Enter the Wood (Open)

[The Piper]

The alleys of Underwood were quiet, not a single sound apart from the soft wind blowing gently down the winding main streets, and the sound of loud snorers and their groaning husbands and wives kept awake in their beds. The faint rustlings of desperate, hungry animals searching for their next meal. One of these creatures had found heaven. The beady eyes of a racoon stared at it's meal, pure divine bliss in it's eyes; an uneaten steak. In all it's red, glistening glory, marked only by small spots of dust, it beckoned the small, furry creature, head half tilted to the right side in confusion. It had never seen a whole steak left out before. Why had someone disposed of it? Who would waste food like this? Was this seemingly innocent, delicous meal poisoned? All these questions, which could of kept the tiny mammal in safety, were too much to comprehend in it's tiny, primal mind.
And so the first tentative steps were made.

Watching with hungry, feverish, sea blue eyes, was a man. An old man, with the face of a young one. A psychopath, with the mannerisms of a gentleman. His glistening eyes flickered from rodent to red meat, to a small, hung lamp, illuminating the luminous stripes of green, yellow and red embedded in his hair, and eyes, making them glow like strange fireflies painted by an eccentric artist. His purple clothing rested soundly on the cobble ground he crouched on, cold as the hands he rested upon it. In one of these hands, he held a rope. This small peice of helixed threads led from his hands, to a steel hook embedded within the bait he had laid so carefully on the frost-bitten floor. The rope was tightly knotted to the sharp curl of metal, and his hands gripped like the iron vices of the Dwarven armouries. They shook with a concealed viscosity, as he was thirsty. Painfully thirsty, for the one thing that held him in an obsessive embrace, like a overprotective, half insane mother.
Blood was on the Piper's mind, that cold, becoming night. Blood, and the urge to kill.
And he was going to be satisfied, whatever the costs.

[Archanex Jotham]

Stepping outside of the Peaceful Promenade, Archanex Jotham used his battle-staff like a walking stick. He limped across the streets towards where the headquarters of the hedge magi was. As an apprentice hedge magi, the overmage knew that he had a place to call home in Underwood. Currently, he was part of the busy town's night-life. Though it wasn't as exciting as Radasanth's, Underwood still managed to keep lively even at night. There was much of the township that slept during the late hours, and then, there were certain folk that worked and played at night. Archanex did not fall into any of those categories. Simply stated, he was leaving The Peaceful Promenade after a hard earned meal.

Archanex was currently researching various spell formulae and other crucial matters of the magus. Archanex's eyes glowed with a power that was as apparent as the confidence in his step. He moved with his limp walk carefully studying his surroundings as he walked. His battle-staff made a light rapping noise against the cobblestone streets beneath him. Some carriages and carts still moved to and from Radasanth even at this late hour of the night. Jotham idly wondered who or what was being transported at that time of night. Continuing his journey, Jotham The White made his way to the outskirts of the township. He passed the alleyways of Underwood as he moved to the hedge magi headquarters. Hoping to retire for the night, Jotham was exhausted.

Jotham suddenly saw a group of tourists before him. They were a younger crowd of Coronians which were visiting Underwood for the first time. Archanex studied the strangers and they seemed to acknowledge the hedge magi apprentice with respect. Jotham wore long flowing robes that were coloured white. They were comprised of vlince and quite fancy in craftsmanship. Jotham the white was stopped right outside of the alley that The Piper currently resided in. There was no desire to actually peer into the valley, but Jotham stumbled across a patrolling guard. Jotham greeted the man casually, who greeted the overmage in kind. Jotham approached the guard with caution considering that the soldiers of Corone were the military wing of The Corone Empire.

Jotham the White spoke.

"Good day to you sir." Archanex said carefully. "How are the beasts of Concordia tonight? Are the outskirts of town safe to travel?" Archanex asked quite casually. He was making small talk.

"Ah, greetings young apprentice." The guard said casually in response. "All of our scouts and patrolmen are on active duty." He said in an almost monotone voice. "You should be safe to head back to the hedge magi circle. Unless of course, you would rather pay the hotel fee over at the ol' Promenade." The guard said patiently.

"Well it does feel like a wonderful night tonight..." Archanex began. Then, instinct caused him to look into the shadowy darkness of the nearby alley. He saw nothing as he had no enhanced senses. "There is a nice breeze." He added. The continued. "If you feel it is best, I shall retire to The Peaceful Promenade." Again, that feeling of danger lurked. Again, Archanex's senses could not see through the pitch black of the alleyway. Thus, The Piper was safe for now. Archanex turned towards a bench that was placed right next to a nearby building. Sitting down, Jotham the White took out a rolled up blunt of cannibus herb. Using his control of the dynamic explosion, he lit the embers o the smoke with his fingertips. Then, he sat there smoking...

Waiting...for that feeling of danger to reside before he made his next move.

[The Piper]

The Piper's head tilted slightly, as he stared at this new creature that stood in front of him, only four meters between the two men. The thing - a human, he noticed with immediate disgust - wore a long, flowing white robe; pristine, shining softly in the combined glow of the lamp and the open moonlight of the main street. He reminded the piper of an angel, however, when he set fire to the herbal smoke that he now brung to his lips, he realised that this was no angel. Angel's could not destroy anything, it was against their reason of being. The half crazed hunter concluded that this was a mage, most likely a player of elements, deduced from the spectacle he had just seen. The rememberance of his goal for that evening hit him like a bolt of lightning, and he scolded himself for not remembering. He frantically looked down, and saw that the racoon was braver then he had presumed; it had walked to the distance of the mage's legs now. The meat still lay there, a glistening, lucky treat for the guillable, unknowing thing. The Piper smiled, reassured. It was time.

Slowly, he brung his hand down to the sheath which held his tool of destruction, the item that would crush the urge down back into his conciousness. His flute. As his hand touched the mixture of cold metal and smoothly finished wood, he remembered in a flash of pictures of all the times he had used it. All the screams from both animals and humans, all races. All the pain caused. All the blood spilled. Oh blood! How he longed for it. It's iron tang, it's silky texture on his tounge. It satisfied him to no extent. And that's why he needed it. Needed blood. Blood. He needed blood. Blood. Now. Blood.
The Piper shook his head violentley, trying to get back into reality. He needed it. Just for a moment. Just so he could catch this creature. He pulled out the flute the rest of the way, and smiled as he glanced down at it's infinite beauty. He couldn't care less if he had been noticed, by man, mage or beast, this tool was the item of his affection. His love. It brung him life, drink, and blood. Every craving could be brung to ease with this gift from the maker. And that's why he had killed him first. In thanks. So he could ascend to the heavens above, to sit with the gods, where he belonged.

The Piper brung the flute to his lips, and began to play a soft, yet audible tune, watching as the raccoon's eyes grew glassy, and dead. It swayed from side to side in time with the notes that flowed through the cold night air through to the animal's, and the human's ears. And though the raccoon was now completley under The Piper's hold, the human's intellectual level was monolithically high. The Piper's power did not extend to that reach, and so, he focused on the rodent.
Come to me, little one. Come to your fate.
The message hit the raccoon with a soft force, and it stared up, directly into The Piper's eyes, with a look almost like affection. It took careful steps forwards towards The Piper, who smiled around the hole of the flute.
This was going to be a good drink.

[Archanex Jotham]

Archanex continued to smoke the herb in his hands. He held his battle-staff at the ready, just in case it was needed. Then, the music started. It's not coming from The Promenade... Hearing the music, Archanex felt a sense of worry at the source of the sound. Archanex heard the soft-sound of the flute coming from deeper in the alleyway. He turned towards the guard, the fellow was now gone. Sighing, the overmage had a feeling that he could not let the music be. Though he did not have enhanced senses, he was certain there was a foul sensation within the music itself. Standing up, Archanex put his rolled up blunt out in the palm of his hand. Smoke rose into the night from the self-imposed injury. Grabbing his staff after pocketing the blunt, Archanex rotated the heavy-oak weapon. Then, he readied his control of the elemental manna.

Walking towards the darkness of the alley, what he saw next would raise a sense of danger within the Overmage's heart...

[Northman]

Jaak sat silently and stared into the fire as he finished eating some dried meat. Swallowing the last bite, the sturdy man leant back towards the log sheltering his campsite. The woodsman had originally planned on travelling further than Underwood this night, but he had found the tracks of a pack of wolves hunting in the direction he was going. Knowing better than to walk into the middle of a hunting party, and not wanting to spend hours moving around the canines, he had camped by a log in a small hillside right outside Underwood.

It was a rather calm and clear night with no clouds obscuring the stars or radiant waxing moon. The sounds of the forest, the occasional hoot of an owl or flapping of wings as a bird was startled by an approaching fox melded with the distant voices and nightlife on the Promenade, the rare cart or wagon on the road and the cracking noises from the campfire. Jaak relaxed, taking in the sounds and sights around him, coupled with the burning smell of his fire. His sword and mace rested against the log to his left, and his shield and helmet was to his right next to his pack. Most other equipment was still strapped to him, and he had his cloak wrapped around him to shelter against the chill night breeze, despite having a fire going. Jaak knew the wolves were far away, and he was close to civilization. Otherwise he might’ve sheltered his campsite better, but as it were, he rather welcomed the occasional visit from a city guard prompted to check out the fire or ranger joining him for a freshly caught meal. Once he was identified as not being a threat, they were excellent sources for rumors from the roads and villages, and quite friendly, too.

Jaak despised spending more time in cities and towns than he had to, but the occasional visit was necessary – especially if he needed work. Things could get hard at times. But for the moment, he had no need to enter Underwood, even though he played with thought of making one of his rare tavern visits. It was perhaps one of the few things he found entertaining about cities, and even then he usually just went there for work or rumors.

No, tonight he would relax, and tomorrow he would be on his way. While still lazily leaning against the log, Jaak rummaged through his pack until he found an apple and withdrew it. Producing one of his knives, he carefully cut pieces of the apple and ate them as he observed the outskirts of Underwood, mostly out of curiosity. He observed a patrolling guard and a few carriages moving out of time. His eyes followed them for a while to take a note of their direction. Deciding they were unlikely to run into trouble where they were headed, Jaak’s attention returned to the out skirting streets where it caught a man dressed in white. Jaak probably wouldn’t have given the man much thought if not for the acknowledged respect he seemed to be getting from others. The hunter figured the man was a mage or priest of sorts, and followed him as best as he could to see where such a man was headed during night. While the distance to the city wasn’t far, the angle made it difficult for Jaak to see clearly. Once it was clear that the man had stopped or entered a building, Jaak shrugged and lost interest.

For a moment, his interest instead returned to the apple. Jaak had cut around the center of it and had almost nothing left but seeds. Giving off another shrug, he ate what was left of it and had some water from his waterskin. The woodsman contemplated going to sleep as a sound out of the ordinary hit his ears. It was difficult to discern at first, as it almost drowned to the nearby sounds of the forest and the distant noises from the Promenade and streets around it, but after a while it was identifiable. Sharpening his senses, Jaak was sure he heard the soft tunes of a flute. Looking in its general direction, his eyesight suddenly caught the man in white again. It appeared he had just risen to his feet, alert, but again the angle made it hard for Jaak to see more than half the man. Jaak was oblivious to the nature of the tune, or its player, and was simply looking for the source of the melody. To him, it appeared that the man in white was outright startled.

”That’s strange,” Jaak muttered for himself, as he suddenly realized his body had tensed while observing the scene. He clutched his knife in a ready position, and had withdrawn one of his legs, ready to leap. The man shrugged once again, shaking his head as he realized his instincts had taken over when he had tried to sharpen his senses. It was probably nothing, just an entertainer trying to impress the man in white, Jaak reasoned while halfway following the scene and halfway looking around to see if someone from the city guard would approach soon. He hoped no one overtly suspicious would come and have a look, as he wanted news of the roads, not accusations.

Jaak found that he was shrugging a lot this night.