[M/IC] Shadow of the End

[Namingtoohard]

OOC thread

The tavern's owner sniffed, letting his gaze drift over the rest of the establishment. The wooden furishings were old and half-rotted, and the air smelled heavily of burnt meat and smoke. It was a rather slow day so far, but such was to be expected, given the early hour. Night was still yet to fall, and most of his regular patrons would still be out working. That wasn't what worried him.

No, what gave the man pause today were the two visitors who were currently taking up residence inside his establishment.

The first was a young lad, dressed in some sort of battered and beaten plate. He looked much too young to be a proper soldier, and his body language was rather downbeat. The man sat alone, hunched forward over his table, with both of his forearms resting against the grainy surface. His bracers were only leather, contrast to the metal breastplate, and there were no weapons visible on his body. His hair was a dirty blonde, and clearly hadn't been cared for in some time, if he was to be any judge. The tavern's owner was quick to chalk him up as either a conscript who heavily regretted his new position, or a deserter. Frankly, he didn't care which. The boy wasn't drinking, and that was more disgusting than any other offence he might have committed.

It was his companion who really seemed out of place, though. An older woman, she looked to be somewhere in her late twenties or early thirties, with the telling lines of age only just beginning to mark her face. A wave of luscious brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her face nicely. Her dark eyes flickered back across to the door every few seconds, as if she were waiting for someone. Her garb was of extremely fine make compared to her companion - a silken gown of deep crimson, laced with golden embroidery.

That, however, was not what unsettled him the most. Rather, it was the collar.

In addition to the rest of her garb, the lady wore a thick band of iron around her throat. It held close to the skin - so much so that one would have struggled to get their fingers between it and her neck. From the front, a small length of chain hung suspended from a loop that was worked into the collar itself. The final link in the chain was sheared off, suggesting that it had once been much longer, before eventually being broken. The barkeeper did not know it, but the collar itself was a sign of slavery in certain cultures around the world, while the broken length of chain symbolised her freedom.

Unlike her companion, the woman continued to nurse a flagon of beer, and had requested a refill once or twice throughout the duration of their visit. Her coin was good, so the man could forgive a little strangeness on her part. With little else to do, he finally turned his attention back to his work, setting about the business of putting a stew on. He needed to get started now, if he wanted it to be ready by the time his first patrons came in.

The two continued to sit in silence for a moment longer, before the boy would finally speak up. His voice was soft, almost inaubile. Had the tavern been any noisier, the woman likely wouldn't have heard it, even with their close proximity.

"What if nobody comes?"

The girl glanced up at that, eyes flickering towards him for the briefest of moments.

"They'll come" she answered curtly. It wasn't the first time today that they had gone down this path, and she wasn't much in the move to have this discussion again.

"How can you be so sure?"

"My requests don't often get ignored"

"Isn't that a tad arrogant?"

"Only if I'm wrong, child"

With their exchange finished, there was little for the two but settle down to wait, and see who - if any - would answer their call.

[Numbers]

Alessia looked over the city that surrounded her. She was crouched on top of a taller building in the city as she worked to get her bearing. The air smelled tainted, that was no surprise to her since the humans often destroyed nature to get what it was they wanted. As she scanned the city she heard a noise and turned her head to look behind her. What she saw brought a smile to her face. A cloud of purple gas with a mask that resembled the face of a wolf was slowly moving to her. It was her sister, Soyoka. She had sent her earlier out in the day to find the place that she was supposed to meet up with the originator of a mysterious letter.

She pulled out the letter and looked at it for a moment. It was a strange letter, that was for sure. It told of the fact that her help was needed and that the reward was pretty much whatever she wanted. Naturally, she showed this to her queen and the queen gave her permission to take up the job. The queen trusted Alessia to ask for something that would greatly benefit the kingdom and Alessia had been thinking the whole way to the city on what it was she would ask for.

Alessia looked back up to Soyoka and stood up, putting her hands on the side of her sister's face. "Did you find the spot?" The sound of a low growl of a wold was made and Alessia closed her eyes nodding her head. Her own tail moved gently side to side and her ears stayed opened. "Good work. You found them quickly. Let us travel on the ground, I always find it fun to see the worried looks of the other races." She said with a sly smile before walking to the edge of the rooftop. "Let us go sister. Show me the way!" As she said that she let herself fall off the rooftop, doing a flip in the air before landing on the ground in a crouched position in the middle of a busy road of people. A brief second later and her sister shot down to the ground, circling Alessia.

People looked at her shocked as she arrived on the ground. Then they noticed her tail and the strange creature. It was as if a plague appeared as fear appeared in their eyes. Mothers grabbed their children and put them behind them to try and shield them from the monster. The men at the stalls and with their family grabbed whatever they could as an improvised weapon in case they needed to defend their families. The guards around put their hands on the hilts of their weapons and gave her the look that told her she was unwelcomed.

"Come on sister. Show me the way past these people." Alessia spoke with a sly smile on her face. In response, Soyoka let out a deep unearthly almost growl as if to strike extra fear into the people around them before leading Alessia in the direction. A guard or two made sure to follow her, in order to keep an eye on her.

~~~

After an hour or two, fewer people were on the roads as the people started to work at their resident jobs. A guard was still following her, keeping an eye on her. However, she paid no mind to the simple human. For she had arrived at the front of what looked like an extremely run down inn. She proceeded to walk in first and found a simple bartender inside. As she looked around she saw two people. One with a chain and collar, the other in some armor of a soldier.

Soyoka made a low yip like sound and Alessia smiled as she walked over to them and sat in a chair across from them. "So you are the ones who sent me this mysterious letter. I must say, I am surprised to see that two humans would be the origin of this request." She turned her head around to the bartender. She pulled out a bag of coins and set it down on the table. "Innkeeper. Bring me something to eat. Whatever is fine." She then turned her attention back to the pair in front of her. "As well, bring some alcohol for my sister here to consume."

[trouble.muffin]

Humans didn't seem to be as accustomed to the appearance of bare flesh the way the elves in Dhosarvia's stretch of the forest had. Elves' hormones were dictated by population growth, and slowed to a crawl unless an increase was needed. Back home, most people wore as little as possible when weather permitted without paying much mind to each other's bodies. Many often sported wide gaps in casual clothing and armor for ventilation, out of practicality.

Most humans, on the other hand, seemed to think about sex quite often. Her native garb had fetched quite a bit of unwanted attention, so Dho had swapped it out for something a little more traditional to her temporary home. The pale blue blouse was meant for someone much shorter, and it fit her awkwardly. She did her best to cover this with the dark brown cloak and hem of her skirt.

Dho's armor was surprisingly compact, as was most elven gear. She kept it in her traveling roll, just in case. The bag was huge, covering most of the elf's lengthy torso when draped over her shoulder. Though it was bulky, it wasn't very heavy, and she had grown accustomed to it. Everything she'd need to survive in the woods for a couple weeks was tucked inside, bedroll included. She'd used the same kit countless times on patrol, before the Shadow had torn her entire homeland apart.

The humans had another name for the Shadow- Ruin, but most didn't believe that it was real. They passed the elves' account off as an exaggeration, or a poor translation of an old apocalypse being used as a ploy for sympathy. Her homeland was far, and rather than traveling to verify the story for themselves, many humans assumed it had just been depleted of resources. A few seemed to believe them, and one had even called for a team to face the threat.

Dhosarvia stepped into the inn in search of this woman. She spotted her at a table and approached somberly, her head heavy with thoughts of those who had fallen trying to defeat Ruin before her. Despite the odds, she had to try. The world wouldn't be able to run forever.

Her summoner was already speaking with a girl with flowing hair and pointed ears. Dho waited her turn patiently, eyeing the spirit that swirled about the strange girl. The hominoid she recognized as a kitsune, though she had only ever crossed paths with one other in the past. He had been part of a bandit troop Dho chased out of the forest several decades prior. The other being was completely unfamiliar to her. What a curious orb, with its sharp teeth and glowing eyes.

[Underblank]

It was a long and grueling day for the small town of Hylin. As the only doctor in the village, Minerva had her fair share of work that needed to be done. There were too many sick and injured villagers for only one person to handle. The raids over the past couple of years had cast a sordid shadow over the once renowned town, stopping any kinds of new life to enter. "This is beginning to me way too much for me to handle," she said with a half smile as she was stitching up a man who had returned from a hunt. After her current patient, she had a little bit of reprieve to enjoy the slowly setting sun and ease her mind.

"Should I answer the letter that was offering pretty much anything i wanted? Should i abandon my people for a while so that I can make a better place for this town? So many options, but which would be the right choice?"

Her thoughts echoed in her mind and she constantly ran scenarios of what could happen to this small town and to her if she just left. With a lifted gaze, she rose to return to the medical ward in her town to finish up her work for the day. As she was walking back, she had finally made a decision to do whats best.

After an hour or so, her work was complete. Everyone had been taken care of for the day, and she could began packing her things. She left a note and a few bottles of elixirs on the table within the ward so that the man who owns the building could see it. the note read as so:

Dear loved ones,
If you are reading this note, it means that i have left the town of Hylin. A great opportunity has been given to me and I would be a fool not to take up the offer. I shall return with many riches and more doctors so that we can slowly restart this great town. On the table i have left 3 bottles of elixirs that pretty much can cure anything, just don't use too much of it. If you ever need me, the winds will guide me home and I will return as soon as i can.
-Minerva <3

The city in which the meeting point is was only bout 20-30 minutes away from the town of Hylin, so Minerva had to make haste before night fell. She hated the feeling of dread in the woods at night, as many were. She gathered her supplies, knives and daggers, threw on her cloak and began to sprint away from the town.

.........

A half hour had passed as she finally made it to the city where the mysterious letter had sent her. Catching her breath, Minerva slowly set foot into the city. Much was new to her, the glimmering shops that she hasn't seen in years, the amount of life that was presence, and the repugnant stench that was seeping into the air. This was a lot for her to take in. She was starstruck by the amounts of everything that was in this town. Not paying attention, she accidentally bumped into a tall stranger. With fire running over her face from her face, she simply yelled "sorry" and ran off towards the tavern, where they were destined to meet.

She opened the doors of the tavern, and the first thing she noticed was the small gathering at one of the tables. "This must be it," she thought as she slowly made her way up to the barkeep. She purchased two ales with a smile and slowly made her way to the meeting table. Anxiety and excitement rushed through her veins as she took a seat next to what seemed to be a purple cloud. She was new to this type of exposure, so she happily took her seat and began to consume her ale.

[Stormcast]

"Clank, Clank, Clank." The sound of plate mail tapping against the hard road carried throughout the trees. Playing alongside in an orchestral mix of percussion and odd whines, the sound of loose wheels and the caravans heavy payload crashing against every bump of dirt preceded the knight's arrival. He strode onward with purpose. He strode onward with pride. On occasion, the midday sun would breach the ridge of the valley and banish the shadows from his path, causing his pristine, silver armour to glimmer in the light that bathed them.

The knight was young and his heraldry grand. In tow behind him were others that bore his trappings and trophies. His grandest prize was, however, ahead of him. In the knight's hand a pair of parchments were clutched between his plated fingers. One promised untold wealth and power. The other were the demands of a father who had promised the benefactor the aid of his son, along with every man-at-arms and troubadour that followed in his wake. The lord that promised the aid had no doubt in the lunacy of the arrangement. The end of the world had been preached by doom-sayers for centuries and their voices had yet to bare fruit. His son would do him proud. His son would help end the madness behind the letter. His son would bring wealth back to the family.

His son would never reach the city again.

----------------------------------------

Morthos closed his black plated hand around the strangers documents as he craned his head backwards to take in the sight of the large, crowded city gate. The foot traffic of the peasantry seemed to flow endlessly from the defences as the populous carried on with their usual day to day lives. His mind began to wonder about the truth of the blood spattered plea for help he now held in his hand. Clearly the people did not believe in the words or they were yet to be made aware. Morthos himself was struggling to place his faith in the warning.

Yet it was not of his concern.
"Find the intended recipient," he thought to himself, "tell them about the carnage he had come across along the road. Explain that their help was not going to arrive."

Other thoughts raced through his mind like a plague spreading across his conscience. Thoughts about the tasks he had been set. About his brother's disappearance and finally towards his faith. Was this all a test from The Everqueen? When he had come across the young knight's broken body in the valley, Morthos had made the decision to carry on this message almost immediately. Whoever requested the help would surely be expecting the young nobleman to be a great boon to their mission. Perhaps he should offer his service in their place?

Yet these thoughts were quickly cast away. He was a Gravewarden. His duty was to the Goddess alone and he had promised to carry out this menial task. Swinging his legs to the side of his saddle, a heavy 'thud!' of armour and muscle heralded his arrival at the gates of the city. With his large warhorse being led firmly by the reigns, the black visage of death itself began to stride forwards to the meeting point. Fear mixed with wonder from those around him as he walked. Some had heard of his order. Some had heard only tales. Yet everyone who cast their gaze towards the paladin were reminded of the one simple yet terrifying truth of their lives.

All life ends eventually.

[Crazywolf]

As Morthos made his entrance into the town Baldin was arriving by a different gate. He was wearing his bearskin cloak and mounted upon a fat chestnut colored pony that carried both himself and all his gear. He'd been at an outlying settlement when he saw a notice saying that a woman was seeking assistance to deal with a supposed threat to the world. Like most he'd heard stories about destroyed villages and heard cultist proclaim the end of the world was coming though whether that was actually true remained debatable. The main point however was that the woman was offering to pay for his service.

With a careful hand he guided the pony through the throngs of traders and townsfolk that filled the streets in front of him. Beneath him the animal's hooves clattered noisily on the cobble-stones. A few folk glanced toward him as he passed with some perhaps noticing the fine metal crossbow that hung from the side of the saddle in front of him or noticing the dwarf axe that hung on the other side, though overall not paying him too much heed.

After a short while he came to the tavern. He glanced once at the sign above the door to confirm it was the right address and then turned his mount toward a narrow gate at the side of the building that led to the stableyard. He rode into the yard just as a stable-lad was dragging a bale of hay across toward one of the stalls. He halted the pony and dismounted.

"Hey there lad" he called out to the youth in front of him. "I need a place to leave my steed. Also he needs to be fed and watered."

"Tis two pennies sir for the food" the lad replied.

Baldin took out his purse and paid the youth. He handed the other the reigns while he unhitched his crossbow from the saddle and slung it across his shoulder, he then took his axe and did likewise. He wasn't expecting any trouble it was simply the fact that weapons such as these were far too valuable to leave lying about.

With the pony taken care of he headed inside the building. On entering the bar-room he looked around surveying the murky scene. Sitting in the corner he spied a rather distinctive group that seemed to be composed of three humans, an elf-woman and a kitsune. He also noticed that several of the group had weapons or armour. At the end of the table was a woman in red and he guessed this might be the woman who had summoned for assistance. With that thought in mind he headed over and joined the group.

[Namingtoohard]

The simple flurry of movement that was the tavern door swinging open was enough to draw the attention of both the current patrons, who glanced across in time to witness the arrival of a rather strange being. One that would have appeared human, if not for a few notable animal attributes...and a rather strange companion that almost seemed mythical. The lady in red fixed the two with her gaze, unflinching and seemingly unperturbed. The only reaction that their supposed strangeness earned from the lady in red was a single raised eyebrow, but that was all. Once, the smoke-thing alone would have been more than enough to elicit a much more visible reaction. Recent developments had helped inure her against such surprises, though.

The boy's reaction would be much more noticeable, unfortunately. He finally went so far as to raise his head, staring at the two with eyes opened wide. His surprise was obvious in just about every part of his body language, though he maintained his silence for the time being. Even when the newcomer spoke, he kept his calm, while the lady was quick to speak up in reply.

"On the contrary, my dear. You are currently standing in the middle of a human settlement, after all. One would think that sights like us would be commonplace. Your kind, on the other hand..." she would offer simply, visibly dipping her head as she glanced over the kitsune briefly. Her gaze also flickered across to the spirit that lingered nearby, to which Alessia referred to as a sister. Many questions sprung to mind, but the woman bit them back for the time being. She would have plenty of time to question this one later, when more important questions had been raised and answered.

"Well, I've only ever heard tales of your sort, or read about them in books. This is my first time ever seeing one of you in person" she offered rather simply. A quick glance to her side revealed that the boy was still staring, though the woman was quick to right that. Swiftly and mercilessly, she dealt him a glancing blow with the back of her hand, starting the boy and snapping him out of his reverie. A soft yelp escaped the otherwise silent youth, out of surprise more than pain, and he resorted to shooting his patron a glare in response.

"Control yourself" she muttered softly, returning his look with one of equal disdain. When she glanced up again, the woman found that another two had joined them. First, a female elf - one that the hostess acknowledged not with words, but a single curt nod. A silent greeting, for one who seemed to prefer silence. Secondly, a human - one who had quickly helped herself to a seat, and with a pair of drinks no less. A small smile graced the woman's features as she surveyed this one, but again, she said nothing. Their meeting would begin shortly, so introductions could wait until then. As if it had served as a reminder, the woman took this as a sign to sip from her own flagon of ale once more, using it to fill in the brief gap that followed.

By the time she had lowered it again, another had arrived – a dwarf, this time. The woman’s gaze flickered over him briefly. The weapons he carried were the thing that held her attention this time – steel like that was a good sign, all things considered. Much blood would likely be shed by the time this was through, and one with the means to buy such weaponry, and the skill to use it, would prove a boon indeed.

“Come, join us. There’s no need to be shy, I assure you. I have little patience for such things” the woman offered to the group as a whole, waving in those who had yet to claim a seat for themselves. She did not mind if they stood, so long as everybody could hear. The sooner they could get started the better, and she did not wish to waste time repeating herself.

“I can assume that all of you are here in response to my notice, correct?” she opened rather simply, glancing around at the group that had gathered there thus far, trying to monitor their reactions. She was as of yet unaware that there was one more currently making his way to the inn, even if she had expected their numbers to be one higher.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lady Hesina, and this here is my newest aide, Elend” she would say, gesturing to the downtrodden lad beside her as she spoke his name.

“As you all seem to have gathered, we are the ones that called you all here today. As mentioned in our notice, our goal is to uncover the truth concerning the calamity that currently plagues our lands, and put an end to it. You have doubtless all heard the rumours concerning this ‘Ruin’, yes?”

Again, her gaze would sweep the small assembly that had gathered before her, seeking some type of confirmation. The more they knew, the less time she would need to waste on frivolous retellings.

[Numbers]

Alessia paid a moderate amount of attention to the meeting. Really she was looking at all the different people who had arrived. Humans, elves, dwarves. An ally of a human was an enemy of a kitsune. At least that's how it used to be. She turned her head to the bartender as he dropped off some food for Alessia and the drink for her sister. Which ended in Alessia giving him extra coin than what it probably cost.

She started to eat some food but stopped when she heard the rumor of ruin mentioned. "Ruin, the rumor of something that is attacking and destroying places." Alessia continued to stay there, relaxed in her chair as she thought for a moment. It would be hard to believe that such a team was promised such a reward to simply investigate a rumor. Maybe the human knew something more about this supposed rumor. Something that would make them have such an amazing payout.

For now, though, she simply continued to sit there, staying calm. Not many reports of ruin had come into their kingdom. Some more weird damages had appeared but it was assumed to be the work of human bandits as usual. Alessia looked over to her sister, who had already drained the drink that she was given. Alessia snapped her fingers to get her sister's attention and motioned for her sister to be on her best behavior. In response, Soyoka moved and wrapped herself around Alessia's neck, almost appearing to be a large scarf.

[trouble.muffin]

The diversity of the forming group was hopeful. It would surely require all manner of skills to face Ruin, if such a feat was even possible. Dhosarvia looked around the group, trying to guess what abilities and desires each might bring to the table. She was just getting comfortable when the suggestion that the shadow was a myth flushed her and turned the back of her neck into a field of goosebumps.

"It is no rumor," Dho interjected. "I have seen its effects firsthand. My homeland was consumed. We would not have abandoned it over some disease or war. It is bigger than any terrestrial thing ever known.

"Lady Hesina, how do you propose we fight it? Even our elders could not find a way." She asked the crimson-garbed woman, leaning on a table as she spoke. She pressed her palms against the wood in an effort to release the pressure that was welling inside. Declaring Ruin a rumor was essentially calling her entire people a group of liars. The elves would not be anywhere near Azima if the threat wasn't real.

[Crazywolf]

As Baldin neared the table he noticed more detail about the group. He could now see that the Kitsune had a spirit animal beside her and realised she was an assassin. He wondered if she was sent here by her order or simply an individual operating rogue. He also noticed that the lady in red had a strange metal collar on her neck with a length of chain. The others of the group did not seem especially unusual save that it was quite rare to find a wood elf in a human town.

He took a seat at the end of the table and placed his weapons down on the bench beside him. He then listened as the woman in red introduced herself and outlined their goal and then listened to the replies of the others. It was interesting to hear that the elves had been attacked by this manifestation as well however the phrase biggest terrestrial thing ever known was a bit troubling. He wondered whether it was wise to be getting involved in this venture. Of course on the other hand it was always possible that the elf might be exaggerating. Either way he wasn't one to rush into things until he properly knew the lie of the land.

"First things first I should like to know a bit more about you your ladyship" he said addressing his remark to Lady Hesia. "A little about your own background and why it is you have a personal interest in addressing this situation."