[Nyka Location] The Gates

[Wrenmae]

44th of Spring, 513 AV


"You come ill equipped for a long journey, do you expect me to believe you strolled here from Syliras?"

Looking up at one of the four long shadows patrolling the wall, a calloused hand shielded his face from the sun as a bearded man looked up and smiled. His skin was sun-touched, and hard travel had worn weary lines across his skin. The disguise had been adopted after the ship had left him at the makeshift docks a small ways from Nyka. Due to the cliffs the city rested on, direct port into the city was closed by sea. It had been a short ride here on his horse and now the guard simply tested him, knowing full well it was the only place he could have come from.

"Sailed, sir, and from Sunberth, not Syliras," Wren called back up at them, "I was told I might find lodging here for a few nights while I look for a trading convoy heading to Ravok."

"Mayhaps, mayhaps," the same monk said, cupping his chin, "Entrance to Nyka is a privilege, stranger, not a right. I see you come heavily armed...what should convince me I do not let a brigand into our homes?"

"I collect from my travels," Wren lied, "In one life I was a mercenary, but age slowed my blade and now I courier messages. My weapons hold sentimental value to me, surely you have armed men in your walls?"

Laughter answered him, "Yes, courier, yes, we have many blades within these walls. Know that violence here will be swiftly met with due justice. We keep our laws, outsider, and we will not hesitate to use them on you."

"Then I shall not hesitate to uphold them!" Wren called back with a deep guffaw, "Now, before the shadows grow longer, can I not enter?"

The gate opened slowly to the laughs of the monks above. "Enter, grey-hair, and find yourself some rest. Mind the quadrants of the city and you should pass through without incident."

"My thanks." Wrenmae bellowed back at them, passing through the gates.

Nyka rose up to meet him beyond, long poles being raised...no doubt for some sort of ceremony. But the strange arcane scribblings...glyphs, led him to believe that perhaps there was more than meets the eye going on in the strange town.

And a small smile poked through his beard.

All the better then.

[Rabbit]

--Spring 1 513AV-- Rabbit hopped up to the gates and looked at the guards, head cocked. At the moment, he was attempting to pretend to be a real rabbit, to see if the guards were fooled. If one looked at him even closely, they would see no fur on his back, but the monks at the gate probably wouldn't notice. It had happened before. It wasn't the first time he'd left the city to wander around outside of it and returned inside without being glanced at once. To Rabbit, this was all a game really. How would the guards react to him? He wasn't exactly good at hiding, except using his small size, but those who spotting him out of the corner of their eyes generally took him for a normal hare loping around. It was much easier this way. Today, the guards did ignore him, either completely oblivious, or just not taking him as any sort of threat whatsoever. True, he wasn't a threat to them, but it wasn't like he wasn't dangerous...

[The_Joker_Ohl]

Joker would come up to the gates slowly, seeing one of the guards looking at him curiously. Joker would stutter in his walking coming up to the guards with a pleasent smile. "Hello I am Joker, and would like to visit the city if you don't mind." He said softly to one of the guards.

The guard looked at him with a funny look, and Joker would start to worry a little. The guard finally spoke up to him. "Well, you looked all suscpious coming up, so I am going to ask you to let me search your things." The guard said in a harsh town, the guard himself started laughing. Joker thought to himself that these guards to him looked power hungry.

Joker sighed a little bit, knowing that stutter is what lead to believe the guard to do this even though he was human. The bag he had on him was on his right arm, he slowly pulled let the bag fall to his right hand and his clinched his fingers back to where his hand made a fist with the bag stap in his hand. He would walk forward to the guard, and slimpy open his hand, so the bag can drop to the ground by the guard. He smiled. "There you go, sir." He didn't want to the male a sir has he thought they were power hungry enough, but he couldn't help it as he was orginally in the army and it came natural to him.

The guard looked at him and snicked a little. The guard grabbed his bagged and unzipped seeing there was a lot of clothes and nothing else. Joker hoped that the guard would not take out anything from the bag as he always had his shovel down below the clothes, he didn't know why he brought this today, but he did. The guard would zip his bag back up and hand it to him. Joker held out his right hand and grabbed his back and slung it around his shoulder, and he sighed in relief as the guard opened the doors for him and gave him the singal to walk pass. He would walk pass the guard hearing him say to another guard. "We gotta keep out eye on this one." He sighed and just walked into the city. Looking around he saw a hotel, and went inside.

"Hello, is there any rooms availabe he asked the person that was working the counter. The old lady at the counter looked at him and smiled sweetly. Joker thought to at least this person is a nice old folk. The lady gave him a key, and he took it going up to his new room, he opened the door and walked in turning on the lights checking out what he called his new home. He didn't see much. He saw a bed to where he would be sleeping in shortly, and a chair, and there was a bathroom also. He smiled. "Looks like home to me." He settled in his bed and dozed off until the next morning.

[Aren]

Nyka, The Gates: 58th of Spring, 513 AV - Early Morning "This damnable sun..." Aren thought, as the early morning light temporarily blinded him whenever he bobbed his head. Currently, the akalak found himself standing front of the modest walls of the city of Nyka, it's guardians eyeing him from atop it's battlements. These hooded, well armed figures cut a decidedly unfriendly jib, yet they had to be dealt with in order to gain access to the city. "You sure do LOOK like a trouble maker," One of the monks atop the ramparts shouted, eyeing the prospective visitor with no small amount of suspicion. "I assure you, good sir, I have no such inte-" Aren tried to explain, only to be interrupted, for the dozen time, by the same uppity monk. "Then what's with that vicious looking devilry you have strapped across your back?" The monk, who's inane questions were apparently very amusing to his compatriots, seemed intent on interrogating this so called wanderer. "It is simply a weapon, like any other. It's no differe-" The accosted traveler was interrupted, yet again. "Are there friends of your's already in the city? Because we've been getting an influx of unnaturally sized ruffians, of late," The monk queried, much to Aren's continued aggravation. With an exasperated sigh, the akalak was attempting to fathom just what particular combination of words would convince his wary "friends" to let him past their gates. Fortunately, the effort was unnecessary, as the man who appeared to command the guards decided that he had been amused long enough. "Alright akalak, you can pass. But, I warn you, we don't take kindly to mischief makers and the like," The monk stated, a grim smile on his face, before giving the signal to open the gates. Aren did not reply, wary that any response could be perceived as flippant and change the winds of fortune. Instead, he merely nodded his understanding, and proceeded to head into the city.

[Ball]

37th of Spring 513AV

Ball and his furry mount had just removed themselves from the personal hell known as a merchant's ship heading this way from Mura. At the gate the pycon was halted by four burly monks who, just doing their job, demanded what he wanted in Nyka. The squire paused in thought, not to think of what to say,just to try and remember the name of the location. Ny... Ny... Ny... Ka... Ka... Ny...Ka... Ka..Ny... A frown appeared on his face, it didn't matter to him what the place was called. He just wanted a fresh supply of clay, a few days rest on solid ground, some food for his mount, and possibly a guide to the Rock-Beast.

“I.Ka.Um. Fo.Ur.Fu.Da.Sah.Lee.Pah. Guy.Da.Ho.Ma.” ['I come for food, sleep, guide home.”] The words were in Ball's standard form of staccato wording, but it worked well for him at this moment in time. The guards, confused at what the small Pycon had said waited as they did their best to decipher what he had said.

After a chime or so, they had finally determined what the squire had said and ushered him into the city with a stern warning about keeping his... Uhh... Body to himself and that this wasn't a right, but a privilege that he gained entrance into Nyka.

[Senghor Vilhjalmr]

37th of Spring 513AV

'So, this is the holy Celestial Seat...' a question the mind asked itself as a figure walked towards the city of Nyka.

The male figure ceased walking abruptly as he gazed up at the city, he leaned forward and placed his baggage onto the earth and used the hand to shelter his eyes from the sun and it's vengeful rays.

His lips moved incoherently under the mellow heat as he felt the soothing caress of a lonesome wind touch his rugged face, his chocolate skin embodied the deserts hence could harbour the warmth with ease.

'A sinner in a city of saints...' Senghor heard his subconscious chuckle inwardly as his eyes absorbed the design of what stood ahead of him.

He stood the for some time scanning the area, wary of the longsword that reclined on his shoulder, digging slightly into his thick flesh a sinful thought came to him. His nature went astray for a moment as he began thinking of the ample women dwelling in the city untouched, virgin and forbidden fruits from the nectar of holiness.

His hand slowly ascent up from shadowing his eyes and ran along the fine strands of his golden brown hair, it illuminated slightly in a incandescent contrast as he trailed his fingers over it and slouched down to snatch his bag and sling it over his shoulder.

His head shook slowly as he began ebbing away the thoughts of lust and lustful women, it wasn't why he came to this place, yet he also truthfully didn't know why he came, he questioned himself. Asking whether he came to get away from the darkness that'd loomed off the body Sunberth or to seek guidance, yet what guidance could he get here?, He always shut out the question because it held no purpose to him.

His steadfast stride towards the Gates of Nyka were as calm as the demeanour he held, he seemed to know what he was doing, it was unquestionable. As he neared towards the city, a voice called forth and caused him to look up with intrigue,

"You there!," it called out firmly as he kept moving. "You there, Halt your stride..." it said with the affirming nature of authority.

"You've gotta be kidding" Senghor murmured disgruntledly under his breath as he stopped, turning to the origins of the voice, guards... 'Monks?', he questioned the possibility with a arching brow.

"What!, what is it?" he firmly pushed to ask. One hand held a sword that reclined over his shoulder, peeking from the back of his neck due to its length and the other hand held baggage, what wouldn't be the problem? he asked himself rhetorically.


It'd seemed that Authority held a displeasing picture in the mind of the Vilhjalmr, figures that oppressed others churned his anger yet being a outsider, he composed himself and held his ground.

"You're making quite an first impression there son" one guard said as he turned to his friend, the original interrogator nodded and looked at the desert skinned traveller, he parted his lips and questions adorned life from his throat.

"Where do you thread from?
What is your purpose?
What are your intentions here?
Business or Pleasure?
Do you intend to cause trouble while in the city?" a barrage of questions flooded the mind of Senghor, he momentarily looked dumbfounded as he placed his bag on the ground again.

His arm reached over the back of his neck, he scratched it for a moment, wary that the blade peeking behind his fingers not cut him, his own lips parted as he replied,

"I thread from Sunberth.
My purpose is my own.
My intentions are to seek lodgings and some work for the time being.
I believe the answer to that would be both.
And is the city liable to drive one to cause trouble?" he countered as he brought down his hand and let it hang.

The guard seemed to contemplate his opinions as he looked at the young traveler, he softly sighed and nodded, "You may proceed" he said calmly as he watched the descendant of the Vilhjalmr name pick up his equipment and run it along his shoulder before striding into the city of Nyka, the religious city that'd let a man who sought a path of darker truth than most would fathom.

As Senghor Vilhjalmr set foot into the city, a sigh left his lips as he heard his mind speak again.

'Let us begin, shall we?' it grimly asked as the male nodded and continued forward.

[Omaru]

38th Spring, 513 AV

It was mid day when Omaru stopped to gaze at the gates of Nyka. His mentor had told him stories of the great crevice here known as the Aperture. He told of the mysterious sightings and disappearances. But Omaru wanted to study the area himself. And also, to help the dead when he could.

Omaru was so lost in his daydream that he had not heard the monk at the gates yelling at him. It wasn't untill the monk grabbed him by his cloak and hoisted him into the air that he had Omarus attention.

"I said," the man yelled, spit flying everywhere, "What are you doing here boy!

Omarus eyes were wide with shock and terror. "I...I'm sorry sir!" he stammered, "M-m-my name is-" But he was unable to finish his sentence. The monk threw him forcefully into the arms of another guard. Then the monks hand was at his throat, squeezing the breath out of him.

"I didn't ask your name lad. I said, WHY ARE YOU HERE!" The monks hand clenched even tighter.

This is bad! he thought. How can I answer when I can't even breath! The monk saw Omarus eyes begin to roll into the back of his head and he released his grip. His breath came ragged and short.

"Spiritist..." It was all he could say before he succumbed to a fit of coughing.

"What was that?"

"I...I'm a Spiritist. he repeated. "I've come to study the Aperture." This answer caused the guards to erupt in a fit of laughter.

"The Aperture you say?! Hah! Well then men, looks to me like we caught ourselves a lucky break. The monk looked Omaru dead in the eyes as he spoke. "We wont have to kill this little brat after all. Hes come to kill himself. There was another burst of laughter from the other monks and they cast him toward the gate, and the city.

"Get out of my sight boy! Oh yea..." he spoke the last part sarcastically as if he had forgotten something. "Welcome tot he Celestial Seat."

And so Omaru walked in, rubbing his throat. The laughter of the monks echoing in his head.

[Daniel Alecson]

25th of Spring, 513 AV

Daniel couldn't help but think of how long his journey had been as he looked upon the gates of Nyka. Daniel had left the Spires in the middle of a job, a shameful act, but he had something he had needed to do. Daniel had gone in search of something, something he had failed to find. Daniel shook his head trying to push his weakness away. Daniel began stumbling towards the gate again, he had traveled with a group of pilgrims on foot. Daniel reached the gate and was stopped by a large man weilding a halberd. The rest of the pilgrims had passed through the gate unharrassed when Daniel had paused, it didn't look like Daniel was going to be so lucky. It was understandable that Daniel had been stopped, he looked awful. Daniel was sporting a full beard something he hadn't had his entire life, it didn't even look like he had bathed in several days. "What is your buissiness here vagrant?" The halberd weilding man questioned. Daniel looked him up and down quickly, the man was strong that was obvious the man looked like he had been forged for combat. Normally Daniel would want to pit himself against this man test his own metal, Daniel was felt a weariness though that seeped into his very soul. "I am merely a pilgrim I have come to pay homage to Uphis and see the glory of the celestial seat", the weariness was in Daniel's voice as well, he sounded defeated. The halberd weilding man gave Daniel a look over now and it was obvious he wasn't impressed. "You say you come to see Uphis of the Sharp Blade but you do not look worthy of even stepping into our great city. Be gone vagrant and come back when you are worthy", The halberd weilding man waved Daniel away in dismissal. "I am Daniel son of Alec. I am a swordsman and merely wish to thank Uphis for my swords staying sharp in my battles and ask his blessing in those that are sure to come", Daniel sighed. "I am Poleaxe monk of Uphis and you will not pass this gate without proof that you deserve to worship Uphis", the monk stated with a tone of finality, stamping his halberd on the ground as if to put a period on his sentence. Fire flared in Daniel's eyes, and he dropped his pack to the ground, unfortunately it landed in a puddle. Daniel threw back the left side of his cloak and slowly drew out his blades, they scraped slightly against the sheaths. Poleaxe just stared at Daniel with a curious look not bothering to take up a stance. Daniel rushed forward striking once at the left then another at the right in quick succesion. Poleaxe deftly blocked both of the strikes with the haft of his weapon, Daniel pulled back ready to stab forward but before he could get the chance Poleaxe swept Daniel's legs out from under him sending him sprawling into the mud. Daniel tried to jump back up but found the blade of the halberd at his throat, Daniel paused. Poleaxe began laughing heartily and Daniel was confused, then suddenly the blade was gone. "Get your stuff and go in. We'll see how long you last" Poleaxe chuckled and moved back to his post. Daniel picked himself up, cleaning his blades before sheathing them. Daniel grabbed his pack and slung it over his shoulder and entered the city trying to wipe the muck from his face. Daniel had just entered the city and already he was begining to regret it.

[Nairani]

OoC

Like a derp, I forgot to post here ... Sorry!

--

Spring, 45, 513 AV

Coming to the town's entrance, Nairani looked on with exhaustion plastered against her taut face. She was out of breath - they came in tagged wisps. Not because she was out of shape, but because the last mile had been spent running. Who knew some of the more predatorial wildlife was apt to chasing you when stumbling upon it's territory?

But she had managed to fight her way past trees and fields in order to get away. The beast had been lost sometime ago. That hadn't kept her from bolting, afraid that if she stopped ... that sharp claws would be digging into her back.

Nairani stood before the gates now. She keeled over with hands on her knees. The backpack was heavy on her spine. Shoulders ached from it's weight. And her feet ... No doubt they were blistered. Every step sent screams of pain shooting through her soles.

Night was fast approaching, stealing the last vestiges of sun from the clear sky. Time to find some place to stay the night.

[Vladimir Balsam]

1st Day of Spring 513

Vladimir was traveling when he came across Nyka. It looked like a great and interesting place. Now the question was would they let him in here. The only weapon he had on him was his grandfather's bow and arrow and some money... it's not like he had much. He walked up to the gates and the guard stopped him.

"What is your purpose for being here?" he asked him.

"I am travelling and trying to find a place to stay." Vladimir said to him.

"Now Sym, your kind isn't too liked here but it isn't the worst. I see you have a bow and arrow, as long as you don't plan on causing trouble, then I see no reason to let you through." The guard said, and after checking him for any other weapons, he let him through.

"I am not here to travel but to meet people and possibly stay awhile." Vladimir said as he looked at the guard and passed through. Surprise, Surprise, they didn't like his kind... Surprise surprise. Vladimir thought to himself.

A new time. A New Life. A New Beginning.