Warriors Of The Coast

[stonegod]

Khalia finds Ari strolling the streets, seemingly aimless in his wanderings. He seems to be accompanies by some... shadow of a creature, a large, cat-like shape that looks up at her with sparkling ebon eyes before pacing back and forth behind the hunter.

At the sight of her, Ari puts on his lopsided grin. "Out for the morning airs? You'll be interested to know that there's an Orien caravan leaving here at sunup tomorrow. Skarg and I have been hired on, but I'm sure they'll have a more conventional passenger accommodations for you. That is if you are still heading north."

 

[drothgery]

Khalia finds Ari strolling the streets, seemingly aimless in his wanderings. He seems to be accompanies by some... shadow of a creature, a large, cat-like shape that looks up at her with sparkling ebon eyes before pacing back and forth behind the hunter.

What is that? Khalia thinks. It is probably something connected to that odd magic of his, but as to what purpose it serves, the Flame only knows

At the sight of her, Ari puts on his lopsided grin. "Out for the morning airs? You'll be interested to know that there's an Orien caravan leaving here at sunup tomorrow. Skarg and I have been hired on, but I'm sure they'll have a more conventional passenger accommodations for you. That is if you are still heading north."

"I am, and thank you for the information." She says. "Mother Kylin tells me Elder Nevillom of Wyrmwatch is gathering Templars in Newthorne after some reports that the curse of lycanthropy has reappeared. I suspect those reports are incorrect, and will only result in innocent shifters being hurt, but perhaps they will listen to an ir'Indari Archivist before things get out of hand."

 

[stonegod]

"Mother Kylin tells me Elder Nevillom of Wyrmwatch is gathering Templars in Newthorne after some reports that the curse of lycanthropy has reappeared. I suspect those reports are incorrect, and will only result in innocent shifters being hurt, but perhaps they will listen to an ir'Indari Archivist before things get out of hand."

"Does she," Ari says, an odd tone in his voice. "Hmm. Well, if there are monsters, keep in mind your local monster hunter. If not," he shrugged, "well, Newthrone will still give me time to spend some coin."

 

[DEFCON 1]

"I have thought about it. There is three things I would like to focus on for now. Yesterday, Zan offered me to teach me how to summon a familiar animal, like his frog Derra. I would be interested to have such companion. I could meet him this morning and study that with him. I told him I might come see him this morning, but that would depend if I would be allowed to."

Morinda hears his first request, and it immediately makes her eyes sparkle a bit. She had not said anything to her husband (as he is a hard person to deal with once he makes up his mind about something), but she really had too much to do in the Lilac to devote too much time to teaching her son about magic. Arcane study is a long, long process... and she really didn't have the time to give Jango the attention he really needed if he was to make any real progress. Yes, she was prepared to watch over him as he made small discoveries, but it would have ended up being a waste of his and her time. But if the young changeling at the library offered his services, then that would be the best of both worlds! Zan had a wonderful library full of tomes to study, and probably had the hours free to really spend helping Jango. And the thought of the boy having a familiar would be a good one. At least there would be someone else to watch over her boy.

"Darling, I think seeing the librarian would be a wonderful idea. Yes... go to him. Finding and opening up a new creature to the wonders of magic would be good for you. He would probably also be able to help you with your other questions too. I give you permission to go."

With that point settled, Jango goes back to his room, gathers some parchment, pens, ink and the like, and heads over to the town's library. Upon his arrival, the door opens up and there is Zan... smiling wide and welcoming the elf in. "You were able to make it! Very good. Please come in." He takes Jango through the library to the back of the building where a small laboratory is set up. Upon one of the tables is a large book and a quick glance tells you it's all about the purpose of finding a familiar, how to go about it, and what the consequences are for having a friend such as that. "Sit down, my friend. It's time you did some true learning."

Jango begins the morning studying. Zan tells him that for the next 24 hours he will be doing nothing but the work needed to summon the creature to his service. Throughout the day the changeling leaves the lab on occasion to run several errands... to let Jango's parents know what their son is doing, to go out and spend some of Jango's 100 gold pieces to get some materials Jango needs, to buy some food for the two of them. At about 4:30 in the afternoon, Jango flips a page in the book and comes to one of the most important sections he's found... deciding on the type of animal he wants as a familiar. Zan looks over the boy's shoulder and smiles, and Derra the toad looks down from the shelf over the table upon which he's sitting. "Well... here is the big decision. What animal would you like to summon? Make the wisest of decisions, because you will have this friend for hopefully your entire life. He or she will never leave your side... isn't that right, Derra?" "Crrrrrooooaaakkk!" "He says that is right. So make your decision, begin the incantations, and I will go open the back door. The creature should arrive some time over the next eight hours."

 

[drothgery]

"Does she," Ari says, an odd tone in his voice. "Hmm. Well, if there are monsters, keep in mind your local monster hunter. If not," he shrugged, "well, Newthrone will still give me time to spend some coin."

"I rather hope I can acquire a few things there; if not I will have to send to Father in Flamekeep, and I would rather not remind him of the dangers he let me face when he sponsored my entry into his Order by asking him spend a thousand gold on armor for me." She said.

 

[DEFCON 1]

For Ari, Skarg, and Khalia, the next morning arrives soon enough, and they all arrive bright and early at the Transportation Guild office. They are instructed to move on from there to a warehouse several blocks away, whereupon they find about five caravan storage carriages and one "people-mover" carriage. Numerous riders, guard, and workers are rushing all around, trying to get everything loaded on, loaded off, horses cleaned and fed, paperwork cleared, guards organized and distributed, and everyone saddled up before the caravan leaves.

Khalia ir'Indari is escorted to the large passenger carriage that is currently occupied by a husband and wife along with their two children, as well as a older gentleman whom she immediately notices wears the symbol of the Flame around his neck. He wears robes of the clergy, but a few quick glances shows her that he bears several scars on his face. Scars that look as though they were caused by claws. Perhaps he has seen battle in the name of the Flame before? He also notices the Flame symbol on Khalia, and he nods and smiles at her. The huband and wife barely take a notice to her, as the two children are quite rambunctious, and the two of them can't keep the kids quiet or still.

Ari Osten and Watchman Skarghash are taken to one of the storage carriages towards the back, where they find a large hobgoblin standing with a roll of parchment. The hobgoblin introduces himself as Talak'na Darhakesh, and when they introduce themselves to him, he checks off their names on his sheet. Talak'na tells Ari and Skarghash in somewhat broken Common that they are to help him keep the crates inside this carriage safe. The three of you climb up into the carriage to ride with the merchandise, and Skarghash quickly notices as Talak'na pulls himself up that he wears a Deneith House pin on his shirt lapel underneath his breastplate.

Within the next twenty minutes everything is taken care of, and the six carriages in the caravan take off through the eastern gate and begin heading north.

 

[stonegod]

Ari takes time getting some sun, as it were, and keeping an eye on the scenery. His eye, however, is not the weapon he was trained with; if someone saw trouble, that is when he would react.

When about, he wanders amongst the rest, Onyx---his new compansion---in tow. He nods whenever he sees Talak'na, but keeps his distance---he may have fought with a few hobs during the Last War in Deneith units, but they weren't much of a stone's throw from some of the monsters he had seen sometimes.

 

[drothgery]

Before the journy started, Khalia left her horse in the care of the caravans' grooms with a bit of silver for the mare's care along the way; depending on what she found in Newthorne, she might very well need her own transportation, and while she did have the coin to buy another, it would not go far like that.

When she saw another wearing the Flame's sigils in the carriage, she introduced herself. "I am Khalia ir'Indari." She said, and the well-travelled would easily recognize the accents of Thrane in her voice. Someone good at that sort of thing would place her -- quite correctly -- as an aristocrat from the north of the country. Her house sigils and those of the Archivist's order decorated her cloak, but she still added."Of the Knights Templar, Archivists Order."

 

[Velmont]

Jango answers Zan. "I've thought a lot about it today, when my mind couldn't concentrate on my studies and needed to relax. No offence Derra, but I thought a toad would have little use for me. I have been thinking what animal come to my help, and I had many coming in mind, but then I thought, what kind of help do I need most... that finally end with one questions. What do I want to become."

Jango fix a point in the air a moment in silent, absorbed by the answers, before starting to talk. "It is tough to determine what I want to become in the next centuries. But at some point, I have limited choice, compare to you for example, as my magic come naturally, instinctively, and I cannot adapt to every situation. The spells I know all turn around one thing: combat. So I think a companion that could complete my skills woulc be best, and I thought the best way to survive a combat, it is to come prepare. Knowing your opponent would be important. A familiar that could scout should be the best familiar. I've hesitated on many but my choice finally falled on an hawk. There eyes are the most acute of all, and they can fly well over the range of most arrows or spells."

He turns back his attention to Zan. "An hawk, I think that's what should be the best."

What Jango didn't told, it was teh hawk had another advanatge. It was a reknown bird for noble, generally considered brave and pure. If the rumors on his mark should starts to spread, having an hawk as a familiar would only help his image.

 

[DEFCON 1]

"I've hesitated on many but my choice finally falls on an hawk. Their eyes are the most acute of all, and they can fly well over the range of most arrows or spells. A hawk, I think that's what should be the best."

Zan smiles and nods, and the two of you flip some pages in the book until some incantations for birds of prey become found. Jango throws himself back into his work, and as the night progresses, his eyes grow tired but his excitement builds.

Zan occasionally goes to the open back door and throws his eyes skyward in this clear, bright night. The sounds of the night are only broklen up by the occasional bark of a dog on the street, the fizz of admixtures Jango stirs in bowls and cups, and the various incantations the elf speaks. It is around two in the morning when Zan points upwards from the doorway to the outside, and he speaks in a clear, excited voice. "Here it comes! It's coming in! Jango, come here and meet your new best friend!"

Jango rushes to the doorway and up in the sky can be seen a majestic bird in flight, circling over Seawell a few times before diving and coming down towards the library. Jango stretches out his arm, and with seconds the hawk whooshes down and lands on his arm gently. The bird is very big, broad shoulders, beautiful white feathers on it's body leading to brown around it's head and neck. It's eyes are black and remain fixed on the elf. As Jango reaches up to pet it's head, it gives a satisfactory squawk. It's a very good bird. A male. And Jango brings it inside the lab to finish the last six hours of rituals needed to bond this creature to him and infuse the hawk with magic. He places the hawk on the shelf above the table, Derra croaks once and begins hopping away, but the hawk does not give Zan's familiar a glance at all, as it's unblinking eyes remain fixed on Jango.

The elf gets back to work, but deep down in the back of his head, he thinks he keeps hearing that voice... that eerie, deep voice... telling him that he shouldn't bother with this bird.

Or does he?