A pathway [Open]

[Liel]

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ She was breathless. What town was this that should have no-one running to aid in battle? A small crowd had started to form, entranced by the billowing tongues of flame. Their sickening curiosity propelled Liel onward, as if to wash their filthy clutches from her arms—she did not want to be part of them. As the flames died down, as the crowd began to dissipate, she remained. A lone figure, waiting. He would turn, and then what? The dead thug who attacked him was burnt beyond recognition, grotesque in the light of this cursed morning. She was worried for the Ethaefal, she felt him slowly draining and as she closed her eyes to inhale, she knew that he was not unfamiliar with death. He himself had— She wanted to run to him, yet was frozen in place.

[Graffius]

"A fitting end." Betwixt and between a moment of silence, Graffius watched with a face contorted with subtle disgust as the man lay curled, his body blackened with viscous tar - burnt flesh and melted silk. He had never learned his name. Like many others in Sunberth, he had been a clearly disturbed individual, tormented with thoughts of vindictive revenge, a blight of rage. It was curious to witness how heated ire fueled such aggression and even in the face of death, while burning with overwhelmingly searing embers, he had cursed his name and continued to fight before ultimately succumbing to the unforgiving flames. Anger was power of sorts. Even if it was rudimentary and unrefined. Amidst the madness of Darian's screams and the bearing of claws, there was an understanding. Yes - he understood all too well. "The mindless Golem is no more..." With a cough, his eyes adverted down towards his bleeding arm and already the sand below was saturated with crimson dyed pebbles. Gripping a piece of fabric from his cloak, he pulled, tearing it into a long strand which he then wrapped around his wound. He pulled tightly. For now, it'd slow the bleeding, but still, he needed medical attention. Fate though was not so cruel and moments prior to his friend's death, a familiar face awakened memories of Mura. "The Konti." With a steadfast motion, he turned and walked towards her with a hurried pace, outreaching and grasping her arm and pulling her with him. Normally he would have formally greeted her and let it be known that he was aware of who she was, but there was no time. "Child come. You and me have a great deal to do." As the blinding sun began to set, resting beneath the curvature of the ocean, he could see the docks and the catalyst which would lead him towards his destination. Sahova was near.

Fin.

[Archelon]

EPILOGUE... In the darkened shadows of a nearby alleyway a stranger’s footsteps echoed on the pavement as she ran for her life. Behind her she could hear them coming after her. Stalking her, Hunting her down like a dog. She fled wildly, unsure of where she was going, or how. It was impossible for her to know where in Sunberth’s demesne she was. Her sight had been taken from her, by poison no less, and within the milky white of the world she couldn’t make east from west, or west from east. All the konti could do was finger the brooch at her breast, and the small emerald it held within to calm herself as she fled. Sprinting across the cobbles she tripped upon the body, and fell upon the street of sunberth. Forcing herself up to her hands she groped around wildly for anything that she might use as a weapon. Her hands came upon the still form of Darian, lying in the streets. And she recoiled at the feel of the blood weeping burns that wrapped his body. Drawn by some strange impetus, the konti reached out her hands, cupping the man’s chin as a small breath could be felt upon her fingertips. For a moment, just a moment, the woman placed one hand upon his brow as a desert rose marking upon her palm began to whirl, and pulsate as she stroked her hands from the burned man’s brow down across the length of his body. The stranger swept the palm over the course of his chest as she felt a stronger breath come into the injured man’s lungs. Little flecks of light wept like tears of blood from the rose tattoo before they trickled into darian’s pores, as a shout from a nearby alleyway arose. With haste, the woman stood as the broach with the emerald within it fell from its place upon the rags of her shirt to land upon the still injured man’s chest as the mystery woman forced herself to blindly run again. A painful wretching cough came from Darian’s mouth and his eyes would view the painful sight of his life’s savior fleeing a short ways before several shadowy figures tackled her. The sounds of a hooveds on cobbles came to his ears, and in agony the man forced his beleaguered and burned body to roll to the side of the street, forcing the pin of the brooch to stick into his bicep. Behind him in his delirious state he heard the sounds of the struggling woman being struck with an audible slapped and her shrieks of frustration as she was forced into a dark black carriage which instantly began to drive off. For a time, he lay there, moaning in pain from his wounds before the sounds of his voice attracted a different sort of Sunberth’s denizens. A man in doctoral robes stood over him for a moment in wonder, “Oh ho… still alive with so many burns on your skin, eh? Perhaps you might be useful for the greater good , eh?” In a bleary haze Darian recognized the man known simply as Doctor Petronius. A notorious sort that it seemed was out for a simple stroll. Maybe looking for guneia pigs? With a parched throat, and wheezing breath, Darian uttered he magical words that might save the small chance at life the mystery woman had given him. “Help me… I’ll pay you.’’ The doctor smiled a little, and reached into the hem of his robe to withdraw a small needle filled with poppy to deliver a much needed reprieve from the pains that racked Darian's burned flesh. “Oh, don’t worry now. I will… but understand I will hold you to that and collect.” Humming a bit to himself as Darian lapsed into unconsciousness the doctor gathered up what was left of the man's weapons and summoned an assistant to carry him back to his office.

Thread Award “You like fights? I likez fights too!! Check out mah’ accessories!!!…ROOOOOARRR!!!” And the Results!!!!: Graffius : SkillName 1-5 How/why Reimancy 4 Shielding 1 See note below. Negotiation: 1 - for being fleeced by a sunberth shopkeeper Brawling 1 Use of a cape as a distraction tool Rhetoric: 1 - For the insults traded List of Lores: Social Lore: Ruthless when attacked The effects of small to moderate Overgiving Ledger Notes: Deduct 30 gm from your ledger for the Dagger: see special note below Wounds/Health Notes: Medium Overgiving: Headaches for 10 days, Vomiting and Naseua for Three. Puncture wound to arm from dagger's thrust-12 days natural healing, will leave a scar. Special note:- Rusty Dagger- Appears old, made out of -cold Iron- with an ornately engraved hilt covered over in the wears of time. Requires re-etching.Underneath the grime and dust a small lettered name is carved into the hilt under the wrapped leather. Whose it was is a mystery. The shopkeeper misappraisal of its value thought it a normal common dagger. No magical attributes. Restoration cost: 50 GM (without work costs) by a competent smith or greater. Once restored: blood grooves in the metal of the blade will be apparent with a broken spring loaded three inch stilleto in the handle tip for surprise, back handed blows. Refurbishing costs- 50 gm. Magical Note: Beware Overgiving and the amounts you are producing Res.. Combat note- your character presently has no armor- and- Shielding can only stop physical attacks at higherlevels. Specifically: (as explained to me) most shielders won't even begin learning the theory of strengthening layered shields to a point until *after* they progress out of the novice category to where they can stop more diverse aspects of play besides others djed. Normally at competent, one may stack shields to block, and absorb, and at expert begin physical barrier manipulations. A shielded door still is poosible at a competent level if the caster takes the time to reinforce and wield multiples (after an hour's work) might* have greater abilities. BUT- at such a level they tend to stop anyone's djed save the person it's set for from entering As such, only one point for the story aspects and descriptions of how they began to emanate... As is, take this in the spirit of a learning experience its meant to be ^_^ and keep up the good work. Darian : SkillName 1-5 How/why Weapon: Assassin Dagger 2 Weapon Longsword: 2 Unarmed combat- 2 Brawling- 1 for the tackling Lores: The Costs of Rage. Emotional Blackouts. Scar tissue takes a lot of healing time. Subconscious Dreams: Mysterious Woman(in trouble???) Wounds: Only the deep tissue burns were healed from this konti laying her hands upon you before she vanished to flee again. The phantom pain can be cured by a once marked healer. The after scarring of white potched skin can be cured from a twice marked healer. Exterior Burns: will take 20 days of treatment with the doctor to ‘heal’. When finished will leave pock marked scarring, and white patches of burned flesh. -white patches can be healed with damage to sweat glands on chest- can be handled by a 1 mark healer. – Can be healed to slight scarring by a 2 mark healer Notes: You did good in a situation with a new player, even if it meant sacrificing things for story purposes . However, due to inconsistencies in the skills to the level of use in this thread; your character is being interceded with to let him survive. If you do not want that however, you alway are capable of doing a thread with Dr. Patronius where he "Dies" but still- post with the doctor a bit :3. Deduct 4 GM from your ledger for the good Doctor's continued care and bandaging costs Destroy your *clothing**** you wore in this thread. I'm assuming here you wore only the clothing in regards to the other stuff. Not your Night leather. Add to your Items- 1 Strange Pin Brooch, embedded with a small emerald worth -15gm. Lilia : SkillName 1-5 How/why Observation 3 There wasn’t really much I could give you here : ( But please come back to Sunberth soon ^-^ List of Lores: Horrors of Sunberth Streets. Watching someone die? Graffius is Ruthless Notes: Don’t be afraid to jump in on some things : ) Would you like some extra turtle sauce ? : Well aside from the stuff addressed before, this was a good read. Please keep up the good work and remember: learning experiences. ^-^ Any pms for discrepancies on this thread go directly to Levi for review, not to me .