In the Shadows of the Soul IC

[WhiteKnight777]

The small town of Stoneglen lay spread below. The houses, made from wood or hewn stone, lay along a single narrow, muddy track that led north and east, skirting the borders of the wood that lay to the north and west. The forest itself, vast, dark, and foreboding pressed close to the wooden palisade that surrounded the town, a barrier against the encroachment of the wilds. Why the villagers had not cleared a wider space in that direction was unclear. Perhaps they had tried, but some feeling from the primordial forest had halted their encroachment. To the south and to the east, the village's fields and pastures ran. Corn and wheat grew in long, straight rows, though only the empty stalks and stems remained now, the harvest having passed but recently. The animals cropped at the grass in their pens, mostly goats, sheep, and cattle. Here, on the edge of what the Empire considered civilization, it seemed as if the domestic creatures man had brought with him were skittish. The animals looked up often from their grazing, and perhaps it was merely a trick of the mind, but it seemed that even their dumb gazes traveled towards the forest more than mere random chance would dictate.

Inside the palisade itself stood enough homes for perhaps two hundred folk, all told. A single inn was the second largest structure in the village, with the modest chapel being the greatest. This latter was one of the few building crafted entirely out of stone, with only the inn and one or two of the houses bearing that same distinction. It appeared that the most prosperous and well-appointed houses were set close to the part of the road that ran through the town, furthest from the wall. The Inn stood southernmost along the road, a pair of green glass lanterns burning in front, while the chapel stood northernmost of all the town's buildings.

Inside the inn was where the travelers had been directed to meet their contact. Inside was an eclectic mix of travelers and villagers. Most of the former were merchants, and they occupied a few tables along one wall, all pulled together and swapping news from different corners of the vast empire. One of them was even a man from the Caliph states, and he listened silently, only occasionally grunting or spouting a few monosyllabic phrases in broken Imperial. Scattered throughout the rest of the bar were a few groups of locals. Men of ages ranging from young teenagers just sprouting beards to a trio of grizzled graybeards sat drinking, speaking of various topics of local interest. Most of them were either farmers, or else somehow made their living from the forest, be it as hunters, trappers, woodcutters or the like. The barkeep, a tall, heavily muscled woman with raven hair and a handsome but fierce face, poured drinks to those at the bar. A trio of younger girls moved through the bar, serving drinks to those seated at the tables. A fire burned in the hearth, over which a large stag roasted slowly, dripping sizzling fat into the fire. She seemed to have been given prior instructions by the informant, for each person who arrived to see him was directed to a small, curtained-off section in the back. She gave the same short instructions to each of them, accompanied by a curt gesture.

"Aye, I was told you'd be coming. Your employer said you were to meet one another, and you'll be served food and drink. He'll fill you in on the rest of the details after you've had a bit of comfort. Some of you've traveled long, I expect."

[Hoorex]

Lou

He waved his hand, his fingers fluttered from out of his cloak, but quickly drifted back into the cloth. Lou stood at the not-so-impressive height of five-seven,but he was still fairly attractive. His blond hair lay lazily in front of his bright violet eyes, but did not hinder their beauty. In fact, the seemed to only emphasize their brilliant color.

He said not a single word while he traveled to his seat. His violet eyes scanned the scenery. It was worn in, that was the nice way to put it. Homey, if you were in a good mood. He was the first, then? Well, that much was expecting seeing as how he lived only a few miles away. Hopefully the others would come soon...

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Rhiannon Novala

Several minutes pass and the door opens again, this time to admit a waifish looking woman. Her blonde hair is limp and damp, plastered against her head. Her eyes are sunken, and surrounded by dark circles, as if she's neither eaten nor slept well in months. The ice blue irises stare out of her face with a haunted look, and she never seems to look someone in the eye for long. He face is thin and pinched, although it's hard to tell precisely how thin she is, due to the polished and well-kept armor of an acolyte of the Church of Light and Flame that encases her body. Apparently in her early twenties, she seems a bit old to be ranked so lowly. The emblem of her service as an acolyte of the Blessed Flame hangs prominently around her neck, the enameled silver polished to within an inch of its life. A longsword rides at one hip, looking well-used, if the hilt is to be any indication. She enters the room, looking about with a sigh, and settles herself in a corner, looking to the only other occupant. "The others are not here yet, then?" she asks. "Or is it to be simply two?"

[The_Snark]

Azathul

The third to arrive is a rarity in the Empire's lands, or indeed almost anywhere: a dwarf. He (presumably) is clad in thick plates of armor, heavier than anything most humans would wear. The armor is clearly of fine make, coated in bronze and engraved with simple, runic patterns. The helm covers most of his face, leaving only the eyes and mouth really visible. And the beard, which hangs down the armor in front of a bronzed pattern that seems to resemble a long, ornate beard, every line straight as dwarven carving usually is. On his back is slung a large hammer, too big to easily wield in one hand, and several more hammers hang from his belt.

The burnished bronze armor gleams in the firelight as the dwarf moves to the bar, evoking feelings and thoughts of feast-halls under the mountains, lit by great fires. He gives his purpose in a few grunted words, as if reluctant to speak more than he has to, and enters the curtained area. He surveys the other two, mouth shaped in a dour frown, then gives an ambiguous grunt and seats himself, dark eyes impossible to read behind the helmet.

[dauphinous]

Seven Kronish

Seven opens the door gently and closes it equally gently behind herself. No point in using unnecessary force on inanimate objects. She runs a hand through unruly brown hair that hangs just past her shoulders to get it out of her face. Her 5 foot, eight inch frame is covered with a shimmery suit of breastplate armor that has either never seen action or been meticulously cared for. The skin of her face has a light cast to it, but is tanned, probably from spending a great deal of time outdoors. Over the armor, she wears a cloak lined with some kind of brown-grey-mottled white fur, probably pieced together from several different animals. The outside of the cloak is just a plain brown cloth.

The more pertinent detail is probably the rather large sword she is carrying. She has it in a completely plain scabbard and is about as long as she is tall. The hilt is not terribly exceptional - just a plain, leather wrapped grip large enough for two hands - but has clearly seen use if the stains on the leather are to be trusted. The end of a longbow sticks out under the cloak.

She scans the room with skeptical brown eyes as the barkeep directs her. With a wordless nod, she completes her scan before moving with a purposeful stride to the indicated table and taking the closest available seat. I wonder if Master Lytton knew there would be others. He certainly didn't tell me if he did. She leans her sword against the table, fully aware that it will probably get in the way and not caring one iota. She puts her right hand, covered in a studded leather gauntlet that matches the one on her left, on the table and stifles the urge to drum her fingers. Then she leans back into the chair a little, relaxing into what is probably a deceptively lazy pose.

Wearing a short-sleeved shirt under her armor means that the flesh of her elbows show, and her right elbow has curving black line tattoos across it. "Hello," she nods her head to the rest of the people at the table politely. No point in starting off on the wrong foot with anyone. Who knows who they'll turn out to be?

[Hoorex]

Lou

"Apparently not, eh?" He says to Novala, his hair falling to the side of his face with a quick snap of his neck. It was now that one could see his whole face, and in this moment any teeny-booper would probably die knowing their life was fulfilled. Lou looked like any teen aged girl's fantasy. Well, if it wasn't for his small stature. You know the look. The one where the guy looks more like a woman than a man? Lou was almost the epitome of that look.

"But really, I've got to say, I didn't expect this much. I mean, they already got me." he says, his brilliant teeth flashing through with a smirk. "I kid, I kid. So... Let's not have this be awkward. Maybe we should go around the room saying our name and describe ourselves in one word." He says, grinning even more while balancing his chair on the two back pegs.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Silien

"Silien. Superior."

The rather dry an heartless voice had come from the doorway as the next person to receive this job offer arrived to meet with her fellow workers. Already she was in a foul mood just from having to come to this man-ape infested building, most likely to meet with more men-apes. If Silien listened carefully, she was sure she could still hear the dark comments and questions coming from the common room and it almost made her growl in disgust.

It didn't take much for someone to notice why the xenophobic humans had taken to muttering behind her back. The lithe figure and gently tapering ears all but screamed that she was one of the fair elves but even then, something just screamed that she was...different. A slender longsword was belted at her waist seemed of similar design to her rich blue cloak and the circlet atop the crown of her head. Plain brown hair had been woven into multiple braids before being pulled back into one large ponytail that went through the circlet. Silien was dressed only in a plain leather jerkin with the sleeves and most of the bottom part tastefully removed from it. A bracer on her right arm seemed oddly out of place when compared to the two golden bracelets on the other side. Other then that she had on a pair of matching leather pants. What most drew the eye...were her tattoos. The elven woman's body seemed to be covered with them. Graceful and flowing designs of diagrams and objects, almost arcane in their perplexity. Up along her arms, bottom of her neck and all the way down if the presence of more at her navel were any indication. Those weren't all the things she had done either, at least four earrings had been place in her ear, two in her right eyebrow, a stud through the right side of her nose, another ring through her bottom lip, and the last one actually in her navel.

With a groan, she dropped her pack by the door and took one of the empty seats furthest away from the others. Silien was smaller then most of the others, fragile looking almost, but something smoldered in her amber eyes. Indignity almost, but also a healthy sense of caution as she saw the various people associated with the church...and also a dwarf.

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Rhiannon

Of a height with Lou, although it's hard to be certain when they're both seated, the acolyte replies politely enough to the other woman's greeting, "Hello to you." One eyebrow arches at the presence of the dwarf, unsure what to make of the silent and surly appearing non-human.

When Lou finishes his speech, she looks at him briefly before her eyes return to study the table. "Are you not going to start, since it was your suggestion?" She starts at the comment from the doorway, and gives the elf woman an appraising glance before again returning her attention to the table before her.

[dauphinous]

Seven

"Heh." Seven snorts at the elf's response, but it comes out as more of a chuckle. "I'm not the kind to look for a one-word answer to a question as complex as that. I'm Seven, and well met to you all."

She looks over each person critically, avoiding staring at any of them while assessing their likely skills based upon their appearances. It's almost like a game on one level. Because she knows that appearances can be deceiving, and it's always entertaining to learn that someone is something completely different from what their appearance presents. Still, accouterments are often revealing enough to get an impression. Mages don't wear armor, and sellswords don't carry spellbooks, after all. Well, most of them don't, anyway.

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Rhiannon

"Seven?" she asks with surprise, looking to the armored woman briefly. "Is that your birth name or some sort of alias? I'm Rhiannon, incidentally."

[dauphinous]

Seven

How many damn times will I have to answer that kind of question? Is that your real name? Is it some kind of codename? Are there One through Six? Is there an Eight? She suppresses memories of some of the more unpleasant ways in which people had queried about her name and just nods.

"It's my birth name. Very normal type of name where I come from. Yours'd be out of place there."

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Rhiannon

"Not from the Empire then?" she asks. Her question holds no malice or the usual arrogance members of the church hierarchy take when addressing those from outside the fold, just simple curiosity.

[The_Snark]

Azathul

The dwarf glances up briefly at each new arrival, his helm making it difficult to see what he thinks of them. His frown is not quite so sour, and he seems almost to be inspecting each person's possessions; judging their make and how well they are maintained. What he thinks of the people is difficult to tell. Except, perhaps predictably, for the elf; his frown deepens noticeably at her entrance. And at her claim to superiority.

"Azathul," he says in deep tones as names are given, offering nothing further than that. He does not sound terribly interested in giving more about himself. Having given each of the others as much inspection as he cares to, he begins studying the table and other innocuous objects.

[dauphinous]

Seven

Seven shrugs. "Not originally, no. Of late, yes." Her left hand moves up to rub the back of her neck lightly for a moment. It is possible that the movement may be subconscious, as she stops rather abruptly after a few seconds and drops the hand back into her lap. Then she grins a bit. "Are transplants acceptable in the eyes of the Church?"

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Rhiannon

The acolyte nods, "Of course, all who wish to embrace the Radiant Light and Blessed Flame are welcome, if their hearts are pure. Even dwarves and elves." She gestures briefly at the two in the room, although she sounds almost bitter as she speaks of pure hearts.

[The_Snark]

Azathul

The dwarf snorts at those last words, breaking his silence. "We would not, human. The World-Maker made us, and he made the world, and our reverence goes to him," he rumbles, the slight scorn of his first words replaced with a reverent dignity for the spacr of a sentence. "No dwarf would forsake that." Apparently done with speech, he examines Seven for a moment, particularly her fur cloak.

[dauphinous]

Seven

Seven begins by grinning broadly. By the time Azathul is finished speaking, though, she is unable to continue containing a throaty laugh. "I don't think anyone has ever entertained the notion I might be 'pure' in any sense of the word ever before, miss." She returns to the grin, obviously finding the subject very amusing. If she picks up on the bitterness in Rhiannon's words, it isn't apparent. "You can keep your lights and fires all to yourself. I will refrain from sullying them."

[Hoorex]

Lou

The words of the others fly over Lou's pointed, but hidden ears without him even realizing that he was still in the conversation. At the moment he seemed quite more interested in balancing perfectly on the back two pegs of his chair, and for the most part he was quite successful. As the words drone on, he looks up, his hair falling back into his face.

"Interesting, really it is. So yeah, you can call me Lou, and I'd say that to best describe me in one word is difficult, but if I had to choose just one? I'd go with "useful". Whaddya think?" he says, to no one in particular. In fact, he hadn't even caught the names of the others. He simply asked for them.

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Rhiannon

"As you wish," she says quietly, not looking at either dwarf or human woman. Instead she turns her attention to Lou. "I would say that whether or not useful is an apt description remains to be seen."

[Axelgear]

It is, in the midst of these conversations, that a jaunty tune begins to arise as the last of the party makes an approach towards the tavern. A pair of sapphire eyes happily shift and contort amidst a wonderfully featured face, as long, black hair dances with it. Under this head is, unsurprisingly, a body that follows it elegantly and gracefully. Were one to look at this creature for long enough, the proper word might be impish, especially considering its character. His character. Iacchus's character. "Early one morning before the sun did rise, and the birds sang their sweat song, the mountain troll proposed to the fair squire, and she had a false, deceitful tongue. Sir Maaannelig, Sir Mannelig, won't you marry me, for that I'll gladly give yo-Oh!" A drunkard, who had stumbled outside to pour his well-paid for drinks on the ground as to taste them twice, caused the strange little man to pause, his words audible to those outside.

"Well well... What have we here... Old lout, binged his drink. Can't handle it, eh? Can't say I blame you. Liquids. Foul stuff. Never know what they're going to do. Personally, I think they're out to get us all." And with a wicked smirk, he kicks over a bucket nearby that had sat out and collected rainwater a few days earlier, letting it clang on the man's head as it emptied its contents. "Oh my, my! That nasty, cruel bucket of water attacked you! Quick! Hide your face!" And swiftly, before the man can respond, Iacchus jumps and pushes his meager body weight down on the bucket, pushing the man face-first into a mixture of mud, grass, and his own vomit. The devious little creature just laughs excessively and loudly, before walking towards the door, reaching up to click the handle and step inside, still hooting by the time he gets in.

Iacchus, having missed the introductions, ignores the others and walks up to the barkeep. An odd mix of finery and jesting, he is clad in a few pieces of jewelery and a bright golden vest, but under which is a red fool's shirt, with purple sleeves that extend to his hands, which are covered in black leather gloves. His pants are of a like color, and his feet are wrapped in canvas with thick wooden soles on them. "I-Innkeeper! Ha ha ha! A pint and some cinnamon! And a cloth for my friend out there! Bwahahah!" Soon, the strange sprite is nearly falling off his chair with laughter at his own wicked humor.

((This song is one of the inspirations for his behaviour. And just so you know, the song he was singing was Herr Mannelig))

[Hoorex]

Lou

Ignoring the newcomer, except for the small twitch in his left eye, he spun on the two back legs of chair so that he was facing Rhiannon. The twitch was either gone, or very well hidden because his face was smooth and attractive just as it had been when he walked in.

He wasn't quite sure which way he turned, but he new that he was, in fact, facing her. With a playful smile and a wink, "Okay, well my next one would've been "pretty". That's a safe bet, am I right? Or am I right?"

[Callos_DeTerran]

The elf's lip twitched with disgust at the mention of possibly subverting the worship of a being who gave her life, to that of the idealistic dribble of the humans was revolting. "I have to agree with Master Azathul in this manner, no true pure-blooded elf would forsake Valena or Valorus for the...corrupted shambles of religion that you humans have set up."

At the word human her lip began to curl again but this time she supressed her feelings on the subject and resolved to simply...relax until this other had joined them and spoke his peace. "I have to wonder why a clergywoman such as yourself is traveling the country though, I would think you'd be hidden away until such a time that the 'darkness' could no longer sway your heart."

[Hoorex]

Lou

The last bit made Lou's ears perk up. Just a bit, anyways. He had changed from not caring about the situation in the slightest to just not caring. If you could call that a change. They were talking about Valena and Valorus? And it was in that moment that Lou realized their were non-humans at the table. It had been awhile since he had actually dealt with them, and Silien's soft features brought back kind memories. Memories back when his life was different. A kind smile washed over his face and he interjected.

"Let's put away the claws, but really, you just met these people. Save the converting for when we're drunk and vulnerable."

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Rhiannon

"My reasons for traveling are my own," she replies to the arrogant elf, inwardly relieved at a chance to avoid answering the question of attractiveness. "Suffice to say, I find it unlikely that any darkness greater than that which I already carry will afflict me." Addressing Lou again, she offers a wry, weak, smile. "I'm no good at converting anyone, I'm afraid. I simply answered a question."

[Hoorex]

Lou

"Great! We shouldn't have a problem them. I told that Rainard to only bring people that would get along, you know inner conflict is bad for business. That's what I tells him, but what does he do? Bring a church offical, of all people, to work with a couple of elves and dwarf? Not that I got anything against the church, let that be known that I'm all for tolerance. But really, this is just gonna stew, and it's a darn good start ain't it?" he rambles, not sure whether people are listening or not.

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Rhiannon

She seems surprised at Lou's commentary. "I assure you, I shall cause no problems. And I'm not an 'official'. I'm only an acolyte and not a very good one at that."

[Callos_DeTerran]

Silien

"You are very gregarious, aren't you? Is it the love of the sound of your voice or some deeper compulsion that drives you to make noise?" Silien asked calmly, closing her eyes and tilting her head back to stare up at the ceiling. The elf hadn't caught the look that Lou had given her or seem very interested in the response she had gotten from the priestess...but then again she was extraordinarily gifted at looking un-caring these days.

Nor was she trying to be rude to Lou with her comment, it had come with a sort of...latent curiousty to it. Like someone who had discovered a curious plant and wanted to know one of it's many secrets.

[dauphinous]

Seven

Still incredibly amused by the situation, Seven sits back and laces her fingers together, putting her hands behind her head and watching as the personalities show. There is some talk about this being a 'group', which perks her interest, for sure. She didn't know she was coming here to work with a group of people. But as the man of the hour hadn't made his presence known yet, there is hardly any reason to rush with the gathering of mission parameters here. Especially as it's all likely to be second hand or hearsay until this mysterious Rainard spills his beans all over them.

She just keeps grinning. This group of people are likely to be an endless source of entertainment. And not a one of them seems like anything she'd call a 'threat'. Which just makes it all the better. If she's actually going to be guarding at least some of these people (which is the only possible arrangement that seems likely to her), then her employer had chosen a pretty darn good assignment for her, or so it seems.

[Hoorex]

Lou

"Ahhh, cheer up girl. This world was made for people to work. And for those of us smart enough to slip by undetected. So religion isn't you're thing. Don't worry, don't tell nobody, but if you ask me, religion should be the last thing anyone is worried about. Causes too much trouble. Let me be burned like a martyr if you disagree, but it's the truth. Remember it." And as the last word left his lips, he pushed off the ground, and leaned back into the two legs in perfect balance. What a weird character.

EDIT:

"Oh, you're a clever one. Really, that hurt me to the core." He says, his eyes darting to Silien. He noted to not assume that because you're the same race people would be any nicer to you. Lord knows they should, but they won't. This damn world needs more kindness.

[WhiteKnight777]

The evening tavern noises continue as the group gets acquainted. Perhaps an hour passes. Outside, night falls fully. After the plates have been cleared away, the barkeep slips behind the curtain. She nods at all of you, her face still set in a tough, no-nonsense expression. She speaks in a gruff voice, low enough that those in the rest of the tavern can't hear. You notice that she carries a short, heavy club at her belt, made of polished oak, an item many call the barkeep's best friend. She's dressed in long, tight-fitting trousers, a rough wool shirt, and a leather vest, all in brown, save for the vest, which is black.

"All right. The fella who told you to meet here... well, he isn't here right now, per se. Seems he's real concerned about privacy. I don't ask questions. That's not good for business around here. But I was paid well to see to you and see that you got a certain message. He wanted me to tell you that you're to meet him in the forest. He said that there's a certain cave a few miles inside the woods. He wants you to slip out the north gate, nice and quiet-like, and meet him there. If you follow the edge of the forest, you'll find a small trail. Hard to see, but it's there. You follow that, it will take you right to the cave. He'll be waiting for you there.

You'd best be careful. That Rainard fellow looked like he could handle himself, but there's a reason the wall's there, and there's a reason most folk's don't leave the forest after nightfall. Strange things turn up every now and then from out of the wood. and most of them aren't friendly. Be wary when you go in."