Wein Lowell
Sniper
The Noble Arrow
If you're a glory hound, then I'm king of the glory hounds
Posts: 268
Lycia Fame: 2
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Post by Wein Lowell on Nov 21, 2011 16:12:14 GMT -6
Wein nudged Yaen with his elbow, giving the taller man bit of a grin.
"Oh come on," said the archer, attempting to match his companion's whisper. "Sure he seems a bit goofy, but he's been friendly enough. Doesn't really strike me as the serial killer type, you know?" The Ostian waved his hand, dismissing Yaen's concerns. "Besides, I don't have the best sense of direction in the world, so unless you want to start navigating..." He held his map up to the Sacaen's face. "...then we might as well let this 'Elias' guide us to the nearest settlement. Then, if he keeps giving you the heebie-jeebies, we can go our separate ways, alright?"
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Yaen
Swordmaster
Prince of Blades Mad Swordsman
Now let's play the Song of Swords.
Posts: 305
Sacae Fame: 2
Bern Fame: 3
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: Vagabond
Affinity: Thunder
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Post by Yaen on Nov 23, 2011 14:17:25 GMT -6
Yaen frowned. "...How long have you had that map?" he asked. He didn't remember ever seeing it before. It certainly would have made things a little easier. Though, truth be told, he wasn't much of a map reader either. He just remembered a few landmarks from places he's been more than once ore twice. "Alright, fine, you win. We'll stick with him."
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Wein Lowell
Sniper
The Noble Arrow
If you're a glory hound, then I'm king of the glory hounds
Posts: 268
Lycia Fame: 2
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Post by Wein Lowell on Nov 28, 2011 3:19:44 GMT -6
"Varia gave it to me," said Wein tapping the older piece of parchment with an index finger. "Good map, I must say, it's just that in trying to get us to civilization I've run into a bit of, eh...human error." The archer scratched his temple in slight embarrassment, but nodded as Yaen acquiesced to his proposed plan.
"Alright then, Elias. Lead the way."
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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 Nov 29, 2011 15:08:33 GMT -6
They had a map? All along? And still got lost in the forest for days? Wow, and people called him absentminded. He couldn't catch what they were saying, probably wasn't very important, but he did get the tailend there about how they wanted him to lead the way. He was tempted to bring out his map and show off how he actually had the ability to read it, since these two seemed to sorely lack such a thing. A little bit of showboating, wouldn't hurt, but he just checked a map not even five minutes ago and wasn't in the mood to stroke his ego. He wanted to stroke his tired mind after all that chaos in Ostia, he hadn't even had a chance to rest, his legs felt like rocks that somehow had a complex system of muscles and blood to make them move.
Luckily for him he had a horse! Laziness won this day, truly a victory to go down in the books. He had the fleeting thought of offering one of them a ride, but realized putting a stranger withing backstabbing distance wasn't exactly a good idea. Plus it would totally throw off the symmetry, which is potentially worse. The two would have to have a brawl to the death over the honor of riding atop the demonic steed, and really who had the time to build a gladiator arena and attract thousands of patrons anyways?
"Alright, it's this way, just follow me." Since unlike these two, Elias actually had a semblance of direction. Even when he thought he was lost in Laus he was actually going the right way. That's how sharp his sense of direction was, it betrayed his scatterbrained thoughts. Though that wasn't hard, he was quite scatterbrained indeed. While he had a semblance of plausibility that he may just be from this town they're heading to, he was incredibly skeptical that they actually believed that. One from Ostia, on from Sacae, it couldn't hurt to tell them he's from Lycia.
"The town we're headed to is a small one, I was there once a long time ago. Back before the everything happened." He added, maybe to spark conversation, maybe to fill the silence, or maybe because he just loved the sound of his own voice. Or all three at once, he could multitask.
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Yaen
Swordmaster
Prince of Blades Mad Swordsman
Now let's play the Song of Swords.
Posts: 305
Sacae Fame: 2
Bern Fame: 3
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: Vagabond
Affinity: Thunder
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Post by Yaen on Dec 11, 2011 17:43:17 GMT -6
Yaen sighed and brushed a few stray hairs out of his face. "You could have asked for directions before we left." he pointed out, but left it at that. No sense in dwelling on it now, seeing as they had a guide. Albeit a guide Yaen was very certain to be mentally deranged and possibly a psychotic murderer who made his clothes red by bathing them in the blood of his victims. Holy sh*t, he was going to kill them all!
Yaen blinked. Well, that was certainly an interesting line of thought. He'd have to take a nap later. "The everything. Well, there's one name for it." he commented, and to be honest, it sounded like a good enough name in his book.
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Wein Lowell
Sniper
The Noble Arrow
If you're a glory hound, then I'm king of the glory hounds
Posts: 268
Lycia Fame: 2
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Post by Wein Lowell on Dec 12, 2011 0:37:55 GMT -6
Wein raised an eyebrow as he turned his head towards Elias. "The...everything?" he asked, a bit confused. The mage apparently didn't have the most expansive vocabulary. "Are we discussing times before the rise of the Prophet? Or the destruction of Ostia? Or both?" Maybe the red haired man really did mean everything. "Because, at least for the former, that would be quite awhile ago."
If the mage was indeed talking about the Prophet's rise to power, it could mean he was an Etrurian exile. But then why would he so willingly go back to Etrurian? Perhaps he was an Etrurian agent disguised as an Etrurian exile. That would be bad. Wein had heard that overzealous Etrurians were quite hard to reason with, especially if one was from Ostia, the first, and strangely only, city to fall to the Prophet's Inquisitional Army. But maybe the Ostian was digging to deep. He could, like them, be a harmless traveler on his way to a small town in Etruria at which he once was at a long time ago. That seemed to be the best option at the moment. But there was no taking chances.
"Um, where are you from, if you don't mind me asking?"
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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 13, 2011 8:36:04 GMT -6
"Before everything. Before the Bandit war, I was only about ten at the time. You know, before the chain of events that cascaded out of control gripping the entire continent in a wave of desperation and fear that still lasts to this very day." He waved it off second hand, like it happened every other day. Which it very well might, it seemed things only get worse by the passing moon. Never better. Hell, he bet Elibe was about to be plunged into another stupid huge war involving something stupid like demons or dragons. Or demon dragons.
"Huh, seems like so long ago sometimes. It's hard to remember there used to be a world underneath all this gloom." He touched his chin but shrugged it off. The group trotted to the next town, Elias ridng atop the demon moving at a slightly brisk pace. "Anyways, I'm from Lycia. Might as well tell you now, you probably don't think I'm Etrurian at all. I just needed to make sure you weren't going to try and kill me for being a foreigner, you'd be surprised how many people do that."
"My father used to travel to Etruria all the time, he had colleagues there, and I came with him." As an assistant. "This was before, er, the strict entry policy was enacted mind you." There was also the rumors of the book of scrying in this area, that Elias' father chased after from time to time. His father... he hoped those two were alright. They finally made progress, it would be ironic and a bit sad if they were to suddenly die.
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Yaen
Swordmaster
Prince of Blades Mad Swordsman
Now let's play the Song of Swords.
Posts: 305
Sacae Fame: 2
Bern Fame: 3
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: Vagabond
Affinity: Thunder
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Post by Yaen on Jan 6, 2012 18:48:08 GMT -6
"I'm not exactly prone to killing foreigners, especially when I was born in another country." Yaen replied. He then looked to Wein. "Why do they call Sacae a country? Sure, it has a sense of 'borders' and 'people', but we aren't united at all. We're almost like Lycia, but five steps in the reverse." he pointed out. A united Sacae. Now there was an outrageous idea. The tribesmen were all fiercely independent. Still, if one man could unite them... They may very well be unstoppable.
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Wein Lowell
Sniper
The Noble Arrow
If you're a glory hound, then I'm king of the glory hounds
Posts: 268
Lycia Fame: 2
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Post by Wein Lowell on Jan 10, 2012 23:16:19 GMT -6
Wein glanced back at Yaen with a raised eyebrow. The Sacaen was kind of answering his own question.
"Well, like you said, it has borders and people," replied the scholar-noble. "It also has a capital, Bulgar, founded by the hero Hanon. Definitively, a nation doesn't need to be any more than that. Besides, while the tribes might be independent bodies, they all share an essentially common lifestyle and lineage." He put a finger to his chin. "It's much like a story I read in a book once. A continent half-populated by a race of beastmen. All verily independent of each other, but when push came to shove and war was declared on one of them, they all formed together to beat back the threatening empire." Wein waved his finger at Yaen pointedly. "It was a great novel. Can't for the life of me remember the name."
Answering Yaen's question, the archer turned back to the red haired, red robed man named Elias. "But yes, like Yaen said we're not exactly Etrurian natives, so we don't have much reason to kill you, though I can't say I would even if we were. I tend to avoid unnecessary manslaughter." Wein tilted his head a bit. "But if you're so wary of Etruria, why bother coming?"
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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 16, 2012 10:54:04 GMT -6
"Not really much choice in the matter. When you only have one direction to go, you go that direction. It just so happens that direction was toward Etruria." His reply was simple, punctuated with a shrug. It felt like the majority of his words weren't even mattering, with how readily they were ignored. Still that's not a new sensation, in fact he felt it almost any time he talked. He flirted with the idea of mentioning Ostia, but really didn't want to bother. More trouble to try to explain then it was worth, then he'd have to console the mourners, and he was no crimson therapist. Seeing as it's now just kinda a giant glowing hole in the ground that you probably could see from here, he's gonna hear about it eventually.
So instead of piping up again, he decided to remain quiet and kept the company of his own thoughts. The rest of the trip was made in silence, until they reached said small town. It was small indeed, full of earthy people, quite a bit different from the normal personification of Etruria. This town wasn't actually the closest town to the border, in fact, it was a bit out of the way. That's why he wanted to head there though, of course. The nearest town to where he was would be filled to the brim and positively over spilling with soldiers, rules, and guards. It being so close, on the main road and with the chaos going on in Etruria. No, he chose the town far away from the main road. Good choice on his part, because while this town is probably more likely to be xenophobic it's also considerably more likely to not simply murder them for entering.
Hopping off his steed, he pulled out his map from the bags on the horse's saddle. Taking the Demon by the reins, he gently walked over to a nearby stone. Large, large enough to use as a chair, he opened it up and looked at the many locations and landmarks trying to get a lay of the land. "Alright, edge of Etruria. Playing smart will get me deeper in, but is that what I want? With the chaos in Ostia slipping past the border will be easier as long as I stay away from the molten ruins... I could probably get into Sacae. With a bit of work, that is. I don't know if I'll be able to get back into Lycia without crossing a mountain though..." He brought a gloved finger to his chin, tapping it lightly, emptily musing up at the sky above as if it'll give him the answer he's searching for.
He... didn't want to stick around Etruria if it was possible. Nothing personal, oh alright it was entirely personal. He was supposed to be in Etruria, but he didn't wish to be. Maybe it was all the Elmine worshipers that made him uncomfortable, maybe it was the bad memories of the Book of Scrying. Regardless, fastest way out would be the best. Rolling up his map and stuffing it back into the saddlebags. He headed to the two people he escorted to town. "I think now is when we part ways, good luck with whatever you're doing." He nodded, holding the demon by the reins. He'd buy some supplies and get out of this town as fast as possible. "See ya, don't get killed." And with that he hopped on the Demon Devil Monster's back and trotted off.
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Yaen
Swordmaster
Prince of Blades Mad Swordsman
Now let's play the Song of Swords.
Posts: 305
Sacae Fame: 2
Bern Fame: 3
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: Vagabond
Affinity: Thunder
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Post by Yaen on Jan 21, 2012 13:36:52 GMT -6
Yaen shrugged. "I suppose I just don't understand these sorts of things." he replied. The Sword Master fell silent, keeping his thoughts to himself as the red garbed rider lead them on to a town. What was life going to have in store for him now? A mercenary duo with Wein was bound to be interesting, and with all the fighting going on, they would be far from hurting for work.
But even then, what if something went wrong? After all, now dragons were flying about as they willed, armies were burning whole cities to the ground, and demon wolves could be hiding around every corner. The world really was going straight to hell. Would he survive it? How many more times could he cheat death before it was time to pay his dues?
They reached the town sooner than Yaen expected. Or maybe he had been just that lost in thought. The red rider was giving his goodbyes, and admittedly, Yaen had no problems with letting him go. He was a disturbing individual. "Take care, and thank you for your help." Yaen said as the strange man rode off. What an odd individual.
"Well then, old friend," he said, turning to look at Wein. "We should stock up on supplies and plan our next move. After all, what good are a pair of mercenaries if there's no work to be had?" he teased, clapping the archer on the shoulder. It didn't matter what happened from here. Somehow, Yaen knew, as long as he had Wein, everything would turn out all right.
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Wein Lowell
Sniper
The Noble Arrow
If you're a glory hound, then I'm king of the glory hounds
Posts: 268
Lycia Fame: 2
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Post by Wein Lowell on Jan 23, 2012 15:47:49 GMT -6
Wein waved Elias off as Yaen turned to address him.
"Well then, old friend, we should stock up on supplies and plan our next move. After all, what good are a pair of mercenaries if there's no work to be had?"
The archer shot the Yaen a grin a the Sacaen jostled him, shrugging over-exaggeratedly.
"Oh, I don't know," the Ostian joked. "All we really need are the clothes on our backs and this soggy old map." He tapped the rolled up piece of parchment tied to his waist. "If worst comes to worst, we can just draw straws to see who gets eaten first."
"But yes, in all seriousness, we need a game plan," he stated, holding up three fingers. "First, we'll need to find somewhere to buy supplies. Rations, arrows, maybe some whetstones. Second, we'll need to gather information. Worst kind of mercenary is an uninformed one." The archer put a finger to his nose. "Finally, we'll need to get work, which in Etruria shouldn't be hard, but we don't want to get roped into anything...unsavory." He looked over to Yaen. "Can I assume we're going to avoid any underworld bounty hunting?"
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Yaen
Swordmaster
Prince of Blades Mad Swordsman
Now let's play the Song of Swords.
Posts: 305
Sacae Fame: 2
Bern Fame: 3
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: Vagabond
Affinity: Thunder
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Post by Yaen on Jan 24, 2012 13:47:23 GMT -6
Yaen smirked and gently slugged his shoulder. "I promise to cook you with the utmost of care." he replied. Eating each other. What a ridiculous idea. Some of the things Wein could think up were simply insane.
"Well, buying supplies shouldn't be an issue. We're not broke, at least not yet, and you are fortunate enough to be in the presence of a true nomad. Horse trading is in my blood." he joked. "I think I can handle that part of our plan well enough."
"I don't know what you mean by underworld bounty hunting. As far as unsavory goes, we'll do our best to keep from jeopardizing our moral codes." he replied. "If it's work we'll be looking for, then the tavern is probably the best spot. That's where people usually go when looking for people of our kind, isn't it?" he pointed out. "I'll handle the supplies. You focus on finding us some work."
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Wein Lowell
Sniper
The Noble Arrow
If you're a glory hound, then I'm king of the glory hounds
Posts: 268
Lycia Fame: 2
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Post by Wein Lowell on Feb 14, 2012 3:22:32 GMT -6
The archer nodded to his Sacaen friend. He figured it wasn't in Yaen's plan for them to go compromising themselves for pay, but it never hurt to put it out there.
"Well, I'll focus on it once we get somewhere where there's work to find," Wein replied, itching his temple. "If you haven't noticed, the border isn't exactly the most lively place in Etruria." The archer glanced off into the distance. "Though I have to say, with all of the stories of how militarized Etruria has gotten in the last couple of years, I was expecting a wall of soldiers around the entire country. Color me happily surprised."
The archer then turned his attention back to Yaen. He analyzed the blue clothed man for a moment before speaking. "So Yaen, you have yet to tell me," he began, "how did you happen to come across Varia Saint's plantation? I didn't think I'd see you again for a couple of months at least when split ways in Sacae, but here we are, on the road again with nowhere to go."
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Yaen
Swordmaster
Prince of Blades Mad Swordsman
Now let's play the Song of Swords.
Posts: 305
Sacae Fame: 2
Bern Fame: 3
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: Vagabond
Affinity: Thunder
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Post by Yaen on Feb 15, 2012 14:17:42 GMT -6
"Technically it was Lycia." Yaen replied matter of factly. "But point taken. It was partly an accident and partly on purpose." As mysterious as ever, the Sacaen stepped away from his friend to speak to an old man selling fruit. After a moment, he returned with two apples, and tossed one to his companion. He shined the apple on his robe before taking a large, crunchy bite.
"Anyways," he continued as he chewed, "I had actually come back to that town to see if you were still around. Well, you'd already gone, and I was too tired to start chasing, so I spent a night at the inn. There, I heard someone talking about a plantation with an extraordinary healer, and after a bit of prying, I managed to get a general direction. The fact that you were there was nothing more than a convenient coincidence." Yaen explained. "In fact, I knew all but two people in that room. It was certainly a shock."
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