[M] Tabula Rasa (F)

[Crazywolf]

Jala listened to the reply as Gilliam gave more information. Her anger toward him had now softened somewhat. At least he had tried to help the town with the disease, she had to give him credit for that one. Looking around at her companions each of them clearly had their own story but with the exception of Icarus they were really just ordinary people like her.

"If these wizards are threatening to destroy the land then why just us" she said. "Why don't you go to the lords that rule the kingdoms and then tell them the information you have."

[Kris]

"I have never planned... to fight them.... Maybe... I did.... But... not now...", Gilliam considered his words, "When I called upon you, I thought only about sealing the undead of this town... however now... I feel like... I won't be able to keep it to myself...."

Gilliam looked long and hard at Jala and smiled softly, "I think you are right. Maybe the lords will heed us... and aid... I should consider it... I have to admit, one part of me just wishes to get away from here and never be caught by any human eye... But I fear I cannot run anymore, can I?"

[Naraness]

Anna sighed, setting her mug down. She hadn't gotten a very satisfying answer, and it upset her, but maybe this wizard really just needed help. Perhaps he didn't have the answers himself.

A bad feeling settled in her stomach. Somewhere, deep inside, she had decided that she was going to help him. But in the same moment, she hated it. She hated not knowing, and fighting for a cause which was foreign to her. Even though she knew very little, however, it was certain that the people causing this were evil. If they were allowed to succeed, many people could be killed. Anna Rose's heart burned to prevent that.

"Alright, I'll help you. For now." Anna sighed, tucking her legs beneath the stool she sat on. "But I don't trust you. Not yet. Maybe not ever." Anna shrugged. "Despite that, I want to help stop these people. If it means saving lives and fighting for a valiant cause, then you can count me in." Another gulp of ale reaffirmed her courage, and she nodded slowly.

"Yeah... I'll probably regret it later, but I reckon that you only get one chance to really help people in your life. Whether or not it's a mistake to do so, I think you should take it... And I will."

[Minkasha]

When Gilliam had spoken to him, Icarus chose silence, eyes leering in suspicion. He continued to simply listen, keeping distance from the others. Gilliam dragged him into all of this, and with no memory but only a name Icarus had very limited options.

But his moral code was giving him guidance, it wished to strike evil with heavy prejudice. And just where Gilliam himself was within the spectrum of evil had yet been seen fully. Gilliam at least brought evil wherever he went, and that was reason enough to follow. Something running through his very blood told him it was his inherent responsibility to do this.

When the woman agreed to help, Icarus spoke up.

“I will help as well” He kept his eyes heavy on Gilliam, a judgment.

[V]

Great. Religion. Necromancy. Other pathetic magical nonsense. All of them aspects of one? Sure. Why not. About as reasonable as Gilliam's other answers. Which all seemed to be constructed through delicately chosen words. No, she didn't trust him, no she didn't like him, no she couldn't care about his plight.

Morana glared and hugged herself closer. Though she was curious, endlessly so, how could this group 'threaten the world' was something she would like to learn more about.

"Why do they want you?"

[Crazywolf]

Jala listened to Anna Rose and Icarus and realised that they were both better people than herself. She had grown up in a hard environment where self-preservation was paramount. Such idealism did not come naturally to her.

She nodded at Morana's question having wondered the same thing herself and waited to hear the reply.

[Naraness]

Anna leaned back in her chair. The ale was beginning to seep into her bones, relaxing her from the inside out. The dangerous edge of the situation had dulled, and she seemed hopeful that they weren't all going to die. "I think we all still have a lot of questions, but from my point of view... We're stuck together now."

The realization dawned on her that she was sitting with a group of a strangers. She straightened in her chair. "I imagine that we should probably introduce ourselves, and get to know each other. If we're going to be a team, we should know each other's strengths and weaknesses. That way we can work together through whatever we're going to be facing." She reasoned, holding a hand out. "If we want to live, that is." Sarcasm hung on the edge of her voice.

Anna Rose cleared her throat, running a hand through her chin-length red hair. "I'm Anna, Anna Rose." Her eyes flicked about the group. "I don't know where any of you have come from, or what you do for a living, but I won't judge you if you don't judge me." By this point she had found the bottom of her mug, and she set it down with a tone of disappointment. "I live off of the streets. You could say that I acquire things..." She paused, searching for the right words. "...Outside of the normal procedures of society." Her shoulders lifted with a small shrug.

What she was really saying was that she was a thief, a rogue, and a criminal. She was a trader in secrets and stolen goods. But there were much more eloquent ways to say such things.

"The point is, I think we all have skills that will benefit everyone else. As for me, those skills involve sneaking, climbing, cleverness, and getting past locks. I'm not so great at fighting, or horse riding, and I don't know the first thing about magic." Her eyes swiveled to Gilliam and Morana, then to Jala. "But I'm hoping that that's where the rest of you will come in. So, your turn." She waved her hands, as if signaling that she was done. Just in time, the serving boy brought her a fresh mug of ale.

"Ah, Bless you." Anna said, taking a sip of the foamy head.

[Kris]

"Why do they want you?"

Gilliam swallowed. He licked his teeth as he searched his mind for a satisfying answer, but nothing crawled into his mind.

Anne, god bless the girl, started talking.

He was very intrigued by her conversation and questions and decided to glare long and hard at Morana and the others, as if saying, 'Give me few more minutes, answer the girl, and I will show my cards'.

[Dnafein]

When the others turned back to witness Icarus' actions in stopping the dead, Finbaz continued to the room in which the young man had been held. The old mans curiousity out shone the interest in seeing things put to an end. He stopped at the entrance to the small cave that held Icarus and closed his eyes.

Finbaz stood a moment his scattered thoughts aligning. When he opened them the madness had not retreated from them instead it was joined by the deeper wisdom often associated with those who call themselves wizards. He stepped forward with purpose.

The old man crouched nimbly, his fingers tracing the symbols carved in the very rock of the small cave. With a huff he scraped brown stains away from a few of the sigils his brow creasing in concentration. Biting his finger in a long forgotten habit he jerked it away and frowned at it. Holding it close he could see nothing that explained the taste of blood that crept into his mouth.

Brushing the thought of an uninjured finger tasting of blood away Fizban spun where he stood, the spot in which Icarus had floated. The wizened eyes of the wizard flickering over the symbols and their pattern. Biting his finger in thought again he chased his thoughts down, and discovered an unhealthy opinion.

With a flourish Finbaz headed for the exit. He would demand to know why the young man was sealed away, sealed with magic that could hold something far more powerful then an ordinary person. Finding no one in the graveyard the old man proceeded back through the town. He dodged celebrating drunks and found himself occasionally dragged into a dance.

By the time Finbaz found himself outside the tavern, the wisdom was hidden behind the crazy twinkling in his eyes. He wasn't sure why but he still felt the need to kick the tavern's door open. Entering quickly behind the door the old man took what he thought was a heroic pose. Then blinked "This isn't where I parked my horse."

[V]

Morana simply stared back at Gilliam, his smug mouth held firmly tight. Let him hide his untruths and twisted calculating words for a few more moments. No doubt he will give unsatisfactory answers regardless of the pause.

Holding her sides, Morana's eyes briefly and perhaps shyly glancing at the speaker. This young person spoke of introductions, Morana's eyes turned downward and she did not look directly at the others. Part of the resolve within her was fading, she didn't want to be there, didn't want to know these people. They held little interest to her.

Despite the crippling walls beginning to enclose her she listened. The words in her head were biting, venom remaining perhaps only due to Gilliam's presence. Was she expecting them to work together and further fix this intolerable idiot's issues? Anna Rose, how pathetically naive you are. There was little within her that could possibly trust any of these, she found it hard imagine working with them. Morana found it rather ironic that the group was receiving the speech from a thief, perhaps one the most despicably self centred groups of individuals she could think of. Perhaps because this one was drunk.

Oh, wait, Morana, this is judging.

She found her eyes on this Anna Rose now, her socialisation fear held at bay. Most of what the girl had said was irrelevant to her. Morana would only continue her journey if she found evidence that someone was ambitious enough to perform resurrection. None of this nonsense about sticking together.

It churned in her stomach however that she should be courteous.

Courage Morana. Courage. Courage. Courage.

She took the few steps she required to stand by the seated Gilliam, quickly she gathered her robe together and took a seat on the wizard's lap.

"I am Morana," she said, her face turned slightly toward Gilliam. She hoped she was making him terribly uncomfortable. "I'm completely broke, I know magical theory, and I killed a boy once.

"Let's all be friends."

The sarcasm dripped from her mouth. Courtesy.