "Hey, that's..." She saw someone watching them from behind a tree. That someone quickly ran away as soon as he knew that Mana had found him. "Hmm...Who is he?" It seemed they weren't alone in this place. OoC : Sorry, really can't think anything
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Jan 2, 2011 0:10:34 GMT -6
"Ok. So the road is definitely a no go." Garnet tossed back to the red mage.
"Come on. You guys are slow." A voice broke in, Mana's, and Garnet turned his head just in time to see her fall over.
"Mana!" He called, before hurrying up to check on her. He couldn't help but laugh to himself about how he was running to assist Mana, yet had left Elias to deal with his run away horse alone the other day. Elias was the Crimson Mage though, and besides, the horse would have stopped after a while on it's own. A fall, like Mana's, in this terrain though could sometimes prove dangerous.
"Gonna have to watch your step better, Girl. Are you ok?" Garnet looked up the way, "Who's who? did you see someone?" He couldn't see anyone, but gripped his slim sword's handle out of habit anyway, while feeling around reflexively for his buckler that just wasn't there anymore.
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Elena
The "Before" years
[M:0]
Posts: 12
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Post by Elena on Jan 2, 2011 1:51:33 GMT -6
"Yes, she did. I saw him too, I did," came a voice from nearby. Elena was sitting on a large rock nearby, peering down at where the man had once been. She swung her legs slightly as she sat, moving her eyes from the tree the man had been behind to the people nearby. They looked like a strange bunch, but hey, you can't judge a book by its cover. They can sometimes be hollowed out with really good stuff inside, that they can. "He took off as soon as your friend here spotted him. Probably a good thing, too, or he could have kept following you all. Pretty lucky trip, I guess."
She slid off of her rock and brushed off her bottom. "He's been following you for a little while now, he has. No idea why. Really couldn't care less, either. And your friend the tomato over there," she nodded towards Elias, "has it right. There are bandits all over the road and not so much out here. Then again, when you stick out like that, maybe it doesn't matter." She shrugged. "Anyways, there are bandits about, there are. So you lot should be careful. Can't count on tripping and picking out every bandit along the way. Plus they might already even know you're here, if that was a buddy of there's." She gave a stretch. "What's a little ragtag group like this up to way out here, anyway?"
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Elias
Mage Knight
The Crimson Mage
I'm just saying that the problem isn't going away, no matter how good we get at stabbing them.
Posts: 451
Etruria Fame: 1
Sacae Fame: 2
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: The Crimson Mage
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Profile (updated)
OoC Alias: Elias
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Post by Elias on Jan 2, 2011 8:28:40 GMT -6
There was someone speaking to them, a girl. "Well, I'd venture a guess that you already know what we're here for." Elias crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow at the snow headed woman. "Because, to be quite honest, there's little reason to even be here otherwise. I would also assume you're here for the same reason, unless you carry foolish notions of routing the bandits here under some glossy and poorly thought out set of heroics or personal vendetta." A person wouldn't just be sitting around for no good reason, especially on the cusp of such an important magical artifact.
"If that was a bandit who's spotted us, there's much chance we'll be swarmed soon. I doubt they'll tell everyone, we aren't a large enough band for the fleet so to speak. But we will get some people to route us and ransack our corpses, assuming they get that far. I would like to suggest we get out of here. We aren't going to be able to avoid confrontation, but the terrain here is treacherous, as Mana has demonstrated. It would be better to fight somewhere where we do not need to worry about slipping and sliding everywhere." Elias strung together word after word after coherent word. He's assuming this girl will want to come along, she wouldn't of called out to them otherwise, he'd keep an eye on her as well though.
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Nathaniel
Monk
Morning Lord, your daughter said there would be eggs?
Posts: 58
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Nathaniel on Jan 2, 2011 10:35:04 GMT -6
Ntahniel had been leaned back on a contraption that was essentially designed for that purpose attatched to his saddle. He had ben enjoying the uneventful morning while it had last. Of course he realised as he was the second magic user he should bealmost as enthusiastic as Ruby. But then all of a sudden Mana was running and falling, there was a bandit behind a tree and a girl sliding of a rock, and terrain conversations, and slipping and sliding.
Of course the thing Nathaniel's mind took out of all of those were Mana falling and the girl on the rock. He trotted his small horse ver to Mana he bent down his average happy grin present, "Are you okay milady?" Then he moved to the other girl sliding of his horse. He bowed a deep bow deciding he would take introductions into his own hands. He said as he came out of his bowing position, "Hello, it's nice to meet one such as yourself. The red haired swordsman is Garnet, but you should be sure to call him Fluorite. The woman over there is Mana a Sacaen swordswoman. And you've already met The Crimson Mage, or Elias if you aren't energetic when addressing him. And I am Nathaniel, the multi colored ejected monk. And you would be Miss? Misses?" He didn't feel he sould be the one in charge of introducing Cecil.
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Post by Mana on Jan 2, 2011 21:21:32 GMT -6
"I saw someone...A man was watching us behind that tree." Mana slowly got up and cleaned the dirt on her cloth, her body was dirty after that little accident. She felt a little pain from her right ankle, perhaps it was sprained. But she didn't say anything and just turned to the newcomer, a girl with silver hair.
Nathaniel said something to her. She had to admit that this priest had gentleman side despite his womanizer attitude. "Yes, I am alright. Thank you Nat" Mana smiled to Nathaniel and watched him talking to the girl and introducing them. She chuckled when Nathaniel told the girl to call Garnet Fluorite, he got this new nickname after he met with the Crimson Mage. By the way, she never called him Fluorite, she thought Garnet sound better.
Mana was examining the surrounding, she didn't want to have another one, bandit or not, watching them secretly. After she was sure that they were really alone this time, the Sacaen girl turned to the new girl. She crossed her arms and greeted her with a smile. "Hi. I am Mana."
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Jan 2, 2011 23:36:10 GMT -6
Garnet turned when he heard the unfamiliar voice. Great. We've barely started, and we're already being spied on.... By more than one person it would seem. Naturally, Garnet was suspicious of this newcomer, and more so of the fleeing man, whom Mana had seen. As far as he was concerned, their job had gotten a great deal harder, with that escaped man.
"You're all far too trusting." He said, glaring at Elias, for letting slip they were out there for something big, particularly Nathan, for giving away their names, and for continuing to label him with that incessant nickname Elias had stuck to him, and, well, by the time he got to Mana, he was tired of glaring, so she only got a little bit for being cheerful with this stranger, when they were in "enemy territory." That, and he was a bit annoyed that he'd been mostly ignored when he asked if she was alright.
It wasn't that he was overtly hostile at this new arrival, but she was an unknown, and it was all compounded by the fact that he'd be jumping at every shadow between here and their destination, expecting a bandit's axe, or some hedgewizard's spells.
"Elias is right. We need to move now, or we'll be hit from all sides." Garnet looked at the girl, trying to weigh their options. After a brief moment, he decided that, whoever she was, he'd rather have her where he could see her, than wandering elsewhere. "Miss, you should come with us. It will be safer than traveling alone."
"Cecil! Take the lead." No sense in holding back information now. If she did come with them, she'd be along for the ride, seeing everything they saw, and sharing the same risks.
Garnet followed the man's shuffling step. He was trying to read as he walked, it seemed. "Watch your step." Garnet said, as he caught hold of the man just before he took a wrong step. "Shouldn't you read that once we're there?"
"Probably, Garnet, but something has me confused. It speaks of entering, as if it were easy, but then I've found some broken descriptions of a process to e completed before you can enter. The writing is very old script. It should be in a museum somewhere."
"Even so, I'm expecting company any minute, and we'll need to all be alert. I didn't ask before, but do you have any way of protecting yourself?"
"Of course, M'boy. You don't study ancient magics without picking up a few things along the way. Don't worry... I won't be quite the burden any other old man would be." Cecil gave a weak grin to Garnet, before folding the book back up, and repacking it in a bag.
"Right.... Let's try and keep moving."
They kept on walking for a time, before coming to a point where there were two possible paths to take.
One formed a rough, widely cut cliff, running up one of the hills, and towards their destination. It was open, and had clear visibility, but would probably be the easier route to travel, excepting any bandit encounters.
The other, led down hill, and straight up, through the middle of the valley. It was between the two hills which marked their destination, and led straight up the slopes they needed to climb. While it was filled with rough spots, underbrush, trees, streams to cross, and other difficulties, it was filled with rough spots, underbrush, trees, streams to cross, and other difficulties. In other words, they'd have plenty of cover and shelter from ranged attacks, and more hiding spots, even if the path was more difficult.
"What do you think? Take the high path, and risk the open bluffs, or trench our way through the wilderness." Neither prospect was very apealing to the merc. He was going to treat it as picking the place for a battleground though, as if they were attacked, it would probably be about now that they were.
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Elias
Mage Knight
The Crimson Mage
I'm just saying that the problem isn't going away, no matter how good we get at stabbing them.
Posts: 451
Etruria Fame: 1
Sacae Fame: 2
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: The Crimson Mage
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Profile (updated)
OoC Alias: Elias
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Post by Elias on Jan 3, 2011 13:00:12 GMT -6
Elias gave a sharp roll of the eyes, lazily resting them towards Garnet in a way that spoke his next words without even saying them. Really? Too trusting? He sighed and shook his head, muttering to his self darkly. We are all far too trusting, if we had been properly paranoid none of us could of met. I'd still be running around Etruria and Nathan would of been viciously and ceremonial murdered by a pack of angry men.Instead we are all relative strangers together on this little mission. Methinks we're all a bit too trusting. I don't mind though, I'd rather be a trusting fool then a lonely cynic.
"I doubt she's out here for a picnic anyways, logic dictates she's here for a similar reason as us. Seeing as she hasn't been beaten and robbed, nor she is trying to lead our group into a trap. I doubt she'd be sightseeing this far off." Elias rambled off. "I never even said what we're doing, just that she probably knew what it was and was here for the same thing. It really depends on her if I was right and gave away info or not." He didn't like being snapped at over something stupid like this.
The firehead grunted and hung his little mage arms straight down with a sigh, his back arced over in annoyance. "Sorry." He said restraining the desire to say it sarcastically, Garnet had a point. Elias was so concentrated on what was ahead that he kinda treated everything happening right now with a passing interest at best. It spared everyone of his energetic outbursts, but robbed him of his usual vigor. Instead of running around being obnoxious he was being a bit of a pretentious jerk. Dammit, why did this always happen?
Speaking of what was to come... He listened to Cecil speak and cocked a single dark red inquisitory eyebrow. "We should hurry to the entrance then." The wait was killing him. He could barely stand it, all of his attention returning to the thought of these ruins. So much lost information to be recovered, it was dizzying to think about.
Cecil spoke again and Elias muttered in response. "No... I don't suppose you do..." Studying ancient magics... Hrm... Something to think about. When they came to the crossroads, Elias kept his thoughts to his self amazingly enough, as his mind lied elsewhere. It didn't matter which way they went, of course, they would be attacked by bandits either way. It was the way the universe works. Pegasus fly, dogs bark, dragons are cool, and bandits bandit. Especially when something important like this was going on. It was required at least once a chapter in the story that is the Crimson Mage's life. It was infallible as much as Red is the best color in the entire spectrum.
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Elena
The "Before" years
[M:0]
Posts: 12
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Post by Elena on Jan 3, 2011 13:59:13 GMT -6
Elena gave a little smirk. "Very good, Strawberry. Seems like we are out here for the same reason, but as you could probably guess the bandits don't make it very easy. And I think I will go with you all, for a while anyways." Hm... to tell them her real name or use an alias? At this point, alias would probably be the safer option in case the time came where we needed to screw them over. Yeah, she'd better go alias. "You can call me Chloe. Chloe Fisher."
"And your name is Garnet, correct? First off, there's no way I'm calling you Fluorite. Not gonna happen. Secondly, I think the better path would be through the woods. Sure there's more places to be ambushed, but there's almost more places to do ambushing and hide if needed. Open bluffs are way to exposed. Bandits might be dumber than your nickname, but even they have eyes. And if they spot us, well it probably won't end well. But hey, that's just my opinion, it is."
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