PDA

View Full Version : This is not the world my father knew.



Skie and Avery
10-07-10, 06:16 PM
closed

The morning sunrise outside of the hamlet of Mithdhurin was gorgeous. Like paint that had been allowed to seep up thin paper, vibrant gold and reds were overtaking the purple half light of the early morning. The last stars were fading in the sky, giving way to the brilliance of the sun. The moon still hung hauntingly pale just over the treeline, reflected in spirit by the twinkling of dew along the grassy yards on either side of the road. In all that beauty, Mithdhurin rose from the rubble of what had once been a quiet town on the road to Alerar. A few houses and an inn had managed to pull themselves together from the onslaught of the war against the undead.

Despite the carnage that had been wrought upon their village, the community had welcomed Skie into their care with open arms and little distrust. It was more than she had hoped for. Now, she lay back on the duvet in her room, wrapped in a cotton robe as she looked over the advertisement again. It had been printed modestly, more information than promises. She liked that.

"The Golden Dawn in search of adventurous persons for the exploration of caverns in the Pass." The talk of treasure hidden within dwarven tunnels and natural caves was rampant, as it always was amongst humans who live close to the older races. Elven treasure so fine it would keep an entire family in extravagant wealth for decades and generations, or perhaps the entire hoard of a long forgotten king or dragon would be the epicenter of a drunken story. Re-tellings would only add on to the legend, until entire libraries of forbidden magical tomes and mountains of gold within the caverns themselves found their way into the stories. Skie had seen calls for expeditions such as this one a dozen times before, and had never answered the call. Yet here she was, waiting in Mithdhurin for a man named Grimaldi. As so much of her decisions did, it all came down to family.

It had been years since she'd seen or heard tell of her father. Devon had been darker when they'd met, not the kind and gentle soul that she remembered from her youth. Rumor had it that the last anyone had seen him, he'd been in the area, down in the caverns. The last reliable source told the same story of Fingolfin ap Findelfin. The last words that her mother ever spoke to her, echoed in her mind. "Find Findelfin." It seemed to Skie that her mother and father had perhaps been of the same mind, no matter how different they had been otherwise. Perhaps if she went blindly into the dark, seeking the elf, she might find her father and an answer for the whole world gone wrong.

Zook Murnig
10-15-10, 10:56 PM
The old cobblestone tavern, Inn Passing, was nearly empty, most of Mithdhurin taking their morning meal in the comfort of their homes. At this time each day, it would be entirely unpeopled, but for today's comparative crowd. Caduceus broke his fast slowly as he spoke with the only other patron, and his prospective protegé.

"It has come to the Order's attention," he explained to his attractive companion over bowls of gruel, "that there have been a number of rumors surrounding the caverns of this pass. Riches, mostly, but that does not concern us as such."

Skie was a distinctive-looking woman, slender and toned. Her pitch hair tied back, and azure eyes narrowed in focus, she looked every bit the part of a seasoned warrior, and every bit a contrast to the wiry, inexperienced magician. Cloaked as he was in russet robes, sandy brown hair covering his scalp as it framed his mouth, he was sure that he seemed nothing more than a simple priest and scholar, out on a researcher's lark.

"What does concern us is the more recent tales of possession. Heroes the like of Devon Starslayer and Findelfin ap Fingolfin entering the caves for one reason or another, only to return, if at all, not the men they are known to be. I aim to discover the source of this corruption and neutralize it, if I can, but to go alone would be a fool's errand. I would likely return just as the others, a man possessed."

Rather, he decided, taking the last spoonfuls of the oversweetened oats, he would prove his expertise to the valkyrie before him. And when the task was complete, her skill and temperament would be laid bare to him, for his own judgment.

"This is where you come in, Skie. You are entitled to your share of any riches we happen to discover, if they are in fact real, in exchange for your help in this endeavor. In addition to the offered fees, of course," he added with a grin. His stormy eyes settled on her own, taking in every detail of her response as he asked, "What say you?"