Pint Sized Sword and Sorcery

[Fieari]

ERDAFEL

Erdafel isn't a new town, but neither is it really an old town. At about a hundred years, there are still individuals (of non-human races) who were there at the first settlement of what was once a simple fishing village. The Crisis Bay has always been home to many creatures under the sea, many of them extremely tasty. Monsters had always been a problem on the isle, since they were attracted to settlements of people, but a permanent staff of well equipped guards, and a wooden stockade around the town enabled them to live in peace. Monster raids were no longer things of panic, but rather something one looked at like the weather... a nuisance, but nothing to really get upset about.

The town had grown considerably since it was settled, and the wall had to be pushed back many times. Perhaps one day they would consider switching to stone, but that would be a long way off. For now, the guards numbered at about 60, and no one really considered them.

This year, the trade winds have blown VERY favorably. Merchant ships from across the globe seem to be DRAWN to this little island, and gold has flowed into the pockets of many in town.

When the crazy "Priests" came into town, preaching about the need to worship the Navan Forest in thanks for the winds that now blessed them, people paid no mind. Children thought it fun to practice aim with slingshots on the noisy priests, and while parents scolded their children for not being polite, no one really cared. The priests had some funny ideas about worship, for example. One of their tenants was that Elves were "unclean" creatures, and should be separated from everyone else... that anyone even TALKING to an elf was laid with a "taint" that only the Navan priests could wash off.

This was not well received. Elves and half-elves alike lived in the town... and were friends of many.

The priests were not well received, that is, until the day the shadows arose.

The town guards did not see them until it was too late. Monstrous brutes standing seven feet tall, covered in wicked looking spikes and wielding clubs nearly as large as they themselves were (and spiked as well)... and they were uniformly black as night. You could only see them in OUTLINE, and only if there was light behind them. When they stood under lanterns, which wasn't for long, it was as if they were still covered in shadow... you would think they WERE shadows, except that their clubs were physical indeed.

With only three blows, the mighty reinforced gates to the town were smashed apart. Only thirteen shadowy brutes entered the town, but they were more than enough. The guards could not stop them. One by one they fell.... ten lost... twenty lost... thirty lost... forty lost... and don't think it was only the guards who were dying. No. The brutes seemed to be TARGETING the innocent. Hundreds died.

They burned buildings as they rampaged. They killed all who could not get out of the way. For the first time decades, people feared monsters once more.

All would have been killed... but for the priests. The priests no one liked, and the soldiers... the "Templars" they brought with them. Only the Templars were able to stand up to the brutes... twenty six Templars fought the thirteen shadows... it took that many to kill the monsters. And the monsters took as many of the Templars down as they themselves died. It was a bloody bloody night, and few were not effected.

After the attack, the Navan Temple showed it's generosity. Gold was give out to those who had homes burned. Help was given in rebuilding. And Templars were assigned to help guard the town... there were twenty of the old guard, but fifty of the new. And people started listening to the priests, and donating gold to the temple, and they started shunning the elves, and the half elves.

Interestingly enough, every single being with Elven blood in the town had their home destroyed. All of them. And now that the temple was in charge, they were all moved into one quarter of the town, and forbidden to enter the areas where humans (and the occasional dwarf) lived. Money was given to them, and homes were provided, yes... but they were now practically outcasts. And people who were once their friends, now began to hate.




SAMIS
Samis was a proud and great and noble city, boasting a population of more than three hundred thousand. It was built on the seashore, but also up the side of a mountain, with the great Palace overlooking the city from above. The rich and influential lived higher up the mountain, the poorer closer to the sea, but people were reasonably happy wherever they lived. The city was orderly, there was justice for criminals, and there was much wealth to be had. The ports of late had been bringing in merchants from across the globe... the city was becoming TRUELY wealthy. Even the lowly dock hands had some gold in their pockets.

There were rumors of troubles up on the northern coast, and the King of Samis was going to be sending extra soldiers up there shortly. Overnight, the courier industry also became very successful, as people wanted messages sent to loved ones and business associates. "Are you alright?" "Is my warehouse okay?"

But of late, a dark cloud is hanging over the city. A literal dark cloud... the Arganothian range seems redder at night as well. Could the Dragon be stirring? Those with any magical sense began to feel very uncomfortable. Something was brewing. Something would soon come crashing down. History was on edge. Where would it tilt?



NEVA TOWN
The plague continued to rage. It was something that was hard to ignore. There was no cure, and the effects were terrible... a person infected started to decay as if they were already dead... but life was still in them.

Neva did boast many skilled craftsmen and artisans, and because of this, money wasn't exactly scarce. Magical aid was sought... priests were called in and hired, and scrolls of healing were acquired. But this disease resisted magical aid... oh, the body could be restored as new again, but they would continue to decay once the healing was over. Three days. Healing had to be renewed every three days, or death was risked. Those that tried to leave the island, seeking somewhere with a Temple, where they could request divine intervention... those that stepped foot on a ship, over water... they died instantly.

If those who were sick wanted to leave, they only had one option: which was to go through the forest. And that was unthinkable.

Those who were not infected started to flee before they were. But only one shipping company had any desire at all to visit the town... a merchant by the name of Kexop Merchantant. And he knew he had a monopoly, and a captive audience, and a "product" that was well desired. He jacked up prices to transport anyone out of the town... you could well live for a year on the prices he was charging for a single passenger.



ELEVENDEEP FOREST
The forest was restless today. It had slept in peace for years, but today, it was restless. The trees feared something, and communicated that fear to those who lived inside it. The animals were more twitchy than usual. Even hunters like wolves were timid now.

Something is happening. Something important. Something dangerous. But what? Where? Why? And how is it to be stopped?

 

[Tonguez]

"Why did Kris have to move Ma?" Vandir looked up at his mother as she tended to the evenings meal "she isn't really bad is she?"

"I don't know whats going on son" Ma replied quickly, still shaken by the attack, and by the zealots that were appearing around the town "but we both know Kris and her family, they were good to us."
She looked to the door then and with a look that showed she was finished talking went back to shelling the mussels

Kris and her family had lived next door, they were half-elven and some people had started to whisper that perhaps their neighbours should be checked lest they carry the taint. Of course Pa just shrugged it off, he was from Neva town and knew all about the Navan forest he said. It didn't stop the looks and the calls.

The night before Vandir had run into some kids from down the way, kids who in less than a week had learnt to hate.
"Hey Elf-kisser" they had yelled when he walked pass "dirty elf-kisser the shadows're gonna kill you!!"
Vandir had looked up and sneered "shut up Jonas Mull at least I know who my parents are - your daddy was probably a troll!"

That had done it Jonas the bully had attacked and Vandir ran, he ran and ducked and headed for the dockside. There in his element, the place he knew like the back of his hand he had climbed and hoped and laughed as bales came tumbling down on his pursuers, Petey the pog had gone up in a net screaming as it again fell dropping him hard on the warf. Mackey was hit by a swinging pole and went into the water and last of all Jonas Mull was led down to the fishgutters and soon found himself covered in muck.

Vandir grinned as he remembered, 'cept of course that soon Pa would be home and no doubt Peteys father would of had a word to him, and the Harbourmaster might not be too happy with the mess in the store.

Vandir could feel his backside stinging even now...

 

[Seonaid]

Mick looks back at his house regretfully. He really hates leaving his mom and dad, but the whole town is so sick that he can't stand being around other people. What with his dad in bed all the time, and his mom constantly worrying, it sure is a pain! I wish he would just die, he thought resentfully. Then Mom could pay more attention to me. He shakes his head once and trots toward the forest. If only we could just go through the forest. Argenis did! We could move there, maybe. Then no one would be afraid. And Dad would get better! Subconsciously, he fingers the scrimshaw figure he always keeps in his pocket, the one Mom made for him of the Myme. The other kids tease him that Mymes don't exist, but he secretly keeps hoping that one will come and cure this horrible disease. I wish that Kexop guy never came! His grip tightens on the figurine as he enters the forest.

 

[Vargo]

Edwina was gardening again.

Well, she was doing something that a twenty year old gnome without a farming background might consider gardening - randomly pulling up plants and putting them back in the earth, occasionally putting one aside and calling it a weed.

She sighed, and reached up with one dirty hand, smearing the sweat off her forhead with the back of her hand. My flowers have to bloom eventually she thought. I've been weeding them every day, why are they taking so long to bloom?

As she busied herself with the plucking and replanting of various members of the plant kingdom, a member of a very different kingdom was stalking her. Quietly, the eyes watched from under a bush, waiting for the right moment to pounce upon their unsuspecting prey...

Edwina finished her weeding, stood up and streched. At that moment, her stalker took his initiative and pounced on her, knocking her to the ground. Dirt flew in the air as hours of "weeding" was rolled into the dirt. The two bodies tussled, rolled, and finally stopped.

"STILLQUIET LAZYFLOP, LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY FLOWERS!" Edwina screamed at her cat. Stillquiet, realizing that perhaps pouncing on the gnomish child might not have been the best idea after all, decided discretion was the better part of valor, and fled quickly into the brush.

Edwina pulled herself up to her knees, stifled a single sniffle, and thought to herself, Well, he is just doing what a cat does. I can always grow more flowers later.

She stood up, and brushed herself off. Mom's going to hate how dirty I am. I'd better take a swim before I go home, and brush off my clothes.

As Edwina walked towards the river, she thought about the pall that lay over the village. Dad's really worried about his work, I can tell. He's not doing much carving these days, there's no wood coming back in. Everybody's afraid to cut wood, so there's not much for him to work with...

Edwina's thoughts were cut off as several of the village boys ran by. One of them yelled out "Hi, Ed!" as he ran past. Edwina stuck her tongue out at him, and blew a big, wet rasberry. "Dominic, I'll put nettle juice in your bed if you call me Ed one more time!" she yelled back...

 

[hafrogman]

Garreth peered around the door and into the kitchen. He couldn't see his mom, but he heard her voice as she chattered with the little old lady who lived next door. Perfect, Mrs. Crannel was nice and all, but she would talk you ears off if you let her. Still, she was a good source of cookies if you didn't mind listening to her gossip for a while. But right now what it meant was mom wasn't watching the back door since she was standing in the front yard talking over the fence. Since his dad would still be at work for hours, Garreth was home free.

He scampered into the kitchen as fast as his short legs would carry him. Pausing only to raid the cookie jar, he wandered out into the street behind his home. He was supposed to be practising his letters right now, but it was far to nice a day to be cooped up inside doing something that boring. He quickly finished his ill gotten gains and brushed the crumbs off his tunic absentmindedly as he looked around the street. He knew he shouldn't get too far from home or else his mom would have his hide, but he didn't want to be caught to early either. Besides, this cramped little alleyway was pretty dull.

He continued his journey down the street towards the square at the end and found a place to seat himself near the corner. His hands dipped into his pockets and pulled out a piece of charcoal and his sketchbook. Well, he called it his sketch book, but really it was just a bunch of old scraps of parchment of various colors, sizes and states of disrepair. He'd gotten his mom to sew it together along one edge, and now it stayed together, for the most part. He turned some pages until he found a mostly blank corner and set the book down in his lap. He placed his head in his hands and gazed out into the busy street unaware of the smudge the charcoal piece was leaving on his cheek as he awaited inspiration.

 

[Lichtenhart]

Mary began to weep silently as her mother finally slipped into a troubled sleep. Since the day the plague caught her, the woman had been forced to keep the little girl at distance, for fear the disease would catch her too, and Mary really longed for her mom's warm embraces, and the lovely evening when she let her sleep in the big bed, and told her all those wonderful tales of Nyre.
Her favored one was that of the little black goose, who discovers she isn't really a goose but a little phoenix, and her black feathers flare up with the colors of the fire.
For Mary often felt like the little black goose. Most of the kids were always mocking her because she wasn't beautiful, and the grown-ups either looked at her with that strange, suspicious look she learned to hate, or shouted at her because she broke smothing.
Yesterday she nearly broke her mom's medicine, but she saved it in time, fortunately. It would have been a big trouble otherwise, for she noticed only a few coins remained on the hiding place under the board.
With eyes still full of tears, Mary went at the window, and looked at the forest far away, dark and mysterious. Mom always told her never to go into the woods, for no reason, because it is a very dangerous place, and you could never go back. But Mary heard her crying a night that was very late, and say to herself that maybe the forest would be the best for her little wildcat. Mary loved when her mom called her little wildcat.
So she stayed there at the window, waiting for the sleep to come and the tears to dry. She never cried too much. she noticed that she would run out of tears much sooner then her friends. Sally could weep for hours, she bet. and only because she tripped once. Better leave her to her dolls, which, by the way, are too fragile. Mary considered for a moment what would happen to her if her mom.... no she will be well again! But still... no one in the town really liked her. Mick maybe, or Roger, but no one of the grown-ups. And the forest didn't look all that dangerous from the window...

 

[Fieari]

Mich returned from the forest seriptitiously, as usual. He never understood the fear given to the place... it was wonderful and amazing and awesome and beautiful and fun all rolled up into one! Even his peers tended to have a similar fear, picked up from their parents most likely. Unlike Mich, who was regularly forbidden to pass beyond the town's edge but regularly did anyway, his friends were the sort that didn't even NEED forbidding.

But when he returned today, he found most of his clothes bundled up, food wrapped in cloth, and an envelope* on the table. "The ship leaves in two hours..." your mother began, masking her own emotions remarkably well. There was only enough money in the family to send one... and there would be gold left over for schooling. The would be money enough to follow later, but for now, you would be safe. And that's what matters.

And so within an hour you were standing on the docks, and then shortly afterwards on the deck of the "Lady Blue Windserpent"... a beautiful ship with tall billowing sails. You have your very own room on the ship, and don't have to work or anything during the voyage. All has been paid for.

On the ship, you meet up with Mary, who hadn't paid for a ticket, but rather had managed to swim out to the ship and climb up the anchor. It was really a very foolish thing to try. Later, she would say that it was a strange magic that made her decide to do it, but it certainly looked like a reaction to fear of what was happening plus a good bit of impulsiveness. At least she hadn't actually gone into the Navan like she had been originally planning. She wanted an adventure. Secretly, she wanted to find a cure for her mother... then she'd come back and everyone would thank her and she'd be the hero! Er... Heroine!

She didn't get to have nearly as comfortable a ride to Samis as Mich did, even though Mich kept visiting her in the holds and bringing her food (which his mother had paid for). The journey, all in all, was about a week. The ship only left sight of the shore for one day, in order to catch a current, so he overheard.

Both Mary and Mich together got to overhear something maybe a little more important though. While in the holds, they could hear through the floor to the captain's room above... and they heard the following conversation:

Captain: "If you're so insistant on bringing the medicine to Neva, why not just put it on the ship, instead of trying to go THROUGH?"

Owner: "The leaves are very magical, and are apparently overly sensitive to both salt and water. Just passing them over either of the two elements taints the product... even if sealed away perfectly! No, I've tried by sea. It must go by land."

Captain: "You've lost three caravans to the forest already."

Owner: "If the medicine does not get through, in half a decade, I dare say there will be no one left in Neva to buy it. Raising boat prices will cover expenses from losing caravans. I'll just need to hire better guards... if they fail, I won't have to pay them anyway."




Vandir's Dad decided he didn't like the atmosphere in town now. He didn't want to abandon their home, but at the same time, it no longer seemed safe. Within a few days after the attack, he announced to his family that they were going to take a buisness trip... that is to say, find work in Samis for a while and hope things became safer back at Erdafel, which would always be "home"... monsters or no monsters.

On the road between the two cities, Vandir watched as an ordinary house-cat dashed in front of them. Poor thing... it looked far too well groomed to be a stray. It must have run away from its master.

After reaching Samis, and finding temporary lodging, Vandir was given time to himself to explore the city. He lost no time in finding the docks. A proud and beautiful ship had just docked... and a boy about his age was disembarking alone. (Mary decided she would climb down the anchor again. Making sure she'd not be caught at any part of the journey, she wasn't about to be caught now that she was at its end).

Not far from this place was also a tiny gnome girl. She was crying, but also holding onto the same cat Vandir had seen running through the countryside just a day before.

It seemed that she had chased after her cat, who had taken a strange interest in comming here (and almost seemed to be LEADING her here... the cat never ran farther than she could see). And when she had come here, strange men had made fuss over her... but more importantly, over one of her possessions. A small acorn, which they unjustly stole from her. They might have kidnapped Edwina as well, but for her cat, who was quite furious with the men and not only made a successful grapple check, but executed a nice bite and claw attack as well, making the men drop the girl so she could run.

The men were dressed in Green and White. They wore robes, as if they were religious men-- priests.



Garreth, bored, had also been walking about the docks today.



As soon as Mary disembarks (which she does quickly), you are all together. What do you do? What do you talk about?



* The envelope contains a letter of rights, a note that will enable you to recieve gold from a moneychanger in Samis. When your mother gave it to you, she invoked the simple mechanical magic that cast an Arcane Mark on the back of your hand, as well as on the note. The mark would make anyone stealing the letter from you not be able to use it... the peice of paper was worthless to any but you.

Not that it would be of MUCH use to you, anyway... instructions were on it that the money was all to go to the school where you'll stay and eat.



((Appologies that some of you got more attention/plot hooks than others... Garreth esspecially seems to have gotten the shaft this time round, but that's mostly because he's already HERE, the others are comming to meet HIM. I'll try and see too it he gets some spotlight of his own soon enough though.))

 

[Tonguez]

Vandir didn't want to leave Erdafel, he didn't want to leave Kris, not with what everyone was saying about elfs. He had snuck in to see her for one last time before the family had left. Climbed over the rooftops and past the Templar guards. It wasn't safe and Ma would have a fit if she found out - but she hadn't yet and that was good.
Kris wasn't the same, she was scared and her family had told him to go. He met her later and told her to come with him, but she hadn't come, he hugged her, kissed her and crying she had run away.

Thats why he noticed the gnome girl crying, her tears reminding him of Kris. Then of course he noticed the cat he'd seen in the Elevendeep, so climbing down from the perch he had found up atop the dockside warehouses he decided to see who she was and why she was crying...

"Is that your cat?" Vandir asks as he approaches the tiny girl "I saw him in the forest, the Elevendeep, so if he's yours then your a long way from home.

Are you lost?" he asks finally taking a seat beside her "don't cry, I'll help you"

 

[Vargo]

Edwina was tired. She had walked a very long distance, trying to catch up with Stillquiet Lazyflop. Men had taken her friend from her, and had almost taken her as well, if it hadn't been for Stillquiet, who knows what would have happened to her?

She was tired, scared, and afraid of the nine kinds of trouble she was going to catch when she got home. This wasn't like her previous adventure. She was figuring out what to do, and at the same time grooming Stillquiet's fur, which had gotten slightly mussed during the fight.

Stillquiet had no objections to Edwina's attention.

She was still petting his fur when Vandir walked up to her. "Is that your cat?" Vandir asked as he approached the tiny girl. "I saw him in the forest, the Elevendeep, so if he's yours then your a long way from home."

Edwina looked up at Vandir. He's a not an adult. Maybe he'll belive me... She was not bawling outright, and the tears were drying up already. "No, he's not my cat. Nobody owns a cat. I did follow him here, though. He could be the one you saw in the forest. He's very brave, too, and he saved me from some bad men."

She wiped her eyes, then looked at Vandir with a sense of urgency. "The bad men stole my friend! I've got to get him back! They were wearing green and white robes, and Stillquiet scratched up their faces, and I think they were priests... Do you know who they are?"

"Oh, and my name's Edwina. What's yours?"

 

[hafrogman]

Garreth had finished his lessons today and gone out into the streets to play for a bit. There was nothing really interesting happening here today, so he kept wandering. He glanced up at the overcast and briefly considered heading home in case it rained. But, really it had been cloudy a lot recently, and the clouds never seemed to bring rain with them. Forgetting his previous promises to keep close to home, he eventually found himself near the docks. There was usually something interesting to see here, as long as you kept out from underfoot of the sailors.

He'd been sitting on a barrel near the waterfront for a while now. He was staring intently at a seagull perched across the way and trying to sketch it in his book, but he kept having problems with the feet. He was staring at the bird so closely that he nearly missed the movement behind it. Beyond the bird there was a ship, and someone was crawling down the side of the ship. Sensing something interesting, Garreth forgot the bird for a moment, and tucking his drawing and charcoal into his pockets, he moved to get a better view.

As he got closer to the boat, he could see that it was a child. Some girl was climbing down a rope from the ship. He kept walking while watching the girl, wondering what she could be up to. He wasn't paying much attention and ended up bumping into another kid who had just gotten off the same ship in a more conventional way.

"Oops, sorry!"