Shards of Memory-Prologue: Fractured Union

[Rystil Arden]

Zaeryn:
[SBLOCK]
*Seeing herself outpaced, Valyssa transforms into an eagle and swoops ahead once more.*
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Yuriko:
[SBLOCK]
*Yuriko sees a man dressed in the habit of the mountain monastery, who seems about to lift her up, though he stops when he sees her open her eyes.*

"Oh, you are awake? I'm sorry to have woken you--you look like you needed the rest."
[/SBLOCK]

 

[unleashed]

Zaeryn T'Erilan, Male Altanian Arcanist

Rystil

[SBLOCK]*Realising that he can't keep up in his current form Zaeryn transforms into a wyrmling brass dragon, but only tries to keep up and not push ahead even though he has plenty of speed in reserve.*[/SBLOCK]

 

[Keia]

Yotsu Yuriko, Martial Artist

Rystil:[SBLOCK]

"Oh, you are awake? I'm sorry to have woken you--you look like you needed the rest."

"No need to apologize, sama," Yuriko replied, quietly. "I am Yotsu Yuriko, a monk of the order . . . on return from my pilgrimage . . . ."

*Yuriko looked around for the children . . . and the body of the creature.*[/SBLOCK]

 

[Bront]

RA:
[SBLOCK]

*There is the one aforementioned window that looks down directly onto the piers.*

*Kirkesh finds something a bit familiar about the arrogant man's voice, but he can't place it--it isn't someone he's met before that he can remember, but...*

"Yes, I'm sorry for the intrusion," the Rowaini-accented man seems a lot less angry and much more polite now that it is clear that he is going to get his way, "If you'd like any coin for your inconvenience, please just give me the word...Men, advance on the kidnapper immediately!"

*Vanessa's eyes widen in horror to about twice their usual size, as she stands there staring with a deer-in-headlight look at the door as if it was a portal to hell, and not just a simple wooden door with a deadbolt that looks like it hasn't been engaged in years.*

*Another voice answers:*

"At once, Lord Etoile!"

"Quick, out the window, take my boots, and I'll follow you." Kirkesh gathers everything in his pack quickly.

Once Vanessa is out, he'll follow (Without the boots, Jump +8, Tumble +11, boots will add +9 to her jump check)
[/SBLOCK]

 

[DrZombie]

gaius

Gaius:
[SBLOCK]
"Ah, direct and to the point...Quite unlike those with whom I am used to dealing," Senator Olivia comments wryly, "I want you to perform a job for me...one that will get you out of the gladiatorial pits and into a whole new realm to test your skills. Once the task is completed, you will retain your freedom permanently, although you will of course be welcome to return and compete at the Coliseum whenever you wish."
[/SBLOCK]

[sblock]
"Freedom? Der will be no real freedom for me in da city of da praetorians. For you I am just an animal, as da guards pointed out to me when I tried to reach you myself." gaius says, without bitterness.
"But if you promise to me to set me up wid enough gold so I can make a new start somewere else I'll do whatever you want for me. Der is notting I haven't done in da pits dat could be worse den what it is dat you want from me.
So where do you want me to fight, my Lady? I will be your loyal dog in dis, you have my word."
[/sblock]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Zaeryn:
[SBLOCK]
*Valyssa wings and circles across the sky for some time, eventually growing bored and heading for the artificial lake, where she transforms into a half-Valyssa/half-fish mermaidlike form as she dives into the water.*

(OOC: Hmmm...I think you picked the fastest thing with 4 HD or less )
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Yuriko:
[SBLOCK]
*Yuriko sees some other monks picking up Rin and Yu as a pair stands whispering around the remains of Shinoa.*

"Yotsu? Ah yes, I've heard of that name--of the Dog Clan, no? Then it makes perfect sense. There was a loud howling around the monastery tonight, and one of our elder ascetics went into a trance where he saw the yama no kami ni shitagau inu, the noble dog of the mountain spirits," the monk refers to the wolf by one of its other names, the shorter being simply 'okami' , "The wolf told him that we must send five men in the direction of the howls, and so we did."
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Kirkesh:
[SBLOCK]
*Vanessa nods numbly and silently, slipping on Kirkesh's boots as she leaps out of the window and onto the pier, and somehow manages not to hurt herself, and Kirkesh follows, tumbling expertly to avoid harm.*

*As they do so, there is a shout from a guard off to the side.*

"There he is! He's got her on the pier!"

*And suddenly a bunch of guards, Kirkesh counts twelve, approach to block the entrance of the pier from both directions.*

"Nowhere to run, kidnapper scum," a guard in better-looking armour than most of the others speaks harshly to Kirkesh.

*Theoretically this is not true--Kirkesh and Vanessa could run deeper into the pier among the ships, though it would eventually lead to a dead end with their backs to a deap drop over the large natural crater on which the docks were built.*

"Surrender now and the Eldish authorities will give you your trial and probably treat you more gently than we will if you don't!"

(OOC:

Jump 12 + 8 = 20, success
Tumble 7 + 11 = 18, success)
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Gaius:
[SBLOCK]
"Ah, well, you see, that is what I meant by freedom, of course--you can go wherever you please, though if you choose to live here, I'm sure the guards would treat you better as a freeman--you could even enlist as a Centurion and earn citisenship, at which point you could report them for such an attitude..."

"Anyway, what I'd like you to do is simple--there is a Spelljamming expedition that is heading into dangerous, mainly-uncharted territory deep in the Unknown Spheres in search of something valuable called the Empyreal Shards. I would like you to accompany the expedition and help protect them if they encounter anything hostile, perhaps also holding onto a shard or two for me if they turn out to be something you can take--I think they may be a powerful new material for crafting equipment, and if so, it would be best for the Praetorian Empire to have access to it as well as the Eldish Archduke. Think you can do that, Gaius? I have faith that you can."
[/SBLOCK]