Avanthal Reaches Out (Closed)

[Valkyrie]

6th of Summer PCs: Balthazaar Kraigen, Sliver Throughout the Spring season Avanthal had suffered much as the snow melted and the icestone buildings chipped to rubble. Whispers and rumors were flung wildly throughout the taverns and homes of the citizens. But not all of the rumors concerned the desolate conditions of the home of the aurora. Some of the rumors spoke of a dim flash seen in the southern horizon in the early days of Spring. Only a few offered firsthand accounts of the flash and many scoffed at their stories and claimed it was only lightning. Still the whispers and guesses persisted and many wondered what had caused such a strange flash of light. Avanthal could not afford to investigate such unsupported claims and guesses in their state of emergency. They could barely keep their own city together. So the whispers continued as whispers and provided the Vantha with something to distract themselves from the melancholy of their reality. The 66th of Spring would see the rumors put to rest and the truth illuminated. A fleet of ships sailed into Avanthal’s port and brought tidings and survivors from the south. Stories of horrific storms that had washed over Denval and its eventual destruction were spread rapidly throughout the city and caused a wildfire of discussion. Amongst the people there were debates of what should be done with the information or if the whole thing should be left alone. Many declared that in this time of hardship Avanthalians should look to their own and not stretching their resources even thinner. Beyond these rumblings more serious talks were taking place though this was known by only a few. Some had seen this Denvali crisis as an opportunity. There were sights to be seen and questions to be answered concerning the city’s demise. Preparations were slowly begun though little was noticed by the general public. By the end of the season the Denval fleet sailed once again looking for a new home and the quiet preparations for a journey south were completed. The season turned and the first of summer saw the buildings of Avanthal dotted with flyers. The flyers advertised a journey south and an adventure to the Denvali ruins. It advised all those interested to find their way to the port on the 6th morning of summer. The flyers caused a sensation within the city. Many saw the journey as a way of escaping the dismal Avanthal landscape and filling their lives with excitement once more. Besides, the stories they would come back with would rival even the best Vantha storytellers. The morning of the 6th dawned as dreary and warm as Avanthal had been of late. Overnight a few ships had sailed from the Coolwater docks to anchor at the main docks of the port. A crewman or two from each ship stood on the dock in front of their ship and stretched the lethargy of sleep from their muscles. First mate Syon Coolwater heaved a sigh in exasperation at the other crewmen on the dock. He had been up and preparing for hours and was wide awake for the proceedings of the day. As Syna crept higher in the skies the port began to fill with onlookers as well as those going about their daily tasks. “Looking to sail down Denval way. Need the help of any who is willing to give it, we won’t be picky.” Syon was one of the last to add his voice to the those of the other crewmen looking for volunteers amidst the small crowd that was gathering hesitantly near the docks. Syon may have been Vantha but he was more reserved then his dramatic brethren. He knew that there would be volunteers a plenty so there was no sense throwing himself at the people. They would come.

[Sliver]

"Leave? Bwahahaha. But you just got here, weasel!" Sliver knew that the nickname weasel was both in part poking fun at her, as well as a term of endearment, but it rubbed her the wrong way sometimes, knowing the bears thought of her as this tiny thing. It was true, a large wolverine was no comparison to the smallest dire polar bear, but even she found it hard to take herself seriously when thinking of herself in those terms. She was determined to make that nickname into something she could be proud of, however, and she didn't mind it so much when Uthrin said it. He was a massive man, and very dark skinned, always standing out from the rest of the Vantha and Kelvic in the Icewatch Barracks. He was a jolly and pleasant Kelvic, a stark contrast to the strong silent types Sliver had found so far, checking herself off as another addition to the list, and Uthrin's attitude was quite refreshing for the wolverine. He clapped her on the back fondly, almost pitching her into the floor he was so strong. "And they told you it was a good idea?" Sliver winced, the stroke of his hand sent a spasm of pain reverberating through her chest, her rib was still very much cracked, even if the bruising she had on her leg has almost gone. Uthrin noticed her face and mirrored the expression. "Sorry, I just keep forgetting." The Kelvic waved his apology away and smiled wryly, nodding in response to his question. "Yes, they thought it'd be a good idea to send some Icewatch on the trip. Since I'm new and don't know the ropes...I suppose they figured it'd be easiest to send me. I don't know if any other members are going though." Uthrin shrugged. "No one ever tells me anything, but good luck on the trip, weasel. Maybe when you get back there'll be some snow to throw you in." He walked her to the entrance of the barracks and gave her a sardonic salute on her way out. Sliver waved then started out at a slow jog towards the city proper, heading for the docks. People were starting about their day when Sliver assimilated into the throngs gathering about the boats that were tied out. Somewhere in the middle of the crowd the Kelvic closed her eyes and listened. They were quite raucous this morning, aye? She had been up for a while yet, but she could still hear the sleep in the voices of most of those shouting, save one. Of course, that voice wasn't shouting either. She peeled away the man's voice from the rest, honing in on it's location before her dark eyes flashed open and she shoved her way through the people. So that was when Sliver the Wolverine Kelvic found herself in front of Syon Coolwater. He seemed as unimpressed with the hullabaloo occurring as she did. Good sign. The Kelvic cleared her throat. "Sliver of the Icewatch, looking to get to Denval, willing to help." She inclined her head a little as she approached, eyes scanning the crowd in search of the botanist. Didn't he say he was coming?

[Balthazaar Kraigen]

When Balthazaar first saw the flyers he wanted little to nothing to do with expedition. Still in the process of trying to accustom himself to the ways of the city, he felt that leaving so soon would only make it more difficult to transition when they finally got back from the trip. Still, he had to admit that the idea of going on an adventure was pretty appealing and had piqued the young man’s curiosities. However, it was not enough to spur him into action. For the next two days he shared the same attitude and simply paid no attention to the flyers as he passed them by on his walks through the city. It wasn’t until the 4th day of spring that his things started to change. On one of his regular jaunts to “Stories in the Snow” he caught wind of a conversation between a group of Vantha. Although he was not one to pry, he was instantly sucked in when one of them mentioned Denval. Finding a comfortable and covert spot, he listened in on their conversation, looking for information on the status of the quest. Much of what they said were things that he knew: where they were going, the purpose of the quest, what happened in Denval and of course the possible danger surrounding the mission. However, there were two things that Balthazaar gleamed from the discussion that he didn’t know before: 1. The ships would have to pass through the Spires before heading to Denval. Balthazaar didn’t know if this tidbit of information made the mission more or less appealing to go on. On one hand, he knew that going back to the Spires after such a short time could have negative repercussions and he didn’t want to disobey is father wishes. On the other hand, there was a part of him that wanted more than anything else to know the status of his mother. Was she alive? Was she dead? What happened after he left? Anything, even bad news, would be better than a mystery. 2. The majority of people in Avanthal wanted to focus on the problems in the city rather than send aid to Denval. Even though the young botanist understood this notion and wouldn’t judge the people for sharing a similar opinion on the matter, he couldn’t help but feel angry at them for not thinking about the plight of the Denvali. At the same time, it also made him feel guilty. Before learning this piece of information he shared a similar opinion, one that was formed from the belief that there would be plenty of volunteers more qualified than he that would be going on the expedition. Now knowing that this was not the case, Balthazaar started to feel a responsibility in representing his new home. Someone had to help these people, why not him? When the group of Vantha finally dispersed, Balthazaar’s head was spinning. He wanted nothing more than to go to the bookstore and forget he had heard anything, but couldn’t. The Vantha’s words kept ringing through his head and even after falling asleep that night, images of a destroyed city and homeless people plagued his dreams. When he woke up the next morning he knew what he had to do. Destiny was whispering in his ear and it was time to answer the call. He spent the rest of that day in the library, study Denval and its people and preparing himself for the journey. On his way back to the Warrens, he ran into Sliver, one of the few people in the city that he called a friend. Although their conversation was brief, he gained comfort in knowing that she shared that same conviction as he did. At least he wasn’t going to be alone on this journey. That night he dreamed of darkness and death, an ominous omen to have before the start of an adventure. When he made it to the docks in the morning, he wasted no time and began his search for the wolverine Kelvic. He didn’t want to take the chance of ending up on a different ship and having to travel with a bunch of people he couldn’t trust. Just having one person he could depend on was better than having none at all. Luckily for the young botanist, Sliver was someone that stood out amongst the common rabble. Spotting a mohawk in the distance, he made his way over to the young woman and gave her a smile before turning to the Vantha. “Hello, my name is Balthazaar. Balthazaar Kraigen to be exact, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m here to volunteer my services to your cause.”

[Valkyrie]

Syon eyed Sliver with a neutral gaze and as he opened his mouth for speech he was cut short by the appearance of Balthazaar. Two recruits at once, lucky him. He eyed up the new arrival briefly before beginning his instructions. “Welcome Sliver and Balthazaar. We accept all applicants so good luck on the journey. Sliver, cabin seven is now yours and Balthazaar you can take cabin three. We ship out at dusk so if you’ve left any unfinished business in the city, see to it before then. Otherwise, feel free to get acquainted with the ship though stay out of other people’s cabins. S’rude. If you got any big property it will have to be stowed in the cargo hold on the bottom floor. Cabins on the mid-level. Good day.” Syon nodded curtly in dismissal and turned towards an approaching Konti. Behind Syon lay the plank leading up to the deck of the ship tightly moored to the dock. When Balthazaar and Sliver boarded the ship they would find a relatively clean deck with only a ropes and nets laying about, expected ship materials. In the middle of the deck a set of stairs led down to the cabin level. The stairs were covered in a large sheet of wood to create an easy incline for hauling large materials and possibly even animals from the look of a large cow plop nestled against the wall. On the mid-level another set of stairs ran parallel to the first and led down to the cargo hold. Should either venture that far down they would find an open space free of walls filled with crates of rations and supplies as well as a few newly constructed stalls, two of which were occupied by cows. The cabin level consisted of a long hallway with charcoal numbers scrawled on the doors. Balthazaar’s three was second on the right, Sliver’s fourth on the right. Each cabin was a miniscule six by six room containing a fur hammock, a small table with a single drawer for belongings, a chair, and a wooden basin for washing water. Each cabin also contained a small, round window that looked out above the water. The two would have the day to get acquainted with the ship and learn their way around. Once dusk fell on the boat passengers began to gather on deck to wave farewell to well-wishers and loved ones.

[Sliver]

There was still a relatively large amount of noise and bustle occurring around the docks once they had spoken with Syon, so Sliver was relieved to enter the ship and look about. She sidled down to the cargo hold first, but was quickly ushered out by the loud lowing of the cows who caught wind of her, upset that a potential predator was entering their domain when they were trapped in their boxes. Cows complaining, Sliver growling complaints at the large animals that would be sharing her journey, she decided to get a peek at her room. It reminded her of her space in the Icewatch that she had only one night to sleep in, and smiled: The Icewatch. She was part of them now, even had the scars to prove it. Part of her regretted leaving, she wished to aid this city, but this inkling in her nose when she smelled the air of the place gave her the comforting feeling that the cold was on its way: Winter was coming to the City of Ice. She would help others, and return to the city stronger for it, then her work could truly begin. She dropped her rucksack and cloak in the room, the only possessions she needed, then exited the claustrophobic space. The crew was busy throughout the day, gathering supplies, winding rope, finishing any last minute repairs to make sure the ship was in prime sailing condition, and since Sliver had nothing better to do, she offered a hand in helping in any way she could. Since the Kelvic knew not one thing about boats or sailing, and the crew had less than enough time to teach her, she acted as a gopher, running around the city and picking up orders of dried meats, jars of preserved vegetables or extra equipment and bringing it to the ship. If she wasn't doing that she was doing the grunt work, lifting, hauling, and to her dismay and the cows in the cargohold, shifting everything out of the way and below decks. By the time the sun was drawing close to the waterline, Sliver was quite tired out, and sat contentedly on one of the railings, watching other passengers say their farewells. She was surprised when she saw a familiar face in the crowd, the only person she knew in the city besides the botanist: Lisbeth. The trader woman looked healthy and happy, substantially better than when Sliver had helped her and her husband get to the city. When she spotted the Kelvic she waved one arm wildly. Sliver jumped up, rather excitedly, and jogged over to her. It was then that she saw that the woman carried in her other arm a small infant swaddled in cloth that looked of similar quality to the cloak Lisbeth had given her. The trader's wife looked up from the child and clucked her tongue disapprovingly at the Kelvic, though there was a smile on her face. I should have known you wouldn't come to visit. Sliver, a bit ashamed of herself, lowered her head, admonished. She tilted it up again when she heard the woman chuckling. Oh its fine, I decided to come see you instead. So you're off to Denval, to go help more people? Sliver shrugged. Something like that. The trader woman smiled knowingly, rocking the baby slightly. Sliver couldn't help but smile as well looking down at the infant, she had the same olive eyes as her mother, and already had a dark head of hair though she couldn't be more than a few weeks old. She is very pretty. Lisbeth looked at the Kelvic surprised. You knew she was a girl? Most think she is a boy. Sliver shrugged again, tilting her head innocently. Lucky guess. She cleared her throat. What is her name? Meria. The Kelvic nodded. A pretty name for a pretty baby. Frankly the Kelvic didn't care much for small children, they were a bit disruptive to the calm she tried to maintain, though this one was surprisingly quiet. The two women stood in silence for a few minutes, both starring at the infant, than Lisbeth held her hand out. Well, it sounds like your journey will be a long one, and by the time you return my family will have moved on, so I came to say goodbye, goodluck and tell you it was an honor knowing you, Vera. Sliver flinched a little at the name, but extended her hand as well. There was nothing she could really say, so she just bowed her head a little, and smiled a genuine expression filled with a bit of sadness. More likely than not the Kelvic would never see Lisbeth or Meria again, and she had grown fond of the spunky trader's wife in the short time they had known each other. Lisbeth didn't seem offput by the Kelvic's silence, however, and just put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it fondly. Stay safe. She smiled once more, than disappeared without a second glance backwards into the throng of people. Sliver stood there for a few more minutes, almost as if in shock before turning around and returning to the ship. They would be embarking soon she imagined.

[Balthazaar Kraigen]

When Balthazaar got unto the ship, he took a quick tour of his surroundings and then scurried off to his room. He didn’t know anything about ships and he didn’t want to get in the way of anyone that did. He knew that eventually he would have to pull his weight around the vessel, but for today he just wanted the peace and quiet of being alone. Once inside his cabin, he quickly went through motions of storing his things in various locations. When he was finished, a wave of fatigue hit the young botanist seemingly out of nowhere. Maybe it was from being on a ship for the first time, maybe it was from knowing that he was about to start an long adventure, or maybe it was just from the lack of sleep he was receiving as a result of his nightmares, either way he was ready for a nap. Peeking outside of his door, he checked to make sure that no one would be coming to look for him and then proceeded to settle into his hammock. Within a few moments of closing his eye lids, he drifted to sleep and into a world of darkness. When he awoke, he noticed everything was dark and the air around him was thick with smoke. Jumping to his feet, he sprinted to location of his bow and arrows, only to find it was missing. This was the case for all of his possessions, not a single one of them were where he had left of them. He panicked for a moment wondering if he had picked the ship to board, but quickly focused when he realized that his past decisions were unimportant. What was important was getting off the ship and finding out what happened. Putting his ear up to the door, he tried to see if there was anyone on the outside. When nothing was heard, he grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. As he did this, a burst of black smoke exploded into the room and Balthazaar began to cough violently. Securing his cloak so that it covered his nose and mouth, he pushed through the doorway and made his way up the stairs and unto the deck. What he found made his body go numb with fear, as if death itself was rubbing a finger down his spine. The ship was almost completely in flames. What few parts that weren’t were in danger of being soon. This, however, was nothing compared to the piles of dead bodies that were spread amongst deck. The smell hadn’t been apparent to him at first, but after coming back from his numbed state it hit him like a sack of rocks. He instantly dropped to the ground and began vomiting what little he had in his system. It took quite a few minutes for the young botanist to recover and by the time he had almost all of the ship was consumed in flames. Knowing that he had to move, he secured his cloak around his nose and mouth and made his way to railing of the ship. In the process of doing so, he nearly tripped and fell on one of the bodies. Looking down, he discovered who it belonged to. Looking up at him with cold eyes and a look of shock on her face was Sliver. Her stomach had been cut open, one of her arms was missing, and she had puncture wounds on the left side of her neck. Upon the sight of this, he almost threw up again, only barely holding it in due to the immediate danger of the fire. He wanted to mourn the loss of his only friend, but knew he didn’t have time to do so. Instead, he put two fingers over her eyes, closed them slowly, then took off his cloak and placed it over her body. A final farewell to a good friend. Rushing over to the railing, he quickly mounted it and with only minor hesitation jumped into the dark abyss below. He wasn’t the best swimmer, but he knew the basics and the adrenaline rushing through his veins made it much easier. With the illumination of the flames, Balthazaar could make out the sight of land in the distance. Relieved by this, he swam in that direction using every ounce of his strength he could muster to make it there as fast as he could. Before long, he was washed up among the shore, the adrenaline finally passing through his system, leaving him fatigued and limp. He wanted nothing more than to take a nap and forget about the whole tragedy. Knowing that this was not an option nor was it a safe place to rest, he mustered his hidden reserves of strength to move and got to his feet. He took a moment to look at his surroundings, it hadn’t been apparent until this moment but everything on the island was obscured in a thick fog. Unsure of which direction to move in or where to go, he decided to just to head deeper inland and hope that the fog would clear out soon. He traveled for quite some time before stopping. Stumbling through fog and dark, he ended up running into every variety of object in the process. He was starting to feel that maybe it was best to stay in one spot until the sun rose and it was clear enough to find a path. No sooner had this thought crossed his mind when the fog cleared and something even more tragic than the fate of the ship came into view. Standing before him was pure destruction, a city destroyed and miles of dead bodies. Unable to process and handle the carnage laid out before him, Balthazaar dropped to his knees and collapsed into nothingness. Balthazaar bolted up in his hammock and rolled over unto the floor. He started to pant uncontrollably and had to reassure himself that everything he had just experienced had been a dream. It took a while before he was able to calm his nerves and even after he did, his hands and legs were shaky making it very hard to move. Slowly making his way to the door, he opened it cautiously, half expecting a burst of smoke to flow in. When no smoke could be seen, he was finally convinced that he was no longer in a dream and made his way up the stairs and unto the deck. When he got there everyone was gathered around in a group, saying their last goodbyes. Although he had no one to say goodbye to, he decided to stay with the group. The idea of being with people was much more appealing than being alone with his thoughts at this point in time.

[Valkyrie]

Sunset came in a brilliance of colors that almost outshone the beauty of the aurora which became more apparent and brighter as the sky darkened. Dozens of Avanthalians lined the docks to wave and shout farewell as crewmen tossed ropes down to the docks and the anchor slowly raised with a sharp creaking. Nimble crewmen scurried up the masts and loosened the sails which lightly billowed in the gentle seas, carrying the ship slowly away from port. Almost all passengers and crewmen aboard the ship stayed on the deck to wave desperately at their last sight of the once beautiful city. As the ship rounded an icy spar of land the last image of the city and the bright blue light of the lighthouse disappeared from view. Syon stood near a silent man who appeared to be the captain, quietly watching the passengers finally turn away from the railing. The pair exchanged looks and the captain strode away as Syon waved his arms for attention. “Ahoy there. Welcome aboard the Ice Rivener, the journey will be long and fraught with danger no doubt. The northern seas are a testy mistress that no man or Vantha can tame. The winds are fierce and the ice closes up around the ship faster than we can break it at times. Send your prayers to Laviku at night for safe passage and clear waters free of ice. Because of how dangerous the northern seas are we are enforcing a strict lockdown. You may spend the next two bells taking air on deck and then all non-crewmen must remain below deck unless explicitly authorized by myself. The seas are too dangerous to have land-leeching passengers wandering about the deck getting in the way or falling in. We don’t stop for anybody fallen in, can’t afford to. So stay below decks and we will allow occasional breaks above deck for you all to get some air. The lockdown will be lifted when we reach warmer seas and are free of the ice.” Syon spoke clearly and loudly so that every person on deck could hear what he said. Upon finishing his words he took a large heave of breath to recover from his lengthy instructions. Murmurs passed around the crowd uneasily as the implication of days and days stuck below deck began to sink in. “Any questions?” he asked with an edge to his voice. The look he passed around was not threatening but more a warning to ward off the ridiculous and pointless questions. Syon ran a tight ship under his captain’s watch but tried to give the semblance of choice and free will.

[Sliver]

The beauty of the night sky did not escape Sliver, but some part of her was more curious about the number of people on the ship. Some part of her mind drifted to how many would still be alive at the end of their journey. The farewells had drawn on a bit too long, and a been a bit too dramatic for her when Syon began his speech. While the wolverine Kelvic more than realized how useless she'd be above decks, the idea of being stuck in her room for days upon days...A Kelvic going stir crazy was not an idea that most of the crew would like, or her for that matter. Her eyebrow twitched for a moment, but she got it under control. It was just a boat, this was not some serious thing, what was she a newborn pup? She inhaled, softly, then raised a clawed hand. "Is there anything us passengers can do to help?" She didn't like the tone of her voice when she said it, it came out wrong, almost accusingly, which was not how she had meant it. She just knew she'd be happier doing even the most tedious task in the long hours below decks ahead, rather than just simmering within, especially now that she had had so many new thoughts as of late.

[Balthazaar Kraigen]

Balthazaar did not care one way or the other if he was confined to the bowels of the ship or not. As long as the captain kept his promise to let him out for fresh air every now and then, he could care less about the mild imprisonment. However, Sliver did not share the same sentiments. Someone like her needed to feel useful and he could understand that, but there was no way she would able to get the captain to agree to let her help without some support. “With all due respect captain, we should at least be allowed to prove ourselves to you before you put us in lock down. Some of the people here have invaluable skills that could aid you greatly on even the roughest part of the journey. ” Balthazaar wasn’t quite sure where the words came from, but they seemed to roll off his tongue before he could react. They were confident and calm, very different from how the young man normally spoke. A little embarrassed at his outburst and not wanting to draw the captain wrath, he decided to leave it at that and wait for the captain to respond before he spoke again.

[Valkyrie]

Syon looked over the woman with the strange hair and opened his mouth to speak only to be cut off by the blonde man. He vaguely remembered approving these two for passage. There wasn’t the time to delicately pick through prospective passengers and decide who would be the most useful and cause the least trouble. He knew that it had been a bad idea to run things that way but he had been overruled. Now he had to deal with it. “There’s nothing you can do to help except stay quiet and out of the way. Don’t cause no trouble below deck and you will have helped. “ Syon spoke quickly to Sliver before turning to Balthazaar. “I ain’t your captain, I’m the first mate. And I don’t have time to discover you passengers’ skills nor do I care very much. That sort of thing is for warmer waters when you all can prance about deck all night if you choose. But not up here in the cold waters. Taking chances on what you might claim your skills to be might mean death, and I mean to get you all there alive. Once you are there you will have lots of time to find danger and get yerselves killed but not now.” There was a startled murmur at Syon’s harsh words. Syon meant his words. He would do his best to keep everyone, including himself, safe but that didn’t mean he had to be nice and sweet about it. Sometimes you needed to lure in flies with honey, and sometimes you needed to just trap them under a jar. "Anything else?" he asked coolly. He was a difficult man but fair, and he would let them get another word in if they so chose.