[Moderated Quest - Prologue] An Ill Omen

[Lye]

Closed to those that signed up. Only 4 are active at a time. Post limit is 72 hours. Failure to post within deadline forfeits involvement and permits a reserve to take your place.

Arriving as they so opted, the scene stretched before them. The main road through the northern forest opens to a stretch of plains along the mountain ridge's base. Tilled soil and ruined crops stretch out for miles. Buildings fashioned from stone, mortar, and thatch mark the heart of three villages, but life no longer beats in the barren dirt roads. Most buildings still stand untouched with open doors. Others hiss and crackle from the fires which razed them. The stone walls of few bear the marks of brute force used to topple them and many are peppered with the remnant effects of elemental magicks.

Though no bodies or remains can be seen, puddles and smears of blood mix with the mud or decorate the occasional crate, barrel, wagon, or home. With a wandering eye, a sword, bow, or pitchfork lay cold and neglected on the ground or rooted firmly in the earth. Silence breathes on the wind where even the birds nor livestock dare make their presence known. With threatening clouds overhead and the sharp breeze from the Mountains of Dawn, dread seeps its way into the minds of those who witness it.

A story midst the carnage begs to be told. A mystery of who, what, and why lingers. Were there survivors? Where are the bodies? Why would someone or something do this?

The only movement is that of the flora and debris in the wind. And, of course, the presence of those who arrive.

The scene is set. Make your introductions. No additional data is given at this time, but don't let that stop you from investigating. I will play out more information and action as the thread progresses. Ask questions or collaborate in the recruitment thread.

[Devyn]

Though Devyn generally wasn’t the type to jump at official jobs, this one was different. For one, the reward was enough to sustain her and her odd habits for a long time, leaving plenty of room for things like experimenting. It would allow her to buy the supplies she couldn’t, help pay the bill, and ensure that she wouldn’t be forced to beg some money from her father. That would be just degrading. The reward would be very fine indeed. It just happened to be the only reason she could think of as well. Still, she probably wouldn’t be alone in that aspect, and so there really was nothing wrong with wanting some extra money. As long as she got the job done, was there really any reason to question her motivations?

However, her motivation was quickly shifting as she stood to the side of the main road, staring out at the scene in front of her.

It was midday, and so the sun was high in the grey sky, mostly obscured by the gathering clouds, hurrying across the dull silver expanse like soldiers marching to war. The brisk breeze pierced each layer of her clothing and seemed to blow right through her, chilling the woman’s insides with each forceful gust. It stirred her hair, causing the stray tendrils to easily slip out from her dark brown bun and flit across her face. She ignored them, button nose twitching slightly as one teased the edge of her cheek.

From the front, Vyn most likely would have seemed lost in thought, her green eyes unfocused, as if she wasn’t looking at anything, despite the intensity of her gaze. From the back, any viewer with basic skills of observation would have known what she was looking at.

Rising from the ground was the mountain. It was a mountain, like every other, and so for the time being, Vyn paid it no mind. The plains stretched out from the road she was standing on, and it was its contents that she was most interested in. The farmlands were trashed, but her eyes moved past them too, to rest upon the three villages that stood in plain sight. Constructed out of the standard material, the extraordinary condition of the buildings had more to do with the fact that some were burnt to the ground, while others still beared marks of opponents past. The dirt roads were completely abandoned, not a lick of life to be seen traversing their rough paths.

Though from her current position, Vyn couldn’t see much, she could see discarded weapons, smell the metallic tang of blood, and note the lack of life. All seemed to be still, and she was certain that the only person here at the moment was her. For once, she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. One thing that was certain, was that it all seemed way more unnatural than your average demolition of whole townships. While blood soaked the ground crimson, there was no obvious sign of where the blood had come from. When looking at the aftermath of a battle or any kind of destruction, there normally was at least one corpse. Here, no deceased bodies littered the ground, as per the norm. There was no sign of any survivors either, or at least any survivors who had stayed. It was no wonder that the Aleran Guard had sent out those advertisements. This was just plain suspicious.

Vyn adjusted the strap of her belt and looked down to fish out the parchment from one of the many pockets. Several squadrons of the Queen's Guard have gone missing and scouts report no signs of remains. The bandits are to be considered highly dangerous and seem to utilize an unknown form of magic. Vyn frowned and folded it back up again, stuffing it back. That only served to enhance the aura of mystery and dread. This was curious, and Vyn, and dumb as it might have been, was determined to know more about it.

She surely wouldn’t be alone for long, though. After all, she’d seen many of the advertisements on the way here, and even before that. A reward, the promise of adventure and a mystery to solve would most likely draw attention, and so for a second or two, the inventor toyed with the idea of waiting for someone. After all, this was clearly marked as a danger zone, and going in alone probably wouldn’t be the safest course of action. Still, she’d been alone on the trek to the villages, and she had iron rods to hit people with. Vyn didn’t need help, and while it might have made the situation safer, was there really that big of a difference about to be made?

About to start forwards, she paused as the sound of an approaching someone hit her ears. And, the backup has arrived. Either, that or it’s someone less inclined to help me, and more inclined to murder me. They would be twice as far as they appeared, though, because of her enhanced hearing. I guess going in alone isn’t the best option anymore. Vyn sighed and turned to face the approaching newcomer, pale face blank but short body tensed. Her callused hands crept to the handle of her iron rods and slowly drew the right one out from her belt, leaving her left hand on top of the other one.

“Who’s there?”

[Cards of Fate]

(Short, give me more to go on next time around people)
Vincent Cain could smell the smoke long before the town had come into sight. He emerged from the shadows, his blade gripped tightly in hands. His sapphire eyes shot from the familiar woman to the destruction behind her.

“Another alarm?” he quipped raising an eyebrow.

Surely the joke was in bad taste, but in cases like this humor was the only thing to keep Vincent from losing his cool. He raised his free, gloved hand to his golden mane and smoother several out of line strands back into place. Gently chewing his lip he strode past the mechanic, his indigo robes billowing behind him. His eyes scanned the entire scene, looking for something, anything to indicate the nature of this attack. Instead he simply found nothing. The flames might be proof the attack was recent, the wet blood was also a sign of that as well. But depending on the weather, and how much fuel the fire had, it could have happened hours if not at least a day ago.

His mind raced along all of the possible conclusions at a blistering pace. The notice had claimed that this was the work of common banditry. ‘But common bandits don’t commit mass murder on this scale or this cleanly. Nor can they take out several regiments of the guard…’ he mused to himself. He glanced from blood puddle to blood puddle. ‘Gory, could be the work of walkers from the other side of the mountain…’ his eyes trailed along to the blast marks along the walls, eliciting a sigh of relief

‘I don’t know of any zombies that can cast spells…’ he thought to himself. That meant his issues in Raiaera hadn’t bled over the mountains just yet. The plague lands were contained, and thus less of a problem in the future. He continued to ignore his female companion for a moment longer as he glanced along the wreckage. “Welp…” he trailed off. “I’ve seen a lot of shit in my day, but this has me stumped…” he turned to companion and smiled, “Any ideas?”

[Shifters Shadow]

Shifter closed his eyes in concentration. Smudging the black of the burnt ash between his thumb and index finger. He stood up right from his kneeling position and leant back against the smoke scarred stone wall. Even with all its current damage it was strong enough to remain standing and standing strong. Shifter tried to contemplate what this all meant, the destruction, the death and deception of everything around him. Had he truly believed this was just a war of common thugs and bandits he wouldn't be here, he'd be somewhere much more intriguing.

This tired and destroyed place was just another stain on the surface of Alerar's beauty. One that scarred enough for the residents to take notice, and that was a rare thing, something or someone that scared the untouchable authority of Alerar. Were they really scared? Or was it a ruse to fool the general public? Still, even with these thoughts that breezed over his mind. That's all they were, thoughts and conjectures that held no foundation. He didn't believe in the wax sealed paperwork that now resided in his back pocket. Yet, he understood that something of great wonderment was going on here and if he could solve it first, maybe he could benefit from it before anyone else.

He tilted his head to his right as the sound of footsteps and then light conversation breezed over his ears. A couple of would be detectives had wandered into the dilapidated town. Investigating the same blood, the same fires and destruction, the same mystery that now plagued this land.

He gripped his cautious hand on the hilt of this hook blade. Are they really just....others...Or is this a trap...

He remained close to the wall, as silent as a shadow and peered around the wall. There they stood, curious eyed and uncertain futures. A trap out here needn't be so well thought out, they would just be slaughtered if they really needed to. His nervous grip lessoned.

No...They aren't a trap. No one is looking for us. At least, not right now.

He didn't trust these letters, he didn't trust this world and he wasn't going to just trust these new people, but as long as he remained the one in hiding behind this wall, they weren't going to trust him either. He was the only one being secretive right now, but maybe, it was time to investigate who they were. He couldn't stay hidden forever.

He stepped out from behind the half collapsed building, naturally so silent, so he kicked some lose stones to announce his presence. His dark leather attire now removed from the dim shade of the structures shadow. It was far from a sunny day, but it was more than just the natural cloud line that shadowed this dead town. It was this type of thing that scared away the many, but Shifter was one of the few, and while he was no fool, he was never afraid of anything.

[jdd2035]

Cain was in strange territory, that was for sure. He was nowhere near the sea, could no longer hear its waves or smell the salty air. He had taken an on shore job because frankly, the money was too good to pass up. He was dressed in hessian boots, sail cloth slops, a shirt and waistcoat, his blue sea going coat absent any decoration, and his tricorn hat.

The first thing he had noticed was the smell, charred wood mixed with blood. He gave his mule a gig and guided it towards the smell. As he drew closer, his eyes focused on the traces of smoke and finally the village came into his full view. He could see two other people already, with possible a a third moving to join them. They didn't seem hostile, cautious yes, rugged absolutely, but not hostile at-least not to one another and he was not one to immediately consider someone his enemy untill they showed their colors.

As he approached he spoke in a voice loud enough to be heard over the roar of a full broadside. "A'hoy there" he hailed the group as he closed in. Cain was typically a jolly sort even in the gravest circumstances. Even in savage combat he felt a touch jovial. But at the next moment he remembered those that had died near by and he gave the area something of a more respectable air. He quietly guided his mule over to the rest of the group and stepped off.

While he was respectful he still had a partial smile on his face and his green eyes seemed to shine like emeralds. "Good day, I am Captain Cain Jodin." he introduced himself touching his knuckle to his hat "How may I best be of service?" He asked in earnest, he really didn't know how he could help on land but he was an amiable fellow at any rate.

[Lye]

We are switching to a 72 hour limit starting from the time of this post. To make it fair, I am removing post order. If you would like to maintain post order, talk it out via the recruitment thread or other means. All four players have 72 hours to post from the time of this post.

Now, four bodies stirred among the silence, out of place. The howling wind swept through the skeletal remains of the village as a deep bellow of thunder roared in the distance. In one of the nearby homes still intact, a clatter sounded. Metal and wood against stone. Nothing left the home, but the question begged, was something still inside?

Meanwhile, the scattered rays of sun which peaked through the dense clouds above caught light on something in the fields. Nested somewhere in the dried and dead crops, an object glistened. However, as the clouds crept along, the sun swept its natural spotlight further across the field and it glittered with not one, but many of these unknown shards. In fact, under the boot of Vincent Cain uncomfortably prodded one of these foreign objects. Clear, pointed on both sides, and cleanly cut facets along the length. Holding it, however, would feel unusual, as if heavier than it should be or a light wave of fatigue.

Another building, still smoldering, finally gave way under the force of the wind. Stone walls crumbled and collapsed, sending a plume of ash and smoke into the air.

[Meanwhile, much further away in a location unknown...]

?????: "Sir, the glyphs picked up four more targets in the AO."

?????: "Bandits again?"

?????: "Doesn't seem like it. Three males and a female. Armed."

?????: "Have they noticed anything yet?"

?????: "Just one another, but they don't seem to be actively investigating."

?????: "Perhaps just stranded adventurers? Nomads? Send the nearest decoy. See how they respond."

?????: "Yes sir, activating decoy 029. Time to AO, 5 minutes."

I encourage taking a look around. Examining the scene for anything odd. Magical score marks, blood, dried crops, building interiors, discarded weapons, glimmering shards, etc.

If you'd like more information about an area you're exploring, PM me. I'll give you whatever relevant details of the scene I have that won't reveal too much, but allow you to portray more to the group.

[Devyn]

"Right. Haha, very funny," Vyn crossed her arms and glared at the man standing in front of her. It was one time! And really, not that big of a deal. One alarm exploded! She turned to glance behind her at the scene of destruction once more, face stuck in the scowl. She doubted any alarm, no matter how powerful could deal this kind of destruction, plus the rest of the mysterious damage. What could deal it, she had no idea, though. Vyn hadn't really ever been out of Ettermire much, and since being transported to Beinost, she hadn't seen much either. Normal sights were all she'd seen, or at least normal for her. No extraordinary sights were to be found, and so this was even more of a shock to her.

While she had been pondering the nature of the damage, Vincent had walked past her and seemed to be muttering to himself as well, hovering over the same question as she. What had caused this damage?

When her companion turned back to her and addressed her once more, Vyn frowned and turned to face him, green eyes reaching past his frame. The destruction was the same as it was the last time she'd looked, with no obvious clue as to what had caused this mass destruction.

"Well, standing here doing nothin doesn't seem very productive. Maybe check out the scene more closely?" Vyn shrugged and walked forward so that she was next to him, still looking out at the destruction. Why would anyone want to do this? What purpose does it serve? Though she stared out at the burnt world around them, he rethought were still floating behind her where she'd left them, buzzing with new theories, none of which matched up or even made sense. It really was a baffling scene, one which certainly had more to it than both she or Vincent could think of at the moment.

The clattering of stones sounded from a distance away, and Vyn's head immediately snapped to the source of the noise, the hand with the rod tightening almost imperceptibly. It was another man, one with light skin, but strange, darker patches dotting his skin as well. How peculiar... Black hair and black eyes were noted, along with his dark, leather clothing that enforced a mysterious look. The stones probably weren't a mistake. Vyn tilted her head and peered at him more closely, as if seeing the man from the side would change his appearance somehow.

"I don't s'pose you know anything bout this mess," she said casually, expression neutral. How long has he been there, just... watching? More importantly, though, did he mean any harm, and what brought him to this particular destination? Of course, he too had probably been drawn by the ads, but what was his purpose? Money? To investigate? Did he come out of the goodness of his heart? In fact, the appearance of Vincent had lowered her guard. Not once had she even questioned why he was there. Why is he here?

"Why are you tw-"

She was cut off by the appearance of yet another man, the likes of which seemed... different. For one, he was dressed differently. His hat was certainly unique.

"Hello to you too," she said instead, a tight smile on her face as she turned to address the newcomer. "I'm... Vyn," she said hesitantly, the smile sliding off. "If you're here to deal with the 'bandits' or whatever they are, then I s'pose that'd be a great place to start. Like, figuring out what happened," she said, glancing around critically.

As the clouds parted, and light poured forth from the gap like a pent up breath, Vyn froze, eyes glued to the now shimmering field, which sparkled with a newfound glow that she doubted had always been there.

Ignoring the others to step closer to the field, Vyn squinted at the sight and then turned back round to face them, scanning the ground for more of what had caught the light.

"What is that?"

[Cards of Fate]

Vince’s eyes darted from new arrival to arrival, ‘A…pirate, a mechanic, a really creepy dude, and a badass walk into a destroyed village…’ The jokes seemed to write themselves. The scholar listened to the words of the mechanic intently. His eyes shot from Pirate to…person, assessing their strengths. If they were going to be dealing with the perpetrators, he would need to know he could trust these people.

“What is that?”

The words pulled Vince from his thoughts and his eyes darted to the field where several objects glittered in the sunlight. The scholar took a single step forward, and stopped as he heard something go skittering behind him. His eyes darted down to a simple shard shining in the sunlight. Growling, the scholar kneeled down and picked it up. Something about the cut of the gem seemed…familiar. As he raised it up for further examination, it seemed to grow…heavier.

Interesting.

He turned the gem over in his hand, and watched as teal sparks seemingly jumped from his palm to the crystal. The scholar scowled and held it up for the others to see. “Anyone ever seen anything like this before?” His eyes shot from the gem to the scorch marks on the wall. Something seemed eerily familiar…

Too familiar.

[jdd2035]

Cain smiled at the young lady, took his hat off pressed it against his chest , bowed and said "Ma'am" placed his hat back on his head and began to look around. As the sun crossed in the sky he observed the shimmering of the land around him. ~Land didn't move right~ was his first thought as he contemplated things. "It looks similar to the sun reflecting off the water. But there aint any water." Cain shook his head a moment and picked up a crystal. It felt like he had been swing his saber at the near end of a particular demanding boarding action. "These gems don't signify to me." Cain said to the general population.

As two of the group began looking over the gems or crystals Cain began to look around the sound of clatter, clatter; clang, clang caught his ears. He passed one building and it got quieter. It might have been nothing his hearing wasn't what it should be being so close to cannon fire quite often but it might of been something and he turned the other direction and listened again for it to get louder. "Does any one else hear that clattering?!" Cain asked in his gun deck voice and he followed the sound checking doors and giving solid seaman like raps to the ones that didn't open easily or at all.

He was curious he had seen plenty of strange things as he traveled but land always seemed different. Then again he didn't go this far into the land. Stopping at another door "A'hoy there. Any one in there?" he rapped with a heavy thump thump thump.

[Shifters Shadow]

Shifter so far avoided the pleasantries, greeting with his dark eyes as they glanced about the towns guests. Though, this was due mainly as he silently investigated who they were.


They could call out and shout as much as they pleased, they could dig in the earth and inspect objects and debris, but they were was little else to be found in this dead of a village. At least that was what he believed, but Shifter was far from an investigator of any sorts. His opinion built on arrogance and even laziness more than that of factual knowledge.


The bright rays of light almost didn’t fit with the gloomy shattered village, and as the crunching collapse of damaged stone wall finally echoed over the awkward silence it gave Shifter the feeling he must be right about this dead of a place. The glistening light of the sun sparkled off the ground unnaturally, like glass or fresh water it felt uneasy on the eyes as it flickered.


Shifter shadowed his eyes with his forearm and the group, regardless of the unknown between themselves, seemed to start searching the land more thoroughly. Whether they were a unanimous team of investigators or a private individual who happened to now be competing for the same goal, their goal seemed far beyond them– at least for now.


Why am I here? Everything about this place seems wrong.


Shifter just didn’t trust this village, nor did he trust the people who now resided within it. He looked around more cautiously, even if they were innocent or naive adventurers, Shifter would always be cautious. For now the others could look around for clues about this place, while he could ensure of their, or more importantly his own safety.


Empty hills and silent trees moved only by the breeze, untouched rock and torched stone lay marking nearly all of the tired grassy plain in its entirety. Was this really the remnants of a battle, or was it the fool’s gold for the greedy and foolish. Silently he already moved out of direct sight and found yet another sparkling gem of light. This wasn't the first he had seen since he arrived, but only as they paid it attention did he feel he should do the same.

A couple resided in his pocket but only as a potential to exchange for profit at a later date. Should he have seen this as a clue? He doubted it, there was far too much of it to have been something worthwhile, otherwise this village could have been a long time rich.

Maybe I should really be trying to understand what these are?