Quest [Syka Quest] Mustering For The Journey

[Zakar]

Zakar, who couldn't help but stare warily in the Eypharian's general direction, did not notice a woman walk up right to him and introduce herself. He tried to hide the slight jolt of surprise that ran through his body as he turned to her, surprised that anyone had come up to him at all. He had expected to go through this meet relatively unnoticed, and unexpectedly felt a little relieved that he didn't. Perhaps it was because it could take his mind off all of the thoughts of impending doom he was starting to have.

"I am Zakar," he replied with a warm, but controlled smile, "from the tents of Lehar, of the sons of Benha." Now that he took the time to look at her, she was certainly a very pretty girl, and he wondered what her purpose might be on this quest to Syka. Her presence at this party alone suggested there was more to her than a nice face.

[Istril]

Istril wasn't from Riverfall-- that was a fact that was painfully apparent to any who happened to glance her way. As if her gender wasn't indication enough, she stood a whole two feet under even the shortest of the Akalak, a height disparity that was made only more apparent by the fact that she was sitting and the vast majority of them were standing and moving around. Even if one ignored these glaring hints, giving her the benefit of the doubt and saying she was an assimilated immigrant of some sort, that estimate was still quickly obliterated by her obvious discomfort in the heat and humidity of Riverfall. Istril had been born and raised in Sultros, and in her travels, had, until now, never been farther south than Alvadas, and it showed. The summer heat, despite it being a nice (relatively speaking, for the natives) evening was overpowering for her, not to mention the humidity. The air felt as though it hung over her like a blanket, threatening to smother her, even though it was as insubstantial as a ghost. In an attempt to combat the stifling heat, she had rolled up the sleeves of her robe as far as they would allow, revealing the slender, form-fitting Isurian chainmail underneath. Sweating profusely, Istril was gulping down water, trying to fight an invisible enemy in a battle that she knew she could not win, yet her Isurian pride demanded she fight regardless. By nature of being a midget in a city of giants, with red hair plastered to her head by sweat, and her sleeves pulled up as far as they would go, she was the dictionary definition of ridiculous, and she didn't care in the slightest.

[Sirroco]

Sirroco gratefully took the extended hand of the Eypharian and shook it in greeting, relieved he did not have to choose which hand to shake. The bronze-skinned Eyktolian encouraged introductions, while the Konti inquired about participation in the Syka expedition. The mongoose-shaped pycon seemed disinterested, and wandered off. The Svefra turned to look again at Eleret and Lacerta, given that he had already introduced himself, he answered Eleret's question. "Yes, I am going on the expedition." His grin widened. "We are looking to be a rather...diverse group." Already, they had a Konti, a sign of good luck in Sirroco's eyes, and an exotic Ahnatepite. This would be an adventure indeed. Already having met two appealing and interesting comrades, he looked beyond the Konti and Eypharian to see others arriving; another Konti, a couple Isurians and a Benshiran among them. Taking in the group, the Svefra drank from the wine glass again, not the elegant sip that some others employed, but a deeper draft, followed by a few plump grapes. Turning to his new acquaintances, the fisherman inquired further. "And what will your jobs be on this adventure?"

[Delilah]

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Delilah As the Pycon found her way to the party, she walked in to the gardens. The first things she noticed were the tall torches, and that she knew no one there. Though she would not allow this to hold her back from venturing into the party. As she began to weave her way through the attendees' to an open blanket, seated herself around some of the pillows, and began to observe the party. She very different types of people. Humans, Konti, Ethaefal, Isur, and even other Pycon were already talking amongst themselves. As the other guests mingled, Delilah began thinking about her old home in Alvadas. She pulled out her painting, and began to relive some old memories. After a few moments she put the painting away, and began to observe the party goers, waiting around for something interesting enough to happen.

[Gossamer]

Mathias nodded to Lacerta who arrived first. He gestured to the set of pillows scattered around and nodded to a servant to bring over some wine to the young woman. He smiled brightly but did not say anything at all yet. When Abase arrived and addressed him, Mathias rose, shook Abase’ hand, and nodded. “I’m Mathias Syka. And who might I have the pleasure of being introduced to? Are you Abase then? Your… appearance suggests its so.” The man said, smiling. He gestured for refreshments to be handed to Abase, and took Brodon’s hand as well when the young man approached and spoke. “Ahh Brodon. Nice to meet you.” He said, and took a glass of wine from a server and handed it to the Drykas himself. Mathias looked a tad bit out of place in the group, though he was gaining stride as more and more people approached. Truth be told he wasn’t sure who would make the Mustering and who would join them for the meet and greet.

“We’ll have room for about a dozen horses and other livestock. I’m concerned about the safety of horses where we are going for there are rumors of huge jungle cats the Myrians use as mounts and other dangers. So you will have to decide for yourself to bring a horse or not. If you bring one, food and stable will be provided for on the ship. Beyond that, the animal’s safety will be your own responsibility once we hit land.” Mathias answered honestly. He’d have liked to guarantee more forthcoming information, but he truthfully had none.

When Eleret approached, but did not offer her name, Mathias didn’t seem offended. He nodded to the Konti as a form of greeting while she joined Lacerta on the seating provided. A server handed her drink and offered her fruit. Several more servants joined the party, and began assembling what looked like a table amidst all the pillows, one that was only as high as someone sitting could easily eat off of. It was comprised of smaller stackable tables that unstacked and linked together to form a long dinning set that could be expanded as much or as little as needed depending upon the people present.

While the servants worked, Mathias greeted more newcomers.

When Lucus arrived, Mathias smiled, and didn’t seem offended by his question at all. “I lost my first wife in childbirth as well as my first set of twins. She was inarta, but for some reason something was wrong and the healers lost her. And then… I married her twin a year later after falling madly in love. She was later lost to an accident in the streets involving a runaway ox cart. Both ladies were much beloved by me, and were some of the best companionship a man could ever have.” He added, looking sad for a moment. “I have never remarried after those two. Who could? They were the love of my life.” He said quietly, then added,. “Nice to meet you Lucas.” He offered his hand for a shake.

When Denali joined the party, Mathias’ smiled brightly, even his eyes lighting up. “I’m glad you decided to join us, Delani. You have seen much sorrow, haven’t you, because your letter was infused with it. I had no idea your internal scars would be external ones as well. But I do know that I look forward to you being with us. I feel like you needed to be here for us to succeed. Eyris, after all, is never wrong in those she chooses to acknowledge.” Mathias said, reaching out and taking Denali’s hand, which he brought to his lips and kissed.

Mathias acknowledged Sirocco’s arrival with a .nod and gesture to get the servers to give the Svefra something to eat. He knew they’d have time later to talk. He stepped sideways abruptly as an otter bounded past, something Mathias was not surprised at since the Svefra were thick with animals of all sorts, though no one outside of the race could explain why the beasts followed the seamen everywhere.

Mathias noted Kinneas’s entrance, but said little due to the man not introducing himself. He could guess who the man was, by the remaining roster in his head, but to pinpint an exact name was rather hard. Human.. of average height, build, and not having spoken a word yet… Mathias decided he’d let the young alone for a while before engaging him in a dialog.

The pycon was an easy guess, for all that he played as he entered. Mathias was not all that surprised, for the pycon as a whole were not noted for their serious natures nor their stoic dispositions. “Greetings Kench. I’m glad you made it. You’re definitely going to be an asset on this trip.” He added, smiling slightly amused as a server offered him refreshments awkwardly, not sure what a man made of clay ate. Another, previously schooled, rushed up to brush the first out of the way, and offered the pycon a mug of raw claw holding water that could both be drank or utilized by the pycon in various ways.

Jared’s arrival was missed altogether. Not because the boy was particularly astoot at hiding. He was just, instead, rather bad at standing out. With the growing darkness, the mingling crowd, and everyone talking at once, Mathias anticipated Jared being at the function, but completely missed his entrance.

Zakar was nodded too and a servant offered him wine almost immediately and a small appetizer of thin cracker and olive cheese. Mathias watched the newcomer, but did not press an introduction. The Benshira seemed uneasy and Mathias did not want to spook him further.

Daekos Volundur scored points with Mathias when he introduced himself to the pycon first. Mathias still hadn’t figured out if Daekos was actually Daekos or if Kinneas was until the Isur introduced himself and his mall stature and thick arm gave him away. That put Daekos as the Isur and Kinneas as the human still unaccounted for. Mathias smiled. Everyone seemed to be showing up.

Levi also gave herself away with her introduction so Mathias could file her eatly away in his mind. That left the Konti Nailah and the Pycon Deliliah to show up. There was one more woman, but Mathias was unknowing of her race. He suspected she was a human, being the most common. But he didn’t rule out Konti, Isur, or even perhaps another of the races he hadn’t considered. When Istril walked into the garden, he recognized the disordered mess she was and nodded. Ahhh, that would be the mage, Istril.

“Greeting Istril, come join us. Everyone… sit sit.. let us dine and talk. We have much planning to do.” He added, breaking off his conversation with the two men he was standing with and moving towards the now assembled and outfitted table. It was formal dining, obviously, though they’d be sitting on cushions instead of chairs and finger food was the main course of the day.

Wine was already poured and Mathias sat down at the head of the table, and beckoned the length to either side. “Sit sit…” He encouraged, letting everyone have a seat at their leisure.

“Now… morning after tomorrow, we are going to get an early start. My first order of business is to see to the ship loading, which I will do tonight given that all of you can have your things delivered to the port by tomorrow sundown. That gives you one day to prepare. I have servants and hirelings that will head to your perspective residences with you tonight to gather your things. That includes any animals you will be taking with you like mounts. If you have not secured a room here, you can stay on the ship starting tonight. Everyone here is being given a small bunk, doubled up, so you’ll need to pick roommates. If there are any couples, you can room together. Then, at first light, we will set sail to the mouth of the harbor where our first task will happen.” Mathias said, looking pleased with himself.

“You will be all required to make a sacrifice to Laviku. Everyone must sacrifice something. It is a custom when sailing, especially on a dangerous trip. Sacrifices are serious things, so think carefully and have your offering prepared tonight or tomorrow, by no later than when we sail. Once that’s done, our trip will be underway. I don’t anticipate many problems or activities for you to carry out on the ship, since I have fully crewed her, but you are welcome to assist in chores therein if you’d like – cooking, cleaning, entertaining.. whatever you want to try your hand at.” He added. Then gestured to the servants.

More food was spread out, plates filled, and servants swarmed over the group. As soon as everyone had been served, wine filled, and small tall glasses of desert placed on the table, Mathias once again commanded attention.

“It would be nice if you all went around and introduced yourselves. Feel free to ask any questions you’d like and I’ll do my best to answer them. If you have any special requests for supplies or needs along the journey, let me know now. Once underway, our next destination will be the coast of Falyndar where there’s no place to resupply. In fact, the ships we bring along might even be scavenged to help start our dig and outpost there. So… think carefully. And lets start over here on the right.” Mathias said, pointing at the person sitting directly right of him.

[Delani Denusk]

Their discussion finished, Delani rejoined the others, letting Brodon find where he wished to settle. As the tables and cushions were brought forth and set up for the guests to begin congregating, she picked a spot near the center, if only for the advantage of hearing all. It would benefit her, in the end, to know the faces of the others she would be living around for, for all she knew, the remainder of her life, becoming accustomed to their personalities, familiarizing herself with their faces and names as quickly as possible.

She sat cross-legged on the cushion, watching as the rest began to methodically fall in around the table, her hands patiently folded in her lap and green eyes soaking it all in. There were so many of such variety, she wondered if she'd be able to memorize them all. A silent prayer of clarity was cast up as Dela looked around. Pycons, humans, Svefra...so many faces, so many forms. And then, stepping to her left, the drykas found herself beside Mr. Syka himself, jades rising to the figure to watch and listen curiously as he called the others to sit and get comfortable before beginning his speech.

The dame had taken note of the explanation on the stables, the chances of the horses dying. This had been known, but the woman found it hard to think of separating with Coram. He was no Strider, say true, but he had been so instrumental during a difficult time; how could she possibly sell him? Of course, one needn't sell the horse...perhaps she could speak with Kavala and donate him to the Sanctuary for breeding. He was a fine and sturdy stallion, a survivor through and through. But still...the colorsplash was as much her friend and family as Vanator was. He would not understand why she left him behind, afterall they'd been through...No, leaving him here was not a choice. He would have to come. If they could survive the wilds of the grasslands with only each other for months, they could survive the jungles. She would see that he was settled aboard the ship (a new experience they would endure together).

Mathias went on to explain the double-bunking. She had not prepared for that at all. Of these strangers, who could she possibly feel comfortable enough to bunk with? Brodon? He was the only she knew now, a Drykas at least. That was not to say she was racist, of course, only...anxious. For a moment, the woman considered bedding in the stables with the stallion, more comfortable in his presence than in this foreigners almost. No, that would not do and would be rude. She would have to suck it up. Though he was just a lad in her eyes, it would be an easier burden to share a room with him than these others.

The mention of giving a sacrifice to the sea-god brought a frown to the matrons lips, her eyes lowering to the table in thought. What had she that would be worthy to the god? She could not part with her falx, its use in the jungles likely higher than some of her other things. Shedding the charred yvas was not an option; Coram would no longer wear the saddle and bridle of other cultures after having experienced life with the lighter 'wrap' that was the drykas-saddle. She'd taught him how to remove it, too, in case something happened that required it to be taken off without her, lessening the chances of the old driving horse from being caught in something.

Her mind finally settled on the bedroll. While its value was little in terms of money, it was the sentimentality that let her decide. The original bedroll, one of the few things which had survived both her striders and her friends death, was still secured with the old yvas. It had spared her from the cold of winter grounds and snow, hid her when the lions were hunting, and even warmed a dying man when the first bitter frosts came knocking at Cyphrus' door. It had seen a year of hardships and shared the same grief that she had. It was a worthy sacrifice to Delani; she prayed it would be worthy to Laviku.

The woman began to nibble lightly upon the meal set before them, not wishing to weight her stomach too much right then, or at all the next couple days, should the day of departure prove upsetting. Having never travelled by ship before, she was wholly unsure how it would be.

She had just taken up the flute of dessert when Mathias directed his attention to her. A bit surprised, she set the glass down and looked to the gathered, trying to read the faces carefully as she considered her words. When the woman at last spoke, the care in which she took for each phrase was obvious; it was the words of one who felt out of place as the center of attention, but one who sought precision when it came to voicing her thoughts, wishing not to leave things to chance.

"Good evening, fellow adventurers." She began. "I am Delani." The omission of pavilion and clan was simple enough. "I come not for fortune or fame, not for the 'free ride' as some might call that which our benefactor provides. I simply come for the pending knowledge of the land and future city we seek. I confess fear of the jungles we will be traversing as it sounds...quite the drastic change to the open plains of Cyphrus. Nonetheless, it will be a unique and enlightening experience to which I look forward to." The dame smiled up at the man in charge before continuing on.

"As for requests, there is little I could ask for that might not be obtained along the way. However, I would inquire for the acquisition of a dog or two. I hear the Sanctuary sells several fine varieties. The dogs in mind would be ideal for alerting the expedition of possible threats, and could even be used for hunting. I am not sure of the rest of you, but I am unfamiliar what kind of prey might be available there; having an animal that might have a better instinct for such things would simply be logical."

"If it would not be a detriment to the ships crew, I would like to investigate the vessels before we depart; purely out of curiosity. I've..." She spoke a little shyly now, "...never seen a sea ship before." Absent-mindedly, the stiff thumb of her right hand rubbed across the glove covering her left, the interest at seeing the ships clear in those jade eyes.

x

[Brodon Windriver]

Brodon sat beside Delani as though it was assumed. There was no intent to "claim" her by doing so, It had simply seemed logical. They had enjoyed a long, semi-private conversation and had made tentative plans for the next day. So it seemed sensible to be nearby in case changes needed to be made. The low table made frequent standing a chore, and he was not one given to shout across a party of people.

He gave her a warm smile and helped himself to the light fare making its rounds. As Mathias made his announcement of the various requirements, Brodon already began to blush with the thought of bunking with Delani. He immediately dismissed the thought as grossly inapropriate and was still mentally chastising himself when he saw most eyes settling on him. He made a short, clumsy attempt to stand, when he recalled that Delani had not bothered with the formality, so he remained seated and cleared his throat.

"I am also being need..ing to see the ships. Oh, yes, uh...I am Brodon Windriver of..." he remembered that Delani had not mentioned her Pavilion, so he figured it would be best to follow suit. "...of Endrykas at the first. But I am now thinking of myself as a being of Yahebah. I am needing the ships for...getting my hawk, Arrow, being used to them as places to fly...to." He grimaced at his clumsy common. "I am trying for being short with talking, as you can tell I am not being good at it. If there are any's of you that speak Pavi, you will be finding that I AM talking for better in that."

He refocused on his subject, "Arrow is for being messengers between ships and needs for Nari code to speak to him, so he makes...sense...of what I tell him. A flag of different colors on every...no...each ship for telling difference is working for this. Then I just am telling him Nari chirp for such color and he is knowing which boat."

He looked suddenly pained. "I am knowing some little of Laviku from a Konti woman... well, yes, they are all being women." he blushed a little and shook his head. "Uh..oh yes, I am hoping from what she was told...telling...me...umm...We are not talking of a living thing for being sacrificing, right? I am bringing my horse and bringing my hawk with me for usefulness of their strengths and have little much that is not tools and weapons. Much was being lost to me when I was banditted...robbing me by bandit men, in the desert."

He paused a moment, "It is not for being greedy of my tools and weapons that I do not be sacrificing them, but feel they are being too useful for taking them away from the expedition need...ing them." He wore a genuine look of grief as he continued. "I am having...something of home...I buyed in Ahnatep for remembering of my people. It is small figure of Cyphrus Strider in fired clay-like...poris...ellin...I am not knowing what it is called, or what other...stuff is making it shining in the dark, but I am hurt to give it up. But if Laviku will see that our animals are safety for being protected, we men will see to our own selves, and I will call it a good trading."

[Vektor Frunklas]

Vektor was late. The journey had taken much longer than he had expected, and several difficulties had occuered along the way.

However he was here now.

He heard the gathering before he even entered it. The noise of the participants echoed out of Atri's place, bringing a certain life into the dark sky of the evening.

So. This was it. This was the begging of a new chapter in his life. This was were it all beggan. And he was late for it. Great.

He took a deep breath before he crept his way inside, trying to be as quietly as he could. There were so many people of different races, and Vektor couldn't identify all of the races he saw.

He didn't have time to take the whole scene in before someone was beckoning everyone to sit down.

That must be Mathias. Good, he hadn't missed the starting brief then, that was something at least. He made his way towards the table, nodding to a couple of people who noticed his and sat down, waiting for Mathias to speak.

He made a mental note to remember to tell Mathias what medical and philtering supplies he needed for the journey and for when they landed. He listened excitedly, although he was a little troubled when he heard mention of a sacrifice to Laviku.

He didn't know a lot about the god and had no idea what would be an appropriate sacrifice? He looked around the table, searching the faces for one of his children, the Svefra. If anyone knew what to sacrifice they would.

His search of the faces was brought short when Mathius turned to the first person next to him and asked her to introduce herself.

Vektor listened, learning more about the people that he would travel with. They sounded interesting, and he wanted to learn more about each person as they spoke, but soon it was his turn.

He looked down at the table as all eyes turned on him. He was suddenly very shy and his mouth felt dry all of a sudden. He took a sip from the drink that was laid before him before talking.

"My name is Vektor, good evening to you all. I, I have come along to help in whatever way I can. I have healing knowledge and other skills which may be of benefit, and I have been fortunate enough to be blessed by my god. I am exited about being able to be a part of discovering something that was lost and being part of something that will change history as we know it. That's all. If anyone would like to know more about me, then please, come and talk.

He looked around at everyone, smiling and trying to look opening. Hopefully this would be the start of something great.

[Daekos Volundur]

Daekos sat there patiently, absorbing and analysing the information Mathias was providing. It was clear that he was serious about this expedition - he appeared to have devoted a greal deal of thought to it.

I suppose Hundwin will be accompanying me on this trip - hope he likes jungle fare. As for the sacrifice... I suppose I could craft a simple item and enhance it - I could count the number of times I did so on one hand. That should be serious enough. I do hope Laviku will accept it though.

"I suppose I'm next then, if our friend Vektor is finished."

"Good evening, Mathias, fellow travellers," Daekos made a short bow to the expedition members, shifting into his native tongue as he turned towards Istril, "and to you, fellow clansmate."

"My name is Daekos of the Volundur family, and I have volunteered myself for the expedition to help recover the lost knowledge and artifacts in the ruins of Syka, and if Mathias allows, obtain some for myself. My other goal, is to take charge of the forges that will be set up in Syka - after all, there will be a need for such the products to be made. And perhaps aid in defending the new settlement.

I have only one request - I would like to personally inspect the smithing equipment you have - no doubt they are of the highest quality, you being the purchaser," Daekos made a bow to Mathias, "but I would like to reassure myself of that fact."

"And," Daekos addressed the other adventurers, "I hope we will have no occasion for arguments or quarrels."

[Levissa Certier]

Her guess was right, the man she was talking to was indeed a Benshira. He seemed friendly enough and a part of her was relieved that she had at least made a single acquaintance.

Before she had the chance to talk further with the man, Mathias had pulled al their attentions to him, gesturing to the long table with various food scattered across the surface. It must be their dinner. Levi’s stomach growled appreciatively and with a smile to the man named Zakar, Levi took a seat near an Isur.

As Mathias explained about what they were about to do in the next few days, Levi found her mind reeling back and forth, trying to figure out what she might need to work out. She would most likely bring her mount, Revenant with her. There was a big chance that she might still travel around Falyndar and she would need her trusted steed. It sure would be dangerous and risky, but she was going to take her chances. And then there was the roommate problem. She would probably try to talk to several people and try to fix some sort of arrangement. It certainly would quite the experience to be bunking with someone you know nothing about. There was a lot that she needed to deal with.

The sacrifice also provided her a minor problem. What could she probably sacrifice for Laviku? Levi was one of those people who held their religious beliefs close to their hearts, but she never had actually sacrifice anything for Dira. What could one probably sacrifice for Death? She had simple provided oferings and those offerings came in the form of her services to the goddess.

One by one, her fellow adventurers introduced themselves. Levi paid attention to each and every one of them, making a sort of list in her mind. Delani and Brodon, Drykas. Vektor, healer. Daekos, Isurian blacksmith – as expected. She was not that good in memorizing names but she would try her best. After all, they would all probably spend lots of time together.

The man beside her had just finished introducing himself and that meant it was her turn. She shifted in her seat, not with discomfort but with excitement. “Good evening everyone, I have to say I am honored to be here included in this quest.” Levi was used to have eyes on her and the attention did not bother too much. Though, she must say the people were very different compared to the wealthy and fat nobles who preferred to be locked away in a lavish mansion. “I’m Levissa Certier and I think I shall be the one to take care of ghosts that we will encounter for I am a Spiritist. My foremost reason of joining is to find an adventure and also doing the work of the goddess Dira. I figured in a newly found site there would be a handful of those who refused to move on or return to Lhex. I’m planning to change that.

“To be honest, I have not yet thought of what I might need on the journey and so I’ll be sure to get you a list as soon as possible, Mister Syka,” she admitted apologetically.