Legend of Ransera

1st of Glade 124

He didn’t care much for the surface, Having spent the majority of his life beneath the ground, being well off among the impoverished a necessary consequence of a city that buried it’s refuse and forgot about it, was that sometimes pearls ended up among the swine.
The dragonborn always found himself more tense the closer he got to the surface. He’d made his peace with the concept of their being a sky, but still hated how large their daylight made the world feel. There were also many many more open places from which people could shoot you with a bolt or spell, the openness of it all was unpleasant, but he wanted things the surface could offer him, and with the shadow monsters plaguing the world seemingly vanished. Those of Hahseu were finally free to break their ramshackle fortifications and return to business as usual, whatever that was.
As he approached the surface Uwyn was stolen from his thoughts by the encroaching cold that made goosebumps crawl across his skin and made his scales itch. He knew winter and hadn’t expected it to be warm, but for still being in the sewers, it was far colder than what he was used to. The water flowed in small trickles completely frozen in some places at depths he’d never seen ice before.
When he finally breached the surface he understood, it looked as if it was still the heart of winter, few people milled about and those that did were heavily clothed and shuffled in hurried silence. The streets were piled high with snow and slush rutted by paths of ice and mud from what little traffic there was. The people looked unwell, tired… the dragonborn smiled. It was nice to know the surface people of kalzasi could look just as weary as the citizens they so often forgot lived buried beneath them.
The cold seeped into his bones, chilling him to the core as Uwyn emerged from the Midden's embrace into the frozen world above. The soft crunch of fresh snow beneath his boots was a stark contrast to the squelching of the eternally damp sewer tunnels. Each breath frosted slightly in the frigid air, he took a deep breath, feeling the icy chill fill his lungs and relishing in the lack of smell or taste the chilled air carried, this alone made coming to the surface worth it.
The light snowfall painted a serene, almost delicate picture upon the cobblestone streets of Kalzasi, a stark contrast to the grime and darkenss of his subterranean home. The warmth of the undercity was replaced by blinding light only made worse by the whiteness of the snow covered… everything? The biting wind that whipped through the streets, carrying with it whispers of danger from the distant Astralar Mountains. The air was filled with the faint rumble of something… something massive… He had no idea what it could be but nothing his imagination supplied him was comforting.

Uwyn's eyes were taking a long moment to adjust to the blinding white landscape of Kalzasi's surface. The light snowfall danced around him, the cold of the flakes that stung him with their icy kisses a novelty and nuisance both. The city looked different under this lush winter cloak, its grandeur muted by the relentless march of the cold he could see signs where the sheer weight of the snow was bowing proud structures. He pulled his tattered cloak tighter around his shoulders, the fabric heavy with moisture from the damp tunnels, now freezing stiff.
His nose twitched at the faint scent of woodsmoke from distant chimneys, a smell that was both comforting and foreign to his midden-trained nostrils, even the fire on the surface smelled better, burning things other than trash like the posh folk they were. The icy gusts of wind nipped at his skin sending shivers down his spine his resistance to the cold finally breaking down as he stood still and marveled rather than stay moving to keep warm. He looked around, eyes narrowing as he took in the hunched figures that braved the cold, their breaths clouding the air. He needed something warmer to wear, or at least somewhere to warm up and regroup, that or he’d need to delve back below. He felt the beginning of an uncontrollable shiver dance down his spine as he cast his eyes about for options.

The crisp air of the northern cold did not relent as the people of the city wished for it to, however, in the passing of Frost it had considerably lightened up in comparison to the days spent enduring its overbearing presence. Uwyn came out from a place of warmth to find the enduring hardship that the locals had faced, and sure enough, the surface level of Kalzasi had somewhat managed to deal with the conditions fairly well. Today though, on a day when the sun's warmth broke through the overcast sky, the snowfall from the clouds created a far more hopeful atmosphere than what the mood used to be.

The Siltori who had braved the cold to explore the surface soon found that the air didn't seem as chilly as before. In fact, a gentle breeze that still felt cool to the skin beckoned at him from behind, like the soft nudge of an invisible hand hoping to prod him along. Packed snow and layered ice remained obstacles at checkpoints on the streets, but the excess amounts were already being treated with a combination of tools. Wands of Pyrolyth shards were waved by red-robed mages who walked the streets, producing small heat waves to thin the ice that miners of the Artisan's guild.

Adventurers volunteered to help scoop snow and broken ice into chutes that hadn't frozen completely over at the surface, allowing the shoveled excess to flow into the gutters of the street as people went about their day. It had been a difficult year even for the Jewel of Karnor, and yet, with the arrival of Glade came the promise of new beginnings. The end of a frigid season that had stayed too long, and been left unattended by its own absent lord. Another gentle push and Uwyn would find himself on the main road in Kalzasi, the massive street that led onward to the commercial venues found deep within the Plaza.

Ice still decorated the many colorful arches within the Plaza, but there hung a noticeable warmth in the air where many people still gathered. And before he knew it, the Siltori soon found another bumping into his back with a briefly surprised gasp. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" The lilted voice of a blonde woman immediately filled his ears, as she quickly twisted around from where she stood to attentively apologize for her blunder. Her outfit consisted of a layered tunic lined with wool and furs, with a soft teal cloak draped over her shoulders to help block out much of the cold. However, Uwyn could certainly notice a minor warmth within the air around her, a warmth that gently radiated from her being when she stepped back in embarrassment.

"I should've paid attention," she quickly bowed in respect, "I was distracted and for that, I apologize." When she lifted her head the blonde gave Uwyn a hearty smile, hopeful that her actions hadn't offended or inconvenienced the Siltori any. She then looked over toward some of the food stalls, where smoke and steam permeated the streets while the smell of grilled beef and roasted potatoes tickled the nostrils. In front of one of them, a rather large and hulky man stood paying for several kebab sticks of the beef and veggies, holding three in one hand and two in the other when he turned to face toward the blonde and the Siltori she'd bumped into.

Bazyl leaned back on the chair. The cup of tea in his hand was getting cold. It is not that he hated the cold weather; it was much warmer than the outpost he called home. His sister’s words echoed in his mind. It was hard enough to find people willing to leave the comfort and warmth of the capital and venture out into the dark and brutal north. Bolstering their manpower with more golems would mean depleting another mine, something that they couldn’t afford at the moment due to the losses they experienced during the Eclipse. Bazyl closed his eyes and took another sip from the now lukewarm cup of tea. His nephew had also suggested looking for a dispensable workforce among the city's criminal elements. They would serve as good fodder when surveying new mines.

The lack of sound of pages turning made him open his eyes. In front of him, he noticed the book his daughter was reading closed shut; he looked at her and saw her eyes closed and brows squinting. “Hey....” he said softly, trying to get her attention without breaking her focus. He tapped on the wooden table near the book. “Hey...” he repeated, raising the volume quite a bit. He knew that once Alicia was in that state, it would be hard to get her attention without breaking her focus. Bazyl waited a few more seconds before consciously unrestrained his aura for a split second.

Alicia gasped and opened her eyes with a scowl on her face. She lightly kicked Bazyl’s shin. “I almost found them.” She grumbled with an annoyed look.

Bazyl placed the cup on the table and leaned closer, “Who?”

Alicia closed her eyes, “The person with the gentle warmth.”

Now, it was Bazyl’s turn to grumble. He was hoping that it was a Mender. But how his daughter described it made him sure it wasn’t a Mender. A priest, perhaps? Bazyl waited a few more minutes and continuously sipped the tea until the cup was empty. Alicia opened her eyes and pointed to an area near one of the food stalls in the opposite direction. “There, that’s were I felt it coming from.”

Bazyl stood up and headed out to the mentioned area. He spotted a Siltori and a blonde girl with her back facing him. Something about the young Siltori felt familiar. His eyes wandered to the hulky man holding several kebab sticks. He walked closer to get a better view of the Siltori.

龍 With the eclipse quelled and magic returned to the world at large it was time to deal with the aftermath of such a prolonged winter. Hikami thrived surprisingly in that time, and even now as the city worked to clear the excess snow and ice he was as jovial and energetic as he was in his youth. He flew over the city, flying low as he pulled the snow and ice along his flight path as he turned it all to water. He would make trips once he had pulled enough to deposit it into what parts of Lake Udori he had unfrozen.

The work it would take to unfreeze the lake would eventually come, but for now, he focused his efforts inward. After the last deposit, he found himself back within the more frozen parts of the city. Mages and citizens were working in tandem to clear it, and being what he was exactly, he knew he could greatly alleviate their efforts. Flying over the city, he hovered over an area where some cafes and shops were, and where volunteers were working. His crystalline dragon wings and tail cast a prismatic shadow on those below as the sun hit them, and his eyes glowed as he began to pull the ice and snow from where they had stuck.

To those in the area, they would see the snow and ice begin to melt into crystal blue water before rising off of whatever it had been stuck to, floating rapidly towards Hikami's form. He would absorb the water into his form before releasing it in a torrent of water fired toward Udori Lake, far from landing on anyone or establishment. Flowing down to the ground he was greeted warmly by the mages and volunteers. Many praised him calling him by his colloquial name, the Hero of Udori Lake, and as he waved and greeted them back he saw a familiar face some feet away from him. Moving through the crowd that had gathered now, he found himself walking up on the blonde woman and a darker skinned fellow he hadn't seen before.

He seemed to appear to be elven by some of the features on his face, but he wasn't all too sure. "Long time no see there. How's Rickter? I haven't seen him for what seems like forever now." his draconic crystalline tail swayed back and forth as he was happy to see the woman, before casting his gaze over to the evlen male. Now that he was closer the man seemed to be of Siltori origins. "Well met there friend. You seemed unaccustomed to the cold. I could ease that for you if you wish. I'm a living embodiment of magical elemental aether after all. Clearing the ice around the city has become sort of an expected duty of mine, well more so, the elemental spirit taking residence within my soul compels me to clear it all to balance things." he teased with a chuckle, tapping his muscular abdomen with those words.

It was in that moment he noticed someone else. He wasn't sure if the man was just watching them, but in any case, because Hikami was in such high spirits lately, he waved to him, his draconic crystalline wings stretching outward before folding back behind him, his tail coming to sway like a hound happy to see a new face. 龍


"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

Ask and you shall receive? The sudden warmth and the gentle brush of furs against his scales brought Uwyn out of his contemplative daze. He turned to find the blonde-haired woman, her eyes a bright blue, much like the gleaming ice sculptures that adorned the streets of Kalzasi. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold, but her smile remained warm, and her fur-lined cloak radiated comfort. "No harm done” Uwyn said, his voice a bit rough from disuse. "I was lost in thought." He offered a half-smile in return. He could see where she’d bumped him from the grime that had rubbed onto her furs, he bit his bottom lip deciding not to say anyghing. Noticing the man approaching with a greasy bundle of food. His stomach growled, a traitorous reminder of his hunger. The smells of the city were indeed tantalizing, a stark contrast to the bland, stale food of the Midden. The situation was vexing he didn’t want to get caught in a situation where he’d be required to talk to people, well adjusted people at that…

The sudden intrusion of a new presence into their conversation caused Uwyn to tense up. He wasn't one for crowds, especially not when they were accompanied by the weight of such aether, between the two great mages on either side of him Uwyn’s scales twinkled feeding off of all the residual magic in the area, the itched horriby as well. The man, was large, not just in physical size but in the way his energy filled the space around him. His wings, a glorious spectacle of crystalline blue, cast a multitude of colors across the snow as they shifted in the sunlight. It was impossible not to stare, not to feel a hint of awe at the power contained within him. Uwyn swallowed hard, his throat dry from the cold and his nerves. His mother was a dragon, and whatever it was before him.. it was both similar to a dragon but not one in a way he understood, making him uneasy.

Watching as he addressed the man with the kebabs Uwyn struggled to suppress the distaste for how outnumbered he was by strangers in turf with which he was unfamiliar. Uwyn couldn't help but feel a bit dwarfed by the towering figure of Hikami. The dragonborn's silver eyes narrowed slightly as he took in the newcomer, watching the way the crowds parted for him like water around a rock in a river. The dragonborn's curiosity piqued at the mention of the elemental spirit within Hikami. He nodded slowly, his silver hair shifting with the gesture. "I can appreciate your offer ‘ he said watching the man tap his core. “but I’m not a hugger, and this cold is nothing anyway…” he lied.

Noticing the eyes of another Siltori from behind the small crowd that had formed Uwyn gave them a pleading look hoping that they could see how out of his element he was and prayed that they were nepotistic.

As the blonde beamed more of her warmth generosity onto the Siltori, she did not anticipate the sudden transition of ice into water as it flew to the heavens. It did not phase her in the slightest given it was natural for magic to be displayed openly in Kalzasi, and, given the gusto that many of its citizens had with their art it was hardly as bewildering as it used to be for her. The mother was used to such things at this point, which was why she simply stood next to the Siltori, witnessing the beauty of the shimmering droplets into the sky overhead. Lykos on the other hand sorted through his memories a moment, assessing the sensations he felt tingling along the surface of his skin in response to the magic overhead. It was utterly familiar to him in the most unobvious of ways, if only because the nature behind the magic literally matched said gusto one expected.

Too many things were going on for him to figure it out right away, as both the sounds and smells of everyone all around him had Lykos processing everything being witnessed all in one considerable moment. Hikami, formerly known as Hyoga. He quickly identified the signatures from the scent of alpines laden thick with moisture from Lake Udori itself. That underlying sensation still tickling his skin left the lupine draegir to wonder though, as he felt the presence of an elemental resting intimately within the man's soul.

Young Siltori is definitely hungry, he assessed with a brief glance to the dragonkin boy, poor kid needs at least ten good meals to put more weight on him... Other one from afar is interesting though. A rather noteful gaze rested on the latest addition to their growing group, as he could trace the mountain air and a tinge of aether on the next Siltori watching from a near distance. Sure enough, the ice elemental came aground from his display of magic, with the wolf gently whistling from where he stood to display at least a slight sense of awe. Quite the crowd already. And the dragonkin Siltori already looked a little tensed due to the event in turn.

Too much likely going on and not one who wanted to draw such attention to himself. Add in the grime and scent of sewer that still hung like a musk on him, and it was easy for the wolf to deduce where this one originally came from. First things first, Lykos figured to himself as he held out his hand with the three kebabs poking out, get comfy and just enjoy the company, lad. He could've probably just mentioned this aloud, but the wolf still had to assess between his own thoughts and the rampant impressions of his former life. Needless to say, when Hikami greeted Telion, the wolf near looked dumbfoundedly at hearing his own name.

"Good day to you, Hikami! Exuberant as ever I see!" The mother then teased with a light chuckle before she stood with her arms tucked at her back, a bit of a suggestive look angled toward the wolf when Hikami mentioned him. "He's actually right there! Sorry it's been so long, things have been hectic since last Glade." The wolf nearly snorted at how much of an understatement that really was, but even more so, gauged the value of his remaining meal since he'd only bought three kebabs for himself and two for Telion. If the Siltori had taken one when offered that left him with two, and ironically, Telion still had the two herself so that meant...

Everyone present would only get one. How his tummy would grovel at that notion, regardless, Lykos understood the importance of sharing his meals among friends; be the old or new it was a very important sign of affection. "Well, you're certainly braver than me." Telion remarked to the dragonkin Siltori, a thoughtful glance spared on Lykos when he offered her kebab in turn. "I'd be a walking icicle if I didn't have Elementalism to make it bearable, that and the warm outfits catered to weathering the cold." When she accepted the two kebabs she looked among those present, and noticed the distant Siltori that had yet to join in on their company.

"You're calling is as noble as your nature, Hikami." The lupine draegir greeted with a general sense of warmth, though, he couldn't help but notice the disdain in the dragonkin Siltori. "The warmth of Glade may yet come late, but it is long overdue after the excessive winter. I only hope it treats you kindly in that time." He then finally regarded the young Elve with a hint of a grin at the corner of his lip, already trying not to seem too overbearing given his nature as an alpha caregiver.

"And there's no need to remain timid," the blonde then politely urged both to the young Siltori and the lone wolf lingering near them, "if either of you feel overwhelmed then we'll be glad to assist. There's food and plenty else to enjoy at your own paces!" Telion offered as she held her second kebab out toward the drifter near them, the wolf reluctantly eyeing his other kebab before handing it off to Hikami in his other hand. One was enough to munch on for now anyway, he could easily buy five or ten more if he were really so hungry. It was a good way to break the ice, metaphorically speaking in this case, and get a few introductions out of the way in the process.

Bazyl approached the growing crowd with a casual stride, his demeanor relaxed yet observant. He knew well enough that the Menders, would never overtly draw attention to themselves. They thrived in the shadows, and it would be folly for them to act otherwise. As he neared the gathering, his gaze fell upon a familiar figure that made him pause momentarily. There was no mistaking that haughty expression, the distinctive frame, or the sharp contours of the face. Bazyl's mind raced back to his days before settling in Kalzasi, and the realization struck him. Loc Valden, a siltori smuggler and mercenary with whom Bazyl had once shared more than a few questionable dealings during his campaigns. Loc had been instrumental in helping him offload certain "goods" that Bazyl and his mercenary band had acquired in less-than-legitimate ways.

As he continued forward, another figure caught his eye, one even more imposing. The towering presence was impossible to ignore, and Bazyl instantly recognized him. The Hero of Udori Lake, a name that resonated with anyone who lived near those waters. Bazyl glanced behind him, a subtle check to see if the wave he offered was meant for him or someone else. Whether it was directed at him or just a friendly gesture, Bazyl returned the wave with a slight nod.

A moment later, a kebab was offered to him, and Bazyl accepted it with a grateful smile, subtly angling his hand so that the finger bearing his signet ring was obscured. "Thanks," he said with a light chuckle, "I’m not one to turn down food, especially in this weather and best enjoyed with friends both old and new." He raised the kebab gesture of camaraderie, nodding toward both the woman and the hulking figure. He then turned his attention to Hikami, his grin broadening as he acknowledged his reputation. "And it’s a pleasure to meet the Hero of Udori Lake in person," he added, his tone both respectful and friendly.

Bazyl then bent slightly at the waist, bringing himself to eye level with the young siltori. His voice softened, taking on a tone of curiosity as he switched to their native tongue. “Hey,” he began, his words carrying a familiar warmth, “do you have an older brother by any chance?”

龍 His eyes widened as the man he hadn't seen in what felt like centuries. "Well met old friend." he whispered, pulling him in for a hug, while others were introduced. He was happy to see the man, the spirit within him was happier. he couldn't quite place it but he felt as though Rickter had been gone far longer than it may have seemed to him. Whatever the case may have been he was happy to see the warrior wolf nonetheless.

After embracing the wolfman he was offered a snack that Rickter had purchased, to which he accepted it, his draconic icy tail wagging to the delight of the food. It was good to be in the company of those he knew and cared for, friends and citizens alike. Sadly though even though he was feeling great about this gathering, he had a spiritual duty to bring balance to the natural order around the city. Stretching his wings he rose into the air under the lift of the wind around him.

"Forgive me you guys, however, I'm compelled to continue breaking the ice down around here." he noted, synergizing to the ice and snow around them, pulling it out of its solid state and forming it into a liquid and pooling the water around them. It would have been a beautiful display as the sunlight hit each and every stream of water. He was glad that his power and physical uniqueness were coming in to use for the good of the city.

There was nothing that could have ruined how he was feeling, and god have mercy on anyone who would. 龍


"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"