September Guided Quest B: All the Queen's Horses [Archive]

Tourneymant

08-30-12, 11:57 PM

Barnabas entered a shack next to "Valeena Lake". He had received a letter after being frozen in the Adventure's Crown Tournament telling to come here. No people or beast just a room with a locked box on a small square table in the center of the room. Not that it mattered, he wouldn't be noticed anyway, though his Golden Three Armed Candle Holder would be. It would just look like it was floating in mid air. In fact, on his way to the shack he walked past a group of nuns who instantly started yelling, "Leave this place cursed one! We don't want ghosts here!" repeating it over and over again. One even picked up a rock that hit him in the back. He just ignored them, it was a reaction he got all the time. He has been called the Tournament Specter, Ghost of the Tournament, and even The Cursed Item. It hurt at first, but eventually he got use to it. If he didn't have an item with him however, he would not even be noticed. He would just be mistaken for a hot spot. This hurt more then anything else. Once he even considered himself to be nothing at all, just something taking up space. that was nine hundred ninety years ago when he entered his first tourney. Now however, he knows what he is, a being who has rights just like everyone else. Who cared if he looked like a heatwave he was still there and had feelings.

He looked around a little bit more, I was told I would be joined by two others. I believe one was a Royal Elf, I hope he doesn't think of himself as being higher then others. The other was a mute ninja, I wonder how we are going to communicate?

Just then a women entered the room. She wore a black hooded cloak. The hood put shadows down her face stopping at her mouth which had red lipstick. She looked around the room for a second and was about to leave when Barnabas coughed. She turned around and looked him in his direction. "Where are you?" She asked, looking around the room, Barnabas had put the candle holder on the table to better examine the chest.

"I'm by the chest."

"Are you the one I was sent to speak to?"

"I guess, I was told in a letter to come here and talk to someone."

"Well then, I must tell you that you are here for one propose, to kill the guards. You are the only one able to kill a person without being seen. When the others get here, introduce yourself and tell them that you have to leave and that you will meet up with them at the gate."

"Understood."

After their conversation she left and he stood their, waiting for his teammates.

Elthas_Belthasar

08-31-12, 12:05 PM

(Good luck everyone!!! Oh and I like to keep track of my Word Count, 'tis a habit from another site I rp on. Thanks for understanding.)

One amongst them was not interested in the rewards.

A chance had lead the stranger to leave his homeland of Ruild (Condordia Forest/Corone) and venture to Scara Brae in the first place. He had heard of a lead regarding his contract with The Syndicate in Corone. One of his prospects, a target by the name of Welkan Vennard had traveled to Scara Brae in search of something important to him. Now, what was not known on paper, was that Elthas Belthasar was actually one of The Syndicate's most skilled Bounty Hunter and rising prospects. Elthas was fresh off the boat, there was one other agent gathered for the job at hand. Elthas had been contacted by a shadowy figure requesting that they meet at the promised location.

A professional, Elthas did not turn down potential contracts. He was surprised to see another person at the location. (Barnabas) He was a fellow that Elthas had never seen before. There was protocol and niceties that needed following, and Elthas respectfully nodded towards Barnabas. He knew that a party had been gathered for some sort of a selective purpose, probably working for The Queen's Guard or some such event.

Elthas didn't mind as long as he was paid for his trouble. Plus, if he found clues to the whereabouts of his current target, that would be even better. Elthas saw the small container that held the items that they needed. It was presumed someone held the key for it. He was given a key by the contractor who had hired him, but he wasn't sure it was for that box or not. It was of no consequence to Elthas, for Elthas, always came prepared. He looked at Barnabas for a moment. Elthas wore finely put together attire, dressed like a nobleman man, in a fancy sort of a suit. His elegant cloak was set in a proud state and seemed to add a presence to The Elf.

"Don't suppose that's for us?" Elthas asked Barnabas in plain common speak, elegantly accented. "I heard there's a stable not too far from here we're supposed to get some fine breeds from. Horses I presume, and not them dead weight kind either. Must be an important job." Elthas thought that lifting some mystery on the job would probably be a good idea as the fellows in the group had never met each other. He looked at Barnabas and that other lad. "Name's Elthas. Elthas Belthasar." He said carefully. "I suppose you don't got the key for that thing do you?" Elthas asked, if the other man did possess a key, Elthas could just force pick the lock if need be.

One of the good things about being an intellectual type was that you were always on your feet, you were always tested.

You always had to adapt to new strategies and new technique to survive, that was the key to becoming strong and powerful.

Elthas figured that they were supposed to wait for someone.

The three had gathered for the party that they were about to undertake, and he had hoped that their host would be gracious enough to reveal himself or herself.

He wondered what sort of trickery bound Barnabas and the other lad to the job at hand. Either way it went, he was certain he was in for a good time at the very least. A reward wouldn't be bad either. He had another contract at the same time he had to fulfill, so if he got any clues as to the current whereabouts of his target, that would be even better. He was a Bounty Hunter through and through, and lived for the thrill of the hunt. Elthas folded his arms across his chest, and took out a water skin filled with some fresh water. He offered some to Barnabas. "'Tis water friend. Freshly acquired this morn. I hope you guys wouldn't mind some of this if you're thirsty. No pride needed in accepting a gift if we're all gonna be working together for the foreseeable future." Elthas said.

Elthas kept looking at the box. He wondered who had the key to it, and what sort of goodies were inside. Elthas held the key in his possession, given to him by the person who was meant to hire them. He wondered if they all got the key too. "If you guys don't got a key as well, I certainly have mine. I figure we split the goods up and work together from here on in." Elthas said carefully. He took out the key from the small pouch he'd been given as part of his contract, and walked towards the box after handing Barnabas the water skin. He opened the box, and inside, he saw the basic equipment that the would all need for the job at hand.

"Okay looks like there are three sets." Elthas counted quickly, his sharp wit would do them wonders. "Of the larger items at least. There are also some papers. Looks like a seal of some sort on the papers. Probably royalty type." Elthas confirmed. Some rations, and one of these. Elthas put his hand in the box and removed the small case of matches. He wondered if any of them smoked, but he certainly enjoyed the cannibus herb from time to time. Elthas took the match book in his possession, and removed the documents, likely forged, but with a royal seal...he doubted anyone would care. Elthas eyed the contents of the papers, familiarizing himself with them.

"We're supposed to head to the stables next. We got us some horses waiting for us there. Shouldn't be too hard to acquire with these official looking documents." Elthas grinned. This was turning out to actually be a pretty good job offer after all...

black shadow

08-31-12, 05:17 PM

Black Shadow listened to Elthas as he began to speak, although he could not answer any of his questions. Black Shadow stuck his hand out towards the elf when he finshed talking. The elf returned Black Shadow and introduced himself to Black Shadow. Well at least he knows what a handshake is supposed to be like.

After Elthas had opened the box and sown everybody what was in the box he turned and ran out the door. Black Shadow scanned his suroundings making sure no one other than his employer knew he was there. Yew trees perfect for makng bows were standing tall and proud, towerng over the three of them. He took in his surroundings and listened for any movements other than the elf. So far so good, we are all alone.

Black Shadow jumped into one of the Yew trees and began jumping from tree to tree in the direction of the stable. earler in the day it had rained, leaving the branches wet and slippery. Normally jumping from tree to tree wasn't a problem for Black Shadow, but he was supprisingly havng some trouble, slipping and almost falling every few branches. Let's hope these two can keep up with me, I don't want to look like a show off.

Tourneymant

08-31-12, 06:25 PM

"Hey get back here!" Barnabas hadn't gotten a chance to talk to the man and tell him what he had been told. This ninja was definitely impatient. Barnabas started running in the direction of the stables hoping he could beat Black Shadow so that their mission wouldn't get harder then it already was going to be. As he ran through the forest, not even making a sound, he thought about how they were going to get the horses outside the castle walls. There is no way that they're aloud to leave except when the royal family left. This was definitely going to turn violent unless I can do his job and knock out the guards. He flew through the gates without anybody noticing him. As soon as he was past the guards he surveyed the land Now how will I draw the guards attention away from my teammates. I know! He snuck up behind a guard and tapped on his shoulder. The guard turned around and froze seeing only the candle holder and a humanoid shaped blur. "DOOOOOM!"

The Guard turned around and started running waving his hands in the air yelling, "Ghost!" The other guards looked at him funny but went back to their watch. Barnabas then went up behind another guard and tapped him on the shoulder. the guard turned around and looked at the candle stick he fainted right there. Not the reaction I was hoping for. He then went to the next guard. This one wet himself then ran off crying. This second outburst got the other guards on edge. Barnabas chuckled evilly then cried out, "Doom to all who have disturbed me! DOOOOM!" Soon all the guards were tripping over themselves trying to get off the wall and into the castle hoping beyond hope that the "Ghost" wouldn't follow. Barnabas laughed as his teammates entered the castle. He looked at them. "There is no escape!," Then he chased after the guards waving his candle holder yelling "DOOOM!"

Skie and Avery

08-31-12, 06:59 PM

Once two of the group had made their dash towards the city and the castle, the hooded figure smiled from the shadows. On her wrist, a small bird perched. She careful attached a pre-written note from a bundle she carried in a pocket to one of the legs of the bird. After a moment the bird flew off, raising into the sky before soaring over the forest to the destination. "Perfect," she sighed and slipped farther into the forest.

As the guards within the castle walls began to mill about in confusion, some of them screaming, some of them scratching their heads in confusion, word began to spread quickly. "Ghosts" and "Haunting" slipped down the musty stone hallways, as if the words themselves were stalking prey. They found it in the Cathedral not far from the gates.

Brother Harridan was a tall man, standing at 6' 4", with grizzled skin darkened by the sun. His mouth was set in a grimace, his eyes as angry and scowling as any demon that may walk in the night. He did not wear the traditional robes of the clergy. Rather, he was donned in leather armor, blessed sigils about his body. In his hand, he held a long polearm, a steel and mithril cross with the upper point sharpened to deadly precision. Upon hearing that a ghost was stalking the halls, he knew he would get down to the truth. After all, by blood, bone, or the will of the gods, he always had. Gripping his weapon more tightly, and grabbing exorcising incense with his spare hand, he set off to the castle.

Outside, word had already been given to the guards that there was a disturbance in the castle. They ran back and forth from the watchtowers, grabbing extra weaponry before heading back to their watches in the back courtyard. Four of the Queen's royal guardsmen, the finest Scara Brae had to offer, headed to the stables to ready the horses in case an evacuation needed to happen this night.

The castle, and slowly Scara Brae city beyond, were tightening their defenses.

Tourneymant

08-31-12, 07:53 PM

Barnabas was just starting to have fun with the guards when a man carrying a bunch of exorcism items came running through the gate. Barnabas knew immediately that he was in trouble and started running away from the man still screaming out "DOOOOM!" The man followed after him like a predator after it's prey. What to do? What to do? Barnabas knew that the pole arm could kill him. I got it! He quickly stopped talking, dropped the candle holder, and turned on his complete invisibility ability. He continued to run through the halls hoping to find a place to hide before his invisibility wore off. He found an armory and ducked inside and started to put on the armor. As soon as the armor was on he grabbed a sword and left the room keeping the face shield down.

It wasn't long before he ran into the man who had been chasing him, holding Barnabas's candle holder feeling it. He noticed Barnabas but thought he was a knight. "You know what is one of the known properties of a ghost my good man?" Barnabas shook his head no trying to avoid talking. The man smirked at him. "They absorb all heat from an object. However, this candle holder is actually warm. I don't think we have a ghost. I think we have an intruder." Barnabas held his hand up to the face shield and gasped. He wasn't surprised that the man new that but he needed to make it look convincing. "By the way sir, what's your name."

"Sir Barnabas, sir."

The man look at Barnabas with a suspicion. All knew that he was a clergy. He picked up his pole arm and stood "You best run intruder." he then thrust the pole arm forward. Barnabas dodged then grabbed the sword from his belt and his candle holder from the man. "Thanks for holding onto this for me" He then started running to the stables.

Elthas_Belthasar

08-31-12, 08:29 PM

Elthas soon found himself alone, just the way he liked it.

The fellow who was standing before him, hid behind some sort of a magical field that generated a blurring effect. Elthas could not see the man through normal means, and thus, had to use his infra-vision to actually see the heat signature of the mysterious man. In the meantime, Elthas also grabbed the stuff from the small container, seeing that nobody else had taken interest in the objects. They are careless rookies. Once Elthas was done, he turned to see that the mysterious and invisible fellow was gone starting trouble with the guards. Elthas sighed again, but there was a job to do.

He needed to steal the horses.

At least two.

Quickly now, Elthas made his way towards the stables and used his skilled movement capacity to make his way there. There were guards about, but as long as Elthas remained hidden and used some careful positioning against trees and other objects, he would remain safe. It was escaping with the horses that was the problem. Elthas knew the mission was likely botched, but at the same note, he wanted to be certain he satisfied at least the client's desires for the horses. Once Elthas was in reach, he jumped atop one of the horses, and skillfully maneuvered it so that he could head towards a nearby one. That was when the guards moved. Seeing Elthas atop of the horse, one of the guards yelled the alarm.

"Horse thief!" Yelled the guard. Several other guards immediately came running.

Elthas had to act fast, time was running out. He had a plan b, just in case he needed to enact it.

Elthas maneuvered towards the nearest horse, covering ground quickly. Once at that location, he grabbed the reigns of the second horse.

"You're coming with me pal." Elthas said calmly. His stallion, was a light-brown colored horse with a fiery temper. He liked that about the horse, he was wild and free, much like how Elthas viewed himself. At the same time, Elthas turned his attention towards a group of incoming guards. They were also on horseback. Shit! I am running out of time here. Elthas, grabbing the reigns, knew that the hour was upon them. His eyes spotted the unique energy signature of a single mage that broke off from the main group. "Perfect." Elthas thought. He let the horses settle down for a moment and then removed the single elven artifact in his possession.

The Mute Stone.

And almost at about the same time as he grabbed it, the mage launched a single firebolt spell at Elthas. Elthas knew such tricks were devastating if they connected, so he had to act quickly. He activated The Mute Stone, and it rotated around in his hands. After a moment, the stone glowed with tremendous power, and Elthas yelled the command word to activate the artifact's special effect. The fireball came careening towards Elthas, and The Mute Stone was active. A brilliant explosion filled the air, as the artifact's single known effect came into play. The burst of light seemed to swallow up the single fireball and it provided just the cover Elthas needed.

Once the firebolt had been canceled, Elhas quickly replaced The Mute Stone in his packs, and tossed a potent smoke bomb against the ground. As Elthas had calculated, the smoke bomb launched a cloud of smoke up in the air, cascading against the glowing energy of The Mute Stone. It created just the right cover effect for Elthas to go running off in the opposite direction, towards the mountains where he would be safe. In the brilliant explosion that followed, all of the gathered guards were confused at the dazzling display. The mage was the first to recover his senses.

The mage spotted Elthas several yards further away, heading towards an easy escape.

"Over there!" The mage suddenly yelled. He was still rubbing at his eyes.

Smoke still gathered around the horse stable's main area. Several horse riders pursued from the city, members of the royal guard. But, Elthas had already bought the cover time he needed. He wished he could have worked better with the invisible man, or with the ninja like fellow, but he knew that such jobs required a certain finesse and subtly that the two rookies lacked. He was grateful that they provided an added distraction to the gathered guards.

All this over two fucking horses, this shit better be worth it. Elthas thought to himself, he was extremely angry and hated having to resort to petty theft. He was a Bounty Hunter, not a thief. But that would not matter now, he was certain he had not been spotted anyway, and his hood had been up the entire time he stole the horses. He kept one hand on his horse's reigns, and the other on the other pair of reigns. The contract specifically said: two horses. And so he would deliver those two horses and figure out what the hell was the next step in the crazy adventure. He wanted to make haste before Scara Brae's Enforcers really began to show up. Elthas thanked his two companions for providing him the cover that he needed to actually take the horses, but this was business. He would take all the credit, and hoped they would not be foolish enough to stick around.

The Scara Brae nights were known to get quite hot, quite quickly and Elthas did not want to become another inmate. He wished one of his impromptu companions would have been on the second horse with him, but it was too late to contemplate further. He had done the deed. He ran off towards the spot that he was told that he was supposed to meet the contractor.

Tourneymant

08-31-12, 08:47 PM

Barnabas was happy to hear that the horses were gone and on their way to the drop off zone. Now that the distraction was no longer needed he turned on the man who had been following him. "Now that my friend is gone, I can deal with you and disappear without a trace." He swung the sword at the man who dodged the attack. Barnabas smiled beneath the armor. This will be good. He swung again and again the man dodged but this time he also thrust his weapon which Barnabas dodged with ease. The other weapon was heavier then the sword he was wielding. Barnabas slammed the but of the sword down on the mans hand making him drop the pole arm. he the hit the man in the head with his candle holder knocking the man out. A lot easier then I thought.

After removing the armor and putting the candle holder back in his pocket he ran to the stables and took another horse, riding right past the guards. He pulled out the candle holder and cried "Doooom!" before riding through the gate. The guards didn't move for they still believed that it was a ghost. He rode fast and hard to catch up with his ally. As soon as he reached him he grabbed the horse from him then released the one he had stolen so that it could walk back home to the stables. "Your Welcome."

black shadow

09-02-12, 02:58 PM

Black Shadow stood in one of the trees as he watched Elthas steal the horses and Barnabas act like a ghost. well now that the horses are out of the walls, I guess it's up to me to keep those guards from followng them. Black Shadow said as he watched nine guards mount their horses and begin to chase after the two.

Black Shadow pulled out one of hs arrows and drew his bow. The arrow flew through the air with ease and struck the lead riders horse in it's back leg, sending it to the ground and flinging the rider off only to be trampled by the others.

The guards kept riding, except for one who looked to see who shot the arrow, knowing that there was nothng they could do for the fallen rider. Him not moving makes this shot a lot easier. Black Shadow thought to himself as he drew his bow and ht the second rider in the Vegas Nerve killing him instantly.

Hmm, i've never tried this before, let's hope t works. He thought as he pulled out three arrows and drew his bow. He took aim and released them, hitting and killing two rders, and seriously njuring the other. dang, i didn't get the kill, oh well this aught to do the trick. He thought as he shot another arrow and killed the injured rider.

four more left, I have to make these shots count. He said as he shot his next three arrows and killed all three guards. Shoot, that guard is wearing platnum armour, can't penetrate it. He scanned for a weak point in the armour but found no fatal areas in which he could hit. I can't kll him, which means they wll have to deal with him themselves, i've done all I can do.

Skie and Avery

09-03-12, 03:01 PM

As black shadow focused so intently on his targets, managing to kill eight of the nine men, he did not notice that he was being watched. When his bow lowered, a lithe figure sprang from a branch behind him. The woman was clothed much the same as he was, all dark clothes, tightly fitted and obscuring most of her facial features. Even her eyes were pools of darkness, a classic Akashiman brown so dark that it was hard to tell if she had pupils or not. A long braided ponytail was pulled through a hole in her hood, silver ribbon that bound the end of the braid the only light that caught the moon. The girl took a classic ninjitsu stance, both of her hands occupied with small steel daggers. Without warning or word, she lunged forward, swiping her blades towards black shadow's chest.

black shadow, you may not bunny this NPC. We are now in battle, and I will be writing with you directly. I will be erasing this message once our battle is underway.

As Elthas and Barnabas barreled back towards the small shack at the lake, they soon lost the guardsman. The stolen horses were covered in a sweat, steam wafting and dissipating after them from the heat of the magnificent beasts and the chill of the air. It was almost as if the men barely had to guide their steeds towards the lake, leaning into the evening wind that came off the water. The horses seemed to know where they were going, and their hooves beat out a steady rhythm. Within the hour, they were once more at the shack. The door was open, the fire inside glowing as if it had been piled up and stoked in their absence. Indeed through the door, the table that held their box of supplies was removed, and there stood a figure.

The woman Barnabus had spoken to was standing by the hearth. She lifted her hood, letting a mess of blond curls spill out. Her hazel eyes were trained on the two, the look flashing across them hovering somewhere between amusement and disbelief. Red lips, as dark against her pale skin as blood spattered against snow parted and she chortled out her greeting.

"So, you're alive, and you brought the horses?" She cocked her head, her eyes trained on Barnabus. "Tell me, how many of the royal guard lives?"

Behind the men, under the horses, a dark line began to trace in the soil. It was faint, as if the dirt was merely being wettened by some unseen source. As it began to form a circle, with lines cascading and looping through it, the horses ducked their heads and began to eat from the grass.

Tourneymant

09-03-12, 05:20 PM

The shack was warmer then when they left it, probably because of the fire burning in the fireplace. All who were in the shack would have noticed a frown on Barnabas's face if they could see him. Why would she want to know how many live? "I killed a man with a bunch of exorcising items. Other than that, we avoided killing. Though, we left that hotheaded ninja behind. Knowing him he probably killed many more after we left."

He paused, the woman seemed upset. "I suggest we get these horses to our employer as soon as possible. The guards and knights of the castle will probably be out looking for us." The blur called Barnabas then twisted towards Elthas. "Elthas, I suggest you get some new cloths as well as myself getting visible cloths, that way we can blend in while we leave town." Suddenly, thundering hooves could be heard coming down the path near the shack. "We don't have much time." Indeed the castle knights were searching the roads for signs of the horse thieves.

Elthas_Belthasar

09-04-12, 02:18 PM

Elthas looked at the woman that awaited in the same shack where there adventure started.

He noticed that the woman appeared agreeable, but he assumed that she was a messenger in this sordid affair. Once close enough, Elthas slid off of the horse and walked the rest of the way, guiding the horse by hand to the woman who required them. He looked at his companion, the other fellow seemed familiar with the lady in some way. Elthas nodded with respect towards her. He was a professional after all, and there was a code that needed to be followed. He looked at the man and the lady, not having a name made him feel at least a little bit of discomfort. Elthas narrowed his own eyes and handed the reigns to the lady.

"I don't think we managed to kill any." Elthas said. "There was a third with us, I don't know if he was sloppier than us though." Elthas chanced a glance back in the general direction that they came from. He was certain that the ninja-like fellow was probably fully engaged against Scara Brae's best. Elthas sighed, he hated leaving a comrade behind, but at the same note...there was a job at hand. Damn. I wish I could have gotten that guy out too. It's all right, he seemed like an able bodied warrior. Elthas then looked at the woman and Barnabas. Again, by their interaction, Elthas assumed they had at least some recent history with one another.

Elthas had never seen the woman before, but she appeared to be quite agreeable.

"What's next?" Elthas asked. His eyes darted around casually as he looked about, making sure that there was nobody heading up the path that they just came from. He was a bit nervous, and he did not hide it. The green haired Elf wanted to be somewhere considerably safer than where he was. I am feeling too exposed out here. This is not boding where for a member of The Syndicate. I have to be certain to get on safer grounds soon. I am certain that nobody spotted me or was able to identify me...

He carefully stretched, it was only then that he realized how exhausted he was. The use of the mute stone actually siphoned a lot of resources from Elthas, and wore The Syndicate Operative out much faster. He hated having to use the relic, but he had needed a clean escape. He looked about the shack a little bit longer before he finally convinced himself that they were likely safe...for the time being.

Elthas looked at Barnabas for a long moment. "That was impressive what you did back there." Elthas liked to have a social mood with potential comrades, and wanted to get to know them much better. "I wouldn't have approached the ordeal in such a way, but you did manage to buy the time I needed to get the horses. You are skilled." Elthas said. Elthas wondered what sort of race that Barnabas actually was, he seemed to be some exotic variant of Humans. Elthas looked back at the lady. "So as I asked earlier, what do we do next? I am sure we weren't put on the caper for just a single horse theft. What else is lined up for us?" Elthas was curious, he had a gut feeling that they were likely being manipulated by some of The Queens Agent's.

Even if that is the case, there is probably no direct link to this woman and The Queen. If there is, I will have to keep paying attention, I don't want a dagger in my back from whoever our secret benefactor is. Elthas pondered to himself. A great deal had happened in a short amount of time. Then he heard Barnabas speak. "Sorry, that's a no can do. I represent a certain group and we cannot simply just get an outfit change." Elthas said towards Barnabas's suggestion. "It's part of my trade. Plus, I happen to like looking good." Elthas smiled. I doubt anybody saw my face which is what counts, the only article of clothing that I might have which would label me as a suspicious character is my cloak... Elthas thought to himself. He decided that he wanted to continue the job at hand as long as he didn't have to break The Code that he followed.

But Barnabas did bring up a valid point. Elthas removed his cloak, and put it in his backpack. He took out a spare he carried with him, brown colored, and unmarked. It also had a hood. He equipped the cloak and moved gallantly, so that it flowed about his person adequately. He looked at Barnabas after that.

"I trust that will be adequate." Elthas said carefully. Then he looked at the woman carefully. "I haven't been able to test my skill like that in quite a long time." Elthas said to her. "I hope the next job will be equally fun." Elthas was actually enjoying himself. He still regretted having left one of their numbers behind, but perhaps, there would be a chance for a rescue operation later.

Elthas moved his head from side to side and cricked his neck. He was a little stiff from all the recent action, and his heart was pumping rapidly. He looked at the woman for a long moment, waiting for her to address them. In his mind though, the woman's red lips and brown eyes appeared to be quite handsome. Something, in the air perhaps, made Elthas feel at least partially attracted to the woman. He was an Elf after all, and part of his nature was lust. Though he would behave...for now.

Skie and Avery

09-07-12, 09:00 PM

The woman laughed, drinking in the nervous energy in the room. Outside her spell was almost complete. Underneath the grass where the horses stood, the ground began to glow with a deep crimson light. The woman smiled and lifted her hands at her sides, the door to the shack slamming shut, the group inside cut off from the scene outside.

Beyond the door, the screams and terrified whinnying of the steeds started up like a cacophony, then were suddenly silenced. The woman herself began to glow, as if there was some terrible light underneath her skin that illuminated her like a goddess. Her lips parted, and her voice sounded almost far away, as if her very soul were someplace just out of reach from either of the mercenaries before her.

"These were fine horses that you brought to me, and you'll be justly rewarded." Finally, her hand reached out, sparks and tiny jumping arcs of electricity leapt from fingertip to fingertip. "As my aeons, you shall serve me."

For you two, this is also now a no-bunny situation. Consider this a boss fight. As we are now entering into a high action piece of our writing, keep your actions 5 seconds long or under. We still want substance in our replies, so make sure you use as much sensory description as possible. :) I've been vague about what's in the shack and details of the woman's appearance - feel free to elaborate.

Elthas_Belthasar

09-07-12, 10:25 PM

"I serve nobody!" Elthas suddenly yelled. He'd been glad that nobody had spotted him at all. He'd worn his hood up the entire time and all they had to go on was a Syndicate cloak, so Elthas would walk away completely free from the situation, if he managed to survive. Elthas felt extremely betrayed, by the woman and whoever her employers were. Elthas was a professional, and he took that extremely seriously. So when the woman attacked, Elthas reacted by moving with all the lithe skill his Elven bloodline had gifted him with. He did the most simplistic action he could think of.

He jumped. And not just in any random direction either. As quick and intelligent as he was, he jumped upward. Grabbing the rafters and pulling himself up. He had a general appearance of the woman and for a moment, he pondered simply escaping the shack all together. Shaking his head, he knew he had to help that ghost-like kid out. The kid had proven useful, and Elthas could keep the fellow around. So, he drew his daggers and prepared for the battle at hand. He knew that the moment was likely a suicide mission, but either way, he couldn't leave the kid alone. After all, they had just committed the same crime. They were bound.

Elthas leaped down from the top of the rafters, and covered the distance between his former position and where he had wanted to land. He sent a powerful kick, extending his left leg forward, towards the woman's head. He knew she was busy summoning whatever power it was that she commanded, Elthas didn't care. He needed to rescue that kid and get things moving in a way that he could get them both out of there.

As soon as Elthas kicked forward, readied his daggers for the next sequence of his attack. If the kick connected, he would dance circles around the woman until she was dead. He hated the idea of killing a contractor, but the terms were breached. It was Syndicate business as usual now, and there was no payment for the job, so he could breach in exchange. He wasn't without pity for the woman though. If they managed to win, it would be a hard fought battle, he knew. His infra vision was detecting all sorts of energy patterns floating out from somewhere deep within her. A place that Elhas could only guess was dark and terrible. I have to ensure that the kid gets out safely. I can deal with this girl on my own. But the kid, has to get out. Elthas suddenly called out to partner.

"I got this!" Elthas yelled. "Get your big ass out of here man. Run. Run and don't you dare look back!" Elthas yelled and hoped that his big friend was capable of using that thing he had in his skull called a brain. In mid air at that point, he was locked in movement and there was naught any of them could do. Elthas was willing to sacrifice himself so his friend could get a way.

Bound in the dark, they were brothers.

Skie and Avery

09-08-12, 11:55 PM

Tourneymant, in your next post I'd really like to see more description in your writing. Can you give me two sentences describing things your character felt, two describing things he saw, and one describing a sound. These sentences should show, not tell, so make sure that you're making use of adjectives and adverbs to paint the scene. Also, when you happen to post on the wrong account, you can delete the post and repost it on the correct one. ;)

Ducking under the elven man's flailing feet meant breaking her concentration, and the woman flipped blonde curls over one shoulder as she twisted towards the hearth. Her hand reached out and grasped at the rack of tools that were beside the fireplace. Her hand meeting cold iron, she pulled the decorative poker out and brandished it at the elf. The candelabra lay useless on the floor, and now she knew not where the taller shadow was. She would have to keep moving, wildly thrusting and swiping at empty space in an attempt to keep the tall spectre at bay.

With her free hand, she flung her fingers towards the fireplace and sparks tore from her fingertips into the stone recess of the hearth. The fire roared and flared, flames licking out and cinders flying from their depths. They showered the floor of the small shack, wooden planks and dead leaves that had been trailed in through the open door smoldering as they began to catch.

"I admire your bravado, sirs!" she called, delighting in the danger of the smoke that began to waft around the floorboards. "It's much more fun when my pets give me a challenge - unlike those weakling criminals that hired you!"

Her eyes narrowing, she turned her hand towards Elthas now, lightning wrapping around her hand before it shot out at him. The light flared, casting her features in stark relief, her skin as pale as death, her lips as dark as blood.

Tourneymant

09-09-12, 01:05 AM

The woman definitely was confused about the position of Barnabas. He watched as she flailed her weapon trying to keep him at bay. What she didn't know was that he rarely charged at someone, especially when they fear that if they don't flail they will be dead. Amusement rarely raised in Barnabas but watching the woman trying to fight an invisible man as well as one that was visible really was fun. The smoke in the air however was a different story. It made it hard to see, not only for him but for everyone. It could also choke out anyone stupid enough not to get to the ground. He quickly ducked below the smoke and started to look for that something he would need in order beat this woman. Suddenly the room shook with thunder as the lightning bolt struck Elthas. He looked like a rag doll thrown across the room. Anger started to brew in his soul, He looked around searching for something to through her off guard.His eyes noticed a red rug under the woman's feet. Smirking he grabbed the edge of the rug and pulled with a swoosh. He hoped that would stop her and if not he could always grab something to hit her with, eventually.

Elthas_Belthasar

09-09-12, 01:59 PM

When she moved, Elthas cursed.

He carefully landed with grace and agility. Elthas was trained to be a speedy fighter, and would have to use that to his advantage. Before he had a chance to see Barnabas move against the woman, the woman attacked Elthas with several lightning bolts. Then, she set the shack on fire. The fire was set before the attack on Elthas was put in play, he'd been watching her moving the whole time. Elthas danced on his feet, daggers in his hands. He moved backwards and slid across the floor and away from the lightning bolts. He knew magic was the great equalizer and he could not allow it to hit him at all costs. There was too much at stake.

Movement.

Out the corner of his eyes, he saw a rug being lifted, and Elthas acted.

"You're a crazy bitch!" Elthas yelled, and tossed one of his elegant daggers right at the woman's black heart. Or at least her chest area. He kept his other dagger in his hand, and was rotating it around. His eyes eagerly searching for a way out. They would have to kick the door down to escape. But first, they had to defeat the crazy witch. Once Elthas threw the dagger, he would see about retrieving it, but first, he had to be certain it hit in the first place.

He did not want to give away his friend's position as he knew that other fellow liked his stealth.

Elthas knew they were running out of time. The blaze was spreading quickly, and they would have to get that crazy bitch out of the blaze too. She's probably possessed or some crap like that. He didn't like the idea of having to rescue her as well, but he knew they had no choice. He would have to explain the whole ordeal to the guards once they did catch up with them. Luckily they don't have a description on me, so there's nothing for me to worry about. And I don't think Barnabas was spotted either unless that damn Mage got lucky. Elthas thought to himself, he looked at the dagger as it moved closer to it's mark.

Skie and Avery

09-11-12, 11:47 PM

As she brought up her arms to defend herself from Elthas' attack, her world went unstable. The rug was ripped from under her feet, and she began to fall. Within a split second, pain danced across her mind as she slammed down on the wood floor, the back of her head aching. Her arm was cut, where the dagger had bit in deep. However, the witch smiled gleefully. Pain and blood would only serve to feed her this night. Drawing on an ancient power, archaic and arcane words tumbling from her lips, she began to cast a spell. As the first syllables were uttered into the night, her blood began to rise from the wound, electricity buzzing and swirling around it. She shot it out at Elthas, cackling all the while.

Meanwhile, the rug that had been smoking was now in Barnabas' hands. The sparks had taken root, and flames began to erupt and spread as flicker turned to fire.

Tourneymant

09-12-12, 06:51 AM

Barnabas had expect such things from this woman, the rug he held was on fire and her blood had turned into lightning. He released the rug then scuttled over and grabbed his Golden Candle Holder. Gold doesn't catch fire, and attracts lightning. He grabbed an ultra thin wire from his pocket and wrapped it around the candle holder. Then he attached it a veil with a liquid inside. He stayed low and was about to charge when he heard it, the CRACK. Barnabas looked up and noticed that the ceiling was on fire. He looked around for something to stay close to so that if it caves he would be safe. He noticed a stone workbench in the corner. He scurried towards it getting ready to hit the woman as he passed her. He also was ready to block any form of electricity she would send his way.

Elthas_Belthasar

09-19-12, 10:14 AM

(Sorry I been away guys, I been busy with personal projects. And like short post this time. :D )

Elthas saw his chance.

"Don't kill her!" He did not want blood on his hands. He wasn't a self-righteous bastard, but he had a gut feeling he needed to gleam information from this woman. If they let her die too, then there was no chance that they would be able to. His dagger struck home, and he smiled at that. She was injured, but not fatally. Elthas danced around, careful to avoid the spreading fire. As he danced he moved towards the girl, around her, and from behind. Then, he took the dagger in his hand, turned it towards the pommel side, and took a quick swing at the back of her head. He intended to knock her pretty ass out. Then, they could get out of the burning quickly burning shack.

Once he knocked her out, he would attempt to capture her. Then, something caught his eyes. The rug that his friend was holding was already catching fire from the intense heat. "Hey, let it go man, we gotta get out of here!" Elthas yelled in mid swing. He knew that every second counted and they were running out of time. The smoke was getting intense and stung at his eyes, most importantly, it was getting hard to breathe. I could have got out earlier, but I am not one to leave a comrade behind. I have a gut feeling that none of this is any of our faults... Elthas thought to himself. He was stuck in movement and had to wait to see the culmination of his actions. If he managed to knock her out, they would escape out the front door. I hope there are no stupid guards waiting for us outside... Elthas thought to himself.

Skie and Avery

09-26-12, 03:45 PM

Elthas' dagger hit the back of her head with a sharp crack. She began to slump forward, but what hit the ground was just the soft thud of her clothes. The cloak and dress lay in a strewn heap on the smoking floorboards, empty of a body. She had completely disappeared. In the air, thick with oily smoke, a whispered curse faded into the night. The fire from the rug sprang ever higher and caught on the walls. The ceiling of the shack groaned and strained, before a corner of the roof caved in. A cascade of smoking timber, glowing as fire caught here and there, came down and blocked the door. Still, two rafters that had been holding up the section of the ceiling had slid onto the rubble, leaning up and away towards the hole that had been blazed in the roof. Smoke bellowed upwards and out, obscuring the dark and star-filled sky.

Hey guys. When you get out of the shack (by whatever means you wish), I'm leaving what became of the horses to you. I'm going to remind you that your characters heard the horses screaming outside, and Barnabus said he felt as if the door was very hot. We're going to continue our focus on description. I want both of you to describe what your characters are perceiving outside of the shack, using each of your five senses at least once. You may exchange one of those senses for a description of premonition if you wish. For example, instead of describing how it feels to finally breathe fresh air, you may describe a sensation in your body or mind that comes about when you see the horses, and whatever may or may not have happened to them. Have fun with this! :)

Elthas_Belthasar

09-26-12, 06:13 PM

"Fucking elementals!" Elthas cursed. He was angry by that point. We'll never know why this has gone down the way it has. Fire was spreading everywhere by then. But his quick eyes spotted the way out. A single window that he and Barnabas could jump through. Grabbing the cloak that was on the floor, he guarded himself with the cloth. It was a well made cloak, probably enchanted. This is the only trophy of this wicked night's events. Crap and that idiot, the ninja, went out and killed guards over this bullshit. Elthas thought to himself and danced towards the window. Luckily, he wore gloves. It was a simple action of simply smashing the window out, and jumping through the window, smoke and all. Elthas had only then realized how much smoke he had actually inhaled. He cursed repeatedly, standing outside of the shack and hoping that his friend would follow him soon. Elthas needed to check on the horses. Damn! I have to know! Elthas, a professional, didn't want to see the horses harmed if he could save them too. But first, he went into a fit of coughing.

Blood poured out of his mouth from his scorched innards, and he was thankful for his Elven physiology.

Elthas cleaned his mouth off, carefully rubbing the blood away and hoping his friend found another way out. The scene outside was just as gruesome as the scene inside. The two horses that he had helped secure, were now dead, horribly burnt and mutilated. They were located at the front side of the shack were fire blazed everywhere. Somehow, the girl had burned the horses and probably syphoned the life out of them. The thought made Elthas angrier. He rarely lost his cool, but that time, he couldn't help himself. We got fucked. Elthas thought to himself. All I wanted was information on that hit, damn...now we both got blood on our hands. Elthas looked at the burning corpses of the horses for a long moment, from a somewhat safe distance. The ground felt hot, and the air was difficult to breathe in. They have to know of the fire by now. There is no way this place is safe for us... Elthas was glad he had switched his cloak, and had been certain that nobody had spotted him.

Deciding what was best for him, Elthas put the cloak he had just acquired and put it into his backpack. Then, he took one of the last remaining smoke bombs, tossed it against the ground, and ran full speed into Scara Brae wilderness. He wouldn't dare show himself in Scara Brae after that debacle, Scara Brae was not Syndicate territory. I don't want to leave those kids behind, but we got fucked. And I want to know why. His eyes, spotted the trail of that the elemental left behind. He would follow that and attempt to redeem himself. Also, parts of the trees and grounds where the trail went were badly scorched. That's where I go. Elthas thought to himself, and ran at best speed in the direction of the elemental residue. I am going to find the one responsible, even if this kills me. Elthas thought to himself as he decided the best bet was to split up from the other two. He didn't know if his friend made it out of the shack alive, but at that point...he didn't care.

Elthas was following the elemental residue, trails of orange and reds, and wove his way into the forest surrounding the shack. At best speed, Elthas would probably catch up to the creature in due course. He saw something ahead...

black shadow

09-26-12, 07:56 PM

Oh woa, who is this? Black Shadow thought as he jumped to his left just barely missing the blade. Although he was great with the tree he missed the branch he was aiming for and fell from the tree on a 24 foot drop to the ground. Oh shoot! He thought as he embraced the impact. The fall sent a sharp pain into his ankle. Ah dang, that hurts. Who does this girl think she is? He thought as he pulled out another arrow and took a shot at the new worrior Ahhh, my ankle, whatever she did to it really messed it up.

Tourneymant

09-27-12, 12:49 PM

Barnabas looked up just in time to jump out of the way of the burning roof as it collapsed right above him. He then ducked under the table, puting his candle holder away, staying low to keep the smoke out of his lungs. Elthas on the other hand, had a different plan. He crashed through a window to escape the flames. Just as Barnabas was about to get up to follow suite, he herd a crack again and looked up, just in time to see the roof caving in. The flame's around him made him feel like he was being cooked alive. After a while however, the flame's finally died down and he was able to push himself out of the rubble. As he stood on the chared wood, which burned his nose, he heared the the winney of horses approching the shack. He just stood there knowing no one would notice him. As the gaurds left the treeline he could hear them talking.

"I'm sure I saw the smoke from over here," the big guard with the deep bass voice said.

"Right, like you could see smoke in this dark of the night. We should be trying to find those horse theives," the little boy next to him said his voice aging him at maybe right.

"Now my squire," the guard said, "Glory can come in many ways." He then turned looked forwards and noticed the shack. "It looks like the old shack finaly caught fire." he then noticed the horses. He rode up to them and got off his horse to examin the beasts. "This must have been the hideout for those horse thieves." he looked around and notice a scorched earth and foot prints running away from the shack, they were still fresh. "Well squire, it looks like it's your lucky day." He got back up on his horse and started galloping off following the trail left by Elthas.

Barnabas continued to stand still waiting to make sure no one else would appear then got down off the rubble. As son as he did he noticed a strange trail of scorched footprint heading off in another direction. Anger bubbled up inside him as he noticed the pyro trail that Elthas must have followed. That sneaky vixen. She lead Elthas off in the wrong direction. I'm going to have to follow her and destroy her for what she has done. He then started to follow the trail hoping to catch up to the woman who had just tried to kill them.

Skie and Avery

09-29-12, 10:32 PM

The Akashiman moved to follow Black Shadow, not expecting his quick reflex. Twisting in midair as she leapt to the ground, she thought for a moment his arrow had gone harmlessly by. Alas, it was not so. A pain exploding from her left bicep, bone deep and radiating out, told the truth. As she landed, she rolled forward, springing towards the ninja as she ripped his arrow from her arm. Her left arm was all but useless, the daggers she held having dropped to the ground when she landed. Now she used his steel arrow as a weapon, holding the shaft as she rushed at him, jabbing towards his chest with the arrow's tip.

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

As Elthas followed the trail left in the forest with his infra-vision, the trees began to crowd closer. The thick canopy of leaves above blocked out the light of the moon and stars and soon he was engulfed in darkness. As he burst through a clearing, he came across an orb of lightning. As he watched, the ball lightning began to take a shape, much the same as the woman before, only lesser somehow.

"You're a persistent one, elf," the otherworldly voice rang out. When the guards, hot on Elthas' trail burst into the clearing behind them, the strange arm-shape moved outward. An arc of lightning shot out, and danced around the steel armor the guards had been wearing for a moment. Cries of pain and the smell of charred flesh filled the night until they were carried away by the wind. The two men collapsed into a heap. The knave's leg twitched, though the man was still unconscious.

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

Barnabas went off in the other direction. However, it wasn't long until he came upon a similar ball of lightning. When it took shape into something vaguely feminine, it laughed at the invisible man. Skipping away, it ducked through trees and underneath a thick spiderweb. All along, it giggled, enticing him to follow.

Elthas, Tourneymant, you are no longer in a battle mode. You may bunny the elementals however you wish, including dialogue. You may also post more than once before I post again, as long as you do not double post. We should be focusing on beginning to wrap our stories up.

Elthas_Belthasar

09-29-12, 11:08 PM

Stop! Elthas ducked as the now familiar lightning danced around him and burnt several other individuals. They followed me here!? Elthas turned to look at the burning bodies of the guards, and their life essences as the girl drained them dry from their bodies. What the fuck is she!? The smell of burnt flesh touched Elthas' keen nostrils and made him want to puke. In all honesty, he had expected something of that vile nature to occur. All I want is answers why. Elthas was going to let the girl go. He just needed some answers, and he boldly approached the handsome woman. "Look." Elthas began. "I appreciate that you got rid of those guards in all actuality, but this whole mess didn't have to go down this way. You could have contacted me directly." There was another life force, one that Elthas could detect nearby, and it was a third guard that approached the clearing.

"What the fuck are you two?" The guard shakily asked.

The Elf looked at the guard as if to question the guard's sanity. "I'm an Elf, you moron. She is from The Tap." Elthas said carefully. "Isn't that right?" He turned to the woman and looked at her for a long moment, studying her features.

"I don't know how you deciphered that so quickly, Elf. But you definitely are a persistent one." The girl said carefully. "You there. Guardsman. You have five seconds to run before I flay you like I did your comrades."

"Why did it have to turn out like this?" The guard suddenly asked. He was genuinely afraid of the woman and Elthas could not blame him.

"Time's up." The woman suddenly said and fried the third guard as well.

Elthas watched the coils of lightning wrap themselves around the armoured warrior, burning his flesh and tearing bone asunder. Elthas admired the way the girl worked the ancient magics. He recalled something that he heard in his youth, from his people, growing up. The Ancient Ones originate from The Tap and wield terrible arcane forces. You would do well to praise and respect The Ancient Ones always. Elthas did not turn away as the woman ripped the living soul from the third guard as well, and consumed you.

"Soul Eater. I have heard of you." Elthas said as he watched the whole event unfold. "I will not attempt to stop you. I now know that you are far too skilled for someone of my learning to handle at that time. However, I will ask one thing of you while I can see this event unfold before my eyes." Elthas felt honoured to see the woman before him. He was an Elf, not a Man, and Elves had a different code about The Tap and it's secrets all together.

There was one other detail too: Elthas was an Evil bastard.

He knew he could not go back to his old life after everything he had witnessed, he wanted more. And deep down, he knew, he wanted her too. For himself. His Elven blood boiled at the arcane presence before him. Though Elthas was at heart, an honorable man, he had embraced his darkness a long time ago. I make my choice here and now. Elthas thought to himself. He walked over towards the girl. "'Tis a simple thing really. My people have always been fascinated by The Tap. And a chance to see and talk to someone from it is a rare opportunity." Elthas continued. "I would like you to teach me the way of your Tribe." Elthas said. "In exchange, I will help you out whenever you need more live meals. Soul Eater." Elthas suddenly knelt before the woman. "I will pledge my allegiance to you and your Tribe, if this pleases you."

At that precise moment, the old Elthas was gone, and a new Elthas would begin his reign.

Tourneymant

10-01-12, 12:50 AM

Barnabas wasn't expecting to see a woman appear from some form of electricity then becon him to follow. However, that is exactly what happened. Now he was following her through a bunch of spiderwebs which could onl mean one thing. I'm going into a spider's den. The girl just keppt foing deeper and deeper into the den, Dancing and gigling as if it was some sort of game. Barnabas wasn't nervouse of course since he is not able to be seen. However he was worried about the girl. She definatly wasn't the one who was in the hut but she still had thee same abilities. After maybe a few hours trying to catch up to her he finally gave up and just followed.

Skie and Avery

10-04-12, 07:53 PM

Eventually the figure, a dancing and fluttering body of light, led Barnabas into the dark heart of the forest. The skittering of long and spindly legs through the trees caused a rustle around him, and where light was thrown from her body he could see the drape of webbing across the branches of the trees. When she stopped, a flare of magical energy filled the clearing and she slowly turned towards the invisible man. Where the wave of magic had flown across him, his figure was rimmed in a halo of light that pulsed gently. She watched expectantly and then spoke.

Tourneymant, go wherever you want with this. :) Have fun!

Tourneymant

10-04-12, 08:48 PM

"Don't worry, the spiders won't come into the light, you are safe," the woman of light said, "I'm glad you decided to follow me instead of my sister. You see, we are quite different. She loves to fight and cause trouble, while I'm a pacifist and want to make friends. The reason I led you to this part of the forest is to test you, but only if you choose to."

Barnabas was taken aback. he was expecting her to lead him into the forest to make him a spider snack. instead she wanted to become his friend, but the reason remained hidden. "What kind of test must I take?"

The girl smiled as she lit up the area revealing that the area was actually an ancient dueling arena. "The rules of the the Tap is, 'in order to receive a mortal companion, the companion must fight and prove that your styles match. So, in order to become my friend you must fight a creature I will summon. You will also be fighting the spiders as I must be watching from the Tap. So, do you accept?

Barnabas thought about it for a minute then finally raised his invisible head and said, "Yes, I would love to have a strong companion that I can call a friend."

The girls smiled then snapped her fingers. When she did, a creature that looked almost like a giant snake with legs appeared. The snake had a black diamond head, and red and black pattern all the way down its back. It's underside was black as were it's legs.

Suddenly the arena went black and time stood still as Barnabas's eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness. After a while he could just see the outline of the snake and a few of the spiders as they gathered around, ready to eat the loser.

Suddenly a gong was heard and the battle started.

*Skie I need you to control the snake. I will not be bunnying it.*

Elthas_Belthasar

10-09-12, 03:02 PM

Elthas stood up when she spoke.

"There is no need for that, Elthas." She said carefully. "You have already aligned yourself to us in accepting to help me. You couldn't have possibly known what those horses were going to be used for. I am sorry for their loss, but it was necessary to keep me going until my objectives were met. Your friends weren't supposed to kill any guards either, but you handled your task with cleverness and a cool mind." The girl tapped her chin for a moment, and looked far away after that gesture. She appeared to be watching something. When she smirked, she turned back to acknowledge Elthas. "Okay. Elthas. We must start at the beginning as with all things." The girl walked over towards Elthas and shook his hand suddenly. "Names are such a bother, but I will tell you mine anyway." She paused for a moment as if considering another matter. "My name is Herratya." She folded her arms across her bosom. Her clothing was simple attire, a white dress that conformed to her shapely figure in a very complimenting way. She had long, blond hair, and her eyes were sky blue they had a glow of power to them.

Elthas saw that her hair danced about with the breeze. Elthas's own hair was green and was caressed by the wind as well. "First of all, I must say, I am impressed by your skill. And willingness to see through to new truths. Your people have educated you well and you are a credit to your race." She shifted her body stance so that she was balancing more on her left leg. Then she continued to speak. It seemed as if the elemental appeared slightly uncomfortable in her skin. Elthas listened closely to what she was saying. She is complimenting me. I did nothing that deserves such a simple thing as thanks, when the damned guards managed to follow me here. That likely means more are coming. Elthas was enchanted by the woman, and he clearly knew that such occurred. However, he didn't seem to mind it. She was a beautiful specimen after all. "We must move soon however, there will be more of those cretins upon us soon. Those Scara Braeans are not to be underestimated with their own skill level."

"I know." Elthas said carefully. "I don't know how I was followed here, but they seemed to be gifted trackers." Elthas stole a glance back the way he came from to assure himself that they were still alone. At their feet, the bodies of the fallen guards remained, but Elthas decided to loot one of them. "May I?" Elthas asked of her first, after all, they were all her kills.

"Proceed." The woman said in return and she watched him loot a single item.

Elthas was only interested in one item. That was the sword that the main guard possessed. He unlatched it from the guard's belt, and removed it, scabbard and all. He then, attached the small latch to his own belt, removed the lightweight longsword and gave it several quick spins. The longsword was heavier than Elthas was used to, but it was so lightweight he barely noticed it. He looked at the blade, it was some sort of a steel alloy. A significant boon. He rotated the weapon two more times, and then sheathed it anew. He looked at the girl for a moment longer. "Where do we go from here?" Elthas asked.

"To my people." She said. "I want you to meet my superior, he will better be able to instruct you in our ways than I ever could. But, I shall always be your guardian."

"I thank you my lady." Elthas said carefully. When she started to move, he followed and made sure they weren't being followed as well. Then, when he was certain, he continued behind her up the path. They were heading deep into Brokenthorn Forest. Elthas was familiar with the forest of Ruild, but not Brokenthorn, the energy that coursed between the trees appeared quite different than that of Ruild's life force. Elthas walked a few paces behind her and kept his eyes open for any of the wayward monsters of the forest. He hand never left the hilt of his newly acquired sword, he could have it enchanted later. I have to be careful how I proceed, these people are now my allies. And perhaps they have information on the bounty I am looking for. Maybe they can assist me in my capture of him, so I can claim the reward. Elthas thought to himself as he walked, keeping an eye on the woman ahead. His face was stern, his thoughts were calm, but one thing was certain.

He had made the choice.

FIN.

~Spoils Request~

1-Scara Brae Guard's Longsword. A steel alloy longsword, of AVERAGE quality. Looted from one of the guards killed by Elthas's companion. Comes with a scabbard and is worn at the waist. It is surprisingly light weight. May be enchanted down the road, and may be blacksmithed further. CAN be sold as it was a looted item.

Skie and Avery

10-14-12, 03:04 PM

Please no longer post in this thread, as I am submitting it for judgement.

black shadow

The two ninja battled through the forest, dancing ever farther from the castle as they dueled. Despite his injury, Black Shadow managed to hold his own. Eventually, floating over the trees, they heard the all clear announced for the castle. The girl grinned at the ninja and disappeared into the darkness. Her goal had been to capture or kill him if she could, but getting him away from the castle walls until the intruders he appeared to be working with were dealt with seemed good enough to her.

Spoils Request (Please remember that these are just requests and if you are or are not rewarded them is up to the moderator that judges this quest.)

Tourneymant and Elthas_Belthasar
Tourney, even though you didn't finish your story the same way as Elthas, you are both set up to continue the events of this quest in your own threads. Elthas, if one of your next threads continues where you left this off, and Tourneymant, if you do a thread in which the battle plays out and you continue to bring the elemental into your storyline, please include a link and note in the last post before you submit that thread to judgement that links back here to my final post. For continuing your storylines with events from the guided quest, you both will be eligible for a completion bonus of an extra +5% to your EXP gains of the continuation threads. This is of course dependent on the discretion of the judging moderator of that quest.

Tourneymant
In his left pocket, unknown as to it's origin but engraved with a strange sigil, a Boon of Honor. This can be traded in at the bazaar or in a thread and is worth 100 gold.

Elthas_Belthasar
Elthas loots an average quality steel alloy sword, worth 100 gold by current bazaar standards.

Mordelain

03-14-13, 02:53 PM

Thread Title: September Guided Quest
Judgement Type: Light Commentary
Participants: Elthas Balthasar, Black Shadow, Tourneymant

Plot ~ 12/30

Story ~ 6/10 – you each expanded upon the brief, and developed a fun, light-hearted, and appropriate tale. I always try to encourage light-hearted, humour driven writing, and to truly bring the story to life, you might try to connect title, brief, and tradition together. There was a lot of missed opportunity to work with horses, and all the foal play you could have with that!

Setting ~ 3/10 – concrete description, basic references, and in some cases, a complete lack of anything other than dialogue or internal thought left the otherwise verdant heart of Scara Brae an empty and barren place.

Pacing ~ 3/10 – it can be very disbarring for the reader when a player leaves, for however long, when it is not explained. Sometimes this can be accounted for, but there was no effort to do so, and that hurt pacing dramatically. To improve based on the thread as is, consider fluidic adaptation – this is where you each try to match the tone and pace of the previous post, ensuring that everything is delivered at an even keel to the reader. Even the simplest of visual tricks can augment a thread’s pacing; making each post roughly the same visual size, for example, even when there’s 100’s of words between them, can give your writing a better sense of unity. If in doubt, do not rush, and do not be afraid to expand on a scene. You can always redact it later; much easier than buffing a post after ten replies!

Character ~ 12/30

Communication ~ 3/10 – the low score here is reflected in mechanics. Formatting and incorrect structuring of dialogue, and little exchange between PC's shows a willing to work together, but not to reflect on that quite so strongly in character.

Action ~ 4/10 – swashbuckling, violence, and aggressive body language, all three give you a good base score. The disappearance of Shadow, and the shortened conflict with your set piece bad person prevented the good solid description from Elthas taking you into the 5/6 range. Remember, action is also about voice, the weather, the way people move in even the slightest way – dynamism is about motion, and when a scene moves, breathes, and feels, and then it can sometimes be more exhilarating than the greates of sword fights.

Persona ~ 5/10 – the quick-witted thief, the enigmatic brogue, and the hardwearing smith. I got essences of your characters, gentlemen, but you were so focussed on the prize, that you abandoned good opportunities to show me who you all are. Elthas, take it down a notch – the intensity is distracting, and consider less Earth anachronisms and turns of phrase. You are not human; give us an allure, an alien and otherworldly charm. Tourneymant, do not be afraid to put that aggression into facial expressions and make Barnabas live and breathe survival. I especially like his reaction to the flames in post 25, capitalise that, make him guttural, desperate, and yet kind-hearted.

Prose ~ 9/30

Mechanics ~ 2/10 – mechanical mistakes are always one of the most noticeable errors in a thread. They are also the easiest areas of the rubric to fix. To learn them, is to improve your writing, and to improve the length and breadth of the Rubric. Throughout all of your posts, there are consistent errors I would like to highlight for you:

Paragraph Formatting - simple rules, when a new speaker speaks, new paragraph. When a scene transition occurs, or when you feel it needs to be made clear a new point is being discussed; new paragraph (though this is harder to work out than the previous rule.

Dialogue Punctuation – this was the most profound area that requires attention. There were repeated instances of double punctuation (!, ending a speech), and repeats of formatting errors:

I am not giving in!” she said…(correct).

I am not giving in!” She said…(incorrect).

Tourneymant displays examples of this in post 5, Elthas in post 8, with over there!” She suddenly yelled , and black shadow in post 24 (the rule applies with internal thought, too).

Simple Errors: Black Shadow, through each post, you mistype words, forget to capitalise, and forego paragraphs and dialogue conventions. I suspect this is in part due to simple lack of proof reading, but errors such as these debilitate mechanics scores; take care in the future.

Continuity: Elthas, and Black Shadow, you both capitalise certain words in some posts, and do not in others. I assume personification when I see Mute Stone, but there is no need to capitalise ‘Evil’, and be careful when you refer to the others – names and only the narrator and the reader, until expressively revealed ‘in situ’ know titles.

Clarity~ 4/10 – I had little difficult following the events of the thread, but Tourneymant and Elthas, your attempts to lace action and dialogue with thick, metaphorical rhetoric caused me to re-read in posts 3, 17, and with the change in tense in post 25. The disappearance of Black Shadow in the middle of the thread, though covered well by your GM, caused a black hole in your action scene. There was no real attempt to either bunny (with prior approval), or describe the reasons for his absence in your boss encounter. You do not need to account for every nuance in a scene, but big transitions like that need to be capitalised on.

Technique ~ 3/10 – Elthas, you have a good grasp of who your character is, and which literary techniques to use to highlight personality, emotion, and action. I appreciated the methodology behind your writing, and can see there was effort to use advanced techniques. Black Shadow, short, quickly witted and brief posts are fine, and you understand about internal thought, but please work on mechanics before developing this further. Tourneymant, your description is eloquent, but, be careful with word order in your sentences; the big guard with the deep bass voice said. Readability, and technique, will improve with the simplest of restructuring;

Said the big guard with the deep bass voice.

Wildcard: 6/10 – despite significant mechanical errors, and the withdrawal, in part, of two of your party (due to personal issues, from what the OOC notes tell me), this was a spirited affair, that was in the traditional swashbuckling style. You work well together to draw on the brief, and I am encouraged to see people working under a GM’ guidance, despite their differences, in the traditional roleplaying style. Pay attention and iron out the kinks, and you will have all the King’s Horses, soon enough, as well!

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I would be happy to develop on the points above, or provide more in depth examples based on those notes if requested. cydneyoliver@gmail.com, or my Mordelain inbox are both appropriate avenues to do.

If you have any concerns, doubts, and worries, and don’t wish to speak to me directly for whatever reason, then I am sure another member of staff will resolve the matter on your behalf. I am perfectly amenable and open to feedback, as the judge has to develop, as much as the writer put under the scrutiny of the rubric!

Total ~ 39/100

Experience, gold, and spoils to be awarded by your GM.