SRQ: A Deal between Devils(Verillian, Then Ravok contingent)

by **Archelon** on September 7th, 2012, 1:34 am

20th of Fall , 512 av.
oocVerillian and I are setting the stage a little here, and then the ravokian contingent of pc's will be able to come into play to board Ravok's chosen method of getting chosen.

Verillian :

Robern Daggerhand sat in his chair at the edge of a long table in his mansion. His hands steepled and crossed as he eyed the man waiting across from him with two guards at his shoulders. Normaly the man, liked his solitude and would rarely allow himself to be seen, only allowing his daughter and the captains of the daggerhand to deal with the rabble as a matter of course to ensure his safety.

Gru'tral, of the Ebonstryfe. A real bastard , and devout follower of Rhysol, the force of chaos, and a strange bit of order. The man was staring at him with an eyeless gaze as one of Robern's slaves brought forwards a fine dish of fruit for his pleasure as the man had been... encouraged to come here today. Robern had no doubt Rhysol's creature was a dangerous sort, but he was certainly intrigued and began speaking to his 'guest' with a velvet tongue.

I see the rumors were right, there was a man of astounding merit coming into my city. A man with the coin, and the will to make something happen. " He offhandedly waved to the fruit bowl, it's produce the freshest possible. "Do not worry, there are no poison's or such, I would not dare to harm such a prestigious guest. No, you'll be quite safe here. Please, sate whatever thirsts you require. Even if it's the slave's blood you wish. I merely wish to get down to business as forthwright as possible."

The man seemed to cock his head to the side, perhaps as if apprasing him in a differnt light then most of the scum of sunberth. Perhaps categorizing if he was a threat, useful to rhysol, or some other thing that was curious to look or throw epithets at? Perhaps in the druvin's mind was a mixture of all things?
"But that is besides the point. You need something, and I can supply it, perhaps with less then a usual fee as I hope to set the stage to later forge a strong, shall we say, business venture betweeen my daggerhands and my rightful city and yours? I've been waiting a while for this... opportunity to speak to someone influential from Ravok such as you Gru'tral?"

The druvin moved slowly, every movement as if he was holding back great power and merely waved at Robern. As if to becon to continue.

"I'll start by saying : I'm not a sychophant, or one to hang onto the coattails of others to gain power. I'm a businessman, I deal in buying, and trading. Production and product. I'm as religious as the next man, and have great respect for Rhysol for... his past deeds of causing chaos. I Live in a city of anarchy after all. Even though I might hail originally from Zeltiva. That gives me many eyes and ears, not just hear but with 'associates' abroad. Even now, I hear that the zeltivan navy is forming a flotilla. Readying to transport many people somewhere . Word is they have already approached the night eyes to help smuggle people and supplies and that..." Robern pointed to Gru'tral, "brings me to you."

The man slowly reached forwards to take a pear from the fruit bowel and began peeling it. " I have no love of things happening in my city without my permission you see. I have very little love of those locals who don't want to simply step aside on my path to ruling this city with an iron fist wrapped in silk. Then, I have you entering my city. My watchers you spoke of you needing ships to fly under a neutral flag to Sahova and I've brought my business partner, Legs here to help. I assure you we can easily fit your party's needs."

Robern took a bite out the pear, letting it's juices sate his appetite, "I can do more then get your paltry two hundred and some odd men to sahova, and I'm willing to send one hundred of my own men to help you in your endeavor free of charge, provided you are willing to do business. Anything which helps me in the long run against people here... though surely not your most present..." Robern paused to place emphasis on the word 'present', as if he was sure Ravok's interests might come back to sunberth later. Perhaps as the city's bandits and 'pirates' and slaving parties heckled the Zeltivan navies, and the knights on a daily basis both land and sea by being predators on many Syliran trade routes... all to bring back slaves for sale and profit. It was jus one thing of a myriad of things being left unsaid. But Robern was sure that this druvin, with access to the ebonstryfe's agents knew the potential possibilities a city of anarchy could bring to his causes. "time."

Provided the price was right... was better left unsaid though Robern was sure it didn't need any utterance. "I can have your men, bolstered by a hundred odd strong of my own men and some mercenaries leaving for Sahova in ten days, after resupplying for your groups and my own of course from my warehouses. You could be safely in it's port five after that. That's right, by the thirty fifth of fall you're party can be on their docks already be negotiating with those magical nuits. And whilst we in sunberth have a... common dislike for those creatures due to a number of reasons, there's no reason I can't try to ensure... future business with them as well."

Robern placed the peel of his fruit down and leaned back in his chair, as if he was conducting business as usual. Robern laid back and smiled a shark's smile as he continued to appraise the guest at the other end of the table. He was still flanked by his two ebonstryfe guards and there would be trouble if things became... uncivilized. But robern was a betting man, and he bet this may be the start of a beautiful business relations, even if dealing with Ravok was the same as dealing with any other merchant in Sunberth. All smiles while trying to spot the daggers aimed for your back. That's why he was so cautious and had begun to place barriers between him and the rest of sunberth's society. Ensconcing himself in a veritable fortress of guards, and those fiercely devoted to him and his cause. But Robern had to say, he certainly seemed to miss the rush of a good deal. I'll admit, I quite enjoy the possibility of tweaking the noses of those Sylirans and Zeltivans, as well as the local trash I have yet to exterminate. I've even set up tents in an encampment north of the city to ensure you're people rest well until the ships leave. You won't get much of a better packaged deal. The only real decision you have to make Sir Gru-tal (may I call you that) about this once in a lifetime offer, is how much Ravok might bid to be able to not be bothered with the hassle of doing it all themselves? "

At a silent signal from their master the slaves poured a vintage of red wine, almost the color of blood, for Gru'tral as Robern merely sat back as the gentleman, waiting for the man to speak.

Ravokian questers :

by **Verilian** on September 7th, 2012, 6:04 pm

The Ebonlord wasn't overly impressed with Robern, though it wasn't to put a shadow on his accomplishments thus far. It was simply that the Druvin had lived for over five hundred years, and had seen a hundred Roberns in his lifetime. There wasn't much that could impress the formidable man anymore.

His guards both listened on in silence as Robern and their master discussed, no easy feat for the one on the left. Sylindra Ru'vin was not actually a member of the Ebonstryfe, but she was a powerful mage and had experience in dealing with Nuits. In truth, though, the real reason Gru'tral had brought her along was to watch her. Sylindra had always been a favorite of the Voice, and the Ebonlord kept her around because he wanted to see if the Voice would come for her.

To his right was Ansel Lazarin. The reason for his accompanying the Ebonlord was fairly obvious, Ansel was a mage hunter. The head mage hunter of an elite group working directly for the Ebonlord.

When Robern began to speak of the things he had to offer, as well as what he had already set into motion, the Druvin was both pleased and amused by his words. Robern was offering a lot to convince the Ebonstryfe to take his help, but at the same time, he seemed confident that they would accept. In the end, however, he ended on the same thing all merchants ended on, and that was money. Finally, the Ebonlord chose to speak out loud.

"You've certainly offered us a tempting deal." The Druvin's voice was deep, and boomed across the table even though he spoke quietly. "Mizas are of no concern to me. If you can do all that you say you can, we will pay whatever price you ask. I do not think you would cheat us, considering that we may do business again in the future."

Gru'tral motioned to the man on his right, Ansel, who stepped forward into the light. His face was somewhat disturbing to look at. One eye shined a vivid green, and the other was a pale white, like the pair the druvin had.

"Ansel will pay you, and assist you in whatever you need to make this happen. The sooner we reach the island, the better."

The Ebonlord rose from his chair, his massive form towering over everyone in the room. Robern would be smart to consider himself lucky that the Druvin was of a mercantile mind that day, because there was little doubt the giant creature could have taken what he wanted by force. When he left, the woman went with him, leaving Robern to wrap things up with the one named Ansel. The Ebonstryfe would pay his asking price, but if he cheated them, the future dealings he so desired would most likely be at the end of a bloodied sword.

by **Archelon** on September 9th, 2012, 10:53 pm

As the Druvin left, Robern almost let himself expel a breath he had not known he had been holding in. Almost, because there was still the matter of the Druvin's 'assistant', Ansel still in his presence. Offering the man a smile, Robern simply named a price that was a percentage lower then what normally would have been expected for the outfitting of over two hundred men. For indeed , he was to make good on his offer on shipping them with adequate supplies. Enough food for a month, and a bit extra crates of basic weapons and excess arrows.

By the time the deal was struck, with a final handshake one of Robern's men came and showed Ansel out of the mansion, as other daggerhands stood ready to show the waiting ravokians the camp north of the city where they would be staying until the ship was ready.

Of course, some in the interim time would leave the camp. Some would be watched, others not so much. For indeed the game was twofold in the streets of Sunberth. But one thing was made sure by talking with Ansel.

29th of Fall, 512 av 23rd hour.

The night of the 29th of Fall would be quite a test of stealth to those packing up their camp and heading towards the docks. Ansel would have ordered them to move in small groups, so as not to cause attention to their intentions. And by any normal means, moving to the docks of this city was an experience in and of itself. You traveled through some of the dangerous parts of town, there was always the everpresent chance of thieves, pickpockets, or worse: meddling vigilantes.

But at the docks was their final destination, and what the echelons of the Ebonstryfe ordered, so shall they do. For on the pier the black painted , three masted vessel of a brigadine, known as the Ocean Gallows awaited them, to carry them straight to Sahova's shores. A vessel, detailed to sail at dawn's earliest light, seven hours from now;. with or without those who made it there....

"A note to Ravokian Questers" :

by **Rezren** on September 10th, 2012, 11:52 pm

Rezren walked uneasily through the streets of Sunberth. His companions for the short exodus to the docks walked to his right. The five of them departed the encampment roughly around the same time, earlier than most of the other parties. He had actually left alone but soon caught up to the four men loudly talking about the mission as they journeyed south to the city. Rezren tried to pass them, but they had engaged him in conversation and the mercenary was too anxious to ignore them. The awkward group conversation involving past adventures, women of ill reputation, and other such trivial subjects, many which were blatantly exaggerated, faded as they entered the city.

The silence put Rezren at ease. The conversation had been mildly incriminating in regards to their affiliation and he wanted to get to the docks without conflict. He also was spared the experience of disclosing personal information or, more accurately, fabricating personal information. Being honest with the mercenaries was more risky than it was worth. It was safest to assume everyone was in it for himself.

He decided to walk at a slight distance horizontally from his fellows as to appear an unaffiliated individual. One of the men trailed a few yards behind, seemingly having the same idea. The other three walked close to one another. The streets were uncomfortably silent where they were. Perhaps the residents knew better than to travel to this part of the city at night or, more likely, his paranoia was making him more anxious than he should be. Every time he walked by an alley, his hand nervously drifted to his sword and he increased his pace in order to get past the potentially dangerous zone.

His decision to distance himself from the main group proved problematic as it pushed him much closer than he was comfortable with to the mouths of the pitch black alleys. Rezren looked back to see where the mercenary who had decided to trail behind was. To his dismay, the man was missing. He had only been a few yards behind them and his absence was alarming. His first instinct was to tell the other three, but he held his tongue. Perhaps thieves or vigilantes had picked him off quietly. If he showed alarm, maybe the hidden assailants would descend upon the remaining four of them. If he did nothing, he could be the next target due to his isolation from the group.

Fear and anxiety overwhelmed him. The mercenary became acutely aware of his own breathing and the sound of his footsteps. He slowly began gravitating towards the rest of the group. He felt incredibly unnatural. Rezren figured that his discomfort was painfully visible. His attempts to achieve a natural pacing always felt too fast or two slow. He had half a mind to sprint the rest of the way to the ships, but a group appeared around a corner and began to approach them.

He gathered as much as he could as they approached given the poor lighting. There were six of them. They were armed and, judging by the sounds of softly scraping metal and their silhouettes, wore assorted armor of leather and chainmail. Rezren wished he could see their faces. Perhaps they were another group from the Ravok camp who had gotten lost. Perhaps they were the reason the fifth member of their group was absent. His other three companions seemed completely unconcerned by the approaching figures.

The strangers were soon close enough to distinguish vague facial features. They didn’t look at all familiar which alarmed Rezren, who had taken time to try and memorize as much of the group during the arduous days of travel. He knew he couldn’t recognize everyone, but the fact that none of the six seemed even vaguely familiar allowed him to comfortably rule out the possibility that they were part of the group from Ravok. As they passed between him and his allies, he noticed that they were completely silent. The unease grew in his stomach. His imagination ran wild with possible combat scenarios, but the flood of thoughts subsided as the six strangers passed and disappeared around a corner shortly after.

He allowed himself to breath. His hand released the now sweaty sword hilt at his hip. He wasn’t sure if they had been paranoid or lucky, but he didn’t really care because, in the end, he was alive and unharmed. Before he had time to revel in the relief, the sound of footsteps echoed in the nearest alleyway. The echoing made it hard to discern exactly how many people were approaching, but Rezren wasn’t taking any chances. He drew his sword, the sound prompted the other three to do the same. The other three swore and made remarks upon realizing the fifth member of their group was missing.

The foe that emerged from the shadowy darkness was none other than the aforementioned mercenary who was surprised to find his return welcomed by blades. “I go to take a piss and come back to find y’all all hot and bothered!” He exclaimed in a bemused tone. It took a few moments for Rezren and the others to fully grasp the situation. An awkward silence followed by the sound of sheathing weapons was the only response the returning mercenary received. The five decided to travel closer together after that… A short discussion resulted in the conclusion that a group of five men traveling to the docks wasn’t too conspicuous after all.

by **Jeram** on September 11th, 2012, 5:54 pm

It still felt very weird for Jeram so to be so far away from Ravok. It had been a pretty good while since they had left but it's hard to get used to leaving a place that have you called your home for so many years. Being in a foreign city didn't help. It doesn't take very long to realize that the ebonstryfe and people related to it aren't as welcome in other parts of the world than they are in the great city of Ravok. He had learned to keep a lower profile as he should when in a foreign city.

The city that was called Sunberth actually wasen't a very bad place. The city was filled with many shady looking people and Jeram didn't really mind them that much. At least it wasn't the knightly city of Sylrias. Jeram walked through the streets of this city with a group of four others who were also from Ravok. He barely recognized them but it didn't really matter to him as they looked like they were able to protect themselves if the need would arise. Although Jeram didn't hate this city it was pretty hard for him to feel comfortable. No one around them really looked like they were the most reliable types.

So far it hadn't really been that much trouble but you could tell that there are a lot of Sunberth civilians who really don't like visitors around here. The group of four men and one woman never really talked that much on the trip to the docks. A couple of them had tried to start up a conversation with Jeram once or twice but he didn't really care too much and the rest of the group had already talked to each other what they wanted to talk about earlier. It was not long after that a small child, probably around the age of ten, had bumped into Jeram. This has always been a basic tactic to pick pocketing and Jeram caught onto it immediately and grabbed the kid.

The boy had looked at Jeram with very innocent eyes and looked to be very poor. "What are you doing?" the woman in their group had asked towards Jeram, obviously being worried about the child. Jeram ignored her for a second before lifting the squirming child slightly with one hand and reaching towards his hand and grabbing his own pouch of mizas."I guess you don't know a pick pocket when you see one." he said not really caring too much about the child. "Please sir I was only trying to feed my family." the boy said to Jeram trying to get mercy from him.

Jeram did nothing but give a cold stare towards the boy. "Kid you chose the wrong man to mess with." Jeram said as he forcefully tossed the boy to the ground. "If this was in my city you would be in a lot more trouble but luckily for you we have business to take care of." he noted as he signaled the group to continue following him. "Don't you think that was a little harsh?" the woman said with the others in the group quietly agreeing. Jeram really hated when he was questioned like that so he turned around and gave them the same stare that he gave the child. "Sorry but I do believe that I was the one who was being robbed and it was my duty to "correct" the mistake that the boy had done. If you don't like it then maybe you could go off on your own" he said with a bit of force in his voice as the woman quietly backed down and continued to follow him. The group of five then went on to their destination.

by **Ariadne** on September 11th, 2012, 8:27 pm

In the aptly named Pig's Foot Tavern five foreigners circled a table of their own. Among them was a single woman, slight of stature and diminutive though she sat confidently and poised. Her face was young and open, a breath of innocence and naivety that begged for corruption. Soft, thick brown hair fell in ringlets down her back, smokey brown eyes gazing at everything and nothing. She was petite in height and weight and especially so with the men who shared the table. Appealing curves and dips tempted even the most staunch celibate, feminine wiles whispering sweet promises and less savory fantasies fulfilled. And though she was undeniably beautiful, it was not solely her body or face that demanded attention. The woman possessed a peculiar aura, a kind of presence that beckoned a second look. And third.

In terms of visiting a city outside of Ravok for the first time in her life, Ariadne was... disappointed... to say the least. Completely unsatisfied was more like it. When expectations met reality it was rarely better than what the individual hoped for, and the result was often hard to live with. Knowing what Sunberth was, the thief had still expected... something more. Ravok was her native city and she had never been outside of it. It was a city built by hands that loved art, by people who breathed creativity and visualized resplendence and glory. Ravok was all romance and splendor, beauty and presence. She had her seedy underbelly, but you didn't see it. Sunberth was dead whores and bloated corpses. And it smelled like it, too. Sunberth was exactly what it was; a city governed by absolute anarchy, policed individually by its citizens and rotted to the core. Ariadne felt dirty simply by breathing in the air.

Aside from the disgust she felt for the dredges of humanity, Ariadne couldn't deny a certain amount of fear and respect for the city. The truest test of humanity was lain open for all to see in Sunberth, as every facet of every person was free to be explored and, in many cases, exploited. There was no restraints in Sunberth, no laws to get in the way and no one to answer too. If you could defend your entitlement and hold your position, than you had the right to do as you will. For citizens of Ravok laws were more slack (when crimes were committed against tourist and foreigners) they were still very present. And always there was the Ebonstryfe. Yes, a certain amount of respect must be given to the denizens of Sunberth for they proved that they had what it took to live in a city devoid of order.

The four men she sat with were likewise from Ravok, though whether or not they were natives as she was or came there by other means she didn't know. Nor truly cared. She had gone so far as to learn their names and left it at that. Brayrin was the short and stocky man to her far left with black hair and green eyes. Ikvan was the taller, leaner man beside him, auburn hair and dark, nearly black eyes. He had a puckered, angry scar that twisted his lip into a perpetual sneer. Jacquin and Kaervin were twins, both brown hair and blue eyes. They were taller than Ikvan and more heavily built, and their blues eyes kept stealing over to Ariadne. She didn't trust any of them, but she was especially wary of those two and made certain to never find herself alone with either.

And despite their attempts to blend in with the inhabitants of Sunberth, the thief had the distinct feeling that they were very obviously not from the city. The patrons of the tavern were casting looks at the four, and though none made any attempts to approach -yet- Ariadne could read the room well enough to understand that they were looking at meat. The petite woman tried to put on a hard face, but thought she must look ridiculous. Ariadne had trained herself to seem completely harmless (not all that hard when you were barely over five feet tall) for her work. It was an asset in Ravok and a hindrance in Sunberth.

“You’re over thinking it.” Ikvan was saying. His voice was deep and thick, his annunciation somewhat off and his words slower. He had an accent though she didn’t know from where. Normally Ariadne didn’t brush shoulder with his kind, unless it was to rob them. He was in an intense conversation with Brayrin, who had been gesturing wildly not a minute before. Ariadne ignored them once more, instead looking over the room again for the umpteenth time. This time, however, she met the eyes of a rather shady looking man. His own gaze didn’t skitter away as one would expect, and her smiled wolfishly.

Ariadne tried not to swallow and failed.

The man lifted a finger and pointed across the room. Unbidden Ariadne’s gaze followed to another man who was looking at her, intently interested in their group. The thief sought her memory, trying to recall where these men had been sitting in her numerous surveys of the room. Had they been sitting together? Yes, they had. And there has been a third…
She looked over to find the third man sitting right beside their table. His head was lowered to his chest and to a casual glance he would seem like a man who had simply drank too much and falling asleep. Ariadne saw the slit of his eyes, though, and the whites that belied the deceit.

Rhysol be damned.

by **Bojovnik Vybutit** on September 12th, 2012, 1:36 am

Ready to make the next move Bojovnik and his 4 other members sat in a small circle on a deserted corner all making sure they had the gear they needed and no one left anything back at the camp. "Drikana? You got all your things?" The ravok native known as Jirnak asked. Drikana answered and looked back at Bojovnik. "Your not still mad about your horse are you?" The man asked him. In truth Bojovnik was mad that he had to leave his horse in Nyka since they couldn't bring it. "No I'm fine we need to get moving guys we cant be late or get caught in this city." He said to them knowing it wasn't safe to be around at night. Drikana spoke up. "Well who had the bright idea to have us sit on a street corner in the first place its like we are just asking to get hit!" Bojovnik was taken back at the idea wondering it himself in fact.

Tightening his armor Bojovnik got ready to move. "Quick and quite guys don't lag behind and watch your corners like we talked about got it?" The 4 nodded and stood up. In the past few hours Bojovnik seemed to be the un-appointed leader of the group. It might have been he was the only one to ever come to this place and new some of the paths but he couldn't remember anything worthwhile. At first it felt as they weren't even trying to stay quite but after a few minuets the sound faded out as everyone adjusted their steps to compensate for the weight.

Taking a path down a alleyway with a wall down the entire right side seemed like a good idea. It allowed for them to only have to watch three directions at a time. Nearing the first corner Bojovnik peeked around. One man stood in the middle clearly drunk. Not thinking anything of it Bojovnik ushered the group forward. The next cut offs were fine until they heard two people talking. "Who's the dead guy?" the first voice asked. "I don't know some foreigner who tried to stick with his group. Theirs something going down tonight I tell ya. A lot of them foreigner are in the city. Groups of five and ten. Its easy pickings. To bad we have to stand guard around our main areas of operation."

Fear came into everyone eyes filled with fear as the realized the alley they were in was gang territory. "Crap lets move everyone." Bojovnik slowly walked behind the two guards and made it across until one of them sneezed. The two voices turned around and tackled the man to the ground. Bojovnik and the rest of the group hid in a shadow and watched the would be adventurer be gutted and killed right in front of them. The sight started something in Drikana and he stepped forward cursing and throwing rocks at the two.

"God dammit why did I get thrown with the idiots."

by **Rezren** on September 12th, 2012, 9:41 pm

Traveling huddled together offered some comfort but also added an element of unease as they became considerably less subtle. If any hostile entities knew of the planned journey to the docks, which Rezren, who was trained in intelligence gathering, deemed a likely possibility, the armed group of five swiftly moving towards the docks would surely be suspected of having affiliation with Ravok. Their pace steadily increased until they were practically jogging. They knew what direction to move in, but the exact location of their destination remained a little vague.

None of them dared to ask for directions. They were feeding off each other’s frantic energy as they moved deeper into the city. Each of the five imagined their own fatal scenarios but didn’t dare voice their concerns. One would imagine that five mercenaries would be quite able to deal with any scum or dangers the city streets could pose, but they were in a place completely foreign to them and stories from the camp ate away at their confidence.

The fearsome syndicates posed the most immediate threat. It would seem that allying with the Daggerhands put them in opposition to the other two groups, the Night Eyes and the Sun’s Birth. The two unfriendly clans could be out picking off stray groups of Ravokians. The less present threat was the Syliran Knights. It wasn’t all too absurd to think that they may begin aggressing and exerting pressure on their sworn foes.

They moved swiftly down streets and around corners. Every blind turn was accompanied by semi-audible sighs of relief that there wasn’t a threat in front of them. When there was a bum or individual in their path, they would travel by with false bravado. It was clear that they had lost their way in the near hysteria that had followed the two back-to-back fear inducing events. Every few minutes was accompanied by a series of cursing and muttering.

Rezren believed he was partially responsible for the disorganization. He felt as though he was a large source of the frantic energy and his passive role did nothing to remedy the situation. The momentum halted when uneven footing brought down one of the men. Rezren was the first to stop and the others did the same shortly after they realized what had happened. Once they stopped moving, the absurdity of their panic allowed them to relax. The fallen man got up with a bit of help from Rezren. As they all caught their breath, the suffocating darkness seemed to lift a bit. They allowed themselves a short break which did them all good.

The men exchanged small conversations as they began walking again. Two of the men stated that they recognized landmarks others had described in camp, a shop’s name or odd building. Rezren hadn’t heard of these landmarks but trusted his fellow Ravokians. They reoriented a bit and began walking. No one spoke of the panicked episode that had preceded their current state of reasonable thinking for fear that it may return. They managed to make good, steady progress towards where they believed the docks were.

They still weren’t entirely sure that they were headed in the right direction, but none of them, especially Rezren, dared to speak up and disrupt the meager positive energy. They decided to take another break. Rezren had worked up the courage to ask a nearby drunk directions to the docks, and from what they could decipher from his unintelligible babbling, they were headed in the right direction. They decided that they had to be pretty close at this point and rushing the last stretch was a bit unnecessary. As their eating and drinking concluded, Rezren felt a light tap on his back followed by the sound of snapping.

He turned around and saw nothing. Looking down, he noticed a broken arrow at his feet. A few seconds passed as he processed the information. He slowly realized that the arrow had snapped hitting the shield on his back. Another flew out of the darkness and missed the closest man by a few inches. The five scurried around the street for a moment as they decided their direction. Another arrow bounced off Rezren’s shield which was now strapped to his arm. The five ran into a nearby alley as it was the only direction arrows weren’t coming from. One of the men cut down a shadowy figure in front of them. The mercenary hoped the man had been an enemy and not an unlucky civilian, but the arrows flying in every direction made it hard to care too much for morality.

They emerged from the darkness into another small street, but arrows began to shoot out from the shadows. It was impossible to tell how many foes they faced, but it didn’t matter. Rezren knew that they just needed to get to the docks. They darted into another alley and made way their way towards their destination in a roundabout manner. Rezren personally killed a bowman they stumbled upon going around one of the corners. All five of them were still alive which the mercenary considered as small miracle considering the amount of aggression they were facing.

Rezren had asserted his value by deflecting a few arrows with his shield. The others similarly took defensive measures by picking up stray pieces of wood or debris to shield themselves. The five navigated alley after alley in hopes they would emerge onto the docks soon. The arrows only came from behind them now which hopefully meant they were outpacing their adversaries.

Rezren had fallen towards the back with one of the other men and let the other three lead. They crossed another street in order to get to another alley, but as Rezren and the other man in the back followed their three companions in, they saw dark figures fall upon them. The sound of screams and blades filled Rezren’s ears as he watched the lives of his three comrades extinguished almost instantly and simultaneously. His last remaining companion pulled on his arm and led the stunned mercenary towards the docks. The two ran in silence. They had evidently been routed into a trap by the archers, but what choice did that have? It was turning out to be a grim night.

by **Jeram** on September 13th, 2012, 11:35 pm

Jeram was pretty glad that they were getting out of this city soon. It felt great that they were finally about to travel to the final destination of their journey. It haden't been very long since the incident with the child happened and Jeram still wish he could've gone a little further in dealing with him. He knew he still had to make sure not to stick out too much unless he absolutely had to as they weren't here to cause trouble with the citizens.

Soon they walked across a shady looking alleyway. "How about we take a shortcut through there?" one of the two other men in the party suggested. Jeram figured that it couldn't hurt and they started to go through the alley. Not even ten paces into the alley a dagger had been thrown from behind them and hit directly into the kidney of the other man in thr group. His screams were heard clearly as he fell to the ground. Not much mind was paid to him as Jeram looked towards where the dagger had come from.

What was seen at the entrace of the alley were three fairly large men and a smaller man. The bigger men carried pretty decent sized swords and shields while the smaller one had a shortsword and a throwing dagger in his other hand. "We don't like how you're treating our people." one of the men said, probably referring to the boy from earlier. Jeram was actually pretty excited at this. He didn't really expect to have a worthy fight in this city but they were always welcome.

They were actually on even numbers now as their one companion is pretty much dead by the dagger wound that he took. Jeram wasen't really concerned with him as he shouldn't have gotten hit in the first place. "Here I thought today was going to be a boring day." Jeram said with confidence toward the group of men. "That was a pretty nice sneak attack that you pulled off earlier but too bad that you can only do that once." he finished saying. The woman in Jeram's group didn't really seem very battle heavy as she only carried a dagger around with her but maybe Jeram could use her as a meatshield if the need came. "Maybe we should run..." the woman said. Jeram ignored her as he drew his flail and shield and readied for battle.

The men were not slow to charge the group of five with their already drawn weapons. The remaining man that was still alive In Jeram's groupdrew his crossbow and shot one of the larger men in the arm. He wasen't really expecting it and took the shot in the arm which happened to be the arm that he was holding a shield in. Jeram gave a little grin as he now had an easier target as he charged the weakened man. His flail flew down from the air toward the man that was shot and he didn't really have much room to dodge so he tried to block it with his shield.

Since the man's arm was still weakened he couldn't block the full blow and fell to the ground. Jeram sent a kick to his stomach to make sure that he would stay down longer so he could focus on the others. As he looked around he couldn't help but notice the woman being cut down by one of the men. "There goes my meatshield." he said with dissapointment as the fighter with the shortsword charged him. The small was able to strike fast but Jeram's shield was large enough to where it was still pretty easy to block.

The man tried running in circles around Jeram while attacking but his strikes were still blocked. Jeram thought about how it was a good thing he wasen't wearing armor or else this would probably be difficult. The man soon became more daring and sent a blow with more force towards Jeram's leg to which knicked his pants but he managed to step backwards. This had left the fighter stumbling a bit and Jeram took advantage with a blow of his flail towards the man's chest which sent his flying back, most likely fataly injuring him.

Soon enough the group that had ambushed them had some reinforcements around. It was two more men and as they came he could see his last companion had his arm injured in the fight between him and one of the original men. "We need to get out of here!" Jeram ordered to his companion as the enemies started getting closer. He didn't really want to run but he wasn't throwing his life away. His companion was quick to agree and gave one last shot from his crossbow as they hurried down the alley. "After them!" one of the men after them shouted.

Jeram knew that it would be difficult to get away from the group that was chasing them. Up ahead he noticed a large stack of crates. If they fell down then they might give enough time to get away. "Help me push those crates over!" Jeram ordered. He nodded and they both leaned against the crates and began to push. It didn't take long for them to tumble over and block the alley. The plan had worked so they ran again. As they reached the end of the alley Jeram decided that they shouldn't stay in the open. He gestured his companion to follow him into another. A few streets over they started to get into a more deserted area of the city. They went into one more alley where it was beginning to get louder. A little surprise hit Jeram while he saw someone whom he first met over the summer. "Rezren?" Jeram said as he noticed something flying in the air. He put up his shield as an arrow had collidee with it. "I guess i'm not the only one with a busy day..." he noted.

by **Bojovnik Vybutit** on September 14th, 2012, 12:59 am

Bojovnik jumped out from the shadows and pushed Drikana closer to the group of thugs. He wasnt expecting it and threw him off balance. It was a mean thing to do but Bojovnik knew it might help them stay alive. Turning around he motioned for the others to follow him.

In an all out sprint to the end of the alley Drikanas scrams echoed off the walls as they ran. Bojovnik pulled out his axe and began getting ready for a fight luckily. The other adventure seemed to have some combat skill and had already drawn his blade as well. Nearing a corner Bojovnik jumped around it and swung at the first thing he saw. Maybe it wasn't a goon but whoever it was didn't look friendly. His body fell down like a rock. Feeling no sympathy for the man Bojovnik began to run again looking back to see two thief's following the party.

"Crap a wall!" Shouted Jernak looking at the dead end. Bojovnik looked up as well and saw that it was about 5 feet higher then himself. Trying to think of a way to get over he saw the other party member moving crates to get some cover from the arrows that appeared to be coming down. "I can hear the docks its on the other side we just" Jernak was cut of as an arrow his his shoulder and he fell down. Bojovnik ran over and dragged him behind a crate. "Don't just stand their Bojo use that bow!" The other man shouted to him. Bojovnik hadn't thought of that and got out his arrows. Quickly getting up he fired one arrow hitting a goon straight in the chest.

Bojovnik moved behind the wall of crates and knelled next to the the wall they needed to cross over. "Ill help you up, give you a boost." Jernak came first and Bojovnik helped hoist him up. Jernak sat down on the top of the wall and held his hand down for Bojovnik. A slight jump up and the two hands reached. While he was being pulled and arrow glazed past Jernaks hand and he dropped Bojovnik.

Knowing some part of the enemies had to be taken out he returned to the other man who he didn't know the name of. When he tried to tap him on the shoulder but found he was dead. Knowing time was not on his side he ran up to the wall and jumped right up catching onto Jernaks forearm. This time the two were pulled up and Bojovnik felt something hit the back of his head making him topple over to the other side.

Struggling to wake up Bojovnik found that Jernak fell off as well. Bojovnik fell on some hay but his friend didn't fare the same. Bojovnik walked over to the downed man and knelt beside him. "You did good." Not being one for sad goodbyes Bojovnik remembered why he tried to never get close to anyone. "Its alright Bojo...just do what you need to friend. You look like a good guy. You just need the right push." Jernak stopped talking and Bojovnik shut his eyes. Taking a small ring on his left hand as a souvenir.

Bojovnik began walking over to the docks remembering were he heard that they were. Seeing some people their he assumed to be other Ravokians he walked up to them. "God damn this town god damn this place when are we leaving?" He said calmly as an arrow slammed on one of their shield. Bojovnik leaned over and picked it out and replaced it with his arrow that was lost. "Jerman? Rezren? Why you two ducking down?"