[Adventure/Quest] Breaking the Cycle (Status: Closed)

[Gillar]

1st day of Fall Since its existence merely in the mind of its mortal creator, The Voice of Rhysol, the city of Ravok has been the sole domain of Rhysol, the Defiler, God of Evil and Chaos. His control over the city is absolute; to the point that even prayers to other deities inevitably go to Him thus increasing his power and influence. To the average Ravokian, this all goes pretty unnoticed and even those that are aware of it, care little if at all. The citizens revel in their physical isolation from the world outside of their city and even the poor and homeless enjoy rights afforded to only those of legal citizenship. It is this environment of ignorance and resignation that drove Uliskar to attempt the impossible. His goal was a lofty one but he had a friend in a very high place and the drive to get things done. All he needed now was assistance from either inside or outside of the city. With a handful of tricks and some special resources, Uliskar set things into motion. He sent his messengers out across the land to find those who may be willing to help him. Exercising a couple of gifts, he granted his messengers many forms; rodents, birds, canines and felines as well as a number of other animals carried his words both near and far while he waited. If anything, Uliskar was patient. He could wait as long as it took to find just the right ones.

[Virgil]

The bread broke between five scarred fingers impassively. The human Virgil chewed it's dough while downing his lunch with a cold cup of water. The training had been taxing, for on the open grounds of Myrian soil, both his strength and will were tested as often as he drew breath. A clatter of wooden sparring weapons echoed behind the ring of steel on steel. The people ruled by War herself had no need for romantic portrayals of their ability, they fought as the very tigers they rode, fiercely.
Stone architecture stood proudly under an ambient overcast sky, lifted to the gray clouds by heavy vines of kuzu. Chewing in silence the monk watched the sway of a single black bird break the horizon, chased through pockets of crisp blue by the bright sun. Whispers, words and eyes watched him, but the man simply swallowed and brushed the crumbs from his plate.
Rising to both feet, Virgil returned towards the edge of the training yards. Several ruddy warriors stepped over the flattened soil to meet him, their piercing stares intent on scratching at his resolve. The floodgate of the man's body remained reserved, while the power of his motion prepared to crash down like a tidal wave.

[Arabella Sintos]

It was often said that cities grew on people the longer they resided within that parituclar city, such could not be said for Ravok as far as Arabella was concerned. She had been in the city for a number of weeks and she couldn't get the evil of the city out of her veins, no matter how beautiful it seemed, it was a tainted beauty. Never would she call such a place as Ravok home, she would hate it forever and not just because of the city itself but because of the God that ruled it. She would always remember her first day there, when she had woke to find herself in a damn slave market. She had sent up her prayers to her God Nysel and yet that white-eyed bastard intercepted the prayers each time she tried, appearing to her as a flickering man. She hadn't known then just who the flickering man had been, but upon meeting her new master Lazerin, she quickly became educated.

Despite her stubborn attitude towards those she now served, she was still alive and able to walk. Operation 'make Arabella hate Lazerin' was in full effect and so far it was going along just perfectly. Arabella hated her master with a passion, wishing so badly that when his cruel life finally did end, that she would be there, if not being the cause of it. He had predicted that she would feel such a way when he had first showed her to his 'playroom' and so far he had been right, though how he would make her love him was still a deep mystery to her, one she wasn't interested in investigating.

Walking through the city was an interesting thing, mostly because of the mixed feelings she had. The thought of escape had long since passed from her mind since she had been given the collar that hung around her neck so snuggly. A collar enfused with some sort of magic since she wasn't able to go past a certain area in Ravok or she'd feel the effects of the collar. When she had first tried to escape, she had thought her master was slipping up, allowing the girl to go out on her own, but it didn't take her long to realize the futility that was escape. The Kelvic hadn't really given up on escape, she just put it off until her chances got better, for now, she was to stay in Ravok and keep herself alive by 'pleasing' her master, if she even did that right. She cursed the god Rhysol for keeping her there and even more so because he blocked her prayers to the god she had chosen to serve, the greedy bastard that he was.

The young blonde Kelvic slaved moved through the streets of Ravok, knowing by now where she could and couldn't go. The collar around her neck seemed to mark her as Lazerin's possession and it seemed that because of whom she belonged to, she herself seemed feared, though it could be because she was a Kelvic as well. Whatever the reason, she was hardly ever bothered. A basket rested on her arm as she ran errands for her master.

[Cosette Merryweather]

An unseasonably warm gust of wind caught Cosette's straw hat and she had to anchor it to her head with one hand while her other attempted to hold down the second-hand map she was using to navigate Syliras. But interpreting a hastily drawn map was a difficult job, especially when it was written in an unfamiliar language with unfamiliar landmarks. After finding herself following more than ten dead-end trails and somehow ending up at the same signpost for the second time Cosette was forced to come to one ultimate conclusion. That she was lost.

Maybe in normal circumstances one couldn't say that a person in front of a signpost would be lost but in this case an exception had to be made. Cosette found the inscriptions utterly unreadable. Wear and tear and the scratch marks left behind by the raven that had been perching on the post had taken away most of the letters on the wooden board. Even as she squinted she could only make out a letter "Z" and a letter "R". Sure, that could've meant anything but at this point she was ready to leave everything up to chance. There weren't many places with names that started with the letter 'Z' anyway so it was a safe bet that the path leading north would send her on her way to Zeltiva. Or at least she hoped it was.

Cosette sighed and folded her map carefully into her pocket. Perhaps she shouldn't have made the purchase so hastily, maybe that merchant ten forks down the road behind her was wrong when he told her that she would be easily able to find the city of Zeltiva if she had a map. If only the scrollcase hadn't looked so pretty with all those lovely pictures on it.

Feeling a little winded the girl straightened out her white dress and rested her suitcase against the signpost. For the first time in hours Cosette was going to sit down and slide her feet out of the heavy leather traveling boots she had bought earlier during the week. It was a lot more comfortable to be barefoot she thought. If she had a choice she would've used her slippers but she suspected that they wouldn't last the journey and ruining a perfectly fine set of red slippers was too much of a price to pay for the brief comfort they would provide during this journey... and those sandals were rather pricey despite her having bought them from a sale.

"I could sleep just like this." she said, her dull blue eyes were fixated on the moving cloud patterns above her for awhile until a solitary black feather fell on her head. Immediately the girl turned around and saw a raven and she instinctively lifted her boot against it. "Don't you even dare try anything Mr.Raven!" she hissed in that soft lisping voice of hers.

[Gillar]

Uliskar's messengers spread far and wide. They were blessed with a fragment of their master's sentience and thus knew what he sought. They were still driven by their animal instincts and thus their judgment was not perfect yet Uliskar trusted them. All alone, sitting under a tree, Deiku of the Jamoura was having a little rest. His light brown fur, slowly following the wind's movements, his armor, shining in the sun, lightely scratching the scar on his left eye with the tip of his finger. Yep... it was a long day, boring and stripped of any action. No one around, just him, meditating, concentrating. Then, the Jamoura sudenly oppened his right eye (being unnable to open the other one because of his wound) and Yawned. - For someone who left his kind in search of great adventures and fighting prowess, I sure don't accomplish much these past days... Deiku was growing tired of this, it seemed to him like an eternety since the last good fight he had gotten into, or the last time he had discovered something worth his while. It felt has if there was noting more of interest in this world. Books sure could help you learn more, but it was nothing compared to going out there and expirience for yourself. And so, the Jamoura warrior closed his eye again, returning to his meditation, hoping for something to happen... The first messenger to find one that perhaps matched that which Uliskar was seeking was not one that would understand the irony that would reveal itself later. The messenger, a rather ugly, one-eyed black rat with half-a-tail, cautiously approached the lone Jamoura sitting under a tree. It's little whiskered nose twitched and its single eye blinked as it came closer to the hulking figure. The rat hesitated at first before exercising the gift granted by its master and friend. In a raspy, squeaky voice it said, A good day to you. I do hope you may help me as I am in need of a brave soul willing to take on a grand quest. Would you be such a soul?" The rat was still hesitant though it was less so than usual as most creatures of the wild were instinctual aware of the bond that the Jamoura shared with nature. Whether or not this one would respond to it was unknown to the rat but it had been instructed to wait and answer what questions it was able. ------------------------------------- The human by the name of Virgil, a man of strength and determination, was the next to be found by one of Uliskar's messengers. This messenger, while small, was one of the deadliest creatures of nature. Its movements were so slight; its touch so soft, that not even the trained man could detect its presence on his person. The messenger, a scorpion of the most poisonous type, exercised its own gift and whispered into the mind of the human; its voice heard only by him. The voice was seductively soft, almost feminine as it tickled Virgil's ear and slipped into his head like a honey-sweet poison, "Oh yes, I think you will do just fine. I come to you seeking aid in a quest of quests that only a select few may succeed in. Are you one who would hear more of this or have I chosen unwisely?" ------------------------------------- The third messenger to find a potential target was the most skittish and most hesitant of all. The fact that it resided in the heart of darkness itself made up most of that nervousness. In the streets of Ravok it found the key; a key that was unable to turn itself and unlock success. Others of course would be required but this one had the inside track. The messenger hopped from rooftop to rooftop, glided over alleyways and hide beneath the bridges that stretched overhead. Its light gray feathers helped it blend into some of the nooks and crannies as it moved ever closer to the woman walking down the street. When she passed beneath it, the messenger fluttered down and landed on the basket she carried. Arabella was able to see quite clearly then, a light-gray feathered raven roughly half the size of a typical black one. It looked up at her from the basket and spoke to her, "Please do not fear me. I have come to seek your aid in something of such importance that I hope you will agree to. In return, you will be able to free your prayers as well as those of so many others." ------------------------------------- The woman with the straw hat was the next to be found. She seemed so intent on talking to the nearby bird that she missed the messenger that had stumbled upon her. At first it wasn't sure if it should choose her but something about her made it unable to resist. There was something cold, dark and completely unnatural about her that to those unable to detect it, would go completely unnoticed. The messenger however could taste it all in the air around her. She was not who she appeared to be and in that, she was the perfect choice. With the woman's attention on the bird, the messenger slithered within striking distance and opened its scaly jaws ever so slightly. A snake ringed in bright red and yellow bands with a black head and a pair of strange, faceted eyes red eyes like rubies emanated a hiss in a way that formed words, It isss not the bird that you ssshould be consssserned with milady. I believe it isss thossse beassstssss that sssspeak that you ssshould turn your attention to. May we ssspeak a moment?" ------------------------------------- Other messengers were still out there, searching. Perhaps they would find more to aid Uliskar while the ones discovered thus far were still quite promising.

[Gromhir]

Travelling a road with no end is not an appetising prospect. Not knowing where you are heading is demoralising, confusing and draining. It is not a situation you would wish to be in. You cannot get lost because you have no direction. You have fallen from the path that fate laid out for you and can no longer find it again. But what happens if that’s all you know?
If Gromhir believed in fate, he would have been searching for the nearest cliff most likely. The life he knew was a half-life. All he knew was the ground beneath his paws and the certainty that he was not whole. He knew he would not be until he found what he was searching for. What that was, he didn’t know. Would he ever find it? He wasn’t sure. These uncertainties confused him. They were false.
What was certain was that he no longer required sustenance. He climbed to his feet and he changed into his human form. The remains of the carcass before him barely left anything for the carrion to pick at. He looked down at his plain brown clothing. This body seemed so unfamiliar, so strange. Even though he remembered his Mother and Father being this form, he preferred his canine form. This was ungainly, unbalanced and strange. These hands didn’t feel like they belonged to him at all.
He looked up from his hands to the city on the water in front of him. The sun cast a dark shadow on the city. Maybe what he was looking for was in there. But how would he go about getting there?

[Cosette Merryweather]

A crystalline scream followed by a rather violent swing of her boot was Cosette's greeting for the vile slithering worm. Of course Cosette had never meant to do such a thing, it was only her natural response whenever she found herself face to face with a talking snake, or rather any snake in general. "Y-You can talk...?" the girl was evidently frightened and the way her arm trembled even as she brought her boot between her and the creature's fangs told volumes of just how much courage she possessed.

As a wide-eyed Cosette continued to stare the creature down a thought occurred to the young maiden, one which she should have entertained the moment she heard the animal speak. "Did Master Farke send you?" perhaps it had been a little too hasty for her to have been frightened by the creature. She'd spent some time with the wizards in Sahova and by no means did those people do anything the 'normal' way, a talking snake-courier would've been right up their alley.

"If you've missed the memo I'm a walking corpse," she haphazardly tossed her boot at the raven so she could finally bring all her attention to her new companion. "I'm not too fond of ravens."

"We can talk... if you promise not to bite." though the fact that she was already dead was lost on her. When you had no pulse what was was a lethal dose of poison anyway? "So tell me, what message do you have for me and why couldn't you be a rabbit instead?"

[Arabella Sintos]

Arabella took her time in getting to the errand she had been sent out on, it may lead to pain in the end, but very little led to something good anyway, so why worry? The enslaved Kelvic was becoming a borderline pessimist, which was the opposite of what she used to be before her very dreams and prayers were stolen away from her. So much had changed for her when she had been sold to the cruel master Lazerin, a man who had no heart beating within his chest as far as the Kelvic was concerned. Despite being out of the oppressive house she was bound to, she still felt as though eyes followed her, the eyes of a cruel God that ruled over Ravok, the God that stole her prayers to another God, Rhysol. When she had first met him, she had been told that she, along with everyone else in the city, belonged to him and while it seemed to be nothing short of a fact, Arabella still chose to deny it and fight it with all her heart and soul. She was a free Kelvic in her heart of hearts….

She was just waiting for the rest of herself to catch up…

Trapped deep in her thoughts, the Kelvic had no idea that someone sought her, that someone else could have a totally different use of her then what her master had. In a moment of slight paranoia, the girl turned to look behind her, her blond hair cast over her shoulder, but there was no one behind her. Perhaps the feeling of being watched was her imagination or perhaps Rhysol was watching her, waiting for her to make another vain prayer to Nysel so he could intercept it, she was certain that Rhysol took such pleasure in causing the Kelvic anguish. Sighing in slight frustration at herself, she began to move a bit quicker, figuring that she might as well get her errand over with so she could return to the solace of her ‘room’ where she would hopefully be left alone for a while. Being on the outside of the house was nice, but she felt that getting too used to having this sort of ‘freedom’ would only further torment her when she was back in the house.

Not that this could technically be called freedom. Arabella touched the collar that rested so snuggly around her neck, a constant reminder that she would never be free from the city or the master whom she hated. It was a somber thought that caused her heart to sink, her eyes to lower to the dirt ground that she walked upon. She knew how it felt to be trod upon as though she were nothing and yet there was nothing she could do to change her life, no opportunity had presented itself so far.

The girl continued her sad thoughts and her faster walk, not knowing that she had a certain part to play in someone else’s plan, to be used by another. What a life she led.

Humming a soft song, Arabella barely felt the extra weight in the empty basket she carried, her mind on other things. It was only when she glanced downwards that she caught sight of the feathered bird that had landed so precariously into her basket. Considering a bird was not on the list of things to get for her master, she was ready to lightly shoo it when it began to speak to her. Her steps halted and her eyes widened, this was unexpected. Despite her surprise, she did not interrupt the bird as it spoke, asking for her assistance in something important. It wasn’t that that perked her interest but rather the thought of her prayers being freed to grace Nysel’s ear once again. Surely the god of dreams missed his little gray dreamer. How did this bird know of the prayers locked up by the God Rhysol? And more to the point, did Arabella want to put herself in possible danger in assisting the bird and whoever had sent it, assuming of course that someone had sent it? Surely her master would somehow find out and gods, how much trouble she would be in. And yet, her rebellions side welcomed the thought of angering him. “What do you want from me?” She had to know.

[Virgil]

Virgil blinked. That's all. He finished his training, striving to mimic the forms of his tutor and opponent in order to both act and think as they did. His padded shoes slid across hard ground, colliding and embracing the kinetic force brought against him, following it, understanding it then redirecting the offense unexpectedly with that same precision. Subtle strikes brought from the bottom of the hand pressed into the joints and nerve clusters of the Myrian masters, should he be fortunate enough to anticipate their aggression.
When the pressure stopped, when the attacks died down.. then, only then did the Monk turn rubbing his hands through a coarse cloth.

"Speak."

[Gillar]

Gromhir stood at the banks of Lake Ravok in a spot quite some distance from the nearest guard tower. While patrols were frequent in the area, their presence was not yet noticeable anywhere nearby for the time being. As he pondered his future as well as the city, he noticed a small black stone at his feet tremble slightly before sprouting a series of delicate legs, mandibles and a series of faceted black eyes. One of the many messengers sent by Uliskar, the large black beetle was easily as big around as a small dinner plate and only slightly less flat. Intricate patterns raised off of its flat, rock-like shell as it ceased its use of camouflage and spoke. "It is not a pleasant place, that city. Very bad things happen there everyday. What a coincidence that you happen to be here looking out upon the water at the same time I happen to be here looking for someone like you. Perhaps you could help me with an extremely important task involving that city?" The beetle clicked its mandibles and stretched out; its stony body becoming segmented into a body with a head. ------------------------------------------------------------- The snake that greeted Cosette did not flinch at her reaction; it simply waited for her to come to terms with a talking snake. It waited as she threw a few questions at it and a boot at the nearby bird. The bird took off with some squawking arguments and the snake continued its patient pause. When all was quieter, it responded, "To anssswer your firssst quessstion, yesss I can talk. I am not sssent by anyone named, Farke and to be honessst, I care nothing for your dissslike of birdsss. I find them quite appetizing myssself. I do not know what you mean by a walking corpssse but I can tassste sssomething is not quite right with you. And finally, I will not bite you." The snake casually slithered in a rough circle around Cosette. Its movements were deliberate and strangely graceful; its fragile looking form concealing the fact that it was quite deadly to the living. "I do not underssstand your rabbit comment but I can tell you that your unique taste meansss that you may be able to help me. While I cannot tell you much right now, I am here to offer you a chance to break the grip of an evil god upon a city and in return gain sssome renown amongst mortalsss and the divine alike. If you are interesssted in the slightessst, hold out your hand to me ssso that I may bring you more information." The snake's tongue darted in and out of its mouth as it continued to taste the air around it. While it could not see Cosette very well, it could still taste the unique tang that her presence gave off. ------------------------------------------------------------- The small gray raven was careful to remain quiet when coming within earshot of others. When it was safe, it hopped up on Arabella's shoulder and spoke; its voice high but whispered, "I can only give you so much information right now; it is not safe to get into too much detail here. You are in a unique position to help break the grip of a certain dark god upon a certain city and thus help free the thoughts and prayers of thousands, including your own. If you agree to help, there will be others to aid you so that you need not do it alone. It must be known though that the task will be quite difficult for the others without your assistance." Their was an odd scent coming from the raven; one most unlike anything Arabella had smelled during her time in Ravok. It smelled like the furthest depths of a forest. It was a smell that was untouched by human presence and in itself spoke volumes of the natural world. "He must not be allowed to continue his unopposed reign. This is but a small step toward restoring balance to the way of things but it is a necessary one. If, in your heart, you feel compelled to help, simply nod your head and I can bring more answers to your questions as well as grant you a temporary leave from this place." The raven remained perched upon her shoulder as it quieted and waited for a response. ------------------------------------------------------------- To Virgil, the scorpion with the feminine voice heard only in the man's mind, accepted his invitation to continue speaking with him. Not only strong, but wise enough to hear words that could lead him down a path of greater glory. Indeed I have chosen correctly, so far at least. I bring you an offer that I doubt you can refuse. There is a great evil in this land. It is an evil that spreads in and over everything. It is deception, chaos, betrayal. It is evil incarnate. It is a force that cannot be allowed to go unopposed yet it is currently too powerful to stand against. Too powerful for all but a handful. I have chosen you to be one of those that may stand against it. I am but a messenger though the one I act for has more answers to any questions you may ask. All I need to know is if you are interested in weakening the power of a god and perhaps bringing a bit to yourself in return?" The voice in his mind was slightly intoxicating like that of a lover as they whisper sweet loving into one's ear. ------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Uliskar waited in his secluded home, ever hoping that his messengers would find even a few individuals that would accept the calling.