Quest [Syka Quest] Mustering For The Journey

[Gossamer]

Timestamp: 48th of Summer, 513 AV - (Evening - the post specifies if you read it.)


Mathias laid out all the fixings for a great gathering. A small garden to the side of Atri's place had been acquired and leased, oil burning torches on long elegant poles set out, and blankets tossed about the ground scattered with pillows. It was a hot summer night so the only thing the torches did was provide light. Trays of food on low tables sat scattered around. Drink flowed openly. Mathias had hired a few servants, both male and female, to mingle through the group, providing food, clean plates, refreshing drinks, and even one or two stroking musical instruments quietly in the corner adding a backdrop to the distant roar of the waterfall and the sounds of running water through the garden.

He smoked a rolled cigarello fresh from Kenash. He did so quietly, contemplatively, dressed in his light tan travel gear. He wore a knife at his belt and another in his boot, but otherwise he wasn't armed. He was relaxed, leaning on his own cushion of pillows. He hadn't yet touched the food, but there was a very good chance he would as soon as his cigarello was done. A whiskey, strong without ice, was half filling a small glass tumbler. It looked as if it was there for flavoring, not necessarily for drinking.

He smiled, looking around, waiting for the others to arrive.

[Lacerta]

Well... today was the day for the gathering for the adventure... Lacerta wasn't sure if she should be excited or nervous for the journey, but was intensely curious about it. What would it be like? What would Mathias be like? The whole idea, however, was interesting. Creating a new settlement... it was something the Ethaefal wished to join in with. She wandered into the garden for the meeting, though it practically seemed like a party. There were servants mingling around, food and drinks, and more. It was interesting, to see how willing this man was to spend money... he was generous, and ambitious. Very ambitious. Lacerta settled down on one of the provided blankets a little way away from their host, and watched him intently as he smoked his cigarello. What now... Awkwardly, at the moment she was the first to arrive, so no one else was around. The Eth wondered how many others would join in, would it be ten? Fifty? The place seemed ready for quite a big gathering, but she couldn't tell exactly... She considered greeting Mathias from her seat, but decided against it, slightly shy, and not really finding a reason to bother. If he wanted to talk however, that was fine with her... She didn't really care, instead happy to sit with her legs crossed and head resting on all of her six hands, contemplating the days ahead. OOCThanks for the info... I suck at searching for stuff XD Common Fravata Arumenic Someone else

[Abase]

It seemed at last that Abase had found what he was searching for, and yet it was not at all what he had expected. Since the time he had learned of his true nature the Akontak had wondered for what reason he was called to this world through the union of his mother and father. His questioning of himself and what he was meant to do had seen him travel far and wide, see many place, yet ultimately he found himself back home with his father's people. Irist felt a surge of excitement flood his body has he set foot upon the sacred ground of their childhood, yet Abase could not help but wonder... Why was it that in all of their travels, all of their searching... Why was it that their answer would bring them in a full circle to the place where it all started? Irist never bothered to think of such things, yet Abase could not let go of this nagging feeling that things were not quite as they seemed. He had petitioned the Goddess of Visions for an answer, but of course she did as she always had and left Abase to find the meaning with his own two eyes. Dressed in very unassuming clothing, slightly worn from much use, Abase stepped into the garden, eyes sweeping over the grandeur and relaxed atmosphere. It was then that he found the man who could only be Mathias, smoking a pipe with such an air of confidence about him that left little room to doubt his identity. Briefly Abase hesitated to disturb the man's smoking, yet Irist pressed against the back of his thoughts, There is no use in waiting. Present yourself with confidence! Stepping forward before their benefactor, Abase would offer a respectful dip of his head, folding his hands behind his back as he addressed Mathias with his broken common, "It is pleasure meeting you at last, sir. We hear many good things of quest and purpose, and much honor we have to accompany you forward." Abase winced inwardly, hoping his butchering of the common tongue would not harm his standing with this man who had so graciously offered him a slot within this venture.

[Brodon Windriver]

Brodon was hesitant to lead his horse, Lovaak, into what was obviously a garden park. Paths that may have been able to accommodate a horse were largely rimmed by tents, torches and pole-mounted canopies. Open spaces were awash in blankets and cushions. It reminded him of the Spiced Tent in Yahebah, except for the fact that not everything was in red. There were not many people as yet, but he anticipated a crowd before long. If any were as eager to be off on this expedition as he, places to sit would soon be at a premium.

There was a convenient branch extending from a tree at the entrance to the park, and he tied Lovaak's slip knot to it. He had been to the stables to see if the generous offer of covered expenses extended there as well. The stable master knew of the expedition, of course, but told Brodon he would have to return with a voucher from the esteemed Mr. Syka if he expected to waive payment up front. Brodon did not know if mounts were going to be shipped along with the rest of the company. He'd never been to sea and didn't want to make any assumptions. But he was loath to leave Lovaak behind if he was going away for such an extended time.

They had been through virtually every adventure together. Obviously, Lovaak had not joined in the brawl with the phony Fox guards in Ahnatep, but the fight HAD occurred in the stables. He'd been stolen by bandits, forcing Brodon to finish his desert crossing to Yahebah on foot. Then the counter attack to free the kidnapped daughter of his subsequent benefactor, Eldarab, had yielded the side bonus of retrieving his beloved horse from the very bandits that had taken him.

From then, a series of caravan runs as guard hireling for Eldarab, a sand storm, separation from both the caravan and Lovaak, a search, a reunion, a new friend, the decision to escort her from the Burning Lands, and then the crucial element, the finding of a different caravan flying a banner of hire for this very expedition. Yahal indeed works in unknown ways.

He had all he truly needed now. His horse, his sparrowhawk, "Arrow", the belief that he was on a path set by the gods and the assurance that his letter of gratitude and departure would be received back in Yahebah by the three men that had given him the strength to continue. Eldarab, of course, The priest, Joebel, of the Temple of Yahal, and Madrial, a men whose son suffered the same mysterious affliction as his father. Together, they had found signs which seemed to culminate in the discovery of this expedition.

Leaving Lovaak for a moment, Brodon did his best to conceal his self-consciousness as he approached the charismatic man he assumed was Mathias Syka. He was aided unexpectedly by a large man with silver hair and green skin speaking common almost as poorly as he. Brodon was not small, but his generous six feet was dwarfed by this man. At the first pause, he leaned in, extending his hand, and introduced himself. "Greetings, sir Mathias Syka, I am Brodon Windriver of my letter of...greetings...uh...I am being overjoyed for being able to take place in this journey. I will always promise to...do...I promise always I will doing my best."

Mr. Syka's easy laugh set him at ease as they shook hands. Brodon grinned, "It is being true that my common is worsening when I am being nervous. I am wondering a question. Is my horse, Lovaak, going also on the boat? I am distressing the thought of leaving him back."

[Eleret]

Eleret stepped out into the garden with mingled curiosity and reserve. She wore simple pants and shirt in brown and blue, sans cloak on the hot summer eve; a belt pouch hung at her waist, but no evident weapon. The Konti found it a marvel to see Riverfall at last, the city of the Akalaks; and she was excited to begin the expedition, to meet those she would be traveling and living with for the foreseeable future. The many new faces were nonetheless a bit daunting to meet all at once, and she first occupied herself with taking up a plate and collecting food on it. As she did so, Eleret surveyed the rest of the garden, and the people within it. The man who sat at one end, she thought, must surely be Mathias Syka himself. A few others had joined him -- a many-armed Eypharian, immediately recognizable as such; a man who seemed somewhat travel-worn; and one other as tall as an Akalak, and green-skinned, yet paler than Eleret knew that race to be. It wasn't until she had accepted a cup of ale from a server and moved to approach the small knot of people around Mathias that she caught the shimmer of torchlight on his skin and realized the third must be an Akontak. A quick, delighted smile flickered across the Konti's features; whether he was from Mura or Riverfall, she would look forward to speaking with him on the journey, certainly. In the present moment, however, he seemed occupied in conversation with Mathias; so, too, the human man. Rather than interrupt their discourse, Eleret moved to approach the seated Eypharian, offering her a polite and friendly smile. "May I sit here, with you?" she asked, gesturing with a dip of her mug towards the blanket beside Lacerta. She stretched with her Gift to try and get a better sense of the woman's mood, but between the smoke of the torches, the scents of food and Mathias' tobacco, and the proximity of other people, the Konti could discern little; only the tangy impression of excitement and nerves, and that could only be expected of most people present -- not least herself. LacertaCorrect me if I have your current appearance wrong, please!

[Lucas Arias]

As he entered the garden and took a look around, Lucas saw his suspicion that such expeditions mostly attracted clueless and utterly naive wannabe adventurers confirmed once more. You’d think that experienced people would jump at the opportunity to be part of something big like this, but apparently the seasoned warriors and the men and women with several gnosis marks had better things to do. He’d probably have to save them all – again. Great.

Apart from that Syka guy he was the only human here so far. Next to him was an Eypharian. He found Eypharians incredibly attractive, but the woman would probably be useless in an emergency. Those arms would get in the way. There was also a weird white haired guy that looked suspiciously like a male Konti apart from the fact that he was green like a frog. Lucas wondered if he should talk to him about Anselm, the fortune teller, his old teacher, who he had always suspected of being being a male Konti in disguise later on. Maybe they knew each other?

The guy with the horse who had just arrived looked like he would at least not accidentially kill himself, although Lucas wondered why he had insisted on bringing the animal here rather than leaving it in a stable somewhere. He also decided that he would stay near him until somebody who looked more capable showed up. The female Konti looked pretty, but not much else. No, Brodon was probably the best possible companion for now.

So he nodded at the Drykas and smiled at him. At barely 5‘6“ with bright red hair and lots of freckles the former squire and self proclaimed secret bastard son of Loren Dyres didn’t look much better than the rest of the mismatched band of wannabe adventurers, but he knew that he was better. He doubted that any of them had ever been in the Aperture and gotten out alive and sane.

„So …“ he remarked to Syka once he had taken a good look at the group. „You mentioned that you already had two wives when you were my age and were pondering a third. I thought you had lived in Sylira. None of the people I knew back there ever had more than one wife – and maybe a secret or not so secret girlfriend. So how come?“

Lucas didn’t have two wives – or one wife. He hadn’t even had a real girlfriend so far. All the girls he found attractive either turned out to be boys or lesbians or just wanted to kill him.

„Oh, I’m Lucas by the way, and I’m looking forward to the expedition and will try to help you in any way I can“, he added in order not to seem too impolite and smiled all over his face.

It was just then that another … thing arrived. He looked at the creature that had approached the Eypharian, rubbed his eyes and looked again. It had spoken Arumenic! He understood Arumenic … a little. Was this the Eypharian’s pet? Would she be willing to sell it?

[Delani Denusk]

It had been an exceedingly long time since Delani had been to Riverfall. Too long to rightly remember other than that it had been an exceptionally beautiful place. The contrast of tight quartered city-dwelling to the open plains was intense. But it did not detract from the beauty, for all the city was bathed in greenery and growth.

The rapid response received from Mathias and given the drykas more than enough time to prepare for the ride across the Sea to the city opposite Sylira. Time enough to speak long with Vanator and what leaving might mean for her and the true reason she had responded to this request for a crew. The ride, however, had been difficult with the...change...of things in Endrykas, no caravan available to ride with back to Riverfall along the primary road. Thankfully, her knowledge of the Sea of Grass' geography made travel quick and relatively uneventful.

She arrived grass-side to Riverfall, obtaining the map from that entrance, and headed for the stables foremost. Coram needed to be brushed and housed first before she could head to the Inn indicated in the letter. Thus, the woman headed through the city, having circled both spots on the map with a bit of coal borrowed at the gates. Dela' passed by the Inn first, noting the garden nearby that appeared to be getting ready for an event; for a moment, the drykas wondered if it had anything to do with the expedition.

The matron arrived at the stables and removed the yvas from the stallion after he was assigned a stall. She spoke soothingly to the worn beast, brushing through his mane and neck, down along his body and legs, and finally over his tail, breaking the burrs and tangles that may have been acquired from that days travels. In all, it took about an hour, including hoof-cleaning, to finish the colorsplashes grooming. By then, dusk had begun to fall. She had time enough to go to Atri's Place and obtain the designated room, likewise being directed to the garden adjacent to the Inn where the gathering was to take place.

Only after leaving her gear in the tiny quarters (a strange concept, Delani thought, living in a box like that. At least the Drykas tents were spacious, even with many living in the same one) did the woman leave for the gardens so informed about. There were quite a few about by the time she made it, the contrasting faces and shapes intriguing to the woman. She had never met an Ephyrian before, so this one was particularly observed as the drykas made her way through, pausing to admire the food that was offered. The dishes were extravagant enough to the dame who'd spent the majority of her life exclusively with her kin.

She opted for simplicity, choosing not to weigh her stomach with heavy or rich foods and choose only a few fruits and cheeses from the trays upon the low seated tables. Delani would eat these in silence and continue her quiet observation from the rear of those currently doting upon Mathias. One particular young man stood out from the rest. He was human, so far as Delani could tell, though his rather forward nature made her wonder if he wasn't perhaps Inartan. She heard the gingers of north were extremely hot-headed and...outspoken, among other things.

The drykas was content to sit back and watch, but knew that in time, she'd need to speak with the man in charge anyways, if nothing else than to introduce herself. She stepped forwards only after those present had finished, the mezzo-alto of her voice rising out of silence at last and echoed by the expressionate signing that came with Pavi.

"Hile, Mathias Syka of Falyndar." She switched to common for ease of understanding then, though her hands did not refrain from emphasizing in the drykas way whether she spoke her native tongue or not. "May the trails never let you stray. I am Delani of Denusk, cousin of our beloved Ankal, Vanator, and I come by invitation to humbly serve as Eyris sees fit." The weathered lines of her face and the gray in the complicated braid of her hair hinted at experience, though what could so quickly lighten those dark locks was a mystery. Falling from the formalities briefly, she let her head bow courteously. "I am not one much for words, I'm afraid. I've spent the last couple fortnight testing how best to greet such an accomplished man. I hope I've not offended."

x

[Brodon Windriver]

Brodon was energized. After putting a cap on his impulse to remind the red-headed youth that a man's personal life is just that, Personal, it was forgotten as the welcome flourishes of grassland sign took his spirit home to the magnificent pavilions of Endrykas. A twinge of guilt stung him as he realized that something that had been so fundamental in his life, had become so rare as to be a treat. The woman with the windmarks changed to common, no doubt to be polite, but her glorious signing continued.

He fairly squirmed on his feet, waiting for a polite moment to speak, his hands signing his eagerness, with a subtle stall to mark his patience. He was still, for the most part, dressed as a Benshiran and had yet to confirm his right to windmarks, or his Strider. As a result, there was very little to mark him as a Drykas. But if he could speak with her, there would be no doubt. Pavi surged in his blood, aching to find his lips.

For more than a year now, he had only spoken with Eypharians, a couple of Dhani, a few humans and a host of Benshirans. He had hoped that one of his previous benefactor's caravans might have extended its route to Endrykas, a season or so ago, when it stayed near the Eyktol border. But luck had manifested in different ways and it was a rare conversation that did not display his less-than-fluent common.

He heard the woman identify herself as 'Delani of Denusk', a clan he knew to be of the Sapphire Pavilion. With his clan, the Windriver, hailing from the Diamond Pavilion, he doubted she would know much of the current state of his father, Warem. But ANY news of his people would be welcome. As would the opportunity to engage in conversation without sounding like an idiot.

[Sirroco]

Sirroco was late, again it appeared, there was already a small crowd milling about the garden. He had been down at the port to check on the Misty, a quick once over to make sure all was secure, but Tain refused to stay behind, the otter suddenly discontent to stay put aboard the casinor. With much chasing and stern finger waving, the Svefra managed to convince his tavan to remain on the small boat, with the help of his last piece of taffy. Stepping past a horse, Sirroco found it an odd place to bring one's mount. Brushing a stray strand of long blond hair from his face, Sirroco took a breath and entered the well appointed garden. He had chosen black cotton trousers over warmer leather and wool breeches, the day's heat still clung to the city. Black boots, furiously cleaned to look somewhat presentable, a red cotton shirt and silver earrings completed his garb. A knife hung from his belt, its design more utilitarian that defensive. A quick assessment was made of his future compatriots, a diverse lot for certain. Mathias Syka reclined nearby, casually smoking a pleasant-scented cigarillo, his identity suggested simply by his charismatic demeanor, if not by those that stood by greeting him, including a giant Akontak, a rare sight indeed. Two boys , one that smelled like the horse he passed outside, stood next to the tall, silver-haired man. Mathias spoke to yet another arrival, a woman of some maturity, her hair piled on top her head in elegant braids, her features were not unpleasant, but etched by a life he assumed was not lived within the walls of a city. The young man's attention shifted to the females seated nearby, a many-armed Eypharian with bronzed skin and a stature that must tower over his own if she were standing, and a petite Konti who's pearlescent skin revealed scales as she shifted in the torchlight. The pair would seem to be very different from one another, if a third female had not joined them. This one was unlike the two women in every way. Mongoose. Sirroco had met the Pycon only recently, the little warrior helping the Svefra with some desperately needed combat skills. A short-haired girl in a simple shift passed by with a tray of full glasses, and Sirroco deftly lifted one from the passing servant, raising the cup to his lips without considering its contents. A soiree like this, with the array of fare and the soft music, would certainly serve fine drinks. As the dark liquid passed over his tongue, he was pleased by the dry, fruity savor of wine. Plucking a few grapes from a tray, Sirroco made a quick list. Those that had some means: the Konti, Eypharian, maybe the braided hair woman and the Akontak. Those as poor as he, the redheaded boy, the one that smelled like horse, and Mongoose. Just notes for future reference. Sirroco knew he should greet his benefactor, but he would wait for the crowd to thin out. Popping a red grape into his mouth, the Svefra approached the three seated on cushions nearby. He nodded to Mongoose with a grin. He already liked the Pycon. "Hi Mongoose!" He added, before turning to the Eypharian and Konti. "Hello, I am Sirocco." He held out his hand to the Eyktolian first, realizing he had no idea what arm to aim for, and his hand wavered awkwardly as he decided, his face betraying him with a blush.

[Kinneas]

The park area was quite extravagant indeed. There were blankets and pillows scattered around for the guests, and it seemed that some had already arrived. Many were milling together in small groups. Kinneas on the other hand was content to sit where he was planted and people watch. The blanket was quite comfortable along with the pillow. The drink and food was most appreciated. One thing that was painfully obvious was that this guy, his employer Mister Mathias Syka, had money and knew how to spend it. That is not to say that he was wasting money, but the man knew how to make lasting impressions. Which was all the better for him.

Drink in hand he took big gulp of it. Once the expedition actually starts he was sure that things would be much harder and food and ale wouldnt flow so freely around. So it was probably best to enjoy it now for the journey ahead was sure to be a challenging, but all too rewarding one. Besides who did not want to sample the plate of a rich man to see all that miza had to offer? It would almost be moronic as to not enjoy oneself tonight, but Kinneas was decided that once the expedition begins and they start traveling he would protect everyone to the best of his ability.

Kinneas wore a rather loose, long sleeved white shirt with tan leather pants. He had forgone his sandals which were left with the rest of his possessions at his room. Legs and arms were freshly bandaged, and his long black hair was tied neatly back. Although he appeared clean he wasn't until a couple days ago, and the tire of his travels could still be seen on his features. Just not the dirt and grime. His eyes especially betrayed him, showing a weary mind and body with the bags packed. Although the man forced himself to stay up, and it wasn't like he was in the best of health to begin with. So this gathering right now seemed like paradise to him, and already Kinneas had much to be thankful for to Mister Syka. He had got lodging from him, drink and food, even a change of appropriate clothing which his old ones were travel worn, holey, and blood stained. For these he was thankful, and so he would show that appreciation by helping out the expatiation in every way he could.

Giving an appreciated smiled to one of the servers Kinneas took some fruit and popped it into his mouth. The night was just beginning.