Location [Alvadas Location] The Gaping Maw

[Naeya]

Timestamp: Season of Summer, 45th Day, 512 AV - Morning Naeya had arrived in the region of Kalea earlier in the day. The Svefra man, Brim, who had offered to sail her and her companions to Syliras only eight days earlier, became so fed up with the group that he insisted they leave him in Alvadas and find a new path to their destination. The small Konti sighed remorsefully as she thought back to the events of their trip and Brim's explosion of anger. She tried to focus optimistically on the excitement of visiting a new city, but her mind kept going back to the few things she knew of Alvadas. "Mysterious," "dark," and "unpredictable" were three words that Rivarians frequently used to describe the city, and Naeya could feel her anxiety rising as she thought of all the things that had the potential to go wrong. She shrank from unpredictability, and was very partial to keeping her life stable and peaceful. The group had decided to walk from the docks where Brim had left them to the gates of the city. As they approached Alvadas' entrance, Naeya found herself looking at a huge face in a broad stone wall. No guards seemed to be in sight, but as they came closer to the face she noticed that its eyes seemed to be watching her every move. She glanced uneasily at Ayanna, and her fingers clenched in her hands. It was as if the face in the wall was alive! Oh Avalis! What kind of dark magic is this? Naeya and her companions soon reached the face, whose eyes were beginning to feel like they were piercing into their souls. As face's mouth opened and he (she? it?) began to speak, the Konti drew back fearfully. It was all she could do to keep from running back to the docks. “You have come in search of the City of Illusion. Tell me, stranger, why are you here?” The face seemed to be waiting for her to answer, and she grew afraid of what she (he? it?) would do if she failed to reply. "I... uh, we... we're looking for a place... um, a place to stay and... and a ship to leave with," she squeaked out, her voice barely carrying across the short distance. In response, the face's jaw seemed to open wider and revealed a glimpse of a city beyond. You mean I have to go through it to get to Alvadas? Naeya waited for the other members of her group to go forward as she tried to summon her courage to do the same. After a moment of indecision, the Konti told herself that the only way forward on her journey was to go through the mouth. After all, she certainly didn't want to be stuck in this city of illusions. She steeled her resolve, took a hesitant step towards the face, and then meekly followed her companions into the darkness.

[Scorn]

Get the full story here 38 Summer, 512 A rosy tinge was starting to grace one corner of the sky as Scorn moved toward the rock which would serve as her new shelter. The sound of a voice emanating from the rock startled her awake, and it took her a moment to remember that the rock had said the same thing yesterday. Why was she here? With a tone of annoyance, she snapped, “I’m just looking for shelter, stupid rock.” Then she entered the tunnel, trying to find a good place to sleep. She wandered in, deciding on a whim to go farther back than she had before. She was gripped by a sudden curiosity to see what lay on the other side...

[Nas]

Summer 3, 512 AV The nuit was travelling via foot all his stuf on him the road was well travelled and so soon he came close upon the entrance sweet home too bad i am not alive now for the good part like each time i came upon it he thought from his past when he left the city with the trading caravans. The face smiling as ever un-moving spoke "You have come in search of the City of Illusion. Tell me, stranger, why are you here?" "To spread cake and steal your soup with my fork of doom that feasts on your souls" the nuit answered half-jokingly one would swear someone laughed a bit yet the mouth dint seem to open "well..........just because i like your good looks but keep it between you and me i come for my family and revenge" as he finished speaking the mouth dropped down. "Thanks for your co-operation" he said and with that started treading down the path in the mouth he was bound for some interesting times.

[Vetiveria]

39 Summer 512 A.V. Vetiveria trod softly, but with purpose, as she walked alone on the path to the Alvadas. The merchants she'd traveled with were still with their caravan, but she was ready to see what would be her new surroundings and did not wish to linger in their company for too long. Besides, moving quickly offered less time to think of what she'd done: the decision to leave Avanthal had been impulsive and unwise, but it was also done and those weeks of travel could not be undone. Perhaps I'll go back in a year or two, she mused to herself. A year or two is a long time, after all. “You have come in search of the City of Illusion," the unexpected voice startled the vantha and every muscle in her body tensed. "Tell me, stranger, why are you here?” She spun around, in search of the voice's source, but saw nothing but emptiness behind her and the stone face before her. Quirking an eyebrow, she noted that the road appeared well-traveled, in spite of it seeming to end at the statue ... Then she laughed softly as she realized that the stone must be what spoke to her. It does have a face after all, and it does seem ever-so-slightly-alive; why shouldn't I think it capable of speech? she smiled to herself at the wonder of a talking statue. "I seek a new beginning," she accidentally spoke in the Vani tongue, and let out a sigh before continuing in the Common tongue. "I seek a new beginning to help me move on from the past." A moment passed and Vetiveria waited uneasily, wondering if perhaps she'd failed some sort of test. Then the ground shook; she jumped as the statue's mouth opened and cautiously stepped forward. "Thank you," she whispered to the air as she looked at the city. Now, to seek sanity from insanity, she thought as she entered Alvadas.

[Blizzard]

Summer, 17th 512AV "You have come in search of the city of illusion. Tell me, stranger, why are you here?" She grinned at the voice she had heard once before. "I have returned to this city after a day of being away because it spoke to me. It told me this was an opportunity to get in touch with my inner self. Hopefully, a little more than my old home would allow me." With a rumble the jaws opened and with a devilish grin she entered the ever-changing city once more.

[Ayanna]

Timestamp: Season of Summer, 45th Day, 512 AV - Morning Ayanna looked up at the imposing stone face that faced them. It seemed almost alive. Aya had seen some odd things in her life, and this thing was not the oddest, but it was peculiar. Ayanna thought back to their adventure so far, while they approached the stone face. She did not have to hide her smile, her hood did that for her. But the giggle ht leaked out probably could've been stopped by a hand. Of course Brims explosive tantrum hadn't been funny when it had happened, it had been quite scary actually. Aya had felt like a small child who had been found with her hand in the cookie jar, although she had rarely had cookies and her parents had never had a cookie jar. Perhaps being found in a pile of ripped silken fabrics would be more appropriate, that had happened before. The resulting scolding had not been pleasant. Neither had the rage of the Svefra man, he had been fed up with their constant bickering and the fact that they had broken a few cherished items in that storm probably hadn't helped their case. Plus a Symenestra female on board put most people on edge, her quiet jaguar companion had probably gnawed at the mans paitence. And she did lurk around occasionally... She sighed, but it was funny in retrospect. The way his vein in his head had throbbed, she had thought he'd have an apoplexy, and his face had turned redder than a tomato, and slurred several words in his anger. It was entertaining now. Unlike Naeya, Ayanna was not concerned about the city. She knew they did not run of Symenestra's and that was all she had really cared about, she had heard the stories. This was a city built to confound those inside of it, the god of trickery enjoyed playing his jests on the residents. But Aya was game for some entertainment. If it wasn't at her expense. And the dark and mysterious part of the city's description didn't bother her in the least, her own city was described that way often enough. But Naeya was worried, it was obvious in the looks she kept shooting towards her. Ayanna reached out a hand and squeezed the other woman's hand, reassuring her that nothing bad would happen to her while she was around to stop it. The tow had gotten somewhat closer over the boat ride, finding that they both enjoyed pretty things. When they finally reached the face and it began to speak Ayanna had to admit she was a little intimidated, perhaps a little fearful. But mostly intrigued, how did it work? Was it the god of illusions? She looked over at Naeya, who had paled considerably and had shrunk a little into herself. She looked terrified. Aya smiled at her, pulling back her hood so the woman could see her face. She stumbled over her words and Ayanna spoke up, to save her companion some face. "We are simply looking to see your city, find a warm bed to sleep in, a good meal to eat and a ship to procure on our way to Mura." she informed the mouth and it opened it' maw, so that was the doorway into this city of tricksters. Naeya hung back as Ayanna walked forward, the others followed or trailed ahead of her. Aya kept a hand on her lash, ready to attack if any danger presented itself.

[Glyciera Litiiva]

Timestamp: 10 Summer 512 S-s-scuse me but um... I don't think you're going the right way... An amused smile spread across his lips. He could feel the tinge of worry grow in the girl's nook in their mind and had wondered if she was ever going to speak up. "Now now, Ditria, did you hear what that nice man said?" I... yes but I don't think he was quite... "'Lose your way and you'll find it to Alvadas.' Well love, wouldn't you say we've lost our way?" I- I guess... "Well then, there is nothing to fear." Ditria slipped back into silence. The worry and doubt didn't leave, but she kept it to herself. ... The first morning hues of blue and yellow had just started to drip into place when they first left the docks. With much hesitation, Glyciera had inquired an elderly man there for directions to the city. His clothes were dirty and torn, an air of wisdom about him shaped by one too many bad experiences. He shook his head at her, his expression that of strange pity and amusement. "No directions," he croaked, "Only advice. Don't search 'er out. You lose your way, and you'll find Alvadas." As frantic as she was to get into the city, Glyciera rendered the man's advice entirely in vain. She hurriedly scanned the horizon, walking a set direction that she was sure would logically lead her there from the docks. Being out like this in the open, vulnerable, easy to spot, it was horrible. The sooner she could get inside and slip among the chaos of other people, the better. So she searched for it, eyes swiveling from place to place in her vision trying desperately to find just a trace of the city entrance. Unfortunately, a few bells had already passed. The sun pounded down on her, the summer heat forcing sweat down her face. Glycie dear. This is getting ridiculous. Impatient with the heat and the amount of time this was taking, Warrin elected to take charge. He was undoubtedly the most genuinely interested in reaching Alvadas. "The city of Illusions." One could only imagine the variety of interesting people this place would hold. Now walking aimlessly, he allowed his mind to wander about, paying absolutely no attention to where he was going. He pondered the possibilities of what sort of illusions were waiting. What sort of people he would meet first, and what sort of tales they had to tell. He might have ran straight into the large structure had he not looked up at the very last second. What lay before him seemed to be a large face cut out of stone. "Fascinating," he whispered. The eyes seemed to look straight at him, its lips in a welcoming smile. Had Glyciera been in control, she may have panicked at the intensity of its gaze. As it was, Warrin himself had nothing within him to hide and so he simply stared right back. “You have come in search of the City of Illusion. Tell me, stranger, why are you here?” "Would you look at that, you even speak. Well my friend, I am here to meet new personalities and inquire into their temperaments.And if you would be so kind as to impart any inklings of knowledge or forewarnings I should be aware of..." After a moment it was clear that this added thought had no effect on the stone. He hadn't quite expected it to, but it was worth a shot. With a small smile and a shrug he continued. "Very well then, I shall just have to find out on my own then, shall I? Seemingly in answer, the stones shifted and opened up, allowing passage through. Adjusting Glyciera's satchel over his arm, he entered the City of Illusions.

[Aiden Alex]

Timestamp: Season of Summer, 12th Day(Morning), 512 AV A smile crept over Aiden's face as he disembarked from the ship. It had been a very long trip on the boat, but it felt good to be out of Syliras. The memories he left behind there would remain there without him, if he had any say. "At least for now." he mused. Nothing could truly be forgotten, though. He knew that all too well. The sun shone down on him as a strong breeze brought Aiden back from his introspection. Gathering himself, he sighed and adjusted his backpack before continuing towards the Maw. "It's a long way from what I used to call home," he thought aloud. He glanced at the great stone figure as he approached. "But I've slept with uglier back there, too." He smirked and approached the menacing face. Although Aiden had heard of the great stone head which stood as the lone guardian of the city, he was still overcome with a sense of awe as it came into view. Towering over him, Aiden found engrossed in the intricate work which it must have taken in order to construct such a spectacle. His awe and appreciation quickly turned to pure amazement as he heard it speak. "You have come in search of the City of Illusion. Tell me, stranger, why are you here?" Aiden smiled and stepped up to the face, motioning with his hand. "Simple. I'm an illusion. What better place could there be for me?" After a short pause, the great mouth opened, offering entry to Aiden. Still smiling, Aiden strode forward. At long last would he begin to make his new home? Would it offer him a chance to achieve what he sought? "It's another adventure, right?" He smirked, and with great anticipation made his way into Alvadas.

[Alea Campbello]

50th Summer 512AV

Allan flew over towards the giant face that seemed to be carved and yet real at the same time. He landed and transformed into a human. While his wings were melting into his back the face spoke ""You have come in search of the City of Illusion. Tell me, stranger, why are you here?""

"I am a traveller" replied Allan and the mouth opened. Next he would explore.

[Etrian]

79th of Summer, 512 AV Somehow, a giant stone head wasn't quite what Zorias was expecting of the gate to Alvadas. He stepped closer, inspecting the stone. How odd. He prodded it with his foot, and nearly jumped clear out of his boots when the voice boomed out. "Um... I come in peace? I'm here because I need a place to half-hibernate in for the winter." The stone faces stared at him for a moment, then creaked open. "Humans" Zorias muttered darkly to himself. He walked through, wary of any other surprises that might come his way.