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 2, 2015 17:34:54 GMT -6
So this is the new island everyone is talking about. All hip and new what with its 'unspoiled virgin lands' and 'untouched by human hands' and 'abundant verdant waves' and all that lame stuff. It looked a lot like green. Scarcely his favorite color, literally his least favorite actually, still he's had time to come to terms with the fact he'd never escape it. Instead he just found solace in the fact he was superior in his color coordination then mother nature. The new island was littered with nature by the way, lots of trees and grass. Not much else really, maybe there was a mountain somewhere. Couldn't see it from here at least, there wasn't a whole lot to go about this island really. The few adventurers that managed to stake out farther then the comfortable zone of Aurnion tend to go missing. Well missing until they're found. In pieces. Ripped up by something. Probably a monster.
Which brought to mind why Elias was here in the first place. An island being discovered now of all times? Signs of some kind of beasts prowling the forests? Sounds suspicious, and far more importantly it sounds interesting. He wanted to go investigating, so he took a ship here. Really fast ship too, he couldn't remember the trip at all. Probably went well. Still the island was mostly unexplored in its entirety. Heck, it was unexplored in its minority. As far as he knew the island was just this one forest, which seemed unlikely but then again one could never be sure.
Elias couldn't shake the feeling there was something here though. Something interesting obviously, he didn't get this feeling when learning boring things. There was the monsters, of course, but that seemed to imply something to him. His theory was that the monsters were animated by some sort of magical force, and if monsters are here on this Island then reason stands there was magic on this island. It was easy to say there's magic, since there's magic everywhere, but somewhat more structured magic is what he referred to. Arum, and those creatures that appeared at the City of Heroes, the monsters Hargus seemed to spawn with a wave of the arm. It was dark magic, forbidden magic, it created creatures. Could all monsters be spawned by such things? So if there was monsters on this island, would that mean that same sort of magic could be found here? If that magic could be found, does that mean humans lived here once before? Or was this magic naturally occurring? Well as natural as tears in the void bleeding poisonous magical energy into the air could be that is.
Or... Or maybe he was completely wrong. Truth be told he wouldn't mind, just as long as he got something out of this trip.
"Hey Demon, what do you think?" Elias looked at the steed. The horse ignored him. "Riveting conversation, we need to do this more often." It just wasn't as fun researching things if you didn't have someone there to bounce ideas off of. Bleh. Maybe he should have kidnapped Blue, at least he was interested in what Elias had to say.
Elias stood there, surrounded by trees. There were no discernible paths, outside of the odd animal trail here and there. Made sense, there were no people to make paths. Made walking around a pain. Made riding around on a horse impossible, so instead he took to leading Demon through the brush by the reins. The curmudgeonly horse seemed annoyed by this development, but Demon was annoyed at everything so who cares.
In any case, Elias was making steady progress forward but was quickly approaching the invisible line of 'do not go here'. This was about as far in as the scouts got before vanishing, really he should be worried or something. Only he wasn't. Elias was really good at not dying, even when he should probably have died. If the thing they had to fear was monsters, he was uniquely fitted to dealing with them. Few people knew about these creatures like he did. Besides, he could take care of himself, as he was a talented mage with few equals. No longer just an empty boast, that was undeniable fact. Worst case he could teleport away, running is easy when you can break the laws of time and space to do so.
Still despite all this even Elias was beginning to feel a bit nervous. The unknown didn't scare him, it excited him. It was all the dying because of the unknown that got him on edge. In most cases of the unknown, the unknown wasn't completely unknown. People knew things about it, just not enough. The void was threatening, but not unknowable. This island however, nobody knew a thing. It was like it appeared out of thin air, he would have remembered reading about an island this close to the mainland if he came across it. No maps had it charted, and no mention of it has ever been made as far as he knew. It was totally, completely, unknown. That was terrifying. Also terrifyingly exciting. Still, y'know, regular terrifying as well.
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Ventus Stoll
Pupil
Posts: 37
Profession: Traveler/Student
Affiliation: Etruria
Guild: N/A
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Ventus
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Post by Ventus Stoll on Nov 2, 2015 20:34:12 GMT -6
Wow. The only word that came to mind right when Ventus arrived at the island. This destination seemed like everything Ventus ever wanted. A destination that can fulfill dreams and provide happiness to all that come. A fresh start for all that come or a way to expand their legacy. I hope that this place can give me a fresh start. I believe this place would fulfill all of my grandfather's dreams of creating a sanctuary away from war. I hope I can do that for him. A location in this world that only knows peace, now that is a wonderful thought. The first action Ventus made when he arrived was pull out his brown with a green spine journal that was Ventus's connection to his grandfather. He has written so far his stories of his time around Etruria's Aquleia and Delfia along with his time in Bern near the Rhine River. Now Ventus has included the words 'Aurnion, Island Full of Hope and Dreams' on the top of a new page. Ventus was excited for what he would write on these upcoming pages with tales of his time on the island.
Ventus had spent his first few days exploring the town of Aurnion and its people. He loved how restless the people were. They were all ready to do something productive, all full of energy. Ventus liked this aura emanating in Aurnion, it was a perfect fit for Ventus. The pupil wanted to grow not necessarily with just his magic abilities, but as a person. To become more wise and experienced so that he may be able to possibly help Elibe become more peaceful. After seeing what Etruria's Inquisition did to simple innocents of their own country that protested and also seeing Etruria engage in pointless wars, Ventus realized that something needed to be done. Therefore, the young pupil has found the desire to try and discover a sustainable peace, in which he found in this mysterious island-no-the island full of hope and dreams.
Days spent in Aurnion were enjoyable, but a piece was missing for Ventus. His dear friend and former companion, Aria, had stayed behind in Elibe to try and stop pointless bloodshed there. She was a very kind and fair cleric that could not be mistaken for someone harmless. Their departing was sorrowful one as the two had been traveling together for quite a while, basically since the beginning of Ventus's adventure. Ventus has often looked back while he was walking around the island to tell or ask her something, but quickly realized that she wasn't with him any longer. It's okay. I'll just have to make new friends! It may be a little difficult for me to make friends because I have a tendency to be quiet, but maybe this island will make me a more open person. I'll just have to try! Ventus creeped a smile onto his face and continued to walk around Aurnion. He was returning back to his small wooden shack type of building, which was now called home, after helping an older gentleman with some deliveries. Ventus found this job simple since he was a pretty decent distance runner when he needed to be.
"Well, what should I do now. Can't be getting lazy now, there's work to do!" Ventus put his hands around his head and looked around the town. Ventus didn't see anything until he looked to the corner of his eye. Ventus tilted his head a little as he looked at the grand horse and its ... rider? "What is on that horse? It seriously looks like just a bunch of expensive red clothing stockpiled on top of the horse ... Actually that hat looks pretty cool. However, I would prefer clothing of the color green." The pupil continued to ramble on until he noticed a young man just staring at him. Oh I'm such a fool! I'm talking to myself in a populated area... Ventus shifted himself nervously and gave an awkward wave to the young man. Then the young pupil ran over to the gate and saw the fancy rider and his horse galloping into the woods.
"Oh no! What if he gets hurt? I've heard that people have gone missing when they went into the woods. But ... I'm by myself. I don't think I can handle myself out there. Ventus looked from the woods to the entrance of Aurnion and back to the woods. Ventus sighed, "Please tell me that his horse is slow..." Ventus began to trek through the woods in search for the brightly dressed fellow and his horse. Hopefully what some of the survivors of the attacks near Aurnion believed were beasts don't try and attack me. I don't want to harm animals as I believe they are creatures that should be respected by humans, but I must do what I need to do to stay alive.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2015 21:25:20 GMT -6
Neamhain watched from above - always above - floating lazily through the azure sky on wings of night. Not for anything, but for everything; anomalies, threats, opportunities. Her island home had become thoroughly interesting of late with the arrival of the invaders, men and women from parts unknown. Was it an invasion? Colonization? They did not appear to include dragons, which was strange; had not human and dragon lived together on Elibe so many years ago, as the old tales went?
Humans were nothing new - she had spent more time than most of her kin interacting with them. Human tailors had provided her dress, jewelers her accessories, gossips some of her knowledge. She could not comprehend living among them, their worlds were too different, but from a purely intellectual standpoint she had a solid understanding, and held nothing against them. She quite liked them, honestly, though she generally thought little of them unless they were around to gain her attention; the difference in perspectives was fascinating, informative even.
But today, the only humans she was likely to run into, if any, were an unknown quantity. And she was near the edge of where they had been sighted so far. Neamhain had followed those reports, and she had seen the patterns as the invaders continued to multiply, to venture further and further out from their stronghold. So far they had done nothing truly aggressive, but neither had the Taguel, the old and wise among them calling for waiting to see what happened.
But it was not the Taguel way. They acted. If a mountain lay in the way, they moved it. If a foe stood before them, they fought him, and they won. If a problem arose, they solved it. Her feelings were not unique or unusual; many Taguel felt similarly, and the hold the elders had over their kin was loosening by the day, more and more curious Taguel investigating the newcomers from the shadows. It was only a matter of time before the inevitable first encounter occurred, and because they had failed to plan for it, now they could but hope it went well. She scoffed at the thought. Hope. Rather than taking action, they had stalled - oh what mighty creatures they were! So decisive! So mighty! So brave!
Needless to say the raven's mood was less than stellar as she automatically scanned the landscape, enhanced vision scouring each nook and cranny of what she could see through the twisted treeline covering the world below her. There had been scattered reports of creatures on the warpath here in the last few days, a pack driven out of their territory by competition, and that meant inevitable clashes with whatever lived wherever they were headed.
A flash of red caught her eye through the dense foliage, there for a moment and gone without a trace. Mauthe Doogs perhaps? Neamhain's lips pursed, uncertain what she had seen, and descended slightly with her gaze in that general location to investigate. She wasn't particularly keen on diving in headfirst, that was more Anzu's approach than her own, but making judgement calls and attacking from vantage points - that was a philosophy they could both respect. If necessary. Only if necessary.
[OOC: Neamhain is not visible from the ground yet, tree cover/foliage is thick enough, but if you want to have seen a shadow or something that's fine - up to you. She has no idea Elias/Ventus are down there yet]
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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 2, 2015 22:22:28 GMT -6
So he was in the woods, now what? Just sort of wander forward until he hit a wall? There wasn't a whole lot to go on here. The canopy above obscured the sky outside of small rays of light filtering in shafts on the ground. Pretty, but not entirely useful. He couldn't see the sun from here, so it was difficult to tell which direction was which. He hadn't really thought about bringing a compass, which was a pretty poor idea in retrospect, but he's never actually needed one before now. Maybe he could make a makeshift one with Trinity and Gaea, if he needed it. Looks like for now he was left with trusting his own innate sense of direction, which was usually pretty good. However pretty good meant little in a forest of trees where each tree looks more identical then the last. Getting lost in the woods wasn't one of his bigger worries, but he was just concerned it might slow him down. Time was at a premium.
If things got desperate he could always warp up to the top of some tree but... eh... He wasn't too confident in his tree balancing prowess. He was many things, but sure of foot was not chief among them. How embarrassing would it be to come so far and end up dying from falling from a tree? Not very actually, he'd be too busy being dead to be embarrassed. Too many mages got themselves into a pickle playing with a warp staff, it needed to come with some sort of instructions or something. Not that he'd get them, he sort of bypassed that bit with Matrona. Matrona being the staff strapped across his back with some sort of strange leather strapping contraption that came around the front of his chest underneath his robes. Did its job, but boy was it uncomfortable.
He continued to walk through the brush and trees, almost tripping over every root in this forest. Meanwhile Demon seemed completely unphased, He may very well be, but Elias couldn't tell. The way forward was littered with trees, and each tree he passed was just replaced with another tree in front of him. It reminded him a bit of certain parts of Lycia actually, deep and think forests that were mostly untamed. As a child he would sometimes shirk his duties at home, he didn't want to do the laundry or cooking, and instead he went out and played in the woods. He would explore them as far as he could, always trying to find wild animals or some super secret hidden treasures. In his mind he always imagined he'd run into Athos, or find the Tomb of Roland, or Elimine's staff, or the hidden secrets of some lost civilization, or a baby dragon who he could raise as a pet. Of course all of those were impossible, for varying reasons, but that never dampened his childish adventuring spirit. Even when he returned home, listening to heath furiously hollering him or lobbing punishments on, Elias didn't care. He was an adventurer, a hero.
In a way he never grew out of that. After all he was here on some strange island, unknowing of what dangers lurk deeper within, and all he could do was get excited over what might be laying inside. Thinking he'll discover some monsters or some hidden treasures, ruins of past civilizations, magical artifacts, natural leylines, points of magical power, what he was looking for changed but in a way it was the same.
Elias stopped in his tracks at that thought. Completely unrelated to the thoughts, but he could have sworn... He looked around him. Sniffed the air a bit, and stayed completely silent. He could have sworn... he heard some rustling. Not like an animal, he knew those sounds by this point. Something larger. Well it might be a bear. Or a monster bear. Oh gosh that'd be so cool! Still he doubted it. "Is anyone there?" Elias asked the trees, his voice being drowned out by the sounds of nature. A nearby brook, a singing flock of birds, animals running through the bushes, a bug of some sort chirping really really loudly and annoying. He hated those bugs. Cic-something. Shoot, someone told him the name once.
"If there's a person out there, can you show yourself? I'd like to know before I think I'm crazy and hearing things. Also I'd like to not mistake you for a monster and blow you up. That would just be awkward all around, no one would have a good time." He rose his voice above the sounds of the forest, not quite a yell but still loud. If Elias wanted to yell, he would yell. Everyone would know he yelled, people in Ilia would probably know. Still it might not be a good idea to alert every creature withing a twenty-five mile radius that he was there.
((OOC: Quick note, the person Elias heard was Ventus. Not Raven-lady. I'm assuming Ventus kept following Elias, and I thought it'd be better to have the two meet rather then five posts of them barely missing each other.))
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Ventus Stoll
Pupil
Posts: 37
Profession: Traveler/Student
Affiliation: Etruria
Guild: N/A
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Ventus
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Post by Ventus Stoll on Nov 3, 2015 3:18:10 GMT -6
Greenery, a vast sea of greenery was all that spanned the eye. Ventus continued to traverse the woods in search for the red-haired man that left Aurnion upon his horse even with the known danger that is said to lurk in these very woods. The young pupil struggled without the assistance of any navigation tools to help him get through the new area. I must say that I do like this expansive view of the color green. However, it all looks the same! I feel very lost. Ventus frowned as he did a frantic 360 degrees.
"Where am I?" Ventus looked down and gazed at a large gray rock resting upon the ground. "I feel like I've seen this rock all day! Where did that guy even go? He literally disappeared," Ventus looked around again as he got on top of the rock, "How could I have lost him. His hair was literally like a signal flare or something." Ventus slightly chuckled at himself. He jumped off the rock and began to walk forward not sure where he was going at this point. However, he did hear the sound of water nearby, so the pupil began to travel towards the sound.
"Is anyone there?" Ventus jumped about five feet in the air when he heard a voice speak. He looked around again and saw a horse and his rider. "If there's a person out there, can you show yourself? I'd like to know before I think I'm crazy and hearing things. Also I'd like to not mistake you for a monster and blow you up. That would just be awkward all around, no one would have a good time."
Ventus gazed at the figure before saying anything. He looked very proper and professional. Possibly an aristocrat or just simply a man with wealth. He said that he would 'blow me up' possibly meaning that he is adept in magic. I guess I can trust this figure. I said I needed to be more open right? Well this is my chance!
"I'm here," Ventus came out from behind a tree's cover, "I was following you from Aurnion just to make sure you ended up okay. It's not such a great idea to be traveling in the woods alone with the reports of animal attacks." Ventus was becoming a little worried about whether he was being too open or not. "Oh I'm sorry, my name is Ventus Stoll. I am from Etruria in Elibe. I'm sure you came from Elibe as well. Where did you come from? What happens to be your name good sir?" Ventus went up to the man to hold out his hand for a proper greeting. Ventus wanted to be polite especially with meeting new people. "I hope I'm not prying too much. I can return back to Aurnion if you would like to be alone. I feel better now knowing that you are okay."
Ventus couldn't understand why he wanted to make sure that this man was okay so bad in the first place. Ventus didn't know him at all, so why care so much? He may have come here for a fresh start too or to maybe fulfill a dream. I would hate to see anyone miss their opportunity at getting their desires.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2015 16:14:35 GMT -6
Well... that probably wasn't a monster. Neamhain felt her pulse quicken as the unknown man shouted, not certain who he was speaking to - friends? Enemies? Her? It couldn't be her. Could it? She was completely unprepared for this, not having realized that there were humans down there at all. Was he armed? Dangerous? If they had bows she might be in trouble, especially if there was a group... but she didn't hear the tell-tale signs or see the sights of a large group, so it was more likely to be a couple people, or more likely just the one. The man's use of the singular pronouns suggested as much. Gaea but he was loud, though, blundering through his speech with enough volume to alert everything within a twenty-five mile radius to his location. Which would attract predators. One did not crash through the woods of their island without purpose unless you were looking for a fight; Taguel lived with the land, from it, not disturbing it more than necessary. Humans did not subscribe to the same mindset, and while they made it work for them in their villages, it was not a good mindset when knee-deep in the wild. They really needed to start handing out guidebooks. 'How to survive on an island that wants to kill you, chapter 1: don't make a bunch of noise." Heh. She couldn't keep the stupid smile from gracing the edges of her lips at how gloriously idiotic the thought was, but the situation left little opportunity for jokes and silliness. Some of her questions were answered when another voice piped up, clearly younger; bird Taguel had excellent hearing as a rule of thumb, and decades spent with the Thousand Scales ensured she had been forced to hone hers as well. So despite the relative distance, Neamhain had little trouble hearing Ventus's explanation fairly clearly once she tuned in. They were from across the sea then. They didn't sound especially like a group of murderous hoodlums though, both sounded fairly young, but then human aging was somewhat different than hers so she didn't necessarily have the best sense of what 'young' really was for them. On one hand, that was good news. Two younger humans were unlikely to be a full invasion force, she she was confident in her ability to butcher them both if necessary. But it was bad news, too, for them - they might not be able to protect themselves if they did attract attention from something that actually wanted them dead, and while she was willing to do whatever it took to defend her island... she didn't want to be responsible for innocent deaths. Hers was to serve and protect, doing whatever it took to ensure the future of her kind, not maim and kill with impunity. Even if they were from Outside, that did not necessarily make them enemies. Uncharacteristically for her, Neamhain hesitated for a moment, fairly seriously out of her depth in this scenario. But it was not for long. She had spent too long making snap decisions, honing her judgement, to be held back for long. In the end, as long as they were not enemies, they too deserved whatever safety she could offer on her homeland; humans were many things but they were not all evil, in many senses they were the same, and simply being an unknown quantity was not enough to judge them a problem. But they were a potential threat, and until she gauged the situation for herself, she did not know the encounter might go. It wouldn't do to let her guard down. The decision made, Neamhain steeled herself for the unknown, surveying the nearby foliage to see what her next move would be. Amidst the sea of green there were tides of black and brown, breaks in the imperfect cover; most were too small for her to fit through, but here and there were larger holes. To be close enough to them to be clearly visible, but far enough to avoid immediate reaction... yes, that would do nicely. One mighty flap of her wings and she was coasting over to it, another two to cancel her momentum, and a moment of staring down at the forest floor below, wondering how much she was going to regret this decision. To boldly go where no man had gone before... hm. Her task clear, she simply stopped hovering, allowing gravity to take control of her body and begin to propel her downwards. The foliage made it too difficult to actually fly in, but as soon as it cleared enough to be replaced with the bare brown of tree trunks and branches, the area opening up somewhat, her wings extended again with a massive flap to halt her momentum, the swoosh of wind and displaced air clearly audible. ...Well that was what the red had been. Gliding the last few meters to the ground, Neamhain observed the strange red-clad man and his mount with an impassive stare, not sure what to make of his gaudy attire or the strange creature upon which he rode. And there was another human further back, clearly young, with blonde hair. The one who had approached the other? Yes, it was likely. "I would follow his advice." Her words were calm, neutral, projected as much as merely spoken; a suggestion that forgot to pretend at choice. "This land is dangerous, and you are likely to attract predators soon." The winged woman landed perhaps five meters from the closest of the two humans, one hand on her hip as she gave them an imperious inspection. Neither of them seemed to be armed, which only made it more important that she get them both turned in a safer direction before they ran into trouble. Her mobility was crippled in this environment - she couldn't protect them both very well as it was.
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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 3, 2015 17:43:00 GMT -6
From the brush emerged a thing. A young blond human-shaped thin- Oh wait it was a person. From the brush emerged a person. Young, blond, looking a bit like a fidgeting ferret. He looked young, like real young, like probably still in the middle teens young. It wasn't like he hasn't dealt with such youth before, but it was always a bit of a shock when he encountered it. Especially in what was ostensibly the middle of nowhere. At least the boy was polite enough, normally people his age were filled with more gusto then sense. Demanding information and cooperation, thinking they were always right and everyone else was wrong, that they were invincible and untouchable, main characters in their own stories. Elias knew this because he was basically an old teenager sometimes. Well everyone over twenty was an old teenager if you think about it.
The boy said he followed Elias into the woods because he was worried about the mage going in alone. Which was weird, since by going in after Elias he also went in alone. So basically he said 'Don't do what I'm currently doing at this moment.' Still the sentiment was appreciated. He introduced himself as Ventus... something. Elias would probably never remember his name. Terrible at them, and names rarely matched who they belonged to. Like this kid, he doesn't look like a 'Ventus', actually what would a Ventus look like? It was kind of a weird name.
In any case the fearful ferret claimed he was from Etruria in Elibe and asked about Elias. He even said 'good sir' and everything. A question to which Elias joyously replied. "I'm Elias. I'm from Lycia, y'know that place next to Etruria." There was something to be said about how easily he admitted he was Etrurian, these days it seemed just being from the place was a good way to get people to hate you. Elias wasn't quite so concerned about that himself, he's never really put any stock in to nationalities or any of that stuff. He was hardly a patriotic Lycian himself, it just so happened to be the place he was born. He always considered Elibe his home, no nation in specific.
"Don't worry, I know there's animals and monsters and junk around here. It's one of the reasons I'm here actually. I want to see them myself, I hear they're much larger then the known Mauthe Doogs and bolder as well. Normally doomwolves keep to packs and avoid attacking human settlements until they grow numbers large enough to overrun the villages, but I hear a small group assaulted Aurnion not too long ago." He reached up and grabbed his chin, humming slightly in thought. He could continue, easily, but the ferret likely didn't care. Which sucks, but that's usually how it went. "I mean it's not like I wanted to travel in alone, but everyone's too spooked to explore the island. Mercenaries are hired up in droves by nervous merchants and the few that remain refuse to venture into the forest, or only agree to do so at ridiculous prices. I've never been stingy but I'm sorry, 20000 gold for company in exploring the island is a little exuberant."
Elias looked at Ventus' hand for a moment, confused. Why was he- Oh right, handshakes. So Elias took the boy's hand in his own glove covered hand. He shook firmly, well probably. Truth be told he couldn't tell, maybe it was some weak baby handshake or a vicelike deathgrip. He assumed he did well though, after all he was Elias and he did everything well. Except for the things he doesn't. Those don't count.
The was a wooshing sound a bit away, which piqued the mage's interest. He let go of the boy's hand quickly and reached to his back for his staff. Could it be a Gargoyle? There was never any mention of them but people so rarely explored beyond the safe reaches of the camp that no one could be sure. Those weren't the type of creature one expects to run into in a forest, but it was better to be safe then sorry. However before he could even begin to cast anything, the source of the noise revealed itself. Or, er, well, herself.
That is to say she was. Um. Human? Human-ish? Kinda? Really it looked like someone glued some comically large bird wings onto some lady's back. Black ones, like a crow. So the crow-woman fluttered to the ground from yon high, saying something that vaguely sounded like a threat. Or a scolding. Or both. Elias didn't respond, instead he just kind of looked at her. Unsure what exactly he was seeing. Her sudden appearance didn't floor him as much as she caught him off guard. His mind quickly went over some thoughts he could assume were reasonably true.
First, this woman was not a normal human. If she was a human. If the only proof were the wings, he could have assumed that they were decoration of some sort. Instead she clearly used them to fly, in a way. More like glided really. While it's possible she could have been using Excalibur to manipulate the winds and appear as though she was flying, Elias did not sense any magic at play. Maybe on this island a race of humans grew wings for... some reason? Maybe magic was involved, he's never really heard of people being born with such a radical extra set of appendages before. However outside of the wings she looked perfectly human, she even wore clothes and everything.
Secondly, he could assume that this woman could understand them. She spoke in the same language as them, and her words were clearly connected to what Ferret over there had said. That brought up another question, could she hear them this whole time? Only just recently did Elias even notice her presence, but she spoke as if she had an idea of what was going on. Did she listen to what they were talking about before? In any case the words they spoke and the words she spoke were the same, and she clearly understood them and they could clearly understand her. Well understand the words she was saying at least.
Thirdly, and this one is important, she did not seem to be violent. Yet. Instead of attacking them she instead let out a vague warnscoldthreat about the dangers of the forest. She was speaking about the beasts in the woods, well he assumed. Maybe she was talking about other crow-people. Or maybe she was being coy and talking about herself. If she wanted to hurt them though, she had a perfect chance before. She didn't appear armed, but one could never be sure about that. Maybe her body was trained to be a weapon of destruction, or maybe he had a knife hidden somewhere (somehow Elias doubted that outfit had pockets though) or she could be a mage of some sort. That would support the 'Excalibur' theory. So Elias judged that for now, at least, he was safe. Still he kept his staff in hand, non-threateningly of course. It was a healing staff anyways, so even holding it threateningly wasn't very intimidating. 'I'll heal you to death!' said no one ever.
"Um." Elias started, opening his mouth to speak but then closing it again. Humming a bit to himself. Opening his mouth again, closing it again. "Hrm..." Try using words Elias, they're there to help you. "Hi." Good start. "I'm... Elias." Um... now what. Shoot. He had a lot of questions, too many actually, they sort of crowded each other out. Like a million people trying to rush through one door. Nothing came out, only awkward silence. "Erm... Who are you?" Ah! There you go! Good for you Elias.
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Ventus Stoll
Pupil
Posts: 37
Profession: Traveler/Student
Affiliation: Etruria
Guild: N/A
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Ventus
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Post by Ventus Stoll on Nov 4, 2015 0:53:45 GMT -6
"I'm Elias. I'm from Lycia, y'know that place next to Etruria." Ventus nodded as the man clad in red responded. He's a bit of a smart aleck ain't he.I am very well aware that Lycia is next to Etruria. I better not respond to his little statement. I don't want to offend him. Ventus looked into the man's eyes as he begun to speak once again. Ventus looked deeper at his facial features. Not too creepy, right? Anyways, he has a face of a man that is somewhat aged older than Ventus, but definitely not too old. Possibly in his twenties if a guess had to be made. He also has pleasant green eyes that seem to hold some wisdom in them. Ventus wondered if he is a skilled practitioner of magic. The pupil could see that this Elias had a magnificent staff. Surely he must be very skilled.
"Don't worry, I know there's animals and monsters and junk around here. It's one of the reasons I'm here actually. I want to see them myself, I hear they're much larger then the known Mauthe Doogs and bolder as well. Normally doomwolves keep to packs and avoid attacking human settlements until they grow numbers large enough to overrun the villages, but I hear a small group assaulted Aurnion not too long ago." Elias grabbed his chin as he spoke and seemed eager to talk more about this topic, but before Ventus could respond Elias continued to speak. "I mean it's not like I wanted to travel in alone, but everyone's too spooked to explore the island. Mercenaries are hired up in droves by nervous merchants and the few that remain refuse to venture into the forest, or only agree to do so at ridiculous prices. I've never been stingy but I'm sorry, 20000 gold for company in exploring the island is a little exuberant."
"20,000 gold!" Ventus exclaimed in amazement, " It's simple enough to just go out and do a little exploring with the cost of merely some sore feet and some sweat. Money shouldn't be needed to find happiness." Ventus lifted his hands behind his head and rested them there as he smiled at Elias. "Well if it's not too much trouble you don't have to be alone for your little expedition. I can accompany you. It isn't like I have anything else to do and besides I would like to explore this territory as well. I know you believe that you are quite capable of protecting yourself, but having someone else to watch your back is quite a valuable asset. I may not look like much, but I know a little with the mystical art of magic. You seem to know a lot about monsters. How have you come to acquire this knowledge Elias? As Ventus asked his question something strange happened. A whooshing sound came from out of no where and as Ventus truanted to locate the source, Elias seemed to discover it first. However, what he saw was something Ventus never expected to see in his lifetime.
"I would follow his advice.This land is dangerous, and you are likely to attract predators soon." vents still had his hands behind his head as he tried to get a glance at what was in the pupil's view point. She, well at least that is what Ventus could assume, was quite astonishing. This woman had one feature though that was giving Ventus a run for his money though. She had ... wings. These weren't just wings that some jesters and clowns wore to pretend like they could fly. No, these were like full on wings that could take someone out type of wings. Could they be part of a costume? She seemed to fly down into the views of Ventus and Elias though. Fake wings can't do that. What if ... what if she is apart of a native tribe of humans that have wings on the island. Sort of like an angel or something!
Ventus tried to get a good look at her, but she seemed to be covered a bit in shadows. However, the pupil could see that this woman had a unique beauty. Her wings and her hair had the unique coloring of a crow, no, more like a raven. She had distinct clothing that presumed a good taste in fashion and wealth. However, due to how far she stood from him, Ventus couldn't see much more. He wanted to see her eyes. A look at someone's eyes can reveal a lot about a person. At least that's what Ventus believed. Ventus looked at Elias who seemed to be a little taken aback by the woman. She can't be much different than us right? Maybe she's just trying to understand why there is an increase of Elibeans coming to her island. If it even is her island.
"Um. Hrm... hi. I'm... Elias. Erm... Who are you?" Elias was clearly struggling to talk to this woman. Ventus sort of smirked. Hm, interesting. The smart guy is at a loss of words. Maybe I should give him some help. I don't want the woman to have a bad impression of us. Maybe a little teasing can lighten up the mood.
"Sorry about my friend here," Ventus called out to the woman, "He's quite bright actually. He may have just been hit by an arrow from Cupid or something." Ventus chuckled and gave Elias a happy smile. "My name is Ventus Stoll. I'm sorry if we happened to invade your territory or something. We can leave if you would like." Ventus looked at the woman with curiosity and wondered what she would think of the two humans.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2015 1:30:17 GMT -6
You know... if she was going to be honest with herself, she had kind of seen this going... literally any other way. Neamhain wasn't angry or disappointed or anything, it wasn't like she had been hoping they'd try to kill her, but she was sure as hell pretty confused even if she didn't particularly want to admit it. But it was the truth, and no amount of distaste would change that. Attacking her would have been an obvious action, and would have triggered an appropriate response. Threatened worry, caution, terror; she had been prepared for those.
Jokes and awkwardness? Not so much.
Well, it was better than an arrow to the face, she supposed. Always had to look at the bright side. And the bright side was... she was drawing a blank on that one. The blonde one had mentioned an archer named Cupid, but she didn't see any shafts sticking out of the red-clad man... was it supposed to be a joke? She felt a little bad for not getting the joke, if it was one, the younger one seemed like a good person. He also didn't seem all that surprised to see her... did that mean that the land they came from had Taguel as well? Maybe she had been overthinking this. It certainly seemed like none of her other plans were going as expected, maybe it was time to improvise a bit.
"...The pleasure is mine, Ventus, Elias." She nodded to them, having made the decision that they were not an immediate threat and loosening up a little as a result - though calling Neamhain relaxed at the best of times would be sorely inaccurate, her usually being so far on edge that she had become the edge's lord, a veritable master of edges. But they seemed like good people, going by her limited experience with human villagers, and so that meant it was all the more important to get them out of harm's way. She didn't really think of it that way, but it didn't take that much for her to mentally file them under islanders rather than invaders.
Her voluminous wings closed quietly, the need to be prepared for immediate flight left behind from a lack of necessity, and Neamhain closed the distance between the groups with a deliberate pace, her footfalls silent against the forest floor but the jingle of her golden necklace with each step making up for the lack of noise coming from her personally. Perhaps strange for a Taguel, but her attire was primarily human in origin, so it was no great surprise that she went the extra step with it sometimes. "I am Neamhain. This is not my territory, but it is my responsibility, and there is a group of displaced creatures in the vicinity liable to be hunting for food." Her explanation was eloquent, but her words were clipped, matter of fact, perhaps slightly at odds with her choices of wording.
Normally, she would have just tried to get them to be on their merry way. The younger one... Ventus... had even offered to. She should have simply done her job and done whatever it took to get them to flee to safety, even if it meant pretending to attack them herself to get them moving. But Neamhain was not quite as perfect and flawless and wise and stern as she saw herself as, and there was a sort of childlike curiosity that had always bubbled within her that was pushing her to take a very different route. She was keenly aware that this was perhaps the first meeting between their kinds, that she should be more concerned about that... but there were things she wanted to know personally as well.
"Why are you here?"
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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 4, 2015 6:17:07 GMT -6
There was the sounds of chugging in the air. Well not really, the sound was mostly in Elias' head. Actually the sound was Elias' head. Elias' head was chugging. He had been flabbergasted, the surprise of randomly running into such a person out of nowhere was hard to process so quickly. Though the Ferret seemed to be able to understand it quickly enough. Perhaps Elias was just thinking too hard and was lost within his own mind? His mind is so large and expansive that wasn't too much of a surprise. While his partner made little jokes at his expense, most of which Elias did not understand (the hell was a cupid, and why does he litter the innocent with arrows?), Elias stood there trying to string together a sentence.
The crow-woman spoke, thought not much. She appeared taciturn in her word choice, and she mentioned something about 'displaced creatures' being in the area. He assumed that meant monsters. The choice of the word 'displaced' interested him. Did she mean they weren't normally from around here? Or did she mean that at the moment the creatures were occupying territory they do not usually do? Either way it appears that, according to her, the monster attacks were not a usual occurrence in this part of the woods.
As the woman, Neamhain was her (hard to remember) name, walked closer to them, her wings appeared to move independently of her body. Just like if they were simply another limb she had extended, she pulled them back into herself. Folding them neatly behind her back, not even appearing to make an effort of it. So if Elias had doubted before, he was sure now that the wings were a part of her actual body. Not some kind of decoration. It looked similar to a gargoyle's wings, in that they were on the back and independent of any of the limbs of the body. Unlike that of actual birds, who's wings are basically their arms. However the wings were far closer to bird wings in appearance, a rich ebony black, ruffled and segmented with black feathers that littered their entirety. Now that she was closer, Elias could get a better view of the woman. She seemed to cling-clang with every step, jewelry most likely. How very humanish, kind of like some noblewoman. In general she wore clothing that looked like something a human might wear, well it was a bit revealing, but other then that it seemed normal.
Then she asked what they were doing there. That seemed to jumpstart his mind into actually working again. The gears that ground to a halt were now kicked into overdrive as a vomit of words threatened to burst from him.
"Ah! Yes, I'm here researching." Elias offered as an explanation. "Only recently have people from Elibe, where we are from, it's like this big continent all the way over there," He gestured emptily in the distance. Was that the right direction? It is a mystery. "Anyway we've only now discovered this place's existence. In the short time that we've arrived here, it appears that monsters, which I assume are the beasts you spoke of, have begun attacking adventurers and even the little outpost we set up itself. Mostly Mauth- I mean big... dog things. Like wolves? Only kind of gross and wrong looking. Do you have wolves he- Wait getting ahead of myself." C'mon Elias, don't want to scare her off.
"These monsters are on Elibe too, and we don't exactly know why. I'm studying the causes behind the monsters, and I thought that traveling to this island would allow me to get a better understanding of the conditions that cause them to appear. I mean it's not like a bunch of gargoyles banded together and airdropped some monsters here, something has to be causing it. Maybe magic of some so- Wait do you guys have magic? Well you probably have magic, but I mean do you know what magic is?" Oh geez Elias, slow down. Take it one question at a time, don't want to drown her in a sea of word- could she fly over the sea? Or did she have to take breaks that would prevent it? It'd be useful if she never had to take a ship anywhere. "Eh, not important right now. I was in the forest to investigate the sites of the attacks. Though I'd be lying if I didn't also say I was looking for ruins, or some sort of indication of society on this island that I had assumed, well until this point, to be uninhabited."
"You seemed unsurprised to see us. So either this isn't your first time seeing humans, or you're a really good actor... Or you just don't get surprised easily. That works too. You didn't attack us, so I assume that you're not hostile just yet. Good, it'd be a shame if you were. People could respond so negatively to the unknown..." If it had been anyone other then Elias, well not anyone but a good handful of people, they might have tried to shoot her down or something. "Are you from this island? A native?"
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Ventus Stoll
Pupil
Posts: 37
Profession: Traveler/Student
Affiliation: Etruria
Guild: N/A
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Ventus
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Post by Ventus Stoll on Nov 4, 2015 21:25:04 GMT -6
Well this is interesting. Ventus has had quite an eventful day today to say the least. Went outside of Aurnion's gates for the first time, of course got lost, met a guy that seems to be quite knowledgeable, and then a mysterious woman with what seems to be wings attached to her back. Ventus truly didn't understand what was with this woman. The pupil just wanted to say that she is a group of humans with wings, which are unique and native to this island. He didn't want to analyze her like some professor basically like Elias was. Rather, Ventus wanted to just accept her and try to be friendly.
" ...The pleasure is mine, Ventus, Elias. I am Neamhain. This is not my territory, but it is my responsibility, and there is a group of displaced creatures in the vicinity liable to be hunting for food." Ventus grinned and gave a slight bow as she introduced herself. Neamhain, a strange name. Quite hard to pronounce too. Hopefully I can say it right in the future. I truly don't want to be disrespectful. Ventus wondered what she meant by 'my responsibility' about the territory. Was she a leader of a group of people on this island? Was she the one in charge of these unique winged people? Ventus looked around after she warned about the beasts. The pupil knew that he could be a burden in a fight. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.
Ventus wanted to say hello to her and talk to her a bit, but Elias beat him to it. That was okay though since Elias seemed to really need to know more about this woman. Maybe he just needed to learn everything he possibly could, that may be his drive/motivation. Ventus looked at Elias as he spoke, but soon enough things went a little off. Elias began to ask Neamhain too many questions. Ventus didn't want to scare away Neamhain. Getting barraged with tons of questions wasn't necessarily the right thing to do to a stranger. However, Elias seemed to catch himself and relax on the questions a bit. Ventus hoped she didn't feel annoyed by them or anything. Well at least Ventus learned something about Elias. The pupil felt some respect towards Elias. The researcher had a purpose, which was one that could be used to help the world. Research and knowledge is powerful, Ventus knew this and that's why he wanted to gain as much knowledge he could.
That's cool Elias! I knew you had a good moral compass. I may not know you much, but I'm sure that you are a good man." Ventus hoped he didn't sound too naive. The pupil was sure that the researcher didn't care much for naiveness, but Ventus was young. What could he do? The pupil was young. Ventus turned his attention back to Neamhain. " So Neamhain, wait did I pronounce that right? I don't want to say your name wrong since that would be rude." Ventus thought he said it at least almost completely correct. "I'm here on the island to sort of get a fresh start. Life on Elibe is nice, but it seems to me that too many bad people have power there. At least here, nobody has true power and everyone seems to get along. A place with peace among its people. That's a glorious place. However, now I'm not sure if we are really alone here since we met you. I know Elias asked you plenty of questions already, but I just want to know one thing. You haven't harmed us yet, so that's a good sign. However, I just want to know whether you and if you have a group of people are willing to be open with the settlers of Aurnion. I just don't want this nice island to lose its harmony and peaceful aura. Even though there are beasts trying to hurt us, I feel like the humans on this island can work together to fight this threat. I just don't want to have to fight for this island with another group of people that already live here. Are you okay with this increase in humans here?" To be honest, Ventus felt sort of stupid for asking this question. She probably won't like him now, but Ventus just didn't like the state of Elibe currently. Pointless wars and an increase of monsters and brigands, this was the state of Elibe. Ventus just hoped that this island could avoid those hardships and just prosper.
OOC:By the way, when Ventus tried to pronounce Neamhain's name he did get it a bit incorrect by under annunciating the first 'ea' in the 'Neam' part.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2015 23:07:19 GMT -6
"...You certainly do ask a great many questions." Neamhain spoke with a light smile, not particularly reproachful so much as making the simple observation of fact. It was in part a rejection of their frenzied pace and in part an opportunity to give herself a moment to think; the two men seemed to be curious about anything and everything, almost talking over each other in their eagerness, and certainly bombarding her with more questions than she could easily answer at once. It was clear they did not know each other previously or there might have been some semblance of formality or cohesion in their tones. Not necessarily good or bad, just something to keep in mind.
But she wasn't complaining, for in those questions had been answers, information to be gleaned, whether intentionally or not. Travelers... or refugees from Elibe? Each spoke of different reasons; Elias of knowledge, Ventus of peace. An intriguing dichotomy. One seemed to have some knowledge of monsters, while the other held a very... optimistic understanding of the island. Truthfully, at first she thought the boy was joking, but he seemed sincere enough that it felt like neither sarcasm nor mockery. She wasn't really a talker, but in the absence of anyone better qualified, it seemed to be up to her to better acquaint them with the island.
"Taguel and humans have always lived here, both with... and against our home." She angled her head towards Ventus. "You will find neither war nor peace here. This is not a place for those weak of mind or body." Neamhain turned back to Elias, addressing him in turn. "Your arrival has thrown the balance of our home into disarray, displacing many creatures living there. It is only natural that you would suffer attacks as a result." Without any knowledge of Elibe's monsters, she held no understanding of their fundamental differences, and so the concept of 'disturbing' them was perfectly valid to her. "Some are forged by Anima magic, others mutated by it or the simple course of rapid evolution. One can hardly apply common origins to such a diverse group."
Still. Harmony? Peaceful aura? If she wasn't trying real damn hard to be diplomatic, she would have laughed in the boy's face. Perhaps her perspective was tinged to some degree by her work, but to describe the island as anything short of a crucible was simply evidence that they had not lived there. "I know not what the Elibe of today is like, but legends speak only of hatred and war. This land may be harsh, but it is our home, and we will defend it if necessary." Neamhain still didn't know WHY the men of Elibe had come to disrupt their home, but the things the younger one spoke of sounded a great deal like colonization and expansion to her, and the prospect of things beyond the shores of their home had always served to hold the Taguel and humans of the island together - to avoid making the mistakes that they had witnessed so many years ago. From what Ventus said, Elibe had learned little of its mistakes... and now it was invading them? It was safe to say that she did not like what she was hearing, and in her posture's increasing rigidity, that much was clear to see.
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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 5, 2015 7:04:57 GMT -6
His own questions hung in the air and then Ferret piled atop them with his own. But first he said that 'Elias was a good man' which is true and all but kind of caught him off guard. "Uh... Thanks? I think?" Elias knew he was good people, he never really assumed he even seemed like a bad person. It's just the way the younger man said that, it sort of felt like he was surprised. Like 'Oh! You're not a bloodthirsty monsters who's literally worse then Kraft. Color me surprised' Did Elias look like a bad person? Aw man, that's gonna be stuck on his mind all day now. While Elias doubted everything he stood for, Ven... Ven-something continued his own mini-onslaught of words.
It seemed Ferret had his own, idealistic, goals in mind. Reminded Elias of a littler Elias. He said stuff like that too when he was younger. All about justice, and peace, and being a hero, and everyone is awesome, and idealism ho! Now he was a little annoyed at it. His own questions were covered and masked by Ferret's, and were likely to be buried and ignored in favor of what he had said. Elias was trying to research real, practical things that can help people, but this kid just wanted everyone to be best friends. Holding hands, singing campfire songs, all that good stuff. Did Elias lose that spark of optimism? When did that stop? Huh. It was the first time he's ever really noticed it missing. It felt... bad.
"I do! Everyone tells me that all the time." He said with pride. "I mean I don't feel like I ask too many questions. Really I think every one else just asks too few. How is anyone supposed to learn a thing if you don't bother asking?" Was she insulting him? She might have been insulting him. Oh well, it happens. Elias didn't take it that way anyways, to him questions were always a good thing. The more you got, the more that can be answered. Too many problems stemmed from the fact people just didn't talk enough. Communication was totally important and stuff, so if other people didn't wanna talk Elias would talk for them. Didn't bother him none, he had a pleasant enough voice.
"Still..." He muttered, grumbling a bit to himself. "If I have to trim it down some, I will." Not happy about it though, no sir, but little he could do. Crowwoman held all the knowledge ransom, had to play by her rules. Not that he needed to worry so much, even some of the things she said off hand were profoundly intriguing and prompted further discussion. Which he could not take. Because then he'd be asking too many questions. Bleh.
He 'hrm'ed to himself in thought. What was the most important thing to talk about? If he didn't have to hold Demon's reins to prevent him from slaughter a small village or something he'd probably pace a bit.
She said 'human and taguel', human was a word he knew but Taguel was not. He assumed that's what she was as a result, since she did not seem human. Well she seemed human, just with obvious distractions and decorations. Though as much as he wished to wring dry every last drop of information about that, he decided to go with the real star of her explanation. "Anima magic forges them? I assume you mean the creatures, or monsters." That seemed odd. Partially in line with his research, but not quite. It was, like, a shift to the left. Not something new or exciting, or something he already knew, but kinda... something unexpected but totally expected? If that makes sense. Probably doesn't.
"Generally, as far as my research goes, it isn't Anima but elder magic that draws these beings into our world. Possessing the dead, twisting the living into foul shapes, making their blood like acid and their forms a mockery of nature." Elias explained a little bit, but it would take a lot longer to fully explain. Like a lot longer. Like 'better use an outhouse now, there's no stopping for the next few hours' longer. "Maybe it's the difference in magic that causes the differences in appearances between the two seperate beings? Maybe they aren't the same, just similar in terms of creation? Hrm..." He pondered aloud. At least she answered one of his question indirectly, they knew about magic here. Even had the same names for it. Odd, but useful.
Then she spoke about Elibe. Oh so she did know what Elibe was. That saved them a lot of trouble. It was a little odd though, she knew of Elibe and spoke about humans so casually, approached them so casually and downright uninterested. It was like Elias and Ferret were both uninteresting, boring, unimportant, old-hat. Been there, seen that. However none of them have ever even heard of this island. It wasn't like it was super well hidden or anything, and even if it was you'd think someone some time would have seen it. But no, there was nothing. No legends Elias could think of, no references in books, no indication on any maps or charts, nothing. They knew more about Elibe then Elibe did about them. Considering they spoke the same language, and that she understood the name 'Elibe' and realized what they were talking about, Elias could make some assumptions. Maybe this isn't the first time people from Elibe found this island? Could that be where those humans she speaks about came from? Bringing tales of a war-torn Elibe with them. Still the way she spoke made it sound like visitors weren't common. What if... What if it dated back to the scouring?
Of course 'what if's' were all he had right now. "Well Elibe is nothing if not consistent." Elias let out a weak laugh. "There's war, fighting, and probably hatred. There's also a lot of good things there too. Just like I'm gonna assume your whole island isn't just monsters and death all the time. I mean, you live here right? It's gotta be livable."
"You say humans and Taguel live here. What's a Taguel, exactly. If you don't mind me asking." He asked the big question.
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Ventus Stoll
Pupil
Posts: 37
Profession: Traveler/Student
Affiliation: Etruria
Guild: N/A
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Ventus
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Post by Ventus Stoll on Nov 5, 2015 19:46:54 GMT -6
Excitement, curiosity, nervousness, a bit of fear, joy; these were all emotions Ventus could feel pulsing through his body. His two new acquaintances were such unique people that Ventus found this very moment to be one that probably only happened in a lifetime. Ventus only hoped that this moment could go on, but truly he knew it wouldn't. How about we just enjoy Neamhain's and Elias's company. I feel like I could learn a whole lot from them. Ventus decided to take a more quite approach and let Elias do some talking. The researcher had some heavy duty questions and Ventus knew that if the two newcomers to the island wanted to learn anything at all, allowing Elias to talk would probably get them the most answers.
As Neamhain spoke, she seemed aware of some current events along with a moderate understanding of what the humans were doing on her island. I guess she knew humans after all. Well of course she did, she had to be a human too, well at least partially. Then a wide left turn occurred as she mentioned a very foreign word, Taguel. What is that? A ... Taguel? Is that what she is? Are there more of them perhaps? Such an exotic name for a race that seemed similar to humans. Ventus listened to Elias as he spoke so more and then asked her what these Taguel were. See, I knew he would be able to get some information out of this woman. At least, I hope she answers. Maybe I should reinforce his question.
"Yeah, Neamhain, what are Taguel? Such an exotic word; could you please elaborate?" Ventus really hoped she would answer. These Taguel could be possibly something positive or negative. Hopefully, they are on the good and benevolent side of the spectrum.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2015 21:06:08 GMT -6
Neamhain usually had a pretty good control of her emotions, disciplined enough to appear emotionless or at least vaguely disdainful at most, but there was a certain level of disbelief etched into her expression that not even she could hide at Elias's words. "Possessing the dead...?" That didn't even seem like a particularly good joke it was so fer-fetched. Not even a madman would come up with something like that. And the red man spoke of it casually, as if it was some matter of fact? Was this something that people over there actually DID - just 'woops let's make some giant spiders' and toss a bunch of dark magic into a bowl and start stirring? The spoke - blurted, really - without thinking. "The f**k is wrong with Elibe that causes - nevermind."
Yeah, that wasn't something she even wanted to think about. Not even in the pursuit of knowledge. Who DID that? She had seen a lot of weird things, met monsters gone mad, but the idea of those creatures born out of literal hatred and rage was repulsive beyond reason. The raven brought one hand up to her brow, repulsed by the very concept as she tried to think. At least Elias hadn't implied he'd done it himself or she would have had to start being really worried. He claimed to just want to research stuff, so he... probably just knew about it from his studies. "I'm sorry," she managed after a few moments, her apology a little belated for the outburst, but the effort in restraining herself somewhat evident. "But if you're joking, that's just not funny."
She smiled weakly, not really expecting him to admit it had all been in jest. But seriously, how the f**k were you supposed to respond to that? "Well, I can see why you'd want to come here then. We only have normal monsters here, sorry to disappoint." A bit of dark humor? Her? Perish the thought. There were still traces of her muddled thoughts weighing her down, but for the most part Neamhain had regained her faculties.
...Jeeze, though. Monsters literally made out of dark magic? At this point, pretty much anything she could reveal would be a disappointment in reveal. 'Oh hey we're a bunch of bird people' 'WE HAVE CREATURES THAT ARE LITERALLY CREATED FROM THE NIGHTMARES OF CHILDREN'. How did you top that? Should she pretend to be able to grow 30 feet tall or something? Nah, that was stupid, not even transformed Taguel were anywhere near that large. Maybe a REALLY big Bael... or Cyclops, she supposed. It wasn't like there was that horrible of a shortage of large and dangerous things around here, just none of them seemed particularly relevant. Legends said dragons were pretty big, but between the 'darkened the sky' and 'as large as a hundred men' thing, she wasn't really sure how hyperbolic they were. Only one group was likely to know the answer to that, and thy weren't telling.
"Taguel are..." Huh. She had started that sentence expecting her brain to fill in the blanks, but it occurred to her that she had literally never had to explain what a Taguel was to anyone before. Even the human villagers knew perfectly well what a Taguel was - they would be hard pressed NOT to after trading with them on a daily basis. But these people had never seen one liek her before, she suspected, given how much they had been staring at her wings when she arrived. Which was flattering, to be honest, Neamhain was maybe a tiny bit vain about how she kept her wings groomed well and a little decorated, but that was neither here nor there.
So... how did you describe a Taguel? People with wings? That would leave out the other Great Tribes, and more importantly, it did nothing to express what Taguel were - what their home had shaped them into. They were more than simply humans with wings; they were survivors and protectors, warriors and witches. This was some deep philosophical bullshit, and they probably just wanted 'dudes with wings' as an answer so she was probably overthinking it. "Taguel are survivors. Consume and adapt; evolve and overcome. We become what we must be, forged by our home and sworn to protect it." It was maybe a bit too poetic for what they were looking for in an answer, but Neamhain could think of no more truthful answer, nothing that contained that fundamental truth within it.
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