Open [Quest] Along came a Spider

{QUEST}Hwyn's walk home is plagued by an invader of ambiguos intent.

(This is a thread from Mizahar's fantasy roleplay forums. Why don't you register today? This message is not shown when you are logged in. Come roleplay with us, it's fun!)

A city floating in the center of a lake, Ravok is a place of dark beauty, romance and culture. Behind it all though is the presence of Rhysol, God of Evil and Betrayal. The city is controlled by The Black Sun, a religious organization devoted to Rhysol. [Lore]

[Quest] Along came a Spider

Postby Hwyn on September 9th, 2016, 7:40 am

Image
71 of Fall, 516 Av



There was something to be said for normalcy, well, half arsed normalcy anyways, though what their was to be said for it, Hwyn was unsure, he had decided long ago that letting his thoughts linger on the philosophic rarely did much more than give him a headache. Though to sum up his thoughts Hwyn decided that he wasn't quite happy, but he was content with his current lot in life. Making his way out of Cafe Fleurs for the evening Hwyn let out a Yawn and stretched appreciatively before turning around and waving animatedly at his employer. Satisfied when the man returned a small nod to his wave Hwyn set out for the afternoon.

If their was one thing Hwyn didn't like about the city, it was it's lack of scenery that he could enjoy, no parks with benches, no place for musicians to gather, it was like the city was geared towards productivity for the most part and the lack of such things went unnoticed by the locals, their were always Markets to observe and visit which was something Hwyn could occupy an evening with, assuming that the markets in Ravok had their own gimmicks and intricacies, at least he hoped they would, if every cities market was the same Hwyn would demand to see whoever it was that decided the layouts of markets and have their head... or not really, but it's the thought that counts.

Making his way from cafe Fleurs to the market Hwyn looked about the city, in the evening when most daytime businesses came to a close so their were enough people about that their were moments when he had to squeeze against walls to avoid rubbing shoulders with strangers, call it leftover fear from sunberth but it was never good to let people to close to you in a crowd. If one were to observe Hwyn's walking posture when he walked in the town as to how he behaved in the cafe, they would notice that his posture almost seemed to shrink, the bold steps he where he sashayed hips and swung his arms when they were free were no more, they were replaced by shorter slower steps and hands clasped behind his back. He kept his head low but high enough that he could keep an eye on those around him.

Whenever Hwyn came up on a corner he'd have to turn or alley he had to pass he gave the corner a wide berth for fear of someone waiting just out of site, it made him harder to grab, though nothing of that nature had happened in a long time wariness had long ingrained itself into his blood. He did have fun things to think about, he was looking forward to the next time Eva... No Evarista, she wouldn't appreciate a nickname probably, visiting him, her company while not particularly lively was enjoyable in it's own way, he enjoyed the way she gave him undivided attention, even if her mannerisms were a bit odd. He'd have to look and see if the cafe had any different types of wine he could offer Evarista when next she visited, he'd noted that she hadn't liked it last time she visited. Continuing his stroll Hwyn allowed a faint hidden smile, he would be getting anew dress at some point and such a thing made him quite pleased, though to spend whatever exorbitant prices for accessories the shop had to offer seemed unpleasant. Especially if he could find his own for a better bargain once he arrived at the market.


Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy
Last edited by Hwyn on September 15th, 2016, 2:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
Hwyn
Soul endowed plushie
 
Posts: 363
Words: 275288
Joined roleplay: May 3rd, 2015, 1:26 am
Location: In Eva's pocket
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes
Medals: 2
Featured Character (1) Donor (1)

Along came a Spider

Postby Evarista on September 9th, 2016, 5:16 pm

Evarista was not a woman of her word. Her promise to visit Hwyn at the café would not be kept, at least not in the way one could expect. Having spent the day preparing the ingredients for the boy's future dress, she had found a moment to tip a glass of decent wine at home instead. Not more than a glass, but not less. Her plans for the evening required a small buzz, otherwise she would probably not even dare to follow through with them.

In the end, she did come to the café, but not to the front entrance. She didn't have any slaves or ravosalas with her. Staying a quarter away from the building, she waited for Hwyn's shift to end, patrolling a short route around the walkways to keep watch on both the front and back entrance. It would be annoying if he walked off without her noticing, but fortunately, the café wasn't exactly designed to keep out spies, so staking out the waitress was easy. It was a good thing she didn't come too early, though, so that she wouldn't risk losing her patience and be forced to resist the temptation to drop the idea and go home.

She almost missed the blonde figure leaving the service entrance of the greenery-covered building, wearing his half-dismantled maid uniform. Didn't he have any decent casual wear? It looked rather crude, but Evarista found its own charm in it. Having seen his scars yesterday, the girl formed an opinion that his rugged clothes suited him more than anything fancy-pansy that Alira could come up with. Unlike the glamorous seamstress, Evarista was a sucker for the macabre. Seeing Hwyn patter along cautiously, she noted the absence of feminine flair. Maybe it was something he only put effort into during work hours.

Trailing a respectable distance behind him, the girl was curious to see where he went after work. She had no idea what the common man did in his free time, and while she wasn't that interested in a general sense, Hwyn was an exception. Would he go to a bar? He didn't seem like a bar type, but where else was there to go, anyway? Licking her lips in anticipation, the girl caught up to him by a few paces, shortening the distance and drilling his back with her gaze to prevent losing him. His low profile and tendency to stick to the walls made things difficult as the crowd density started to pick up on the narrow walkways. They were approaching the market.

Following the boy from a safe distance has quickly become impossible. Evarista realized too late that it was a mistake to come spying on people undisguised. She was wearing her normal attire, and hasn't even made a different hairstyle. That was rather stupid. Getting any closer to him than she already was wouldn't work; as soon as he turned around, he'd recognize her immediately. Tapping into her magic would help, perhaps. Getting a good view of Hwyn, the stalker brought his aura into focus. She couldn't tell any information from this distance, but it wasn't necessary, as she only wanted that shimmering corona because it was easy to follow. Excellent.

The satisfaction didn't last. The surrounding movement of people made it difficult to focus, but there was also the unaccounted danger of not looking where she was walking. A collision with a passing Ebonstryfe soldier made her huff in surprise and almost lose sight of her mark, not even mentioning any auristic focus. The soldier shot her a suspicious glare, but she just nodded her head as a quick apology and resumed walking, eyes on Hwyn. Hmm... now that she thought about it, there sure was a lot of soldiers at the marketplace today. This made her remember that the alert standing has been at two bells for some days now. Definitely not good when trying to sneak around, but somehow, Evarista was confident she'd manage.

Even though nothing exciting was happening yet, Evarista's blood was already racing. The arcade had begun. She was the player, and he was the game.
User avatar
Evarista
Whose eyes are those eyes?
 
Posts: 262
Words: 372744
Joined roleplay: August 1st, 2016, 11:28 am
Location: Ravok
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 1
Ravok Seasonal Challenge (1)

Along came a Spider

Postby Hwyn on September 12th, 2016, 8:08 pm

Image
71 of Fall, 516 Av



When Hwyn arrived at the market he frowned, there were more soldiers about than he would have preferred, not so many that you could not escape their sight, but enough that their presence was noticeable from time to time, the presence of soldiers, however, is a unique thing, soldiers be them in Ravok, Syliras or anywhere really had a couple effects. Firstly, soldiers when they make a sudden arrival at a scene can cause nervousness and wariness, people begin wondering why the soldiers are around. but behind that they have a second effect that can make them a boon to someone more daring, once people accept the soldiers' presence as natural soldier create a sense of security, sometimes even a false sense of security, which can be abused in some cases. Looking around Hwyn again frowned, he didn't know the layout of this market, so trying to make a snatch and run seemed like a good way to end up in a dead-end alley. That said he hadn't come to the market today with the intent to steal, he'd come simply to see the place and see what sorts of goods it contained.

Stopping at the first stall that interested Him Hwyn spent a few moments glancing at copper jewelry displayed at a particularly boastful merchants stall, Hwyn wasn't particularly keen to jewelry, or at least he wasn't keen to gaudy amulets and the like. passing onto the next stall Hwyn did find that he liked the new stall's wares quite a bit more, scarves of all sorts of colors, winter was coming so perhaps it would not be too bad of an idea to make the investment and purchase one, particularly since nights were getting colder in the evenings. Looking from scarf to scarf Hwyn looked for a color or pattern that stuck out to him. Leaning forward Trying to see the scarves kept near the back of the stall Hwyn felt something that was quite unwanted.

A hand had just grabbed a fair amount of his bum before disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. Flinching at the intrusion he turned about as quickly as he could to find the who the offending groper had been. When he had already disappeared Hwyn frowned the man had gotten away... it was then that Hwyn remembered, he hadn't gotten away yet, he still had a trick up his sleeve. Looking down Hwyn let his eyes fall half lidded into a squint, he needed to find the man's ribbon, if he could do that, he could track him.

Letting his eyes find the magic he had in them he brought the ribbons of color into view, he needed to be quick, as to let his eyes glow for long was dangerous, even in a crowd of distracted people, letting his eyes glow for more than a few seconds was a gamble that wasn't exactly worth taking. Looking at where he'd been touched he focused for a moment, on finding an inky brown ribbon that trailed away from him he smiled slightly before bringing a hand up to shield his eyes as if he had suddenly experienced a bad headache, hopefully, he could keep the ruse for a moment while he tracked the man. Following the thin brown ribbon, Hwyn passed glanced in the direction it was going and was rewarded with the sight of a small lady near him jumping in surprise just as he had, and leaving directly from her was a darkly dressed man walking with some sense of purpose. Letting the magic go and bringing his hand back down Hwyn let a small smile cross his features, he'd found his mark, the man was making rounds about the market fondling anyone who was distracted shopping, and he had learned that the easiest way to hide was to exude confidence and act as if he had purpose. If Hwyn could manage to separate such a cretin from his coin purse, he'd be quite happy.


Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy
User avatar
Hwyn
Soul endowed plushie
 
Posts: 363
Words: 275288
Joined roleplay: May 3rd, 2015, 1:26 am
Location: In Eva's pocket
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes
Medals: 2
Featured Character (1) Donor (1)

Along came a Spider

Postby Evarista on September 12th, 2016, 9:58 pm

Simply following Hwyn around the crowded marketplace was not a good plan. It was only a matter of time before she lost him this way, that much was clear. Raising her head, the girl swept her gaze above the people's heads. She needed a vantage point. She's had some practice with climbing onto the roof of her own house and some other isolated places, but doing it here seemed difficult. She'd have to find a place to climb where Hwyn wouldn't notice her, and where she wouldn't be mistaken for a burglar. Her quick glance around the marketplace showed that fulfilling both of these conditions at once would be difficult.

Afraid to lose sight of the boy, Evarista continued following him from the ground with some frustration, still looking for possible places to climb up on. In the corner of her vision, she noticed one of the male figures in the crowd heading for a straight collision course with Hwyn as the latter examined a scarf stand. She idly wondered what the man was doing, but his intentions became clear once his hand darted out for Hwyn's rear. Evarista barely suppressed a snicker, and an urge to run after the man and tell him that he had committed an orientational mistake. That being said, he was rather good at what he was doing, having long vanished back into the crowd when Hwyn turned around to see who had groped him.

Once her eyes returned to Hwyn, her amusement vanished. Having turned around, the boy was covering his eyes for a few moments, before going straight after the man. How did he see where he went? Did the blonde have eyes on the back of his head? Slightly confused, Evarista went after him, constantly bumping into people and nearly forgetting to keep her distance from her mark. This whole ground stalking thing was rather bothersome. The desire for a view from above made itself known again. The girl whirled her head around in irritation, desperate for any decent tall-standing nooks to get up on.

Finally, her eyes fell on a tall building just outside of the market square. The bottom floor held the Malt House, while the rest of the building was private residences. One wall of the structure was overlooking the market, but for the most part, that building was sandwiched between neighbouring ones. Hmm. Climbing up onto the roof from behind would give her a great view of the market plaza with minimal risk of drawing attention to herself. That didn't sound bad, actually. The only problem was that she had to abandon her close watch on Hwyn for a while. Unless she was really unlucky, though, she'd be able to spot him again from above without issue.

Having made up her mind, the stalker regretfully tore her eyes away from the blonde figure she was following and made a sharp turn into the alley behind the Malt House. Her surroundings suddenly went quiet, dim, and saturated with the smell of stale beer. The space was less of an alley and more of a crevice between buildings. The walkway ended just several meters in, a large hole in the wood exposing the dark waters of the lake below. Quaint. And exactly what she wanted. The alley was not visible from anywhere unless someone walked into it. It was the perfect spot to climb in peace, and for that matter, do any other unmentionable things. The dark stains on the wall smelled suspiciously like a toilet. Ew.

Whatever, though. No time to waste. With practiced ease, Evarista morphed her hands into chitinous claws and grabbed hold of the closest brick that stuck out of the wall, beginning her careful ascent. This side of the building was poorly maintained, so there were lots of uneven places to latch onto. She was used to climbing the exterior of the Nitrozian manor, which was very smooth and less workable in comparison. Still, any careless movements weren't called for. She usually only morphed her hands when climbing, since transforming her feet would probably ruin her shoes. This time, she realized that her garment accommodated for the morphing of knees as well, allowing for sturdy hooks to peek out from under her skirt. Somewhat awkward, but it did help support her lower body.

Around a minute of considerable sweating, the girl made it to the roof. The few windows on her way were mostly bolted shut to keep out burglars, which was just fine with her. Smudges of dust and some other unidentifiable substances on her clothes was the only price she had paid for the elevation. Ah, well. It's not like she did her own laundry, anyway.

More importantly, she now had an excellent view of the market, just as she had hoped. Now, to find Hwyn down there. Squinting, she attempted to identify the familiar aura in the crowd, but it was futile. The distance was too great, and the distractions were too many. After several fruitless attempts, she gave up and relied on conventional sight instead. There was a familiar figure! But instead of Hwyn, it was the darkly dressed man who had groped him. She couldn't spot the boy himself nearby, but she was fairly sure he was still following his offender. Stretching out her neck from her prone position at the edge of the roof, Evarista anticipated an interesting development of events.
User avatar
Evarista
Whose eyes are those eyes?
 
Posts: 262
Words: 372744
Joined roleplay: August 1st, 2016, 11:28 am
Location: Ravok
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 1
Ravok Seasonal Challenge (1)

Along came a Spider

Postby Hwyn on September 13th, 2016, 9:18 pm

Image
71 of Fall, 516 Av



Stalking a person of interest for the purpose of emptying the contents of their pockets is a unique experience, the slight burn you feel in the pit of your stomach when the adrenaline hits, for the second time today Hwyn's posture and persona changed, a slight smile crept across his faces as his breaths became slower and more stable, his eyes darted from side to side observing his surroundings as he slid between people in the crowd. there was a guard to his far right talking with a young women, so for all intents and purposes the man was not worth his concern, the man he was pursuing was a slightly difficult target, in that he wore a large coat, and that meant that his coin purse wasn't directly available to be grabbed do to the layer of cloth covering it. For Hwyn that meant that an attack from the back was not the answer.

Not that it made what he wanted to do impossible, more that it simply meant he;d have to attack from a different angle. as he followed the man Hwyn circled to the man's left. The man was not too terribly hard to follow aside from the fact that he drifted in random directions from time to time, likely to deviate away from his victims. The fact that the man was also a criminal of sorts told hwyn that the man was wary however at the same time the nature of his crime made him vulnerable to a frontal assault, he was concerned with things behind him since if anyone was to pursue they would already be behind him. So an attack from the front seemed the safest strategy for an interception. after a good minute of following him, Hwyn had finally passed the man up and had a fairly good idea of where he was going.

Placing himself so that he would pass the man to the man's right, he began his approach, the burning sensation in his stomach felt stronger as he approached his hands flexed open and closed in anticipation, it was funny he thought how something he;d spent the last ten minutes or so planning and scoping out would come to fruition in seconds. passing by the man as he walked confidently past a stall Hwyn's grin widened, this was not a smash and grab, but a more covert play. As such the timing was the most important part of the procedure, when the man passed he needed to be quick and smooth, though even as he approached the man and the moment approached Hwyn's grin grew with his confidence, it was a feeling that some might compare to bloodlust, when the moment finally arrived hwyn had already stolen the purse ten times in his mind. Using the man's height against Him Hwyn's hand quickly snuck under the hem of the man's jacket and found purchase on the coin purse tucked into his belt. palming the bag and pulling down as he stepped down the momentum of his movement away from the man and the man's own movement away from him made the motion quick and produced enough energy to quickly snag the bag. Immediately Hwyn shot the bag from his right hand to his left hand. he didn't plan to try and hide it tell he had a moment to do so, it didn't look out of place in his hand since it was a coin purse, but simultaneously the man could notice at any moment his coin had been taken, thusly he needed to extract the coin and dispose of the coin purse as quickly as possible. But at the very least he had his reward, and the man had paid a fee for trying to get away with groping him.


Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy
User avatar
Hwyn
Soul endowed plushie
 
Posts: 363
Words: 275288
Joined roleplay: May 3rd, 2015, 1:26 am
Location: In Eva's pocket
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes
Medals: 2
Featured Character (1) Donor (1)

Along came a Spider

Postby Evarista on September 14th, 2016, 7:44 am

Squinting to see the details, Evarista watched Hwyn's maneuvres, slightly impressed by his tactical thinking. He really was a street child, if not now, at least originally. The man in the coat clearly had no idea what was coming to him, as he continued his zig-zagging rounds, feeling up strangers for his own perverted entertainment. Evarista would never admit this, but she was slightly jealous of his ability to do that unnoticed. Well, unnoticed until he happened upon a Hwyn, that is. And he didn't look like he was about to get away with just an embarrassing call-out and a slap on the face. As the thief and his mark finally made contact, Evarista could spot the small brown pouch in the hand of the former. Good going.

However, it didn't take the man many moments to understand that the blonde lass who just bumped into him didn't do so by accident. It turned out that he was not unfamiliar with the craft of palming himself, as palming people's rears was a closely related hobby of his. He cursed under his breath as he turned around sharply, eyes scanning the crowd for the culprit. In his usual zig-zagging motion, he backtracked his route with hasty steps, intent on getting his purse back. The humiliation of a thief being stolen from was not something he was prepared to handle.

Evarista could surmise some of this from her excellent vantage point, but she was impatient to do something more. While usually content with just watching people do their thing, this situation was different. There was a familiar face on the scene, which made it harder to stay indifferent. Not necessarily because she wanted to help the boy, but more because it would be more fun to intervene. As it happened, the fleeing blonde and his erratically pursuing victim made their way through the crowd in the direction of the Malt House. There were dead ends abound, and considering that Hwyn was new to the city, his odds of ending up in one were not insignificant. The clench-fisted coat fellow looked like he was ready to bust some teeth, too, and he was hot on the boy's trail. Maybe Hwyn didn't think this through after all. Or maybe he just liked playing with fire. She could relate to that.

The intrepid roof-climber was suddenly thrown into a hurry. The pair was heading straight for her. This was her chance to do something, but there wasn't a lot she could do from her position up high. The search for options was frantic in her mind. Hey! Maybe she could rope herself down like spiders do. The spinning organs worked to accommodate for that sort of thing, didn't they? The spider would produce a string, attach the string to an anchor and hang freely in the air, while its body weight sheared the silk. The continuation of the fiber would be spun by the force of gravity, gently lowering the spider to the ground in the process. Genius! Although, doing something like that herself without experimenting in safe conditions first seemed like a good way to break her neck. Bothersome.

Luckily, she still had some time. Scurrying to the corner of the roof on the back side of the building, she decided to ease her descent with a simpler method. Morphing her hands into two chitinous hooks, she latched onto the corner of the roof and swung her body down, hanging far over the ground on nothing but the hooks for support. Probably pretty stupid, but quick solutions had their price, and she was pretty confident that the chitin was tough enough to handle her modest weight. Rather than climbing down, she instead continued morphing her arms to elongate them, lowering herself down, as if using a rubber winch. Finding some foothold further down, she retracted her hooks and repeated the process until she was on the ground. Flexing her sore shoulders, she was still happy to save some time. It was worth some joint strain. Probably.

Stepping out of the alley and into the marketplace again, she was just in time for the interception. Hwyn had recently passed the alley, and the coated man was walking right past it. As if by accident, Evarista went on a collision course with him, aiming her shoulder at his back. Underneath her blouse was a chitinous plate for added hardness. Being so concentrated on his pursuit, the man was knocked from his feet by the impact, surprising even the girl.

"Oh, my apologies," she dropped with a nonchalant tone, vanishing into the crowd before he could even look who hit him. A volley of curses erupted from his throat, drawing the attention of surrounding people, including some soldiers. This day was turning sour fast.
User avatar
Evarista
Whose eyes are those eyes?
 
Posts: 262
Words: 372744
Joined roleplay: August 1st, 2016, 11:28 am
Location: Ravok
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 1
Ravok Seasonal Challenge (1)

Along came a Spider

Postby Hwyn on September 14th, 2016, 2:38 pm

Image
Title and Date



One should never bet on things going well, anyone who put faith in luck was a fool, as he moved Hwyn emptied the contents of the purse and frowned when he got a handful of silvers and coppers not likely worth too much but it would have to do. Tossing the bag aside Hwyn kept moving through the crowds though a cursory look behind him decidedly increased his pace. He needed to move faster but at the same time he still needed some sort of distraction to fully get away. ducking into an alley Hwyn frowned when he realized he'd ended up in a dead end. looking about he identified a direct path to water and a possible route under the building but there was no easy escape.

However a distraction made itself quite apparent in quite a unique way, a startled cry came from behind him and as Hwyn turned around he saw the man falling on his ass and someone that looked disturbingly familiar leaving the alley. A grin crossed his features again as memories of sunberth flashed before him, he'd been in similarly chaotic situations and the fact that the man was busy looking after the person that had knocked him down Hwyn had just enough time to get back out of the alley and hopefully far away. Passing by the man Hwyn ran and swung his fist at the back of the man's exposed head. he felt the hem of his dress snag for a moment but his momentum and the man's dazed attempt at a grab didn't find purchase. that said people were beginning to look in their direction so Hwyn knew that now really was the time for a hasty retreat. locking on to a familiar person in dark clothes, working his legs to catch up to her, Hwyn slowed his pace as he sidled up next to her making an attempt to look inconspicuous as he took her hand, hopefully she'd allow the motion. In his head the idea was that the crowd was looking for a lone figure running away from the crime scene, but a pair casually walking away might escape notice. Hwyn was not happy about how things had gone but he was confident that now was not the time for anything bold but a hasty retreat back into shadows.

Looking to Evarista, who he had confirmed it was Hwyn gave a sweet smile, he considered pulling her into a lie, but not knowing her nature he didn't want to do anything too risky.

"Hello again miss Evarista. I missed you today at the cafe, but it's nice to see you again. Did you find anything you wanted at the market? I didn't see too much i wanted but I think I might come back to get some clothes for winter.. Ooh speaking of winter you think it will be cold this year??"

Letting himself chatter Idly Hwyn went on as if nothing odd had happened in the slightest. As he walked next to Evarista an older woman gave them an odd look but listening to Hwyn's chatter the woman went back about her business. His hand hurt a bit where he'd hit the man, but beyond that he felt good. resisting the urge to look back or run Hwyn controlled his pace to match Evarista's steps.


Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy
User avatar
Hwyn
Soul endowed plushie
 
Posts: 363
Words: 275288
Joined roleplay: May 3rd, 2015, 1:26 am
Location: In Eva's pocket
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes
Medals: 2
Featured Character (1) Donor (1)

Along came a Spider

Postby Crow on September 15th, 2016, 1:38 am

Image


Criminals, thieves, molesters, ambiguously shady characters...all were under watch by the ebonstryfe and the black sun. Later shortly after the events in the marketplace three rings from the bell within the temple of the black sun sounded and shortly after a masquerade of different soldiers emerged from within. Gathering around the square infront of the temple was a formation of soldiers. They each stood in line with each other, shoulder to shoulder. The more dignified stood in the front, followed by a column of soldiers ordered in series by their perspective ranks. The first few ranks took a knee to allow the back ranks to see and be addressed properly. Swords and weapons of many types were cradled in each of the Ebonstryfe soldiers, some of which so large they had to rest upon the ground. In front of the entire formation stood one man who hasn't made an appearance for a long time.

"Devoted soldiers of Rhysol. It has come to my attention since my arrival that the city has gone through many changes." the man walked back and forth before finally lowering his hood.

A lot of the soldiers immediately bowed their heads in respect of the man. A stalky character, his beard thick, his skin aged and scarred, his intimidating features far stronger than any other. As the man handed off his cloak to one of the apprentices tasked to serve him he turned around briefly. Large axes across his waist slightly swung outwards in the quick movement. After carefully picking up a piece of paper from a pedestal the Druvin turned back around.

One of the commanders, Jessica lazerin, dare ask out openly what the whole purpose of everything was here. She knew that she was addressing Gru'tal, but she also wanted to make herself known. The man's white eyes met hers and that is when she immediately bowed down in respect. The Supreme commander of the Ebonstryfe was not to be questioned, not in the least.

"Citizen's of Ravok have been disappearing, people have been running around and killing others, Rhysols beloved people are growing worried, and we care not risk the possibilities of them leaving Ravok from fear."

Gru'tal turned a moment and walked back to his apprentice and whispered in his ear. The apprentice immediately ran into the temple of the black sun without a dying hesitation.

"Both me and rhysol has been absent from the city, and for a good reason. Good soldiers of Ravok, I have been searching for our new voice. The efforts were stopped upon word of what is occurring here in this city. You will no longer be taking orders from Silvas, as he is now currently a bit indisposed at the moment. "

Gru'tal addressed his soldiers in full view of even some of the citizens. Normally such affairs would be held secret, but this needed to get out. This news was far too important to be held just to the ebonstryfe and black sun.

"Each of you soldiers will now work diligently to bring in and question any that seem suspicious. All whom pass you on your patrols must show proof of their citizenship." Gru'tal addressed both his soldiers and the citizens watching in awe. Most didn't care look his way, and mostly bowed their heads in respect to the first Druvin ever created. He was the most powerful being currently in the city, since Rhysol himself was absent and so was the voice. Though, non of the people of the city knew that the voice was gone till now. Most didn't care to react, they just listened and tried to remain as quiet as possible. Some soldiers broke off from the ranks as a crowd started to form and started to create a wall, boxing any potential for someone to enter their gathering place. A few ebonstryfe soldier amongst the formation even created a slightly glimmering stacked shields as focusing on a magical barrier that surrounded the entire area, using the soldiers to form the base. The shields if attempted to be penetrated would repel any physical or magical penetration attempting to get through.

...

Meanwhile at the scene with Evarista and Hwyn many soldiers fully went to alert just as three rings were heard as a crowd gathered around the man cursing from being attacked. The molester listened to the rings of the bell and almost questioned if it was him the reason for the alert. In truth it was. A molester running about openly feeling upon young kids didn't go unnoticed. He was the reason for the alert as lately a fair number of people had been disappearing.

Suddenly the man find himself surrounded by a number of different soldiers and another Druvin. Her stature strong and tall. Her walk demanding attention as metal clacked against the stone on the ground. Her eyes slightly fixated at the man as he turned around to catch a glimpse of her. Little did he know that it would be the last real thing he would ever see. Instantly the man seemed to drool from the mouth and site signs of being completely absent minded. His back hunched over and his arms drooped weightlessly. He started to take a few steps smiling and drooling. Slight giggles erupted into notorious laughs as his arms raised raised to unbuckle his pants. As he waked forward to the edge of the dock every step caused his pants to lower, only to show excitable features as his pants finally ended around his ankles. Through the mesmerizing hallucination that none would figure than to be a crazed break, he attempted to act like he was mounting a female. In doing so he fell straight into the waters of Lake Ravok, instantly sinking... Never to be seen again.

The commotion caused the crowd to gasp then suddenly after a moment everyone went black just as the man did. Caught up in a mesmerizing hypnotism from the Druvin. Suddenly everyone seemed to walk away as if nothing had ever happened. Just as everyone walked away, taking about things unrelated to the events that went on the Druvin walked off as well... Straight towards an unlikely couple holding hands who seemed to ignore the cursing from the man. To her it was suspicious, nothing got past the priestess of the black sun, Aemeli.

Aemeli, with a line looking face and curly blonde hair, also had delicate features. Her walk seemed to demand attention. Even her hastened walk to catch up to the couple was that of a posture which showed her power. A few soldiers tasked to Aemeli started to weave a vortex of waste around the couple. Suddenly the woman stopped in her tracks and a bright light escaped from ground infront of Hwyn and Evarista. The light shimmered and moved to encompass the couple together using the vortex of thin water to form a shield. If either would accidently walk out the of shielding, they would only bounce within the prison many times as the force would work against them. Neither would be harmed unless they violently bumped into each other.

The Druvin Aemeli finally decided to speak. Her voice was delicate despite her stance and position within the black sun. "You two. Tell me, what purpose did you have for attacking that molester?"

Surely enough the two would turn to see who they would be addressing, as the would turn around they would see a tall woman with white eyes, wearing a black robe with a sun surrounded by a white circle on it... And that would be the last thing they see.

...
...
...

For Hwyn: upon being hypnotized you would see what haunts you the most. Your mother, she would be questioning you and threatening to completely remove your man hood permanently. This would cause your character to relive events of his past. He would answer his mother's questions.

"Why have you been stealing?"
"What was this man to you? "
"Why did you come to Ravok?"
"Who brought you here? "

After answering the questions Hwyn would awaken to see the Druvin once more but not remember a single thing. He would see himself stuck inside the strange shields with a giant spider... In full form.

For Evarista:

After turning around and entering the hypnosis your character would be questioned at a rather large table full of officials and your nitrozian family. They will be asking you questions.

"what have you done for the nitrozian family? "
" why disgrace our name by being lazy, and what is the fascination with spiders? "
" why did you follow that strange but who pretends to be a girl? "
" your useless. "

After hearing the fact of being useless evarista will be compelled and go into another hallucination from the hypnotism. She would be compelled to fully turn into a giant orb weaver, even thinking she is one. She will only have basic thoughts of who she is and be utterly confused. . Once awakening from the hypnotism she would find herself in the full form of the orb weaver but remain this way for a full week, partially as a study by the Druvin. (a note - this amount of morphing at her level would be completely and utterly painful. Her entire body would she ss she unnaturally did something she was incapable of. Her organs would change and there would be nothing human remaining. This will stay this way over the course of a week as her djed slowly starts to come back and she slowly starts to transform back into a human.)

As both would awake around the same time the shields would dissipate, and each of them would forget about the Druvin as she walked away.

---

Meanwhile back at the temple of the black sun Gru'tal continues to address his soldiers, his army. "Next season we will launch missions to retrieve our Voice. Rhysol and the city has gone long enough without a voice. Next season we make our stand." turning around to face the crowd the Druvin addressed all who was there in a loud and commanding voice.

"Each of you can step up to aid in this task. This is not a command. It is to to you to volunteer. Those who do will work with us in retrieving the voice, and bringing the city back to what it was. This is Ravok. Home to the beloved Rhysol. Your Lord and savior. He calls on those willing to take a stand. It won't be easy. "

Finally the apprentice returned from the temple of the black sun with some very strange looking papers. They bore the mark of Ebonstryfe and seemed to be magically enchanted, as they had a slight glimmer to them. Standing beside Gru'tal the apprentice awaited his next orders.


Crow

 

[Quest] Along came a Spider

Postby Evarista on September 15th, 2016, 5:18 pm

Evarista almost thought she got away from the scene unnoticed, and was slightly startled when someone suddenly took her hand. It was Hwyn. So, he saw her. This lad really had eyes on the back of his head, didn't he? He wasn't looking to start a fight, so that was no issue. The girl was quite content with her small act of espionage today, it was quite enough. Taking a better hold of his hand, she smiled wryly in an attempt to look friendly, and returned his chatter as well as she could. Small talk was an arcane science to her, so she mostly stuck to simple hums and nods of agreement. The pair looked inconspicuous as they steadily walked away from the place where they scuffled with the molester.

They didn't escape the most unwelcome notice. The hair on Evarista's beck rose as she felt an indescribable gaze pierce her back, and she increased her walking pace nervously, dragging Hwyn along. It didn't help. Suddenly, a shimmering wall blocked her vision. Clutching Hwyn's hand forcefully, she spun around even before she heard the voice of the woman behind her. Making contact with the milky white eyes, Evarista understood that it was a Druvin. Why? What would a priest want from her? Various possible scenarios came to mind immediately, and none of them meant anything good. She couldn't even open her mouth to answer the woman.

The woman turned out to be less than interested in hearing an answer.


Blinking in confusion, the young aristocrat found herself in a spacious room, facing a commission of some sort. Many pairs of judgemental eyes were focused on her, gazing from faces both familiar and not. A sharp voice came from one of them; she wasn't sure who.

"What have you done for the Nitrozian family?"

What's with this sudden interrogation? The girl spun her head around, trying to make sense of why this was happening, and how she even got here. She's been chided for her underachievement many times before, but never in such an... official setting. The voice didn't relent, exerting an otherworldly pressure.

"Why disgrace our name by being lazy, and what is the fascination with spiders?"

Evarista felt her throat parch. This was usually uncomfortable, but never to such a degree. She didn't give a damn about contributing to the family prestige. She just wanted to be left alone... while enjoying the benefits of the family prestige that someone else upheld. Fine, she wasn't the most thankful child, she'd admit it. Please let me go now, ladies and gentlemen. Opening her mouth to say that, she was interrupted by the voice again.

"Why did you follow that strange boy who pretends to be a girl?"

A sudden realization struck her. Wasn't there an uncle of hers who was disowned for sexual deviancy when she was little? Was this what they were getting at? True, she was something of a pervert, but nothing she has done could compare to the uncle's insane proclivities. But all these people needed were an excuse to kick her out. This is what it really was about, was it? She'd be living in a ditch tomorrow, wouldn't she? Torrents of sweat poured down her face, and the accusatory frowns of her family blurred before her eyes. There was nothing left to say. The ride was over. Everything went black.

"You're useless."


She was on fire. No, she was boiling. The blood was boiling inside, as if trying to escape her. She felt like it would be alright to let it go, if only that would end the pain. The blood didn't take her up on the offer. There would be no end. Not only that, but it felt like a massive weight was crushing her body from above, a weight her legs could not carry.

There was no sight. Everything was an undulating darkness, mingling with smudges of motion somewhere far away. A surreal display. Evarista tried to open her eyes, but she couldn't. Maybe her eyes were already open, but they showed her nothing.

There was only vibration. She could hear very well. Breathing. Heartbeat. There was someone else right next to her. However it was, maybe they could help her. Maybe they could ease the pain. Subdue the boiling of her blood.

Evarista stretched her long legs towards the heartbeat, finding something warm. It was familiar. Wasn't she holding this hand just moments ago? That was impossible, though. She couldn't hold a human hand. But she really wanted to. Many legs reached for the heartbeat again, but this time her limbs met a barrier.

A sudden tremor told her that her body was pushed back violently, as if she was repelled by some invisible barrier. Her body felt light, and the pain ebbed suddenly, the unspeakable pressure lifted. It felt like falling through the air. Maybe she was actually falling through the air. She wanted to experience it again, reaching for the barrier. Again she was repelled, sending her rolling back. Drawing her many legs under her body, she rolled towards the invisible force, seeking it like a medicine. Her body bounced from wall to wall in this strange prison, dizzying her mind in hysterical amusement.

The only thing that distracted her was the heartbeat. It was still there, still close. It was irritating. Something told her she couldn't ignore it. Legs mechanically stretched again. The heartbeat could not escape. It was trapped in this prison with her, and there was nowhere she could not reach. A caress of the skin sparked a tingle in her mind. The sense of familiarity again. She had to ascertain.

An auristic emanation. Her eyes didn't sense it, but her legs did. She strained to caress this formless figure of sound around the boy. It was a boy. She knew this boy. His breath and his heartbeat.

His flesh and blood.

At once, all other thought was expelled from her mind. A thick stream of slime flowed from her maw, and the urge to consume. Throwing herself in an unstoppable rush towards the prey, she almost wanted to swallow him whole. Jagged fangs grazed his skin, and a visceral smell excited the senses. She was thrown back by the invisible force again, curling the legs under her to roll smoothly. The force was toying with her, allowing her to savor the wetness on in her mouth. She could not feel any taste, but she knew it was blood. It so get her in the mood to prepare this feast.

It was easy to find him once more. The contours of his sound told her where to go. Pulling the heartbeat towards her, trapping it underneath her massive abdomen, she draped it in a loop of silk. The legs turned and turned the small human body, as the spinneret spewed forth a thousand of threads; a scarf of silk to wrap round and round. Mechanical motions towards one goal, if erratic, if imperfect, continued until the heartbeat was securely trapped under her abdomen, countless loops of the silken scarf attaching it to her spinneret. It offered a small sense of comfort.

But not enough. She sought the force to lift her into the air again, to ease the agony for a single moment.

Not so.

The force was suddenly gone. And in its stead, a flood of new sounds washed over her. Not only did the force keep her in, it also kept things out. Countless heartbeats, all around her. The force was no more, and there was nothing left to separate her from the prey. There would be a feast in celebration of this, where all these heartbeats would be served. But not yet. She had to get away and think.

The eyes finally saw. Still a blur, black and white. A grey sky, grey shapes of the buildings, grey carriers of heartbeats. No faces. Faces were no longer important.

Large strides brought her into a familiar alley, to a familiar wall. It felt like she had climbed it earlier today, didn't she? Rather awkwardly at that, for some reason. Laughable. Moments later, she was grappling the cornice, already on the roof. It was a matter of course.

The cocoon attached to her spinneret dropped down onto the windswept rooftop, the end of the silken scarf falling out of her body and drifting down to the ground. Here she was alone with her precious heartbeat. She wished to savor this small happiness, but she would not be allowed.

The pain in her joints swelled again. That unspeakable crushing weight she carried; it couldn't be set down. The boiling of her blood within; it couldn't be subsided. This agony was a price. Somehow, she knew there was something decidedly wrong going on. And she liked it.

It was as if the missing pieces of a puzzle were snapped into place crisply. Or... no, that wasn't the right way to put it. The old puzzle was thrown out of the window, and a completely new one was being built all around her.

She was not supposed to exist, not even through magic, not even by accident. Against all common sense, it was not merely a revolt. It was a revolution against the tyranny of nature. Nature, her archnemesis. This suffering was its siege of her sanity, but her sanity was the wrong place to attack, because it was worth nothing. Through strange aeons, she has won the battle.

Now came the war.
User avatar
Evarista
Whose eyes are those eyes?
 
Posts: 262
Words: 372744
Joined roleplay: August 1st, 2016, 11:28 am
Location: Ravok
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Medals: 1
Ravok Seasonal Challenge (1)

[Quest] Along came a Spider

Postby Bartholomew on September 16th, 2016, 4:12 pm

1, 2, 3 rung the bells, and all Bartholomew could think was how bad this was going to get. If two bells put the Ebonstryfe on high alert, three must've spelled overkill for the city. If he didn't want any trouble, Bartholomew had to head home.

His current location was the temple of the Black Sun. He'd come every 5 days to pray to his god. It was a ritual in his family, for the Dicey's believed that prayer was the stepping stone to prosperity. Even when he wasn't in Ravok, he still prayed. In fact, Bartholomew believed that it was the praying that kept him safe until he returned to Ravok, as if his god was always watching him. Never did he think anything bad would happen if he prayed, but his thoughts could always be challenged.

Luckily for him, he'd finished his prayers long ago, and by the time he left the vicinity of the temple, the bells rung and Ebonstryfe soldiers emerged. They came from the temple as well, but from inside. Bartholomew had not been inside the temple since his arrival. He'd done his prayers outside because of the overwhelming amount of guilt he felt. While away from Ravok, he'd done things he weren't proud of to survive, and he didn't feel it right to enter the holy place he once betrayed. Luckily, this time not entering the temple meant not meet an army of Ebonstryfe soldiers.

As quick as the Stryfe came, so did a crowd of ravokians and non-citizens form.

Bartholomew couldn't guess what the soldiers were doing, but he was sure that it would involve something, be it good or bad. Before he left this city, he would've guessed that nothing but good was going to happen, but a year of lone survival was enough to whip the ignorance out of him. Situations could change, people could change, and his life could be taken on any day and by anyone. So he kept himself guarded, and tried to make sure that not even the stryfe could kill him.

As soon as all the soldiers emerged and sat in their formation, Bartholomew spotted one man that stood out among the rest. Gru'tral, the very legend himself, stood in the middle of all the soldiers who formed a circle around him. Some sat with their weapons in hand and faced him, others stood with their weapons in hand and faced him. It was like a group of children gathering around an important figure who was about to read them a story. The young Dicey couldn't believe it, a part of him didn't want to believe that a man as grand as Gru'tral would grace his presence among the people. Whatever this was, it had to be good.

The first Druvin of history began talking, and everyone held onto every word he said. Bartholomew was told as a child that Gru'tral was the closest to Rhysol, and the only person who could speak with their God of chaos. Every word Gru'tal spoke was like a word from the mouth of his savior, to not listen was like disrespecting Rhysol himself.

With every syllable Gru'tral gave Bartholomew felt his love for Rhysol grow stronger. He mentioned how they found the Voice and were looking for people to help them on an quest and the ravokian crowd around Bartholomew began to murmur. When Bartholomew tried to listen in on the conversations, all he could here were good things. Everyone seemed happy for this news, and Bartholomew understood why. For a while now Ravok seemed unsafe, bodies were disappearing then reappearing dead, and the soldiers were staring down at every citizen as though they were suspects. It was their blind love for Rhysol that kept the people from panicking, but as the season went on Ravok's tension grew tighter. Now that Gru'tral, the Ebonlord, brought news of the Voice, the ravokians of Ravok were relieved.

Bartholomew also felt very relieved, but he couldn't help wonder why Gru'tral asked for volunteers to help. If it were a simple mission, couldn't send soldiers to escort the Voice to Ravok? Where was the Voice located? Would this be a simple retrieving quest? Would there be any danger involved?

Bartholomew didn't like going into things with little knowledge, but he wasn't going to voice his thoughts now. Doing so would be stupid, and would probably shame him. However, all he could do was think, which made him probably the only person among the group of ravokians that did not have on a happy face.
User avatar
Bartholomew
Player
 
Posts: 103
Words: 98215
Joined roleplay: February 1st, 2015, 3:02 am
Location: Ravok
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Plotnotes

Next

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests