Flashback Trickery on the other side of the Maw (Crypt Insatem)

Adnaj is drawn all the way to the Alvadas in a business venture to drum up some capital for the founding of his clinic.

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Trickery on the other side of the Maw (Crypt Insatem)

Postby Adnaj on December 8th, 2012, 11:33 pm

Spring 10th 508AV

Adnaj's clinc was nearly ready to open. He had decided where to build, he targeted the niche population whom he would be best fit to serve and he had already begun to gather the necessary materials.

At this point, the only thing that he truly lacked was the money to sufficiently invest in all of the tools that he would need to host a responsible and safe health clinic. The fact that he was so close was killing him. Sure, he could bide his time and wait another five or so years but hadn't he waited long enough? Adnaj felt like a runner in the final stretch of a footrace. It was time to sprint these last few yards and begin to reap his rewards.

To this end, Adnaj had allowed himself to be drawn far away from his future clinic site. In fact, he was far away from Zeltiva. Truth be told, he was quite far from Syliria itself. Today, Adnaj found himself gazing upon the Gaping Maw. The city entrance was still a great deal away but it was visible. It had been a long trip and he didn't realize that his hosts had needed to pay a pod of Svefra to ensure safe crossing over the Suvan Sea. He was trying to make money and yet the trip had already cost him more Miza's than he had planned. This was the most frightening thing of all. He would have to bargain for more money upon his safe return to Zeltiva. Otherwise, this trip would actually cost him money!

Adnaj started to wonder about this promise which was strong enough to lure him to an entirely different region of Mizahar. A few months prior, Adnaj had been keeping his ear to the ground for different methods of earning some extra income. He didn't care whether the job required great bravery or incredible humility. If the job was reasonably safe, Adnaj was interested. Sometimes his sources led him to temporary, but backbreaking ,work by the docks. Today, however, he was fortunate enough to chase down a much larger job which had taken him across Mizahar.

Today was one of those more ambitious jobs. A wealthy Zeltivan socialite had sent an envoy to a powerful house in Alvadas. Travel in Mizahar was tough, this was nothing extraordinary but the gift never got there. The idea was simple. Adnaj had, simply to take some rich man's bribe to another powerful figure in a different city. He had remained vigilant throughout all of his trip but didn't feel particularly worried. Again, traveling in Mizahar was dangerous. Everyone knew this. Adnaj simply chalked it up to bad luck on the part of his predecessor.

As he approached the very distant Gaping Maw, however, he came across a sight that he did not expect to see. It was a man, his clothes were torn and he looked ragged and tired. He appeared to be traveling with a horse but the horse did not appear to be in much better shape. Whatever this man had been through, it had certainly fatigued him. He needed to get back to Alvadas sooner than later.

"What happened?" Adnaj tried to ask, his voice seemingly sucked dry of any emotion or excitement. He immediately reached for his supplies, wanting to have his tools close by, just in case.
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Trickery on the other side of the Maw (Crypt Insatem)

Postby Crypt on December 24th, 2012, 5:52 pm


Spring comes to all of Mizahar;
Morwen departs with swan-like grace.
The frost is melting - the cold nights fade
From mem'ries long, replaced by warmth.


After mentally composing a short verse (Basing it on a poem written by a rather enchanting Vantha female - he had no talent to spout poems at will), Crypt smiled faintly as he beheld the vegetation around him slowly emerging from the frozen earth, shaking off the last chains of Winter that had shackled them and restrained their growth. The season had been too long for him, even though he and Maras had been relatively warm most of the time in Alvadas. Still, there were a few incidents, mostly due to the constant shifting of all manner of paths and the mischievous nature of the illusions that were Alvadas.

Giving Maras a pat on his flank, Crypt alighted gracefully from the Strider's back, leading his companion towards the Maw. A bowl of piping-hot soup and a nice, warm fire to sit by filled his thoughts as they entered the main road from the forest.

And then a man stumbled out of nowhere, leaning on a slowly-trotting horse, before collapsing onto the ground. Observing the tattered clothes of the small figure, Crypt was about to dash to the side of the fallen man before another bystander, being in closer proximity to him than Crypt, started to attend to him.

Motioning for Maras to remain where he was, Crypt sprinted towards the bay horse, who appeared to be in no better condition than his master. Examining the equine carefully, Crypt determined that he was not injured in any way, although the horse seemed to be rather exhausted and dehydrated, judging from how its nose was not as moist as it should be.

Yes, he needs water and rest. I'll let the other person deal with his master while I help this poor fellow over here. He's too tired to resist me now; what the petch has the man been doing to his horse? From what little I can tell, they have been traveling for quite a while. But to force the horse to travel until it becomes like this...

Crypt rummaged through his backpack, pulling out a waterskin. Using his right hand, he tilted the horse's mouth slightly outwards, seperating its lips before pouring a small stream of water into its mouth, controlling the flow of water. After finishing his short drink, the horse became more lively, though still dragging its hooves on the ground as it slowly approached its owner.
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Trickery on the other side of the Maw (Crypt Insatem)

Postby Adnaj on December 28th, 2012, 4:07 am

Adnaj noticed the figure tending to the horse. Knowing, now that both creatures were taken care of, Adnaj could truly focus on the rider.

The man wore tattered and ripped clothing which was, by now, almost wholly unrecognizable. He had a light brown hair which looked as though it probably approached a dark orange in certain lighting. He was certainly on the smaller side but by no means scrawny or incapable of protecting himself. Little else about the man was noteworthy except that his lips trickled blood as he tried to speak and his body looked positively battered.

" 'Taken bah surprise by tha' damn lot ah prigs," the man mumbled as he struggled, in Adnaj's arms, to rise to his feet. Upon standing it became far more visible, to Adnaj, that his wrist was shattered and that his hand was bent at an obscene angle.

" Ay took efreethin that I hat on me!" He shouted, once again sounding more angry than scared. The man nearly collapsed as he stubbornly tried to stand on his feet and shake his fist.

"Whoah!" Adnaj carefully warned. "Whoah, take it easy. You're safe, let's get you back to Alvadas and then you can worry about all of the riches in Mizahar," the Nuit suggested as he guided the man in the direction of the Gaping Maw.

"Have you any idea if your horse is alright? Can you, perhaps, still ride?" More than relying on the broken man for any answer, Adnaj now looked toward the stranger and the horse for which he was caring.
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Trickery on the other side of the Maw (Crypt Insatem)

Postby Crypt on December 30th, 2012, 2:06 pm


As the bedraggled human attempted to struggle to his feet once again, his horse came up to him and allowed him to pull himself off the ground painfully and slowly with his one unharmed hand, cursing under his breath as he moved his severely-damaged hand a little too quickly.

"Petch! Ah reckon this one's a goner, the bones' stickin' out everywhar and hurting me ev'ry time ah move. Have ta cut it off, or infection'll set in. Ah can't ride on me poor horse: he's as tired as ah am."

The injured man gritted his teeth, allowing a long groan to pass through his lips as his body trembled.

Crypt shook his head in response to Adnaj's query.

"He's right. This horse is in no condition to be bearing even the slightest burden, it's very exhausted. We'll have to bring him back to Alvadas, and see if we can find treatment for him. I doubt Ionu's Mercy will appear for him, since his injuries aren't really life-threatening. Do you know anything about medical treatment for this kind of injury? I'll try to find the inn in which I have a room in, where he can rest."

As the small group of travelers moved towards the entrance to Alvadas, Crypt leading the horse, a rumbling voice emerged from the stone face that was the only way into Alvadas, its eyes fixed on them.

“You have come in search of the City of Illusion. Tell me, stranger, why are you here?”

The Drykas scowled and spoke harshly.

"Move, face of Angkor Wat, or whatever names countless beings have given you. This is no time for questions."

The ever-present smile on the stone face widened to near-impossible proportions before it split cleanly into half, revealing the streets of Alvadas.

As they moved into Alvadas proper, Crypt glanced at the ground as he walked some distance forward, away from the others.

Thank Ionu, the street isn't screwed up right now. Hopefully we'll find the Cubacious Inn quickly - Ah, there it is.

Kneeling down, Crypt muttered some words to Maras before the Cyphrus Stallion and the horse trotted off in a different direction.

"To the Stables, friend. Our brother Tsavyn will take care of both of you. We'll be back in... Well, you know Alvadas. Off you go, then."

Crypt spoke in a louder voice directed towards the injured man.

"Don't worry, sir, Maras will lead him towards the Unstable Stables. They'll be fine there, the head horseman is a Drykas - he'll know how to help your steed recuperate."

"Avone, not sir. Never really liked 'at." Avone grimaced in pain, pausing briefly, "Thankee, kind sir... But are we really going in there?"

He pointed at the the three giant yellow cubes that made up the Cubacious Inn.

"Yes, we will. Don't worry, the cubes won't be spinning tonight. I think." Crypt pondered the matter briefly before reminding himself of far more imperative matters.

"Inside. We'll go to my room, and get you a seat and a drink."

Avone turned a slight shade of green as Crypt mentioned the spinning cubes, before steeling himself, following the tattoed man inside.

Nodding to the proprietor of the Inn, Georgia Delner, Crypt led the small group into his small room.
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Trickery on the other side of the Maw (Crypt Insatem)

Postby Adnaj on December 30th, 2012, 11:00 pm

"Alright, then," Adnaj allowed the man to lean on him as Crypt took the horse a few feet away for its own care. "We'll still have to get to Alvadas and its going to be a bit of a hike."

Having studied in Sahova, Adnaj was used to seeing the most gruesome of bodily injuries. It really wasn't very feasible to make him grimace or squirm. However, he knew how painful the wrist had to have been to the human.

"That wrist is going to bother you all the way back to the city. You'll pass out from the pain before you make it," Adnaj warned. He looped an arm behind the man's back and around his waist.

"Wha' are yeh doin' there?" the man asked him.

Next, Adnaj gave the man a strip of leather. "Bite down on this,"

"Al'yargh gods..." he mumbled while holding the leather with one hand. He quickly complied and Adnaj delivered a quick but shallow pull on the man's hand.

The man screamed out during a moment of blinding pain but when the wave of discomfort had passed his resting pain level had been significantly lowered. From here, the group was able to help get the man and his horse back to safety.

"So..." Adnaj broke the silence after a few paces. "I'm Adnaj...I'm a physician from Zeltiva..."

When they reached the maw, Adnaj found himself extremely grateful that the Drykas had known the way in. Adnaj had prepared to stand around confused until the stranger took action and granted them entrance into the city. The healer was very relieved to see the face yield the pathway and open up to them.

The city didn't seem, by all appearances, to be too strange. There were buildings, roads and people. All of the hallmarks of a firm civilization were present. Adnaj knew better though. He knew that this peaceful looking city wouldn't exist for long. He understood that this tranquil city would be replaced, tomorrow, by a tranquil city that looked wholly different.

"Once we're inside, there will be much more that I can do for you," he told Avone after hearing about the man's trepidation.

Adnaj didn't know much about Alvadas but he understood Avone's trepidation. He had learned enough, across his centuries as a Nuit, to be aware of Alvadas' shifting nature. Once again, he was fortunate that Crypt could get the three of them to the right place. In a city like Alvadas, Adnaj was no more knowledgeable in here than he was in The Unforgiving.
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Trickery on the other side of the Maw (Crypt Insatem)

Postby Crypt on December 30th, 2012, 11:46 pm

“M'name's Crypt. I'm a... Well, I do a little of this, a little of that. Mostly traveling. I come from Cyphrus.”

As Avone collapsed onto the small bed with a huge sigh of relief, Crypt poured ale from a jug into a small wooden mug, passing it to the injured man.

“Thanks... Crypt? Been a long time since ah had a drink,” Avone spoke after a few sips of the ale.

Crypt smiled briefly before his face returned to a neutral expression, though with eyebrows furrowed, as he sat in thought at a small writing desk, glancing towards Adnaj and Avone every now and then.

After a few minutes of watching Avone being treated, he spoke again.

“We were lucky this time,” Crypt paused briefly to take a bite from an apple, “If Alvadas wasn't as... friendly as it was today, the situation would have been much worse.”
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Trickery on the other side of the Maw (Crypt Insatem)

Postby Adnaj on January 3rd, 2013, 12:39 am

Now within the safety of the Cubacious Inn, Adnaj immediately set to work healing the battered traveler.

"You seem pretty comfortable, here in Alvadas," Adnaj remarked to Crypt as he began his work. "It's the first time that I've ever been to the City of Ionu, myself."

It soon became clear that, while the man needed a good deal of attention, he was in no longer in any mortal danger.

"We're quite fortunate that you know your way around Alvadas as well as one can know Alvadas."

Adnaj now turned his attention back toward the man.

"What did you get yourself into, anyway?" Adnaj asked the man as he painfully tended to some particularly nasty wounds.

After a loud howl in pain, the man replied to Adnaj's question.

"Argh, there'd supposedly been some courier in town. Was doon' a job fer some wealthy ol' buzzard in Zeltiva. Suppoast to be a praitty borin' delivery job so ah'm not sure what exactly happent." Avonne had to concentrate on his footing here. He was weak from everything that he had been through.

In struggled breaths, he continued. "Duhn't matter though, word got out tha' he was delivring a bunch of gold gold to a merchant in town. 'Cept the gold never got there. Bandits got him first. I wanted to see if 'ah could sift through some ah'tha wreckage. Maybe track down the bandits and see if I could lift something useful from 'em. Full disclosure, I'm a pickpocket ya see."


He paused, trying to gauge their reactions. It was a risky confession but here he was bleeding and exhausted. Avonne was a pickpocket but he wasn't a larcenist. He just didn't have the energy to fabricate anything. He continued his story, with a mild sense of relief when they didn't appear to want to hand him over to any authority.

"Guess I wasn't good enough, though, eh?" He laughed with a soft, grim laugh devoid of any noticeable smile. "They beat the tar out of me and dumped me on the road to either die in the sun or warn anyone else about messing with'um."


"Wait a minute,"
Adnaj looked intrigued. "You mean the first courier? The one who got lost before me?"[/color] He asked incredulously. This was worrisome news. First the setback with the Svefra and now this? So his caravan hadn't got lost during travel. This wasn't an unfortunate accident at all. The man who had attempted Adnaj's job on the first time around had been targeted and murdered!

"What happened to the package? Ya know all of the money and gold?"

"Taken by them same damn vagiks who jumped me. The whole buncha' bandits holed up in some grimy cave somewhere..."

This was a mess. Not only had his bribe to the Svefra dipped into his personal funds, he knew that he still had to worry about the return trip across the Suvan Sea! Adnaj had come all this way and here he was, ready to actually lose money on this job! Despite his sense of panic at the idea that someone might be looking to attack him, Adnaj couldn't return home empty handed. It just wasn't feasible to spend this much time away from Zeltiva...and then to also lose money which was desperately needed.

"I think..." his whisper was quieted more by a sense of exasperation then it was by any desire for stealth. "I think I need to find a way to retrieve that gold..."
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Trickery on the other side of the Maw (Crypt Insatem)

Postby Crypt on January 3rd, 2013, 11:24 am

OOCOh, could you shift the timestamp to perhaps Spring 509 AV? The current one doesn't really fit with Crypt's travels.

“Comfortable?” Crypt smirked, “Aye, almost as comfortable as one can get in this city where nothing, absolutely nothing, sometimes not even yourself, can be taken for granted. I have taken to Alvadas more quickly than many others due to the... unique workings of my mind, but still it unsettles me whenever it pleases to do so. Alvadas on the surface is a delightful place, a wonderland that can be found in many an imaginative child's wildest dreams, but it contains secrets too. I have glimpsed a small part - or rather, miniscule - and nearly lost my life. Then again, not all parts of Alvadas are harmful; they may be benign in nature, or even beneficial to us.”

Flipping a miza with his left hand, Crypt watched in amusement as an animate quill caught it neatly with a delicate arm of eagle feather and placed it back into his hands, before making a makeshift bow (as well as a quill could), then returning to its original position with tip submerged in an inkstand.

Listening attentively to Adnaj and Avone's conversation, Crypt broke in once Adnaj had suggested retrieving the gifts.

“Money and gold? Ah, music to my ears. Well, of a slightly decadent kind at least. I will not endeavor too deeply on finding out its intended purpose, but if it requires raiding bandits, well, I think I'll be the best man for doing so, since Avone is... temporarily handicapped - pardon the pun - and I haven't seen a weapon on Adnaj yet. I assume that the man sending both of you on the mission has sent two packages in total? Well, assuming that is so, allow me to provide a suggestion.”

Crypt took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before continuing.

“We find the bandits, take the package they have stolen and split it three ways. Adnaj can give his own package to the intended party. After returning to wherever both of you came from, Avone can tell the gift-giver that he lost it to some bandits. Even if his pay is foregone, the third of the package should be enough to cover the loss.”
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Trickery on the other side of the Maw (Crypt Insatem)

Postby Adnaj on January 6th, 2013, 12:37 pm

Avone was resting on a bed. Adnaj would need to tend to his wounds over the next few hours but the urgent work was over. The healer was able to stand up from Avone's side and respond to Crypt's ideas.

"Well that's why the plan could work so well... Avone and Adnaj had had the same employer. The rich patron had assumed the first courier dead and counted all of the first envoy as lost. He wouldn't miss any of it should they decide to retrieve it for themselves. There wouldn't be any questions to answer or lies to generate.

"He's already assumed a loss on that gold. By hiring me, he's already forfeited the mizas and the gold that Avone was supposed to deliver!

Maybe this trip was going to be profitable after all! He might not need to shrewdly negotiate (and Adnaj believed that he knew the outcome of such a venture. He had wholly anticipated failure in trying to wrest more money from his rich, Zeltivan patron.) But a moment later, reality settled in. Adnaj's look of excitement melted away into a frown tempered by the existence of certain obstacles.

"But now for reality... For the reason that this plan is most certainly doomed to failure. We can be assured that these men have some sort of combat training or are experienced brawlers." Adnaj politely but bluntly pointed this worry toward Avone. "The existence of your scars and bruises teaches us that these men are dangerous and that we are going to need a certain amount of combat savy to deal with them.

Adnaj took a few steps closer to Crypt. "I mean, I suppose that I could do what I am able to provide some sort of distraction if that were needed but I am a medic, at best. I have no practical knowledge of how to fight anyone. What is it that you do, Crypt? Do you have any experience in this area? Are we going to need additional help to get this gold and the mizas back?"

Adnaj was still excited about the prospect of making this trip profitable again. However, he had a bizarre moment of being extremely surprised about the conversation in which he found himself. Here he was talking about the best way to overcome and defeat a gang of thugs. This was certainly not where he predicted to find himself when he took this job months ago. This wasn't natural for Adnaj and that fact started to make itself known in his mind.

Like a child coming out of the spirit of a game of make-believe, he started to come back to the reality that he was just a doctor. He wasn't a warrior or a wizard. He was a physician. Could he really do this or was this just the stuff of fantasy and wild imagination? Maybe Crypt could get them through this. Perhaps, these were routine dealings for Crypt and Avone. Adnaj hoped so because if this plan was to be successful, he would have to rely on Crypt's leadership.
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Trickery on the other side of the Maw (Crypt Insatem)

Postby Crypt on January 7th, 2013, 5:23 pm


"True, true. A simple distraction you could be, but perhaps not one without any defense."

Crypt smirked evilly as he pondered the issue for a few moments.

Crypt moved towards a broom in the corner, hefting it with both hands before throwing it at Adnaj. Lifting his still-sheathed longsword, Crypt swung it up, whirling it a few times before pointing it at Adnaj.

"Combat, in its essence, is, for the most part, covered by this simple statement: Here is target: hit it. A brief elaboration of the statement would include the words 'Don't get hit as far as possible'. Elementary combat basics. Hit your foe as hard as possible, but don't get hit. Of course, in reality, combat is much more complex. For example, even if you land many blows with a wooden club on an enemy with all your strength, it will do you no good if your enemy is fully armored. Play dirty! Throw dirt or sand into his eye-slits; trip him up, or even try to steal his weapon from him. And now, Adnaj, you will try to land a hit on me with the broom of yours."

Crypt faced the healer, his sheathed longsword by his side.
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