Devotion: A Crucible Story (Sevris)

[Verilian]

The beast let out a terrifying roar, but it was not one to intimidate. It was a roar of pain. Sevris plunged his blade, piercing the heart of the mighty beast. It let out a few more of the pained roars before finally quivering one last time then falling still. All the while Liandra watched, an expression of mild amusement on her face. When it was finally over, she clapped her hands and came forward. "Amazing! You saved us both," she exclaimed with a hint of sarcasm to her voice, though Sevris was likely too exhausted from the fight to notice. "I was worried about bringing you here, but I'm glad I did. I don't think we'll have any more troubles tonight. Come inside, come get your rest." Sevris, though exhausted, found that there were no longer strange noises in the night to haunt him. The adrenaline, the excitement from defeating the beast pushed away any fear he had, at least for the time being. He had defeated it, and it would serve as a lesson to any other creature that might attack them that they should stay away. The night, whether he would sleep through it or remain awake, would pass in relative peace. Eventually, however, sleep would overcome him. It was irresistible, as irresistible as the urge to vomit had been earlier. It would be midday before he finally woke, and it would be to the smell of roasting opossum on a spigot. "Ah, the hero awakens," Liandra commented when Sevris finally roused, the sarcasm even more evident in her voice. "I hope yo don't mind, but I thought your beast would make a good meal for us. Much better than hallucinogenic berries, don't you think?" Sevris would see clearly now that he had slept off the poison from the berries. The "beast" had been nothing more than an opossum, and the reason it had been so easy to kill was evident from the gaping sword wound in the center of its little chest. Liandra watched, waiting for the realization to dawn on him. As soon as she saw it on his face, she would fall over laughing.

[Sevris]

Sevris felt his cheeks began to blush with embarrassment. He hadn't had a hallucination before and it seemed as if he had really gone off the wire. For he saw a beast when there was only a possum. A look of incredulity was all it took to push Liandra to the breaking point. She fell over laughing her butt off, making Sevris blush even more. "Quiet. I was blinded by the damned berries. But you should be thanking me. We have something to eat now." Liandra handed him a steaming piece of his prey. They ate on as the woman couldn't let go of his epic battle with the possum. Giving him blow by blow details that made him seem utterly foolish. He got up and started pacing after downing his meal, he felt much better. No stomach pains as they had abated. He now started to realize his own situation as Liandra laughed on. What did the Commander have planned for him? Did the almighty God of Evil ever notice his skills? He sighed. He would have to do more to prove his worth.

[Verilian]

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh. I would have warned you about the berries, but you were so far gone that you wouldn't have believed me. I'm just glad you didn't mistake me for a monster, or I would have had to put an arrow through you." The woman motioned for Sevris to join her as she started cutting at the now cooked opossum. The meat was not the best he had ever had, in fact, it might have even been the worst. It was basically like eating a big rat, and with nothing to season it at that. Liandra didn't seem to mind it, however, and she couldn't keep from giggling throughout the entire meal. When they were done she cut off any remaining meat and hung it up to dry out. "So I imagine Rhysol will be wanting you back home then, will he?" Liandra pointed in a direction which, if Sevris knew how to figure out, was east. "Ravok is about a two days walk in that direction. I'd take you there myself, but I'm heading the opposite way. You can keep the sword, I have another. And you can have what's left of the possum, too, if you want it. Or you can come with me.. I don't know about you, but any god that wants to toss me alone in the woods, naked and unarmed isn't one I want to go back to."

[Sevris]

"Now we wouldn't want that now would we," Sevris jibed. However Liandra pointed out the direction that Ravok was in to him. He determined that the direction Ravok was in was east. She then added, "So I imagine Rhysol will be wanting you back home then, will he?" "Ravok is about a two days walk in that direction. I'd take you there myself, but I'm heading the opposite way. You can keep the sword, I have another. And you can have what's left of the possum, too, if you want it. Or you can come with me.. I don't know about you, but any god that wants to toss me alone in the woods, naked and unarmed isn't one I want to go back to." Sevris nodded. "It seems that way doesn't it. I do not know if he wants me back just yet. I am unsure. But one thing I am sure about is that I have to prove my worth. If that means being stranded butt naked in the middle of the woods. I must endure. It's how I'll prove that I can be his strongest asset. To defy all odds set against me. Thanks but no thanks. I have to continue my journey. "So this is farewell. Your help was most appreciated." He held his hand out to Liandra in thanks for help."

[Verilian]

From that point on, the journey was a hard one. Sevris was pushed to his limits both physically, and mentally. Food was scarce, especially for someone at the hunt, and water was scarcer. It took several days, but eventually, when his body was about to fail him, Sevris heard a sound that would fill his heart and revitalize his body. He heard the gentle lapping of waves on the shore, and when he finally broke out of the trees onto the banks of Lake Ravok, he had realized his journey was over. He had passed the test, and made it home. Drinking the water was like drinking life itself, and when he'd had his fill and rose to his feet once more, he knew there was only a little further to go. But there was one more thing yet to happen, and as Sevris began to walk, something stopped him in his tracks. He didn't see it, he couldn't hear it, but Sevris knew, he was in the presence of his god. Rhysol had come to him, and Sevris could feel it all around him. In the air whispered a voice, a voice Sevris had perhaps only heard once or twice in his life, in the rare occasions when Rhysol made a public appearance at the temple. But he had never heard it before like this. Rhysol's voice filled him up, penetrated his mind and soul, as much as he heard it aloud. "Your time has come, Sevris Lazarin. Kneel before me, and when you rise, you will be my soldier." Rhysol appeared then, in all his glory. He was tall, and handsome, with long dark hair and white eyes, devoid of pupils. He was dressed simply enough, though his clothes were of fine make. What was the most impressive, however, was the feeling that came with him. That of true, raw, unchecked power. The power of chaos, as was his domain. Seemingly out of nowhere Sevris was surrounded by other members of the Ebonstryfe, all dressed in black, wearing the armor that every soldier was given. They all wore cloaks with hoods to shroud their identities, but who they were mattered not, for each and every one of them joined Sevris and knelt before their god. One of the Ebonstryfe came up behind Sevris, grabbing the cloak that was his sole garment, and slowly pulled it from his shoulders, revealing his starved and naked body for all to see. A suit of armor and clothing were placed in front of Sevris. It was the armor of the Ebonstryfe, the same that the others were wearing. Brigandine of black steel, polished and new, never worn by another. There was only one step left before Sevris was allowed to wear it. Rhysol took a step forward, his finger pierced by an unseen blade, and laid a hand on the apprentice's bare shoulder. Searing pain coarsed through Sevris as the blood burned into his skin, and Sevris writhed in agony beneath Rhysol's iron grip. The other soldiers all remained as they were, kneeling and watching, as Sevris was forced to suffer through the worst pain he had ever felt. After what seemed like an eternity though, the pain gave way to glory. Sevris was filled with the most pleasurable feeling a man could experience. It ran through his body, invigorating him, sending waves of pleasure up every nerve, overloading him with unending ecstasy. He didn't want it to end, but in a time that seemed so so much shorter than the pain, it was over. The crimson scar of the Chaon was burned into his shoulder, and he was, finally, one of the Ebonstryfe. "Rise, child, and return to my city with your brethren a soldier of the Ebonstryfe." Rhysol vanished, and Sevris was left with the soldiers. They would assist him in dressing and donning the armor. It all fit, of course, though it was a bit loose due to the loss of weight from starvation, but once his health was back it would be a perfect fit. He was congratulated and returned to Ravok in glory. The men bought him drinks, the women threw their selves at him, and the celebration went on until Sevris could no longer stand, whether from intoxication or just plain exhaustion. He would wake up the next morning no longer a lowly apprentice, but a true Soldier of the Ebonstryfe. OOCFeel free to make a final post, and then I will grade the thread, but you are now officially a soldier of the Ebonstryfe. Once I grade the thread, you may add your gnosis and begin using it.

OOCFeel free to make a final post, and then I will grade the thread, but you are now officially a soldier of the Ebonstryfe. Once I grade the thread, you may add your gnosis and begin using it.

[Sevris]

It was euphoric. The feeling he kept reliving when he woke up that next morning. He had personally met the God of Evil. And he had marked him with the crimson mark that struck fear in the enemies of Ravok. He had finally proved his worth, his mettle. But he a long way to go before he could actually make a difference. He sat up and looked around his surroundings. A place not enough for his taste. This wasn't good enough for a Lazarin. But he wasn't lucky like the Nitrozian's, who's family had a deep pull in funds and money. They were useful in that manner, but where they excelled in, Lazarin's excelled in another. His new armor sat on the chair beside his bed. The brunette slave he decided to take back was lying next to him. He had ravaged her body gently. Drinking alcohol had even elevated the feeling he had after he had been touched. Though he tried to forget the horrid death like emptiness he felt before that. It was over and it had been replaced by something better. He smirked. It was time to start his day as a Soldier. No longer was an Apprentice to be looked down upon. He would make leaps if not bounds when he got the chance. A chance he would take with his own hands.

[Verilian]

. . Thread Award . . Sevris Lazarin +2 Unarmed Combat +1 Brawling +1 Tactics +1 Body Building +2 Wilderness Survival +1 Observation +1 Intimidation +1 Interrogation +1 Running +1 Land Navigation (Forest) +2 Longsword You Question My Logic? : XP explanation goes here. Lores: Wilderness Survival: Foraging for Berries, Wilderness Survival: Lighting a Fire, Waking up Naked in the Forest, The Cold of the Forest at Night, Liandra from Nyka, Defeating a "Monstrous" Opossum, Hallucinogenic Berries, A Meeting with Rhysol, Promotion: Soldier Loot: Longsword*See notes for more details, Cloak, Full Suit of Ebonstryfe Armor (also, all your gear was returned to you) Notes: You are now a Soldier of the Ebonstryfe. This means you will recieve soldier pay instead of guard pay. However, if you were paying rent before, and don't want to, you can use the Ebonstryfe Barracks as your housing and not pay rent. You also get to requisition equipment at 75% of the normal price. I'm also working on some other benefits involving living expenses, but I'll get back to you on that. Enjoy your armor, and welcome to the Ebonstryfe! MC2 Longsword- For whatever reason, Liandra allowed Sevris to keep the longsword she loaned him. If he practices with it, and compares it to other longswords, Sevris will notice a few things about it. First and foremost, it is sharper than the average longsword, able to cut flesh and pierce armor easier than a normal blade. It is also more durable, and doesn't seem to dull or get chinks in it when clashing with other swords. The Weapon is an MC2 Magecrafted item with one level each of enhanced sharpness and durability. If Sevris chooses to sell it rather than keep the item, send me a PM and we'll set up a thread. You can't sell this on your own as it is too valuable, and requires mod approval/moderation. Also, before you can realize it is magical, you will need to do a thread where he actual figures that out somehow. If you just try to sell it without doing the work before hand, you're going to get ripped off. Notice As per the request of the Founders, threads cannot be graded unless your CS is up to date. This means you need to add threads to your thread list when you make new threads, keep your skills up to date, ledger, living expenses, ect. If you aren't up to date, you'll get a PM from me before i grade your thread. If you are up to date, disregard this notice.