Unexpected Company (Gemma)

(This is a thread from Mizahar's fantasy role playing forums. Why don't you register today? This message is not shown when you are logged in. Come roleplay with us, it's fun!)

The Wilderness of Cyphrus is an endless sea of tall grass that rolls just like the oceans themselves. Geysers kiss the sky with their steamy breath, and mysterious craters create microworlds all their own. But above all danger lives here in the tall grass in the form of fierce wild creatures; elegant serpents that swim through the land like whales through the ocean and fierce packs of glassbeaks that hunt in packs which are only kept at bay by fires. Traverse it carefully, with a guide if possible, for those that venture alone endanger themselves in countless ways.

Unexpected Company (Gemma)

Postby Colt on February 6th, 2015, 3:05 am

Image
20th of winter, 515 a.v
midday

It was nearing noon, and the sun was sparkling brilliantly off of the thin layer of snow on the ground. Days before, the layer had been thick and sparkling and almost blinding in its crystalline brilliance, but days under Syna’s glare and the steady, everyday ministrations of creatures that went about their lives had rendered the snow an almost sickly shade of cream, at least in the places where it hadn’t been eradicated entirely. What was left was trodden and solid, almost to the point of being ice, and so Shahar took care to avoid them as he and his horse picked their way through the rattling grass in search of a meal.

He had left Endrykas some while ago, although his path had carved diagonally and looped about rather than forging straight away from the city. The tents had moved once again, and his camp, being less complicated than most, had been pitched quickly and efficiently, leaving him free to be one of the first to explore their new grounds. It would be another day or two before he had to range particularly far to find what he needed.

As it was, he had found leeway to be careful in his exploration of the new landscape; he had often heard outsiders lament how every place in the Sea of Grass looked the exact same as everywhere else, and it was a lament which often baffled him; in his view, every place was completely unique and new, with different herds and flocks and prey-paths carved with stories and habits of those that had made them. Here, a rutted path told the tale of the three-legged hyena that passed by every day, limping but strong with youthful vigor––how had the hyena come by three legs, being so young? Had it been born that way? Had it been mauled by a night lion, the eternal enemies of all hyenas? Nowhere else in the Sea of Grass lived that same hyena, and so Shahar could not comprehend how one might perceive all places to be the same.

There were people in this world that he simply did not try to understand.

The high daylight had left the world somewhat cool rather than outright cold, and with his cloak and sheepskin vest, Shahar was comfortable. Akaidras, too, seemed happy with the nice weather, picking up his hooves cheerfully as they made their way west. Tuka trotted happily alongside them, ears perked and nose pointed into the wind, but Shahar had previously given the hunting cat firm instruction not to look for anything; this trip was to learn the land, not to hunt.

It was when shadows were at their shortest that the three of them finally discovered a gentle dip in the rolling grass and the pale green of living plants filling it. A sure sign of water, and certainly of things to bring home. When he urged his strider over the crest of the hill, he was rewarded with the sight of a shallow, half-frozen pond. A scraggly willow bent above, fronds caught in the ice, but it was the stand of cattails that caught Shahar’s eye; cattail roots were a thick, filling food, something that would be foolish to ignore with winter hovering around him. If he could upend a few of those, perhaps he could then look for any of the animals that came to this pond for water and bring that home, too.

Pulling Akaidras to a halt, Shahar slid onto the ground and drew his axe. With a quick sign to Tuka to stay in the area, the clanless hunter made his way into the cattails and began to cut.
Image
“Pavi” | Grassland Sign | “Common” | “Tukant” | Nura
User avatar
Colt
Miss Communication
 
Posts: 1368
Words: 943625
Joined roleplay: August 8th, 2011, 6:38 am
Location: Lhavit
Race: Human, Drykas
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes
Medals: 5
Featured Character (1) Overlored (1)
Advocate (1) Donor (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1)

Unexpected Company (Gemma)

Postby Gemma on February 6th, 2015, 5:42 am

It had been a long few days, a young Kelvic woman had been catching rides on travelling caravans, trying to get as far from the city she had called home for nearly a year. This unexpected journey came about the young woman in a fit of restlessness and she had packed what she needed, locked her door, and left the city to go on a trip. She didn't have any ties to that city, so she could be gone for as long as she needed.

Her green-blue eyes studied her frozen surroundings, shivering softly as the choppy movements of the horse-drawn caravan continued down its' trail. It was cool here, but better that the icy winds that came off the lake and mountains.

"We will be stopping soon. Gather your things, we will let you off here." one of the merchants announced, causing Gemma to look over to the man and nod her agreement.

A few minutes later the caravan came to a stop and the merchants began happily exchanging pleasantries with a few of the citys' residents. Gemma took this time to take a walk around the strange tent city. There were plenty of horses and a few other animals here and there. She had grown used to the horses after a few days of being around a couple, but she was still a little nervous around them. She kept clear oft he larger ones and soon found herself on the borders of the city and a couple of tracks caught her eye.

Curiosity came over her as she saw one set of hoof prints, and another set of feline tracks. She wondered slightly what this duo would be doing, so she soon found herself following them. She listened to the crunch of her footsteps as she followed the trail until she came up to the top of a small hill and caught sight of who she had been following.

Instead of the two tracks she had been following, she found an even stranger sight. A horse, a large feline, and a man. The image made a small smirk appear on her lips as she narrowed her eyes slightly, interest perking inside of her. She took a few steps closer, being a little cautious over the larger feline. Once she got closer, she opened her mouth in a small greeting.

"What exactly are you doing out here?" she asked, stopping her steps a few feet away from the trio.
Gemma
Player
 
Posts: 6
Words: 3104
Joined roleplay: February 5th, 2015, 1:45 am
Race: Kelvic

Unexpected Company (Gemma)

Postby Colt on February 7th, 2015, 5:41 am

Image
When the Kelvic approached the tangle of greenery, it was Tuka that noticed her first.

Having been raised with little human contact outside her immediate family group, the hunting cat’s first instinct was to flatten her ears and bare her teeth fearfully. She wasn’t aggressive; indeed, she seemed distinctly nervous with a stranger coming upon them, despite seeing no signs of active threat.

Akaidras was less timid than Tuka. He knew he was larger, and he was just as disapproving of strangers as the hunting cat. He stamped a foot pointedly and set one of his eyes squarely on the woman’s head, flicking his wait warningly if she got too near.

It was his horse’s stamp that alerted the Drykas to something amiss, and he halted in his work to turn and see what had so vexed the animal. He blinked at the sudden presence of the woman, and, like his companions, immediately pulled up cautious walls of discomfort, wariness written heavily in his posture.

He knew immediately that her words were in Common, although they sped by too casually for him to pick up and understand. Her stance was hardly threatening, though––she seemed mostly curious, if anything––and her movements held a distinctly animalistic demeanor to them, not unlike Shahar himself.

Turning to face her cautiously, Shahar sketched a greeting in the air. In another heartbeat he realized that she probably didn’t understand Pavi, much less Grassland Sign, or she wouldn’t have used Common.

With that in mind, the clanless Drykas tried something else: an exaggerated, obvious greeting, one that wasn’t exactly Sign so much as it was a universal gesture of recognition––he held up one hand, palm out, and dipped his head to her.
Image
“Pavi” | Grassland Sign | “Common” | “Tukant” | Nura
User avatar
Colt
Miss Communication
 
Posts: 1368
Words: 943625
Joined roleplay: August 8th, 2011, 6:38 am
Location: Lhavit
Race: Human, Drykas
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes
Medals: 5
Featured Character (1) Overlored (1)
Advocate (1) Donor (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1)

Unexpected Company (Gemma)

Postby Naiya on May 19th, 2015, 7:35 pm


Here's what the Fox says


Name: Shahar

XP Award:
  • Diplomacy +1
  • Foraging +1
  • Land Navigation +1
  • Socialization +1
  • Tracking +1
Lore:
  • Diplomacy: Recognizing a language barrier and working around it
  • Foraging: Cattails grow by water
  • Foraging: Cattail roots can be eaten
  • Land Navigation: Signs of water
  • Socialization: A universal sign of greeting
  • Tracking: A coyote's paw prints
Notes: This thread didn't get too far, but I pulled what I could from what you did. You managed to put a lot into the posts you did get in. If you have questions or concerns please shoot me a PM. Finally, please edit your request in the grading thread.


Name: Gemma, should you return, PM me and I will complete your grade.
User avatar
Naiya
Player
 
Posts: 1023
Words: 766506
Joined roleplay: June 14th, 2013, 5:11 pm
Race: Human, Drykas
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Plotnotes
Medals: 2
Overlored (1) One Thousand Posts! (1)


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests