Elena
The "Before" years
[M:0]
Posts: 12
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Post by Elena on Mar 2, 2011 14:59:13 GMT -6
Elena followed the rest of the group into the dark, her hand resting on the handle of her knife. She was a thief, she knew the types of things that could be waiting in the dark. Then a golden light washed over her. She covered her eyes from the brightness and had to wait a few seconds before her eyes adjusted. Then her jaw dropped. Gold. Gold everywhere. So. Much. GOLD! She ran and jumped into a nearby pile of gold coins. This was heaven. Why hadn't anyone told her all this was here!?
With her eyes glinting, she hurried around and filled her bag up to the brim. She was so happy. Skipping happily, she continued down the path, occasionally grabbing something that caught her eye. After a little bit, the shinyness went away and the darkness engulfed her. Then she found herself with several members of the group again. Well that was weird. And she felt lighter now too. She looked down and saw her bag was basically empty again. No... no! It was a trick!? Someone would pay for this! But not right now, cause right now she was sad. Really sad. Really, really sad. So she sat down against the wall and cried. The others might think she saw something terrifying, when she really saw her dream come true and have it ripped away. Maybe that was terrifying after all.
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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 Mar 3, 2011 19:02:00 GMT -6
OoC: Wasn't it Lilith DeGarte? lol wayofdawarrior.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=gotopost&board=laus&thread=1528&post=27837 Although, her memory may not be up to snuff just yet. BiC: Garnet looked away as Riza emptied her stomach onto the floor. That wasn't going to help them, but their supplies.... Well, Garnet hadn't brought any snacks into the place with them. He wasn't sure what to make of her tale of amnesia and all that, or the magic. These things were beyond his experience, but her name did catch on. "Riza... Lillith, I wish I knew how to help the others, but I just don't know how." He climbed to his feet, still a little shaky, and looked around. Some of the others appeared to have made it through, but still no Elias. Or the rest of the original party. No one looked in good shape. "I...." Garnet was at a loss for words. The ruins they'd invaded would have been better left untouched. Who had they lost so far? And, without Cecil, there wasn't much reason to go on. What did a mercenary need with some old book which he couldn't even read? "I..." This has cost too much to just let it pass by. Taking a deep breath, spoke up, once again sounding confident, even if he was feeling equally unsure. "Let's press on. Maybe we'll find the others somewhere ahead." Ahead was another staircase to climb, presumably leading back to a hall similar to where they'd been before. They ought to be nearing the center by now, though, if that was where their treasure was kept.
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Lilith
Shaman
Never forget who you are, for surely the world will not
Posts: 169
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Post by Lilith on Mar 3, 2011 19:57:21 GMT -6
OoC: Oh hey, that's where my memory went. I'm worse that Lilith.
IC: "I'm sorry for being so weak... Maybe I can weave a spell that will protect us from further harm?" Lilith thought back to the days of her unfinished training, straining to think of how her teacher had though them to both follow the rules of casting and improvise.
She had felt the energy the spells in this place had impacted her, and, which a few incantations, formed a spell to counter it. She knew a monk would have an easier time, for her magic, by nature, was used to weave such curses, not to break them. But knowing how to make a spell with adverse effects taught her how to counter it. When she was done chanting, it felt as though a weight had been taken off of her mind. She felt as though she could see cleared now.
Lilith ran ahead and repeated the spell on Garnet, if not with a bit of fatigue. "Does that feel any better?" she asked upon completion.
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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 Mar 4, 2011 16:58:02 GMT -6
Garnet heard Riz- Lillith's comment, and shhok his head. He didn't blame her at all. She was merely there by chance, as far as he was concerned, and this magic was old. At least, the red-head expected it to be old.
So it was that, with a bit of skepticism, he turned and watched as she started some sort of... talky-jumble of mumbo-jumbo. Magic was impressive, but he wasn't even going to try and act like he knew anything about it. As it turned out, she was the magician, not him, and she at least seemed to know something of what she was doing.
When she repeated the sequence on him, Garnet felt something lift from him. It was like a constant annoyance and a drain on his strength, one which he'd been unaware of before, had been removed. A puzzled frown crossed his face.
"What did you do? Something happened there."
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Lilith
Shaman
Never forget who you are, for surely the world will not
Posts: 169
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Post by Lilith on Mar 5, 2011 14:02:13 GMT -6
Lilith looked up at her mercenary, her face pale from her efforts. "I used my familiarity with dark magic to weave a counter-curse for whatever enchantment had been laid down these halls, silly!" She held up two fingers and added, "V for victory! Let's get the others!"
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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 Mar 7, 2011 14:59:06 GMT -6
Nathaniel and the others stormed in. Well Nathaniel stayed near the back. As he entered the city, he saw the slaughter of all the innocents of the town. Nathaniel tried to remain away from the battle, but the version of him that was an officer did not. He rode in killing left and right. It utterly disgusted the modern Nathaniel. He hap always hated the killing, and if he hadn't of been so good at it he would of been pleased. Eventually a young boy, a Sacaen Mercenary walked up to him.
The boy was about fourteen, and was one of the few people in the city weilding a suitable weapon. His was very short, but seemed well built. Nathaniel sized him up and said a simple spell that might blind the boy long enough to knock him out. Nothing happened and he recieved a blow to the shoulder. Nathaniel lifted his lance to block another attack. The boy had skill, but was barely more than a novice. So Nathaniel doged to the left and stomped on the boys shin. He raced around the boy and rapped him in the back of the head with the butt of his spear.
Nathaniel gussed hil light magic hadn't workjed because of some untold magic in the maze. So He walked away towards his unit. Three Etrurians and two Illian mercenaries had been lost from their forces. About thirty from the enemy. The officer with Nathaniels face called for him and two men to follow and walked into a house. There was a old woman and hre grandson huddled in a corner. The officer told the men to get as many things as they could. He turned to Nathaniel and said, "Kill those two."
Nathaniel was shocked. That was completely uneccessary, and the fact that this man and him shared the same face... Nathaniel had no choice, he stabbed the man threw the back as he turned around. The other soldiers saw it and ran outside shouting, "He killed Lieutenant Nathanie! Burn the house!" Nathaniel walked over to the two huddled afraid in the corner. He hugged them and said, calmly, "Close your eyes." Then he started feeling heat close to his back and heard the boy scream. Nathaniel pulled the boys face to his stomach. He screamed as fire toouched his kin. The pain shot his eyes open,.
He collapsed, sweating n the floor of the labyrinth. There was a mirror as another way to torment the monk. He saw his face, and broke down crying. He didn't even notice he was randomly in front of Garnet and Lilith.
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Lilith
Shaman
Never forget who you are, for surely the world will not
Posts: 169
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Post by Lilith on Mar 8, 2011 11:25:24 GMT -6
"Ah!" Lilith took a step back as Nathaniel seemingly apperated in front of them. The looked very disturbed, much like Lilith had. Though he was a bit older than she, Lilith felt the need to help the poor guy. She knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Now now, friend. Everything is going to be okay," she reassured him, "it is this darn labyrinth, making us all have hallucinations. You are safe. Here, let me tell you what. I know a bit of magic that can ease some of your strain, magic that will make the nightmares go away... At least in here. Would you like me to perform the spell on you?" she looked at Nathaniel and wiped a tear from his cheek.
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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 Mar 12, 2011 20:42:47 GMT -6
Nathaniel heard a womans voice. He had his handsover his eyes, so he recognized it as his mothers. That made him feel even worse. He had failed as a soldier and now he was a failure of an acolyte. He was a failure of a man, who crept out of inn rooms half drunk. He broke down and almost wimpered like a child.
Nathanil let out a weak, out of breath, "Yes." He was the weakest willed man in the world. And he was unsure if it was better than the monster he had been under the Etrurian banner. He leaned back against the wall of the labyrinth, not wanting to see anyone's face, or have anyone see his.
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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 Mar 12, 2011 23:19:29 GMT -6
Garnet just about tripped over his own feet stopping himself when Nathaniel suddenly appeared in front of him. After a quick glance around the area to make sure something wasn't going to leap out of the dark and swallow them up, he crouched down next to his acolyte companion.
Nathaniel was seeming pretty pathetic right now. He could use all the help he could get, it seemed.
"Hang on Nathaniel. You can get through this.... I need you to get through this, because we started in here with a job and it's not finished yet."
Glancing away towards Riz- Lillith, Garnet quietly questioned her. "How many times can you keep this up?"
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Post by Alexander on Mar 13, 2011 5:35:01 GMT -6
Alexander watched as the blonde dark mage tried to heal the red-haired man and herself. he quietly listened as they spoke on... so these were hallucinations? That explained everything, and yet something made Alexander feel that his dream held some sort of importance.
He watched as he suddenly saw another yound man apparate in front of the two travellers. This man was also blonde, and perhaps thir companion. He did not have to wait to find out, the man's name was Nathaniel.
He watched as the blonde woman- she called herself Lilith; chanted a spell to heal the other blonde fellow.
Then he looked as the red-haired man tried to whisper to Lilith something. Alexander could not make out what he was saying, but he did not bother. His main goal now was to exit this maze- the treasure was probably useless to him now. What was importnat for him now, was to question his own importance and existence.
He turned to the red-haired man. "You, beardy, what do I call you?"
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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 Mar 13, 2011 17:11:20 GMT -6
"My name?" Garnet looked back at the man who'd spoken to him. The fact that this robed man was the one who should be called beardy wasn't lost on the merc, but he just lacked the need or desire to be antagonistic anymore. That was probably a good thing, he realized a moment later. It wouldn't get them anywhere. He still felt suspicious, but forced it aside with his will. They needed to get moving again.
"For now, call me Garnet.... I've been known as such for a long time." He was occasionally what could be considered a religious man, and he also knew about the symbolism of names. Now, with the direction he would be taking, he was unsure if his old name would be fitting to wear. That could be dealt with after they made their way out of the caves though.
Garnet stood up, stepping to the center of the group and raising his voice loud enough to be heard. They needed to rally. Hopefully, they'd all see that. "Travelers,... Friends... I realize that few of us even know each other well enough to wish to share a meal together yet. I'm probably not even the best person to be saying this, actually, but we are here, together, in these ruins. Whether we're comfortable with it or not, we're bound together in this. We need each other to pull through."
The swordsman looked around. Some of the people he'd come in with were conspicuously absent. Others were nearly completely disabled with fear or pain. "Listen to me. If your experiences were anything like mine, they tempted you. Pushed you where you felt your limits were, and then some. These challenges affected us all, but this isn't something we can let ourselves simply give into."
Garnet took a few steps forward, spreading his arms as if in a request. "Please. You may have suffered through terrible fears, or pain," The merc's eyes carried the sorrow of having lost his uncle again as he said spoke to the others, something he'd never managed to get over or truly accept before now. "I understand that. But you don't have to allow these things to dominate your life forever."
"Fight back!" The mercenary hammered his fist down into his palm, creating a distinctive "Clap" noise in the hall. "You don't have to submit.... True strength isn't measured by your actions in the calm times, but by how you conduct yourself in times of adversity. Use that strength now."
He was speaking to all of them. Lillith, Nathaniel, Chloe and Alecto. He hoped he'd be able to find Mana, and Elias, as well as Cecil before they made it out, but searching for them would only risk falling deeper into the caves.
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Post by Alexander on Mar 17, 2011 6:31:07 GMT -6
"Well then, Garnet," Alexander paused for a minute, "You're speech is much appreciated. But first...do you think the book of scrying actually exists here? I'm starting to think that whatever we were suffering from...it was not natural. Probably someone else came here way before we did, and then added some dark magic to this place." Alexander said cautiously.
"If we do find the book, however, it is most likely that it is sealed by a very destructive spell. Are you aware of this?" he asked.
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Lilith
Shaman
Never forget who you are, for surely the world will not
Posts: 169
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Post by Lilith on Mar 19, 2011 17:33:48 GMT -6
Lilith chanted out the spell she had invented, freeing Nathaniel's mind of the fell powers that shrouded this place. The drop in her energy, being as though this was the third complicated spell she cast in the past few minutes, was tremendous. Her eyelids fluttered, half-closing, and sleep threatened to envelope her mind. She struggled to keep awake, and, reaching to her waist, pulled her waterskin up to her mouth.
It was not water that entered her stomach, but a soothing, Calorie-dense tonic she concocted from herbs of the forest before any mission. Her fatigue lifted a little, and she stood up. Answering Garnet, who, in her lapse of energy, was addressing Alecto, "I think I may not be able to weave such a spell again. I fear if I do, I may have to be carried out of here. I am ashamed of my weakness..."
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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 Mar 20, 2011 15:03:39 GMT -6
Nathaniel stood, feeling better. He wouldn't be flashing his grin anytime soon, but he felt better. He looked at Lilith, silently thanking her, even though she had hurt herself in the process. He looked to Garnet, "I think we should get moving, even without Cecil."
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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 Mar 22, 2011 21:56:39 GMT -6
Garnet looked away, considering everything going on around him. The group was getting demoralized. There was no getting around that. He couldn't blame them. He would too, were he not actively forcing himself to ignore many of the discouraging factors surrounding him. Ultimately, he realized something: they were right. It was irresponsible to keep pressing ahead, no matter what else anyone thought.
The mercenary sighed, disappointed at events. "Lillith, don't feel bad. You've done enough."
Garnet bit the inside of his lip before he continued. "Alecto's right. Regardless of whether or not the book exists, it is probably beyond us now. Nathan's right too. It's time to move. Let's get out of here. We'll search for the others in the maze on the way out...."
The merc's tired gaze fell on the path they'd just come through. I just hope that we can get through fine this time. Unfortunately, the maze was the only way back, but perhaps it wouldn't have the same effect on them, since they'd already survived it once.
"C'mon, Chloe. Boots on the ground." Garnet spoke softly, but firmly, as he moved over to the silver haired girl and took her by the hands, helping her to her feet.
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