Curse

Ristaron · Dec 26, 2005, 06:53 AM // 06:53

OOC: I am quite interested in joining in with you guys and your roleplays, I hope nobody minds. I would like to voice something I noticed though, and please take it as constructive critisism:
in roleplays based on games, it's always important not to think of the story from the game perspective. A strong example I'll put forward would be something like a cripple effect. Not lightly thrown around, and not recovered from in a matter of seconds. If someone is hamstrung, they're down - possibly for good. Same goes for the amount of hits someone can take with a sword.

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Midnight eyes looked out from beneath a deep hood that covered the onyx skin of Ristaron. The ranger had woken from his modest room in a nearby building when the commotion began outside, waking the light sleeper. Aware that his foreign appearance was not something particularly welcome in any tight situation, Ristaron looked between his wooden shudders to try to glimpse anything that would explain what was going on. What he had seen had drawn him out - but not before arming himself with his two rapiers (hanging in sheaths at his hips), and donning his hooded coat.
Gloved hands pushed open the front door of his building and he came around slowly to the side of the building he could see from outside his window. He was not completely surprised to find the centre of the crowd was a few paces away from something directly beneath his window, but he began to dread the repurcussions regardless of his lack of knowledge of what the centre of attention truly was.
One thing was for sure: he was glad he hadn't opened his window to look out.
Drawing his hood further down he prayed the moonlight was not so bright as to illuminate his face, and he began to weave through the growing crowd.
Whispers went around regarding thoughts, Ristaron knew that he had to see what was about to become the new case for the Lionguard soon. If he was seen anywhere peculiar talk would come about, and even his numerous friends in the Lionguard would not be able to say anything to discourage untrue notions.
For though he had many friends, Ristaron had many enemies.
Enemies that would slay him merely for the onyx colour of his skin, the pale white of his hair. All that marked him as an outsider.
The deft ranger took care not to bump anyone too hard as he made his way through the crowd, to look down on the corpse of Firstwatch Morgin.

OOC: Yes, this is open for everybody to roleplay in! The timeframe (as it came out as I wrote this piece) is obviously before Firstwatch Sergio was appointed Firstwatch (leader of the Lionguard), and clearly before the White Mantle became so widespread.
This is possibly one of their doings, and perhaps even a frame attempt on Ristaron... but we shall see how it works out with everyone posting (I won't attempt to dictate how it shall work out).

Storm Crow · Dec 26, 2005, 08:04 AM // 08:04

I think I'll take you offer on that open posting thread there, Ristaron. May I be the first.

Slowly, other members of the crowd took in the sight around them. A young elementalist was among the first in the vicinity at the time it had happened, and she knew the liongaurd would come and question her. Warily, she looked about her. She was well hidden in the cloaking of the cowd that had grown at the scene, and she pulled her hair back, tucking it into the back of her shirt and cloaking her head in a dark robe.

It was a grizzly scene. Blood lay in pools about the body of the Firstwatch. She preferred not to look, even ehough she could have handled the scene, the light of the torches would reflect her shining eyes, making her no longer a shadow. She must remain hidden.

Gently she pushed her way through the crowd of onlookers, thinking of only the inn in which she was homed. As she reached the edge if the audience, something caught her eye. The glint of steel. She thought nothing of it, until she looked up the body of whence the glint had come. She kept her thoughts to herself. There was already enough chaos for the next week or two, she did not want to heighten the outbursts by what she had seen. Not yet anyway.

Symeon · Dec 26, 2005, 08:31 AM // 08:31

OOC: Could turn into a nice story, I was thinking a kind of 'untrue suspects on the run from the Lionguard detectives' (us). In the game, it tries to make out that the Lionguard are good but controlled by the Mantle. But all organisations get too big for their boots eventually. The Lionguard could have been just as bad as the Mantle, perhaps seeking out potential enemies of the monarchy (there was a monarchy before the Mantle took over).
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The large crowd that had gathered around the body parted for a group of Lionguards, who walked straight through to the body of the dead guard. There was much whispering, pointing, and growing unease amongst the crowd. Something seemed very gripping about this situation; no-one appeared to be turning away.
Out of the corner of her eye, a purple haired necromancer in the crowd saw someone trying to push through the crowd on the opposite side of the body from where she was. It looked like a female, but the necromancer thought nothing of the person.
But suddenly, as the person broke through the edge of the crowd, a new whisper rose up. The necromancer saw the woman enter the nearby inn. Apparently, someone else had too.
'Over there,' someone said. 'A person's trying to get away.'
'Bah,' said the chief Lionguard. 'All witnesses will be questioned, whether they like it or not. Anyone here is a potential culprit of this crime. We will seek out anyone who tries to get away. Trying to escape from giving evidence to a case is a crime itself.'
But the necromancer, standing at the front of the crowd, didn't want to be questioned. She had nothing to do with this, she had merely come here out of interest. But how to get out? She looked behind her, only to see a bunch of faces that glared back at her.
She could not sneak out - her purple hair and distinctive bonelace clothing would be noticed easily. So, she must find another way. She had business to attend to and did not want to be kept here by some petty questioning.
Then she remembered the cloak she was wearing. This would at least half-cover her bonelace clothing and the hood would hide her hair. She pulled it over her to its full extent, then began to squeeze, politely but swiftly, through the crowd.
People noticed her instantly, but did not say anything, because the Lionguard had just told them that all who tried to get away would be sought out. Whispers were going around, and as the necromancer pushed out of the crowd and began to run, people started to point. The necromancer ran straight round the circular crowd, and into the inn. Whoever the other person was that had made their way out and intended to stay out, was a person to work with.

hawk3y3 · Dec 26, 2005, 02:13 PM // 14:13

OOC: I think I'll just watch, no offense and all, but I can't make things scary, only cliff-hangers...

Arcien Trueflight · Dec 26, 2005, 07:13 PM // 19:13

OOC: I'd like to join in. I'm a little rusty, to be sure, so, bear with me.

"Easy Sahari, it's alright girl." Arcien Trueflight patted the giant Stalker beside him lightly, trying to calm her. He knew she could smell the blood, and it was making her uneasy. Arcien wasn't a fool, and since he was crouched low on a hill overlooking the small courtyard where the body of Firstwatch Morgin lay, he could see the body clearly. It was mangled: It looked like there were dozens of puncture wounds and then cut to ribbons. Too far away to tell the punctures...But the gashes look like claw marks... Standing up and adjusting the Ivory bow on his back, he patted Sahari and said, "Let's go girl. I"m sure we'll have our run-in with them sooner or later. After all, it's hard to miss you." She growled, and they walked off, leaving the growing crowd and the body behind them.

Storm Crow · Dec 26, 2005, 07:40 PM // 19:40

OOC: awesome! more roleplayers!! ^^
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As the young elementalist entered her inn, she sighed with relief. The Liongaurd would not question her, if it was the last thing she decided. She walked over to the fireplace, and lay down on the couch in front of it. As she tried to concentrate on the flames, the door slammed. She looked up from her spot, and saw a necromancer, of dencent age to herself, hang a hooded cloak next to hers.

She payed no attention, but thought back, far back, in her memory. Something an old sage had told her years before. 'Do not think of them as enimies, young one, for those you think may be against you, could prove to be your greatest ally.'.

Ristaron · Dec 26, 2005, 08:46 PM // 20:46

Ristaron's eyes were glued to Firstwatch Morgin, the one man who had fought for his entry to the Golden City. Morgin had taken Ristaron before the King and vouched for the foreigner, and had taken responsibility for Ristaron's presence in the first term of the ranger's stay in Lion's Arch.
Knowing that many of the Lionguard did not share the views of the compassionate commander, Ristaron slid back through the rest of the crowd, years of life in the wilderness being drawn upon to keep a quiet passage to safety. Another was leaving the scene, hooded and trying to shrug suspicion. His midnight eyes followed the girl as she entered the inn, the same he was staying in. Another followed a short while later.
Letting another minute pass, Ristaron also went inside, considering the event.

Something didn't add up... the ranger would have awakened if there had been a fight beneath his window, but only the crowd that had gathered later had roused him from his sleep. Closing the inn door behind him, he checked that the lobby was empty. He then ascended the flight of stairs to his room on the second floor, and stood by the wooden-shuddered window.

Symeon · Dec 26, 2005, 09:44 PM // 21:44

As the necromancer hung her cloak on the peg, she noticed the other female look at her, but swiftly turn away. The necromancer stood for a second, thinking, then walked over to the door to her room on the ground floor. She noticed the other go to hers. No sooner than ten seconds after she shut the door, the necromancer heard footsteps in the lobby. She peered through a crack in the door to see a male, cloaked, walk straight across to the stairs and begin to ascend them.
Soon, she would have to talk to the other woman. She probably didn't know of the Lionguard that would come and seek her out, and the necromancer wondered if just like herself, the woman didn't want to be questioned. And the other male? Was he just a normal citizen? He was cloaked, but the necromancer had seen nothing strange about him. But then again, a lot of people were outside.
The necromancer sat down on a chair beside her dark coloured bed, and picked up an old chronicle of the foundings of Kryta that she had, with some difficulty, rented from the library. The Lionguard censored all writing very carefully, supposedly because there were rumors of threats to the monarchy and anything promoting the anti-monarchy notion had to go.
She placed it on her lap and turned the crusty yellow pages to where she had last left off - 'Chapter 6 - The Beginnings of the Monarchy'. The old handwriting was small and fancy. It took longer than usual, therefore, to read it.
The necromancer was not really thinking about it much. She was thinking more about the current situation, and her eyes skimmed several words on the page. The words themselves made her think about current parallels...legal, absolute, potential criminals, hierarchy, subjects, people, opposition, suspects, power...

ownage of teh elite · Dec 26, 2005, 10:35 PM // 22:35

Vanatiel peered down from his perch, on Magi Maliquires hill. The Signet Of Capture Expert was not there on that night though. The old man was long gone and had fled. Perhaps, he was even arriving at Quarrel Falls at this moment.

Lying on his belly, Vanatiel surveyed the scene. Blood. Lots of it. Vanatiel could barely contain his excitement. So much corpses! So much bodies! He alone could raise an ARMY with all these "tools" lying around! But Vanatiel knew he couldn't approach the dead bodies yet. It was too dangerous, someone might spot him. There were powerful people in the city, all aroused by the murders.

Some came to bury the dead...

Others came to raise them...

Vanatiel watched as the Firstwatch Lion Guard stood at his usual post, and looked around warily. Vanatiel could defeat him, but it wasn't going to be easy. The Firstwatch Lion Guard knew how to perform skills from all the professions, and taught people how to use them, for a price.

"Greedy Pig." Vanatiel whispered to himself, a smile forming on his lips.

Vanatiel couldn't wait anymore.

Standing up, he descended the steps.

Walking slowly, Vanatiel's armoured-feet moved in an rhythmic pattern upon the stone steps.

Click, Clank, Click, Clank...

The Firstwatch Lion Guard looked up.

...

But didn't see anything.

For Vanatiel was already cloaked in darkness, steadily stalking his prey.

Marik-Strife · Dec 26, 2005, 11:51 PM // 23:51

OCC:I am a bit rusty,haven't Rped in like 3 years..let's see if I still have it in me..
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Marik's light Crimson eyes stared out of his Fissure helm towards the bloodly corpse of a Lionguard.A slight grin formed upon his face as he stared into the scarlet puddle of blood.Marik was beginning to lose his sanity.He had to leave the scene quickly before he couldn't control himself anymore,he would of gone into his beserker mode,which would of only led to genocide of innocents.Marik's body quickly turned away from the murder scene as he raced threw the crowd towards the nearest place he could escape to,an Inn.Marik quickly pushed threw doors of the Inn,his eyes trailing around,looking at the beings that inhabitted it,a young female Elementalist and the Innkeeper.His gaze quickly turned from the two,as he began to walk up towards his room.He quietly opened up the door to his room and stepped inside,his room very dark,the curtains closed tight.Marik threw his belongings on the ground,his two gold bladded Sickles,his dark black cloak,and his helm.Marik walked towards his bed,he was feeling very emotionless,he quickly sat down on the bed,blinking softly as his eyes caught something on his right hand,blood stain.Marik's nose sniffed softly,the blood on his right hand smelling extremely familiar,and then it hit him,It was the blood from the lionguard he had just saw dead.'Did I do this?..'Marik whispered out to himself in a questioning emotionless tone.'Asura-San..' ......

Arcien Trueflight · Dec 27, 2005, 12:13 AM // 00:13

Something didn't add up. Firstwatch Morgin didn't have an enemy in the world: He was a beloved leader and devoted his entire life to the safety and happiness of Lion's Arch. Lost in his thoughts, Arcien barely noticed himself walking into the inn. Sahari's growl snapped him from his daze, and he looked around the common room to see a few people were getting a bit nervous about the large cat. "Sahari, go hunt. Find me in the morning." She let out a purr, and padded off, vanishing into the darkness. "Say, Range-" Arcien's head snapped to face his, and the glare he gave quieted him. Sitting at the bar, he ordered an ale, and just listened to the patrons, trying to see if there was anything useful he could overhear. He did see a strange look pass between a necromancer and a elementalist, but, he dismissed it readily. If I'm right, this is going to get much worse before it gets better... He smiled over his ale. Going to be quite a ride...

Storm Crow · Dec 27, 2005, 02:24 AM // 02:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monseir

...and murder. Murder? Why does that word seem to dance across the page with apparent glee and slowly twist and change. Murder. Just the sound of it made her shiver. Sch a strong word, such a word that would...change those who had seen it. And change is what it did. She stopped. She heard the person in the room above her pace slowly across. Light as a feather the sound was only whisper across the pine boards. Only a ranger could be that fleet and light-footed. She wondered why he would be pacing? Was he too fleeing the scene? That would come later for now she continued to read.

OOC:it's impolite to play another persons character.

something tells me you arent aware of the guidelines posted on this forum. Go read them
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Silently the elementalist rose from her place on the dark crimson couch. She walked past the bar, giving the ranger that had entered earlier a slight glare. She quickly threw out the thought of him having any part in this, and quickly ascended the staircase to the second floor of the inn.

She quietly flitted down the hall, to the last room on the right side. The door squeaked a bit on it's hinges as she slowly pulled open the door. She shut it silently behind her, flipping the lock just above her eye level. She proceeded to the end of the four poster canopy bed that was placed before the hearth, and pulled off her boots, gracefully embroidered in a flame-like pattern. She placed her hand out before herself, palm down, and with a quick flip of her wrist, brought it up, flame emitting from the center of her palm. She drew her hand towards her, and blew the flame from her hand to the awaiting logs in the hearth.

She quietly turned herself on the bed, looking back into the shadow cast by partially drawn curtians. Two gleaming eyes stared back at her, and the end of an earth colored muzzle made it's way out of the shadow, and into the soft glow of the firelight. A padded paw followed the outcome of the muzzle, and five razor sharp claws dug into the black bedspread. Slowly the frame of a large cat emerged from the shadows, and made its way from the bed to lay on the rug at the foot of the four poster.

The elementalist kneeled by the cat and pet him, softly whispering in his ear. "Quiet now, Gari. Keep the flames company, I'll be back."

With these words, she rose from her place and went to the small closet attached to the room. Here she quickly changed her armor, letting the lace of the sleeves and stockings hug her curves, and the black flames throw themselves against her. She also brought with her a shining steel blade, tucked quietly away in a flame hewn sheath. She attached it to her waist, and went to the window. She quickly threw open the curtians and opened the double paned glass window, looking out into the alley below. Not a soul was there.

She looked back into her room. Then silently moved out onto the small sill that lay outside, drawing the curtians and closing the window behind herself. To her left was a small sign, horseshoe shaped and the paint peeling, but from what she could make out, the inn was called the Lucky Shoe. She cared not, but used the sign and swung down into the alley, making her way back to the crowd and the body of Firstwach Morgin, knowing Garion had strict orders to fell anyone who attempted to get into her room.

ownage of teh elite · Dec 27, 2005, 03:13 AM // 03:13

The icey cold grip of death choked the Firstwatch Lion guard.

With eyes wide from disbelief, the Firstwatch Lion Guard fell and passed onto the afterlife.

Vanatiel's fingers left blue marks upon the Lion Guard's neck.

Laughing to himself, Vanatiel put his gloves back on, and took out his staff of death.

Raising it, he proceeded to summon his minions.

While doing so, he noticed an inn, not so far away, filled with the hustle bustle of humans.

That won't do...I still need more bodies he thought to himself.

When Vanatiel was finished raising the dead from all the corpses in the area, he walked to the Inn.

The inn's windows gave out light, which burnt his eyes.

"Argh. Damn Light." Vanatiel said, shielding his eyes.

Keeping his eyes covered, Vanatiel walked up to the door, and knocked once.

Without waiting for a reply, he kicked the door down and used the powers of darkness to cloak the light.

It was now truly pitch black.

Vanatiel turned, and walked out of the inn, commanding his minions to go inside and kill everything that was alive.

Smiling to himself, he sat down, and watched the pale moon ascend into Kryta's dark sky, while screams were heard.

Storm Crow · Dec 27, 2005, 03:28 AM // 03:28

As she made back to the body, she felt Garion raise. He would not leave his perch unless there was something wrong. Quickly she raced back to the Lucky Shoe, sword drawn.

The door had been kicked in, and it smelled strongly of something unhuman. She stepped through the threshhold, flicking a ball of flame up in her hand. Slowly she walked about the bodies of commoners, using the flame to guide her way. She tightened her grip on her hilt, but silently sheathed it. Cold rushed up her spine, and she turned ever so slightly, giving a faint whistle to her Stalker. She inched her blade from the sheath, walking back towards where the fireplace had been. A glint off the steel illuminated a man unknown to her.

She jumped into the air, landing softly behind him. As he turned to look, she pinned him against the wall at the neck with the flat of her blade.

"Who are you, and what is your buisness here?" She asked sharply.

ownage of teh elite · Dec 27, 2005, 03:56 AM // 03:56

Vanatiel smiled.

"My my my...aren't you sneaky? Pretty too, if I might add." he whispered, his eyes glinting.

"You'd do nicely for my 'collection'!"

The necromancer looked at her with his hazel eyes, captivating her in it's depths.

It only took one second.

Vanatiel reached around the womans body, quickly dropping his gloves.

Pulling his arms back, he pulled her closer to him, making her immobile with his icy grip upon the back of her neck.

"Got you, didn't I?" he whispered into her ear.

Vanatiel's grip tightened.

"Who will save you now?" he whispered again...

Storm Crow · Dec 27, 2005, 05:05 AM // 05:05

"You'll see." She said, sneering at him. She gave a shrill whistle, and Garion came from his hide in the shadows. She jerked her head back, squeezing his hand between her head and shoulder blades, and Garion swiped his razor sharp claws through his flesh, nearly meeting bone. At the same time, she brought her knee to her chest, pushing her heel into the center of his ribcage.

It wasnt the most pleasant of positions, but it worked well enough. Garion then had room to shred the leg of her captor, causing him to fall over onto his good knee. She took this agvantage and trapped his neck in the space between the heel and toe of her boot.

"Be sure, your sins will find you out. Your past will hunt you down, and return to tell on you."

Garion's jaw replaced her boot as she went off to look for survivors. He had orders to bite clean if the man moved.

Marik-Strife · Dec 27, 2005, 05:30 AM // 05:30

Marik suddenly came back to reality hearing the commotion from downstairs, no longer lost in deep emotionless thought.Marik quickly got up from his place on the bed,and reached down for his crimson dyed fissure helm.Marik put it on his head swiftly,wanting to go see what the commotion was.He picked up his belt which his two gold bladded sickles reside on,both in their sheaths,on his left and right side.Marik put the belt around his waist quickly and clipped the front part of it so it was secure around him.He opened the door racing out of it quickly,running down the stairs towards the Inn lobby.

His crimson eyes look before him to see an Extremely paled skin Necromancer on his knees with some sort of creature he couldn't make out looking ready to attack.He walked forward towards the necromancer and the creature.He came close enough to see what the creature was,a cat.Marik turned his gaze from the feline towards the Necro.Marik's eyes peered down at it with disgust.He sat there staring down at it for a while,nothing saying or doing anything but staring.

Storm Crow · Dec 27, 2005, 05:46 AM // 05:46

The elementalist had had no luck. Most doors were locked, and she hoped the inhabitants were still alive inside. She returned to her Stalkers captive, seeing a new being there with him.

She drew her blade and quickly strode to him. As she was within a few feet of him, he turned and stood up. He was a little taller than herself, but she put the egde og her blade on his neck all the same.

"Explain yourself." She said.

Garion had lay down by his captive, his jaws still perched upon his neck, but at the sound of his mistress's voice he began to loosen his hold.

She spoke to him in an old tongue of the elements, that almost no one knew. "No Garion. You heard what I said to him. He made the bed he lies on, let him reap what he has sown."

Marik-Strife · Dec 27, 2005, 06:07 AM // 06:07

Marik's gaze turned to the young Elementalist Standing before him.He opened his mouth and asked in a quiet questioning tone "What is going on here?".

Storm Crow · Dec 27, 2005, 06:09 AM // 06:09

"Tell me who you are, and why you're here, and I'll explain everything. That is, if I don't kill you first."