Solo Geology Dash! Pt. 1

[Dexius]

19th of Summer, 516 AV
Midday

Dex moved with some determination in his step as he wound his way through the city of illusions once more. Today was a day with purpose. Today was the day he would live off of his own skills here in his new home of Alvadas. Or so he hoped. Usually though, the ever changing city would not make itself easy to navigate but Dex found with a little resolve and perhaps a lot of luck he arrived at the Sanity Center in less than ten chimes.

"I wonder what moves this city makes and if I will ever be able to discern them for myself.." The Symenestra spoke out loud to himself as he approached the moss covered building that would be his destination today. His pale hand reached out and grasped the knob before turning it to allow himself entrance. The hinges creaked slightly as Dex opened the door and stepped inside the building and once more the door mirrored the same sound as it closed.

Out of respect he once more removed his signature scarf and tucked it away for the moment before quickly scanning the room. There she was behind her desk, once again with the same frazzled look about her. Dex tried to quietly approached the woman since she was clearly hard at work but all he managed to do was get a few eyebrow raises from her instead. "Good afternoon to you too, Miss." It was about all he could think of to say at that exact moment as he offered his hand to shake.

The woman looked up to him, then back down to her work, back up to him again, and back down to the papers in front of her before scribbling something down in some very illegible and quickly written hand writing. Finally she sighed and returned the spider's handshake all without glancing back away from her work. "Yes I suppose it is the afternoon now, is it not? And please, Serenity. I abhor being called miss. My guess is you are here for some work then?"

Without missing much of a beat and also without a response from Dex she opened a side drawer of her desk and drew out a few papers before plopping them down in front of the Symenestra. "Here are a few of the jobs that have been...compiled recently. Feel free to pick and choose which you like and get them done. Don't expect me to hold your hand here, I will assume you can handle whatever job these papers may entail."

Dex picked up and sifted through a few of the papers. Some of them were for personal guard within the city, most likely for somebody visiting. Another was from a woman claiming she needed somebody to protect her from a giant beetle hunting her through the city streets. Definitely not picking that one. Finally though one of the requests caught Dex's eye.

A man required assistance for an afternoon traveling through The Unforgiving to locate some sort of rocks or minerals. "I guess this seems like a suitable choice then. Thanks for your help Serenity. I'll stop by after the job is done." Dex neatly placed the rest of the papers neatly down on a less cluttered part of the woman's desk before heading out.

"Hey." inquired Serenity just as Dex was making his way out the front door. The swordsman stuck his head back into the room briefly, wondering what the woman had to say to him. "Don't go getting yourself killed. At least not yet."

The Symenestra merely nodded before speaking and leaving The Center. "Seems fair."

(604)

[Dexius]

19th of Summer, 516 AV
Midday

After leaving the ever so lovely Sanity Center and Serenity behind him Dex took another look down at the form that he had picked out. The writing was rather jagged and scribbled but not completely illegible, perhaps it could be a lucky day after all.

Alvadas Arranged Assistance Application

Name: Desmond Kallahan

Resident or Visitor: Resident

Requirement For Job: Somebody who can hold a sharp object and swing it

Job Description: I require somebody to assistant me with a venture into The Unforgiving

Below the job information was a general description of the man's home. Obviously here in Alvadas people did not exactly have a permanent address for their homes so Dex figured this was as close as people could get here. Apparently, the man, Desmond lived in a stone house but it didn't say much else to describe it. Simply put he said he lived the 'the' stone house, not just a stone house.

Dex wondered what 'the' stone house really meant as he started to break away from the area present around the Sanity Center and into Alvadas proper. There were plenty of stone houses around the city albeit most of them were made of wood.

He ended up wandering around the city for about a bell before finally coming to a house that was very much made of stone. It was nestled at the end of what now appeared to Dex as a dead end road in between two rows of buildings. As he approached and looked the house over it dawned on the Symenestra that what he was looking at was more like a cave than anything. It was a large roundish boulder sitting in the city with a door on the front and not much else of note.

An eerie and familiar feeling crawled up Dex's spine as he looked over the cave hovel. Thoughts of home both positive and negative wracked the Symenestra's mind for a few ticks. The swordsman quickly shrugged off the invading thoughts from his mind. This was simply a house in the style of a cave and nothing more than that and inside possibly was his first employer.

Dex strode up to the door of the stone abode and took in the details of the rock around him. It glinted of different colors and was not smooth but course and vaguely natural looking. The glinting appeared originate from very small mineral or gems deposits in the wall itself, a very beautiful touch he thought. No part of the exterior was exactly like any other part, it was very Alvadas-like in that regard.

After what Dex considering to be enough time wasting and gandering at what amounted to very little he finally knocked on the door in front of him. At the same time he was also taking another look at the job request form, the man's name was already forgotten and needed a refresher.

But before he could even finish glancing at the paper Dex realized his hand had not stopped after colliding with the front door. As he went to knock on the door it creaked open ever so slightly. Dex thought that the man...Desmond Kallahan it was, had opened it just as he knocked but there was in the entrance way.

Curious, the Symenestra pushed the door open and took a step inside. The place was fairly well furnished and almost cozy looking but was barely lit up. With no windows on the house exterior and not more than a candle or two lit inside he wondered how the owner could see, if he was home at all.

With darkness not a hindrance to him Dex closed the door and made his way into the main room of the house. "Hello? Is this...Mister Kallahan's residence?"

(604+627=1231/2500)

[Dexius]

19th of Summer, 516 AV
Midday

A small thump was heard overhead as Dex made his way into the house proper. Looking up at the ceiling he guessed there was a second level based on the height of the building from outside. The house was rather musty, for a house in Alvadas that is. The thing was full of minerals, broken pottery, and things he couldn't even begin to guess what they were.

In what he guessed was the dining room based on the table and chairs Dex located a small cupboard with a glass doors. Inside it were things that the Symenestra had never seen before in his life. They almost looked like heads, preserved in a jars of fluid, but something else seemed even more off than that. The heads were of no Mizaharian species he had ever seen and they looked like they had an almost rock like exterior. One even had what appeared to be an emerald in place of an eye.

Reaching out, Dex was about to open the cabinet to examine the strange things further before another sound came crashing down from above him. Something smashed to the floor and shattered, probably some of the pottery he had seen around the place. The swordsman finally located the stairs to the second level and ascended them. The second floor of the place was no more inviting than the first but at least it was smaller so it would be easier to find whoever was making the sounds.

Another thump and Dex made his way past two doors and opened the third on his right. He steeled himself, hand on the hilt of his blade, and was prepared to strike at whatever lie inside.

His long spider like fingers turned the nob of the door and the Symenestra quickly pushed the door open and burst inside the room. What he saw in front of him needless to say was a confusing sight.

Two people were wrestling on the floor of the room with one clearly overpowering the other, its hands around the weaker one's neck. The aggressor made an inhuman sound as it peered at Dex for a few ticks before continuing its assault on the pinned man. The thing was..something out of a nightmare. Its body was malformed and jagged. Skin was rock and gems glinted from placed they shouldn't be on a normal person.

The man below was able to free his neck from the prying hands of the creature but for a moment and let out a few gasping words. "Don't just sit there!"

Dex then realized he had been watching the thing for longer than he probably should have. The man was clearly dying but it wasn't every day you got to see a being of stone and gem.

Regardless, now was a time for action not reflection. The swordsman drew his blade and moved to kick the rock creature away from the downed man.

(604+627+487=1718/2500)

[Dexius]

19th of Summer, 516 AV
Midday

The thing let out a terrible scream as Dex's foot removed it from on top of the man. It looked like it was partly made of stone and felt like it too. Luckily he didn't put much more force into removing the thing or he might of broken his leg. He moved forward, blade in hand as the monster bore its teeth at him. It had a gem for an eye, just like the ones he found decapitated and in the jars. The teeth looked razor sharp as if they were meant only to cut and not to chew.

The thing lunged at Dex but it was sluggish and clunky so he easily managed a step to the left. The swordsman's gaze drifted down at the man who was now recovered and picking himself up from the floor. At least he wouldn't have to worry about tripping over him, Dex thought to himself. Refocusing, he prepared to find out how to defeat the hideous thing in front of him. Perhaps he could use its lack of speed and agility to his advantage.

The thing lurched back for a moment before charging headlong in the swordsman's direction, it had blood in its eyes. Dex held his ground as long as he could or as long as he dared. Just when the two were about to make contact the Symenestra swiftly danced around the thing. Still, a rock infused claw of a hand came within inches of him, too close for comfort. He took the opportunity to strike at the side of the beast, a simple thrusting attack as he was dodging the initial blow.

It howled at the spider again as it collided with a wooden desk, clearly missing its intended target. Another opportunity and Dex took it to place another gash into the creature, this time in its back. "Take it out at the head, boy!" The man seemed like he had dealt with an encounter like this before, his voice full of confidence and his display filled with heads.

So when the creature had recovered from the wound Dex heeded the man's words, or at least tried to. It came at him again with a renewed vigor and speed it didn't show previously. A strike to the eye would end things but he became hurried and sloppy, his next attack striking the rock covering the left side of the creature's face. His blade scraped and screamed against the stone shield covering the creature, a few sparks lit up the dimly lit room but for a moment.

Then the thing was on him. It was strong, much stronger than the Symenestra as it pinned him against the wall of the room and raised him from the floor. Dex looked at the thing mortified as it was brought its razor teeth to bare against his vulnerable flesh. He had no chance to bring his weapon to retaliate so he merely waited for the end of it all and closed his eyes, ready to meet Dira.

The monster let out a victorious screech and he knew the end was close. He felt his heart beating out of his chest. A tick passed. Another beat. Another tick. Time felt like it was becoming eternal, like the moment of his demise would never come and he would just be here, suspended in the moment before his death.

Then something rather unexpected happened. He felt the grip of the creature weaken, its voice silent as Dex slid down from the wall back to the wooden floorboards below. He opened his eyes and saw the thing still in front of him, now limp and collapsing with the old man standing behind it.

The thing made an eerie sound as stone and flesh collided with the floor. "Well that's that then. Good work...I suppose." Dex stared at the old man for a moment. How had he killed the thing so easily? He was not armed and he also couldn't see a blade protruding from what little he could see of the monster's back.

"Mr. Desmond Kallahan, I presume?" His words spit out in surprise. But at the end of the day did Dex really care how the man slew the beast? Hardly not. He was just happy to be rid of it and get down to business.

(604+627+487+720=2438/2500)

[Dexius]

19th of Summer, 516 AV
Midday

The old man studied Dex back for a moment. His calloused and worked hands scratched at his beard as he was pondering a response to the Symenestra. "To certain people, yes, I am he. But who are you? And why are you in my home?"

It took Dex a moment to realize something that had eluded him prior. He had just stepped into this man's home with no permission or anything. As if he was somehow above normal decency all of a sudden. "Apologies, sir. The door was open and I just went inside. I was here," Dex scrambled as he sheathed his blade and reached a hand into his pockets to retrieve the notice of work. "Here for this. You asked for help with something."

Desmond took the paperwork from the young swordsman and looked it over for a moment. He stared at the thing for longer than he probably should with bagged eyes. "That I did...I suppose you will do. We will leave tomorrow, I assume you have experience in The Unforgiven?" Desmond pressed the paper back into the spider's chest who just barely was able to grab it before it slipped to the floor.

"I've traveled it a bit and spent some time in it as a child, but never anything extensive. Where are we going? And what could you possible want out there?" Dex looked down at the deceased creature as he tried to wiggle his feet out from under it. "And what is this thing?"

"This monstrosity? It is nothing more than a failed experiment today. But they are called Yukamen." Desmond kicked the chimeric thing in the stomach as he spoke. "Do not worry, they are simple things with simple desires...I was just caught off guard today." With his feet finally out from under the slain Yukaman Dex stepped over it and offered his hand to Desmond but quickly realized the older man was fixated on the creature and rescinded the offer. "You can call me Dex. When would you like to leave?"

The man finally snapped out of his trance and looked back in the Symenestra's direction. "Mmm? Ah..yes, Dex, a pleasure. Tomorrow, early in the morn. I'll meet you just outside the city then." Desmond scratched at his grey, scruffy beard again as he looked the swordsman up and down. "And be ready for a hike, boy."

With that Dex waved his goodbye to the old man. "See you on the other side then." He stepped over the dead creature and looked it over once more. His curiosity about how Desmond slew the thing was still fresh on his mind. The man seemed vague and elusive but he wasn't sure he wanted to know what was hiding underneath his veil.

(604+627+487+720+458=2896/2500)

[Chameleon]

Your Grades Are Here...

 

CHARACTER ONE

Skills...

• Socialisation: 2XP
• Land Navigation: 2XP
• Observation: 3XP
• Unarmed: 1XP
• Weapon; Rapier: 1XP
• Interrogation: 1XP

Lores...

• Alvadas: No permanent addresses
• Desmond Kallahan: Lives in a cave in Alvadas
• Weapon; Rapier: Thrusting while dodging
• Yukamen: Monsters with skin of rock and gems

]

Comments...
Nice little thread here - I'm interested in part two, definitely. Hopefully, all the skills here are good, let me know if you think I missed something! If not, I hope you enjoy and don't forget to mark your thread as graded!

Enjoy Your Grade!...