Curse

Ristaron · Apr 17, 2006, 03:23 AM // 03:23

Don't join in just yet, I want to introduce this character first... possibly get a little bit of a plot going. Who knows, I may not even continue with the character... but at least it will be something to read.

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

The stuffy air was rank with alcohol as the night-time crowd began to liven up. The Leaky Fawcette was a run-down pub of poor management and poorer service, but it had ample room and excellent drink - two key factors in its success in the poor neighbourhood. Street rats and alley thugs mingled as equals in these oak walls, their blood-feuds and bone-deep vendettas checked at the door to be reclaimed when they left.
It was the perfect place for a business meeting among the underground guilds that held the true power in the coastal city of Boarbeen.

Arial looked up from her untouched mead to aknowledge the arrival of three men looking extremely out of place. Unable to contain all of her amusement, she lifted her mug to hide the slight curve of the corners of her flush lips. The surface level associates to her guild had resented the choice of venue, but the officers had made it clear that Arial would meet them nowhere else.

"Greetings", she voiced as they took seats at the table. She had chosen a more quiet recess of the pub for the sake of privacy, but also so she did not have to raise her voice over the clamour of the inevitable bar-fights and arguments over billiard-games.
"Arial Fertuna?" one of them inquired. A slight nod was all she offered. Though their location was private, her name was not something she wished spoken aloud in such a location. She was not confused with the slightly confused looks they exchanged.
Arial Fertuna had an extensive reputation among the circle of major guilds within the city. It was common rumour that she was the most powerful Elementalist on the Orrian Coast, and not without any proof. She had singlehandedly destroyed entire attack teams in the frequent guild wars of the city, and set the bar for arcane mastery across all of Tyria.
But disguising this radical power was a seemingly innocent young woman. Arial was barely five feet, with an extremely youthful visage that had earned her the nickname 'babyface' among her closest comrades. Her shoulder-length golden hair contrasted her dark eyebrows and emerald green eyes, but complimented her small, rounded nose.

After the associates had gotten comfortable, the previous speaker removed his small-brimmed hat and set it gently down on the table before him. Waving away a wench who had come to take requests for drinks, the man leaned forward in his chair. The soft glow of the low-candle reversed the normal contrasts of his face, brightening the normally shaded areas of his face and casting shadows over his forehead and upper lip - making him look more like a denizen of the planes of fire than a preppy beurocrat of a well-known guild.

"I have never been one to waste time with pleasantries, Miss Fertune", he spoke softly, "so please permit me to get to the point. We can both get out of here more quickly." Never breaking eye-contact with the associate, Arial considered just how uncomfortable he must be in a dank bar in the worst corner of the immense city.
"I have grown tired of waiting", she conceded to his offer in her usual feminine voice.
The man began tracing the edge of the brim of his hat as he tried to remember the wording he had no doubt practiced many times before this moment. Arial waited patiently, preferring to hear a more professional explanation than an improvised one. At last, the man turned his soft blue eyes to the the Elementalist's emerald ones.
"What you're about to hear is for your ears only, and not those of your superiors or your friends. This information is extremely valuable, and has already found its way into a few of the wrong hands."
A little wary of what the man was going to tell her, the young Elementalist gave another nod to seal the agreement of silence. Confident in the word of the reputable woman, the associate continued.
"Recently, a parchment was recovered from an ancient crypt in Northern Ascalon. In its lengthy recording of Tyria's history, there was mention of a very powerful artifact - an arcane focus from a time when magic was still unregulated, and humans destroyed each other every day. Though information on it is limited, we have known of the existence of something called the Arcane Vindican, which fits the description."
Arial kept her face emotionless, despite her now keen interest in the information she was recieving. She, too, had heard of the Arcane Vindican, but had dismissed it as legend. The stories told that the same invaders against whom the Watchtowers of Kryta were constructed had been the original creators of the Charr race - a brutal adulteration of many animal species. These long-gone people had been masters of the Arcane arts, and had made many artifacts that had enabled them to create dozens of gateways from their Northern cities to bygone locations scattered throughout the world. When civil war destroyed their incredible nation, very few of these artifacts survived. Only one was documented, but its location had been lost.
The keen Elementalist could not help herself, and she broke her placid demeanor.
"Did it have its location?" she inquired quickly. She regretted the outburst a moment later, for the associate leant back a little in his new confidence. She had yielded him the upper hand of the conversation.
"In a way", he answered after a few suspenseful moments. Arial's emerald eyes narrowed as she locked her gaze on the man. The associate had enough sense to take the intense stare as a sign that the seemingly innocent girl had quite a punch, and he leaned forward again.
"I would be willing to offer you the parchment", he said softly, "but there are strings attached."
"As always", Arial remarked softly. Her lack of objection was the only cue the associate needed.
"You'll be taking two of our people along with you, members we will choose", he began, "and you will travel under the mark of one of our sub-guilds - as well as travelling under another name. You can keep the artifact, if you find it, but you will have to join us if you decide to keep it; you can be an officer, no problem, but you work for us.
Lastly, if you decide not to keep it, you must hand it over to us. We will pay you more money than you could ever need."
Arial considered these conditions carefully. They were completely reasonable (and left room for 'mysterious accidents' to happen to the escorts), and left nothing for her to lose... aside from time and - though unlikely - her life. Northern Ascalon was dangerous, hydras and Charr and Earth Spirits rampant.
The chance of danger, the thrill of adventure, and her desire for the key to almost undefeatable power made the decision for her.
"Deal".

Storm Crow · Apr 17, 2006, 06:33 AM // 06:33

I believe it is spelled "faucet" not "fawcette". Even if it is a local mis-spelling of the word, it deserves to be recognized.

Ristaron · Apr 17, 2006, 08:59 PM // 20:59

You are correct. I had forgotten to include that it was a mistake on the part of the owner of the place, who had made the sign for the pub (which I used as the title for the thread).

Ristaron · Apr 17, 2006, 10:15 PM // 22:15

"I hear you're taking a trip".
Arial looked up from the desk in the corner of her room. Beniras Urandar, the leader of her guild stood in her doorway, his arms crossed, leaning on the solid oak frame.
"Have you ever heard of knocking?" the Elementalist replied curtly. Beniras may have been her guild lord, but Arial expected everyone to maintain etiquette in her presence.
"My apologies", the tall, dark haired man answered, flashing his white teeth. "I didn't want to have you send me away without knowing who it was". Arial bit back a rude quip that had popped into her mind. As compassionate and fair as her guild lord was, the man was a quintessential prick when it came to such things as opinions. Had it not been for his incredible leadership skills and undeniable skill with a blade, the swashbuckling Orrian probably would have always remained as a first mate on some mediocre class schooner sailing between Tyria and Cantha twice a month.
Beniras kept his pleasant blue eyes on the unpredictable Elementalist as he entered her room. The previous owners had been evicted to make way for the powerful young woman as she had climbed quickly up the ladder of the organization. Their next guild battle, Beniras had promised, would decide whether or not she was ready to become an officer.
As the warrior took a seat on a chair that stood against the pine wall beside Arial's desk, he produced a small purse. With a casual flick of his wrist, the man tossed it expertly straight towards the young Elementalist. Arial deftly caught it in mid-air and weighed the contents as she gently shook it. The telltale jingle of currency brought a grin to her face.
"Thirty gold", Beniras confirmed, "should be enough for all your accomodations from here to Ascalon". Knowing it was only a lucky guess that the man had mentioned her destination, she tucked the pouch inside her cloak, confident that her plan was still her own.
"Thank you", she replied simply, and took her quill up again.
"How long will you be gone?" Beniras inquired, a touch of concern in his tone. It was miniscule, but Arial caught it.
"Why?" the Elementalist replied, her dainty eyebrows furrowing a little. The guild lord didn't respond for a moment, but Arial didn't press him. Taking a deep breath and leaning forward in his seat, the seasoned warrior folded his hands on his lap as he began.
"It won't take long for our rivals to find out that you've left. Even if you depart in secret, your absense is something people will notice".
The Elementalist nodded slightly, starting to understand.
"You all can handle yourselves without me", she replied softly, but with a measure of confidence to reassure the man. "Just step up defenses for a little while, when they find out I'm not here they'll look for weaknesses. If they don't find any, they won't risk starting a war that may last until I return".
Smiling and showing off his rows of white teeth, Beniras tossed her a second purse and stood up. Ariel caught this one just as deftly as the last and smirked as she weighed it, knowing there was obviously another thirty coins inside. The Elementalist stood from her own chair and came around the desk to return a farewell hug the guild lord offered.
"Are you sure you won't take anyone with you?" he asked as they parted. Arial had to crank her neck to meet his warm gaze. She considered his question carefully, having had second thoughts about her decision the first time he had asked. The associates had not declared that she couldn't also take along someone, merely that she had to take two of their people.
Her florid lips curved into a gentle smile as her emerald eyes saw only the desire to help in the visage of her guild lord.
"Can you spare anybody else?" she asked. After giving a mock-pensive expression, he nodded his head a few times.
"Not an army, but a travelling companion or two".
Patting his strong chest in thanks, she leant back against her solid oak desk and conceded to the benefits of taking along someone she knew she could trust.
"I think I will take someone".

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

Okies... if I have other people join in, you all need to know my thoughts for the roleplay. (They're really not that strict, just so we know what to do and can build up mystery and clues.)
1) It's set just before the Searing (a month or two)
2) The Orrian city they are in is set pretty much the furthest West you can go on the Orrian peninsula (meaning she's taking a boat to Lion's Arch harbor, then going through the Borlis pass to get to Ascalon).
3) Encounters with the Charr must be kept to a minimum, with a skirmish or two before some larger battle North of the Great Wall as the beasts descend into Ascalon. A few people can't take on half the Charr army.
4) They should find the artifact, and Arial's original selfish intentions to use it should be overpowered by some revelation that leaves the party knowing they needs to destroy it. Of course, it will take more than the power of a mortal party to unmake so powerful a tool.
5) Gold is not an unlimited resource... thirty gold is a lot... sixty is a small fortune. A thousand is a King's ransome!

Godmoding won't be tollerated. If your character is good, they're good, but a warrior can't singlehandedly take on thirty mountain trolls, regardless of how fancy his skillbar is. This also means there are consequences and repercussions to everything they do - including talking back to the captain of a city's guard (which I'm sure Arial will do at some point... please beware).

I don't believe in the OP having control over members of the roleplay, but if problems arise - do know that I hate it when stories get ruined.

If there is anybody brave enough to join in, I don't care if your character is a human, a dwarf, an assassin, or a frog... just please, please, PLEASE (for the love of God please) (did I say 'please' yet?) do NOT go overboard on something like an Asian theme. Characters in Factions are NOT Samurais and ninjas, and we don't have Holy Orders of Medieval Knights of the Triangular Table of Chivalry in Tyria - we have guilds and factions (though, there could always be a guild called the Holy Order of Medieval Knights of the Triangular Table of Chivalry in Tyria...).

I need 3 other people, 2 of whom to play characters of the associate guild, one of whom to be Arial's chosen companion for the road. Yes, only four people right now, it gives each character a rather equal role in the story... that way there aren't one or two important people and another six along for the ride.

Goats17 · Apr 18, 2006, 09:27 PM // 21:27

(OOC: Hey, I think I'll join you in your quest. Just a short introduction first for me, but I might post more later when i'm done my homework. Just a note, Dornath has a Bone Fiend that does not expierience degen. It's basically a pet in a Fiend skin.)

IC: Dornath waited patiently outside the Hall. He knew Arial wouldn't be long. He was already packed and Granite was circling around him, stopping every so often to scratch the dirt.

He looked around and then called out quietly. He waited the customary 3 seconds, then recieved his answer. It came in the form of his father coming out from his hiding place.
"Are you sure that you want to do this son? We can shelter you. Give you a place to live ad a job." " No dad," Dornath said with a sneer, "I want to do things on my own, I don't want you sheltering me my whole life. I have imense power with Necrotics. Now, leave, before I set Granite on you." is father looked with horror at his son's.........'pet' and then said with a hint of depression." Fine then son, just, take this with you." He handed him a purse full of money. "There's about 200 gold pieces in there. Don't spend it all. It's your inheiritance money." Then he walked off proudly, smiling at all the people who kneeled to him and called him 'Sir'.

Dornath was a bit shaken from his father's request, and the large fortune he had just handed him. He had always hated his father ever since that night.......NO, he stopped himself. He had vowed never to even think about those years again. He would just hate his father for his whole life.

"Geez, where is she boy? Not even a woman should be taking this long." He stalked over to the nearest wall and sat down at it, closing his eyes for just a second. He just needed some peace and quiet...............just some peace and some quiet............Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Granite soon followed into a shallow slumber.

Ristaron · Apr 18, 2006, 11:11 PM // 23:11

Arial arrived a few moments after Dornath had drifted into a light sleep. Checking the inside pocket of her light robes, she felt the reassuring touch of smooth wood. The wand had been a gift from her mentor, a powerful tool. Many Elementalists never got their hands on a focus, instead relying on their raw inherent magic.
Though capable with her refined talents alone, Arial had no objection to using something that gave her a great upper hand.
After all, honour means nothing to you if you are dead, right?

Patting the bun she had just tied her soft golden hair into a few minutes earlier, Arial stopped in the centre of the the antechamber that serves as the entrance to the massive manor that served as the guild hall for the organization. Her emerald eyes glared scrutinizingly at her sleeping travelling partner.

Crossing the terracotta floor, she contemplated immolating him for his lack of manners. The desire to start the long journey off on the right foot checked her anger, and in the end she resorted to a swift kick delivered to the bottom of her sleeping friend's foot.

As Dornath awoke with a start, Arial started for the door, lifting the deep hood of her soft linen robe as she went.

Goats17 · Apr 18, 2006, 11:31 PM // 23:31

"OUCH! what did you do that for, eh?" Dornath rubbed the bottom of his foot as he stood up adn began to walk along with his companion. He had known that the journey would get ugly quickly. <Well,> he thought, <atleast she saved her anger for the new guild guys coming with us hmm?> Granite looked at him and then responded with his own thought. <I will trip her up later for kicking you>

Ristaron · Apr 20, 2006, 01:06 AM // 01:06

The Orrian sun was as relentless as ever, bearing down on Arial with the heat of a lit oven. Not about to break a sweat before even leaving the city, Arial summoned a cooling breeze that drifted calmly around her. Careful to stimulate only a small amount of the moisture in the air, the Elementalist exerted more control over air and water as she walked along quietly than a starting mage did in an entire year of training.

Ever since she had been a child, Arial had shown talent with the elements. By the age of five she cooled her hot poradge by sticking her slender finger into the food. By the age of eight she could light a fire with her own inherent mana. By the age of twelve she could cover the back yard of her home in the shanties of the city with fluffy white snow.
At the age of fifteen she had seen agents of a small guild kill one of her friends over a few coins. It was such a petty squabble with such devastating consequences, for Arial and for the agents.
In her rage, the young girl immolated the men with fire so hot their ashes were blowing in the wind before they hit the ground.

A tall warrior had been approaching to help Arial as she went against the men. Seeing her devastating power had rendered his aid unnecessary, he took an interest in the young Elementalist. After assessing just how powerful the young girl was, and meeting with her several times to see if her spitfire attitude was normal to her, he had inducted her into his small guild.
Though Beniras Urandar would never have known when he first saw her, he was certainly not surprised when she continued to flourish and grow more powerful.
With the help of the young Elementalist, Beniras' guild rose in power and status faster than any other in the history of the city. Soon they were one of the most powerful and influencial organizations in Boarbeen.

Now in her twentieth year, Arial Fertuna was about to embark on a long quest that may turn her reputation from the most powerful Elementalist in Boarbeen to the most powerful Elementalist in Tyria.

Symeon · Apr 22, 2006, 08:06 PM // 20:06

(OOC: I'm going to RP a Mo/Me boon prot monk. From what I've read, I'm guessing the current location is in some kind of guild living quarters, and as you mentioned a door, that you've just come out onto the street. Note - this monk meditates and often looks to be talking to himself, he has spent most of his life before joining the guild in service at the Temple of Dwayna in the city and thus got into such practices.)

Aethrilon the Blessed sat on a crumbling wooden bench on a street in the middle of Boarbeen, cradling a small woven bag with a strap ideally put around the neck. Inside this sack were various essential belongings to him, including his Holy Rod and Divine Focus, some meditation and prayer scrolls and a tiny roll of linen fabric that he had taken from the clothing of one of the most revered monks of the city before his death.

As a monk who had dedicated most of his life up until now to serving Dwayna in her most holy temple in the city, Aethrilon was considered by others in the same profession to have gained Dwayna's divine favor, and so like many others before him had received the title of 'Blessed'. Like other monks who had achieved this, Aethrilon had followed the monk's path right from the beginning, moving up through lower schools and academies of the profession with great success.

Only the month before, Aethrilon had received his first ever guild invitation. It was not from anyone he knew personally, and he was quite shocked to be interrupted in his meditation by such a message. But the offers that the guild made tempted him greatly despite all his years serving in Dwayna's temple. He had decided it was finally time to move on, and accepted the invitation, moving into the guild's living quarters. Though he spent a lot of time with the guild now, Aethrilon still managed to visit Dwayna's temple everyday and fit in an hour's meditating session.

Aethrilon had heard of an expedition being undertaken by a guild officer, Arial, supposedly somewhere north of Orr, but he did not know where. He knew not the purpose for it, but was enthusiastic about the possibility of an adventure outside Orr.

And so at this moment he sat in the street outside the guild's living quarters, readily packed, waiting for Arial and the other guild members to come out so that he could offer his assistance in the expedition.

Ristaron · Apr 23, 2006, 02:45 AM // 02:45

(OOC: Hm, I thought I had made it known that Arial's destination was not known by the guild... Beniras had guessed Ascalon, and the only reason Arial didn't tell him it wasn't is because she didn't want to lie to her guild leader. Dornath shouldn't even know for sure where the destination is... not that Arial knows the exact location either.

It's only a trivial point, but all the same, I felt it should be known. The guild members probably won't find out exactly where until the associate guild's escort members hand over the scrolls to Arial.)

Symeon · Apr 23, 2006, 07:40 AM // 07:40

(OOC: Edited. Aethrilon only guessed it is somewhere north of Orr)

Ristaron · Apr 24, 2006, 12:04 AM // 00:04

Arial had barely gone ten paces from the guild hall before she spotted a face she knew. The monk was an enigmatic man, to her knowledge, her relation to him was by aquaintance only. He had been in her party once, during a guild battle a few years earlier - before Arial had built her reputation. The enemy guild's leader had a blood vendetta with Beniras, and had bitten off more than he could chew by launching an assault against them.
Coming up beside Aethrilon, Arial turned to sit on the unused section of the rock the monk was seated on.
"I suppose you want to come to", the Elementalist said softly. Under her exhasperated tone was some relief, though. Having a monk on board greatly increased her faith in the party.

As she awaited his response, she gazed back towards the guild hall. The busy street obstructed the view of the first floor, but the second and third floors were clearly visible above the heads of the crowd. The building looked highly run-down on the outside, with a few of the windows boarded up and the guardrail of the small balcony visible from the street was broken. Inside, however, was a place one could feel at home in. Soft orange painted walls were the screen for the flickering golden patterns that came through the lampshades of the many candellabra mounted on the walls. Every bedroom was inviting, with a double-bed and a large oak wardrobe. There were two libraries and three lounges, as well as a large hall on the first floor that served as dining room for mealtimes. The kitchens were always open, attended by some of Boarbeen's best chefs.
Beneath the visible mansion was a series of large basements, one of which was the main guild library, another a combat training area. These basements connected by reinforced corridors in a network that extended to three large warehouses that held what the guild hall could not, and served as so-called 'neutral' meeting places for dealings with other guilds.

This unseen empire was the true power of the guild. The mansion Arial now looked at with her emerald eyes was a figurehead, albeit an ugly one from the outside.
How she admired the deceptive nature of her guild.

Symeon · Apr 24, 2006, 06:43 AM // 06:43

Aethrilon turned to see Arial come to sit down beside him. He hardly knew her, nor many of the guild's members, and yet he was very enthusiastic about fighting alongside them in whatever quest Arial was going on.

"It would be an honour," he replied to Arial. "For I have never ventured outside Orr before."

He smiled and flung the strap of his bag over his shaven head so that it hung around his neck.

"When do we depart? I'm ready here and now."

Selerious · Apr 24, 2006, 09:28 AM // 09:28

So theres one spot left for the party and that is the position of one of the associate guild members. If so I will join, Merrin Victora an axe W/Mo.

Goats17 · Apr 24, 2006, 08:24 PM // 20:24

Dornath closed the door to his Guild Hall just as the monk standing there spoke. HE walked along, briefly aware that Granite was following close behind. It was starting again. Every time he saw a monk his old hatred rose up in him. He wanted nothing more than to strike the one in front of him down. But, he couldn’t. Arial had already seen him, and knew that he was one of the members from the other guild coming with them. < I guess it makes sense that a monk is coming. I wouldn’t be able to keep any of the others healed but myself if we got into a large fight. DO NOT ATTACK HIM GRANITE!> He woke up from the huge amount of concentration required to establish a mental connection like the one he and Granite had. Then, he shook his head, and went up to the monk.
“Hello, I’m Dornath Fallacy, the necromancer and resident Curses master in the guild. This is Granite, my minion. Who are you?”

Ristaron · Apr 24, 2006, 09:05 PM // 21:05

(( OOC: Selerious, I'm going to expand it to allow 5, since there are now two people from Arial's guild accompanying her. There were previously 4 spaces allowed, but as things developped there came to be a little more room. So yes, you can join. ))

Selerious · Apr 25, 2006, 02:14 AM // 02:14

Ok thanks Ristaron.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merrin sprinted down the street towards Her contacts Guild hall, She was late and was kicking herself for her Idiocy, the severe headache pounding through her head from the copious amounts of Dwarven Ale drunk last night didn't help her mood either. The streets passed quickly as Merrin approached the associates guild hall, dodging as many of the people in the street, even so curses of rage followed behind her from the disturbed, at least none recognised her, one more strike and she was due for the cells beneath the Guards barracks, causing a brawl that started the burning down of two of the better Inns in the town would do that.

Turning the last corner Merrin passed out into the open square infront of the guild hall pausing to spot the associate using her description, short, young with emerald eyes. It took less than a second to find the person standing along with two others, one a monk the other obviously a Necromancer, a bone fiend by his side. Merrin knew of no others for the trip besides another from the guild, but there was no orders to not take anyone else along. Merrin took one last look over herself before she approached, checking if she was tidy, Her chainmail was clean, no spots of Rust or dirt exposed, her cleaver hung at her side and checking the Tall shield was strapped over her pack containing essentials for the trip before lastly patting her blond hair back and tying it there.

Seeing that everything seemed fine, Merrin approached the young woman, stopping infront of her and collecting her thoughts from the headache. "Greetings, the name's Merrin Victora, Junior Officer and I am to be your contact with the Association on this trip."

Goats17 · Apr 25, 2006, 02:18 AM // 02:18

(OOC: Oooooooh, we have a drunk coming with us! ^_^ Joking Selerious. I'm just joking........................)

Selerious · Apr 25, 2006, 02:55 AM // 02:55

(OOC: hahaha, well Merrin is a bit of a scounderal and who doesn't like a drink or two

)

Ristaron · Apr 25, 2006, 09:56 PM // 21:56

"I am Guyana Thelma", Arial answered, using the undercover name she had shared with the associate guild before their parting a few nights ago. Noticing the absence of the second associate, the fiery young Elementalist grew somewhat irate with the delay.
"Where is your partner?" she asked curtly.