Open Chronicles Vanished but not forgotten

[White Swallow]

Empty hovels lined empty streets, not even cloth of fleece left hanging on ropes that equally so had vanished.
Without wooden beams, the roofs have collapsed. Without the people and animals, a village was just heaps of lifeless adobe and stone.

The sight was harrowing. Not in the sense of piles of bodies and pools of blood, but it was the visage of a derelict town, plundered of everything that was neither sand nor stone. T'was not the work of bandits, bandits don't take wooden spoons and cats, but something sinister no doubt had happened here.
And only yesterday the village was still teeming with life.
Today, everyone was gone, from the elders to the newborns from the kittens to the cattle.


The White Swallow crouched in the centre of the village, his fingers gently tracing signs of struggle. He was but one of the many people inquired to investigate this mess of a disaster. It's been happening far too commonly now and this village was not the only one.

 

[Llothr]

Ah, sweet silence.

Yet... not fitting for here.
​

He strolled the empty streets with an unusual confidence - as if totally oblivious to the doleful quiet which surrounded him. It was curious, the state of such a place. For it was not but a short while ago he'd felt the presence of life here, a relatively content life at that.

No longer...
​

Even one such as he had questions. It was no small occurance, to extinguish that many flames with little dread to show for it.

He would seek the truth of this, for even the ancients knew not all.

He emerged through the windswept sands which now encroached around him into the square. There knelt a being.

Human.

Hmm...

Like myself, I suppose.
​

He did not speak, instead he only stood and watched.

White Swallow

 

[White Swallow]

The sight of a lonesome man was indeed peculiar. No local and seeming as much intrigued by the derelict village as the White Swallow was.

He approached the robed man in a relaxed posture, raising one hand to wave at him twice.
»Hail, I suppose you do not know what transpired in these lands.«

 

[Llothr]

He stood planted where he was as the stranger approached. One hand rested firmly upon a gnarled staff, more akin to a glorified walking stick than anything. The other, was risen into a gentle and lazy wave, before it rose even further.

A puff of smoke came from beneath the Wandering One's hood, and his hand grasped the pipe which hung from his mouth.

"No," he replied, his voice was gravelly and flat, "I have no knowledge of what has been done here."

The pipe was replaced, and another puff released.

"But I suppose you intend to find out?"

 

[White Swallow]

»What has befallen this village...I do not know.«
»I have some idea on what might have transpired here, but little else,« The White Swallow murmured, approaching the robed man.

»Have you heard of the sightings of the black ancients?« He changed his tone, more inquisitive this time around.

It started with mere ten black skeletal people of oozing tar-like substance. Ravenous they were for the living.
At first, they were shrugged off, but then they came in droves.

 

[Llothr]

Black Ancients?

Hmm...
​

"I've not heard of that which you speak of," he replied, continuing to puff on his pipe.

From beneath the shade of his hood he peered, examining the approaching man. He seemed to be a nobler sort, well spoken and respectful.

Llothr stretched out his hand for the man to keep some distance, but in the same benign manner as before. He did not seek to offend the man, though it was something he was good at.

"Do you think these creatures are to blame? If so... what manner of thing would benefit from this?" He gestured out with his hand to the oddity that was the state of this place.

 

[White Swallow]

»I do not know.« He admitted.

»Nothing steals wooden beams from houses, nothing steals the hay from a through either. The black ancients are only slightly older than these strange occurrences.«
He put his arms briefly on his hips, this time staying in place some short distance from the robed man.

 

[Llothr]

He grunted, and then started forward, maintaining the comfortable berth they'd assumed.

"Well... let's see what we can find."

He walked a few paces into the town square where he'd first seen his new acquaintance, and then came to a halt. He quickly gave his staff a small lift and then dropped it once more upon the ground, causing an anticlimactic cloud of dust to shoot up, hardly above ankle height.

He stood relatively still for a moment, then he raised and open palm toward the center of the square, and with hardly more than a whisper he said, "Sjon vanyalí."

Reveal magic.
​

Beyond what they could already see, little else was revealed. But Llothr saw, and if the stranger's eyes proved as keen as they seemed then he just may have too: shimmering wisps of translucent smoke, few and far between and hard to discern, but for the Wandering One it was a tell tale sign.

"It would seem there is some strange magic at work... though I am uncertain of its nature..."

Little help, but at least perhaps some.

 

[White Swallow]

»Magic is rare in villages unless a mage prodigy is present.« The white swallow crossed his army, walking up and down the road, mind deep in thought.
His eyes faced the mage, he grew quite peculiar by the moment. Was it safe to assume he was not involved in any way?
His words were genuine, so much his heart could tell.

Standing still, his eyes gazed upon the horizon, the trampled floor of the village seemed to congregate into a thick track further out.
He pointed at them.
»There. Would you be willing to come with me? Your expertise could help many people.«

 

[Llothr]

Llothr's eyes followed first the stranger's gaze, and were focused when he pointed. Truly yes, there was a trail, congregated together like water having found its path. With his power still lingering he saw too the magic flow there before it vanished as his spell disipated.

Above anything else he was terribly curious. He'd never seen anything quite like this before - and there was much he had memory of, but who knew how much he'd forgotten.

A grumbling murmur came from him as he apparently thought out loud in near silence, then he said, "very well."

He started forward, "what then shall I call you?"

 

[Rizzo Bouchard]

Nope, nope! Nothing here either! Aaaahh! This whole town was abandoned, but there had to be something. The next house! There was always the next house! Yes there was!

Rizzo had been bouncing along from house to house in the town, strutting with a cheerful and confident gait through this door and that door and checking here and there and everywhere and well she had just one question. Just one! Wherewasalltheloot. Of course there was loot! People lived here! At some point. They had stuff. People always had stuff. Shiny stuff. Squirreled away somewhere. That's what everybody did! That's what Rizzo did! Therefore, loot! No doubt about it!

A song she sang as she entered the next house on the empty street:

♫ Sun • shine • and star • light
Gonna • make • the world • bright
Now lift • your head • and say • it with • a smile~~

Out • comes the • new • day
Better • take • what you • may
Don't'cha • know • the cost • to stay • in style~~ ♫​

Nothing here. Nothing there. Nothing here. Nothing there. Not even any dropped coins on the floor or in the sand outside! People dropped coins all the time! That was one of Rizzo's favorite pastimes as a child in Alliria: Snatch-a-roo! Skip around the marketplace and wait for people to whoopsy-daisy their coins and then pounce and scamper away! Wait for 'em, or, you know, politely bump into people to kinda help them drop their coins. Politely, of course! She wasn't rude about it! Nope, nope!

But here...well, there weren't even any people around to be dropping coins. And it seemed all the coins people had dropped were long gone. Oh well! There was always the next house! Yes there was! And this one was gonna be the one!

Rizzo strut out of the house and crossed the street to enter and search the next one. How about another verse:

♫ Hello • to the • blue • sky
Fancy • if I • could • fly
Soaring • fast • and light • and high • and free~~ ♫​

Ugh...too much blue sky here though. And this place was definitely not the Allir Reach! Oops. Rizzo had a little happy accident using a portal stone to come back from that wizard Grangomelle's loot game. She had touched the wrong doobly-do and ended up transporting herself to this big ol' desert. That's right, a big ol' desert, as grandma and grandpa Bouchard would say! And it was hot here. And bright. Little too bright. Ow, her eyes! Tone down the sunshine, little more starlight. Still, she was doing great, considering! She got teased all the time by those human kids in Alliria! Oh, how can the purply-durply-darkish-elvish girl see in the sun? Ha, ha! Surprise! She was doing grrrrrrreat!

Suffice it to say, yup, she was lost. Happy accident to the portal stone in the desert, and, hm, well, she, uh...didntreallyknowherwayaroundherepleasehalp. But! She may have missed Elbion by a wide mile--at least she knew Elbion should be somewheres 'round here, erm-hrm--but here she was now! In this abandoned town! Most certainly full of loot! Yes! Opportunity! She'd loot this place and take all her goodies to Elbion--cougheventuallycough--and head to the local Adventurer's Guild office and go from there.

One problem. No loot. Not even any water! And she was thirsty! They had to get water from somewhere.

Rizzo skipped out of the house and started up the street, casting glances here and there, looking for anything that stood out.

There! Up the street! A man with a big stick and a man without a big stick. Stickman and Sans-Stick-Man! Well, they were here, maybe they knew something. She could maybe politely ask if this town had already been looted. Then she'd know for sure! Can't hurt to try.

Rizzo pranced over to the two men, her cape fluttering out behind her from the moderate pace she maintained. Then she stopped before them and shot her right hand high up into the air.

"I have a question!" she said. Loud and grinning. "Where is the water-water? Also, um, did you find anything shiny here?"

Two questions. But who was counting! Right!

 

[White Swallow]

»I go by no name. They call me, The White Swallow of Narra, and so can you.«
He dropped the shield of his, placing it firmly before his legs and gripping its uppermost rim.
A circular black as night shield, with a single white swallow in flight upon it.

Many tribes if not most on the western end of Amol-Kalit decorated themselves in most colourful banners and symbols. They were not limited to cities towns and villages alone, but warbands themselves identified themselves under a unique symbol.
Some carried much deeper meanings that what lies on the surface of a fabric.

»By what calling do you...-«

"I have a question!" she said. Loud and grinning. "Where is the water-water? Also, um, did you find anything shiny here?"

Two questions. But who was counting! Right!

He turned to face the new face in sight. Not local either, but this time easier to spot than before.
»Corrupt is the thought of taking from another man, what riches can one amass when one's soul is poor.«
He tilted his head.
»Regardless, whatever was here, all is gone, including every tool's shaft but not their heads. We're meaning to head out after the trail before nightfall befalls us, you might want to join us incase whatever was here returns.«

 

[Llothr]

»I go by no name. They call me, The White Swallow of Narra, and so can you.«

White Swallow.

Fluid. Decisive. Adept.

Or so the mantle implies...
​

The Wandering One paused to behold the Swallow's markings. The White Swallow in flight: a true beauty to those who could truly see.

He pondered for a moment, turning his gaze outward down their imminent path.

»By what calling do you...-«

Interrupted...

Hmmm...?
​

He turned himself around to lay eyes on their newcomer. Who he saw he held no great contempt for, or any preference. Purple skin; white hair? Unmistakable, even with all he likely failed to recall.

Dark elf, cave-dweller, drow.

Unusual...
​

"Its a little bright out for your sort," he quipped, a harsh undertone present in his already stern articulation, "wouldn't you say?" He turned away, and started onward, "well let's go if we're going. As much as I'd love to stand here all day."

White Swallow Rizzo Bouchard

 

[Rizzo Bouchard]

Sans-Stick-Man didn't answer either of her questions. Corrupt? Who? Her? Gasp! Nooooooo~~! Corrupt people were bad, and she wasn't bad. Therefore, not corrupt! See? See how that works? It was all about being polite. Yes! Polite! They didn't call her "Sweetroll" for nothing!

They did, in fact, call her Sweetroll for something. And it had nothing to do with being polite.

Rizzo's face contorted with a curled-lip confusion. Huh? What riches can one amass when one's soul is poor? Wait. Ha! Easy answer! Plenty! Just borrow here and acquire there and play grabby-fingers here and whirly-woo don't mind if I do there and before you know it...Wow! Look at all those riches! Soul ain't poor no more!

Then he said it, Sans-Stick-Man did. He said it.

...whatever was here, all is gone...

"Awwww..." Rizzo straightened up and held her arms stiffly behind her back and smiled a sloppy smile. "I, uh, you know, just wanted to make sure-sure everything was clean...and shiny...still...in this abandoned town in the middle of nowhere...Yup!"

Its a little bright out for your sort...wouldn't you say?

Stick-Man, it turned out, was a lot like the other kids around Alliria some fifteen, twenty years ago. Poking fun at her for that. Ha, well, joke was on them, because...because...they got sunburned waaaay more often than she did...Yeah! Ha!

Rizzo smacked her right fist into her left palm and proclaimed, "As a matter of fact, I'm doing just fine! I love the sunshine! Watch, watch." She lifted her hands to her eyes and used her thumbs and forefingers to open them wider. She grinned...then clamped her eyes shut and covered her eyes with both hands. "Ow, ow, ow. Bright, bright, bright...I'm fine! Thanks for asking!"

After recovering from that and hazarding opening her eyes again, she--Aaaaahh!--saw that Stick-Man and Sans-Stick-Man were leaving. Well, Sans-Stick-Man did say they were heading out on some trail before nightfall. Said she might want to join them. And how!

Rizzo sauntered along after them. Behind the two of them, as it so happened. She liked walking behind people. No reason.

"I'm Rizzo, by the way. Rizzo Bouchard! You can call me Sweetroll if you give me a sweetroll!" she said. "And I still don't know where the water is. No I don't! Yup, yup! And I--" (overly dramatic inhaling of air) "--drank all my water on the way here! Oh no! What am I gonna do? Hey, Stick-Man, can that stick find water?"

 

[Nayden]

Nayden had been traveling with Tsauhan for a little while now. He had no idea how long, time could be a blurr when someone is blind. Taking a sniff of the air he twitches his ears inside the hood obscuring all but his mouth and lower jaw. The village seemed completely empty to him.

“This is a weird place, my friend.” The man says with a curious hint in his voice as they approached the center of town. He’d look over and sense some life before letting Tsauhan take the lead. He had no idea if these people were friend or foes.

“Im going to concentrate on the energy around us. If you do not mind doing the talking Tsauhan.” He asks his companion resting his hand in his shoulder, “If these people are the cause of this I will know eventually, if if they use any magic on us at all.” He whispers, looking at White Swallow for what seemed like a moment before tracing over roughly the other two. Swallow’s aura seemed familiar to him but he could not put his finger on it.

 

[Taushan Angevin]

He sighed, “Weird indeed.” They had planned on resupplying here, along with a little r&r, but that was out the window.

He eyed the three people there, all thoroughly odd, though, his companion had proposed he do the talking and to just stand there silently in the distance would be odd. He approached them leading his companion via the hand on his shoulder saying, “How’s it going? I don’t suppose anyone knows what happened here. I’m Taushan and this is Nayden.” He eyed the group, resting a casual hand on his sword pommel, just in case, I mean hell, they could be bandits or the people that did this for all he knew.

 

[White Swallow]

As more people appeared, the Swallow called forth his horse. The enduring Mayyadah was as swift and loyal as on any day. He merely held her by the bridle for now, and likely for the entire duration of the trip.

He observed the curious dark elf for a bit. Very unlike the elves of these lands. A curious combination of skin and hair colour though. With the brief conversation between her and the robed one, there probably was something between the whitehaired elf and the sun, but he couldn't grasp the issue of it.
»If so, you're in luck, the sun will dop behind the horizon in less than three hours.«

Another man clad in armour and one robed fully came forth. At the odd angle of sunlight when the shadows grew longer, the gleam was almost blinding on the plate.
»And where you might come from? Seluca? Mirapol? Elbion?« His armour certainly didn't look local. It reminded him of the occasional eastern invaders and current occupiers of Seluca.
»We're heading out, hoping to find what sacked the village.«

 

[Llothr]

A side eyed glance past his hood paired with a grumbling murmur was his only response to the one called Rizzo. She was certainly one he intended to keep a close watch for, given her apparent obsession with merchandise. To him and most likely to her, shiny was synonymous for valuable - regardless of its image. He had nothing of any particular value anyway... well that could be debated.

Valuable to him anyway.

He carried on, only to once more pause. He turned around once more, repressing the exaggerated sigh of irritation he so wished to release. He beheld yet two more strangers.

More humans...
​

He measured them each - first the one who addressed them;

“How’s it going? I don’t suppose anyone knows what happened here. I’m Taushan and this is Nayden.”

He was terribly unremarkable. From the look of him he was some lowly commoner, slowly dragging himself from an impoverished hovel to warriorhood. Perhaps even noble hood, but he was far from that yet. He studied him a moment, as though he were looking beyond what was there for the others to see.

“Im going to concentrate on the energy around us. If you do not mind doing the talking Tsauhan.” He asks his companion resting his hand in his shoulder, “If these people are the cause of this I will know eventually, if if they use any magic on us at all.”

Then the other. He was a little more remarkable: there was something he could perceive. A weight, or a burden of some kind. To his eyes, it hung over this Nayden like a darkened curtain. Curious. He studied him in the same manner as the first.

His examination lasted but a moment or two, then he said, "come along then. I haven't got all damn day, and if any more of you show up I'm apt to lose my patience!" He gave his staff a bit of a bump against the ground before once more turning to leave.

I'm not turning back around damnit.
​

White Swallow Rizzo Bouchard Nayden Taushan Angevin

Edit: Magic Reveal spell disipated already.
>.<

 

[Rizzo Bouchard]

Not much time left in the day, according to Sans-Stick-Man. And Sans-Stick-Man was always right! In fact, Rizzo had never heard him say anything wrong! Nope! Not once! Well, time enough to get more water. These people who lived here had to get it from somewhere. Heywheredidtheyallgobytheway? But nevermind that! They were here, now they're gone. Poof! But they took all their shinies with them, no fair.

Aaaahh! Rizzo flinched hard and whirled around in a chaotic mess of flailing arms, yelping and babbling in surprise. Two new men had approached, and she never heard or saw them coming until they were both RIGHT. THERE. No. Wait. She did hear them coming...That's right! Heard them the whole time! She just, um...she just wanted them to think that she didn't hear them...for...reasons. Yup!

Taushan. Nayden. Hey, she knew their names.

"Rizzo!" she said to them. "And I'm a long way from Alliria!" Then, a whisper, with a covert covering of one side of her mouth: "But don't tell the Adventurer's Guild that!"

Sans-Stick-Man was friendly at least. Asking where Taushan was from. Stick-Man was decidedly more grumpy. He needed an extra dose of sunshine, he did! More blue sky!

Heh heh. Heh. Sans-Stick-Man said they were hoping to find what sacked the village. That seemed like a lot. A lot, a lot. All Rizzo really wanted was some more water. And shinies. Always shinies. Wouldn't turn those down. Ooo~~, maybe they'd get busy. Sleepy! Night was coming soon, Sans-Stick-Man was always right after all! Pockets, pockets, what's in those pockets. That was her favorite game!

Anyway. Water. So thirsty. Walking in the desert wasn't fun.

Taushan was friendly. She needed to ask him! Nayden hadn't said anything. Probably wasn't friendly. He seemed a little scary. Rizzo didn't know why. Huh. What? Nothing! She didn't think anything. Honest!

Rizzo backed up and walked alongside Taushan and twiddled her thumbs in front of herself ever so innocently, "Wow! Is it hot out here or is it hot out here! Trick question! The answer is, ughhhhhhhh...hot out here...Immeltinghelpme. Hi, Taushan! Do you have any spare water? Do you hide it in your armor? Does it have any secret compartments? Huh. What? Nothing! Hi! Do you have any spare water?"

Taushan Angevin

 

[Taushan Angevin]

Lot of questions at once. He quickly answered them in order. “I personally hail from Ragash, although I am traveling from Elbion. Nayden here is my traveling companion, although I don’t know where he‘s from.” He turned back at the mage holding his shoulder, a face of pondering under his helmeted head, he’d figure it out eventually. The staff man, for lack of a better term, seemed to wish to be in a hurry, and he couldn’t blame him, however before he could make any motion to continue his walking with them he was quickly bombarded by a excitable elf.

“Yes, it i- Yeah sure I’l- No, what? Of course n- You already asked, just, just hold on a second.” Feeling a little overwhelmed, he quickly fumbled with a pouch hanging off his torso, pulling out a small canteen of water, he might’ve come here to resupply but he would rather be caught dead than be without extra supplies. He felt it snatched out of his hands as he quickly said, “DrinkItSlowly, DrinkItSlowly.” He repeated this a few times, just in case.

 

[Nayden]

Someone Nayden wished he could see them. He got bored sometimes and it would make his life easier when it came to a lot of things in life. This other mage seemed to have a few things up his sleeve, Rizzo and Swallow seemed to not hold much magic but he could never tell sometimes.

What he could tell however is Rizzo is a ball of energy and questions. Not to mention pestering. He did nit mind it truth be told. But he had a feeling it would grow old. He stayed quiet however, he did not want to tell people where he was from just yet. Maybe Tsauhan eventually. But the new people were low on his priority list. Tightening his grip slightly on Tsauhen’s shoulder. Nayden does not want to loose contact with Tsauhan since they mentioned going to investigate, “If need be I will sense if something is approaching.” He offers the others waiting for Taushan to start leading the way.

 

[White Swallow]

»Stay if you must, I'm heading out now.« The White Swallow shook his head, turning and beginning his stride down the trampled ground.
It did not consist only of footsteps, but also various other lines of firm items dragged or chaotic people hauled. The struggle was definitely present within some of the tracks.

 

[Llothr]

The Wandering One's eyes for a time ignored what was beneath his feet, and only after he'd cast them down by chance did he notice too - the markings on the ground.

He recognized the signs he saw, but became puzzled. Mid stride he pointed toward the large gouges in the tracks with the bottom of his staff.

"Well, these are strange, no?"

He carried on.

 

[Rizzo Bouchard]

...just, just hold on a second.

Like a cat who had spotted something of particular and intense interest, Rizzo's eyes grew--at the very least seemed to grow--as Taushan fumbled around with one of his pouches. He was gonna do it! He was gonna do it! Rizzo loved getting things! It wasn't shiny, but she was thirsty, so it was shiny enough for her! Yes it was! And he even got it from that pouch and sure it wasn't inside his armor but it was still a secret enough compartment so that counted too! Wow! Man of mystery and secrets. And goodies. Like extra water. Yup!

"Thankyouthankyou!"

And she snatched the canteen the second it was even half offered in her direction. Unstoppered the top and tipped her head back and chugged.

DrinkItSlowly, DrinkItSlowly.

What she wanted to say was: "No need to worry about me! I'm the slowest drinker you've ever met! See?" But what happened was, she didn't bother to stop drinking as she tried to say that. And as she tried to say that, the very instant that she tried...water went down the wrong way.

Rizzo's face lit up with panic and she pulled the canteen from her lips and bent over and coughed until, finally, she'd cleared her throat. She panted for breath. Aaaahh! That was a happy accident alright! But she was fine-fine!
She stoppered the canteen and handed it back to Taushan and grinned unevenly and flashed him a thumbs-up with her other hand. Squeaked, "I'm fine! Honest!"

Up ahead, Stick-Man and Sans-Stick-Man were finding stuff on the ground. Boring stuff. Lines and prints in the dirt and sand and that stuff. Nothing shiny or neat. Boo.

Rizzo walked along beside Taushan, somewhat beside Nayden. He said he'd sense if something was approaching, Nayden did. Wow! That was spooky, wasn't it? It'd be really hard to sneak up and shake hands with him.

And by shake hands she meant borrow stuff.

And by borrow she meant steal.

 

[Taushan Angevin]

He quickly followed behind the two fellows as they walked, noticing the same tracks they did. He knelt down to inspect them closer, likely causing slight distress to Nayden, before saying, “People were definitely through here, looks like a lot of them didn’t come happily.” He stood back up, guiding Nayden’s wandering hand back to his shoulder before continuing to walk aswell