Shards of Memory-Prologue: Fractured Union

[Festy_Dog]

Rystil:

[sblock]"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt too much to make the same offer. Colour me content with loot acquired during the journey in that case," Diedrik says, clearly not as excited as some of the other applicants Jasyra had spoken of, "Well, where should I start? My full name is Diedrik Carnard. I'm a spelljammer, part-time performer and part-time adventurer, originally from Rowain. In regards to Spelljamming experience, well, Spelljamming is my life.

"These days I spend more time on Spelljammers than solid ground, so I know how to make myself useful. I'm no expert, but I can use a weapon to good effect. I find I have a beneficial effect on those I work with, in and out of conflict. I also have some medical training, and make a competent spokesperson when the need arises for a negotiator or somesuch. That said, anything else you'd like to know or want more detail on?"[/sblock]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Zaeryn:
[SBLOCK]
"It is a strudel made of fresh blue Zhorberries, sir."
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Yuriko:
[SBLOCK]
*Yuriko has a big problem: The farmhouse is pitch black and the hearth fire is out, and Yuriko cannot see in total darkness.*

*Suddenly, she hears a whisper from Tao in her mind.*

"Yuriko...I covered your eyes before when you were too powerless to stop a terrible wrong, but now I lend you my sight...I am sorry, but I cannot aid you more--I have already overstepped my proper bounds."

*Yuriko felt a gentle ephemeral touch to her eyes, and then suddenly she could see in the dark, about sixty feet away.*

*With her newfound sight, she checks the entry room and sees nothing, moving with dread to the sleeping quarters, very very quietly.*

*The sight within is grisly to behold. The boys lie prone against the wall, their throats slashed open, as if with a claw, and then tossed there haphazardly, as if the intruder didn't care about them--in fact, it appeared not to have wasted the time to deliver a finishing blow to either of them, so one or the other might just still be alive, for the moment. Shinoa lies pale and still on her mattress with her eyes open in a look of horror. From across the room, Yuriko cannot tell if she is breathing. A dark figure, visible to Yuriko only in black-and-white through her new vision, lies over Rin. He appears as a well-dressed man, except that his hands are contorted into claws and his face is twisted into an evil rictus, as he holds his mouth up to Rin's neck as if giving her a gentle kiss.*

*With horror, Yuriko recognises the clues as to what this thing is--it is a kyuuketsuki, a Shadowtaint Vampire. Once a mortal who was corrupted by the Shadowtaint, the kyuuketsuki appear as normal mortals during the day, and nearly undetectable as creatures of darkness.*

*During the night, however, the taint takes over, and they prey upon the living, although they only enjoy the blood of those of the opposite sex, wantonly swatting anyone of the same gender out of their way. The kyuuketsuki often have to settle for lone travelers, however, because they cannot enter a house warded with sutras under any circumstances and they even cannot come into an unwarded home unless they are invited.*

*During the night, the kyuuketsuki is very difficult to destroy, shrugging off wounds from normal and even magical weapons and regenerating even those wounds that manage to harm it, but its mortal weakness is blessed jade--a kyuuketsuki decapitated by a jade weapon is destroyed--anything else and it will come back, though if killed during the day, it must wait for the night to regenerate.*

(OOC:

Knowledge: Religion n20 + 3 = 23 (Bwahaha, you wasted your 20 before you could crit--oh wait, they're immune to crits so I guess you didn't waste it :\)
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Keia]

Yotsu Yuriko, Martial Artist

Rystil:[SBLOCK]

"Yuriko...I covered your eyes before when you were too powerless to stop a terrible wrong, but now I lend you my sight...I am sorry, but I cannot aid you more--I have already overstepped my proper bounds."

"A better ancestor, one could not ask for," Yuriko whispered. "I may only strive to be worthy of such an ancestor."

*Yuriko contemplated many different strategies, all made more difficult by the lack of vital organs of the creature. She knew that this was the creature to concentrate on . . . she wasn't a healer and probably couldn't help the boys before the creature was on her. She longed for the bow she left in her room, but she couldn't allowthe time to go by to go back and get it. Instead she crept forward . . . and tried to strike.*

OOC: Dodge to Shadowtainted one (AC 20). Move/strike with Katana two handed [+9 / 1d10+7/19-20/x2.[/sblock]

 

[unleashed]

Zaeryn T'Erilan, Male Altanian Arcanist

Rystil

[SBLOCK]*Zaeryn inclines his head in thanks again to the server before reaching for a piece of the wholebread to dip, which he offers to Valyssa.*

“Try this Valyssa, I think you’ll find the sauce very different from the chuul.”

*He says playfully, smiling, as he holds it just a few inches from her mouth waiting for her to take a bite.*[/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Kirkesh:
[SBLOCK]
"Hmmm...well, I could collect my things from my room, I guess. Then after that, I don't care where we go...as long as I'm with you!"
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Bront]

Rystil:
[SBLOCK]

"Hmmm...well, I could collect my things from my room, I guess. Then after that, I don't care where we go...as long as I'm with you!"

"Well, then we should do that. Perhaps stay the night. I'm sure you could use some rest as well. You should collect some money as well, to buy anything else you may need. You'll need to learn to protect yourself out in the world. And I think I can see that you'd like to say goodbye to Sanchez. He's been a close friend as well as a protector hasn't he?"
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Talia:
[SBLOCK]
"I'm so glad you liked them Talia!" Subterfuge admits. I remembered how much you loved the Read Magic cantrip when we were first studying spells together, so I thought that maybe if Glamour could work the dweomer into a dress, that it could be the perfect dress for you. The locket...well, it matches your beautiful eyes."
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Diedrik:
[SBLOCK]
"Hmm...sound like a jack of all trades...well, you talk big, but how do I know you're not a master of none? Just by taking your measure through my own assessment, I will admit you seem sincere, though a bit guarded, and thus I am somewhat interested...Let's see...Why don't you tell me, what do you love most about Spelljamming--what draws you to it?"
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Festy_Dog]

Rystil:

[sblock]Guarded for good reason, m'lady, but nothing that would jepeordise a job like this. Nonetheless, time to dig up the old cover story.

*Diedrik went on to answer Jasyra's question.*

"I was the youngest son of a tavern keeper. This tavern, 'The Star and Sail', happened to be conveniantly positioned and thus favoured by many Spelljammers visiting the capital. So when I was old enough to work all I would ever hear about were stories of the excitement and adventure involved with Spelljamming. Being the youngest of many sons I definitely wasn't in line to inherit the tavern any time soon, and Spelljamming was sounding far better anyway, so after a considerable amount of time I had gathered up enough coin to equip myself modestly for travel and leave for Eldiz where I would find the training and the starting point of the adventures I dreamed of.

"Clearly it didn't go as rosily as I had intended past that point, but I have a lot of experience under my belt now. Spelljamming is what I do, and though it wasn't the cake-walk filled with treasure and romance that I had desired, it is what I love. What I really enjoy is the sense of discovery I get from just seeing the sights of the places I travel to. I haven't done much real 'exploration' in the sense of the word, but my life thus far has been all about discovering that which is unknown to me. A job like this is itself almost a definition of why I enjoy the profession so much."

I actually enjoy the exploring style stuff, but I only said it because it may help. That and keeping on the move means it's incredibly difficult to pin me down, but that's better left unsaid. Hmm, been a long time since I've had to do an interview to get a job, hope I'm doing this right.[/sblock]