Aervana #1 - Group 1 (IC Thread)

[Flux]

Gillem arrived at the designated meeting place fairly early. He had expected to be the first one outside the tavern, but Kho was already there, looking ready to get moving at a moment's notice. Gillem called out to him as he approached. "Hey there! You're certainly up early." He gave a knowing grin. "Can't say I blame you, though. I'm itching to get started as well."

Kho turned to face him. "I just... don't like staying in one place for very long," he mumbled, looking off in the distance. "I guess it's just the way we nomads are."

Gillem watched the calm man. He was quiet, that was for sure, but he was also cool and collected. Gillem wanted to get to get to know him; to give him someone to open up to. "Well," he thought, "I may not be having much luck with that now, but we have the whole journey ahead of us. By the end of all of this, I expect I'll have become good friends with all of our group."

For now, there was nothing to do but wait for the others.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Olrien awoke bright and early. He went out wander town a bit before meeting everyone for the journey.

After about 2 hours he started to wander towards the meeting place, He could see Kho and Gillem from a distance. He strode up quickly and gracefully to meet them. He was not sure if either of them would notice the fresh binding on his hand from the self-inflicted wound from last night, but he didn't care. His tenets were his tenets, he didn't care if the Men didn't understand it.

"Lovely Morning isn't it Sir Gillem?" said Olrien in a pleasent voice as he strode in. "Oh, and Greetings to you as well Kho."

"I hope you gentleman don't mind a bit of music." he said rather excitedly. "Though I am no Bard I do play music. I have to say the magic they weave with theirs is astounding, Sadly, we Elves don't much talent for that. We all want to learn traditional magic." He pulled out a small wooden Flute and begin to play a simple tune. Though it was simple, it was rather beautiful and upbeat, having a tinge of sadness in it. It was a subtle touch on the song, it might not have been noticed if you weren't listening closely.

[Chevaleresse]

Braius, after dressing himself and undergoing his various morning rituals, strolled out of his room and toward the meeting area, a bit bleary-eyed but wide awake. When he arrived, Olrien was just beginning his tune. He closed his eyes contentedly, listening to the tune. "Ah, brings back memories. . ." he said when the song ended. "Haven't heard that one in a while; it's a lovely piece, but I can't recall the name of the tune." He fished about in his pack for a moment, but evidently did not find what he was looking for. "Must have forgotten it. Anyway, I'd love to hear more of that sometime."

[Code: PIRULUK]

"Haven't heard that one in a while. It's a lovely piece, but I can't recall the name of the tune."

"That's Requiem of the Past Age, isn't it?"

Eleriese popped up behind the gathered group, her ears twitching and her footsteps light.

"Well? Don't stop, keep playing! It's been too long since I've heard an Elvish flute. Besides, we're still waiting for Es, aren't we?"

Without waiting for a response from Olrien, Eleriese lightly stepped up to Gillem and offered up a small hand as an invitation.

"Would you join me for a dance? You can learn a lot about a person by dancing with them."

[Flux]

"Would you join me for a dance? You can learn a lot about a person by dancing with them."

Gillem gave an awkward smile to the elf. "Well, I'm not much of a dancer, nor am I familiar with elven songs, but I suppose I'll give it a shot. You'll just have to lead the way," he said, removing his gauntlets and taking up her hand. The elf's small, smooth hands made Gillem's seem large and rough by comparison. "Alright Olrien," he said, grinning, "Strike up a song!"

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

Kho watched as the group leader took the elf's hand. From what he had seen in his travels, it would take a remarkable chance for two such people of their respective races to meet. Most elves resented humans, and vice-versa. There was a similar relation among the remaining Vanda and the elves, a remnant feeling from their battle, centuries ago. But Gillem and Eleriese seemed perfectly at ease around each other. He looked off into the distance. "Perhaps there is hope for this world after all..."

Edited January 15, 2014 by Flux

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"Well, best not Keep you waiting!" Said Olrien rather excitedly. He began to play the song again form the beginning. Requiem of the Past Age was one of his favourites, so he had no qualms about playing it again.

He played the song this time really getting into it. He tapped his foot, and moved about while he played. He tried to keep the rhythm as best he could for the Eleri and Gillem (Eleri would kill him if he didn't.). He made extra sure to keep the tempo in-line, so that they could dance smoothly). Olrien was glad they were having a good time.

He wondered if Kho would join in. He doubted it, the man seemed a bit too reserved. But it would have been grand to see him have some fun. Olrien then wondered how the others would react when they saw it. He wondered if they would join in or just stare.

At a certain point, People started gathering around, wondering what was going on. They came to hear the music that was playing. Some people even started to dance along and have a grand old time. Others that knew the song joined Olrien in playing it, including this Older gentleman, with a dusty old mandolin. Soon a big crowd gathered, and it became a giant dance floor in the middle of the square. There was much Laughing and movement, and so much Cheer, it was like everyone forgot their troubles for the moment in time. It was a for that short amount of time, a place where the world's troubles seemed to melt away and everything seemed right with the world.

[Code: PIRULUK]

Eleriese guided Gillem through the steps of a simple waltz. Foot after foot, step after step, she came to understand Gillem, to see his hopes and thoughts.

Rough skin, but gentle hands. He had seen conflict, but he was not one who enjoyed it.

A step occasionally too far, but never too short. An earnest individual, without a fear of the unknown. Possibly prone to naivety.

Light, tentative steps during the more complex movements. A careful, dilligent person. A man who wished not to offend.

Through such slight clues, Eleriese formed a profile of Gillem.

Oblivious to the gathering crowd, the human and the elf danced as one, probing; feeling; understanding.

[Flux]

Gillem was winded. He was not used to dancing, and it was especially difficult in his heavy armor. Still, he was glad he had participated. He felt like he had come to know Eleriese much better -- like a connection through dancing. However, the music had now ended, and most people had already left to their business after thanking Olrien. He looked around. He knew Eleriese and Olrien were both here due to their participation. Kho didn't appear to have moved an inch from where he was standing when the dance began. He looked for Braius, before eventually spotting the tall Shantii's head in the dwindling crowd. It appeared that Es was the only one unaccounted for. Gillem wondered where the elf could possibly be. They had spent a lot of time dancing, (actually too much time, now that he thought about it) and Es still didn't appear to have arrived, unless he was among the last group of people left in the crowd. He frowned, then walked over towards Olrien. He would just have to wait for the crowd to completely dissipate, then look for Es.

"That was some nice playing," Gillem said, trying to catch Olrien's attention. "You were definitely being modest when you said elves don't have much talent for music." He gave an earnest smile. "With you and Eleriese along, it's almost like having our own private troupe. I'll have to call on your talent again sometime."

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"Thank you Gillem, I will be sure to play so Eleri can dance when she wants." Olrien looked over at her, it still felt like a dream to him. He thought he would never see her again, and never have a chance to tell her how he felt. He then realized he was still talking to Gillem. He wondered if the Man noticed him space out there.

"Do remember though Gillem I am still a Warrior by trade. I picked up the Flute because of a tenet I follow. I needed something to channel myself into since I will not draw my blade unless necessary." Olrien had a rather stern looking face come over him. "A blade is not meant to be drawn unless you mean it. It is a tool that wroughts only destruction. However, it should never be wanton destruction or for pleasure. One should only draw their sword to defend against evil, or to protect those he cares about." this last line he looked directly at Eleri when he said it. He looked at Gillem straight in his eyes, Olrien's eyes glowed like freshly made steel. "I don't expect you to follow my tenets good Knight, however I want you to know I am serious and will do what it takes for this cause." Olrien's face relaxed a bit.

" I look forward to this journey, and my sword will join yours so long as it deems you worthy. And so far it has."

Edited January 21, 2014 by Hukuna

[subkoopa]

Es walked out of the Inn. It was early he was told where to meet the group but first he must refill on supplies so he traveled to the shopping district but, he couldn't find the right berries so he traveled though the forest and after awhile he found just what he needed. Then Es traveled to the meeting spot which he was already late for. Once he got close he stared to hear music and when he arrived Gillem was out of breath.

"Sorry for being late guys i needed to collect somethings" he yelled as he joined with the group

[Arkhi]

Drawn by the sound in the town, Kozan looked out from the alchemist's house to a crowd gathered.

"Wretches, it must be another drunken brawl." He spat. "And this early in the morning."
The alchemist looked up, clearly amused, in part that he had to service a Vanda Nomad, but more so that this customer was so knowledgeable in the art of herbivore, surpassing his own, but kept his mouth shut.
After the alchemist had obtained two new glass bottles, Kozan nodded in affirmation, giving the man a seldom seen branch of Whooping Willow. However, the shopkeeper knew that this would be all the man would offer up, so he shut his door on the young lad.
As Kozan began his departure, a harpy that had been circling the sky flew straight up.
An omen from the spirits, he thought. Strangely enough, the creature was above the crowd, so it must have meant there was something of value to him there. Watching from the acropolis of the region with the Hawk's vision that Kozan requested of his ancestor spirits, he decided that whatever was down there was not essential in his journey. Though, he was pulled by the distant sound the the music, thinking it couldn't hurt to scout out what was happening.
The eyes of the Hawk were given up for the ears of the Owl so that he could better hear the music on his walk down.
"A fine tune, this one."

Edited February 8, 2014 by Arkhidon

[Flux]

Gillem heard quickly approaching footsteps and turned to see Es running over.

"Sorry for being late guys! I needed to collect some things," the elf yelled as he reached the group.

Gillem gave the elf a welcoming clap on the back.

"Ah, I was wondering where you were. We were almost about to leave without you." He smiled. "Still, I'm glad you made it. I was going to be disappointed if we had someone leave this soon."

He looked around making sure he hadn't missed anyone. Olrien, Braius, Eleriese, Es, and Kho were all accounted for. He clapped his hands once to gather the group's attention.

"Alright!" he shouted, his excitement bubbling to the surface. "After that extended break, it appears that we can finally move out. As I said earlier, we're headed for Sakiiri, and we should have plenty of time to make it there. It's a few days walk north from here, mostly desert, so I hope everyone is prepared." A wide grin was spread across his face by this point. "Ah..." he said, breathing in the air, "there's nothing quite like traveling. Let's get moving!"

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

Kho could agree with Gillem about that. There was nothing else like traveling. He had wandered Aervana his whole life, and there were still sights he hadn't seen. He was in a relatively good mood, now that they were going to be moving. A hint of a smile appeared in the corner of his mouth, and he gripped the hilt of his sword before releasing it shortly thereafter; it was an old habit he had picked up while in training with his master. Suddenly, he turned around to look behind them. He had a strange feeling that he was being watched, but didn't see anyone in the immediate area. He turned back to the group and focused his attention on the journey. It promised to be an exciting one.

[Arkhi]

Despite his failure to learn great nature magics, Kozuto had one he could always rely on: the summoning of small natural environments, be it trees, tiny dunes, or grasses, in a small, but quick fashion. Every half mile or so, he would cast up some form of environment to avoid being seen. There was a Nomad in that group, Kozuto was sure of that. The harpy earlier had ascertained that. In almost a giddy way, he chased the group. While he was no thief or light-footed character, his previous family life had taught him the value of staying quick and silent on his toes. However, as soon as he noticed there were elves traveling in the group, it was no longer a matter of staying silent: he had to save the Nomad. He ran up ahead, staff in hand, followed by a hunting dog and a sand surfer (a sort of large parasitic-looking creature that burrowed under the earth), planning to take the elves by surprise.

A quarter mile before he would attack, one of the elves looked back, the same one that looked so diligently so frequently, straight at Kozuto. Eye to eye with his most hated breed, he halted. The wind snapped at his fabric robe. The dog had come to a standstill, sitting on its tail, not oblivious, but maintaining serious composure. The surfer advanced to Kozuto last, slowly circling around the Nomad and the beast. Dust gathered in his hair, making a dirty, blonde color. A whistling noise sailed by in the breeze. Softly blew the wind at that moment.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Feeling the very currents of the wind Olrien knew something was amiss while they were traveling, he however didn't want to alert the group until he was sure something was amiss though. Everytime he thought he had caught wind of the danger, it was like it vanished, he would feel the vanish, as something would suddenly move the flow of the wind. This is why Olrien felt most at home in open fields and areas, since it gave him the edge in combat and scouting.

However, soon the danger gave itself away. It had became reckless, Olrien turned to face it.

He saw a Male Vanda, being followed by a big hunting dog, and a strange creature he had never seen before. Olrien stared at the Man for awhile, his hand on the hilt of Winter's Gale. Olrien bended the winds to send messages to the group, to try and not alert the Vanda Man that he was currently staring down.

To each of the warriors he sent them a message, a call to arms to meet him at his side and to be alert. He sent this to Kho, Braius, and Gillem.

He sent Es a message to ready his bow and keep his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary or any other Vanda and beasts.

To Eleri he sent this message. "Eleri, we got danger, try to not to let on to knowing this, I got a bad feeling about this Vanda, I have already alerted the others with the winds, try to be safe Little Dancer."

Edited February 11, 2014 by Hukuna

[Arkhi]

He had the group evenly matched. It would be four against four. The only female traveler there wielded no visible weapon, so she would not fight. Surely, the other Nomad would fight alongside him. There would be no reason not to. Looking to his left, the dog was sitting there, its grey fur fanning in the wind. Kozuto looked at the group as the surfer circled slowly, then descended into the earth. Kozuto requested the creature dig under the surface and move under the group of six. The plan would be simple. When the surfer leaped from the earth, it would knock back the Vanda Nomad to safety, where he could use his bow, while he himself, the dog, and the surfer would fight the elves. As for the human and Shantii, he had not a clue. He was taught not to bear prejudice against the species, as they were not hostile without reason. If the man and Shantii decided to join the battle alongside the elves, then he would try to isolate them by building up a barrier of thick sand dunes. With the plan set, Kozuto was nearly ready to execute it.
Seconds before he would begin, the elf who had been looking at him pressed his hand to his blade's hilt. At that moment, the wind completely died. Kozuto had trouble swallowing. He had dealt with assassins, rangers, and incredible warriors, but never another magic-user like himself. Suddenly, a strange thought bubbled in his mind: the only users of magic he knew were his father, himself, and this new threat. He and his father did not technically use magic, though. Simply borrowed the energy that flowed through Nomadic ancestry.

At the risk of his life, Kozuto would play it safe.
"I do hope you speak the universal language, elf. A poisonous creature stirs beneath your feet. You will relinquish your ownership on the Nomad there, turn your back, and we will leave without..." He could not finish the thought. Looking towards the ground, he stared in the sand. If the Nomad were fully armed and freely moving along with the group, then could he really be subject to the elves?

He closed his eyes. He opened them. "What business have you in this desert?"

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"We are simply travelers passing through, Sir." said Olrien "We are currently on a quest to restore mana to the world." He removed his hand from the hilt of his blade. " If you wish to know more Gillem, that handsome Human man over there, can tell you more." The wind gently blew his hair, as it begin to blow again. The sun shone down as his steely Grey hair, it glowed like newly forged steel. Olrien's stance relaxed, he tried to remove all signs of hostility from himself as to not startle the obviously upset and somewhat confused Vanda man.

[Arkhi]

Admittedly, Kozuto felt relieved that the elf released the grip on his blade. It could make an attack easier.

"'Simple travelers' are not Nomads who travel alongside elves. I am inclined to distrust you" he bluntly said. A trait of his was his brutal honesty. If he knew either the recipient of his words would not be offended or he did not care, he wouldn't need to lie.

Questing across the land to restore mana to the world. It sounded too weak a persuasion.

"Human. Gillem, is it? Does this elf not lie? I should very much like to see from another perspective. And brother Vanda. Can you confirm that you are not their... property?"
All this while, the sand surfer was slowly ascending towards the surface. He could feel it. If the travelers made one wrong move, he would be prepared to strike.

[Chevaleresse]

Braius was at the ready, already poised on the razor's edge. Outwardly, he only displayed a slight tenseness as he gripped his katar. Inwardly, he was fighting a battle to keep the inner beast in check until it was needed. He didn't trust the Vanda, either. Then he felt it. A slight trembling in the ground below. Faint, but noticeable to him.

"Call it off. NOW," he growled at the suspicious stranger.

[Code: PIRULUK]

Eleriese poked her head out behind Olrien's broad shoulders. The hostile Vanda was standing quite a distance away, staring at the group with what was clearly suspicion. The tension in the air was stifling, and she was rather concerned that it might have affected her complexion. Eleriese sighed in exasperation. Everyone needed to just calm down and work out the problem. Of course, that was likely too much to expect of men.

She noticed Braius tense up.

"Call it off. NOW."

Call what off? Unable to resist her natural inclination towards curiosity and a total lack of self-preservation, Eleriese closed her eyes and listened to the rhythms in the earth.

A slow rumbling; A soft growl; the earth shifting beneath her; Eleriese recognised these patterns. A sand surfer. Not exactly common around these parts, but not quite an impossible sight. Having to burrow underground, surfers were highly attuned to vibrations in the earth, which alerted them to obstacles or danger under the sand, where visibility was impossible. In fact, there were several traditional Vanda dances attributed to the movements of the surfer, a series of steps which were created as a method of domesticating the surfers by calming them through very specific footwork. Everyone needed to calm down, there was a creature, right here, whose natural rhythms had been incorporated into a calming dance. Perfect. Therefore...

Eleriese focused and synchronised her breathing with the pulse of the surfer, feeling said pulse through the slight throbs throughout the ground. Then, with perfect grace, she began to move her feet quickly and systematically, the number of taps, the angle of the turns, all executed with pinpoint precision. Then, she began to transition from her memorised steps to her intuitive steps: she began to feel the natural rhythms of the surfer - she began to dance.

[Arkhi]

Being a Shaman, Kozuto felt a deep connection with the inhabitants of the planet. With that strong connection, he was able to call on animals, who were his most loyal companions. Unlike people, they did not talk back. At least, under normal circumstances. For the reason of his deep connection animals, he could feel his bond with the surfer loosening, but not leaving. It became more of a slow-pulsing bond. Looking past the warriors, there was a female elf, the one without a weapon. It had seemed that her eloquent dance had somehow calmed the surfer. In addition, because Kozuto was bonded with another animal, the dog, it also calmed, curling up. Realizing that he had lost his animals' allegiance, he huffed a breath out, lowering his shoulders He, too, felt more at ease. The animals he shared bonds with he also shared his senses with.
"You seem to have me overwhelmed." As much as he hated to say it, it was the truth. "My name is Kozuto. I will not attack, but I will act on my own accord."

[Flux]

Kho quickly approached the group. He was angry at himself for brushing away his insticts. He had thought they were being watched, but he had let his happiness at starting the journey distract him. As he approached their follower, he became more enraged. It was a Vanda. It was people like this, moving in the shadows and attacking travelers, that gave the Vanda their bad reputation. He drew his sword and pointed it at the one he knew could only be a shaman, based on his knowledge of his people's unique skill. The man had already surrendered, but Kho didn't care. "Why are you following us?!" He was close to shouting, while still trying to keep his usual composure. It was rare for him to risk losing control like this, but there was nothing he hated more than those of the Vanda who gave them their bad reputation. His sword arm was trembling in his anger.

"Kho, lower your weapon."

He felt a hand on his shoulder as Gillem brushed past. Reluctantly, he lowered his sword, suddenly ashamed of his outburst. He closed his eyes, gathering his composure once more.

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

Gillem was surprised at Kho's unusual show of emotion, but there were more pressing matters at the moment. He walked up to the Vanda who had followed them.

"Kozuto, was it? I would also be interested in knowing what your business here is." He gestured to Kho. "Our Nomad, Kho, is here of his own free will. As Olrien has said, our goal is to replenish the world's mana. Kho volunteered to join me on this journey. He was actually the first to do so, and I appreciate that just as much as I appreciate the dedication of every other member. We're a small group with a goal. Now, what is your reason for being here?"

[Arkhi]

At first, Kozuto thought he had been doing the Vanda a favor. He would have saved him, if not for this turnabout for the better. Not only are the elves not resentful towards him, but the human, too, was no enemy. Even the Shantii held his anger behind him. The only one who was a hostile was the other Vanda, funny enough.
"Funny," he said to himself, but rather loudly. "My reason for being here was to liberate the Vanda traveling with you. Now I find that not only do I not need to save him, but I am faced with my least favorite race making reasonable talk with me."
Kozuto cleared his throat. "I should like to tag along. At least as long as I can. Here I am offered a chance to repair relations between my race and the elves. Should you deem my presence worthy in your travels, I would like to move with you. My animals, they are smart and resourceful. Should anyone fall ill, I can help. I-"
He stopped. Like earlier, when he discovered that there was a Vanda in the group, he also started letting his emotions drive him.
"I apologize. It's been too long since I've had proper discussion with anyone. For the longest time, I have traveled alone. I would like to prove my usefulness. I would like to help."

With anyone who does not point their sword at me, Kozuto thought, eying this "Kho".

[Chevaleresse]

Braius relaxed, letting the repressed anger drain away. He loosed his hold on his weapons and put them back in their sheaths, then walked quickly up to the newcomer. He stuck his hand out abruptly, fingers extended for a handshake. "Good to have another person in the group." Hopefully, showing trust would beget the same in return; or, at least, the newcomer would show his true self more quickly if he meant to betray them.

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Olrien was glad that Koz backed down, there was no need for his blade to taste blood this day. It was a good feeling since Olrien hated having to kill, it was not something he ever looked forward too. His Sword was a testament to that, what people didn't see under the sheathe was an elaborate design that made looked like Tears. the groove was also forged in such a way, that when blood slide off of it it looked like the Man's face on the hilt was weeping for the the nearly departed. Winter's Gale, or it more commonly known name of Blood Tear was a pretty storied sword, even though it wasn't magical in the slightest, only a work of art and master craftsmenship.

Olrien felt a bit sorry for Koz though. He had not got what he thought would happen. He had no idea the only one who would end up hostile to him was the one he had been there to "save". The man must have been really confused and shocked. Olrien noticed Brauis try to make good with the man. Olrien noted that Braius had very good control of his emotions, some Berserkers would have flown of the handle in that kind of scenario.

Olrien awaited his turn to greet Koz, he wanted the man to feel comfortable around him. For now he bent the winds to send him a message. "Happy to have you along Koz, and I would be happy to help you repair the bonds between our race. I might speak with you later." That was the very message he sent.

[Arkhi]

Taken aback by the openness of the Shantii, he nearly flinched. However, he shook the firm hand of the warrior. Or, perhaps, he was a berserker. But the Shantii couldn't have been a beserker. He was too in control of his emotions. Then again, Kozuto was no better at controlling his, so he could have been a berserker.

As he shook Braius's hand, he heard the wind itself speak to him. That couldn't be right. In a puzzled manner, he looked around, almost about to ask what was the cause when he recalled the end of the message about the reparations between races. He smiled in a sly way, already impressed with the charisma of the elf.

"Thank you, Braius."