The Epitome of Spiritual Serenity. (Open)

[Black Cat]

Magnus sat silently at the edge of the barge, with eyes tightly shut, and hands clasped firmly in prayer. He listened intently to the symphonic sound of the waves assailing the side of the ship, and found it the perfect companion for his meditation. This was his first experience at sea, and he was surprised to find how different, but how very beautiful it was.

“I wonder if the scholar likes the sea…” He quietly thought to himself, ending his prayer. It had been two days since he left Tristam in Underwood, and he was not pleased with the fact that he had done so. Tristam was after all, his only friend. A friend who was likely still in the old, rustic tavern, interviewing the latest, failed human experiment to pass through the nation of Corone. Still, Tristam was a good man, a good man who had provided immeasurable and irreplaceable aid to Magnus, and that was something he was unendingly grateful for.

Another fact Magnus became quite grateful for, was that the crowds on the ancient looking barge had taken no notice of him. If he was no longer garnering attention, then he was likely safe, for now. He sighed with relief at the prospect, and began to lazily examine his surroundings, wondering who he would see.

[Pocketfox]

Perhaps lazy eyes would have run over an elf's nondescript head once or twice; it wasn't unusual to find an elf around these parts, certainly not a rare occurrence.

So it was that Ayer came into being, knuckles clenched white on the splintered rail before him, watching the passing water with the faintest trace of green upon his cheeks. Indeed the Elf wobbled with each hurl of the boat over a wave, eyes glued to his boots and remaining off of the churning white of water below. He tried not to accept his fears all at once.

Gods forbid there were spiders under the seats.

His path turned quick when a wave splattered itself against the side of the ancient barge, a stumbling and drunk gate leading him to the center of the boat. He collided with several of the passengers, mumbling hoarse pardons as he rushed off to find somewhere...less rocky.

Ships...ships are terrible.

The moment his rump met the familiar wood of a seat, he heaved a sigh and sprawled himself over several more. From here he could properly people-watch. So his eyes met the eyes of the Monk, albeit briefly. He would have guessed not to have kept the Monk's attention.

Yet, that was enough.

Eyes...the eyes, a smile sprouted like hope upon his lips and he held his gaze to those strange orbs. Gods rest my soul if I get involved with another holy man.

Perhaps it was just for a chuckle, yet Ayer's lips moved- mocking the word 'Hello' with a horrifyingly intense smile. The eyes made it though, a clear and pure amethyst to send a shock through anyone's system. The sudden rock of the boat caught his stomach's, without a doubt.

[Black Cat]

Magnus attempted to examine the bizarre, amethyst shaded eyes of the even more unusual elf. An elf who had clearly not come to love the sea as Magnus now had. Still, despite all the oddities of the man, Magnus raised his favored hand and smiled serenely towards the figure before him. Hoping the stranger would see it as a gesture of friendship.

Seeing the man still smiling, Magnus rose to his feet, his pristine white robes ever cloaking his body. He walked calmly and gracefully over to the splintered wooden benches, not bothered nor hindered by the jolting of the old barge.
He placed himself in the nearest position that the elf's tall body had not already claimed.

Magnus laughed heartily to himself, there was only one seat.

"A little seasick, friend?" This was half a question, half a joke, but the curious priest figured it would start a conversation well enough, and Magnus was aching for good conversation. Luckily this man looked the sort with a good tale to tell, hopefully a much more pleasant one than magnus.

[Pocketfox]

Sorry for the terribly long wait. I had a bit of sickness strike me in just the right spot. Back on my feet now and ready for more.



"Mmm…hm,” Though not intentionally averting eye contact, it made him feel much like he would urp all over the man’s nice white robes if he didn’t. “Never been on a boat before."

This was entirely true and, no matter how much he seemed to hate it at the moment, was going to stay true. It didn’t take him too long to realize that he was taking up most of the seats, either.

“Ooh. Sorry about that,” He righted himself hesitantly, a few pops and cracks as his bones groggily shifted into place. “I’m really such a hog.”

The waves sloshed gently against the barge’s side and the gulls drifting lazily above and over their heads crowed half-heartedly as the conversation came to a temporary lull. Ayer fidgeted with his thumbs, checked his stomach, and fiddled his feet a little before piping up again.

“My name’s Ayer. Yours, stranger?”

In fact, recalling before, it seemed weird that the holy man had called him friend. Well…whatever. Whatever he wants to do, he can do.

[Black Cat]

No apology needed. I'll try to be a little faster myself. I would post a longer reply, but I'm in a bit of hurry. Sorry man

“My name’s Ayer. Yours, stranger?”

Ayer, though pleasant, still held a hint of uneasiness in voice, and Magnus quickly reached the conclusion that it had little to do with the vessel. This man, or elf as it were, was clearly somewhat unsettled by the priest's sudden approach.

But there would be no turning back now. He would have to introduce himself.

"Good to meet you, Ayer." He paused briefly before going on. "They call me Magnus...or at least all the polite ones do." The priest was still hoping to get a small chuckle out of the elf, laughter would help lift his spirits, and hopefully that would help dispel that elf's nausea. Otherwise Magnus would have to do it himself, which wasn't the day's most inconspicuous option.

[Pocketfox]

Man? -Chuckles.- I am no man!

But it's no problem. Post away!

"Magnus, hm?" The elf snerked and settled in a little more, offering a hand out to the priest for a strong shake. "And I thought I had it bad in school."

He did chuckle, if not for a few moments, feeling the weight on his shoulders lift- as well as the one burdening his innards. It seemed his stomach was growing accustom to the rocking of the boat. Perhaps the ride wouldn't be so long after all. Not that he wanted it to be.

"So," He began again, trying not to strain the conversation for the simple curiosity. "What are you here for? A spar, a simple change of place, running away from old memories?" At the last he grinned and cast his eyes back out to the harbor, tracking the barge's progress. Land would be a comfortable feeling, even if he was getting used to the rhythm of the waves. There was no better feeling beneath an elf's foot than dew-riddled grass.

[Teal]

I hope this is still open
The ocean, compared to most people, was surprisingly quiet. The ocean didn't care if the person next to it was drowning out its conversation. The ocean, in its state of not caring, did not raise its voice so as to be better heard. And the ocean did not start competitions in which the only outcome was a roar of conversation that made it almost impossible to hear.

The ocean was a much better friend the Kate's lute then the people around her were.

The musician had parked herself on the deck of the ship in the early hours of the morning. A bag lay at the bottom of her chair, it's meaning clear. It would have been much more social for her to actually talk to the people nearby and subtly prompt them to give her money. It may have also been more productive. Yet, being social was a low priority on her list, and although earning money was much higher, she didn't want to have to talk to people.

Now, towards the middle of the day, the bag was still feather weight. Two copper coins sat at the bottom, the faces carved into them staring forlornly up into the sky. Kate didn't blame it on her lute playing. She may have been a little rusty, but she was still good at it. No, she blamed it on the people. It wasn't that the people didn't want to give her money, or that they didn't have any to give, it was that they couldn't hear her. The day had begun with just the ocean and her lute speaking, both of them quiet and considerate. Now, they had been joined by a deafening mix of conversations, each one louder then her soft playing.

Kate scowled. She wanted to yell at them to be quiet. But then again, the thought of talking to them horrified her. What if they got angry? What if someone attacked her? Her fingers stopped tapping against the strings, and she stood up. It felt good to leave the hard chair after hours of sitting.

The musician navigated across the crowded deck, carefully avoiding contact with other passengers. She circled around the barge, staying close to the railing. She liked ships. She had been on them before. They were a good alternative to empty roads and days of travel on foot. Or rather, she liked small boats. Large barges filled with people were not her cup of tea.

After a minute of walking, Kate found herself on the back deck of the barge. Only a few people were standing nearby, talking in soft voices. A much better place to practice her playing and earn a few more coins. Her eyes scanned the wooden area for a seat. Most were taken, save for one next to a tall elf and a robed man. She paused in mid step. After a moment of hesitation she continued on and placed herself onto the hard wooden chair. The elf was to her right, the man farther.

"Do you," Kate paused, unsure of what to say. "Mind if a play here?" She pointed at the lute she carried, fingers nervously tapping against the soft wood and eyes darting back and forth between the two men. The elf was looking at the other one, away from her. The robed man looked like a priest of some sort. She liked priests. They usually had a few coins to spare.

[Black Cat]

"I was....sent here. On a pilgrimage, if you will." This was entirely a lie, and it was very obvious. The slight tremble in his voice, what made it so clearly untrue, was easily detectable, especially to someone with those ears. Still, Ayer could not force the truth out of him.

Could he?

In a flash, Magnus ceased having to worry, a young woman had approached the two maritime companions and planted herself on one of the open wooden seats. No doubt seeking refuge from the more noisy areas of the barge, she shattered the conversational flow; So the gods still loved him.

"Do you," She paused. "Mind if I play here?" The girl nervously pointed to her instrument, which made it apparent that she was a musician.

"I don't mind at all!" Magnus spoke with such enthusiasm he likely frightened the poor girl, but he cared little, as long as she pulled Ayer away from his questions. "But you'll have to ask my friend here..." The priest "considerately" added.

"Well Ayer?"

[Pocketfox]

...Erm. Forgive me if I send the lady off guard. Ayer has a strong reaction to the wimmens. And...dems emotions.


It had nothing to do with his oversized ears. It started like a sense tingled in the back of his head, a dull aching throb as he made eye-contact with Magnus. He didn't know why the Holy man of all people would feel it necessary to lie to him, but it wasn't something he was about to just drop.

"...Sir, don't mind me saying, but I think you're entirely lying about that. Wot's it, eh-"

...Or so he thought.

It was when she arrived that that attitude changed. She interjected gracefully between their conversation, disallowing the holy man to rebuke and his own delicate ears to hear the reply.

"Do you," She paused, looking all the more beautiful in thought. "Mind if I play here?" She waved around some instrument- a lute maybe- which she could probably play wonderfully. Perhaps not, based on her attire.

But, a woman! All curves, all the time, that sweet smell (usually) and those oh so pretty eyes. He just couldn't help himself, even if she was looking a little...less than healthy. Or...clean.

"Oh madame! Of course you can play here! We take very kindly to the ladies around these parts! Go on, sit, sit!" His hands attempted to guide the woman almost forcefully to the seat, thought not breaching any terms of unwanted physical contact. She was seated- of course not that he would let her do otherwise- and had an arm resting comfortably over the back of her seat, grin alight and friendly. It was then he felt a sudden bought of nervousness, his cheeks barely reddening as he hid behind an unbreakable wall of pride.

Jumpy Ayer? Calm down, women are as abundant here as they are in any other town. See? They litter the boats. Don't crowd this poor damsel.

"Er...yes. Hallo there, miss. As you heard this man say before, the name's Ayer." A hand, offered in more reasonable and friendly terms than before, worn and calloused from a long trip. "And this fine sir over there is Magnus: Holy man extraordinaire."

[Teal]

The priest's voice caused Kate to jump out of the seat that she had barely begun to sit in. He sounded excited, energetic. Why would someone get that worked up over a bit of music? She cast a glance to the other man, the elf. His brow was furrowed, and his mouth was in the middle of mouthing out a word. His eyes were a deep amethyst. Such a strange color, though it could be something normal among elves. They could be a strange folk some times, and she wouldn't put it past them to have such a strange eye color be a norm among them.

The musician gave Magnus an uncertain smile. After seeing the elf looking like he was in the middle of a question, and the excitement with which she was greeted, it seemed as though he was hiding something. Did it matter at all to her? Probably not.

Kate took a small step back as the elf reached towards her, talking quickly. Shying away from his hands, she reluctantly seated herself into the wooden chair. A friendly smile was plastered over his face and his arm hung lazily over the tip of her chair. For a moment, she wondered how Magnus felt about this act, as he was seated between her and the elf. She leaned forwards slightly, intent on not touching Ayer.

"Hello...Ayer." She extended her hand and shook his quickly using only the tips of her fingers. Ayer's speech had begun to take a more pleasant pattern. The faint blush that was outlined on his cheeks and his stumble at the beginning of his sentence all pointed towards his sudden embarrassment. "And Magnus." She looked down, fingers still tapping away nervously on the side of her lute. "I'm Kate." She was beginning to wish that she had stayed put on the forward deck.

[Black Cat]

Magnus, who was of course grateful for the young girl's sudden appearance, could not help but be concerned with her welfare. It was clear that even while Ayer struggled, he would not be able to maintain gentlemen like behavior. Magnus was frustrated, as he could not see an obvious solution to this problem, he had however, run out of time to think.

He lost his smile and began listing intently to the last words of Kate's greeting, nervously acknowledging him. He wished to cheer her up, but with Ayer's overbearing excitement, over reaching arm, and rather annoying introduction, it was not to be.

He attempted to introduce himself in a more, polite, "priestly" way.

" Kate...you said? Well I, as my friend previously introduced, am Magnus. Though I have little tolerance for being called holy man, extrodinaire." His tone was much more serious now, much more like that you'd expect from a holy man. "I hope you haven't taken offense at Ayer's....gleeful introduction, or my joyful greeting, for that matter." This was an apology not so geared to "say sorry", so much as it was geared to lessen the nervousness in the young girl.

"Please, go on practicing."

[StormWolf]

i hope i can join. first rp with my char.

Inside the barge, in a dark corner, a large man sat. He was large, one of the tallest there and with one of the broader shoulder spans to boot. The man's shaggy black hair fell messily around his shoulders and face, the braided leather band around his head not doing it's job. Just as well, the last thing Rath al'Perrin Stahltann wanted was to be thrown off of the boat because of superstition. Rath had his eyes cast down, out of the sight of passers by. The common individual did not tend to think a wolf's glowing, golden-amber eyes to be normal in a man's skull.

The broad lad scratched the thick stubble on his face, not getting the chance to shave for a couple days. Rath hated being on a boat on open seas. There where no wolves here, no one he could talk to as an equal, as a friend. He felt alone on this rickety craft... and queasy. The sea air was much hotter and more humid than his old home in the mountains, making him feel like he is constantly wet.

Standing slowly and surely, Rath adjusted his father's old soldier cloak. Faded and moth-eaten it may be, but the crimson was still easily noticeable. The lad's garb was strange, a mix-match of soldier and citizen garb. His boots, slacks, belts, and leather bracers where of soldier make, but his sleeveless shirt and blacksmith's vest where of civilian make, home made, even. The open vest and the deep "V" collar showed some of Rath's muscular chest, though he really did this because of the heat. Sword on his back and axe at his hip, Rath looked like a soldier, arms as thick as his made it seem even more so. People even got out of his way or avoided talking to him, which was both a blessing and a curse, at times.

Tilting his head lightly, Rath could hear music outside on the deck, Rath needed some fresh air anyways. The tall and broad man made his way out and found the music. Not a royal court musician or a famous bard, but the lass played the lute better than his late brother, Aybill, and that was saying something. Rath walked with surprising balance, for being on a boat for the first time.

He flicked a silver coin to the lass, keeping his eyes cast down, hoping to be passed by as shy or rude, anything but the truth.

"For your music, lass." Rath said in a deep voice that held authority and sounded as if the speaker had a burden within just as deep. Rath made his way to the railing and gripped it with strong and scarred hands, a worker's hands. I do pray to the Allfathers that they wish not to talk. . ., Rath thought to himself, noticing the man in white and the other sitting by him. The other man must have been an elf, judging by his smell. Rath let himself relax, having not smelled anything morally foul on them, they seemed good in spirit and intention.

Rath stared out at the horizon, keeping the golden-yellow orbs as hidden as he could.