[The Trading Company] The Forgotten Cave of Secrets.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

(Closed to any participating The Trading Company members.)
(Note: the related Side Event (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?26040-The-Journey-To-Redemption) takes place in the linked thread. Thank you very much.)

It was not like Elthas to be nervous. However, the town completely owned by The Trading Company was a busy place. Elthas admittedly felt very exposed, he still wasn't used to his recent promotion as council member. Elthas explained to The Trading Company's head honcho that he was a member of The Syndicate, and that he would always be loyal to that organization. However, that didn't mean he was not a flexible person. He quickly adapted to The Trading Company's way of doing things and even found himself enjoying himself. Though he was often a long time away from his home in Corone. Most importantly, he was away from his chosen mate, Hylda Terrentius. The time spent apart from his woman made him very edgy and sometimes nervous. Thats the feeling he held in his heart. It was his own resources, Syndicate resources, that had come up with the cavern he needed to go to. I am being tested. Elthas hated politics, part of the reason he admired Syndicate protocol was that it was an easy enough code to understand. An eye for an eye, a favor for a favor. Always. We kill you with kindness. Elthas shook his head as he held the folder in his hand. It was filled with various documentation he needed to memorize.

He'd shown the documents to his co leaders of The Trading Company earlier and they agreed to allow him to attempt the mission. Elthas was required to wear his cheetah-skin robes at all times whilst he working for The Trading Company. At first, he didn't like the idea of wearing robes, they were uncomfortable and would only slow him down. Soon, however, he practiced moving with them and was actually quite graceful at it. Holding the documents tucked under his arm, Elthas knew what was in the documents. What was IMPLIED. The Trading Company was ambitious and was after what all guilds wanted: more power.

Elthas made it a point to study The Trading Company's entire basic philosophy, rules and other material that The Trading Company provided. He knew Trading Company procedures by heart and could have readily fit into any commanding position. Elthas wore the hood of his robes up, hiding his face. It had become a habit of late. He walked with an upright posture, his eyes staring forward with determination. He greeted the various townfolk as he passed them. They knew who he was by face. Elthas had a house on The Trading Company's property. It was outfitted to be a base more than anything else. Plus, he wanted a reminder of home. He wanted to take a day or two to prepare for the journey before he set off to the secret cavern. Elthas knew something that his superiors did not know. What they were after. Elthas had TOLD them that the cavern had a special type of crystal resource.

They don't know what I know. Elthas smiled. I don't have to tell them everything and they will fund projects... He was eager to look at the item in his possession one more time. But he could only do it when he was alone. His contact had brought back a sample of the crystal. It glowed with the promise of secrets and power. The image was locked in his mind, tormenting him. As he entered his room, on the third floor of an old style house, he smiled. He left the room open. He only needed to look at it one more time.

The crystals' power swelled even from it's position in his packs. He did not take it out to show the boss. There was no need, he was going to produce a virtually limitless supply of the crystals.

Elthas sat down on his bed and put his pack down next to him. He removed the crystal carefully, it was a medium sized jade style crystal. It glowed with tremendous power. Elthas held it in his hands and could feel a vibration touching his very soul. His eyes went wide, and a warmth filled him. "Soon." Elthas said. "Your secrets will belong to me." Elthas observed the crystalline structure of the object in his hand. It's radiant glow seemed to become brighter every moment. He held the crystal delicately in his hand, the size of a medium sized stone. As he stared at the crystal he felt a presence in his mind.

"Elthas." A voice called to him that only he could hear. "Find, and fulfill your destiny."

(Enter here)

[The Inventor]

Invetisto decided he should come along on this particular mission. See how well his Quest Moderator did on his first mission. He would be there for support when needed. However, he would let Elthas lead the mission. The Tiger skin robe hid his body and face well and even muffled that ticking that always revealed him to those around him. Sure it still came through, but that didn't mean that it wasn't quiet enough to not be noticed. As he moved through the streets of The Trading Company town of Jalibon, people stepped aside and bowed to him. No matter how many times he told them not to, they always bowed to him. He was not a king, he is just another sentient just like them.

The Town was a simple town really. White stone shops lined both sides of the streets which crisscrossed to create a maze of shops. The center held the giant building that was The Trading Company Bank: Jalibon Branch. This was the final town before miles of unexplored wilderness which is where this expedition was going.

Finally Invetisto reached his destination, an old style three story house on the outskirts of the city near the unexplored forest. He looked at the house, studied it before he finally knocked and waited for an answer. Many people had followed him to see where an important man as himself had to go. He turned to his stalkers and said, "Leave." and left they did, as they all tripped over each other to do as he commanded. He sighed and turned back to the door. "I am not a king," he whispered to himself as the door started to open.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Elthas was examining the crystal in his possession, attempting to discern it's secrets. There was clearly some sort of a power that emanated from the crystal itself. It had a warmth that touched Elthas, attempting to clean him from his darker tendencies. At first, Elthas resisted. But the crystal seemed to only respond to his positive tendencies. His eyes glowed with the energy of the crystal as it touched his soul. Elthas was changing, transforming. In a way, joining The Trading Company had helped put Elthas on his path towards redemption. The crystal spoke to him in the back of his mind, and Elthas listened.

"To pass the waters of Ygath, your soul and heart must be clean. A strong guardian will not permit you to pass without a clean soul." The crystal said.

"I must be clean?" Elthas said out loud. "I don't understand what you are saying..."

"You must." The crystal responded. "Or Cerberus will not let you pass. The secret cave is a mysterious place. Between The Firmanent and Antifirmanent. It contains many treasures both physical and spiritual."

"I must be clean..." Elthas repeated. "Tell me what that means!" Elthas yelled to the crystal.

"Be calm." The crystal commanded. "You must let go of the negative energies in your heart and walk a the path of the light of the crystals. Only then, will our secrets be revealed to you and your companions. So long as you harbor evil in your heart the crystals will never bow to you."

Elthas frowned at that, clearly disturbed. The crystals had the power to read their hosts. How alive are they? Elthas wondered. Do I really want the power that they are offering? Do I really need it? Elthas asked himself. He kept looking at the crystal as if it contained an answer he needed. A destiny he sought. "You're saying, I have evil in my heart?" Elthas shook his head. "But I have honored the old alliances!" Elthas stood up and sighed. He felt frustrated. "I don't understand why you judge me so?" Elthas asked.

But the voice, his judge, continued. At this point, the voice was no longer in Elthas's head. It spoke directly from the crystal so all could hear it. "For selfish gain." The crystal responded. "True you saved Seth Terrentius from the bandits that day, but you did it with evil in your heart. That selfish act has created a monster in your soul. You must confront this monster. Before you can confront Cerberus." The crystal said.

"How!" Elthas felt like he was being pushed around in circles. "How do I confront myself!?" The crystal said one thing that disturbed Elthas even further.

"Near the waters of Ygath lays an old place. A well of souls that haunt The Firmanent. Those who have not been judged in The Antifirment wander free in that place. You may confront yourself there. Elthas. You must kill the evil inside of you and let go of the life you have chosen for yourself."

Elthas nodded. "For myself..." He sighed. This is going to be very difficult. It is asking me to let go of everything I have fought to become. "Very well." Elthas decided that for The Trading Company, he would do what was being asked. He looked down at the crystal. "I will go through with this burden and acquire the power of the crystal."

[The Inventor]

The one who opened the door was a young lady. She was in a simple blue dress that had seen better days, her hair was pulled up into a bun to keep it out of her face, she held a broom in her hand and it looked like she had just been cleaning.

As soon as she saw Invetisto she paled then bowed. "Oh my, Glorious Leader. It is an honor to meet you. What can I help you with?"

Invetisto let out a low growl for a second but then calmed himself. "I have two requests. One do not bow to me. I am not a god so I do not need to be bowed to. Second, I need to see Elthas, is he in?"

The young lady bowed again as she said, "Of course Glorious Leader, he is up in his room, third floor first door on your right."

Invetisto growled again which made her jump but he just turned towards the stairs and headed up them.

As he finally made it to the top he moved forward to the first door on the right which was opened. He stood in the doorway. Elthas was on the bed, a crystal in his hand, his eyes focused on the crystal as if he was in a trance. Invetisto was just about to knock on the door when he heard the voice.

"To pass the waters of Ygath, your soul and heart must be clean. A strong guardian will not permit you to pass without a clean soul." The crystal said.

"I must be clean?" Elthas said out loud. "I don't understand what you are saying..."

"You must." The crystal responded. "Or Cerberus will not let you pass. The secret cave is a mysterious place. Between The Firmanent and Antifirmanent. It contains many treasures both physical and spiritual."

"I must be clean..." Elthas repeated. "Tell me what that means!" Elthas yelled to the crystal.

"Be calm." The crystal commanded. "You must let go of the negative energies in your heart and walk a the path of the light of the crystals. Only then, will our secrets be revealed to you and your companions. So long as you harbor evil in your heart the crystals will never bow to you."

"What must I do to be clean?" Invetisto asked softly, he did not want to scare Elthas but suddenly it was like Elthas had become mute or Invetisto became deaf because he could no longer hear the words Elthas spoke.

"You both have a different reason to go and get cleaned," the crystal said. "Elthas's is private, I shall speak with you both separately at the same time. You Invetisto, have the hatred for your people. It's true they drove you out for associating with other sentient beings, but don't you think the you are in a better place because of it? It's true that the first few months was hard, but you still made it and you are now in charge of The Trading Company. A company that really does help increase the economy. The biggest good in your heart is your humility. You humble yourself down to being nothing, yet others raise you on a pedestal. However, you also need to accept the fact that being the leader of The Trading Company is the same as being King of the Outlands."

"I'm no king," Invetisto replied. "A king taxes their people, they make the rules, and they kill or banish those who don't follow them. They are rich and don't care for those below them. They are the scum that make poverty and they are the ones who we fight, I am no king."

"It is true that some kings are like that Invetisto," the crystal said. "But not all kings are evil. Some do what they believe is best for their people. Some are actually just as poor as their people. Besides, don't you tax people in your own cities?

"Only a 10% of their profit and nothing else," Invetisto replied.

"That's still a tax," the crystal replied. "Don't you make rules for The Trading Company?"

"Not by myself, the council helps with that," Invetisto argued.

"But you're still the one to finalize the rules," the crystal countered. Invetisto reluctantly nodded.

"And then aren't you the one that throws the offender out of The Trading Company if they disobey?"

"Yes, but the rules are made to keep the economies stable and I can be thrown out if I disobey the rules," Invetisto countered.

"Invetisto, you tax, you make rules, and you enforce them, just like a king," the crystal said.

Invetisto growled but he really couldn't argue. "I hate being raised above everyone else. But I guess I have no choice. I'll go and fight my dark side, the anger that I feel needs to leave to enter this cave. I accept this challenge."

"Remeber that you have to also accept your position as leader and highest authority in The Trading Company." the crystal said before it went silent.

Invetisto looked over at Elthas and it looked like he had also agreed so Invetisto knocked on the door to get Elthas's attention.

[Crafters Three]

Well. As of my post on my main account. This is my first and last post as Financial Monitor. Thanks Invest. It sound like fun, and i hope you guys have fun.

The twins met in their house, well, a houseboat really, they sat in a triangle, each, looking almost identical. They talked quickly, almost in shifts too. Venoxis raised his hand slowly, motioning for silence.

"We come to a consensus? Yes? Good, then i shall find get to the Investio. "

The trio walked up the stairs in the long clomping strides that accompanied them. Venoxis, at the head of the triangle, walked up to the door and knocked with his cane. It slowly opened. The three walked in Nd in silence, held out their robes, their eyes and faces devoid of emotion.

A single tear rolled down from Venoxis' eye as he walked out.



Thanks Invent. It's been good.

[The Inventor]

Invetisto looked at the robes and took them. "I'm guessing this means your leaving? Well then good luck."

He then put the robes in a compartment in his mechanical suit then turned back to Elthas who hadn't seemed to have responded to his knock. So, he knocked louder as the trio left.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Elthas had concern in his heart. The crystal is asking me to let go everything I have worked to become. He saw Invetisto standing by the door and sighed for a moment. Elthas walked over to the boss and attempted to collect himself. But he was troubled. The room around them was well decorated with several different paintings that Elthas was quite proud of. They showed depictions of The Terrentius Estate back home in Corone. He'd often painted portraits of Seth, Theo, and his wife, Hylda Terrentius. Seth and Theo were ranking officers of The Syndicate, an organization in Corone known for dirty dealings. Elthas had worked to become a ranking member of The Syndicate in his own right.

He held the glowing green crystal in his hand for a long moment before speaking to Invetisto. "The crystal is asking me to let go what I've become." Elthas suddenly said. He looked at the boss for a long moment as he spoke. Some considered Invetisto to be a king, but Elthas bowed to no one. "For The Trading Company to grow, we need to acquire the power of the crystals. I understand this, but I also understand what it is asking of me." Elthas showed the glowing green crystal to the boss. "Someone I trust brought me this sample. I don't quite yet know how to make the crystals work for our benefit. That is why I am going to go and sacrifice what I must in order to learn it's secrets." Elthas said. "We must first find a sacred place in order to confront of the guardian of the place where the crystals rest." Elthas shook his head. "I have a favor to ask before we go do this thing." He said casually. Elthas walked back to the desk in his room, he was a skilled writer. He took the letter he was working on and folded it, placed it in an envelope and placed The Trading Company seal on it.

"I need this delivered." Elthas said. "It is my official resignation from The Syndicate." Elthas hoped the boss understood everything that Elthas was about to sacrifice...

[The Inventor]

Invetisto looked down at the letter then back at Elthas.

"You sure you want to resign from The Syndicate Elthas?" Invetisto asked. "You'll be giving up everything, including the respect of your friends Seth & Theo. You sure you want to give them all up for a new group you joined only recently?"

Elthas didn't even hesitate in his answer. "I'm sure."

Invetisto looked Elthas over for any kind of hesitation but there was none. Invetisto sighed the nodded. "Alright then, I'll send this to them right before we leave. If you have second thoughts at all, please tell me and I will hold on to this till you feel ready."

"Invetisto," Elthas said sternly, "I have made my decision and I will stick to it."

Invetisto nodded again and started to head out of the room but stopped before he left. "Alright, I shall send the letter. We will meet tomorrow at dawn in front of The Trading Company Bank. Please don't be late. This is after all your official initiation quest." Invetisto started down the hall.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

"I thank you." Elthas said plainly. "There is a reason I must resign from The Syndicate. The letter includes instructions for my wife to arrive one she is ready and join in our endeavors." He added. "Please have that sent as soon as possible." Elthas was concerned how his wife, Hylda Terrentius, would react. However, he had made a commitment to The Trading Company. Such a commitment could not be undone and he was going all in. All or nothing. The crystal is asking me to let go everything I have become... He thought he could sever ties with The Syndicate easily enough, but the problem was Hylda. Hylda was in too deep, much deeper than he was. She was born into power...that type of responsibility cannot easily be set aside. Elthas thought to himself. He kept looking at Invetisto in case the boss would say something else. Once he agreed to send the letter, Elthas sighed in relief.

"I know I am asking a lot of you. And in turn, you of me." Elthas said to Invetisto. "But please understand I am pledging the old alliances in assisting your cause." Elthas continued. "The old alliances are very important to my people. You need help that is why I am assisting you in this project. It is not just about the crystals..." Though Elthas knew a physical reward couldn't hurt either. "It is not just about physical gain either." Elthas said. "I am giving up everything to be the man I am meant to become..." Elthas knew a lot of that wouldn't make sense. He probably thinks I am nuts. No matter, once we start getting this guild in due order, we will all see rewards in dividends... Elthas waited for the man to speak.

[The Inventor]

Invetisto smiled inside his clockwork suit as he walked. "I think I can understand where you're coming from," he said calmly as he continued down the hall slowly. "Though, I didn't have the choice when it came to me having to leave my people, it brought me to the place where I am now. I may not like the fact that I was kicked out of my home. but it turned out for the better. Remember Elthas, just because you loose everything, doesn't mean you are poor. In fact, by giving up everything you will gain a lot more. Whether it be monetary gain, or a gain in knowledge, power, or even friends. It is still a gain and you should never regret your decisions."

Invetisto finished his speech as he started down the stairs. "Remember, meet me at dawn." Then he was gone.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Boss actually brought up a lot of valid points.

I know what I am giving up here... Elthas thought to himself once he was alone. He was changing, letting go was always a difficult matter. He'd sacrificed the old ways to get to where he was at now, and that meant he would eventually have to clean matters up. The Syndicate would not take likely to his resignation and likely outcast him. He would probably never be able to work as a bounty hunter in their ranks again. I got a new job now... Elthas had to reinvent himself from the ground up. It would be a long and difficult process, but he was certain he could do it. Elthas closed his door once he was alone, and placed his pouch with the crystal in it away in a safe location. Then, he laid in bed after boss had told him the exact time he wanted to meet.

Elthas never slept much. There was always too much work that needed doing. That night, he did attempt to sleep. It was about an hour into the process that his consciousness began to drift in and out of the waking world. For an Elf, immortality was his play ground. He had all the time in the universe to get things done, but he always pushed himself harder and harder. Elthas was trying to be the best he could be, given really fucked up circumstances. So he worked of late, over and over. He'd started to work himself to the point where his knuckles were white from the labor, and his body felt the first hints of fatigue. He was tired.

As Elthas wandered into the land of dreams, something happened. Something called him. Feeling the ebb and flow of the darkness all around him, Elthas stepped forward into the land of dreams. Elthas, an Elf, knew that the land of dreams was connected to The Antifirmanent. The dead oft wandered through the lands of the dream world, and it was a colorful world. Bright and shiny that melted into appearance as he stepped through the veil of the shadows. He found himself standing in an busy Elf grove. In a forest similar to Ruild. Elthas recognized the otherworldly trees and botanical life as the trees of a land called Ayenee. The lands of his people's ancestors. The promised land.

Elthas was barefoot, and only wore ceremonial pants. He walked through the soft grass, towards a very familiar person. His Mother, Elyssia. Elthas narrowed his eyes for a moment as he saw the vision and knelt before his sire. Elyssia sat on a marble bench, a marble statue sitting in the center of the grove. Elthas did not recognize the figure of antiquity. It was likely one of his people's many legendary Heroes from the Hyakureiki Clan. The most famous of said Heroes being Neosaim Hyakureiki. The plate he was in, was a cross roads between the realm of the living and the great beyond.

Elthas rose when she motioned for him to rise.

"My son." Elyssia said.

"Mother." Elthas greeted.

"It has been some time has it not?" Elyssia asked.

"I trust you are well...?" Elthas asked back. "And yes, it has been too long."

"I have been well, I am fortunate to have made my way to The Promised Land." Elyssia said. "If you had not not arrived when you had, I might not have been redeemed in the fashion that I was redeemed. Now it is your turn." She said.

"I don't understand?" Elthas asked.

"A great burden has been placed on you, my son. And you must act on the burden without fear. Without worry or hesitation as you have in the past. I can see the doubt in your eyes, and taste the fear on your flesh." She continued. "Worry not my son. Embrace the future that is coming."

"What must I do?" Elthas asked.

"You must let The Syndicate go and embrace the purity that the crystals will grant you. Go to the wellspring of souls, and there we will speak again. But you must face your greatest challenge before we meet." She commanded.

"My greatest challenge..." Elthas shook his head. "I don't think I am ready. I have fucked up so much shit..."

"You must find the courage of our people, the courage of a Hero." She said.

"I'm no Hero..." Elthas corrected.

"You have a chance to redeem yourself and save the soul of our people." Elyssia stood up. "Take that chance without fear." She walked towards Elthas and touched the amulet that Elthas wore. It was formerly an heirloom that Elyssia herself wore when she was alive. "You were wise to keep this heirloom. It will serve you well. And remember, I am always with you." She reached forward and kissed Elthas's forehead gently. "Be strong my son. Be the Hero you are meant to become."

***

Elthas was ready several hours before dawn. He had a restless sleep, and the visions of his dreams haunted him. He still heard the commands that Elyssia had decreed upon him. Become a Hero... Elthas sighed. He didn't know if he could. But he DID know he was a ranking member of The Trading Company now. He had a matter to take care of, and before he could harvest the crystals he had to cleanse himself. Purge what he had become. A monster. Elthas saw boss already there and walked towards him, greeting him with a simple nod. He bowed to nobody, not even kings. Elthas took his place at Boss's side. "Shall we depart then?" He was eager to get underway.

[Crafters Three]

The tiro had found their way to the estate, slowly working their way on foot. Venoxis dismissed the other two, pulled off his shoes. He worked his way to the only room with a light glowing and knocked.

"Elthas, advice has come"

He stood in front of the door, waiting for the elf to respond, and hoping he took their resignation well.

[The Inventor]

OOC: Crafters Three, please remove your most recent post as you have resigned your position in The Trading Guild. As of now this thread is closed to being between me and Elthas.

"Shall we depart then?"

Invetisto rotated his body around to face Elthas as the man walked up to him. "If you have everything then yes we shall depart." He said as he headed toward the forest to the south of the town.

The forest consisted mainly of southern pine with a few oak and ash trees mixed in. It was a dense forest which made the town prosperous when it came to logging. However, due to the lack of a river few people logged it, something that Invetisto planned to fix if their mission was a success.

The two trudged throw the forest in silence until Invetisto finally couldn't stand it any more. "Elthas, do you mind telling about any interesting characters you have met in your time in The Syndicate? I would love to hear about them and maybe I'll tell you about a few that I've met. It would definitely, as you humanoids say, break the ice."

[Crafters Three]

Dude, elthas and I have something worked out, this is just my post for killing the twins, and is my last on this account.

Elthas left, and before he went, Venoxis laid his hand upon his head, and dissolved into his mind, giving him everything, all three souls, for a package deal.

"Give me one more honor. Tell our father we died."

The energy dissipated, and the other two vanished without a trace. Elthas walked out without a thought, and nothing else showed up, ever again. The sun went on, the world spun, and nothing changed, beyond a slight void in the world, from losing three souls and gaining more, slowly, every so slowly, filling the gap.

For what is harmed, can heal...

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Earlier-

"I will Venoxis." Elthas looked at the three for a long moment. "I am sad to see you go." He said carefully. "May you always have adventure in your hearts." Elthas had always been fond of the trio, they were a lively group of skilled workers, and had been a great asset to the group. When they vanished the hallway somehow felt that much emptier. It was almost oppressive, but Elthas decided to ignore that feeling. There was a matter to be taken care of. He had to go meet up with Investisto and that was the priority of the hour. So, he went to take care of that with a somewhat heavy heart at having to loose such good friends.

***
"I met my wife, Hylda." Elthas said. "Well my former wife, we are divorced now." Elthas looked at his friend for a long moment. "I hope you understand what is happening here. I want to help you as much as I can, but I have had to sacrifice a lot." Elthas shook his head. He knew he was beating himself up and there was a better way he could spent his energy. "Let us find what we need to find and move on."

***

After Elthas and Invetisto finished their appropriate events at The Well of Souls, Elthas saw his partner arriving once more. Elthas had a troubled heart at everything he had witnessed, how the spirits judged him, and he was forced to second guess himself. Forced to question himself. For someone like Elthas, that was not a good prospect. It meant he was wrong on more than one decision he'd made along the way. Such a revelation sat in his heart and weighed as heavy as iron. He had narrowed eyes as he looked at the boss for a long moment. The waterfall in question lurked just ahead, and Elthas was eager to get this whole ordeal over with.

Elthas knew he felt like rushing and that was dangerous.

A lake stood before them, glistening in the afternoon murky light. Dheathain's sky was always cloudy and that annoyed Elthas a lot. But he was used to how Dheathain functioned from his journey to find The Well of Souls. Elthas was fiddling one of his knives nervously. He looked across the lake for a moment, and that the waterfall was a bit of a ways ahead. He dreaded thinking what predators lurked in the murky waters below. He stood on a hill that was formed of tightly packed earth. He twirled his knife with his left hand and tapped his right foot with an equally growing anxiety. He wasn't even certain why he was nervous.

What he DID know was that the spirits had judged him harshly. Elthas had learned a great deal about himself, and how the Well of Souls looked him. It still made him shudder to know that such a place existed there in Dheathain. He kept his eyes locked on Invetisto, and would sometimes stare at the waterfall's general direction. "Cerberus awaits." Elthas said when the boss was within ear shot range. He wondered exactly what kind of a creature Cerberus WAS but that would wait. He wanted to acquire the crystals, possibly for selfish reasons, but he had changed significantly at the Well of Souls. A burden was lifted, but Elthas could not even celebrate.

The fact remained: He was a Villain, and the spirits viewed him as such.

[The Inventor]

Invetisto had just returned from the the Well of Souls. He was not happy with the spirits as they seamed to deem no one worthy, but they still let him pass.

"Honestly, those spirits need to lighten up," Invetisto said as he looked at the lake in front of them. It had Giant crystals that looked a lot like the crystal that Elthas had brought but in many colors. The waterfall itself looked like it was illuminated in many colors.

Probably crystals below it. Invetisto thought as he continued to look at the waterfall. After a few moments he walked forward to touch a crystal when a voice boomed from the falls as all the crystals glowed with the voice.

"Don't touch the crystals, least you die!" Invetisto pulled back his suit's hand.

"Understood." Invetisto said as a strip of land rose to form a path that stopped an inch before the falls.

"Come forward," The voice said, "But leave the suit behind. You must come as you."

Invetisto hesitated for a second before he stilled his fear and pulled the release bar. The suit hissed and and lowered down. It's right arm turned into steps as the face of the machine started to open.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

"Wait!" Elthas yelled as he saw the boss remove his powered suit.

Elthas stepped out of the shadows and waded through the waters towards Invetisto's position and the owner of the voice. Cerberus. "Don't listen to him, remember...there is a guardian we have to defeat." Elthas pulled out his daggers and looked in the general direction at the glowing eyes behind the waterfall. "You can come out now...CERBERUS!" Elthas took his position right by the boss's side.

There was a sound of something large smelling the air. "Oh its your kind...Thaynes forsaken blue blood!" Then, a huge dog like beast with three heads made his way slowly out of the waterfall. It was impressively built, and has black, muscular flesh. It had no fur. Atop it's powerfully build shoulders were three stumps that ended in a specific head. Each head had a pair of glowing eyes of different properties. Cerberus looked down towards Elthas and Invetisto. "You worms!" The beast said. "This is a sacred place. Your kind is not welcome here that have not passed The Trials."

"You speak of The Well of Souls right?" Elthas challenged in response. "Read it and weep." Elthas rolled up his sleeve, and branded upon his right arm, the bicep area, was a symbol of the spirits. He had been branded clean by the spirits and passed his test. "Now let us through or we'll be forced to beat the crap out of you!!!" Elthas yelled. He was already furious, the spirits in The Well of Souls had judged him harshly and nearly prevented him from completing his trial. He hated feeling so exposed, so weak, and he was going to take his anger out on something tangible. "Get out of our way or feel our WRATH!" Elthas yelled.

Cerberus hesitated for only a moment.

Elthas noticed that there chains that held his necks in place, he was probably bound to the entire area. Elthas noticed a terribly foul smell in the area. "I'm tired of this talk of purity and bullshit like that. This is your last chance, dog, get out of our way or prepare for a beating!"

"I warn you, blue blood, if it is your intent to use force..."

"ENOUGH!" And Elthas attacked. Something about The Well of Souls, something IN HIS HEART had suddenly made him extremely aggressive. He was tired of being a push over, he would be certain The Trading Company won the day.

[The Inventor]

Invetisto jumped when Elthas yelled at him. He knew about the Cerberus but he also knew that the beast was there to challenge them mentally not physically. However, before he could tell Elthas this, the man jumped at the creature and started to fight it. He also noticed that the lights in the waterfall were glowing more of a read then any other color. In order to qualm the sentient falls he climbed out of his suit and ran across the bridge that disappeared behind the falls.

"Guardian of the Crystal Caves. I am sorry for the actions of my partner. As he does battle with the Cerberus will you give me the riddle that we must answer to pass?" Invetisto said in as gentle of a voice as possible.

The Gaurdian of the Crystal Caves spoke with a word of power. "Only one is permitted to answer the riddle. The other had to fight Cerberus, I shall give you three riddles answer them correctly and you shall be able to enter, as long as your partner defeats Cerberus. The first riddle is this; Throw me out a window and I'll leave a grieving wife, but bring me through a door and you'll see someone giving life, What am I?"

Invetisto was shocked, A hard riddle right off the bat. Hm, what is thrown out of a window and leaves a grieving wife, but can be brought into a door and shows a someone giving life. This was a tough riddle, though he had to think of all the possibilities. Well, an husband being thrown out a window will leave a widow but if he is brought back into the door no way he will show someone giving life. Wait a minute, if you remove the N from window it spells widow, but what happens if you put an N inside of door? Ndoor, nope not a word, Dnoor, nope not a word, donor... That's it a donor will give someone life, whether it is a new life to live or an ability to continue on.

"The Answer is N." Invetisto answered with a smile on his face.

"Correct!" The guardian boomed and the crystals all flashed once.

Invetisto patted himself on the back while the guardian started the next riddle.

"What has eyes but can not see?"

Seriously? That is easy, Invetisto thought as he said, "Too easy, a potato."

"Correct again!" The guardian boomed and the crystals flashed again.

Invetisto just put his head in his top two hands.

"Here is your final riddle," The guardian said then paused until Invetisto nodded to tell it to go on.

"I can be used to build castles, but I crumble in your hands. I can help a man see, and am found all around the lands. What am I?"

Invetisto was stumped I can be used to build castles. Stone is used to make castles. However, if it was stone then the next part wouldn't make sense because stones don't crumble in your hands. I can help a man see? The only thing that can help a man see is glass, but glass is a decoration for castles and it doesn't crumble. Also, what is found all around the lands? Stone is found everywhere but it still doesn't make sense. Hmm, what could it be? Okay I'm going to break this down further. What makes glass? Glass is made out of superheated sand. Okay now what is special about sand. Sand crumbles when it is in your hands, and it is found all over the place, but you can't make a castle out of sand since it would crumble away. Ug, this is frustrating. Hm, what else? Clay, clay can be used to make a castle, but clay doesn't crumble, it sticks together, plus clay will obscure vision. Ug, that means it has to be sand. Invetisto gulped then looked up at the waterfall then asked, "Is the answer sand?"

The guardian stayed quiet for a few minutes, the only sound was the battle behind Invetisto and the falls in front. Finally the guardian's voice rang out "Correct!" The crystals around and in the pond glowed brightly and showered the falls in lights. The guardian then continued to say, "Now all that's left is for your partner to beat the Cerberus."

Invetisto nodded then went back to his clockwork body and climbed the hundred steps that lead to the suit's control room. After Invetisto settled into place and wound the key, the machine started to whine as it got ready to function as a mode of transport as well as maybe a way to collect crystals.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Elthas found himself attacking the big three headed dog.

This probably isn't the most brilliant of schemes, I will admit that much... Elthas dashed skillfully towards Cerberus and kept his eyes locked on the creature. To say that he wasn't scared would have been a lie. Truth is, I'm quite frightened, I just have to buy Invetisto enough time to solve the challenges he is supposed to solve...no. That he is MEANT to solve. Elthas focused his intense gaze on the creature before him. Rotating his daggers, he lashed quickly out with a basic swiping attack. The blade he kept out in front of his balanced body soon connected with Cerberus. At that point, he felt something he wasn't expecting to have felt in the first place! Elthas felt a tremendous force resist his pentretating attack. He felt the force knock him back a few paces. Elthas had not seen anything unusual about the Cerberus aside from what it was! What the hell is that!? My daggers can't cut it!? Elthas thought to himself.

"Hahahah." Elthas heard Cerberus laughing at him! "What's the matter, blue-blood? Your tooth picks can't seem to do any damage, can they?!" Elthas saw that Cerberus was chained to the mountainous entrance. The chain would greatly limit Cerberus's movement capacity at the very least. "You are weak, blue-blood. You and your friend were fools to have come here in the first place!" Elthas knew that Cerberus had an edge if he couldn't harm him. The natural hide was too thick for his daggers!

Elthas recovered his standing position after having been knocked back. He growled and moved back into combat stance after that moment. His eyes were firmly locked on Cerberus. "That's some thick damned skin you have. I'll give you that much." Elthas felt that a few minor bruises had developed after he had his rough tumble backwards. His long hair was loose now, and he liked it that way. Elthas knew he couldn't cut the thick hide of the creature directly, but maybe he could have worked around it! There has to be some chink in the armor...some weakness to exploit. Elthas wondered as his mind began to work. Then, his aggressive side noticed something in his accelerate state of being. He looked at Cerberus's eyes as it was snapping and clawing the air menacingly about his form. It suddenly dawned on him that Cerberus's eyes were not as heavily armored as the rest of the creature was. It's a gamble. I'd be putting myself in harm's way, but I think if I can just... Elthas thought to himself as he was on the move...

"So what do you think you're doing now, blue-blood!? Going to come in for a swift death are you not? You should just lay down and let me KILL YOU!" Elthas heard Cerberus as he dashed in an angle towards him. The main head attacked at Elthas, he was already leaping towards the body of the beast.

Being naturally fleet-footed, Elthas jumped TOWARDS Cerberus's body. He barely evaded an incoming, but seemingly powerful slash attack that clipped Elthas's leg. The claws pierced Elthas's right leg just as he was leaping over the might paw. Elthas continued to observer Cerberus, and the mighty foe attempted to clip Elthas in the mid-section with his giant maw. The Elf made his way towards the body of the creature, and landed roughly on it. He could feel the weight of Cerberus all around his own body and only at that level of closeness could he truly feel how strong the beast was. Elthas grabbed onto the leathery hide of his foe and worked quickly to climb it. Elthas had to sheathe his daggers before the jump he made in order to climb up the massive body of Cerberus. His leg hurt like hell, he knew his pants were likely shredded, and his fancy clothing was probably not effective armor. I don't care... Elthas thought to himself. If you can't fight in style, then why engage in combat in the first place!? Elthas found himself flinching from the horrid pain he felt. Blood freely flowed down his leg where there was a huge gash.

He felt a numb coldness in his leg.

It didn't matter, he was almost where he needed to be.

"Get off of me!" Elthas heard Cerberus yell, and the giant beast began to thrash about violently. Elthas did his best not to get knocked off the mad beast. Once he was directly on top of Cerberus, Elthas crawled across him, heading towards the middle head of the creature. He maneuvered as carefully as he could, and as quickly as he could. The body of the beast maneuvered about in a violent fashion. Elthas made it to where he needed to be.

He was right on top of the middle head. "Say hello, fido!" Elthas growled,and grabbed the head of the creature as best as he could with one arm. Then, he pulled out one of his daggers, and was JUST getting ready to stab it in the eye. If I am correct, the eye will be a soft target, and I can disable it's ability to see... Elthas was bringing the dagger down, when somethign happened he didn't quite expect. One of the other heads suddenly snapped at Elthas's already injured leg, and grabbed it, breaking bone at that point. There was a sickening sound of bone popping under the weight of teeth and Elthas cried out in anger and agony. The second head suddenly pulled Elthas off of Cerberus's body. Elthas was swung around violently like a rag doll from the injured leg. Then he was tossed up into the air, falling down, Elthas attempted to limit the damage as much as possible. Elthas felt a tremendous amount of pain swell across his spine, as he was hit across his lower back. Cerberus had planned the two pronged attack! Quickly, Elthas found himself slammed against the ground. One of his legs was now horribly mangled and torn to shreds. There were claw marks across Elthas's lower back as well. He growled angrily once again and spit dirt and blood out of his mouth. This is going quite well... Elthas thought sarcastically to himself. He tried to get up but felt tremendous pain preventing him from getting up. He had to buy himself a few moments to regain some sort of momentum in the battle. I have to attack the eyes. But how..!? Elthas spit out dirt and blood coughing. The fall had knocked the air out of his lungs as well. My daggers...I no longer have them! Elthas saw that one of his daggers was directly ahead of him. I gotta get it...I cannot fight without this thing without a suitable weapon.... He felt Cerberus breathing down his back...

[The Inventor]

Invetisto's mechanical body finally latched and sealed itself so that it was ready to go. Just int time to to see Elthas get sent for a flight, courtesy of one of the dog's mouths. Invetisto flinched when the mans face met dirt. looks like he is having trouble, I hope he can pull through because I don't want to face the consequences if he was to fail, Invetisto thought as he looked back at the waterfall which was rumored to release a giant wave of water if you failed it's tests. Invetisto suppressed a shiver as he turned back to the fight in front of him.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Despite the terrible pain he felt, Elthas started to drag himself across the ground and begin to reach for his dagger.

The steel weapon was of masterwork quality, the handle facing Elthas in the fashion that it landed. Elthas reached with his fingers, coughing dirt the entire time. He was hurt, badly. A part of him wanted to stop the battle. He wanted to retreat and leave Invetisto to his own vices. However, those thoughts were conquered by a much more fierce desire. The desire to WIN. Elthas thought back to his intensive Citadel training, and his recent participation in The Althanas Leagues. It had been a sobering experience. Elthas learned he was WEAK and that needed to change. It's easy to give up. But I won't. I will show them that I am stronger than I appear...I will show them that I have what it takes... Elthas suddenly screamed in frustration. Even as blood trickled down the side of his lips. He found an inner strength, a sudden rush. He pulled himself across the ground, reaching towards his dagger.

His fingertips stretched out towards his weapon as he crawled. He was no longer armed. Elthas knew he had to grab the dagger he immediately saw before him. That was the only one of his daggers that he'd seen after he was knocked on the ground. He had only one Elthas could feel Cerberus right on top of him, the creature's breathing dampening his already moist clothing. Elthas grabbed at his dagger. He felt his hand grip tightly around the dagger's handle. He pulled it close to his person, preparing the next part of his attack.

Elthas, quick on his feet even in his injured state, suddenly rotated his body completely around.

Just in time to avoid a massive paw swipe by his opponent. Elthas looked up at the three headed beast as it attempted to reach towards him. Elthas watched Cerberus very carefully. He hid his dagger underneath his body as he moved, and then suddenly, he acted. Cerberus was now in reach and Elthas thought to carefully time one of his seldom used skills and powers. Elthas suddenly THREW his dagger right at the beast's face. Elthas knew that if he was off, even by an inch or two, he would miss his mark. It would all be over. But, Elthas had aimed and attempted to aim true. Even in his damaged condition, his determination had allowed him to FOCUS. I just need to buy myself some time... Elthas thought to himself. And watched the dagger rotate quickly through the air, it almost zinged.

Elthas had timed his attack JUST so that he moved right when Cerberus moved. Elthas judged that Cerberus moved very quickly and covered tremendous ground. Even with the chain that bound him. Elthas figured that such a large beast would have a hell of a time evading his attack, and the chain would merely make matters worse. Laying against the ground, Elthas could only watch the light reflect off his steel weapon, He watched as Cerberus began to cover the last few paces of distance between the two of them. He kept a calm expression on his face, even though he knew he was a mess. Then, Cerbersus suddenly yelped loudly.

Right as Elthas saw that Cerberus was getting ready to reach towards Elthas, the tiny dagger made it's mark. Masterwork steel penetrated the left eye of the middle head. Black ichor, Elthas could only guess was blood, flowed rapidly out of the injury. The dagger buried itself in Cerberus's face as it yelled in frustration. It couldn't reach for the tiny weapon that jutted out of his eye. Elthas smiled with a certain satisfaction. I got you...remember my face you son of a bitch. I got you... And that was how a seemingly weak Elf named Elthas Belthasar began his journey to redemption.

[The Inventor]

Invetisto smiled inside his suit. That's the way to do it, he thought as the dog was hit with the knife. Now how are you going to kill it? Invetisto watched as the dog kept on pawing at the knife which only made it worse. Why won't it just grab it with the teeth of one of the other heads? Not that it mattered. If the beast kept up like this then it would be dead soon anyway. Well guess we win.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Elthas suddenly found himself in another place.

There was a forest around him, but it was a different forest all together. The forest of Ruild, where his people hailed from. He found himself back home. Blinking in confusion for a moment or two, he found himself wearing entirely different clothing. His injuries were washed away, presumably an effect of whatever magic transported him there. Elthas had severed the ties of his people, or so he thought. His mind carefully absorbed the details around him of the village he grew up in. Only this time, it was a city. A city of forest Elf architectural preferences. Looking about, Elthas saw several edifices built INTO the trees themselves. The trees were large old oaks, and it was customary for his people to build INSIDE the hollows of the trees. Elthas saw the "house" where his family grew up in. It was expanded to include several surrounding trees. He walked towards the house and saw a very familiar figure. The woman who was his mother.

"Mother!" Elthas called out.

"Ah, Elthas. My dear young boy, you have returned to us."

Elthas rushed towards his mother and hugged her warmly. "I would never abandon my family."

"I know. You always were a good boy." His mother said in response. "But that's not why you are here..."

"What is it this time, mother?" Elthas asked, his voice sincerely curious about the reason why his mother had once again summoned him.

"Elthas...this is a fragment of The Grand Tree." She said. "The tapestries unfold as many branches, some spreading for many miles. This is one such juncture of history. A nexus within The Grand Tree." She continued. "In this time period, the enemy you seek has been defeated by your hands. And the hands of your allies." She paused for a moment and showed Elthas a very familiar looking crystal material. The very substance he was after in the modern world. She showed him the sample, and it was a crystalline amber coloured material. It gave off a mysterious light. "We were able to expand our great city with this material as a building block. It was all thanks to the excavation that you and your allies began."

"Why are you telling me this? I remember, fighting that monster. Cerberus. I remember being injured severely." Elthas said calmly. For he would never lie to his mother. "I should be dead..." Elthas said.

"No." His mother responded. "You're too important. While your mind slipped in the twilight from the weight of your injuries, I risked a breach to contact you in the here and now." She continued. "Somewhere in the cavern that you are about to enter lurks the Prime Crystal, one for your boss. And one for you...the material you are going to harvest will be in abundance in that place of power." She continued. "But the Prime Crystal is special."

"Why?" Elthas asked.

"You will find out when you attach it to one of your blades." She kissed Elthas on the forehead. "Seek out the Prime Crystal, Elthas. And remember my words to you. Attach the crystal to one of your daggers..."

She turned around and started walking back home. "Don't be late, Elthas...there is one who needs your help."

"Who needs my help!?" Elthas wondered. Could it be her...Hylda Terrentius that needs my help...!? Reality faded and Elthas lost track of his sense for a moment. When he came to, he found himself standing up in the field where he was previously fighting Cerberus. He looked up at the injured creature who now rested to recover from the serious injury that Elthas gave it. Elthas was completely healed in some mysterious way. Mother...why do you continue to help me? Elthas looked up and saw that the sun was beginning to set. He looked over at Invetisto.

"Boss." Elthas said. "I don't know what the hell just happened, but we have a job to do. We're after an object called Prime Crystals." Without realizing it, Elthas had been touched by his mother from an alternate future. In so doing, Elthas had gained some knowledge of how the crystals they were after worked. How they could be harvested safely. "We gotta harvest these things and attach it to our equipment." Elthas explained to Invetisto as he walked in the cave with him. The falling water felt good against his skin as he walked underneath it. And just as his Mother had explained, the cave was abundant with a lesser variant of the crystals they were after.

Elthas could hear the waterfall behind him as he entered the cave. He no longer felt the pain of his injuries, somehow, his Mother had rescued him. Elthas was not one to question such help. He knew what they were looking for was probably much deeper in the cavernous network. As he entered the cave, he could feel his boots splash on some water that swelled into the cavern. There was granite and sedimentary rock surrounding him, but the crystal outcrops were everywhere in the form of veins of various sizes and quality. Elthas felt almost extremely light headed the moment he entered the place of power.

"This is a place of power." Elthas said to Invetisto. "The material that we will gather from here will bring us great prosperity someday." Elthas was acting weird, but didn't realize such. He simply was trying to talk to Invetisto as they walked together in the cave. Elthas noticed some blue lichen on the moist rocks. His clothing got damp from a combination of sweat, and the moisture in the air. He sneezed. Elthas wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt. "it's very moist in here." He said calmly and began to make his way to the more dry portion of the cavern. He skipped and hopped across the stones, making his way towards the other side of the embankment. Once there, he began to dry himself and rub the water out of his long hair. Water sprayed out of his long hair, and removed his shirt to squeeze it. Once he was done that, he put his shirt back on, and felt a little cold. His eyes narrowed, waiting for Invetisto to come. "Careful with those rocks, boss, they are quite slippery." Elthas said calmly.

[The Inventor]

Invetisto had a frown on his face as he went thought about what had just happened. Elthas had fainted for a few seconds before some kind of energy suddenly shot out of his body. Then his body stood up COMPLETELY HEALED before he beats the crap out of the three headed dog. Elthas then starts to look around before he talked about a "Prime Crystal" and then passed Invetisto into the Crystal Caves.

Invetisto shook his head before he turned to the falls. "I guess we enter then." As he started to walk into the cave with worry on his face. What has happened to Elthas? Invetisto thought until Elthas's warning about the rock registered. He clamped his legs onto the rocks as he walked in order to keep himself upright. Once he got on dry land he breathed then looked around the cave. It was indeed full of crystals. The walls were full of them and it looked like they would work well. He noticed that there was energy that emanated from the crystals, every single one of them.

He turned to Elthas with a bit of concern since he has been happy go lucky since the power surge. He hopes that the man will snap out of it soon or else there could be a problem. It was then that he noticed a crystal floating in mid air as it passed the entrance from right to left. He turned to Elthas and asked, "Did you see that?"

[Elthas_Belthasar]

He was concentrating.

With his eyes narrowed, Elthas was focusing on the area around him. There was a lot of energy in the air, to the point where the air itself seemed to crackle with potency and energy. Elthas turned to look at Invetisto who spotted something strange and called out to him. Elthas immediately turned his attention towards the mysterious floating crystal. The crystal appeared to be moving -away- from them. I don't like that one bit...it could be a trap. Elthas thought to himself as he finally started to calm down from the power surge. He couldn't explain what had caused it, he was certain that he was a dead man. Shaking his head as he moved across the slippery rocks, Elthas tried his best to listen to the air. He knew that the wind carried clues, however, it was unusually silent. There were no supernatural sounds. Maybe something in Elthas was choosing to ignore the sounds the wind normally makes, but it simply just whistled in the cavernous maze. He decided it best to follow the floating crystal, it was the only clue they were given up to that point.

Elthas turned towards Invetisto. "We'd better follow it and see where it goes. That's the only clue I am seeing so far." Elthas did not have any previous knowledge as to how far the cave network went. He guessed it was pretty expansive. He also had no idea what creatures and denizens might be lurking within the cavern itself. He figured if something like Cerberus was in the entrance, then there HAD to be other surprises waiting for them. So Elthas drew his daggers, they had been recovered during the strange incident that left him completely healed. He would have to attempt to figure out what had happened another day.

Elthas took point and walked ahead of Invetisto being more fleet footed than his boss was. He ducked down low and walked quietly towards the crystal that was just ahead. It seemed to float and move of it's own accord. Elthas still wasn't certain if the floating crystal was guide or trap. He would be certain not to touch it it, unless they were absolutely safe. He walked along the route that the crystal seemed to provide. It floated just out of reach, but Elthas was too scared to attempt to grab it. He was certain that the crystal was part of a larger mechanism anyway. After a time, the path through the cavern seemed to go downward. Elthas noticed that the glowing crystal was everywhere, manifestations of Tap Energy likely. Or perhaps, something different all together. He stepped carefully since the rocks were moist in this part of the cavern network. There were also lichen and moss present.

He avoided those as best he could. Finally, the floating crystal lead Elthas to a large chamber. In the chamber he was shocked to find a massive crystal structure. And what appeared to be a statue of a figure he had never seen before. It was a female statue and it had wings. It was also made of the same crystal substance that was present in the chamber. The floating crystal left a trail of arcane residue as it made it's way towards the hands of the female statue. She was reaching outwards as if attempting to grab something, and the floating crystal landed perfectly in her hands. Something about the female statue seemed very familiar to Elthas, though he couldn't quite place where he'd seen something like that before. Elthas suddenly regretted not being more well versed in the ways and nature of his people. His people, The Forest Elves, were a very mysterious lot that were scholars and religious students. History was their mantle.

He noticed that the statue had the hyper developed ears of an Elf. Perhaps, this is a natural representation of one of my people's pantheon members? Elthas wished he could have spent more time studying his people's religions. He sheathed his daggers and looked at Invetisto with a serious expression on his face. "This is a place of power." Elthas said. "I think this is a manifestation of The Prime Crystal." Elthas took a moment to look around, crystal seemed to be growing directly attached to the walls. The walls, ceiling and floor pulsed with a vibrant energy. It was one of the most beautiful things that Elthas had ever seen in his life. Without warning, the statue of the female with wings began to glow. A spirit manifested before the state with an almost exact likeness of the statue itself. Elthas immediately found the woman quite handsome.

"I implore you." She spoke loudly and her mouth did not move. Yet he could clearly hear her voice. "Save The Prime Crystals."

"Save them?" Elthas asked out loud without meaning to. "I thought we were here to harvest them."

"In harvesting The Prime Crystals you will be saving them from those that would use the power they represent for ill." She continued. "I am the watcher, Delphinus." She revealed he identity. "In times long since past, The Tap was an abundant source of power through this world. But people grew greedy and abused the powers of The Tap. Finally, The Eldritch Council decided to cut Althanas off from The Tap. However, that was only the beginning."

"Of what?" Elthas asked. "I thought The Tap was sealed off for good. How is it that there are manifestations of it now?"

"The Seal has weakened." She explained. "Soon Tap fonts and well springs will manifest all over Althanas. The Tap energies will be limited at first, but will become immense as time progresses. We fear a second Tap War is on the horizon."

"We are here to protect The Prime Crystal." Elthas said motioning to Invetisto. "Teach us the secret of harvesting them and I can promise you we will keep this place safe from those who would abuse this power." Elthas paused for a moment. "The Prime crystal IS this place, isn't it?"

"That is only part of the truth." Delphinus said. "The Prime Crystal is a manifestation of the old pantheon. It is the very substance you see around you, pulsing with the inner light of Althanas." Delphinus's image seemed to waver periodically. "I am contained within the statue that powers The Prime Crystal. I can only speak with you and your companion in brief intervals before my protocols power down." She said, and Elthas did not understand what she meant. "I will teach you both how to harvest The Prime Crystal and learn of it's secrets. I only pray that you will use it for positive ends." Delphinus said. Her image flickered for a moment. She seemed to be waiting for something. "Will you two help me?"

"I will." Elthas said without really thinking on it too much. He simply wanted to do the right thing, and there was something positive radiating from Delphinus. He WANTED to help her. He figured Invetisto would feel the same way. He waited for the boss's response.

[The Inventor]

"I have no knowledge of this 'tap you and Elthas speak of," Invetisto said the the statue." However, if the power I feel in the air is only a portion of it's energy, then I have to say that we have no choice but to help." He turned to Elthas. "This predicament means that we have no choice but to keep the crystals a secret of the Trading Company. We will have to put these crystal in weapons only usable for the protection of the Trading Company. A special enchantment will have to be placed in order for this to happen. It's either that or we lock them up in the Trading Company Bank, never to see light of day again. Either way, this journey will not pull profit. However, the fact that we are keeping the world safe from war is a huge plus. We shall take as many crystals as we can in order to protect them from harm."

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Elthas listened to Invetisto as the man spoke.

He wasn't always certain how Invetisto would react to this or that matter, but he would always abide by the man's words and counsel. He listened whilst Invetisto spoke. He absorbed every spoken word, and studied the mechanical body very carefully to see and attempt to understand what Invetisto was thinking. Acting upon. Elthas knew that Invetisto always put The Trading Company before anything else. Elthas found himself partially conflicted. He knew The Trading Company put WORKERS before the needs of any other people. That was a given. However, he also KNEW that The Trading Company protected the common man and woman. Elthas turned to look towards Invetisto and then to Delphinus. Elthas suddenly figured that they needed to act for the benefit of the greater good.

Elthas looked from Delphinus and then towards Invetisto, he decided it was important to speak up.

"Boss." Elthas began. "I think it's not our place to harvest this place, but rather to protect and preserve it. And allow company Workers who earn it access to this place. We need to place heavy protocol and use governing the use of these crystals Prime or not Prime." Elthas said. "Maybe I am speaking out of place here, but I think that we've fought and bled for these things. There should be equal access to this. And I think we, as The Trading Company should offer these crystals to the general populace for profit. It will usher in a new era of change and prosperity." Elthas said. He was already thinking ahead, his mind leaping in bounds. He understood what crystals with Tap energy meant, what they could provide to greater Althanas as a whole.

Something about the influence of the crystals was making his mind unusually sharp. Sharper than it had been in a long time. "Invetisto. Our blood has been shed for these things. Company blood. Like it or not, they are now bound to The Trading Company's future and well being." Elthas said calmly. He was trying to speak as honestly as he could. He was tired, and he'd bled a lot for the damned powered crystals. He wanted to make sure the price was well worth paying for what they were getting back. Company blood was never something that was taken lightly. After all, Elthas knew they were NOT a military outfit. Though most company members could defend themselves, Elthas knew that not all would fight and bleed unless ordered to by the higher up's like himself and Invetisto.

Elthas looked at Delphinus once more. Something about her seemed strangely familiar to him, she RESONATED with his very soul. He tried to think what about her had touched his heart so. Maybe her plight, sure, but there was more to it than that. She seems familiar to me. Where have I read about constructs like her before...?! Why is this troubling me so much? Many questions filled his mind. Then, he suddenly noticed that Delphinus was looking at HIM at that point. As if she were peering into his very SOUL. Elthas did not look away but merely allowed her to do whatever it was she was doing to him. He didn't feel any hostility from Delphinus, only a pure warmth flowing from her and a kind presence. Then, suddenly, Elthas remembered where he had read about living crystals before.

Thinking back to his early youth, Elthas remembered his training with his family. Xu Bellaparte was there, a friend back in those days. And his Mother and Father were still alive. His brother had not turned traitor and sold their Clan out. As they were all in the grove of the hidden Forest Elf town in Concordia, Ruild, Elthas attempted to fight the memories that were flowing in his head. Stirring. Like a vast ocean across epochs of times. The past came back to haunt and he listened to the teachings that Xu Bellaparte and his Father gave him. Elthas rarely thought of the past, and he found it strange that he should think of it just then. He listened to the teachings his elders gave him, and they spoke about about The Tap crystals, and the war of The Tap that was predicted to occur someday.

Elthas's youth was almost 200 years prior. His memories came in blurred and haunting images now. Such was the lives of an Elf, memories became more and more distant as time passed. That was the case for all of the Forest children that were born in Ruild. Elthas observed the memory and listened to teachings of the elders. Elves never truly FORGOT things, the memories were simply buried in the depths of history. Waiting to someday be resurfaced as events called for them. Elthas felt as though he were in a liquid dream, his eyes observing the youth from some far away place. Then he heard what he needed to hear. "Some of The Tap Crystals are sentient class. And these can be harnessed to better Mankind. Of course, some will take The Tap Crystals' power to terrible places. And perform dark deeds with them." And they went on. The entities like Delphinus were never mentioned. But Tap Crystals WERE mentioned. Elthas thought back to that time period and attempted to recall more, but the memory was lost to his early youth.

The memory faded away and he blinked a few times, remembering where he was.

He looked at Delphinus once more.

"You're one of The Tap Crystals. I think I understand now..." Elthas said. He walked towards Delphinus, unafraid. "We are members of The Trading Company." Elthas said calmly. He looked to Invetisto. "He is my leader. We are here to protect you." Elthas said calmly. "I offer myself to you." Elthas said as he remembered the instructions from his early youth of how to HARVEST a Tap Crystal. He walked towards Delphinus. And as he did so he saw a look of true bliss on Delphinus's face. He turned to look at Invetisto once more. "This place IS The Prime Crystal. We must open our hearts and souls to the very essence of The Crystal." Elthas said, he spoke as if he was very far away. His body began to glow with the energies of The Tap. As he walked towards Delphinus, he embraced her. And the two entities began to meld together and become one.

Almost immediately, there was a brilliantly shining bright light that would affect Invetisto as well. After a few minutes, the light faded, and Elthas was there with a glowing white sheen, or aura. In his hand was a physical manifestation of the prime crystal. As there would be one piece in Invetisto's hand as well. Elthas looked down at the shining green crystal for a moment. It was a medium sized item, but fit perfectly in his hand. He looked at it for a moment and whispered a simple phrase. "Thank you Delphinus." He said calmly. And shed a tear for the protector of The Prime Crystal. He held his crystal in his hand, and looked towards Invetisto. The two had shared a powerful moment together, and their destinies were irrevocably combined to one destiny. "I know how to harvest The Crystal." Elthas said. "It is a complex process and requires tremendous concentration. But I can teach you it, if you would allow me to, boss." Elthas said calmly to his friend. Then he waited for the boss's response. Elthas's body glowing with that mysterious bright light.

[The Inventor]

The crystal in Invetisto's mechanical hand glowed a dark brown color. According to the weight monitors Invetisto had installed in his hands, it weighed 5 jogan (30 ounces) which is quite heavy for a crystal the size of his mechanical palm. As he looked at it the crystal suddenly started to sink into his machine's hand almost like it started to merge with it. As soon as the crystal complete absorbed into the hand the entire hand glowed dark brown for a few second before it turned back to the normal brass.

Invetisto continued to look at the hand for a few seconds but then heard a strange noise. Next to the weight gauge for the arm that the crystal was just in a new gauge suddenly appeared. Some kind of power gauge that had a picture of the brown crystal in the center. The gauge was at full power but Invetisto had no knowledge what it meant. Suddenly an idea came to his head. An idea that Invetisto knew he would never have. He raised the hand that the crystal had been absorbed into and commanded the machine to try to make a stalagmite to appear from the floor. The machine bent down and touched the floor of the cave. As the machine brought it's hand up from the floor a column of rock and crystal followed the hand until the hand stopped at shoulder height and opened to show a point on the top of the new stalagmite.

Invetisto looked at the new rock formation before he turned to Elthas. "I believe that the point was made that these are dangerous," he said as he pointed toward the rock he just made. "However, I believe that you are also right in that we should allow those who have passed the tests to enter the cave and mine it. However, we will not be permitting the selling of the crystal to others who have not entered the cave themselves. All crystals from this cave must only be in the hands of those that have actually entered the cave. They must follow all the rituals and must pay us 50 gold. We will also give them permission to install the crystal into any weapon they choose. However a security spell must be placed on the weapon to make sure that nobody but the one who has entered the cave can use it. that will be the rules for this operation.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

There were times that Elthas didn't understand Invetisto.

He got the fact that they were a growing Guild and they needed to get their fair share of everything. But Elthas was an Elf first and foremost, and something that was as natural as those crystals didn't have to be part of their business model. However, he also knew that Invetisto would NOT debate the situation further. It frustrated him a bit, but he was glad that they had gotten the first portion of the task done. Elthas nodded towards invetisto without saying a word.

Then he looked over towards Delphinus. Delphinus appeared more attractive with each passing moment. Her body glowed with a supernatural force, an energy that was somehow familiar to Elthas's eyes. Elthas felt a profound connection to the earth-bound goddess. He liked her and respected what she represented. Most importantly, he felt the profound NEED to protect her. Elves believed in the old pagan deities and many of the tribes still offered altars up to their services. Elthas was no different, though he knew about The Thaynehood, he followed lesser known Thayne. And to Elthas's vast mind, he had one key understanding: He was looking at a Thayne. It was known by his understanding of The Thayne religion that they often walked among mortals in their mortal forms. Elthas felt the desire to embrace Delphinus in a profound way. She represented the POSITIVE qualities of The Thayne and he could tell that she was a benevolent one.

Elthas had a troubled heart even as he looked at the small glowing crystal in his hand. It gave off a warm light, he had witnessed Invetisto's entire transaction. However, he didn't understand it. Elthas held the small crystal in his hand, it was unbound Tap energy, and it represented the well spring that they had discovered. What does this mean? The Tap was thought to have been locked away... Elthas would not rest until he resolved the doubt in his own heart.

He suddenly spoke up. "Delphinus..." Elthas began.

She turned to look at him. "Yes, Elthas?" She asked.

"There is something I MUST know..." He said calmly. "You are a Thayne are you not?"

"...I am." She said after a moment's hesitation. "How did you know that?"

"Something about the nature of The Prime Crystals." Elthas shook his head. "I don't entirely understand it myself, but back there, when the Ceberus knocked me out...I saw and felt something. I felt the presence of The Thayne. The guardians of my people's fore Fathers. And their fore Fathers." Elthas wasn't sure exactly what he was saying. He didn't have a whole lot to go on, only a few stories his parents used to tell him when he was a young lad. Elthas suddenly felt very tired. He felt the weight of ages on his shoulder, and the stress of his near death was still returning to haunt him. Elthas looked at Invetisto. "I am not well. I need to rest a bit if you don't mind. I have to recover my strength." Elthas looked at Delphinus. "May I stay with you a while? I would like to get to know more about you and what it is you expect of us."

Delphinus looked at Invetisto, and then at Elthas. Her expression was difficult to read because her eyes were like vast storm clouds. There was a kindness in them though. "Elthas, You and Invetisto are bound to the fate of this cavern, and my fate as well. From here on in you two are welcome here. To use this place as a sanctuary and a place of learning and knowledge."

Elthas nodded. "A repository..." Elthas liked the sound of that, he wanted to learn as much about The Tap as he could. So he could teach future students of the lost craft. He also wanted to instruct Invetisto and HIMSELF better. Elthas walked over towards where the statue-form of Delphinus awaited. He sat down at the base of the statue. He felt very tired. So very tired, why is this weight on my heart? Elthas thought to himself. As he sat there, on the ground, he looked up at Delphinus. She touched his forehead gently, and there was a warm glowing light from her touch. Elthas suddenly felt a peace in his very soul he had never felt before that point.

Delphinus washed away the suffering and agony in Elthas's heart. The loss of his Mother. The loss of his Father. The loss of Hylda Terrentius. All of it melted away in a merciful touch. In that moment, Elthas heard Delphinus speaking in his mind.

"I forgive you child." Delphinus said in a way that made Elthas feel as though he had felt a great weight leave his heart. "Don't hang on to the negativity in your heart, let go, and embrace The Light's warmth. The Light of Ellrendor." Elthas understood what she meant, Ellrendor was the patron Thayne of his tribe of Forest Elves. The Concordian Elves had long been followers of Ellrendor, The Thayne. A Thayne known only to his people. He was a kind Thayne known to forgive wayward children and help them find their ways home. In a single moment Elthas's past had returned to haunt him and at the same time he had accepted who and what he was.

He was an Elf of Ruild! Long had he struggled with his own ethical values and the values of his people. Elthas had honoured the old ways and worked hard to save people in need, especially Humes. Especially the people of The Trading Company. Elthas was not just any Elf, he was a Hero of The Trading Company.

"Honour the Old Alliances." Delphinus said calmly. "Be true to your heart."

And for the first time in a long time, Elthas soundly slept...and had warms dreams of a brighter tomorrow. A tomorrow that he would help bring about together with The Boss, Invetisto. A tomorrow...a tomorrow where anything was possible.

[The Inventor]

Invetisto smiled as he saw his elf partner sleep soundly next to the god in mortal flesh. The elf looked more peaceful at that moment than any other moment Invetisto has seen on this trip. He then turned as he noticed the crystal that had attracted his attention earlier "peak" around from the back of the statue. Now Invetisto was not a curious being but this green floating crystal just seemed to catch his attention for some reason. Invetisto lowered his body to look smaller, kind of like you would with a scared kitten. "It's okay, you can come out, I won't hurt you." The floating crystal seemed to hesitate before the woman came up behind it and started to push it towards Invetisto.

"It's alright little one," she said with a smile. "I can guarantee that this young man won't hurt you."

The crystal hesitated a little bit before it slowly floated towards Invetisto. However, it moved back quickly when Invetisto's clockwork body suddenly stopped with a click. The face of the body suddenly opened as the millipede like body of Invetisto was revealed. The foot tall creature looked at the crystal and waved. "Um hi there," Invetisto said in what he hopped was a calm, safe voice. "I um, seem to be having trouble with my mechanical body. Do you want to help me fix it?" Invetisto asked the crystal as it moved closer to him. The crystal stopped just short of the little millipede like creature that occupied and operated the suit. Invetisto held out all 100 of his hands to the crystal in order to show he had no negative intentions. The floating crystal moved forward again and touched it's point to the hands of Invetisto. Invetisto smiled and laughed as he rubbed the top of the crystal which seemed to ring in excitement and what Invetisto thought was happiness.

However before Invetisto could contemplate long the crystal shrunk down and entered the cockpit of the body. Invetisto watched as a beam of light emanated from crystal and landed on the trap door in the back of the cockpit. The door opened and the crystal entered the body of the machine. It wasn't long before another light appeared through the trap door and the machine started to tick again as the crystal left the trap door and floated towards Invetisto who laughed and rubbed the crystal again with great praise.

The female Thayne laughed as she watched Invetisto play with the crystal. "You two seem to be getting along," she said as a purple blush crossed Invetisto's cheeks and the tip of the crystal turned a darker green. she continued to chuckle for a few minutes before she finally calmed down. "Invetisto, I think you need to take this life crystal with you, It should be of some help for you later."

Invetisto gawked at her as she finished. Take such a sweet, delicate, and powerful creature out of this cave? Is she MAD? he thought as he continued to rub the creatures point which seemed to make the crystal glow with glee. True Invetisto was lonely but he didn't want to put this little guy in danger just to use as company.

The Thayne of course knew his thoughts and smiled, "That 'sweet delicate & powerful' crystal will be fine Invetisto. It can defend itself just fine. Besides, I think it can help you out a lot"

Invetisto looked up at the woman then back to the crystal with one long sigh, Invetisto relented. "Fine, it would be nice to have a companion that I can always trust by my side," He said before the crystal started to rub itself up against the Horlogorabolo with new found energy. The Thayne just laughed as the crystal continued to rub itself up against until both the crystal and Invetisto fell asleep crystal in the small arms of the little creature with a horrible and lonely past.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

(Conclusion Post)

Elf folk had a different understanding of time and continuity.

Their naturally immortality allowed them to see the vast ocean of time for what it was.

Time's great mysteries would unfold over the ages across the branches of a great tree. The tree of eternity. Elthas was also capable of seeing some of the branches of the tree, but only in a very limited sort of way. Under Delphinus' influence, Elthas could see one of the many branches of the tree. Time was ALWAYS in constant flux, so newer and newer branches always swirled into being. Elthas walked across a specific branch alongside the Thayne, Delphinus. Delphinus and Elthas spoke about the nature of things, and her teachings for him. The branch extended for several yards and Elthas walked the whole walk without complaining even once. He simply spoke to Delphinus as if she were an equal. Nay, a Teacher or SENSEI. Delphinus and Elthas spoke as they walked together side by side. Elthas wore white robes that were embroidered with gold. His green hair was done elegantly, and he wore his traditional Radasanth cut fedora. He was bare foot, as was she. They moved their hands in a very adamant sort of way as they walked and talked. Elthas keeping his eyes forward.

As a Thayne, Delphinus had instructed Elthas a considerable amount in the Thayne Codex.

But sincerely, Elthas ENJOYED talking to Delphinus.

She had insight, and offered lessons to Elthas about a great many matters.

At the end of the long tree branch, there was a door. Delphinus explained that the door was a gate from Phantaria. Phantaria was a land of doors and gates that lead to many mysteries. THAT particular gate was a Time Gate. Most importantly, it had a very specific set symbols written on it. The single word: "Elthas" was written in old High Elven language. Now Elthas, was a Forest Elf, but he could recognize the written symbols of his people. The syntax was different, but he knew it was High Elven and he had a rough idea that it was his own name. Delphinus and Elthas stepped through the Time Gate at the same time.

There was a white flash of light...

***

When Elthas came to next, he was sleeping where Delphinus had allowed him to earlier.

Elthas blinked a few times and looked up at her.

He moved so that he was in a sitting position, Invetisto had also decided to take a nap. Elthas looked at boss's current position and then towards Delphinus who watched them both with great interest. "How long did I sleep?" Elthas asked.

"The better part of forty hours." Delphinus explained. "You were able to fully recover from the injuries you received before, that was my bidding."

"It was you who interfered?" Elthas sighed.

"I had to or Cerberus would have killed you and your friend and we would have never gotten here." Delphinus explained.

"Well shit." Elthas stood up and stretched. That was the most he'd slept in many months. "I guess I owe you one." Elthas said in response to Delphinus. "While I was asleep, I saw something..." Elthas began to explain everything he dreamed about to Delphinus.

Delphinus listened calmly as he spoke and she kept that soft and warm smile always on her face.

As Elthas spoke he explained his dream in vivid detail. Elves had sharp senses usually and were capable of remembering many things. Elthas was no different. As he spoke he tried to recall every single detail no matter how seemingly small or insignificant it was. And as he spoke he noticed the boss was stirring from his own slumber. As he spoke he remembered the mysterious dream, and wondered exactly why it had occurred. As Elthas spoke, he felt as though a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He felt different, more relaxed and in much better spirit. Elthas spoke for the better part of an hour and Delphinus did not chime in even once. She merely listened. Once Elthas was done she nodded towards him.

"You are beginning to understand your place in this world. And you are beginning to grasp the mantle of the Champion you are meant to become." Delphinus explained. "Someday you will be tested. And when that day comes the world will know you for the Champion you are meant to be. Always remember that, Elthas."

"I will." Elthas responded.

And all though he knew he could have harvested some of the crystals for himself...he didn't.

For he'd gained something far more valuable that day...he'd gained a purpose.

~FIN~

[The Inventor]

(Conclusion Post for Invetisto)

Invetisto started to stir as did his crystal companion. Elthas had been asleep for nearly two days and while Elthas slept, Invetisto had gotten closer to his new crystal companion. Now he was sure that it was his fate to meet this elemental since the pain of loneliness seemed to dull as he spent time with the crystal. As he awoke on the third day of their journey, he noticed that Elthas had awoken and had started a conversation with the woman again.

Invetisto thought about all that had happened since they entered the cave. First they met a god, then they discovered that this cave was full of magic, then it was Elthas had fallen asleep. After that Invetisto met his new companion he had lovingly called Jade. Him and Jade had gotten closer as well as Invetisto discovered that the gem he had picked up was a one time use object. The gauge that had appeared in his suite earlier had disappeared that night and now he holds a small sack full of the crystals, mainly as food for Jade. He would have to return monthly to get more crystal for Jade... as well as for his personal use. This excursion may not bring in money for The Trading Company, but it did bring him a new companion and a new employee for the company.

All in all, it was a partial success that Invetisto would remember for a long time.

Spoils:

Companion:

Name: Jade
Race: Crystal
Personality: Friendly, protective, pacifist
Appearance: Jade is a green floating crystal... nothing else to say really
Skills:

Mechanic - Is good with machines, just like Invetisto. In fact, first helped Invetisto with his clockwork body when they first met.
Abilities:

Levitation - The ability to float around, Jade can move wherever he wants when he wants as long as it has room for him that is.
Telekinesis - The ability to lift items. Jade can lift light items to give to his master or even open doors when the need arises.

[Silence Sei]

Elthas

Pros

- Your character really developed in this thread, especially after the death of Crafters Three's character.

- Likewise, your conclusion to the thread was a nice little ribbon on top of a decent thread that left me wanting to learn more about Elthas

- You do a superb job of making other people's characters look great. I honestly was not invested in Invetisto until you started making him look like the hero. Post 19 was a great example of this.

Cons

- Sometimes a single post from you is very hard to digest as a reader. what I mean is while you put a lot of effort into your posts, sometimes I think even you lose the original focus of your writing. Gr4eat example is in post one where you talk about the documents then write three sentences in the same paragraph about Elthas' cheetah skin robes and the n go back to the documents in the same paragraph.

- You have to use the shoe don't tell method a bit more. In post 9 you say that Elthas was concerned how Hylda would react. It would be better to have his eyes shifting around, maybe some fidgeting of some sort to physically convey this concern rather than just saying he was concerned and being done with it.

- There were times when you capitalized words that did not need to be capitalized as such. Post 11 had you give an uppercase H to the word 'heroes'. If you were referring to a nickname, some apostraphes would have been a good fit to make it 'Heroes from the Hyakureiki Clan'


The Inventor

Pros

- You did a great job moving the story along while keeping your own character relevant to the story. So often characters like yours are overshadowed by Elthas' support role. I'm glad to see this was not the case here.

- Like with Elthas, you did excellent in making sure to share the spotlight with your friend. Each of you had glory moments as well as times where you stepped back to let the other take center stage.

- It was really cool seeing riddles I actually had to read to know the answer to. I don't know if you looked these up or came up with them on the fly, but I was really impressed regardless.

Cons

- Invetisto is an interesting character, but sometimes you don't seem to convey the right emotion for the time in the thread. Invetoisto's little jab about how the cave spirits need to 'lighten up' is a perfect example of this. Be sure to guage the overall tone of the thread before you post, and act accordingly.

- There were a lot of capitalization errors in your posts, and it made me wonder if you were writing from a phone that was autocorrecting you. there were also several homophone errors (You used 'seamed' when you meant 'seemed' at one point) Make sure you look at your post again to check if you've used the right homophone.

- Most paragraphs follow a 5-6 line style, 1 line for a sentence that hooks you, 3-4 relating to the topic in the first sentence, and a final conclusion sentence that leaves the reader wanting more. While I have no problem with bigger paragraphs, yours seemed to jump from place to place every so often. Try to keep on topic and if you have to separate your paragraphs into 4-6 sentences at a time, well, then that's what you have to do.

Crafters Three

Pros

- Though your part was brief, I was legit sad when the twins died, or moved on, or whatever it is they do when they are no more. It wasn't a super emotional moment, but you wrote it well enough to satisfy me as a reader.

- The fact that the trio seemed to become one with Elthas was a really clever twist.

- You kept your posts short and concise, and made sure your fellow roleplayers didn't have to detract too terribly much because of it.

Cons

- Your posts were too short for me to get a genuine feel for your characters. It would have done you some good to expand upon them some more, so their deaths were even more impactful

- Though you only had 3 posts, they each seemed to have a glaring spelling error to them. 'tiro' instead of 'trio' sticks out in my head the most. Be sure to run your posts through a word processor, or even read it out loud so you know it sounds right.

- Your resignation was confusing, as was what actually led to your demise. It's unfortunate to see a character go, but its harder to connect when the death is so abrupt.


Elthas Belthasar receives 1500 Exp 250 GP

The Inventor receives 1200 Exp 250 GP

Crafters Three receives 400 GP


The Inventors spoil is approved pending RoG approval.
Congrats!

EXP & GP Added!