Searching for Meaning (Open)

[Locke]

OOC: No definite post order needed, since this thread will be for the purposes of character fleshing. A sort of talk-among-yourselves style, if many people join.

IC:

Locke wandered about the town, almost aimlessly, his eyes roving about and his hands fiddling with a sharp metal tool and a piece of stone. His wanderings around the human world had given him new insight, yes, but they had also raised new problems. Many of these humans failed to understand the significance and gravity of what their ancestors had done.

A fairly large part of Locke's mind wished to punish them for it. To slay them like they had slain his forefathers. To chase them down and watch them writhe in agony as he let loose his might upon them.

But an even larger portion still sought peace, reconciliation, and understanding. A way to bridge the gap between dragon and human. To again bring harmony back to the world. To create a continent of Arcadia, not just a city.

But these were simply dreams. There was too much evil and hostility living among these humans. Too much fear and hate within their brains. The bigotry of their ancestors.

And so the dragon was saddened, his face unknowingly set in an expression of melancholy. Chipping away at the stone, he formed a carving of a great dragon, a miniature of the mighty creatures that once flew proudly in these same skies. Crushing it with his fist, Locke dropped the broken pieces to the ground and walked on. Peace would be a long time coming, it seemed.

[Bones]

"Why me", lamented Bones as she followed behind a young orange hair lad no older than sixteen years of age. Nest to her on her right side was the same face as the boy in front of her and to her left was that face again. Surrounding her on three sides were the young Blacksmiths Shu, Wu, and Wei. They were three prominent members of the skull bandits and where quite known for their skill at smiting weapons. They had come to Nabata to finish a job for a merchant friend of the skull bandits. The merchant wanted to set up a iron works shop. He had the coin and the influence to get it done, but he needed a wow factor to make it sell. He needed weapons of finer make to come out of his shop in order to make it grow. Shu, Wu, and Wei were his Wow factor. They were known for making weapons that make armor go pop and as a agreement with Paleface they were to aid him for a month teaching their smiths how to forge the weapons and crafting some to get its reputation up. The trip however was dangerous and since neither one of them knew how to swing one of the weapons they made Bones was assigned to watching over them.

"Oh what is wrong", spoke Shug as he turned and looked at bones from her right.

"Maybe she still upset we are making her go to a party", spoke Wu.

"I don't see why", spoke Wei. "She looks pretty in that dress and her hair is done very well."

"Yes just like a noble woman", spoke Shu.

"A bandit noble woman", spoke Wu.

Bones growled at their comments. She never liked the idea of being considered pretty, nor did she like the idea of being compared to a noblewoman. She was a woman of action, not a woman waiting to be married off to a old man twice her age. Calling a wolf a sheep could be nothing else but a insult.

"First off don't compare me to a noble woman", spoke Bones as she followed behind the boy.

Attachments:

[Locke]

The manakete continued his wandering, idly glancing and seeing a youthful face...three times.

What?

Looking more carefully, the carver saw that there were three of them. Triplets, it seemed, and a chaperon.

"Excuse me! Please, wait a moment."

Taking out a large chunk of marble from his satchel, Locke began carving it. His tool chipped steadily and efficiently at the stone, always seeming to take precisely the right amount off. Soon, the figure of one boy appeared in lifelike, intricate detail, standing to the left of a large lump of stone. Then another boy, to the right, and finally, one in front. All three were the same face and body, but subtle differences in hand position and stride differentiated the three identical triplets. Taking more time now, Locke sculpted out the woman, creating her figurine with amazing precision. There was even the illusion of wind sweeping through her hair and the hem of her dress.

"I have made this for you, as a token of my goodwill. Please, accept it. I would like you to have it. No charge, of course. No charge. Simply a gift."

Bowing to the four of them, the manakete looked at the woman briefly, his mind analyzing her. Probably heading to a social event, by her dress. Maybe she was watching these children for a wealthy patron? She seemed young to be a mother, especially for teenage children. But then again, it was much different for dragons, so he couldn't be sure.

"On your way to a social gathering?"

[Bones]

"Holy crap", spoke Bones as she stared with amazement. That sculpture was chiseling out their image as if he was drawing it on a piece of paper. The maiden was flabbergasted by it. She had never seen such skill, nor have she ever heard about it. To shape stone so easily and with a Chisel no less.

"Wow you are good Mr", spoke Shu.

"Really Good", spoke Wei.

"Eh I have seen better", spoke Wu breaking the mold.

"What you have", spoke Shu. "I don't really remember anybody who did anything better than that, and I am your triplet brother."

"Yeah Wu, were did you see that level of skill", asked Wei. "Wait, have you been sneaking out without us again. You jerk you promised we would always leave camp together in case something went wrong."

"No no you fools", spoke Wu as he looked at his three brothers. "The person I speak of exist in the camp and has been in front of you the whole time."

"That person lives in camp", spoke Wei thinking hard on all the bandits. "I don't really remember anyone being skilled in the arts back at camp."

"Weight", spoke Shu as he looked up at Bones. His eyes grew wide and almost winkled with the light of admiration. "You mean Bones. Bones I had no idea that you were so skilled in the arts of craft. Why did you not tell me sooner."

"Because I have no such skill", spoke Bones as she looked down at Shu. "I have no idea who your brother is talking about, but I can promise you it is not me. The best I can do is a stick figure, and even that ends up crocked."

"Wait if not Bones than who", asked Wei. He was now very eager to find out the answer.

"Of course myself", spoke Wu as he closed his eyes and began to imagine things. "Have you seen the armor I produce. The skill, the craftsmanship, it is unmatched by anybody in Bern, Sacea, shoot I will even be so bold as to say the world. ... ouch", cried Wu as he was suddenly hit by a stone. Shu and Wei had taken the time while he was monologueing to pick up a few stones and then began to fling them at him while booing his self praise.

"Anyway thank you for the gift", spoke Bones as she accepted the piece of stone work. She had to remember the next time they were out raiding to leave some of the artist alive. The world could use a lot more people like him.

On your way to a social gathering he asked

"Yes as a matter of fact we are", spoke Bones.

"Yeah a fancy cheese party", spoke Wu happy to turn the conversation from himself and his stoning.

"Oh yeah you should totally come", spoke Shu.

"I agree", spoke Wei. "I am sure the merchants would love to have a sculpture of your skill around.

"Yeah, you may only be half as good as I am, but you still have talent", spoke Wu. His words errant another stoning from his brothers.

"Alright that is enough", spoke Bones as she turned around at looked at the young boys. Shoot it was like watching a pack of preschoolers. They were always doing something and always causing trouble in some way fashion or form."

"Alright mom", spoke Wei in disapproval as he dropped his stones.

"For mother sake we won't stone you to death Wu", spoke Shu.

"See that mother comes to my aid. I told you I was her favorite", spoke Wu with a bright smile on his face.

Bones let out a long sigh as she took a deep breath. These three fools were driving her crazy.

[Locke]

Locke waited in good-natured puzzlement as the three boys began to squabble like dune rats. My, my. That poor woman had her hands full, that was for sure. It was a shame, too. They looked like bright little children, but they had a discipline problem. What a shame. That was too bad.

"I would be glad to accompany you to your gathering. If there are merchants, however, I am afraid that I am not much of a businessman. I simply carve my stone and read my books. If there are business matters to be discussed, I will have to defer to someone more well-versed in those arts."

Standing up, the manakete brushed stone dust off of his cloak and robes and moved over to join the group. This would be an interesting way for him to try and foster some peace. With many rich men to speak with, he would be able to gain support for his cause more easily. Maybe then there could be some peace.

"So is this just a meeting of merchants? Are you a merchant as well? I've never seen a gathering of merchants, but that is because I come from Nabata. Deep in the desert, there are no merchants to speak of. However, I have been to bazaars on the edge of the sands, and those markets were more than interesting. How nice it will be to see a variety of wares."

Of course, Locke had no idea who these people were, and had no idea that he was walking into a nest of banditry.

[Bones]

"Hmm, we are not really merchants", spoke Shu.

"Yeah we are more like blacksmiths", spoke Wu.

"We make the weapons that the merchants sell", spoke Wei. "We make them sell them cheap to the merchant and he in turn sells them high to an adventure. After the transaction has occurred we get a small percentage of the gold he made from the adventure."

"It is a standard skilled artisan contract", spoke Shu.

"Well Standard for us", spoke Wu. "Most blacksmiths don't get the gold percentage from the sell."

"It is because we have connections", spoke Shu.

"And mama here to back us up when people don't want to follow their contract", spoke Wei as he grabbed bones arm..

"Stop calling me Mama", spoke Bones as she yanked her arm from his grasp. These three were driving her crazy. Now they had recruited another to join their festivities. Bones kind of felt bad for the sculpture. He had allowed himself to be dragged in so it was his fault.

The gang arrived at a two story building. It looked nicer than the other buildings in town and had a nobelish air to it. However instead of entering the front door as one would expect the group entered a door on the side which lead immediately to a flight of stairs. The stairs gave way to a grand ball room that was guild under ground. The room was lit up by chandeliers candles and windows that were installed near the ground level near the base of the house. The designer of the ball room built it underground to allow it to stay cool and with efficient lighting it was as grand as any other ball.

All around there were ladies in big dresses and gentlemen in fancy suits. There were more mustaches than Bones could count and food and wine lined a table near the edge. This was not a gathering of merchants who barely scrapped by in the sands of Nabata. It was not a gathering of cut throats and brigands. No this was far worse. It was a gathering of dirty merchants, men and women who would sell their own mother for coin. Here is were they networked and gain connections. It is were the dirty deeds first started. All the scheming and planning was hidden behind a mask of grand ball.

[Locke]

Locke followed the four blacksmiths into a large building, descending some stairs into a huge and grand ballroom. What a fantastic sight... Beautiful architecture, excellent ambient lighting... And the humans, by the Great Earth Dragon himself!

They were all dressed in formal clothes, eating the finest foods and drinking the best wines. It reminded him of the banquets that his parents had spoken of, where humans and dragons once dined together, celebrating the harvest or the spring together. What a wonderful time that must have been...

Moving over to the table with the wine, Locke delicately took five glasses, handing one to each of the four others and taking one for himself. It was an excellent Merlot. Simply marvelous.

"This is quite the party, Bones. I am grateful you have introduced me to such a grand event. But I must say, I don't understand... Are these men of all different trades? Would anyone need my stoncecutting skills, or my carving ability? I suppose what I really am trying to say is that I'm unsure if I fit in in such a rich and noble event. I'm just a humble Nabatan tribesman, after all. I am no wealthy merchant or man of great rank or power... I feel like a fish out of water here. Please, guide me and instruct me."

Locke sipped the wine as he looked around. Faces everywhere, everyone looking at each other politely, but with a sort of hunger. Perhaps this was the greed that was so crippling to the human race? They all were wealthy, that much was clear... So what could they want so powerfully?

[Bones]

It was not long after Locke had brought over the drinks to the group that the trio was pulled away by guest. It seemed that every sleazy businessman wanted to have a word with them. It had gotten so bad that the boys were pulled away from each other. Shu was on the east side of the room, Wu was on the west, and Wei to the north. It ended up leaving Locke and Bones, which Bones thank the fates for. Those three were starting to become a real bother. Locke then started to talk about the people in the room and how he felt a little bit out of place. Bones could not help but chuckle a bit to it. He thought he was feeling out of place Bones felt like a necked cat in a Ilian blizzard. Bones was not use to this. She was use to bar fights and blood filled raids. She was use to walking through mud and eating fresh plucked game. Wine and fine dishes were never on her radar. If somebody had told her she would be eating finger food in a fancy noble ball she would have stuck a axe in their skull for lying. Now here she was wearing a dress and mingling with the rich and greedy.

As Bones looked around she began to feel strange. It was a feeling that she did not truly understand, it was so rare to her, but now it came in droves. She was feeling consciousness. Not about the people, but about her own self. She wondered how she looked in the dress or if she stood out too much. She wondered if her muscles made her look ugly. It was all a bit new too her. She normally only cared if her armor was on right or if her axe was properly strapped. The maiden was so focused on her inner thoughts that she missed most of what Locke was saying. Her mind picked up on a few points here and there, but for the most part she missed it. Pausing for a moment Bones filled in the blanks of what she thought he was saying.

"Locke you will do fine", spoke Bones. She was not just talking to him, but also to herself. "I am pretty sure that everyone here could use your stone working skills. Everybody here has a ego the size of a mountain I am pretty sure any of them would love to have their face carved into stone and placed in front of every place they own. What I would be more worried about if I was you would be the crowds of people requesting you after you finish the first one." Bones stopped and took a gulp of her drink. The maiden threw decor out the window and simply consumed the wine. "The way I see it Locke, you belong here more than I do. I am just hired muscle that can swing a axe. You are a sculpture who can mold stone into shape and form. There are a thousand of me running around, but very few of you."

[Locke]

"I thank you for your kind words, Bones, although I do not agree completely. You seem to me to be more than simple 'muscle,' as you call yourself. It seems to me that you have depth of character and thought to you. I believe that you have greatness within you, Bones. I really do. If you trust in yourself and believe, you will go far. Very far."

The manakete moved over to the center of the room, where two men, mustachioed and portly, stood talking in hushed tones, gesticulating frequently and violently. Cocking his head, Locke looked them over briefly, and then took out a chunk of stone and his chisel, crouching on his haunches and beginning to carve. At first, it was a slow process; the man simply made small marks or removed small bits from the stone, as if he was afraid.

Soon, however, the pace increased, and all sense of tentativeness was lost as the tool clicked out a harsh, staccato beat. Chunks of rock fell clattering to the floor as Locke deftly spun his work, jabbing at it like a fencer in the heat of battle.

And then all was still; the manakete stood up and offered the carving to the two men. There were the two men, in extraordinary detail, almost seeming to move as if they were simply miniature versions of the real subject.

There was silence as the two stared at the rock, first in disgust but then in awe and astonishment. Their gazes came to rest on the Nabatan, who, in his robes and with his 'tattoos,' seemed quite out of place in the formal ball.