Quest The City That Can't Forget

[Telemachus]

The Dark Elf did not deign to react. He had conspired with Hamatulas, courted Erinyes, communed with Gelugons. Any annoyance tendered by the cryomantic troglodyte across from him was but a paltry discomfort in comparison to those ordeals. But Telemachus was not deaf to the insipid whining of his apprentice, as nice as that would have been.

He shut his book, allowing it to rest in his lap. "There are many," he said, tone even - borderline apathetic. "Hand me your waterskin."

It was a command, not a request, and by now Galen would be fully aware of the consequences of disobeying a direct order. Telemachus examined the waterskin once it was in hand, making sure to judge appropriately the amount it could hold. A servant that died of thirst was of no use to him. He was no necromancer, after all. Such practices were beneath even someone as loathsome as di Inverno. It was a low art. A shortcut to power.

His hand glowed a faint white color, which vanished as quickly as it appeared. When Telemachus tossed the waterskin back to Galen, the restored contents sloshed noisily.

"Ration that more carefully."

Meanwhile, a caravan guard had taken to insulting di Inverno in no uncertain terms. He would have to remember this kindness, even if he found her crudeness to be equally distasteful. Rather than suffer through what would doubtlessly be a long and frustrating exchange, Telemachus closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and allowed himself to meditate on the energy that now charged the air.

Soon they would reach their destination. Then the real work could begin.

Dante di Inverno | Galen | Alona Hawse | Kyver | Jason | Douglas Haley | Sinnata Wynralei​

 

[Raziel Shirai]

Jason Douglas Haley
The winged figure was approaching the front of the caravan, parting the clouds of dust in his wake. There was a mild breeze about him, it seemed. Or was it the dust simply avoiding him, that it should not soil his clothing or face? It was certainly hard to tell, since his wings did not appear to have collected any dirt, and his clothes and face were pristine as well...what exactly was this being?

Regardless of the intensity of his presence, however, it appeared this person was not hostile, for his weapon was not drawn, his hands were not raised, and even the expression on his face was one of curiosity rather than tension. It became clear as he drew closer that he was looking at the caravan as a foreign student would upon seeing a culture's architecture for the first time; an intellectual curiosity, green but eager to learn, and taking in every last detail.

But that was likely not the first thing that one would notice looking upon him, for the radiance he gave off was a more immediately noticeable feature. It was as if the area around him was supernaturally bright, illuminated by grace in physical form. Indeed, what few desert creatures there were even appeared to stop and behold it for a few moments. It was a warm and gentle light, soothing to the soul, and looking upon it one might feel a one or a combination of awe, joy, and inspiration.

As his features became more visible, another thing onlookers might notice would be how handsome this man was. His appearance was virtually perfect; graceful, toned, and free of blemishes. He was walking on the ground, but his steps seemed so light as to barely disturb the earth beneath him, and he barely left any visible trail that was not covered by the dust that resumed roiling motion as he passed.

And then he spoke. His voice echoed slightly, and it was powerful yet smooth.
"Hail, travelers."
There was a hint of curiosity even in his voice, but absolutely no trepidation or hesitation.

 

[Dante di Inverno]

Dante stacked his hands atop his chest and gasped as if in pain. "You wound me, woman, if you think to compare me to those ill-bred swain you've lain with in the past. I promise you, my attributes far exceed any you could conjure within your mind, as well as any you've experienced with another.

As for your self-decreed expertise, I fear your experience with the council must be more elementary than mine, dearling, if you believe their prattle of equality. Anyone who is truly a part of the higher echelons of magickery would know the truth of the matter. 'Tis a well-established order within our society that the council truly covets, not an equal share of the power. Why do you think they sit so high and mighty in their exclusive circle. "

He sighed, shaking his head with a patronizing smile. "'Tis a shame that such a well-formed specimen as yourself has neither the brains nor the breeding to be my equal in anything but the bedchamber. And even that I would need some convincing to fully believe. I suppose I could find time in my schedule to allow you the chance to change my mind."

As he finished his sentence, Jason walked by and made his annoyance known. Although the blow from the sword jolted him, Dante laughed.

"It appears one of our dear sellswords hasn't taken too kindly to the tale. Perhaps he finds the effort to understand it too wearying for his brutish mind. 'Tis no matter. Would anyone else care to hear the rest, or has your ability to think been impeded by this tenacious weather?"

Telemachus | Alona Hawse | Galen | Douglas Haley | Raziel Shirai | Kyver | Sinnata Wynralei | Tezio Gomst | Acillio Nazzaro

 

[Douglas Haley]

West of Vel Anir, among the ruins of Valen...
Cirqa 369

Dungeon Master Post - Dante di Inverno │ Galen │ Telemachus │ Jason │ Kyver │ Sinnata Wynralei │ Alona Hawse │@Tezio Gomst │ Acillio Nazzaro │ Raziel Shirai
____________________________

The two at the front of the caravan of scholars, mages, and sellswords continued their conversation with a quiet regard for the storm; allowing their voices to just barely overcome the seemingly increasing wind speeds, taking visibility down just slightly. There was a slight trepidation in the air, something Douglas picked up on, motioning for the driver to be quiet as he looked around for some source of the signal, only to have his attention taken by Jason.

“Hm?”, he could barely muster through his masked expression before looking in the direction Jason pointed.

“Looks like those little glass statues you’d put over a candle in a child’s room…”, he said as he adjusted the shemagh he wore.

As he spoke, the tri-winged angel closed towards the group with not bought a noise; however a few of the sellswords quietly knocked a bolt into their arbalests before Douglas motioned them to hold. With his hand signal, the entire caravan stopped moving; an annoyance to most in the caravan no doubt, but pressing forward with an unknown variable wasn’t much safer, especially if this flying stranger turned out to be hostile. The entire situation managed to muddle Douglas’s attention on the rising vibrations of the magical currents that surrounded them.

“Hail, travelers.”, the voice said in its own aggrandized manner.

Douglas took a moment to step off the carriage, while the driver that stood next to him quietly dropped the reigns he held and picked up his own arbalest, though didn’t aim it at the man. That didn’t stop two other sellswords tasked with guiding the caravan from aiming them however. The man the angel spoke to however, had nothing visible of his features besides the bridge of his nose and the very pale, almost cataract like, irises that gazed him over before he spoke;

“Hail.”, he said rather plainly, “There a reason you’re stopping our caravan, stranger?”

Summary -

• The caravan has stopped at the sight of an unknown entity, while some of the sell swords move to the front of the caravan to provide security.
• The magical currents have moved from a hum to something more undulating, seemingly agitated at their current position, but with no identifiable source. It would feel as though someone were casting a spell, though nothing ever seemed to come of it.
• The dust and wind have picked up, slightly, helping to shroud the city's skyline beneath dust. Its hard to see just how far the city goes within the light wind storm.

 

[Raziel Shirai]

Raziel shook his head.
"My apologies for any inconvenience I may have caused you passing by, but I do appear to have lost my way. I assure you though that I mean no harm."
The winged man raised both hands about shoulder-height.
"I must ask why such a large group of travelers is here together, in a place like this. I've been wandering for some time from place to place, but never have I seen such numbers in a caravan before...not to mention having stumbled upon these ruins has taken me a tad by surprise."
Then he took a slight bow.
"Either way, you needn't stop for me. I would be honored should you allow me to accompany you, for it is becoming rather lonely out here, but if you do not trust me..."
He gave a brief gesture to the weapons pointed in his direction.
"I would understand, for encountering a winged stranger in the desert is certain to arouse suspicion, indeed."
Importantly of note was the relative lack of items in his possession. With the exception of an ornate sword, a waterskin, clothing, and few other small accessories, he was carrying very little; no pack, nor any sign of rations or a bedroll, could be seen on him.

 

[Urberus]

The hellion's barb hit home. Galen hung his head. Until recently, he had been unlettered, unlearned, and unmannered. Now he could read some, but larger words could take a few seconds for him to puzzle out. To make matters worse, he felt that he lacked the talent for useful spells, like Dante's ice magic. Nobody cared about creating a ball of light when lanterns or torches could be just as easily got.

Galen perked up as Telemachus spoke and fiddled with his waterskin. The dark elf preferred to show rather than tell, so Galen tried hard to pick up on what exactly had gone into the spell aside from the glowing hand bit. He accepted the waterskin back and marveled slightly at the heft it now had. Another useful spell, so probably one he wouldn't be much for.

Maybe he was better off leaving the college and going back to the streets. Maybe they were right. Maybe that was where he belonged.

He felt pinpricks of cold along his back and frowned, then, without warning, the wagon slowed to a halt.

"Why've we stopped? Got a ways to go yet, I thought."

 

[Douglas Haley]

West of Vel Anir, among the ruins of Valen...
Cirqa 369

Interacting with Jason │ Acillio Nazzaro │ Raziel Shirai
____________________________

“Pretty fortuitous for you to just happenstance upon us mid-expedition…”, the gruff, stringy Caravan driver offered as he motioned to the angel with his crossbow.

Douglas glanced to the driver, forcing him to meet his gaze and only quiet his tone with an equally uninviting flemmy gurgle that must’ve cleared his throat of any mucus, as he promptly spit it aside without looking away from the stranger. The expedition’s leader, Douglas, simply shook his head and turned back, watching as a few more of the team’s security forces moved to support him where he stood.

“We’re a train of scholars, studying the ruins. Everything past that isn’t really your business, seeing as how you weren’t hired to be apart of the caravan.”, Douglas offered as he crossed his arms.

“In just about every sense of the word, it's pretty serendipitous for you to have came upon us, which makes me pretty wary to just let you join up. Even still, I’m not heartless…”, he said as he motioned to the lead caravan’s supplies;

“If you need water, or some food, you’re free to it for the moment. After that however, you’ll have to leave.”​

 

[Kara Orin]

As Dante di Inverno replied to the jests of Jason and Kyver, Kyver’s eyes widened as a half-frown grew on his face. His gaze rolled over toward Aepha. She mirrored him.

Yet then, the three-story building carved into the canyon caught Kyver’s eyes. He studied the construct from the carriage. His eyes could not catch up with the amount of buildings that began to appear before the caravan.

As the group journeyed further into the ancient city, Kyver placed his hand over his chest. His eyes looked down. Brows furrowed.

“You noticed it too?” asked Aepha in that moment. Kyver responded with only a silent nod. The words of warning Alona Hawse gave to Dante seemed to not reach their ears.

The ruins lost Kyver’s attention the moment Dante called himself a “Lord of Vel Anir and Mage of the College of Elbion.” Both Aepha and Kyver snapped their heads to Dante. Blank faces. But sudden giggles from both, which they tried to suppress, followed after Alona’s comments about Dante’s “manliness.” Their chuckling grew in strength as Dante responded. The more Dante spoke, the more it grew into outright laughter.

“Who is this guy?” Kyver childishly asked aloud between his gnoll-like cackling.

Aepha and Kyver continued to laugh even as the wagon made a sudden stop due to the appearance of Raziel Shirai.

Abir, a burly man of a man that was also in the crowded carriage, took his place as the adult and bopped Kyver on top of the head with his fist.

“Pay attention, you two!” Abir told them.

The hysterical laughing soon ceased. Douglas Haley and Raziel could then be heard in the wagon over the growing wind.

 

[Raziel Shirai]

“Now when did I claim that I happened upon you? I happened upon these ruins, and noticed you in the distance. Considering the rather unusual nature of this place it is dangerous to be alone, and I myself am rather curious to explore them.”
The angel was clearly not fazed by the rough nature of the travelers, and at the mention of scholars he visibly perked, but then appeared disappointed when told he couldn’t stay.
“It’s quite alright, if you distrust me that greatly I’ll be on my way. I should warn you, however, that these ruins are quite dangerous; in the few hours I’ve been here, there have been two times I’ve been forced to bare my blade. My skills at healing would mitigate the dangers of this place. But I understand.”
Turning to the side, he made to walk off the road and back into the desert.

 

[Douglas Haley]

West of Vel Anir, among the ruins of Valen...
Cirqa 369

Dungeon Master Post - Dante di Inverno │ Galen │ Telemachus │ Jason │ Kyver │ Sinnata Wynralei │ Alona Hawse │@Tezio Gomst │ Acillio Nazzaro │ Raziel Shirai
____________________________

“Coy wordplay will serve you no favors here.”, he said, motioning to just one of the guards on horseback that held a heavy set crossbow in his leathery grip.

As the man began to wander off however, Douglas made no attempts to stop him. Why would he? The stranger meant nothing to him, and there was no true way to determine if he was anything to do with what he said he was, nor if he was someone from Vel Anir sent to spy on the expedition for their own sake. Instead, he simply sighed and shook his head, watching as the winds around them slowly began to pick up.

With the distraction gone, his attention moved back towards the rising roar, furrowing his brow in concentration as he tried to determine a source. In one moment, it seemed to come from the north, following the path of the canyon and over the city towards them, yet in another it seemed to come from the entirely opposite direction, as if to push them further into the ruins. He wasn’t sure if it was the canyon’s geography that was causing such turbulent precedents, but something about it didn’t seem right…

“Tell everyone we make camp here.”, he said quickly yelling out to the other guards. Each would nod in turn, with three dispatched to knock on the door of each of the wagons, reaching their covered heads in to tell everyone of the decision.

"Get the groups together to start unloading their packs. We can discuss more when we're done."

Once the few looked outside their wagons, it would be easy to tell as to why. As the wind had picked up, more dust, sand, and dirt had littered the air with wanton abandon; cutting visibility closer to by the second. In only a few minutes, one could only see from one end of the caravan to the other, while any noise one could make was quickly overshadowed by the whipping roar of a sandstorm. Even still more odd, was that for the mage’s of extremely acute sensory abilities, they’d notice the wind seemed to beat with the pressure of a heartbeat; yet one slow and methodical, a beat only every few moments, as if the distance between them was just long enough to almost forget the last had come, and at such a subtle level of acknowledgment that it seemed to fall in line with one’s own.

Summary -

• The caravan has decided to make camp in light of a growing storm, that seems to have come over the group in a moment's notice. Not uncommon in these parts of the world, it would seem.
• For those of extreme magical sensory abilities, a very subtle and faint heartbeat could be felt through the storm itself; though with no discernible source.

 

[Jason]

As the strange six winged being drew closer, Jason drew his bow and nocked an arrow, training it on the figure. He stayed silent as the conversation ensued and processed the situation. The more he thought about it, the more useful the angelic creature seemed. He lowered his bow when the creature began wondering off and turned to their leader.

"If the creature does not lie about its abilities and its intentions are sincere, they it would be a very useful asset should we run into trouble in this place. The longer we've been here more I believe that may happen and there's more to this place than we know."

At the order, Jason rode back to his original cart and announced the storm's approach. "So that means we're setting up camp early. The storm is moving in fast so everyone helps." He made a point of emphasizing the word "everyone" while pointedly looking at Dante di Inverno.

Douglas Haley

 

[Douglas Haley]

West of Vel Anir, among the ruins of Valen...
Cirqa 369

Interacting with Jason │ Acillio Nazzaro │ Raziel Shirai
____________________________

With a slight glance, he offered Jason a simple shake of his head before speaking over the tone of the storm;

“We have our orders. Realistically, politically, however you want to twist it, he’s an unknown; and that isn’t something we can afford to deal with in the long run.”, he said with a motion of his hand. “Go, get your supplies. I’ll do the same and meet over there.”, he said, motioning to a point somewhat equal distance from the various carriages.

Now that all was said and done, Douglas took a few more hesitant moments to look into the growing wall of sand that surrounded them, catching only half the beats that came back from the abyss of dirt and grime. It unsettled him, speaking to something in the city or the storm that was just as much an unknown as the angel; if not more. He sighed deeply, readjusting the shemagh as he worked towards the back of the first carriage with the others; looking to take a rucksack and a chest off with the assistance of a fellow researcher who looked ill equipped to be in the dirt.

His mumbles of protest were negligible in relation to the howls that surrounded them, but Douglas couldn’t help but shake his head at the response regardless.​

 

[Raziel Shirai]

As the storm picked back up, Raziel halted. He had only taken a few steps off the road at the time, and now with the sand reducing visibility his only option was to return to where the skeptical caravan had been.
In returning to the road, he came across Jason who had been silently watching him as he had attempted to negotiate with the leader.
“I am sorry for reappearing after having been turned away, but that storm will make it quite impossible for me to find myself anyplace else.”
He bowed.
“I beseech you please allow me to weather the storm here. I promise you will not regret allowing me into your company.”
The desperation in his voice was clear now, and he remained in the bowed position.

 

[Jason]

Jason gazed at the figure bowing before him, contemplating what to do. He sighed heavily and finally came to a logical course of action.

"Orders are orders. I can't do anything more than bring you back to Douglas to explain your situation." He nudged Sargent toward the front of the caravan once again. "Come this way, creature."

Douglas Haley | Raziel Shirai

 

[Raziel Shirai]

Raziel nodded and followed. When they reached the front he repeated the same.
“I am sorry for having reappeared after being turned away, but there is no place else to go in this storm. I beseech you allow me to weather the storm here...please...I mean no harm, I promise. And here is proof.”
Raziel’s radiant aura began to expand and pulse, and as it washed over the travelers, they would feel an unusual feeling, as if their very souls were being uplifted, and at the same time their bodies felt stronger, faster, and just generally better.
“I know that I am an unknown to you at this point, but I hope that at least seeing some of what I can do will shed some light. Please; I know not how I can make it any more clear to you that I will bring no harm to anyone here.”

 

[Dante di Inverno]

As Dante finished his response to Alona Hawse, another courier stuck his head into the stopped cart and let them all know it was time to make camp. Jason followed shortly behind.

"I have never been one to shirk my duties," he said in response to the man's pointed comment. He ignored the two fools laughing in the corner and focused on the sellsword. "I am no indolent serf who would rather make children than care for them. In fact, I daresay I can outpace you with the unloading of the carts any day. Care to wager for it?"

Galen | Telemachus | Douglas Haley | Kyver | Sinnata Wynralei

 

[Khehe]

Sinnata was only half paying attention as the banter continued, more interested in gawking at the ruins as their caravan entered the ancient city. It took a great deal more willpower not to look when she heard a thump and a familiar accosting from Abir that stopped the chorus of adolescent giggling.

But the task of minding her own business was made easier by the fact that they had stopped moving. Lowering her hood and her long ears perking up so that she might hear better, she craned her neck trying to look out. As the giggling died down, she could hear the voice of their leader, Douglas Haley, conversing another she didn't recognize. The intermittent rushes of wind carried off half of the conversation, but it was apparent there was some tension. However, it was over almost as soon as it started, and the wind was growing louder. Sinnata caught a glance of a six-winged figure walking away from the caravan, their shape somewhat obscured by the sand whirling around them, and her gasp was audible.

"What in Astra's name is that?" she asked, not really sure whose attention she was trying to get.

Whether she was going to get an answer or not was moot, because in the next moment the figure was enveloped by the rapidly growing storm and a figure rapped on the door and poked their head in. They were stopping to make camp now.

Now? Sinnata's eyes whipped to the growing storm and the point where the figure had walked away. She didn't have to wonder why they were setting up camp now.

"I'll go find Caran," Sinnata offered to her teammates as she put up her hood and began wrapping her long scarf tightly around her face. The dark elf was in one of the other carriages, most likely having a right good nap. He barely spoke to them, let alone to strangers.

Nodding to Abir, since she was abandoning him to set up camp with Aepha and Kyver, she hustled out of the carriage ahead of them. Her bow and quiver would have knocked the knees of those she passed -- or their heads if they didn't sit back before the elf quickly passed through the tight space.

It was miserable outside, sand carried in the wind like a cloud of needles that assaulted her eyes and burned her skin. Sinnata scaled the back of the carriage and, using the full weight of her slight form, yanked her gear free. She nearly lost her balance and fell, but managed to land with a shred of dignity before jogging along the caravan in search of her long-time companion.

Kyver // Alona Hawse // Galen // Telemachus // Dante di Inverno // Tezio Gomst // Douglas Haley​

 

[Douglas Haley]

West of Vel Anir, among the ruins of Valen...
Cirqa 369

Interacting with Jason │ Acillio Nazzaro │ Raziel Shirai
____________________________

With some intensity, Douglas hefted another rucksack onto his shoulder as his attention carelessly attempted to focus on the magical currents that seemed ever more agitated as the storm went on. Between the billows of sand being thrust into his face, and the fact his entire attention was focused on the ever so subtle machinations of an unknown entity, it came as a slight surprise when Raziel had come back to speak once more;

Douglas only picked up on the last few portions of what he said as he began to cast a spell;

“And here is proof.”, as some enchantment had begun to spread through the masses. Douglas glanced around, feeling the magical currents surge for a moment, and the heartbeat of the magical currents spiking just as the spell was cast; an ill omen. His gaze quickly fell back on Raziel, though with far more anger than he likely expected;

“Stop!”, he said suddenly, motioning with one of his hands. His tone came in a irritated, loud volume as he looked Raziel in the eyes.

“There is something messing with the currents of magic here. I don’t care if you can manage a spell or two, so can everyone else here, but if you want to be of any actual use; how about go move some supplies.”, he said with his annoyance peaking mid sentence.

“And don’t use magic. Spread the word, we can’t have anyone else causing the laylines to flare…”, he said as his gaze moved into the abyss of sand that threatened to bear down on them at any moment.

Even still, despite Douglas’s command for care, something had changed in the storm. Subtle, for now, but the use of magic had unknowingly called far more attention on the group than anyone realized.​

 

[Raziel Shirai]

Raziel would likely have noticed something amiss as he channeled power into his aura, and once Douglas Haley told him to stop he immediately did so, and then looked around to try and discern what exactly it was that was messing with his magic.
After being told he could help unload supplies he seemed content.
“Of course. If the magical properties of this place are dangerous my physical skills will suffice.”
He began to lift supplies in large amounts and move them to the indicated places. He was fast at it, and after greatly expediting the work of the nearest caravan he made a point of moving to Jason ’s next.
“I’ve unloaded one caravan’s supplies...I am here to assist yours now. Also, your leader has mentioned to refrain from using magic here...”
He said, looking at the likely gaping remaining members of his caravan.
“I again apologize for having forced myself here; this desert weather is quite a cruel mistress.”

 

[Raigryn Vayd]

"Don't hunker down over there you dozy pillock," Raigryn called out as he dropped off the back of a wagon. "Other side of the dune or else it will bury you." Despite his years he drew himself up tall and cast his gaze over the caravan before looking to the storm.

The mercenary gave Raigryn a shrug. Either the empath's age had convinced him it was wise or else it was better to be safe than sorry, but he moved away from the sand dune. Not that Raigryn had told anyone that he was an Empath. The artform carried a heavy stigma these days. Not like twenty years ago, when he had marched over these lands with the hand of the previous king of Vel Anir.

Whilst well travelled, this was not a climate he enjoyed. A few forays into the inhospitable wastes when it was absolutely necessary, but he had learned a few tricks. He dabbed a cloth with a few drops of water and pulled it tight over his mouth.

"Get in the pack," he told Jason VII. The Lunasloth looked at him with wide eyes. "Pack!" he repeated. He (she) finally got the idea and started crawling into the pack excruciatingly slowly. They came from temperate jungle, not arid wastelands. Jason wasn't happy about not being allowed to hunt insects at night either, but Raigryn understood there were poison creatures around the sands at night and didn't want to have to move onto Jason VIII already. This companion was barely getting the hang of commands.

"I don't like that storm," he muttered into his mask. There was something otherworldly about those winds and it almost felt as if there was a presence behind it. Raigryn decided it could have been an idle mind playing tricks and got down to the graft of preparing to ride it out. They needed the wagons secured against the winds and everyone in cover soon. Just a few seconds out of the shelter of the caravan and grains of sand were gathering on his brow, scratching at his weathered skin.

 

[Telemachus]

Telemachus exited the carriage. He brought with him only his personal satchel, which his book was now tucked away inside of, and his staff - black as night and devoid of any distinguishing features. He surveyed the landscape they had stopped in, gaze momentarily resting on the bizarre beast with six wings that was attempting to haggle for entrance to the caravan. What nonsense was afoot here?

Whatever it was, it was unrelated to the storm. Telemachus could feel it all too well. It was strange. Foreign. But that was why he was here - to see strange and foreign things. The monstrosity seemed to be pulsating a different sort of magic. Not only was it interfering with his ability to sense the storm, but it seemed to be agitating whatever anomaly was ongoing.

If whatever minor prestidigitation the monster was emitting would intensify the storm, so would the remarkably more sophisticated feats of magic Telemachus was capable of. Distressing. This also meant he would have to wait until later to kill the di Inverno whelp. Disappointing.

Once it was done... Glowing... It began to sprint back and forth from one carriage to another, unloading its contents rapidly. This was getting out of hand. With little regard for the intensifying winds, Telemachus found his way over to Douglas Haley. Silent and stern in the swirling storm, Telemachus might inadvertently startle the caravaneer if he wasn't paying attention.

"I see we have taken on an aberration," Telemachus observed. "Such creatures are potentially dangerous, but they are my area of expertise. I suggest you allow me to examine it before any more of our supplies are potentially contaminated."

Dante di Inverno | Galen | Alona Hawse | Kyver | Jason | Douglas Haley | Sinnata Wynralei | Raziel Shirai​

 

[Urberus]

Galen followed close behind his master, an old tome clutched tightly under one arm. He raised his other hand to shield his eyes from the storm, which whipped about, kicking up sand at his eyes and filling his apprentice robes with the granules that would soon chaff against his skin.

Before him he saw answer to his question. Some monstrous being stood before them, a marriage of man and bird, for though he looked like a man through foot to crown, six feathered wings jutted from his back. The young apprentice's eyes widened and he listened as his master spoke above the gale. A Fargoyle, perhaps? Or a Nalthriner? Truth be told, Galen had some trouble following the lexicon of demons and Telemachus was not generous when it came to knowledge. It made the lad wonder why he bothered to have an apprentice at all.

He still felt the tingling along his spine and the air itself seemed to hold danger. Growing up on the streets as he did, Galen knew the feeling of eyes on his back. And he felt them now. Twisting around, though, he saw nothing but the storm. Worried him, it did, and smelled of foulness afoot.

 

[Jason]

Jason was mildly surprised when Dante di Inverno actually helped unload. He had ignored the wager that Dante proposed, stating that "he didn't need to prove anything to some one like him." When the angel approached, Jason blinked at the fully unloaded first carriage and then at the creature before him.

"Make it quick, Telemachus." He said before turning back to Raziel. "What do we call you, wanderer?"

Telemachus | Raziel Shirai | Dante di Inverno

 

[Raziel Shirai]

“Raziel. And you?”
To the dark elf,
“Investigate me all you wish, but you will find no reason for concern. And I am no aberration...I would appreciate if you did not use such harmful terminology.”
To the others in the group,
“I understand that my appearance is unsettling, but I beseech you entertain my company and you will not regret the decision.”
Jason Telemachus Galen Dante di Inverno Alona Hawse Kyver Sinnata Wynralei

 

[Telemachus]

Raziel. A suspicious and unseemly name. Where had Telemachus heard it before? It did not matter, and neither did the creature's protestations to - as far as he was concerned - accurate terminology. Would a flea be pleased to know it was considered an insect? Of course not. But such matters were beyond the comprehension of the flea; and they were likewise beyond this creature's as well.

Telemachus interposed his staff in front of Raziel rudely, even as he attempted to address the rest of the caravan.

"I will be the judge of that." he said, flatly, as if talking to someone who had asked a particularly unhelpful question. "You will speak no more to the people of this caravan, and come with me at once."

A keen mind would recognize this was not a request.

Dante di Inverno | Galen | Alona Hawse | Kyver | Jason | Douglas Haley | Sinnata Wynralei | Raziel Shirai​