Legend of Ransera

Posted: **Sat Oct 17, 2020 10:08 pm**

a chance meeting

7th of Ash, 120 AoS

Talon studied the man in front of him for a moment. He was a large man, broad in shoulders but fierce in his countenance. The many bruises and cuts along his body were a testament to a life lived as a fighter. It dawned on him who this man was in that moment.

“You are the Rathari who helped at the ridge.” Instinctually, Talon reached for the gift of Semblance in order to more closely examine the people in front of him. A spike of pain stabbed through his skull making him hiss and flinch away from calling the power. Taking stock of himself, he felt heavy. Everything felt as though he were looking and experiencing it through a haze. He was exhausted and the only reason he was managing to sit upright was because of the strength of his companion’s arm around his waist.

“Where is Rien?” A note of panic went through him but he felt his companion grasp that emotion and gently push it down.

“He is safe. He is on his way to the palace. Which is where we must go.” Aoren spoke softly but with a firmness that told Talon he would not budge on this. Talon looked to the others. He took stock of them. Two women. One who was tending to the other. The Rathari, who looked as though he could collapse from weariness at any moment himself. They were not in the best of shape to be moving but Talon had to admit they were not better off staying in the tavern.

“There are Sky Guard posted throughout the building now. I suspect more are on the way. But we cannot stay here. This place is vulnerable. There are too many who could have been involved. No doubt when the Shokaze hears of the attack…” Aoren paused on that thought. It was Talon who finished that thought for his friend.

“He will come here himself...with the palace guard.” Talon loved his father but that was the last thing they needed in these unsettling times. Enough people would be talking about this night. Enough people would be whispering about how House Novalys could not protect its own without his father sending a legion of soldiers into the city to escort him back to the palace. The Novalys heir sighed heavily, feeling the weight of this night more than he perhaps would have were things not so difficult for his family politically. With great effort, Talon tried to move from the bed. He got as far as sitting up straighter before a wave of weariness washed over him and his head spun. He nearly fell back but Aoren kept him upright.

“I do not think I will try that again.” His voice was breathy and the silver winged Avialae winced. He reached up and gingerly touched the wound on his shoulder. There was a dull throb and it looked as painful as it felt. The skin was slightly torn, the blackness hadn’t spread along his veins but it was still lingering.

“I do not think I have the strength to move.” Talon shook his head and allowed Aoren to help him lay back down.

“Then we rest. For a time.” Aoren took a deep breath as he rose to his feet. Walking over to the other three in the room, the raven winged Avialae extended the blade giving it to either Telion or Hannah. Once that was done, Talon watched as Aoren flexed his hands. In as little time as it took to draw breath, two blades manifested in his companion’s grasp. He could feel relief spike in Aoren.

“Unless any of you are capable of portal magic?” Talon offered it up as a small joke, earning a slight smirk from his companion.

"It begins..."

Posted: **Sun Oct 18, 2020 8:24 pm**

A Chance Meeting

Ash 7th, 120th Year, A.o.S.

Rickter admittedly felt a sense of genuine appreciation for being recognized, mostly because any other time one remembered who he was, it was usually from petty grudges or quick prejudices. Not a whole lot of people knew he was a Rathari in truth, only those who ever really saw him transform when such an occasion arose. But of course, there were obviously those that did, and while most hardly seemed to care, there was still a modest number that generated mixed reception. Truth be told it never really bothered him what others thought, but Rickter wasn't ignorant to the fact he was half human and half something else.

Antics on his animalistic nature aside, he couldn't help but notice the sudden pain Talon seemed to project. Whether it was a self-induced or just a pained flare of activity, he wasn't certain, but Rickter hadn't forgotten what Talon was capable of. While the Avialae possessed unfathomable strength with his magic, the wolf couldn't help but wonder what other tricks he might've had, and if trying to use such a trick could've induced the episode of discomfort he bitterly endured. "Hang on," Telion couldn't help but remark though with a speculative stare shot at Rickter, "you actually met before?" Whoops. The wolf looked to the bard plainly, not entirely sorry for the fact he never told her about what happened upon that ridge.

"You were busy lookin' for a job for us... I just happened to be nearby when they needed the assist." Rickter merely shrugged as he pretended it was nothing, although Telion quickly planted her fists into her hips.

"And a bruised left arm wasn't nothing?" The question was utterly rhetorical to be sure, and yet still Telion couldn't help but sigh in turn. She knew making a point of out wouldn't change anything, certainly not the fact Rickter had a natural talent for trouble. Although more along with the fact he ran headfirst into it normally, even it accosted him with personal injury in the long run. Needless to say, she continued to help out Hannah, making sure her wounds remained closed after the bleeding had stopped, before turning to listen in on the other part of Talon and Aoren's conversation. Evidently, the idea of Talon getting an entourage from his own parent wasn't a good one, which in hindsight made sense to Rickter when he thought about it.

So it wasn't a question of when they were going to move him, but how were they going to do so without being so much as seen? Talon certainly didn't seem moveable at all, as he still heavily wavered before even being able to stand. Hell even moving seemed quite a challenge for the man, which Rickter was beginning to understand on a different note. Already the adrenaline and excitement started to wear off, causing his mind and body to feel wracked with a sense of mild exhaustion, and the wound on his shoulder to actually generate a bit of discomfort now. Well damn... His eyelids drooped for a moment or two. I didn't realize how tired I actually am 'til now. He realized as he watched Aoren move to present his sword to the ladies, the one to receive it being Telion as she took it with a bit of apprehension.

Once accepted though she held it delicately, not in the sense that suggested she was afraid, but more considerate of the fact it wasn't her own property. Funny, if only he'd done the same the night they'd met. Though he still didn't expect to have grabbed her ukulele, even then measures had been taken to make up for it. Still to see that the Captain could materialize not one, but two, swords into his possession generated encouragement. With their magic no longer nullified by whatever that was earlier, that meant Rickter could also materialize his weapon, while Telion used her elemental and protective magic also.

While resting sounded like the capital idea to go with, Hannah genuinely perked up at the mention of portal magic. In her eyes was a spark of opportunity now, one that clearly fed life into the weary lady as she couldn't help but heavily lean, her upper body resting against the arm cushion of the chair as she brought a finger to curl beneath her chin. "Portal you say?" She'd garnered the attention of both Rickter and Telion, the wolf narrowing his eyes on her curiously, while the bard raised a brow at the tone her friend possessed. It was rather opportunistic really, as if though she fancied the statement. Joke or not it was apparently clear she knew something, although Rickter had yet to discern anything about Hannah's magic at all.

"I may be able to actually assist with that, however..." The favorable smile she wore earlier suddenly lessened, and she looked to Rickter and Telion before finishing her sentence towards both Avialae. "I cannot warp us to a location I've never seen. Therefore someone's going to need to be my guide... and unless one of us is willing to escort me there; then I'm afraid we've little to no luck in porting you out of here." So in other words, she could help them but in turn, she'd need to be at the spot where they wanted her to take them firsthand. That didn't sound so hard to Rickter, but then again he'd never been in the Cloudhaven District. Ever. Not just because he never had any reason to go up there, as he pretty much remained on the ground his entire life, but the idea of being so high up actually intimidated him a bit...

"So in other words, Knight-Commander, you'd likely be leaving Talon in our care while you escorted Hannah wherever it is you needed to go." Rickter made it obvious regardless of whether or not anyone could easily figure that out. Even then he could easily see the reason for the idea being turned down, since Aoren would likely never leave Talon's side anytime soon.

"Which means he'd need to be protected." Telion weighed in also as she looked from Talon to the window, and then the doorway into their bedroom. "I doubt it'll do a whole lot, but I can create wards just as a safety measure. They won't be strong necessarily but they'll hold somebody off, if it really came down to that of course." Rickter almost smiled listening to her, already she was thinking strategically about how to protect her comrades. It was something the both of them shared ironically, though the wolf certainly proved less prudent about it than she did. "That's if you only want to go through with this of course. I'm not thrilled about the idea of Hannah being out there myself, not without getting those scratches treated first."

"Oh come on," Hannah practically cooed to her friend as she draped her head over the arm in an exasperated manner, "let me have the spotlight just this one Telly! You know I can handle it."

"I doubt don't that," the bard remarked with a soft chuckle, glancing to Rickter with a grin before turning to Aoren once more, "but it's still your choice Captain Aoren. Whatever you choose I'll help protect your highness however I can!" And on that note Rickter agreed, leaning forward to rest his elbows atop his knees, and shrug off the lingering weariness tempting to weigh his eyelids down.

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

Posted: **Wed Oct 21, 2020 11:03 pm**

Thread Title

Time Stamp

Talon quirked a brow curiously at the exchange between the Rathari and the two women. He could see that there was a connection between the three of them and it warmed his heart. That was one of the only things that was comforting in that moment. He let out a heavy breath before closing his eyes and bringing a hand up to his face to run his fingers through his hair wearily. He could feel the weight of his weariness pressing down on him. Even with Aoren offering his support through their bond he could still feel the dull ache of whatever it was that had happened to him. His head was still fuzzy. It was hard to stay focused on one thought without a great deal of concentration. His whole body felt as though it had been plunged into a stack of needles that were lightly scraping across every inch of him. He was both numb and hurting at the same time and the biggest thing he longed for was the ability to simply rest. His focus was pulled back to the people around him when one of the women revealed she could help.

Even as she began to explain what would be required to lend that assistance, Talon could already feel the rejection of the idea building up inside of his companion. As soon as Aoren went to refuse the idea, Talon reached out a hand to touch his forearm lightly. His companion looked at him.

“Aoren.” His companion’s eyes narrowed. Talon saw the flexing of his friend’s jaw. He saw the clenching of one of his fists around the hilt of his blade. The subtle shift of his wings was all Talon needed to see to know that Aoren was about to dig his heels in.

“No.” The word was spoken with a hard edge. Talon sighed.

“She can help.” Even before he finished speaking, Aoren’s hands were gripping his blades more tightly.

“No.” Talon resisted the urge to pinch his nose. He opened his mouth to speak only to be cut off by his companion. “Do not ask me to abandon you, again. I will do everything, anything for you...but not that. Never that. Never again.”

Aoren’s jaw flexed and Talon could see he was strung as tightly as a bow. Talon was far too weary to reach across their bond and soothe his companion emotions. There was a tense moment between them before Talon sighed and nodded. Aoren visibly relaxed but it was obvious he was still angry. The Novalys heir looked to the others.

“It seems we are at an impasse.” Talon leaned back into the pillows of the bed. He tried to think on what the next step should be when a knock at the door made him go tense. Aoren immediately positioned himself between the door and Talon. His voice carried out clearly.

“Name yourself.” Rather than name themselves however, the door opened and Talon watched as Aoren immediately stiffened. Both of his blades were dismissed with a gesture and the Knight dropped to a kneel with his head bowed. Talon’s eyes settled on the newcomer and he felt a mixture of relief, comfort and shame. Still he gathered what strength he could in order to bring himself to sit up straighter. The effort made him wince and that singular reaction to his movement saw two of the figures at the door sweep inside.

They wore the customary silver armor of House Novalys. Their cloaks were a velvet black embroidered with dark navy blue trim. Though they wore plate, the figures moved as though they walked on air. Immediately at Talon’s side were two Siltori knights, one of whom began examining the wound on his shoulder. The other slipped an arm behind his back to support him. Into the room walked three more figures. Three more Siltori elves, two of whom were more heavily armored knights. They were preceded by a woman with stern features. Her hair was a silver-grey color, giving it the appearance of having nearly an iron cast. Eyes that were equally a cold winter grey, a color matched only by the paleness of her skin, settled upon Talon. The woman wore a dark midnight black gown. She was adorned in silver jewelry that bore no gemstones. Around her head was what appeared to be a black circlet befitting her rank and station. The Iron Queen of Kalzasi. Talon regarded his mother in silence, almost afraid to speak. She entered the room without a word. Brushing past Aoren, sparing no glance to the other guests in the room, Talon took a deep breath as she touched the tips of her fingers to his chin.

His mother turned his head slightly to the side and then in the opposite direction. Her winter grey eyes glanced over the wound on his shoulder. Whatever her thoughts, his mother kept them to herself. She spoke a single word in Silandris, to which her knights responded with a bow of their heads. That done, she leaned in, pressed a kiss to his forehead and Talon felt his focus slip. The world spun and his body went limp as darkness took him.

----

Aoren kept his head bowed low. He did not look up from the floor board for he had not been addressed. When Talon fell unconscious, he could feel it. His wings twitched slightly with the need to turn and be at the side of his companion but he dared not move. This was worse, far worse than if Talon’s father had sent a legion of soldiers into the city. Savien’s militaristic protectiveness of his people and his family, Aoren understood. But Sahfri? The Grey Lady said little, invoked as much fear as she did respect and moved with a vicious swiftness to eradicate enemies to both her interests and her family that was frightening, even to him. The quiet rustle of cloth over the floor boards drew his attention and he could feel her gaze upon him. He felt it too when her attention turned to the others in the room. Aoren quickly introduced them.

“Rickter. Telion. Hannah, Your Grace. They defended Prince Talon.” The snap of fingers and Aoren heard the jingle of coin. One of the knights spoke as they took the coin pouch from Talon’s hip and handed it to Hannah.

“You have the gratitude of House Novalys.” With that, Aoren felt a rustle of fingers through his hair before the soft touch of them raised his chin. He came eye to eye with the Iron Queen. Her cold winter grey eyes were dangerously devoid of any emotion in that moment. Aoren felt his uneasiness grow. She was not angry. She was furious. The unspoken passed between them and Aoren knew that his failure had not gone unnoticed. He swallowed and cast his eyes down. She held onto his chin for a moment longer before releasing it. With that done, the High Lady of Kalzasi stepped up to her son’s side, flanked by her knights. She brushed her fingers through Talon’s hair, not even looking up as two of the knight placed their hands upon the group. There was a pulse in the room as the invocation of magic was brought forth. Between one moment and the next, Talon, his mother, and her knights, were gone. Aoren remained. The reprimand was clear. He rose to his feet, hands shaking slightly. Looking to the others he let out a weary breath.

“Rickter?” Aoren cleared his throat. “Consider this your official invitation, if you choose to accept it. Come to the Palace of the First Wind. We have need of able bodied fighters, those capable of protecting…” Aoren hesitated then firmed himself. “...protecting the royal family.”

“Think on it.” With that, Aoren stepped out of the room. He ran both hands through his hair and went in search of his shirt. He would make his way back to the palace.

Off Topic

You may add +100 gp to your ledger. Courtesy of Talon!

"Rise"

Posted: **Thu Oct 22, 2020 12:38 am**

A Chance Meeting

Ash 7th, 120th Year, A.o.S.

While he had to give credit where it was due, half the plan heavily relied on one particular variable, and Ricky could already see the reservation just by looking at him. Seeing how adamant he remained it was easy to see where this was going, and sure enough, the other two in the room saw it as well. The Captain was far too distressed to agree, even if he could be seen to reason by Talon. The wolf himself couldn't question that sort of determined loyalty, in a sense it was the same as his own protective instincts. Aoren knew who he had to protect, and after that last scare he had, he definitely wasn't of the mind to part away.

"No worries then." Hannah softly assured Aoren with a bit of a sigh, somewhat disappointed but also understanding of the cause. "We'll simply rest a bit then."

"That's not a bad call." Telion agreed in a calm tone of voice, before a few knocks were heard at the door. Immediately the others sprung into action on their own, prepared to face uncertain enemies before they came barging in. Hannah carefully moved to rise from her chair, standing behind it for support while Telion rose to stand between her and Rickter. The wolf himself looked about ready to back Aoren, his gaze narrowed firmly on the door as it swung ajar. Much to his surprise, it was the exact opposite of what he expected, as what Rickter could've guessed was none other than royal soldiers of the crown started to walk in. Siltori elves coated with well-polished plate mail, colors of the very House which belonged to Talon's forebearers.

"Oh..." The wolf quickly backed off towards the chair as they marched in, lowering his head much like Aoren did when he dropped to his knee. By this point, Rickter's own companions were wary, and quick to follow Rickter's lead in resuming their chairs. It was when the Queen herself walked in they bowed their heads in turn, Telion slowly elevating her just enough to peek at the paled lady with cold silver eyes. Rickter in all his life would've never believed it possible, that he'd actually be present to witness the royal family so closely. Already he felt he didn't belong here, as though his mere presence was far out of place. In one singular moment she met with Talon, Rickter knew not what had happened for sure, only that the prince himself was out like a snuffed candle. A heavy silence lingered in the air between the three present, as Telion quickly lowered her head the moment The Grey Lady glanced their way, her head lowered back down anxiously.

Aoren suddenly called his name and the others, practically getting just a slight jolt out of the wolf's very arms. Shit... I don't belong here. How am I here? Already his mind began to wander in search of where he went wrong, as the snap of a finger signaled an order... or rather demand on behalf of her knights. Hannah's turn to jolt was next, as the coin pouch that fell into her lap honestly surprised her. Before she nor anyone else could say a thing, the knights and The Grey Lady herself vanished, her company and heir gone with one of their own left behind. Did... Did she just?... The wolf could hardly believe his own eyes, and Hannah reluctantly held up the bag thrown her way.

"Wow... Okay..." Telion lowly muttered as she finally relaxed in her chair, no longer sitting on the edge like the nervous girl she appeared to be. Rickter himself took a moment before finally being able to relax, having been so wound up by what he pondered was a moment of obscurity. Not that it mattered anymore, but the fact Aoren remained said something more. At face value he grasped at straws here, seeing the fact the Captain was left behind was a punishment of its own, likely because of how strong the bond between them was. After a strenuous situation like what they'd been through, it was no doubt the kinder way of punishing their closest subjects. Still... there was no denying the Queen's very presence unnerved him greatly.

Aoren spoke out to him, clearing his throat before carrying on with his statement. An invitation? The wolf's eyes actually widened some, as he felt strange at being presented with such a thing. Protecting the royal family? He felt utterly self-conscious all of a sudden, and completely unworthy of the praise that this man gave him. An Avialae no less, here in Kalzasi that wasn't often easy. Clearly, his reluctance to the cause was evident, as he tried, but found no words to speak his mind. Think on it? He could possibly try, but he already felt unsuited for such a task. To be a royal guard was to be fighting alongside the elites, the best personal soldiers who belonged to the crown. If the royal family really had need of his services, would he even live up to their standards as he was now?

He said nothing but looked heavily introverted now, contemplating the chain of events that had unfolded up to this point no less. When he seemed to be on his way out, Telion and Hannah both bade him farewell on his way out, and briskly turned to stare hard at Rickter with speculative looks. "...What?"

"Would you..." Telion requested sheepishly with the tenting of her fingers, only gesturing around the room and to the doorway with one digit afterward. "Mind explaining all that to me?"

"It's... a long story. I... I need a drink to mull it over before sharing." He shrugged it off as he finally shifted forward in his chair, his mind still lost elsewhere on the matter of what Aoren said.

"Well then," Hannah remarked as she rose from her chair, dangling the coin pouch in front of her at both Rickter and Telion, "I'll be keeping this! After a proper treatment of our injuries, I'll be buying myself a nice new coat."

"How about covering my tab while you're at it?" The wolf lowly muttered as he rose to a stand, ready for that drink to numb his senses.

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

Posted: **Sun Nov 15, 2020 6:00 pm**

Talon

Lores
Semblance: Recognizing a diseased aura
Semblance: Discerning suppression in an aura
Semblance: Observing subterfuge in an aura
Tactics: Assessing the probable outcome of a fight
Tactics: Assessing the prowess of an opponent
Endurance: Shoring up mental fortitude in the face of pain
Endurance: Fighting through nausea to remain focused
Endurance: Remaining focused in the face of weariness

Rickter: Rathari Warrior
Telion: Rickter’s companion
Hannah: Rickter’s companion
Creature: Suppression Ghoul-Limited

Loot:
-100 gp

Injuries: N/A

Points 8

Rickter

Lores
Skill
-Unarmed: Brawling: Holding Off Combo Barrages With Your Forearms
-Unarmed: Brawling: Refraining From Fighting Dirty When There Are Rules
-Tactics: Observing Patterns In Your Opponents Attacks
-Tactics: Coming Up With Strategies On The Fly
-Unarmed: Brawling: Grappling Your Opponent
-Unarmed: Brawling: Putting Your Opponent In A Position Where He Can't Fight Back
-Tactics: Finding Ways To Undermine Your Opponents Defenses
-Tactics: Generating Opportunities To Suppress Your Target
-Unarmed: Brawling: Pinning An Unarmed Opponent Down
-Unarmed: Brawling: Sixteen Hit Combos

General
-Orkhan: Possess Innate Physical Strength
-Unknown: Mysterious Ghouls With Negation Fields
-Unknown: Appear When Imbibing A Black Substance
-Personal: Defending Those Close To You
-Personal: Reacting Before Thinking
-Personal: Nearly Failed To Protect Your Companions
-Personal: Met The Iron Queen
-Personal: Invited To The Palace of the First Wind

Loot:
+100 gp

Injuries: N/A

Points 8

Comments: Well well well, now THAT is interesting. Antimagic? Someone out for Talon's life? The plot thickens for sure. Now then I wonder, was this an isolated incident or is everything connected? I suppose we will have to wait and see.

I left the injuries blank. I leave it to you to to report them as necessary. Great job!

Question your Reality,
Mirage

Legend of Ransera

a chance meeting [rickter]

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