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 Oct 11, 2011 7:17:05 GMT -6
Picked clean by vultures and left to dry in the sun. Bleached white, and unrecognizable that is what this once proud city was. Elias never really considered him an Ostian citizen, heck he barely considered his self Lycian sometimes, but just thinking about what happened felt like a little dark pit in his gut. They have yet to reach the now gone city, but the effects were already immediately apparent. A burnt down forest, devoid of all life, a rough and unused road. No one in Lycia dared to go to Ostia, if Etruria didn't end them the monsters surely would. The only road to Ostia used now is the one to and from Etruria.
It was all just so... Morbid. Yeesh. Fit his father though, he always liked dark things like this. "Alright, unless he moved again it should be this way. Heh. This forest was still here last time I came by." The road was desolate, punctuated by it's sheer lack of intrusions. Usually there would of been at least a thousand bandits attacking them by now, but even bandits didn't want to tread this land. Or if they had, they aren't there any more.
"My father's home is a hut with a big tree in the middle. I'm guessing that's still there. It's quite a bit further in, not quite this forest but a nearby one. The quickest way to it would be to cut through these trees, following the road takes atleast 3 times as long. Of course something about cutting through a dead and burnt down forest is a bit skeptic. Not to mention creepy. The city is a bit away, that away." He pointed off in the direction the road led. "I used to go there sometimes to buy things for my father. He moved here about three years ago." He mused quietly. "Probably a buncha soldiers near the gate. So we should try to avoid it. I hear there's like a little city in front of the city, redundant huh?" He looked at the people who were following him. "Of course, there's more then one way into a city. We'll sneak in the back way later, try to make sure we avoid Etruria. Or you could stay with my father once we get there while I sneak in, but I wanna see the city."
"You guys all right? All together?"
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Vadim
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Posts: 30
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Post by Vadim on Oct 11, 2011 8:30:43 GMT -6
This land was dead, or at least soon to be, by the looks of things. Vadim had heard stories of Ostia, but had never been here himself. He was starting to regret following the others here, but he had little choice in the matter seeing as his home was destroyed. His family, he had no idea their fate, or where they were, he had to find them, but he needed to get stronger first. The mage spoke up bringing Vadim’s attention back to the group again and away from all of the decay around them. ”I’m good so far.” Vadim replied when Elias asked how they were. ”Just, taking it all in is all, I’ve never been to Ostia before, can’t say it’s the best first impression. But I suppose it’s not their fault they look like this.” He continued, his lance balanced over his right shoulder. ”I want to see the city as well, if you’ll allow me, I’d like to sneak in with you, Elias.” Vadim requested of the mage, glancing to the other two men to see their reactions to this place.
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Wyatt
Hero
The Volcano
How can someone win if winning means that someone loses?
Posts: 463
Etruria Fame: 2
Sacae Fame: -1
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Post by Wyatt on Oct 11, 2011 13:48:04 GMT -6
Wyatt looked about the forest, and memories came flooding back into his mind. As they passed through the trees, Wyatt stopped when they found a decently sized river, the current moving swiftly.
"I remember this forest." Wyatt said, climbing on a tree that had fallen over the river. "I actually think me and my friends may have been what caused this. We were attacked by those wolves in this forest, and one of my friends cast a fireball. Things got out of control pretty quickly...and well..." He gestured around them.
"I had a lot of friends I haven't seen since that time. Denzel, Selk, Lilith... wonder if they made it out? Course there were others, like me, who survived it. Yaen, Wein, Aaron...man there were a lot of us." He pondered this aloud. "We were going towards Ostia, but I never made it. In the battle I fell into this river." He said gesturing to it. "And nearly drowned. When I woke up, I was closer to Santaruz, no idea how I made it that far."
He paused, those were some bitter memories. Did all of his friends survive to reach Ostia? Did they reach Ostia and then die in the war? Or did they survive that too? Everyone he'd spoken to knew only of their own whereabouts it seemed, which was rather odd. Had they just scattered to the winds after he'd fallen?
"The Eturians would have to be crazy to stay this long, wouldn't you think?" He asked Elias. "I mean, sure it's a good forward position, but the land has to be haunted or something."
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Ralph Meglane
Rogue
The Sightless Wanderer
Dishing out his own brand of justice.
Posts: 276
Etruria Fame: 1
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Sarria
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Post by Ralph Meglane on Oct 11, 2011 13:48:22 GMT -6
Ostia stunk of ash and decay, Ralph could even taste it from the air alone. He was glad that Caecus had disappeared now, if his hawk friend were still around, he would not enjoy this place one bit.
It had been much easier to travel in a group than traveling alone. This way all he had to do was follow the sounds of footsteps, rather than rely on Caecus for direction.
"I don't like the air around here, but I'm fine." he replied to Elias.
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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 Oct 11, 2011 15:27:22 GMT -6
"I'm preeetty sure this forest would be messed up even without help." He grinned. "Still, that's one mystery solved." Shrugging lightly, it seemed everyone was accounted for. Including the horse, but he didn't pay it any mind. A land of death and decay was right at home for such a beast, he was probably simply going home or any other number of horrible thing Elias could think of but was simply not in the mood to waste the energy focusing on such a trivial thing. The fact of the matter was simply that it was stalking the mage, even in this lifeless land of really bad things. Current status: Taking a drink from the river. Probably evil water, full of ash and... Evilness.
Wyatt gave a little summary of his last time in Ostia, sounded exciting, but wasn't exactly what Elias would call reassuring. "I wouldn't put it past Etruria to camp out, even if they aren't I'd rather dodge the off chance that they indeed were. Not to mention it would be more of a waste of time to go about the front gates if we stop by my father's hut first. Besides, it's cooler to sneak in, makes you feel like a spy or something." He felt a bit better now, probably because he was with other people that knew nothing about him. It made not talking about his problem much easier.
"I dunno if it's haunted or not though, I hope so that sounds interesting. I was in a haunted tomb once, the only thing we found there was a bunch of skulls and bad dreams." Skully the ruby skull, still snug in his pack. Hopefully it wouldn't be a beacon of demons looking to possess his appealing mortal form.
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Vadim
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Posts: 30
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Post by Vadim on Oct 11, 2011 16:40:49 GMT -6
Vadim listened to Wyatt and Elias trade stories and information, trying to remember as much as he could. Ralph seemed to like it here as much as the lancer did, which at least meant Vadim wasn’t alone. ”Haunted?” Vadim questioned, looking to the mage. ”You believe in ghosts?” He asked snidely but with a grin. Vadim didn’t believe in such things, having never seen a ghost himself. He didn’t make any further comment about the ghost thing, for now, instead, saying. ”Anyway, I’m ready to head out to wherever it is we’re going, if there’s a fight to be had… I’ll do what I can and keep my head down.” Frigging inability to be useful, such a waste and he did want to help if he could, but he didn’t want to get in the way either.
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Wyatt
Hero
The Volcano
How can someone win if winning means that someone loses?
Posts: 463
Etruria Fame: 2
Sacae Fame: -1
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Post by Wyatt on Oct 12, 2011 7:12:52 GMT -6
"Sneak in like a spy, eh? I'm not really the quietest guy you'll ever meet." He said, gesturing to the massive pack on his shoulders. "But I guess it's a plan we can work with. So, we are looking for a house with a tree in it? That's kind of odd..." He remarked. He didn't think he'd ever understand magic users. Then, something occurred to him. This guy wasn't Aaron, but maybe he knew anyway.
"Say Elias, most fire magic I see is really quick and destructive. Is there any kind of fire magic that can make a prolonged and steady fire?" He asked as they moved through the forest. No sense in traversing in silence.
Well ok, there might have been some sense to it, but Wyatt didn't care.
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Ralph Meglane
Rogue
The Sightless Wanderer
Dishing out his own brand of justice.
Posts: 276
Etruria Fame: 1
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Sarria
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Post by Ralph Meglane on Oct 12, 2011 16:21:37 GMT -6
"Sneaking?" Ralph replied when Elias mentioned it, "That's what I do best. Not to mention that I've been in Ostia and it's castle before. My mind may be a little fuzzy, but I should be able to remember some of it, unless none of it is left standing."
Ralph recalled that Ostia was where he met Matis and their gang. He chuckled to himself suddenly remembering the way they had met. Ralph was trying to pick the pocket of a nomad when he was caught. That nomad... wasn't he the one who told Ralph that strange riddle in Sacae recently?
The past is always hard to accept, but never forget where you come from.
The past? Had he been talking about Ralph's past of thievery? Ralph continued to think about it as the group continued onward.
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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 Oct 12, 2011 17:21:51 GMT -6
"Yeah, well, he's an odd fella. What can you do." Elias replied with a shrug. "He loves nature, that's why he's camped out in the middle of nowhere instead of snug inside the city. A decision that was good in the long run I suppose." Before this he's lived in forests, farms, ranches, and once a tree house. His father said he could hear the spirits of anima better in nature, or something equally as magical like the quiet is good for connecting with the void.
"It's not like we have to actually be quiet, Ostia's a big place and unless there's a thousand people combing the ruins I don't we'd cause a commotion large enough to be noticed. Nothing really to disturb there, except the dead. Still, it's fun to pretend your a spy. Makes it all the more exhilarating." He held a finger in the air, pointing at nothing in particular. "Of course I believe in ghosts. I mean why wouldn't I? It's much more interesting that way, imagining that after your demise you hang around like a bad rash. Except instead of a rash, you're a ghost and instead of skin it's the earth. It will be the best ghost ever, I tell you what. I mean, there's those doom wolves, and zombie creatures according to the stories, not to mention anima users commune with nature spirits to create magic as well as elder magics using a loosely defined plain of existence to power theirs. Let's not even get started of divine magic, there's so many odd things that are real in this world, what's so strange about ghosts?"
"Anyways, prolonged fire you say? Yeah that's possible, it's not like fire magic HAS to be quick and destructive. That's just the general way to go about it, because it has the greatest impact upon an enemy. There's as many little variations of the same spell as there is mages to cast them, maybe even more. I know I get bored just throwing fireballs that simply explode." He chuckled. "I like juggling them, I can show you guys some time. It's not hard, but then again I cheat. Oh, back to your question..." He quickly rebounded, trying to rerail his self before he went too far off topic. "Yes, it's quite possible. It takes concentration though, as to keep the flame steady and existing, if you lose that concentration it's liable to blow up and then it ceases being a magical flame and your whole house is one fire it's really messy let me tell you. That's how my tree house burned down, we had to move after that."
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Vadim
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Post by Vadim on Oct 13, 2011 9:02:51 GMT -6
Vadim grinned when Ralph seemed to perk up to the idea of sneaking, in that case, Vadim would try and follow the Rouge through the place. Elias then went on a small rant to Vadim’s comment about ghosts, using magic as its extensions as examples. ”Fine, magic can explain everything then, I get your point.” Didn’t mean he agreed with it though. ”But are ghosts not supposed to be things that are not animated or controlled by magic in anyway? A disembodied spirit wandering around the place of its death with no magic to keep it there. Zombies I get, nature spirits even I can understand to a point. But a human soul, if there is one, being trapped in place at the death to forever moan and groan and scare people? Right.” Young, inexperienced and bull headed. Needless to say, should the day come he ever became a knight, he probably wouldn’t need a helm to protect his head.
Vadim paused a moment and looked around, a chill running up his spine. ~Easy, Vadim, easy.~ He told himself taking some deep breaths as he continued to follow the others.
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Wyatt
Hero
The Volcano
How can someone win if winning means that someone loses?
Posts: 463
Etruria Fame: 2
Sacae Fame: -1
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Post by Wyatt on Oct 14, 2011 13:51:59 GMT -6
Wyatt listened to Elias' explanation with a smile. "That's good then. All I needed is a skilled mage with some really hot fire then. I might ask you to help me try something out a bit later if you feel up to it....but for now we should..."
A crunch in the woods in front of them made Wyatt stop in his tracks, reaching for his axe. He could have sworn he spied someone moving through the trees, but it was difficult to see. Now he seemed to have lost the shadow.
"Weapons up..." he muttered, quite sure they were no longer alone in this patch of woods.
Someone, or something, was near.
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Ralph Meglane
Rogue
The Sightless Wanderer
Dishing out his own brand of justice.
Posts: 276
Etruria Fame: 1
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Sarria
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Post by Ralph Meglane on Oct 14, 2011 15:58:30 GMT -6
Ralph had heard something as well, already reaching for the swords by his side. "I hope it is nothing unfriendly, I'm at a disadvantage amongst these trees..."
Even were Ralph to find an enemy, his swords would always be in trouble of catching on branches. Not to mention that he was in the back, so any enemies in front would involve Ralph passing his allies first.
He feared that the only way he would be fighting in this forest was if everyone else fell first.
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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 Oct 15, 2011 2:56:01 GMT -6
"Oh goodness, just when I was enjoying the company." He muttered, his tome was at ready. It was always at ready really, since it was just a book and really didn't need to be lifted or raised like a conventional weapon. Just chalk it up to one of the infinitely many advantages of magic. While Elias didn't particularly hear anything, that was probably due to the fact he was too busy thinking. Still if the blind guy heard it, that means it's probably there.
Luckily this forest was pre-burnt, else it could get messy.
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Vadim
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Grab something sharp and pointy!
Posts: 30
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Post by Vadim on Oct 15, 2011 8:19:52 GMT -6
”Damn.” Vadim cursed when Wyatt said weapons up and Ralph confirmed that he had heard something out there. Vadim retrieved his lance and gripped it tight, damned if he would be in another fight and not doing anything help, again, like last time. He was hoping, like Ralph, that was it wasn’t anything unfriendly, but, as he spoke out loud he revealed what he was really thinking. ”Yes, but is out luck that good these days?” His wasn’t, maybe if the other three had better luck it would cancel out the lance’s unlucky streak.
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Wyatt
Hero
The Volcano
How can someone win if winning means that someone loses?
Posts: 463
Etruria Fame: 2
Sacae Fame: -1
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Post by Wyatt on Oct 15, 2011 18:05:53 GMT -6
Wyatt stood at the ready, gripping his old axe tightly in his hands as the sounds moved about them. Finally, Wyatt saw something, Eturian colors! Without waiting for them to potentially be discovered, he lunged, and brought the axe down with all his might. It cut clean, and the body fell to the earth in a single shot.
However, looking upon the body would quickly show the problem. This man was dead long before Wyatt got to him. Wyatt looked at the half decayed body with cloth hanging off of it and raised his axe up, still hearing motion from all around them.
It sounded like they were surrounded, and they were closing in to attack now. Two popped from the ruined brush behind Elias and Vadim, and a third came up to Ralph's side. Wyatt spied this and shouted.
"Ralph! Left!"
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