When opportunity came, the Reaper frequently dove straight into it, and with their recent excursion into the heart of the Fae village (and despite Delah’s incriminating, don’t you dare stares), he opted to make the most of it. Relief had scattered the remains of his vehemence, insolence, and abhorrence, and gave way to his meticulous inquiry and curiosity. He knew next to nothing about the Fae and their world, which made sense, given their duplicitous, specious designs (sacrifices, but with memories, not monsters, everything still and tranquil, as if naught had happened), because that was the way they’d orchestrated it. With their chance to skulk and slink around, however, he intended to soak up the nuances, the sentiments, the customs, and the culture; not to assimilate, but to know and understand, to try and comprehend the hows, whys, overriding the complexities of his form to simply resist, as he always did. It was a habit to rebel and seethe – it was a new thing to breathe in worlds and fathom their depths. A marketplace came into his view as he wandered, more meandering steps rather than his usual, menacing, minatory strides. He was intrigued by the river nearby at first, completely clear, rocks at the bottom, tranquil and serene, and then he swung his head to the hustle and bustle of the crowd. The stalls reminded him slightly of the Fiat Lux’s shops, but instead of a heady aroma of foods, there were glistening fabrics and jewelry lined up as wares. He didn’t get any closer, presuming his massive frame was a dead give-away that he didn’t belong (Outlander he would eternally be; no matter where he seemed to roam or go), and though he’d return a stare or two with his own piercing glance, there weren’t any intentions to antagonize in his stance. They were wandering notions, making careful, scrupulous notes in his memory, adding them to his schemes, ruses, and contemplations.
For now we stand alone, the world is lost and blown
And we are flesh and blood disintegrate with no more to hate |
[seasonal event] fell to the top
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the Resurrected Sword
Warden of Halo / Guildmaster ✓
Age: 34 | Height: 6'4" | Race: Hybrid | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 14 - Strg: 74 - Dext: 74 - Endr: 75 - Luck: 80 - Int: 3 BELIAL - Mythical - Peryton (Blend) ZURIEL - Mythical - Unicorn (Healing)
Played by: Heather
Change author: Posts: 6,827 | Total: 11,070 MP: 5754
05-18-2019, 05:41 PM
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers ✓ Soul Shepherd ✓
Portal Guardian Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int: ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago
Change author: Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,694 MP: 3590
05-19-2019, 03:49 AM
Although he hoped to be coming back someday soon at Eliza's invitation, they were certainly pushing the reluctant hospitality of their hosts by staying as long as they had already. Though, as his Fae friend had reminded him, her people were not a monolith. Delah and her warriors and others among the small, winged people may have resented their presence, but there were also those who were curious, if cautious, and willing to give these strange new neighbors a fair chance.
He had not come prepared to trade, but he had brought supplies for first aid as well as food and water from inside the barrier, valuable as curiosities if nothing else. He had enjoyed a brief walk through the market the night before, prior to retiring to sleep, but by then most of the stalls had either closed down or were in the process of closing, and he had little chance to engage the shopkeeps in conversation or trade. Not so this morning. He had risen early, contrary to his usual habits, in order to make the most of the visit's end. 'Visit' thanks to Arduinna, a fact he had no intention of forgetting anytime soon. He had just finished his hunched-over trading with a sprightly old Fae woman who sold minor medicinals, exchanging some of his supply of efas herb for a few ounces of bark that was supposed to brew a tea for reducing fevers and easing swelling when he caught sight of a great dark head that towered above the local people even more than his own. He paused for a moment, considering whether or not to approach Deimos, knowing how strained their interaction had been since he had returned without Amalia. Not that Jigano would have been any less upset had their positions been reverse... With a squaring of his shoulders he stepped back into the central path and made his way over to the other human, nodding a cautious greeting. "Good morning," he offered, polite but wary of whether or not Amalia's beau still blamed him for her initial loss. the Resurrected Sword
Warden of Halo / Guildmaster ✓
Age: 34 | Height: 6'4" | Race: Hybrid | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 14 - Strg: 74 - Dext: 74 - Endr: 75 - Luck: 80 - Int: 3 BELIAL - Mythical - Peryton (Blend) ZURIEL - Mythical - Unicorn (Healing)
Played by: Heather
Change author: Posts: 6,827 | Total: 11,070 MP: 5754
05-19-2019, 12:53 PM
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers ✓ Soul Shepherd ✓
Portal Guardian Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int: ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago
Change author: Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,694 MP: 3590
He saw Deimos stiffen at his greeting, and Jigano held his wince inside. It wasn't that they had unfinished business, but that the casual distance they had once fallen so naturally into as their lives revolved in different orbits was no longer going to be possible. Jigano had forged his bonds with Amalia and did not begrudge her the chance to do the same with others, and he had not missed how she blushed and smiled at the large, dark-haired man. She had become family, dear to him - as he was to her, and if she chose to pursue Deimos, either as friend or something more, he would not stand in the way of it. But neither would he retreat from what those bonds of family meant to him, no more than she had when he and Rory - her brothers - forged bonds of their own.
It was not what he would have chosen, that their tentatively friendly bonds from the bakery had been severed when Jigano had managed to escape an ambush that Amalia and Kiada had not, whether through luck or some purpose known only to the warchief. It was one thing to castigate himself for what had happened, to lash himself with guilt and words of acid, punishing his failure to protect them with austerity and privation. It was quite another to let one who hadn't been there cast judgment from a position of ignorance, but just as he and Remi had maintained a polite distance when their personalities had been at odds, so Jigano thought he could hold himself to that standard with Deimos as well... provided the big man was willing to do so, too. The return greeting in spite of the tension was a step in the right direction, at least, and the smile was entirely unexpected, far more than Jigano had dared to hope for. He returned it, no less cautious, even as he carefully turned over Deimos's words for barbs or hidden blades. They were a prickly sort of observation, a damning of faint praise, but not overtly hostile, and so the bard accepted them at face value. "The only success that matters to me is that my family and friends are safe and able to return with us," he said quietly, shifting politely out of the way of a diminutive man hurrying past with an armload of fabric piled high. "Not that I think Amalia and Caiside will be able to stay out of the Wildwood for long, and it's all the more reason to build bridges and make allies among the Fae where I can, in preparation for that day," he added with a touch of rueful admission. He dodged again, coming to rest near a stall with baskets piled high that had been doing brisk business until a lull timed neatly with their arrival. The young winged man standing behind the booth cocked his head up at the white-haired bard and dark-maned warrior consideringly before coming to a decision and offering a basket for them to admire. "Good sirs, surely you will be needing a basket for the days to come! I sell nothing but the finest woven reeds, guaranteed to capture the very sun in their weaves! Since you are strangers in our village I am willing to be generous in my offers. What do you have for trade in exchange for these useful and beautiful baskets, both utilitarian and pieces of art in their own right?" the Resurrected Sword
Warden of Halo / Guildmaster ✓
Age: 34 | Height: 6'4" | Race: Hybrid | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 14 - Strg: 74 - Dext: 74 - Endr: 75 - Luck: 80 - Int: 3 BELIAL - Mythical - Peryton (Blend) ZURIEL - Mythical - Unicorn (Healing)
Played by: Heather
Change author: Posts: 6,827 | Total: 11,070 MP: 5754
05-20-2019, 11:25 PM
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers ✓ Soul Shepherd ✓
Portal Guardian Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int: ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago
Change author: Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,694 MP: 3590
05-22-2019, 02:11 AM
The Guild was not the first time he had led others, though in the past he had orchestrated an army of soldiers, not scholars. He had done so out of desperation, fearful of the future he had seen and taking steps to be ready should he fail. Or, only slightly less terrifying, should they succeed. But even with the best of intentions there was a weight and loneliness to command, a knowledge that others relied on him, and that he would be the one to shoulder all final responsibilities when it came to duty and sacrifice, vengeance and defeat. He would come after his people, always, because the thought of not backing them up simply did not occur to him. And now Deimos, for all his black glares and angry glowering the days before, had not only calmed down but seemed to want to include himself in that number. Not 'you,' not 'I,' but 'we'. The bard blinked in bemusement, taking fresh stock of the big man as he offered his own explanation.
"I had planned on curiosity, kindness, and a dash of charisma," he explained as he tried to stay out of the way of the bustling foot traffic as Fae villagers went about their daily tasks and errands, some giving the tall foreigners surreptitious glances while others stared boldly. "It stood me in good stead with Eliza yesterday, and I'm hopeful there are other Fae like her who might see us as interesting rather than threatening." Honesty, sincerity, and a bit more vulnerability than he had been entirely comfortable with had played a part as well, but that was between him and Eliza. His dance around traffic had brought them near the basket-seller, and Jigano tilted his head at the man with bright interest as he advertised his wares. The fact that he was talking to them and willing to sell to them at all was a hopeful sign, and Jigano offered him a half-bow as he leaned over to examine some of the work. There were large baskets and small ones, square ones and round ones, some woven loosely and others so tight that they looked as though they could hold water without dripping. Many were green or brown or yellow, but some were woven of different types and colors of reeds so that patterns twisted through their weave, cleverly displayed. Amalia had told him of the Fae tradition of sun-catching the evening before, and this seemed an excellent way to respect that and perhaps earn a bit of goodwill. Deimos spoke up first, a question for a question, and Jigano cocked his head to hear the answer. The basket seller tilted his head up - and up - to consider Deimos, his wings lifting slightly in a body language Jigano could not interpret. Coming to a decision he gave a sly smile, glancing between the two men and ignoring the envious looks of several of the other nearby shopkeepers - and the disapproving glares of others. "What do you have to trade from where you are from, good sirs? Surely you bring wonders from beyond the Greatwood that would be rare and novel here. Something obviously made by human hands, rather than Fae." He spread his hands across his baskets as he wheedled. "Perhaps something commonplace to you that would be unusual here?" Jigano chuckled at the merchant's line, seeing where it was going with a grin of his own. "Something you can use to impress your friends with, and inspire jealousy in your competitors?" he murmured, less question than statement. He'd traveled far and was no stranger to this game. The Fae wanted something that he could turn around and barter for a higher price due to its rareness and cachet as being a foreign treasure. As foreigners themselves, the humans wouldn't know who to talk to the way a local would, but since they had little enough of value on them... "For a basket that could be used to carry food once its done catching the sun, what about a trade in that food?" he offered. "Food from beyond the Greatwood, made by human hands, and human-grown crops and livestock?" "What kind of food?" the shopkeep asked cautiously, looking between the two men. the Greatwood Guardian
War Chief
Age: 108 | Height: 4' | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood Level: 5 - Strg: 11 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 25 - Luck: 28 - Int:
Played by: Admin
Change author: Posts: 156 | Total: 3,312 MP: 0
05-22-2019, 02:43 PM
DELAH Today Delah was alone, but that did not make her any less intimidating.Shorter by feet than the two men currently having words with one of the merchants, still Delah carried her head high, jaw clenched, and mossy-eyes locked upon the white-haired and black-haired men. "Your friends have been released. I thought I made it clear that your presence was no longer necessary within our woods." Delah said as she arrived, voice like flint over a fire. At her arrival the merchant hastily averted his eyes, plucking away the offered baskets and busying himself with saying hello to one of the merchants nearby. In places deep With roots entwined I live the life I left behind the Resurrected Sword
Warden of Halo / Guildmaster ✓
Age: 34 | Height: 6'4" | Race: Hybrid | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 14 - Strg: 74 - Dext: 74 - Endr: 75 - Luck: 80 - Int: 3 BELIAL - Mythical - Peryton (Blend) ZURIEL - Mythical - Unicorn (Healing)
Played by: Heather
Change author: Posts: 6,827 | Total: 11,070 MP: 5754
05-22-2019, 10:59 PM
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers ✓ Soul Shepherd ✓
Portal Guardian Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int: ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago
Change author: Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,694 MP: 3590
05-23-2019, 01:02 AM
Jigano had thought that their trading was off to a good start, and was warming up to some good old-fashioned haggling when a blade inserted herself into the conversation, slaying it instantly. The warchief was small but inarguably in charge and none too happy to find them lingering in her village, as she made abundantly clear once more, and never mind Arduinna's admonition to be hospitable. Jigano raised a brow at her scowling countenance, momentarily considering a sly retort, but a glance at the basket seller showed him to be well and truly cowed, and their trading over before it had ever really begun. The bard stifled a sigh, his attention shifting to Deimos as his brow shifted ever so slightly in orientation, a silent 'well?' of curiosity as to how the big man would respond.
Somewhat surprisingly, he chose retreat as the better part of valor, and Jigano wasn't foolish enough to face down the Fae chieftess on his own. He sketched her a quick bow and then turned to follow, noting that his companion's posture was anything but bowed in defeat. Not a rout, then, but a regrouping? The dark almost-amusement a moment later confirmed his suspicions, and he snorted at the understatement. "Exactly as I'd pictured it," he replied dryly as they slipped out of sight behind some bushes and towards the stream, the bard following the soldier's wake curiously now, wondering what he had in mind. "I suppose now that we know what they look like and what they're used for we can try to weave them ourselves," he began, cautiously. "I haven't done it since I was a child though..." He had assumed they were going to get raw materials, but Deimos had something else in mind, crouching and concentrating in a way that made Jigano think oddly of Remi for a moment, and then wonder why-- The object that formed in the big man's hands from seeming nothingness was explanation enough, and Jigano let out a low whistle of admiration as he peered at the construct. "Nicely done! I'd appreciate something with..." he hesitated, realizing wryly that he still had no real heraldry or symbol of his own, too used to burying himself in obscurity. "Crescent moons, if it wouldn't be too much trouble," he decided at last. "And... thank you." He hadn't expected an offering, and wouldn't have been surprised if Deimos had made one for himself and left the bard to try and weave some mess from wet reeds and childhood memories. That the other man was willing to make one for him as well as pleasantly unexpected, and forced Jigano to sit back on his heels and reconsider their morning's interaction in a different light as he watched his companion work his particular brand of magic. the Resurrected Sword
Warden of Halo / Guildmaster ✓
Age: 34 | Height: 6'4" | Race: Hybrid | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 14 - Strg: 74 - Dext: 74 - Endr: 75 - Luck: 80 - Int: 3 BELIAL - Mythical - Peryton (Blend) ZURIEL - Mythical - Unicorn (Healing)
Played by: Heather
Change author: Posts: 6,827 | Total: 11,070 MP: 5754
05-23-2019, 10:50 PM
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers ✓ Soul Shepherd ✓
Portal Guardian Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int: ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago
Change author: Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,694 MP: 3590
05-24-2019, 04:13 PM
The big man shrugged and went to work once more, quiet but not, at least, unresponsive, and Jigano let the silence stretch between them. Not all bards knew the power of silence, but the ones who were good at what they were learned to weave it as deftly as song and story. Perhaps he was not so deft as he had once been, a world and a lifetime ago, but as a lorekeeper he was more comfortable in stillness than those who made their way by words alone. He crouched patiently amongst the reeds: a tall, slender, white-crested heron of a man as he watched Deimos’ hands and the magic that swirled and formed between them into a basket that was not a twin of the warrior’s, as Jigano had half-expected, with snowflakes traded out for crescent moons.
It seemed there was an artist hiding beneath the dark exterior, just as there had been a mischief-maker peeking out from behind the stony façade during their baking adventure. Prior to that Jigano had only known Deimos as a quiet, withdrawn presence on the edges of things. He had been at the Spire, asking for rational discussion when no one else seemed interested in such. He had been at the nearly-empty town hall meeting the bard had tried to call, looming in the back but offering nothing, either praise or criticism, of any topics raised. He was an enigma, still, a jumble of contradictions more than most, and Jigano’s contemplations were broken as the finished basket was presented to him. He took it, admiring the moons that seemed to gleam from the grey bark of the magically-created birch branches, feeling its lightweight sturdiness with appreciation. ”More than suitable,” he assured the other man, a hint of a wicked smile tugging at the edges of his lips. ”And finer than the baskets we found at the merchant’s stall! Perhaps we can walk past it on the way back to meeting up with our friends…” And let the little man who had been so easily cowed by the warchief wonder where their lovely new baskets had come from, and which of his competitors had made the deal! the Resurrected Sword
Warden of Halo / Guildmaster ✓
Age: 34 | Height: 6'4" | Race: Hybrid | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 14 - Strg: 74 - Dext: 74 - Endr: 75 - Luck: 80 - Int: 3 BELIAL - Mythical - Peryton (Blend) ZURIEL - Mythical - Unicorn (Healing)
Played by: Heather
Change author: Posts: 6,827 | Total: 11,070 MP: 5754
05-25-2019, 10:35 PM
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers ✓ Soul Shepherd ✓
Portal Guardian Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int: ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago
Change author: Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,694 MP: 3590
05-25-2019, 11:37 PM
As had been made clear on this venture, he had no idea what to expect of Deimos, or how he would respond to the bard's tentative offer of shared mischief. Though perhaps 'pettiness' was the more honest term for it, something he admitted to himself without much in the way of shame. The Fae were unwilling hosts, but Jigano and his people were unwilling guests, when it came down to it. They had explored in innocent curiosity, seeking to alleviate their ignorance of the world and learn what the native-born people had been denied for three hundred years, even their gods-given knowledge of the world outside centuries out of date. If Delah or one of her people had simply confronted them and told them to leave...
Well. Jigano and Amalia both would have tried to beg and cajole, coax and plead around it, but in the end the bard liked to think that they would have tried to find a way to respect the wishes of the Fae, if only to prevent hostilities with a powerful northern neighbor from spilling over into the rest of the Hollowed Grounds. But the sneaking, secretive ambushes and haughty disdain for the outsiders had backfired on the warchief, resulting in not only her captives but now the rescuers as well cluttering up her village. And maybe a nobler heart would have felt bad for that... but after the way she had behaved, 'mischievous and petty' fitted the fox-souled bard perfectly well. And, it would seem, Deimos was not above such actions either as he smirked his agreement and rose to lead the way back to the market. Jigano followed in his wake, lifting his basket to examine the workmanship again in subtle display to those they passed, tracing a crescent moon with a fingertip as he once more considered the way Amalia had greeted Deimos the day before. Nor had the big man been oblivious to her dark-eyed fascination, utterly distracted by the graceful baker, and fonder memories of their time making Fiat Lux bread laid gently over the newer memories of discord and friction, softening their edges. "Perhaps..." he murmured thoughtfully, innocently, "perhaps Amalia would like a basket, as well? A gift for putting warm bread in once it's out of the oven. A design of stars and hearts might suit her, do you think?" Kiada, he thought, would definitely approve, but he watched Deimos with sly blue eyes to see what he would think of such a suggestion, without being so gauche as to outright ask if the big man had more than friendly interest in the young woman who had claimed her place in the bard's heart as family. the Resurrected Sword
Warden of Halo / Guildmaster ✓
Age: 34 | Height: 6'4" | Race: Hybrid | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Halo Level: 14 - Strg: 74 - Dext: 74 - Endr: 75 - Luck: 80 - Int: 3 BELIAL - Mythical - Peryton (Blend) ZURIEL - Mythical - Unicorn (Healing)
Played by: Heather
Change author: Posts: 6,827 | Total: 11,070 MP: 5754
05-26-2019, 12:04 AM
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