Pax: Recesss Thread

[Guido Cercatoro]

(OOC: please post the recess summary and skill requests for your PC here. I will then reply in response to confirm the outcome)

Pax: recess summary

He sat cross-legged with his back against the cool stone wall of the north east tower of Pax breathing in the morning air, gazing towards the mountains that towered over the fledgling town. He flexed his fingers, stretched his muscles and sighed.

His gaze wandered over the refugee camps that spread across the scrubland outside the northern gate of the town; the first sounds of life filtered up to his lofty perch from ragged children, emerging from their meagre tents. His head turned and saw the deep cracks and damaged buildings that disfigured the town.

Pulling himself to his feet, he stared towards the portal, now heavily guarded even at dawn; he smiled as he regarded the stone cube, still standing mute, solid and somehow reassuring, immune from recent events.

The Dipper smiled. The town needs this summer festival. It can’t stand much more. Sighing once again, his mind wandered over recent events…

Late Chyril

The small earth tremors that began in Pax during early Chyril grew in intensity during the latter part of the month. Several huge cracks and gashes appeared in the ground badly injuring a number of citizens. Many buildings in the residential area of the town were severely damaged and then, on the last day of the month, a huge tremor centred on the Main Square hit the town late morningtide. Several buildings collapsed but the stone cube remained unaffected. Almost instantly, the daylight vanished as an intense darkness engulfed the town.

Those who were caught outside heard scuttling sounds and small intense red eyes appeared from within the dark. It was later learnt that the town had been invaded by a horde of small spider-like creatures, biting and spreading poison wherever they ventured. Some say that the town was saved by a great magic user that burnt the spiders with a series of firestrikes; others that it was a priestess, surrounded by a circle of light, with an eagle perched on her shoulder, who stood on the great stone cube and banished the dark; others claim that the Gods themselves descended on the town. Whatever the truth of the matter, the Dark dispersed but not before over two hundred of the town’s inhabitants had been killed or poisoned. The remains of numerous spiders littered the streets, their bodies apparently burnt during the events of the Day of the Dark. There were those who knew the source of this pestilence but for the most part, they kept their own counsel.

The huge tremor proved to be the last and there were no further signs of the creatures in the town. Although most citizens rapidly tried to forget the events of that tragic day, a number remained troubled and complained that they felt a strange empty “darkness” within their mind. The leader of the Merchant’s Council, Matthias Klebb organised a program of repairs of the buildings affected by the tremors and the popularity of the Council rose considerably with many looking to it for leadership. New trade routes were opened and the prosperity of many of the town’s merchants began to grow. Despite being the son of a Oneist noble, the Provost remained a respected figure, with many approving of his willingness to choose advisors from all the races in the town.

Jyam

After the traumas of Chyril, Jaym began relatively calmly. The huge influx of refugees that had entered Pax during the height of the expulsion of pagans from the rest of the Kingdom had fallen to a steady trickle. Indeed, by early Jyam most of those entering the town were migrants seeking new challenges or adventure, rather than those fleeing persecution. However, just as the town was recovering from the damage caused by the earth tremors and Day of the Dark, it was hit by a sudden huge influx of refugees following a renewed round of expulsions in World’s Mouth. Unable to easily absorb the new refugees, the Provost was forced to set up a large refugee camp outside the eastern wall of the town. Whilst the Pax economy had established itself on a sound footing in recent months and trade had expanded significantly, it was ill-equipped to feed and shelter this new influx. As a consequence, a severe shortage of goods and rising prices added to the tension in the town; it was a tension that the provost and guards were scarcely able to contain.

During mid-Jyam a curious thing was observed in the fields outside Pax: a series of strange shapes appeared in the crops and grasslands on the north side of the river. There were those who claimed that the shapes were messages from the gods. Many farmers smiled, believing that one of their number was having a private joke. A few days after the shapes appeared, a group of white cloaked humans arrived and pitched up camp at one of the shapes, which was in the form of a circle. Since that day members of the group have constantly walked around the circle, intoning indecipherable prayers. Apparently the group call themselves The Walkers and when approached merely smile and say: “She is coming”.

Jygust

In early Jygust a number of posters and slogans began to appear in the town denouncing Oneist rule and the repression of pagans. It was also rumoured that other inflammatory writings were circulating. At first, the authorities reacted with caution merely removing or confiscating the material. However, on Jygust 10th there was an incident in Tiurdhiel’s tavern when a group of soldiers entered to remove a number of offensive materials. They were met with a degree of resistance and during the ensuing brawl, several achadhiel youths and two guards were badly injured. The next day the Provost announced that the penalty for possessing such writings was imprisonment and the level of resentment against Oneist rule reached a fever pitch during the hot summer. The source of the writings is unclear but some suspect Savarak and his followers, despite his recent agreement with the Provost. Others dispute this, pointing to the rumours that similar posters had been circulating in Kings Court.

Despite the tension in Pax, preparations for the summer festival gathered pace during mid-Jygust. It was announced that a number of nobles would be attending including the Provost’s father, the Baron of Foreno, and the Baron of Hulmnoy, now apparently recovered from whatever ailment had befallen him in recent months. Whether the festival would help to restore harmony in Pax or further heighten tension remained to be seen…..

The Dipper strode down the steps of the tower, passing unseen by the sole, dozing guard. He would be busy this summer - that much was certain. He paused for a flicker and then with a quiet nod to himself turned in the direction of Annuir, for it was well past the time that he should have talked to Seth….

[Raevyn D`Altamooriana]

Chyril

The month of Chyril was an eventful one for Raevyn. Even with the nuisance that the earthquakes proved to be, they didn’t manage to deter from the assassin’s steeled determination. Though the very earth shaked, she remained calm during a majority of the quakes. The assassin's calm demeanor to the rumbling earth was something she gained growing up where she did, in the deep dark caverns of Gulanadur. They were so commonplace that many of her kind would probably react the same way. Raevyn had direction, and she had purpose. Moreso the young adhiel had began to focus herself more than she had in all her previous years. Chyril was a month that saw Raevyn further herself more in many aspects of her life.

Her self poisoning rituals continued on a daily basis. All of which was done to get closer to her goddess, Anasati, Raevyn believed. Her faith in the dark goddess was only strengthened when the spiders first arrived in Pax. Many a townsfolk met their end due to the creatures. It was soon after discovered by local healers that many of the victims had died by the poison of the spider-like creatures. This caught the aspiring priestess’ attention. It was a boon Raevyn believed, a gift from her dark goddess. Cautiously she had hunted a few of the creatures herself on a nightly basis, not necessarily to kill, but more for research into the creatures. Raevyn watched how the creatures killed. She watched how their venom was dispensed into their victims. As luck would have it, one night while out on the hunt she happened across a near dead spider. Ever so cautiously, she used the little knowledge of the creatures that she had to milk it of its poison. After that task was completed, Raevyn went on to cut the creature open to look for the gland or sac that she knew spiders had in order to remove it from the beast in order to examine it more closely, and to hopefully further her own knowledge of them.

The poison was new to her, but Raevyn held firm the belief that it was a gift from her goddess. Eventually Raevyn finally began to ingest the deadly poison herself. At first it was mere drops, she had known enough about spiders in her homeland, and poisons in general to know that too much right away would kill her. Raevyn was meticulous in her studies and in her own poisoning which she believed would lead her closer to divinity.

The day eventually came that the creatures were finally killed off, and the town safe from their menace. Without saying the spider infestation had served its purpose for her. Through trial and error, Raevyn had learned to make her own potions from the creatures. She made sure she had enough not only for her own cruel intentions, but enough for her rituals as well. Raevyn ventured out rarely for the last week or so of the month. This was in part, or solely due to the condition that this powerful new poison left her in. Weak, often and unable to eat, the young priestess relied heavily on the help from Melissa, to whom she began to take a liking to. Melissa brought the things that Raevyn required, food and water when she was too weak to leave her bed, as well as information, at a price however. One that was happily paid for by the budding priestess.

Sadness struck the young adhiel however during the month. Her relations with her long time friend Ulder had grown increasingly worse. The damage from her arrival, and subsequent altercation with some of her fellow Emerald Guard members seemed too great mend. She had tried on more than one occasion to reconcile with the former captain of the Purple Guard, but to no avail. Even Thrandil seemed closed to anything his former comrade had to say to him. The rift between her and them was a great one. This in turn only caused the young woman to further seclude herself from those around her.

Draydis himself who proclaimed to have forgiven her for her transgressions against him seemed to keep her at a relative distance as well. The more she secluded herself the more his trust in her seemed to diminish. Her long time ties to the Emerald Guard were beginning to fray, and there was no telling if or when they would finally snap.

{Skill request +4* to poison lore to bring it to Poison Lore Apprentice ****}

Jyam

Jyam proved to be a beneficial month for Raevyn as well. The influx of refugees had its benefits and drawbacks for the town of Pax. This of course provided Raevyn with the chance to market some of the wares her family in Gulanadur was known and famous for. D’ Altamooriana weapons were known throughout Gulanadur to be amongst the finest. Their reputation had spread to the surface after The Ascent as trade with the dark adhiels had become more widespread and socially acceptable. Via courier Raevyn sent message home as to her location and soon after plans were set to ship them to her via caravan.

The problem with caravans, however was that they were caravans. Being as such they were prone to attack by orcs, bandits, or just about anyone else that felt the need to attack them. Some of the shipments were lost, some completely during their travels on the new trade routes. The routes had become a haven for some of the more opportunistic rogues and vagabonds. The weapons toting caravans become easy prey to those looking to make a quick banner at the expense of others It wasn’t until the shipments were sent via portal did they arrive to Raevyn safe and in tact. The cost was enormous to do business this way, which forced her to raise the prices even higher. Many of the new refugees simply couldn’t afford her wares. There was the occasional adventure who had the coin to purchase her goods however, but that wasn't enough to see any real profit.

Another problem was time. Raevyn simply didn’t have enough of it. This forced her to rely on the local shopkeepers to do the business for her. Soon the adhiel had to pay someone else to do the work for her, which further cut into her profits. This was a risky proposition since Raevyn didn't trust others almost as much as they couldn't trust her. Had it not been for the Provost and the guards need of new weapons to face the problems of dealing with such an influx people, her venture would have been a total loss. Their growing need to arm themselves in not only the town of Pax Balthasar, but in the refugee camp outside the city walls provided her with the business and income she needed. The money that the assassin made wasn’t to the degree that she would have liked it to be, yet it was enough to provide her a stable income while in Pax.

The adhiel after purchasing some local goods learned to blend in more with the townsfolk. It became much easier for her to blend in with the crowd when she donned one of her many disguises that helped her to look like them. Save for Melissa, there wasn’t anyone that knew who she was when she went out as someone else. Whether it be male or female, rich or poor, Raevyn had learned how to ‘disappear’ when she needed to. The increase of refugees also helped simply by adding more bodies for her to blend in with. One day she had done herself up so well that she was even able to fool Melissa until she finally let her know who it was.

{Skill request +2* to disguise to bring it to Disguise Apprentice ****}
{Skill request +4* to wealth lore to bring it to Wealth Apprentice ****}


Jygust


Everything seemed to settle into place for Raevyn now. Raevyn had managed to get information from Tamerton and the Provost as well the bits and pieces she received from Melissa regarding the wolves that were attacking the Oneist’s. It wasn’t everything that Raevyn wanted to know, and the truth was still far from her reach. Some of leads she had found she shared with Draydis in hopes of keeping him as an ally. Yet her aloofness seemed to be driving a wedge deeper between the two.

The income from the weapons being sent from Gulanadar had tapered off some as well. Pretty soon Raevyn figured there would be no need for them at all unless conditions for the residents and refugees in and around Pax Balthasar improved.

The young priestess soon found herself with a small band of worshippers who wished to follow her in her beliefs. This came as a surprise at first for the adhiel, but she dared not question it. Raevyn figured they were sent to her from Anasati, drawn to Raevyn much like Raevyn herself was drawn to Anasati. Through the very same rites of initiation that Raevyn took, the young priestess sought to indoctrinate them into the faith. Much like her own initiation, the young acolytes had to be poisoned. Not all of them survived though and Raevyn found herself with the grisly task of disposing of the remains of those that ‘Anasati didn’t deem worthy’.

Whether they died because Raevyn actually killed them, or if it was divine selection, more died than survived her brutal rites. The amount of dead outweighed those that survived, and attention, unwanted attention, would be sure to follow if Raevyn wasn’t mindful of what she was doing. To her credit however Raevyn made sure not to choose those within the city proper for sacrificial rites. However rumors of people disappearing in the refugee camps only to show up dead started to spread.

Sudden precautions had to be taken. The first matter of business dealt with her own confidant Melissa. Raevyn needed her to remain silent about everything she did and paid her handsomely to do so. Her victims were also selected very carefully. They were stalked much like a predator stalks its prey. Only the young and the elderly were marked for starters, those unable to put up any resistance.

Poor souls that had ventured out of the safety of the refugee camps were also marks. Again only those that would put up the least resistance were taken. If they ventured too far from the safety of the camp, whether it be to hunt for food or gather wood for the many fires used at the site, they met a grisly fate at her hands.

This didn't stop when the crop formations began to appear. Word traveled quickly in these parts. Raevyn however wisely or coincidental it may have been chose to leave those that chanted in the formations alone. For all Raevyn knew, "She is coming," meant Anasati.

It didn't take long for trouble to find Raevyn though. The anti-Oneist campaign had made Raevyn herself a prime suspect in the ongoing investigations. It was no secret that the adhiel had no love lost for the followers of The One. It was also a known fact that Raevyn had fought against them in Aveas during the War of The One. Luckily for Raevyn, another was believed to be the cause of the trouble. Still the run ins made Raevyn all the more cautious.

With the festival fast approaching, more opportunity for Raevyn to spread her influence would be at hand. Just what those opportunities were, was anybodies guess.

[Ophelia da Yrsa]

Late Chyril

Ophelia the Muse, as she was proporting herself to be, mostly divided her time between fixing up the house with D'arcy and trying to sell her skills to make money. Her stint at Nether's Gate tavern had done well enough, but the people who went to the establishment were often looking for more than she was selling. Every evening she sang and performed she was solicited for after-mark entertainment that came with promises of more coins. The first nights she turned down these offers with disgust aimed toward the inebriation of the patrons, and then toward the clients themselves. After a week she couldn't bring herself to go into the tavern at all.

This meant a loss of revenue, for herself, for Sam and for D'arcy. The three would be left in a state of poverty without Ophelia's income to carry them. Begrugingly, she returned to Nether's Gate with her lute in hand and a low-cut corset for attracting the attention of all the wrong men who forked over their money to feast their eyes and ears on what Ophy had for sale.

Heading over to the tavern one afternoon O was caught in the horror of the Day of the Dark. She was attacked by the vicious spider-creatures and defended herself with her lute acting like a mace. The instrument was badly damaged, but Ophy remained uninjured and even help several other citizens including a well-to-do merchant who offered to purchase her another lute, an offer she accepted gratefully.

Jaym

Ophelia, having heeded the Provost's warning about the house, never played her instruments at home. She didn't want to disturb whatever spirits lived there. Though she had the increasing feeling that D'arcy wanted her to (so that her mission from the Nashorn could begin), she couldn't bring her fingers to the strings to play. It wasn't until the cool spring days shifted to warm afternoons that she felt the itch to practice with her violin. She had to do it in the house because it was new. She'd never played the violin before, and so she fetched it and stood in the rear of the building (so that no one could hear) and began to slide the bow across the strings.

It was from Sam that the story came to Ophelia, as she didn't realize much of anything was happening while she blissfully plucked at the strings in the back room. He recounted to her that D`arcy had screamed, and then shouted - two things neither had ever heard from the usually calm Nashorn student. She was on quite a tear - according to Sam - and then she left. Ophelia couldn't believe it. D`arcy hadn't been making any money and the only thing she'd been doing was tutoring Sam, but Ophy felt more of a personal blow as D`arcy had been her best female friend since childhood. In her wake Ophy found only a few things the Mouthie had left behind: mortar and pestle, a few pots and pans and her fur cloak which she gave to Sam for it was much too small for her.

Late Jaym saw the delivery of a gift from the merchant with the IOU. The lute was beautiful and replaced the other easily, though it was a darker wood - a material he claimed to have been imported from the Eastern Empire. It was light and hard and had a wonderous inlaid pattern of another material with a lighter grain - bamboo - in an exotic pattern of hibiscus flowers giving the instrument a very summery feel. He said their people called it a gogen-biwa, and Biwa became the instrument's name.

Jygust

Ophelia and Biwa were a good team. It was somewhat different from a standard lute, but she took to it easily as it was played by the same method. Sam had started studying with D`arcy, but now Ophy gave him some lessons on his numbers and letters. She had high hopes of the smart young boy, and she also started teaching him songs (the less bawdy ones) that she knew.

Around such time Luca had an unfortunate accident concerning his shack and ended up joining Ophy and Sam in the haunted house. Sam seemed to enjoy Luca's company and his jokes, as did Ophelia, so it was all working out fairly well and she started to think of Luca as her new best friend to replace the lost D`arcy. As soon as he moved in work on the house began again, and Luca was given D`arcy's old room as well as given Sam as his personal assistant in anything that would keep the young lad busy when Ophy was out.

Mid-Jygust had Ophy knocking on the door of Castro's once again. She'd cleaned up her act and looked more the part of a presentable young lady (thanks to purchasing herself some decent clothes) and offered herself for performances in the higher-end establishment. Bright blue eyes and tamed hair landed her the job at a regular (and good!) wage plus tips. She'd hoped to catch Michel in the place, but he was no doubt busy with other events in the town such as the influx of adhiel from World's Mouth.

Ophelia felt bad for the 'pagans' who weren't allowed into the city. She understood it on the one hand, but didn't on the other. Getting used to her routine at Castro's by the end of the month meant that she'd given up the work at the Nether's Gate and felt all the better for it. She started to forget the evenings at the brothel, but wasn't forgotten by the patrons. On the 27th, walking home from the restaraunt, she ran into a few of the regulars from the Nether's Gate who were highly inebriated. She fought her way away from them and got a few scrapes and bruises for her effort, but didn't tell anyone of the scuffle and lied to both Luca and Sam as to how she'd been injured. She blamed a fall off of Jaaz from an early morning ride and expected them to be none-the-wiser. Already the bruises are fading, but she's now made it a habit to always have her weapon on her especially as news of a murdering psycho in the pagan refugee camp began to spread.

SKILLS:

Playing Musical Instrument [stringed]: + ***
Singing: + **
Blunt/Crushing Weapons: +***
Single Combat - Resisting Multiple Opponents: +**

Wanted to know if her wealth skill could be pushed up a notch? I heard somewhere it can only be done at recess. Gotta say, busy recess! So much to do.

[Ssinith DIllil]

((Since part of my recess has to do with Pax, I was told to post my recess here as well.))

The Gulanadur Ambassador had become a busy man, indeed.

In hopes of allowing Gulanadur culture to flourish into the surface, he requested more skilled artisans, particularly that of clothes and luxuries. His tactics were to create a fashion invasion, allowing his culture to be less feared. He had hoped that Sapphire Dust would become the new rage for women, and he would not mind getting back into the clothes of his own homeland. He also hoped to get the Temple of Pan some of the "good stuff" for his rituals as there were few narcotics as rich as Gulanadur. As promised, he would give Ketch his contact to Sca'mur, also to act as the go between for the offer of the Gulanadur army should the Army of the Ascent be approved to help bolster the defenses of Citadel. Unfortunately, this was a double sword in which he learned that invitations to do business could also turn for the worst... some of the black market side of Gulanadur also decided to bring their wares to Citadel and start making claims in the streets, bringing more powerful drugs and poisons into the mix.

As an aside for the Gulanadur Embassy, he also finishes Lady Vlast's personal room so that she may reside at the Embassy in comfort and safety. Though he knows not the precise measures of getting her desires to wed the Caesar to fruition, his determination to bring glory to Gulanadur for the sake of his love for the Queen keeps him going through better or for worse. Lady Vlast even finds a few notes of his with advice about being a good Gulanadur husband after he fell asleep at his desk one eveningtide.

He also makes space to build his "Arcane Sanctum" piece by piece. Little more than shelves for supplies and tables for alchemy equipment with a little more room for meditation and casting spells. He will add more later, and he keeps all of his personal study notes and books in his chambers.

Meanwhile, the request for some Moltenite Pilgrims to monitor the situation had been made, fearing the possible consequences of what Raevyn and Jadmai may do if they misrepresented their people in the West. He had also hoped to build the first true pagan temple there, finding the irony that the first true Molten temple would be in the territory of those who tried to destroy the people almost satisfying. If they truly had freedom of religion, he would work to bring Molten about.

The news about the Volcano in Amun Rah, however, disturbed him. Jadmai had gone to Pax and wondered if the former Ambassador had done something to incur Molten's wrath upon the Oasis. To investigate the matter, he sent a plea to the Clergy of the Moonlady in order to offer aid to the place as well as investigate news of their former Ambassador. He did, however, keep his inquiries about Molten's hand in things to himself.

His true dilemma, however, was the Fire creature found in the basement who had a death wish for some high members of the Council. He would send word to Caldera about the situation, explaining how he feared that this creature would have spread destruction if he was freed and his fears on what this creature might actually be. He pondered what Caldera would have done in his instance, considering the creature was everything Molten was. He tried to err on the side of mercy and it might have cost him dearly, but at the same time, saved a lot of lives.

One way or another, he would send a detailed account of the incident (including the fact that he tried to prevent a brigand from looting the place entirely, and the idiot girl that he had dragged with her, but not mentioning any names). He also told them about the deal he had made with the brigand to sell things to Hadvin's so they could start looking for the missing trinkets so that they might be able to find a few of them. He also makes the argument that if he didn't do what he did, then they could have potentially let the creature run wild and the trinkets would have likely been sold on the black market never to be seen again. If they doubted his intentions and story, he would be more than happy to have his mind searched by a mindcrafter and given a trial by the Council since he did trespass and had to make a deal with the trinkets to find out what had happened to the University. If the nature of the creature was unable to be determined, he would also submit himself to testing to see if he was duped by a demon.

In lieu of this; he also made a diplomatic offer to the University of Magic, considering the land was being contested as well. Considering other safety issues which may occur, S'sinith would keep his mouth shut about the incident to the Caesar because of the potential chaos that would cause in the contesting to the land. In exchange for his silence and willingness to resolve the issue privately, he would aid them with his position in persuading that the land still be under control of the University. Because of his contacts with the shapers, he would also request that he be placed in charge of rebuilding the land around the Spire and allowing the new use of the land to become an academy of learning which would benefit both Citadel and the University, teaching non arcane skills. This would get the University more learned freshmen (perhaps earning a discount should they graduate) and offer more jobs to those who have been displaced by the recent chaos. It would also become a hands on learning opportunity for students wishing to learn how to become a professor or even sharpen their skills with an exchange program in learning important skills outside the arcane such as reading or math (or fighting for the battlemages). For those not of the University, it would stimulate the economy by giving knowledge and allow Citadel to rebuild itself a little more quickly.

Politically, he already had too much on his plate; as tempting as the free positions were at the UoM. Should the school idea pass on both sides, however, he would offer to be an affiliate of the University without actually being a part of it; thus being a neutral being away from the University politics and being able to hear both sides of the argument "without favoritism". This way, he could help to deal with their remaining ties in Citadel and Sierra if they needed a politician who knew the intricate nature of magic without being buried in the Universities' problems.

It would also give the seven that he had to face in his promised duel a reason to try and keep his life intact. Knowing that it would be a grueling battle, he would put his trust in his faith in Molten rather than his raw skill. He knew that even practicing magic and strengthening it would be a worship to him, but he was also a priest. He would seek the wisdom of Caldera in the matter, wondering if there was a better way to handle the situation despite his lack of experience in both faith and arcane skill.

(Diplomacy 3- Apprentice)
(Vestments (Molten) 4- Basic ****)
(Negotiation 3- Apprentice ****)

[Guido Cercatoro]

Raevyn
Raevyn’s study of poison lore proceeded well during the first month of her stay in Pax. The spiders proved a boon, perhaps even providential, for they were the source of a powerful poison that the adhiel had never before encountered. The poison was located in an unfamiliar large gland within the creature; she could detect no familiar components, herbs or plants in the venom. Given this, Raevyn’s self poisoning was a gamble. It was a gamble that might have killed her, for the very first few drops of the poison had a powerful effect from which she nearly died. It was only the intervention of Melissa in procuring a healer that saved the adhiel. Further doses of the poison proved less powerful as the adhiel built up her tolerance. Yet, as she did so, she became increasingly aware of a disturbing sensation – as if a small, dark and empty hole had appeared within a remote corner of her mind. Whenever she passed through the main square, close to the cube and the collapsed tunnels under the derelict building, the hole burned ….

Without a detailed knowledge of the ingredients of the venom, Raevyn’s attempts to make poison proved difficult. However, through trial and error she found that diluting one drop of the venom within a large quantity of pure alcohol and a rare local herb called flowermere produced a poison that induced a coma-like effect in anyone to whom it was administered.

Raevyn’s attempt to import weapons from Gulandur by land proved to be disastrous with a combination of orc and bandit attacks disrupting most shipments. The portal proved to be a safe but expensive alternative. Consequently, sales and profits were minimal until the new influx of refugees from Pax required the Provost to request an expansion of the city guard. Fifty new guards were sent but they proved to be ill-equipped and the Provost was forced to dip into his coffers to buy goods from the hammer Smithy and Raevyn, yielding the adhiel a modest profit that improved her level of wealth. Her attempts to blend in more with the local townsfolk also met with success and her skill in disguising herself grew rapidly.

From her various information sources, the adhiel slowly began to piece together aninteresting jigsaw of information concerning the so-called wolves. First, she was able to confirm that those who had been killed were all Oneists and primarily guards. Not a single member of any other faith had been attacked. Second, no-one had ever seen a wolf apart from one drunken dwarf she had encountered in the Gate tavern. He claimed to have caught sight of dark wolf-like shape that padded alongside a little girl in the middle of the might. The fellow must have been drunk that night as well, for he also claimed that the girl asked him if he liked her doggy. The final piece of information came from a guard, who claimed that one of the dead guards had been killed by a little girl and not a wolf. Strangely, the description of this girl did not match that of the girl seen by the dwarf.

Raevyn found the refugee camp a fertile ground for attracting followers, for many there were desperate having lost their home, family and possessions. Perhaps Raevyn’s God had intervened for for over a dozen youths showed sufficient interest to risk taking her poison; only four survived and the remainder had to be disposed of as did those whom Raevyn and her followers chose for sacrifice.

At first, Raevyn’s activities went unnoticed, for the camp was a fluid affair with many comings and goings. However, one of her followers hid a pair of dead bodies carelessly and they were found and reported to the guards. The subsequent investigations failed to make much progress, for few in the camps were prepared to co-operate with the guards. However, the adhiel knew that, if she continued with her activities, she would be extremely lucky to be undetected. She also knew that Melissa was becoming increasingly nervous, perhaps suspecting her friend’s dark nature.

On the day before the summer festival in Pax, as she was sitting in the Gate tavern, Raevyn was approached by a dark-cloaked figure who whispered a few words in her ear. “She comes. We know you are with us. Come to the circle.” The speaker turned and soon vanished from the tavern.

(OOC: skill requests approved – I will update asap - you are good to move on as soon as you wish).

(OOC2: you don't need stars to raise your wealth skill, that simply requires mod approval, so you have these stars free, let me know what you want)

[Guido Cercatoro]

Ophelia
Ophelia’s stint at the Nether’s Gate tavern proved to be a salutary experience. The tavern was typically full of off-duty guards and others seeking to sample the services of the brothel as well as get drunk. High quality music was not what most wanted; raucous songs from half-dressed singers were more in line with their expectations. Once Ophelia had recognised the needs of her clientele, she was able to earn enough for the survival of her household. Fortunately, Sam proved apt at earning small sums of money by running errands for some of the businessmen in town. The boy appeared happy in his new environment.

Ophelia escaped uninjured during the night of the spider attack. She lost one lute but gained a superior instrument from a merchant that she saved with a well aimed blow of her lute. Her new instrument was apparently imported from the Easatern empire: “It was light and hard and had a wonderous inlaid pattern of another material with a lighter grain - bamboo - in an exotic pattern of hibiscus flowers giving the instrument a very summery feel. He said their people called it a gogen-biwa, and Biwa became the instrument's name.” Ophelia found her new lute to be a superb instrument.

Despite not playing her instruments within the house at first, the musician could not escape the feeling that there was something odd about the house. In particular, the stone half of the house felt different in some way to he wooden half. The air felt stiller, slightly cooler and on occasion the stones themselves appeared to waver. Neither D’Arcy nor Sam appeared to notice this and after a while, Ophelai scarcely noticed herself.

When she finally practised her violin, the room she chose was a wooden one in the rear of the building rather than the stone room that the previous occupant had apparently used as a music room. Ophelia sensed nothing untoward as she played but D’Arcy’s strange reaction and sudden departure gave the musician serious food for thought. Sam claimed that D’Arcy had been pale and terrified before she had fled.

Sam proved to be a rapid learner gobbling up his lessons with enthusiasm and intelligence. The young lad also had a sweet voice that complemented Ophelia’s own and he soon learnt her repertoire of songs. However, he greeted Luca’s arrival (OOC: I’m assuming he has agreed to this) somewhat sourly, giving every appearance of being slightly jealous of the newcomer. However, Luca’s good humour appeared to bring the boy round and, outwardly at least, he was soon back to his normal self.

Ophelia had little difficulty in obtaining a job at Castro’s, for the very night that she presented herself she ran into Michel. The Commander was dining with a rather beautiful adhiel woman and appeared rather embarrassed at Ophelia’s arrival. Nevertheless, he put in a good word for her with the proprietor and the musician was engaged as a regular act. It proved to be a more refined experience than the gate tavern bring frequented by the political and business leaders of the town. The tips and pay were a vast improvement and Ophelia earned a tidy sum. Sam's earnings also saw a sudden rise although he never explained the full details of what he did. That night was the last that Ophelia saw of the Commander, for the next day he returned to the capital city.

After a run-in with some of the rougher patrons of the gate tavern, Ophelia wisely decided to carry a weapon around the streets.

A few days before the summer festival, she was approached by the organising committee and asked if she would play at a concert to be held during one evening for some of the nobles attending the event.

(OOC: Skills approved; I will raise you to apprentice wealth only whilst you are employed at Castro’s as this could be fairly lucrative and you also have Sam's earnings - but you will return to basic if you lose/give up the job unless you replace it with something equally as lucrative )

[Luca di Fabro]

Late Chyril

It had been an exciting time ever since Luca had arrived in Pax. Not only did the town have opportunities to sell the drugs that he had brought with him, there were some beautiful women and some very interesting artifacts all over the town. To top it all off, he was now the official owner of his own shack! All for himself! The first thing he did was to make arrangements with Klebb to fix his roof. Once that was done he started to clean out the mess in the living room. He started with placing back all the jars, tubes and other objects that had belonged to the alchemist. He left the molten heap of metal in the center, thinking it would be too much work to remove it. In one of his artistic outbursts he thought up an amazing design for a wooden table with the tip of the metal heap sticking out of a hole in the center of the table. In his enthusiasm he immediately went to Klebb to ask him to make it for him.

With the table in place he was pleased with the look of his little shack and so the Mouthie started to work on his little business, growing the pot. He checked out the garden space behind his shack and looked for the best place to grow them where they would not be spotted immediately by the guards. When he had prepared a little space he grabbed some seeds that were in his bag and put them into the ground. Once that was done he went regularly to several of the taverns to check out who was doing what kind of business. He found that there was one Morton Wanesman, known as the "Trader" in Nether's Gate. As that man seemed to be the biggest trader in town, he decided to put the focus on this man.

Any time that was left after his business ventures he tried to spend with Ophelia. He usually would try to catch most of her performances, which turned out to be an excellent cover for his first exploratory missions. But with all of the effort he put into trying to catch Ophelia's attention, he seemed to be slipping into the feared "friend zone".

Jyam

In the beginning of Jyam, Luca worked out his plan to get rid of "Trader". He first started to sell some of the drugs that he had brought from Worlds Mouth. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to give him a nice slow start. His only intention of this part of the plan was to get the word around that Lucky was the man to see for some small, but good stuff. He tried to keep the business just low enough to keep out of the Trader's way for now. After having done some business he finally moved in on Wanesman. Luca was able to pull off a scam that lead the man to a dark area behind the tavern where the Mouthie awaited him and used his skill with the smaller blades to finish the Trader off silently, giving him enough time to escape.

Luca acted as if nothing really happened, continuing the business on the same small level like before. Around this time a new influx of people from Worlds Mouth started to come into the city and Luca saw some new opportunities. He looked through the newcomers to see if there were any familiar faces amongst them. Especially those who he knew to have some good skills that he could use for his business. He did everything he could to try and make their life as easy as possible, even selling the drugs that he had left to them for a lower price so that they could sell it on. On the procurement side of the trading business he tried to set up a drug trade with Brie. Brie seemed to be a good choice because they exported a lot of grain, wool, diary products and herbs As a cover he would use the trade of the foods to be able to smuggle the drugs into Pax. He was selling the grain, wool, dairy products and cooking herbs to the Pax Honestus legion at the lowest price possible so that they could use it to feed the new refugees. He hoped this would make them look better and that they would be grateful to him for that so that he could strengthen his contacts with the legion and continue his drug trading.

Meanwhile he was still trying to catch as much of Ophelia's performances as possible, trying all kinds of different tactics to seduce her. It was to no avail and he felt he was not slowly slipping into the friend zone anymore, but was crashing deep into it.

Jygust

When Jygust came, Luca knew that he could soon harvest his self grown pot. He had high hopes for this and the plants looked amazing, definitely worth quite some money. One day however when he was checking out the alchemist's stuff in his house, he tipped over one of the jars which contained several unlabeled vials. The vials shattered on the floor and the liquid instantly sucked itself into the earth beneath the wooden floor. His whole shack started to tremble and just as he ran outside to check it out, his whole shack collapsed and fell into a crack in the ground. The only thing that was still clearly visible was the heap of metal that had been the center of his amazing table in the living room. When he looked into his backyard where his little garden was once sheltered by the shack, he now saw nothing. For flicker he was relieved that the plants weren't all in the open now, but then he fully realized what had happened. The plants were gone too! They too had been sucked up by the crack.

For most of the day the Mouthie was truly in a panic. He had to find a place to stay...a place where he could work on his trade without being disturbed...now everything he had was gone. But then he realized something...there was one advantage to all this. He had heard that D'arcy had gone back to the Mouth and that her old room was free in Ophelia's house. This could be his last chance...he could move in!

When he asked her Ophelia immediately agreed, which gave Luca some hope once more. The hope turned out to be futile however, as Ophelia still just saw him as her male best friend. Another surprise awaited him as he opened the door to D'Arcy's room. She had painted all the walls pink. The whole room, including the bed and sheets were white, light and dark pink. Unfortunately he was too busy to fix it right away so he spent as little time as possible in that room. Seeing as Luca was gone most of the day and Ophelia was gone most of the nights, they didn't see each other very much and he mostly hung out with Sam. The kid turned out to be less of a pain than he had originally thought and he liked to have the kid around. Now closer to Ophelia than ever, he still wasn't getting any though and it was driving him insane.

Meanwhile he continued with his trade from Brie, trying to strengthen and expand his business on the legal as well as the illegal goods. He would try to convince some farmers in Brie to grow some of the special herbs with the promise that he would keep the demand steady and growing.

Skills:
-Herbal lore[drugs] +***** to Apprentice
-Knowledge [Pax] + **** to Apprentice
-Smaller Blades + * to Basic + *
(if he gets some income, maybe the wealth skill at basic? I think he will invest most of his income back into the trade to keep it growing at the moment)

[Thrandil]

Recess Summary:

Thrandil, recently having devoted his life to the Swordmark, sees this as a step up in his goal to be a diplomat once again, as well as trying to revive Taquar to the status it once had. His primary concern is with Ulder and the men he leads. However, knowing that his leadership has proven a benevolent factor before, he decides to talk to Ulder about recruiting people inside and outside Pax.

The former General tried speaking to a few of the Emerald Guardsmen present in town telling them what their group would be doing and what his eventual goals were for Taquar, the country they swore to protect with their lives. He told them to spread the word among the others and in town too, if they so chose. Anyone who was willing to join could come to him at any given time when they saw fit.
He also tried to find out whatever he could by gathering bits and pieces of Pax's inhabitants opinions about the current way it was leading and about the political landscape of King's Court in general. Thran was working on that bit of intelligence any time he could. Just overhearing conversations or dropping openings into conversations he had with the people living there.

In the months after they hunted the greyrobes, having the Horn at his side made him ponder a lot about the Mother as well as Taquar, the lands she is tied to. It made him conscious once again of his life, his luck, the day he set out to travel to Taquar. He relished those memories and, having devoted his life to Pan by now, he started praying to both Gods. The one for what she had shown him and what powers she had given him, even though she didn’t yet understand what that power would do. To Pan he prayed, to not only have his guidance in battle, but to become His champion in the bloodiest of aspects of the joyous god.

In those two months the guard trained various times with Ulder’s men in order to understand more of their techniques, as they looked somewhat different from what he had learned within the Emerald Guard. Most differences could be easily explained because the Emerald Guard only had elves and thus relied more on agility then strength. At times the Adhiel would take a few of Ulder’s men to scout the outskirts around the city, going farther and farther away as time progressed. They had seen the forests of Taquar at the horizon, but hadn’t gone there.

It was not until the third week of Jygust that Thrandil approached Ulder in private. He said that he was sorry for not keeping his true to his word, but that his heart would always be with the Swordmark and that he'd do anything to help them if they needed any. He wished the commander good luck and hoped they could rely on each other’s help whenever they were in need, for the Panling was leaving, leaving towards Taquar. Roam through it’s forests to feel the lands once again, to see how he could restore them. Anyone who had wanted to join him would be welcome to tag along, as long as they knew that they, or at least Thran, wouldn’t return for some time to come. He would venture into the forests, to the heart of Taquar if need be. All that to find those who oppose the Western Kingdom and start rebuilding what is left of Taquar.

He bid adieu to the friends he had made, and left on foot towards the city of trees.

Skills:

Leadership + * to Apprentice + ****
Group Combat – Party + ** to Apprentice + ****
Pray + *** to Apprentice
Persuade + **** to Apprentice

[Craghley]

Late Chyril

Craghley fared poorly at this time - the decent progress in illuminating the secrets of Pax he'd made thus far hit a brick wall for a while.
The first instance of this arose when he met Laewin in the woods nearby the campsite of the Emerald Guard, to play her game and attempt to obtain a scrap of information (as well as his pipe). His prayer during the day did not seem to prevail him as he was unable to beat the lass at her game. But a smooth tongue and careful consideration saw him free of harm lest Laewin was violently displeased with his performance. Craghley returned to the camp - shaken, none the wiser, but very much thankful. The lad carefully pondered the events of the day and concluded that the Mother had a different path in store for him; his failure to pursue Laewin for the time being put added importance onto the strange clearing he’d been guided to on his hunting prayer. Craghley put Laewin from his mind, resolving to figure out this new puzzle.

Skills: + to Persuasion (9 remaining).

Unfortunately for Craghley, there were many tasks to perform for the Guard. As a subordinate to the General he had a more interactive duty to the Leafs, and spent the next few days drilling the men and keeping his own skills polished. Otherwise he performed the menial tasks, spent time in the town, or took long walks in the woods with the hope of finding the strange clearing again (but without success). Again he had little clue as to what he was looking for, and many townsfolk with whom he spoke were unwilling or unable to satisfy his curiousity. He learned little more than the fact that Pax was built over the ancient city of Selderine, that the former city and its’ occupants were returning – but it did not appear to Craghley that they necessarily had a hand in their own resurrection. Whatever was responsible eluded him. He coped with the previously mentioned strolls, and frequent visits to the Nether’s Gate where he paid attention not to Ophelia’s suggestive dress but the fiery-haired woman behind the bar. Raevyn’s own relationship to woman remained unknown to him.
It was towards this establishment Craghley was headed on the Day of Darkness. He had not yet left the campsite when he felt the tremors even at a distance and witnessed the dark overcome the area. Rallying several available members of the Guard, the lieutenant grabbed his spear and sought the vision of the Weave to guide him through the veil of shadow as he led the Leafs into town.
The group penetrated deep within Pax before the spiders appeared and nearly overwhelmed them. Craghley quickly withdrew to the outskirts and sent two runners back to the camp with orders to locate General D’Anorre with a situation report and gather more of the men to rendezvous, hopefully with the general, inside the Forest Gate within a matter of burns. Craghley and the remaining few decided to work in conjunction with the Pax Honestus to clear the streets and ensure the safety of Pax’s civilians, relying on the seniority and experience of Lieutenant Tameron in light of Draydis’ absence. At first he did what he could to help those who’d been bitten, but his ability to heal their wounds was for the most part woefully inadequate. Soon enough his band came back into contact with the spiders. Then Craghley took his spear and went to the fore, using the long reach of the pole arm to keep the spiders at bay and out of range of their fangs - thus it was not entirely surprising that Craghley was one of the group to fall, struck and sickened by venom until he could no longer raise the spear of the Hunter. He saw no more battle on the Day of Darkness, and was borne away by members of the Emerald Guard.
Amidst a terrible fever, Craghley struggled to remain awake in order to guide an attendant Leaf in care for him. With his wounds cleaned, sterilised, and a herb working to purify his bloodstream (hopefully) of at least some of the poison, Craghley sent the Leaf away back into battle – content that there was nothing more he was physically capable of doing for himself or the people of Pax, and that the Leafs would be well led under Tameron if Draydis was still absent. Craghley prayed to the Mother until the Day of the Dark grew darkest for him.

Skills: + to Pole Arms, + to Healing, + to Manipulation of Energy: Faith, and + to Resolve (5 remaining).

Jyam:

Two days later Craghley woke up. But he was too nauseous to eat or drink, spending his few burns awake retching and moaning in the tent he’d been moved to. This cycle continued for several weeks as he very slowly recovered – he could manage water and a basic gruel, but often only when asleep and fed to him by another. Weight fell from his frame at an amazing rate making him a sickening sight even to slender Adhiel. But he became more and more conscious, and awake for longer periods, until he could at last converse with his attendants and visitors. One such visitor was the Halfling, Baltimus. The very first thing he did was bring around a stack of slender books for Craghley to read as he recuperated. This is how the Achadhiel professed his illiteracy – and Baltimus, aghast, determined to teach the young man how to read and write, with the cost per lesson being agreed upon by both persons as a tankard or tumbler of choice drink from a local establishment, payable at such a time as both parties were fit to indulge.
The teaching of letters was a long and strenuous task, as Craghley had difficulty focusing the longer he remained awake. But at least he had plenty of time and books to practice with when Baltimus was not around. This included the book of Islay lore he’d had since he left home, and the linguistic differences to those texts offered by Baltimus proved less of a challenge to him than it would have for many others. The book got him thinking heavily on his family behind him in Dort until he got the idea of writing his very own letter to them. For two nights he laboured over it and showed it to Baltimus once completed. After another night of rewriting it with the errors pointed out by the Halfling, Craghley sent a Leaf on an errand to find somewhere in Pax where it could be sent on a voyage to Dort, and eventually find its’ way to a small Islay village in the Roving of Skara. Not too long after this Craghley walked again for the first time since being struck down, urging himself to start on the road to physical recovery.

Skills: Literacy (Human), basic – learnt (0 remaining).

Jygust

The last month saw Craghley eventually return to drills with the Emerald Guard. Much of his former physical stature returned, as did his appetite. He even frequented the Gate with Baltimus, and would join the Dwarves when they were also in the establishment. He is not, however, fully recovered – when pushed or stressed, such as when some way into training, the vertigo returns. It is an illness which has been particularly stubborn in comparison to the other effects, and Craghley has no clue when the attacks of nausea will cease. At first the vomiting during training was rather disconcerting, but the Leafs adapted to it quickly and often pair up the fresh recruits with the Lieutenant, with warnings to watch out for “Donovans’ surprise attack”.
The task he had begun back in Chyril did not leave his mind. Though he spoke a great with Baltimus, soon Craghley spent more time in town visiting others – Nyrellon, Seth, Vernon – who could tell him of what was muting the Wyrd, or what could have released the plague of arachnids. The Day of Darkness had long passed with Craghley much recovered. What he felt was a greater urgency having seen the possible cataclysm with his own eyes (and felt with his own flesh). As long as he could feel the poison run in his veins, he reckoned, then it was not over. And as the festival draws nigh, he contemplates who he should talk to, and what he should do – what the Mother would have him do.

[Weyl`n]

Late Chyril

The months following Weyl`n's arrival at Pax Balthasar turned out to be far more interesting than he had been prepared for - and not entirely in a good way. While he had expected and in some ways even welcomed the idea of a small, quiet town in the middle of nowhere, the tremors and the invasion of venomous, spidery creatures proved those expectations wrong. Ever unwelcoming to the idea of magics his public opinion on their eradication was a curt "Some o' them met me 'ammer. Dun' much care what became o' others. Just glad they be gone now".

It was no wonder then that rather than looking into the matter Weyl`n chose, like many others, to put it behind him as quickly as possible. To this end, in addition to the apprentice position he now held at Hammer's Smithy, he occupied himself by helping out with the rebuilding of Pax after that one final tremor. His attention was mostly on his own shack and the smithy, of course, but the dwarf was not one to turn down a stranger needing an extra hand or two. As long as magics weren't involved, that was.

To be fair, his own shack required a little more work than a board here and another there, built as it had been in a hurry. Toiling at the smithy during the day, his evenings were spent not resting and relaxing, but making the shack sturdier and better insulated. Although he would have preferred a stone hut to a wooden shack, these were the cards he had been dealt and he was determined to make the most of them. It was certainly a learning experience and in any case, thanks to the rather strange design choices around the town his own curious contraptions didn't stand out... all that much. Aesthetics aside, in the end the shack was less prone to fold on its inhabitant and equipped with the kind of ventilation one could easily control, rather than have the wind blow through one wall and out the other.

Jyam

While one could argue that the strain and tension caused by the influx of refugees was not a very pleasant experience for anyone involved, it did have its upside for Weyl`n personally. As was to be expected, the increase in population meant more work for everyone - including Oswald and his apprentice - but the shortages of goods and resources naturally translated into a great deal of that work involving repairing or re-purposing old items. Simply put, bringing your own material was cheaper for the customer than paying for raw iron, let alone buying new tools and goods.

This meant that there was plenty of low-key work available for Weyl`n, in addition to what was normally expected of him as an apprentice. Wether it was straightening old nails or sharpening shovels and axes just "one more time" - and there was plenty of demand for that kind of work at the time - Weyl`n had his hands full. And though it was far from glamorous, the dwarf welcomed any chance he could get to not only prove to his employer that he meant what he said about not fearing hard work, but also to show that he really could handle a hammer. Just in case there was any doubt on that point after the help he had provided in restoring parts of the smithy the previous month.

Thankfully this increased demand for Weyl`n's attention also meant that he hadn't the time to second-guess the strange people walking in circles outside Pax. In fact, the one and only comment anyone could remember ever hearing from the dwarf about them was short and to the point: "Dunnae what they be about. So long as they mind own business can walk in circles all they want."

Jygust

Magics were one thing Weyl`n didn't hold near and dear to his heart; politics were another. As impossible as it was to entirely ignore the unrest over rising anti-Oneist sentiments in Jygust, Weyl`n wanted no part in it and stayed as far away from the whole issue as possible. Having spent the past month and a half or so working most of his days, he didn't however feel like burying himself in yet more work in order to distance himself from this particular issue. Instead - in an effort to better communicate with the multitude of humans and human-speaking citizens of Pax - the dwarf took upon himself to improve his rather lacking verbal output.

Of course, being somewhat touchy about the subject, Weyl`n didn't simply walk up to a smart-looking person and ask them for lessons. No sir. While that would probably have yielded better results and in a shorter amount of time, for now learning from his peers (or possibly those a step or two above him in this matter) seemed like the right way to go about it. This lead to more "Weyl`n sightings" in and around the town during the month of Jygust, as the dwarf spent more of his free time in situations where he could observe and participate in discussions. Preferrably in places where they surprisingly did not serve ale, as while the amber brew often increased the volume and... volume of speech, it also tended to make what was said less useful for learning purposes.

In part due to his apprehension towards all things magical but mostly because of his busy schedule since arriving at Pax, Weyl`n hadn't given much thought to the tiny hammer he had received earlier from Torc the hedgemage. In fact, although Weyl`n thought he had seen the man on a couple of occasions, the two had not talked since late Chyril. It was during these "lessons" that Weyl`n learned of a local collector of rare objects - called Ressatrix - who he was lead to believe knew a thing or two about an old thing or two. The kind of person who might be able to shed some light on the hammer, Cira. Somewhat reluctantly but figuring this Ressatrix person might perhaps be able to put the whole issue to rest once and for all, Weyl`n decided to pay them a visit one rather fine day...

(OOC: outcome of that meeting is up to you Guido )

Skills

Blacksmithing: +***** = Apprentice
Carpentry: +** = Basic+**
Knowledge [Pax]: +* = Apprentice
Language [Human]: +** = Apprentice+**

[Mara Zucaro]

Late Chyril

Mara settled into her new routine in Pax: lessons and conversations with Nyrellon about their shared faith and the situation in Pax during the day and singing for the gnomes and other patrons of the Father’s Grace at night. Laying low and making no progress on her plans rankled some but Mara understood knowing the lay of the land before trying to mess with the balance of power. She did get Vernon to help her try and follow the energy trail from the Cube as he promised though. Also she got that pipe contraption from Jermaine but hunting ghosts got lost in the shuffle of everything else.

During the Day of Darkness, Mara was caught out on her way to the Father’s Grace. Mara fought the eight legged menace with the Starlight of the Father and defended the gnomes with the fury of a Mouthie vendetta. Afterwards, she tended to the many wounded with her prayers and learned much from the healers that she worked alongside.

Jyam

Mara became convinced more than ever that the city needed faith to pull them together and uplift them during this difficult time. Nyrellon tried to talk her out of this. She felt their energies would be better spent elsewhere. In the end though, she would not stop Mara from trying and wished her well in the attempt. Securing a piece of land within the city was easy enough. Mara thought its out of the way position might even be a boon if she wanted to build up slowly and unnoticed.

Then the refugees arrived. Mara became a frequent visitor to the refugee camp offering guidance and welcome to the many dispossessed. She brought food when she could and tried to match newcomers to what work there was. Without quite meaning too, her church began here in a humble tent with a handful of people willing to pray for something better. Eventually their numbers grew and she found herself with a willing work crew to build the temple she envisioned. If only she had the building materials and the money to pay workers. With some trepidation, Mara turned to the gnomes for help. The twin appeal of a place to worship and a major building project was irresistible to them and construction began. It would be a unique building to be sure with gnomish innovation tempered by the tradition of the Father. Mara suspected not even the Father would know what it would look until it was finished.


Jygust

When the anti-Oneist slogans and posters began to circulate, Mara was pleased yet she too had to move with caution as the guards did. She wanted to encourage the people of Pax to demand their rights but open battle with the guard would be disastrous. Mara began to preach patience and seeking the Father’s guidance before making rash actions but many that she was reaching out to did not want to hear that. The guard started to watch her closely convinced that she might become another Savarak. The refugees started to wonder if Mara was in the pocket of the Provost all this time.

It is still a mystery what started the fire on the church construction site. The accepted explanation was a gnomish device for heating bread and cheese overheating. Still it provoked another round of clashes between the guard and refugees with both groups blaming the other for setting the fire. Mara just tried to pick up the pieces as best she could. More and more, Mara found herself in the middle trying to preserve a peace she wasn’t even sure if she wanted.

Skills:
Five stars to gain Healing Non Magical
Two stars to Singing
Two stars to Theology
One Star to Knowledge Pax

Wealth to Basic please.

[Guido Cercatoro]

Luca

Klebb quickly arranged for the shack to be fixed up for a reasonable price and Luca spent some time in making it habitable. When he approached the master craftsman with the proposal for the table, Klebb burst out laughing. Wiping his eyes, he agreed to make the table and, true to his word, it was delivered within the week. It was clear from the quality of the table, that Klebb was a carpenter of rare ability. The legs of the table were exquisitely carved and the man had added a little of his own design to the table – a pair of birds in flight around one leg. Strangely, at times, Luca almost felt as if the birds were truly flying and even singing…

Luca had little trouble selling the drugs he had brought with him, for it was a sellers market in Pax. There was a small enclosed garden at the back of his shack surrounded by bushes and trees that made it an ideal place for growing his plants and no-one paid them any attention. His plan to dispose of Wanesman worked remarkably smoothly, for, although cunning the man was greedy and fell for Luca’s scam. No-one mourned the death of the man; the investigation of his death by the authorities was superficial. The general word on the streets was that whoever had done the deed had done the town a favour. Yet, as always, someone was ready to take the place of the deposed man; in this case, it was his former right hand man, Rufus. However the man lacked his predecessor’s business skills and Wanesman’s business empire, although still functional, never fully recovered from his loss.

With the death of Wanesman, Luca found an enhanced market for his drugs and became known amongst the criminal classes of the city. Even Rufus approached the drug-dealer with a request for some supplies; Luca had the impression that the man was little more than a savage thug.

From amongst the new arrivals that emerged from the portal in their flight from Pax, Luca recognised an old acquaintance – an achadhiel card sharp and gambler, Denas Tentarahn. The man was a top class card cheat and soon began working the taverns of the town, making a tidy sum of money. The new refugees also proved to be a grateful market for cheaper drugs; Denas offered to help Luca in his business endeavour with Brie as the card sharp had plied his trade their in the past. His knowledge proved critical and the pair were able to ferry a small quantity of drug supplies into Pax under cover of a legitimate trade. However, they were perhaps too successful, for one day Denas arrived severely beaten. He had been apprehended by Rufus and one of his men who had demanded a cut of the profits in return for protection. Luca had until midummer’s day in Jygust to accept Rufus’s offer or face the consequences…

The collapse of Luca’s shack left the drug-runner temporarily homeless and with a much reduced supply of drugs; however, Ophelia proved amenable to having a new lodger and he took D’Arcy’s old room in the strange White House. After an initial period of jealousy, Sam warmed to Luca and the two got on well. The boy more than earned his keep but proved to be remarkably evasive in revealing the source of his income, beyond claiming that he did “errands” for people. Luca’s relationship with Ophelia proved to be purely platonic much to his frustration. He also had the feeling that her remarkable horse, Jaaz, somehow knew of the Mouthies’s frustration, for the animal appeared to regard him with amusement…if such an emotion could truly be read from a horse…..

In the middle of Jygust, Luca was approached by a farmer, Harden Slater, who operated a remote set of fields in the Pax valley. The man’s crops had failed and he was looking for alternative sources of income from his land. He had some experience in growing crops of the type that Luca was rumoured to supply; the man was regularly at the gate tavern and would be there on the 30th of Jygust if Luca wanted to negotiate a deal. The fact that the man had approached Luca, revealed that Luca’s success was becoming widely known and he would inevitably begin to attract attention within the town now that Wanesman was gone…

(OOC: skills approved and basic income granted - you may move on through the recess)

[Guido Cercatoro]

Ssinth

OOC: Thanks for the post. I'll wait until I've seen Jadmai's recess post until I reply.

[Guido Cercatoro]

Thrandil

Thrandil found Pax to be a fruitful ground for recruiting amongst the local population for his venture to T’aqar. He gathered a dozen who were prepared to follow him – mainly adhiel labourers and craftsman who had been exiled from the Mouth but three former guardsmen also agreed to join, the remainder wishing to remain in Pax. The recruiting exercise also enabled Thrandil to gather information about the current state of Pax. He found that the Provost was still respected for his liberal treatment of pagans; however, there was growing resentment against the guards, particularly for their unsympathetic treatment of refugees. The refugee camp was becoming a hotbed of anti-oneist dissent and would take little more than a spark to ignite. There was a growing view that whilst the Provost was a good man, he was a representative of Oneist rule; the Merchant’s Council, which contained representatives of all races, was regarded highly. “Independence for Pax” was a slogan often bandied about.

Thrandil’s prayers to the Mother drew little direct response beyond a feeling of reassurance; once again, it was as if the Mother was pre-occupied. However, his prayers to Pan received a much more direct response in the form of a clear vision:

He was standing in the forest. It was unmistakably T’aqar. He saw a flash of red in the forest which he ran towards until he came to a clearing covered in a carpet of blood. Standing in the middle of the clearing was The Horned One holding a goblet of blood. The figure threw the goblet at Thrandil and he caught it in his hands. The blood flowed over the cup, covering his hands and running down his body. After a few flickers the cup was empty. “Here is what you asked for; replenish it with blood. Be my champion. Delight in your blood lust.” On waking, he found his hands holding a small, plain and innocuous looking goblet.

Training with Ulder’s men saw Thrandil develop his knowledge of group combat and his scouting forays granted him a working knowledge of the geography of the local area. A number of times whilst in the mountains, signs of Orc activity were found. Indeed, on one occasion he found the remains of a large camp uncomfortably close to Pax. All appeared peaceful on this part of the border between the Kingdom and T’aqar.
Having finished his recruiting, praying, training and information gathering, Thrandil made his goodbyes and departed for T’aqar.

(OOC: skills approved, will be added asap)

[Guido Cercatoro]

Craghley

Craghley’s game with Laewin was unsettling but he suffered no ill effects and, with a little persuasion, managed to retrieve his pipe. The young girl had appeared tired and distracted and at the end of the game intimated that he would not see her again for a while. She was as good as her word, for there was no sign of the girl during the remainder of spring and the beginning of summer.

Craghley’s training with the guards went well and he improved his skill with Pole Arms; his visits to the Gate tavern also went well and the owner, the fiery-haired Melissa appeared more than happy with his company although she also spent much time in deep conversation with Raevyn – about what, Craghley never managed to discern.

The clansman's memory of the day of the dark was a blur; he dimly recalled gathering his troops and fighting the invaders - but once bitten, the rest of the day felt like a feverish dream. However, he was one of the fortunate ones; most of those bitten died but the rapidity with which Craghley’s wounds were tended saved him and within a few day he was on the slow road to recovery. During this time he had a vague memory of hearing a woman’s voice…the only words he could recall were…..he’s lucky …it’s a good job you called me, you old rogue… The venom departed and yet, it left him with a lingering sense of unease, almost as if a part of the poison remained lodged within him somewhere deep within his subconscious. In addition, he continued to suffer from frequent bouts of nausea and vertigo.

The achadhiel's actions of that day were well reported throughout the town and he and his fellows were thereafter treated with considerable respect by most citizens of the town. Indeed, whilst he was recovering he received a visit and thank-you from a grateful Lieutenant Tamerton; the young officer was ashen-faced for several of his best men had fallen during the fighting. Another visitor was Baltimus, who, spurred on by the promise of being paid in ale, taught the patient the rudiments of literacy. He proved an able teacher until one day he arrived with a huge cask of ale; he loudly proclaimed that the only way the erstwhile hunter would finally recover was if he consumed a large quantity of the beverage and then proceeded to consume most of the cask himself. Before he collapsed in a heap, the drunken Halfling loudly proclaimed that he was - glad that we saved you as I need a good drinking partner…

The Leaf who had been sent with the letter managed to get it sent through the portal with a courier who was delivering some official correspondence to Kings Court and Dort. It cost a little but was a safe way of securing delivery.

Craghley’s attempts at information gathering prior to the Day of the Dark met with little success. However, through his friendship with Baltimus and Vernon he began to learn more and was introduced to the strange Seth and the rather imperious Nyrellon. It rapidly became clear that middle-aged woman knew more about the strange events in Pax than anyone else in town. He knew that the woman was not revealing all she knew but what she did reveal was most instructive…

Pax was built on an ancient outpost called Selderine, the home for refugees fleeing from some attackers. The town had fallen to these attackers despite the help of some ancient spirit. Yet, for some reason, elements of old Selderine were now reappearing in the present….people, buildings, walls and perhaps even ancient beings …indeed, Nyrellon was convinced that the Day of the Dark was instigated by one such ancient being who had slipped through from the past…when Craghley spoke of Laewin, Nyrellon shook her head in despair fearing that the girl was some evil being also called from the past and not the young girl whom others had seen and was a manifestation of the benevolent spirit that had defended Pax…it seems we have two little girls at large, how confusing…she commented with a wry smile. From his conversations with the woman, Craghley knew that he would have to further gain her trust if he was to learn more….

And then one day just before the summer festival he learnt one more thing from a very drunken Baltimus; the halfling revealed that he was from Selderine and that he had travelled to Pax, at great inconvenience, to help save the god-forsaken place…with that the Halfling collapsed in a heap(again)…

(OOC; skills approved – will be updated asap)

[Guido Cercatoro]

Weyl'n

Oswald Hammer proved to be a rigorous and persistent Master, pushing his apprentice to the limits. Yet, his methods were effective and the apprentice developed his skills in a steady manner. Weyl’n became acquainted with the smith’s wife Seela, daughter Felicte and son Darum. Son and wife were of the same mould as their father – honest and hard-working. However, Felcite was a fey, flighty girl determined to go her own way. The dwarf discovered that the rest of the family disapproved strongly of the fellow she was seeing.

Weyl’n made good progress on fixing his shack and earned a little coin from assisting in the re-building of homes damaged by the tremors and spider attack. The impact of these events and the influx of refugees led to a surge in business for the smithy and it was kept working to full capacity during spring and early summer. In what little time he had free, the dwarf made a determined and successful effort to improve his language skills.

Ressatrix proved to be an irascible old fellow who lived in a strange place full of old books and objects. However, his outward ill-temper hid an obviously keen intellect and the hammer clearly fascinated him. The mention of the name Cira clearly meant something to the old man and he promised to do further research through his network of contacts.

On the even’tide of the 29th Jygust, the dwarf had a visit from the historian’s servant, Saldor, who said that his master would like to see Weyl’n the following day to discuss the results of the research….

(OOC: Approved and I will skill asap)

[Trajan Constantine Aeneas]

Late Chyril

The man the Gates of Pax Balthasar now opened to receive was scarcely the same man they had opened not so long ago to released to Hunt. Where his armor and weapons had once shown care and vigilance, they now bespoke neglect and inattention, when they were still present at all. What remained was stained with soot and road grim and other substances best left identified. Where his eyes had once shown fierce with conviction and pride, and swept the surroundings alertly, they now gazed vapidly at the cantle of his saddle, not seeing. Trajan Aeneas was, even amongst his fellow Hunters, they themselves flush with victories of varying degrees, and despite his perpetual shadowing by a diminutive achadheil woman, terribly; maddeningly alone.

Neither had Lieutenant Tamerton recognized him, but he did listen to the man's story, even more laconic and concise than was usual for a man renowned for such. Trajan would not later recall the specifics of the conversation, but at it's most basic, the report he gave consisted of a retelling of the events of their pursuit and confrontations with the Gray cloaks and a personal assessment of each of his companions. Once his duty in this regard was discharged, Trajan asked for a leave of absence from his duties with the legion that he might recover from his injuries, which were extensive if not overt (as verified by Shylah Boyd), and so he might address some personal matters. Once that was resolved, Trajan took his leave.

That matter behind him, Trajan returned to his bunk in the barracks for what he knew would be the final time. There he changed into his civilian clothes and stored his uniform and armor, including his shield and the shortsword it bore. All he kept was the ghost-Legionnaires long-sword. Then he sat and quietly composed a lengthy letter which he addressed to Lieutenant Tamerton. The letter tendered his resignation from the Legion, effective immediately, as well as copious explanations of his rational. He left his forwarding address as his families estate, even though he had no more intention of going there than of staying with the Pax Honestus. He left the letter on his bunk, signed and sealed, and then walked away, never sparing a backward glance.

During the time he had been composing his letter, Shylah had gone off to speak with the provost, and had in the course of that discussion come into possession of a shop from which she could serve the community as a healer. Trajan, having no where else conceivably to go, and Shylah wanting to maintain her vigil over his still (and for the foreseeable future) fragile health, bid him to bunk in the shop. A cot in an out of the way room was the best he got, but it was more than adequate for a man just out of military service. The Chyril that followed was quiet, by all comparisons to his previous life, though not dull. Trajans progress was slow but none much more than could be expected, he spent time each day in minor physical training, under Shylahs watchful eye often as not, as he struggled to repair the damage done to his constitution and body by that damndable smoke. He also worked with longsword he had retained, nothing more strenuous than practice forms intended to strengthen his body and hone his control of the weapon. He also took up meditation as a means of dealing with the frustrations born of the skills and physicality he was being forced to relearn. And every night he locked himself away and prayed, for there was little better term for it, over the ghostly legionnaires sword, hoping for some insight into it's nature and what he would need to do to see Laewin and her pet ended. And despite that, despite the prayers and the meditations, the efforts he exerted to help Shylah with her shop, the exercises, both alone and the Yoga she coaxed him into trying, there was still a great hole, almost an invisible wound in his life where his devotion to the One had been. Many were the nights where he wept bitter, albeit silent tears for his loss. The typically dour man became melancholy when he wasn't with Shylah, and his quiet contemplations turned into dark brooding. The former legionnaire was drawing ever more into himself, and even sporadic visits of Talanwei Fortisse could not lift his spirits.

Shylah was the last tenuous strand holding him in the world, and if not for her he might have withdrawn completely, and disappeared into the wilderness to meet his fate there. But for some reason he couldn't bring himself to abandon the achadheil, and rather perversely found himself seeking opportunities to be with her. The pair fell into an amenable routine, despite the earthquakes which periodically shook the city and even those eventually became part of it. For he was always near her when one hit and likewise he always held her though it, and after the ground had ceased moving they would pick the shop up, set everything to rights and go on as if nothing had happened. It was a very domestic scene, but Trajan failed to take note, so absorbed was he in his training and his healing.

Things might have gone on that way forever, were it not for the so-called Day of Darkness. On that fateful day, when the very earth was split asunder and the very buildings of the city brought low, when the spider-demons came, fate found Shylah Boyd and Trajan Aeneas in the midst of it all. She, running from citizen to citizen helping those she could, and he, ranging about her like a ghost, offering the best protection he could to her and those she ministered too, despite the physical and aetherial shackles which weighed him down. No true measure of the pairs impact on events could be given, except on an individual basis, but that day was felt forever after and Trajan began to realize that there was something more going on between he and Shylah than he had conceived of.

Jyam

But what he inferred in his own mind, Trajan kept there, for he had always been a private man and he couldn't know if what he thought or felt were the same as what was going on with Shylah. Chyril had been a hard month for the young Trajan, who, for the first time in his life found his purpose to be of his own devising, and the Day of Darkness seemed to push the youth around some invisible barrier which had been holding him back. He had been tentative in his training during Chyril, never pushing himself too hard for fear of aggravating or further injuring himself, but now, when he had fought demons (for what else could those creatures who took spider form have been) and won through, he was reinvigorated and his training redoubled. The leaps and bounds by which his progress now measure were astonishing to him given the agonizing crawl they had been during the previous weeks, but maybe not so much to Shylah, who was now busier than ever. Fortunately, Talanwei was around more as Trajans health improved, and the two began to train together, Trajan learning the sword from Tal, and the achadheil paladin learning shield techniques from his human friend, the pairs skills increased dramatically as the time past, and their friendship grew stronger with each day, though Trajan was always wary of the handsome achadheil youth, especially when the pair were around Shylah, for what man could know the heart of another man, much less the heart of a woman? He watched the pair closely, and tried not to read too much into the little things. After all, for all he knew, he was an unrequited courtly champion, and not a serious companion, much less a lover.

The Provost had Shylah a storefront in the city, from which she could run a healing business, and at the outset things had been slow, for few new of it. But after the Day of Darkness, and the diminutive achadheils heroic actions, she was a minor celebrity around town and business was booming. Trajan saw her less now than ever before, and found himself missing her presence keenly.

With his recovery now well on it's way, Trajan rededicated himself to the hunting and destruction of the enigmatic force known as Laewin. And he began to spend at least every third eveningtide a week out hunting for her. He had been charged with her destruction and Trajan wondered how much of what was happening in Pax was her fault. She had, as best he had gathered, always appeared as a woman, and so the cryptic phrasing of the walkers "She is coming" rang ominously in his ears. He purchased for himself a white cowled robe and cloak, a cheap attempt to disguise himself as a Walker though he doubted She would be fooled, as well as a hauberk of chain armor, for it was easily worn between his gambeson and his robe and was light enough for him to bear at long periods in addition to being much less restrictive than the armor he had worn while with the legion. He also purchased a targ to replace his lost heater, and because he felt it was much easier to serve AS a shield, if one were armed WITH a shield. He was surprised to find that though this represented a departure from what he had always done and known, the he favored it over what he was used to.

Though his training and the hunt for Laewin kept him busy, Trajan found that he was never too busy for Shylah, any request she made of him, and time she needed and task he could perform, he leapt to with ready hands and a glad heart, and even if she did not ask, he often times did what he could. He never let her out on the streets alone, always either accompanying her, or watching her from a distance. He never knew whether she knew, but he felt better for doing it. As her workload at her shop increased, not only because of her new found status in the city but also because of the massive influx of new refugees from Worlds Mouth, she began to take on apprentices, and to train them.

Pax however, was a dangerous place at the best of times, and it was becoming increasingly dangerous as the days wore on for these were not the best of times. With supplies down and demand way up, crime was sadly also on the rise, and while Trajan could protect Shylah and her students if the traveled as a group, he could do nothing if the split or were separated, and he found it hard to follow a student into the streets even if Shylah were safely in her shop, so Trajan too began looking for recruits, to train them in combat (as much as he knew) and then to assign them to Shylahs trainees (with her help) that they might serve for them as Trajan served to Shylah, as sword and shield and helpmate. And from that speck, as an irritant may build a pearl in an oyster, something larger began to take shape, a new Order was coming to fruition though it had not been planned for. Life, it is said, was what happened when you were making other plans.

Jygust

Jygust was, as late Chyril had been, a month of routine. Trajan spent time with Shylah, Trained with Talanwei and those who had heeded his call, and continued the hunt for Laewin if necessary. He scarcely noticed the approach of the Summer Festival, but the anti-Oneist propaganda and sentiment which had begun to permeate the town troubled him. He knew from first hand experience why the Church of the One had banished these people and he feared that what he heard on the wind would bring nothing but ruin to the city that had become his home. But he was not a friend of the Pagans, who still viewed him with mistrust if not open hatred, and neither was in a position to treat with the Oneists, having burned that bridge back in Chyril.

He fretted over what was brewing, for the air around Pax was thick with plottings and back alley deals, mistrust and outright hatred on both sides. So he stayed close to Shylah and the shop, the achadheil he now had to admit he loved and the building which had become his home, and stayed in contact with Talanwei, his only other friend in the city, fearing for him almost as much as for Shylah. The two men were fierce friends, and shield-brothers, and Tal had been a friend to his and Shylahs efforts at the shop. Trajan also found time to wonder what exactly it was that Ulder and his Swordmark were up to in all of this. And so it was, with the festival practically upon them, that Trajan armed himself and headed out into the city in search of him, wanting answers that he was somehow sure Master of the Swordmark would have.

Skills:

Shield + *** to Apprentice

Swords, One-handed + **** to Apprentice

Resolve + ** to Basic ***

Healing (non-magical) + * to Basic *

[Guido Cercatoro]

Mara
Through her conversations with Ines and Nyrellon, Mara began to piece together a few pieces of information concerning the “oddness” of Pax which she could not help but notice. She learnt that Pax was built on an ancient outpost called Selderine, the home for refugees fleeing from some attackers. The town had fallen to these attackers despite the help of some ancient spirit. Yet, for some reason, elements of old Selderine were now reappearing in the present….people, buildings, walls and perhaps even ancient beings …Following the trail of energy from the stone cube led Mara to a grass-covered mound just outside Pax. Mara sensed that the strand ran through the mound, clearly connecting to a powerful source of energy well below ground. Vernon insisted that the find was reported to Nyrellon. The priestess appeared disinterested as if she already knew something about the phenomenon but she did not elaborate further.

Jermaine’s pipe proved to be a strange contraption. It consisted of three metallic, hollow tubes of varying lengths all pierced with several holes. The tubes were attached together and topped by a small metal box within which resided an array of cogs, gears and other miniature components.

Mara’s actions on the day of the dark in assisting the gnomes defend the tavern earned her great respect within the gnomish community. Indeed, almost too much, for several of the eccentric inventors who frequented the tavern were forever pestering her to help test their latest inventions. The other result of the spider attack was a considerable improvement in Mara’s healing skills as she assisted in tendering the wounded.

The refugee camp proved to be a fertile ground for spreading her faith; indeed, Mara found that many within the camp already worshipped the father and within a short time, she was leading informal prayer sessions. Most of her gnomish aquaintances were of a similar faith and willing to help in the construction of the temple. Unfortunately, whilst the help was enthusiastic, gnomish organisational skills were sadly lacking and the temple that was under construction was a uniquely ramshackle affair with numerous odd shaped walls, roofs and doorways. Several guards stood permanently across the street from the construction site and Mara was jostled a few times by a number of the guards but no direct action was taken against the temple. The authorities appeared to be adopting a wait and see attitude. Nevertheless, a number of refugees who attended Mara’s services were increasingly on the look-out for trouble.

The fledgling temple burnt to the ground one night despite the efforts of several gnomes from the nearby tavern, one of whom sported a large, strange looking water-squirting device. An angry crowd surveyed the remains the following morning but they were dispersed by the guards after a brief altercation.

(OOC: approved – I will skill asap – wealth lifted to basic due to singing job.)

[Shylah Boyd]

Late Chryil

Ever since Shylah's journey to Pax, she began to see immediate changes taking place. She also began to see, that what she was told about the need of healers to the town was indeed a fact, and the small achadhiel knew that it would be best that she stayed put. After running into the wounded Trajan at the waterfall clearing, Shylah took it upon herself to tend to the seriously injured man's wounds. It was this that made her realize that she needed to go to the Provost's Office immediately to seek out an adequate form of shelter in order to conduct her business in healing. For she knew that she would be a very poor healer if she had no place for her patients to go. To her surprise, the Provost was more than happy to grant her a shop that had been vacant for some time, upon her introduction to him that mentioned she is a healer. It was confirmed, healers were in high demand for the city. Excited to get things rolling along, Shylah busied herself with the cleaning and decorating of her shop, as well as ordering an abundant amount of supplies and other necessities that she would be needing for future patients.

It wasn't long before she realized that her very first patient, Trajan, had no where to go, and so wanting to keep a careful eye on his injuries, Shylah offered the man a cot in her shop, until he was well enough by her standards. She continued to see to the man's injuries daily and when she wasn't busy with that, Shylah took it upon herself to seek out a priest in an attempt to learn all that she could as far as praying went and how best to apply it to healing. Some would consider Shylah lucky, for she found such a priest, who reluctantly took the achadhiel healer under his wing. She spent nearly all of her free time with this priest, and pushed herself a little too hard. However, it was for the good of her current and future patients that she learned how to better herself.

For a time, Shylah began to notice something deep stirring within Trajan, for there were many nights that she got home fairly late and in passing, she could hear crying, even though it was very faint. However, she kept this observation to herself, not daring to pry into the man's personal life. She had to admit however, that when an achadhiel known as Talanwei started dropping by the shop to visit Trajan, it made her hopeful that the young man would start to cheer up. Talanwei seemed like a nice enough fellow in her eyes, so she didn't feel the need to keep a watchful eye whenever he was around.

When tiny earthquakes began to periodically shake the city, Shylah wasn't quite sure what to make out of them, but they scared her nonetheless. Enough so, that she found herself jumping into Trajan's arms out of fear, which she became very interested to figure out the reasoning behind her behavior. Eventually, the small quakes became nothing more than a nuisance and yet, she still found herself in the man's arms whenever they occurred, now entirely on his part. Shylah didn't want to assume anything, but she started to ponder upon things she knew should have never crossed her mind in the first place. One day, as she had finally managed to pass all of this off as nothing more than a friendly gesture, that is when it felt like the Nether itself had been ripped open to wreck havoc upon the city.

It was the most violent of earthquakes yet, which sent Shylah, who was in the midst of Trajan's check-up, flying into the man's arms as they both came violently crashing to the floor. Fortunately, her shop suffered no severe damage, but there was damage nonetheless. Viles of potions broken and spilled all about, as well as numerous other objects and supplies scattered in all directions. However, it was when the once sunny skies had given way to an eerie, vast darkness, that Shylah found herself dismissing the damages to her shop and fleeing out of her shop in search of survivors, with Trajan secretly trailed the oblivious healer, who insisted he remain at the shop.

However, if it hadn't been for Trajan disobeying her wishes, Shylah would have been dead. For out of the shadows, while she tended to a critically injured youth, a monstrous spider closed in for the kill. It all happened so fast through her gray eyes, and before she knew it, the spider was dead and Trajan was pinned beneath its huge body. It was at this moment that Shylah was now more than ever terrified at the mere thought that Trajan might have died as well. What alarmed her by this wasn't the fact that she worried due to her duties as a healer, but because there seemed to be something more to it. Of course, he was okay, but as for the youth, it was far too late, for the poison from his wound seemed to have taken over his broken body. Fortunately, Shylah and Trajan manged to get at least one person out of the dangerous situation. An elderly human woman, who also suffered from a poisonous wound. Through her constant work in tending to the woman, Shylah had managed to heal the grateful widow, but this never made up for the failure she felt deep inside from losing a patient in her care.


Jyam

Thankful for the sense of calm that Jyam manged to bring in, Shylah got her shop cleaned up and repaired to her liking, thanks to the help of Trajan, who she know started to teach in the ways of basic healing. To the young woman, her shop looked better than before, and it was during this process that Shylah finally came up with a name for her shop: Healing Hands. It was something simple and to the point, as well as something that struck Shylah's fancy. She only hoped that her business would be half as successful as the ones she encountered in her past. However, over the course of a week, she began to find herself somewhat busy, for it seemed to the achadhiel healer that the elderly woman ,who she had revived, took it upon herself to spread the word about the healer and her shop. Most of the business Shylah conducted didn't bring much in the way as earnings went, but she did begin to see a glimmer of hope for her shop's future.

While she still supervised over Trajan's health, which was improving more and more as each passing day, she still thought about the man's heroic actions on the Day of Darkness, and wondered if there was something more between the two than she realized. Keeping these thoughts to herself, Shylah kept a professional attitude. However, she found this surprising easy due to the fact that she was now seeing less of Trajan these days.

When Talanwei started to come around more and more, Shylah manged to get to know the achadhiel man a little better, and found him very likable as a person, thus forming a simple friendship with the man. Although, she never spent much alone time with him, unless one would count that time where she offered the man a position in her shop. Shylah had many ideas for the future of Healing Hands and knew that by getting more people on board, the better her chances would be at succeeding.

It was when the achadhiel began to notice a rise in the city's crime rate, that she realized Trajan and she were together more often than in the past few weeks, for she was never out in the streets alone. This shed light on something that Shylah had been trying to fight since late Chyril, and that was the possibility that Trajan may feel more for the red-headed healer than she realized, as well as the possibility that she may have been starting to develop romantic feelings for him as well. These thoughts scared Shylah for she had never known feelings such as these, thus forcing her to keep all of this to herself. It was at this time, that she and Trajan started to form new ideas about the shop and Shylah began to take on a few trainees, who would act as she does should the need for more healers arise, and Trajan who hopefully find trainees of his own, who would act like a bodyguard to the healers.

Jygust

While the fear of more danger lurked deep within the mind of Shylah, she found herself stocking up on more supplies, even if the need for them wasn't necessary at this moment in time. She lived by the rule, that it is better to have more than to have too little. There was a constant uneasiness in the air, and it only added to the healer's anxiety. With the fast approaching Summer Festival, she found herself anticipating its arrival in hopes of participating in the festivities as a regular person than to be around for mere business. The past two months, Shylah had nearly worked herself to death in order to have Healing Hands up and going like she wanted, taking on trainees, learning new things, as well as bettering herself at her current skills, that anymore Shylah was constantly exhausted. She needed a break, a small one, for she would never abandon her shop or those in need. It was just one day that Shylah found herself longing for. One day to sit back and take everything in around her.

While she was indeed grateful to Talanwei's efforts around her shop, Shylah hoped that the man would stay around. She looked to the achadhiel now as a good friend and knew that she could learn so much from him, as she managed to tell him many times, that the offer to join her shop was still on the table should he desire it. With the anxiety building in all around Pax, she only worried about the achadhiel's safety. However, it was near the middle of Jygust that Shylah found herself finding excuses to be in Trajan's presence, as she could hardly contain the emotions she could not longer dismiss that she was feeling. She only waited to see if the man did indeed return these feelings before she would do or say anything out of fear for embarrassment. As far as her shop went, business went on as usual and in her free time these days, she found herself locked away in her living quarters going over the shop's expenses and writing letters to her family, in which she never received a reply.



Skills:

***** - Pray (basic)
**-Healing (currently at basic)
*-Poison Lore (currently at basic)
**-Conversation (currently at basic)

[Guido Cercatoro]

Trajan and Shylah

(ooc: i have replied jointly here for obvious reasons; I am assuming that Tal agrees with your references to him; if not, this will need to be revisited)

Trajan had returned bruised and scarred from the confrontation with the dwarves. As a consequence, Tamerton had needed no urging to allow the legionnaire leave; nor had the Lieutenant attempted to question or pursue him when he left the legion, depositing his armour in the barracks. Shylah had tended to his injuries and he made a slow but steady recovery; the coughing never went entirely but it subsided and by the end of the Chyril, with the help of a physical training regime, he had returned to a reasonable state of health. He soon fell into the routine of assisting the healer in her shop and yet the strange sword still troubled him…..

The Provost was more than willing to allow Shylah to make use of a vacant shop, for healers were in short supply in the town. A priest skilled in healing, Ceronis Adamis, who was attached to the legion, took the healer under his wing and her skills progressed with his advice and training. These skills proved to be of considerable use during the Day of the Dark and the healer gained great respect in town for her action in helping the townsfolk on that dreadful day. It also helped to spread the word of her business which attracted a good deal of custom from that day onwards. The earth tremors only afflicted minor damages on her shop and these were soon repaired and the shop renamed.

Trajan’s prayers concerning the ghostly sword received no answer and he had a growing feeling that the One no longer regarded Trajan as one of his flock. Neither did he have any success in searching for Laewin although he heard a rumour that an achadhiel named Donovan had been asking about the same girl. One night when he had been wakened by a coughing fit he received a strange vision:

A pretty girl standing in a field

Laewin! He rushed towards her but as he drew close he could see that it was another girl entirely…

She turned to face him. ”Please be quiet my doggy is sleeping. He does not like those touched by the One… but you were given the sword.” A dark shape stirred in the background

“She should not be here,” said the girl. “Or, rather they should not be here. You must use the sword. The achadhiel might assist you, for he has seen into her, he knows something of her true nature. And she let him have his pipe back for some reason.”

“When she returns on the night of the summer solstice, you must seek her out. The sword will answer your call. It will hear her coming.”

The girl said nothing more and the dream faded.

Trajan learned the sword from Talanwei with whom both he and Shylah became firm friends; the relationship between Trajan and Shylah also grew and deepened.

Growing business allowed Shylah to take on two new trainees – an achadhiel female Larenis and a young human boy, Thomas. Both proved to have aptitude although they were forced to supplement their wages by doing other work, as Shlyah could afford to pay them little during their apprenticeship. Trajan managed to recruit Larenis’s brother Sasradil and a middle-aged human called Hubert to assist in guarding the healers if they had to go into dangerous places, such as the refugee camp. As with the apprentice healers, the guards also supplemented their income elsewhere. Fortunately, they both appeared more interested in the humanitarian side of their work than great wealth and proved to be solid and reliable. (OOC: you will both need to work IC to develop the new “order” further than this rudimentary beginning)

(OOC: you may move on past the recess now; I’ll skill asap)

[Ulder]

Late Chryil:

After returning from their encounter with the Grey Cloaks and the mysterious Star and Moon, Ulder found the Swordmark embattled in the Day of the Dark. He had lost a few more men in the horrid attacks by the things from below, and he soon found the numbers and morale of his people dwindling. He thanked the Gods that his beloved Elaine was safe, and he knew that both he and his people needed a respite from the lurking darkness that had plagued them in the Citadel first, and now seemingly here in Pax as well. He gave a standing order for all of his people to recuperate and rest for the rest of Chyril, while he and Elaine went off alone for that same time and enjoyed their honeymoon. For ten whole days, it was just the two of them, alone together for the first time in a long time, and that time with her was exactly what his starving and tattered soul needed.

On the last day of Chyril, A surprising visit from his sister Serah brought more interesting news in regards to his family. His father had been imprisoned in King’s Court for his outspoken opinions on the Church and its persecution of the Pagans. His father had always been outspoken against World’s Mouth and the Church, and now he was a prisoner because of it. He told Serah to bring his mother to Pax, where they could be safer, leaving the family orchard in the care of his last living brother and his wife for the time being. Plans would be made to free him if possible, but his father’s freedom was directly in line with the entire reason he had come to Pax to begin with, so he went on with his goals, hoping that if he was successful, his father would be freed as a natural course. Until he could free Pax and the change the Kingdom’s attitude towards religion, he would be powerless to help his father and the other prisoners of religious persecution.

Jaym:

Once his mother and his sister were settled in, Ulder threw his efforts into the town of Pax and its people with a somewhat renewed sense of purpose and energy. He spoke to the increasingly popular town council, the Provost, and the people themselves, getting to know them, listening to their stories, and learning of the myriad of ways they had come to Pax Balthasar. He recruited heavily for the Swordmark, and when the influx of refugees from World’s Mouth hit the town, he offered to provide guards and security for those forced to live outside the town’s protective walls. As the food shortages became an increasing and deadly problem, he sent missives to the neighboring Estates independently from the Provost, asking to meet with each of the Estate leaders to ask for assistance for the people of Pax. He wanted to help the people, and for them to know it wasn’t the Church or its people that were providing that aid as he distanced himself from the regime of the Provost and the Church. Although the Provost seemed an amiable and respected man, Ulder could imagine a time when freedom was declared for Pax when the man would show his true colors. He spent a few weeks journeying to each of the Border Estates personally, meeting with each of the Barons and asking for their help.

After his return, and a few days of being back in Pax, he was summoned to a meeting by the Commander of the Pax Honestus, Michel Carbonneau. The two had a fruitful conversation, and Ulder found that the Commander was surprisingly of a like mind and stance on the freedom for the people of Pax and was an unexpected and powerful ally. The Commander was ready to order the Pax Honestus to stand down, and the two decided the time when this would have the most impact was at the summer festival, when all of the Barons would be in town. Word would spread throughout the West on that day, and Ulder knew that his plan for freedom now had allies, as well as a time to begin in earnest.

Armed with this information, Ulder went to Brie to meet with Sebastian Beauvais, the last Baron of the Estates that he had yet to meet and talk to. Ulder had heard reports from his days in the Purple Guard that the Baron, once a military man himself, was an honorable and just leader, and his exploits in the Vanguard had reached the former Captain’s ears even in the Empire. Ulder wanted to speak to Beauvais directly about not only food and assistance for Pax, but also for his aid in the Swordmark, and the cause of Pax’s freedom as well. In the meeting he found that the Baron lived up to the reports he had heard, and the Baron promised assistance for Pax, and open support of its freedom.

Jygust:

Jygust found Ulder back within the confines of Pax Balthasar and preparing for the day of the summer festival where the Pax Honestus would be ordered to stand down, and the true fight for town’s freedom would begin. He spent long days and nights recruiting and training with the Swordmark, trying to hone his fledgling organization into a fighting force, and give them all a good chance to survive.

Although his nights were spent in the luxury of Elaine’s arms and company, Ulder tried to meet with the mysterious Savarak several times, but failed in every attempt. He wanted to meet the rebel leader and speak with him about an alliance, but after a number of failed attempts, Ulder thought that their meeting might be too dangerous, and he ceased trying. He didn’t want to write Savarak a letter, thinking that if it fell into the wrong hands it could be used against him, so left a message with the last of Savarak’s supposed “followers” that he wanted to meet face to face and left it alone after that. If the leader of the rebellion wanted to meet, he would figure out a way to make it happen through his people. Ulder hoped for a meeting before the festival began, but time was quickly running out, and the former Captain needed to spend most of his marks preparing.

Near the end of the month, Ulder found himself in a sad and unfortunate situationwhen Thrandil, his good friend and comrade in arms informed him that he and his people were leaving Pax and journeying home to free the Adhiel homeland from the yoke of the One-ists. Ulder at first thought to try and convince him to stay and free Pax first, and then they would work to free T’aquar together, but something in Thrandil’s manner, and something else in Ulder’s soul told him it would be useless for him to argue. The Adhiel had taken the spark of freedom to heart, and decided that his own people needed to be freed as well. Although Ulder was disgusted at the breaking of his oath, he could not truly fault Thrandil for following his heart and his allegiance to his homeland. After all, Ulder was doing much the same here in Pax. He wished his friend good luck, and they went their separate ways.

The rising tensions in the city only fueled Ulder’s determination to set them free. He knew the people now. He knew they were tasting liberty and the conflicts in the city went untouched by the Swordmark. He viewed the city as a tinderbox now, and the sparks were beginning to touch. The summer festival would bring their rebellion to life, and that the song was nearing its crescendo. The last few days before the festival was spent organizing his plans in case things went horribly wrong. He had escape plans mapped out for his family and his people, and used the last days to brief his lieutenants of what to do and where to rendezvous if they were separated. With all the plans in place, and all the preparations made, he gave everyone the last two nights before the festival off. He wanted their minds sharp, and their bodies rested. He spent those days with Elaine, resting himself and staying in contact with Commander Carbonneau as they prepared for the arrivals of the Barons for the festival. They were ready, or as ready he could make them.


~~~

Skill advances requested;

+ ***** for *New Skill* - Teach Riding [Horse]
+**** to Teach [Swordsmanship] to Apprentice
+ * to Longbow

[Guido Cercatoro]

I have now updated the skills of all recess posts approved so far, apart from a couple of cases where I have PMed you with some queries.

[Brytan]

Cloak and Daggers

The past three months had been busy for Brytan. After his arrival in Pax and his brief meeting with the leadership there, he quickly found that the people here were basically running a prison. The city, with whatever strange quirks it seemed to suffer from, was a big pool for all things considered wrong by the church of the One. His meanderings through the streets and taverns of the city quickly taught him that there was a lot going on behind the scenes. Just like Michel had told him. So, he went by his list and awaited his team, which showed up as promised in small bands of twos and threes. He was quick to set people on investigating the various items on the to-do list. In the days that followed he received word on various shady organizations that ran within the city proper. All of which he reported back to Michel about.

After some time however he got the idea that not all of these shady organizations were as shady as they had first appeared to be. There was this odd brotherhood of former Purple Guard called the Swordmark, led by a man named Synkaaros, who actually came across to him as pretty stand up people. Their goal however appeared to be a direct opposite of the goals of the king’s army. The more he thought on it, the more this worried him. Looking around the city he didn’t see any evil. Not from the general populace anyway. The strange gray cloaks and their ritualistic goings on were a far greater threat and Brytan took great care to avoid them whilst observing. Keeping from encounters with them became increasingly hard as he felt more and more drawn towards the people of this city, which in many ways reminded him of his home town. He himself a child of poor parents, brought up under despot rule with no say in anything. His rebellious nature riled and he was about to leave the city and the army all together when his commanding officer announced that he’d be visiting Pax to speak with the leader of the Swordmark.

Intrigued, Brytan had the meeting arranged and even met the illustrious Ulder. During this meeting plans were forged to ensure change would come to the city. This city as well as King’s Court. Shortly after Brytan received new orders; to ensure the Pax Honestus would follow Michel once the order sounded to relinquish Pax.

No small task for the man who up until a yahren ago had been a saddlemaker's son in the Summer City. Since then much had happened though, and somewhere he was glad that the order came. Pax was clearly a city with issues. Issues brought upon it by the former king who had seen it proper to stick everyone not Dominican in a single place for him to control. Now Brytan in itself was a rather devout Dominican. But not at the expense of the common folk. In service of the King's Army he had done great and terrible things. Taquar still lit up in his mind in more ways than one. Leandral passed before his mind's eye every eveningtide when he took off the cloak she had fixed for him, leaving it with the brand of her own stature for him to long at.

Thus the search began, the search for loyal men. Brytan had his own men dig up information on the soldiers that made up the Pax Honestus, in King’s Court aswell as in Pax. Those he thought to be loyal he approached directly with the veiled news that their commander was not satisfied with the way things were going and that soon, by the Summer Festival, orders would come to change the Honestus’ priorities. Others, those whose loyalty Brytan questioned were subjected to all mannerisms of propaganda to ensure a pro-free Pax state of mind. From rounds at the inn at his expense to conversations with the guards, bribes and games for local traders and inhabitants to aid him in making the guards feel like he had come to feel about Pax, like it was being ill treated and it should be freed from the church’s grasp. He also started to spread rumors among the guard about a hostile force invading King’s Court, especially with the guards he knew had family there. Surely they’d wish to return home to secure the safety of their loved ones?

And such Jygust 30th approached. With renewed vigor for his mission, Brytan spent his tides convincing, persuading and gathering. All to prepare for the return of Michel to the city for the festival, when all the barons would be there to witness the turnabout. He organised it so that his own little band of spies and loyal soldiers from Pax would gather with him at the portal to observe the commander's arrival, aswell as look out for anything that might disrupt proceedings while he was there. if all went as planned he'd return to King's Court. But at this time there was no margin for error.

Star division;
Knowledge [Pax] + 3
Bartering / Haggling +2
Negotiation +3
Streetwise + 1
Tactics +1

[Michel Carbonneau]

Late Chyril

Michel's stay in Pax had turned out differently from the way he had planned. He had thought to make a short stop to inspect the legion, maybe have some fun with Ophelia, but when he got there things were amazingly strange in the town. All the strange sightings, the stone walls, something was going on. Something seemed to be turning against the town. When the Day of the Dark came, Michel couldn't shake the feeling that whatever the Church had thought to do here, it was utterly wrong. This was not the way the gods wanted it. The commander himself started to have nightmares where the gods would come through the portal and punish them all. Blayvanna also made a couple of appearances in his nightmares. He would wake up bathing in sweat and the place where his left eyes once had been ached intensely. The idea that things had to change in Pax and that the legion had no place here grew in his mind.

Michel was glad to see that the Provost showed his willingness to choose advisers from all the races in the town. Maybe the provost had similar ideas. He arranged a few meetings with Tamerton and the Provost to discuss the way things were going and tentatively probing them about their opinion about the pagans and the mandate of the Church. For now, he kept his own strong opinion on the matter on the down low, not wanting to put it all in the open since that could prove quite dangerous.


Jyam

In Jyam the commander continued to have more and more talks, not only with Tamerton and the Provost, but also with the rest of the legion. He had fought with all of them in either Taquar or in Pan's Isle or both. He shared the old war stories with them and tried to tighten the bond he had with his soldiers. He also listened to anything they had to say about what was going on in the city and how they were feeling about the pagans to get a good grasp on the feelings amongst the legion. The nightmares still continued and the lack of rest manifested itself by the old war injury on his leg to acting up again.

As he had been gaining information he learned about the Swordmark and about their leader, someone named Ulder. The man seemed to be sharing his ideas and from what Michel could see, the Swordmark were gathering quite some followers In the middle of Jyam he therefore called upon Ulder for a meeting. It was the first time Michel was open and cincere about his plans. He felt the time to act was now, since there were more and more refugees coming to Pax and the tensions were rising. One of his best officers, Brytan, also joined in the conversation and the three of them forged their plans.

Right after the meeting, the Commander headed back to Kings Court to learn more about the new possible candidate for the throne. Who was he? Was he in charge of the thousands of mercenaries in the city? Where did he get the funding for the mercs? These were the things he was going to find out. He arranged meetings with all the stakeholders in finding the new King. He talked to Baron DeRohm who had been chosen the new Regent. He used his "special bond" with Lord DeRhom the Younger to strengthen his relationship with the new regent. The regent showed him the letter and now Michel knew the contents too.
Michel himself would research the letter and together with DeRhom and Lazos, they would share information to find out if the claimant for the throne was indeed valid.

Meanwhile his old injury was still bothering him and he started smoking opium in the evenings to relieve the pain. It helped immensely and his nights started to be getting better as well. The first nights he had problems with coordination and his alertness decreased, but his pain was relieved and he felt much better in the morning. His biggest problem was with constipation in the morning.

JygustTh

As Jygust started Michel continued to investigate on the matter of the new heir and he spent more and more time with the soldiers in the city. He needed to increase their loyalty for the plans they had in mind. He also tried to see where DeRhom stood with the Church, how loyal was he to the zealots? Not only DeRhom, but what were Lazos' views on the pagans and Pax? Michel questioned them during some small talks first, but if they showed any signs of possibly sharing some of his ideas, he would continue the talk and try to get more out of them.

He continued to smoke the opium in the nights and as he became a regular user his body produced a tolerance to all the effects, except the constipation. He also lost some weight but at the moment, he was still looking good, for now, the weight loss seemed to help his looks more than it hurt them, but two months more of this and he would really be looking too thin.

The commander decided it was time to check in on Pax and he went over there to discuss the progress of their plans with Ulder and Brytan. He also checks in on the Provost and Tamerton again, this time being slightly more open about his opinion about the pagans and the Church, but not showing any direct hints about his plans. In the middle of Jygust He was having dinner at Castro's with a beautiful adhiel which he had picked up the night before. Suddenly Ophelia walked in, who he hadn't seen for more than a month. He was slightly embarrassed, not by the fact that he was dining with the adhiel woman right now, but more that he had been quite an ass to her after they had arrived in Pax together. He helped her out by talking to the proprietor about hiring her as a singer, hoping that would make up for it a little bit. He told her that he would be heading to Kings Court again soon but that she should look him up if she found herself to be in Kings Court again sometime.

Michel's plans changed when he got word the next day that his father had died. He traveled back to Kings Court the same day and arranged for the funeral. He made sure that his father would get an honorary state funeral, to make up for the way they had treated him when he had been in the army himself. The rest of the month he spent quite some time with his family, who were slowly getting curious about Michel's smoking habits. Even though the injury didn't act up anymore and the pain was completely gone, Michel had kept smoking, he realized he didn't want to stop anymore. He blocked out the truth. It was what he wanted, he wasn't an addict.

The last week of Jygust he started to prepare the final stages of his plan. He prepared everything in Kings Court, not showing anybody the big picture yet, but he did tell his most loyal soldiers that something was going to happen in the night of the 30th and that they should be ready. On the 30th, he would go to Pax and together with Brytan and Ulder, he would set their plan in motion.

Skills:
debate +**** to apprentice
knowledge kings court **** to apprentice
public speaking +* to apprentice
seduction/woo +* to apprentice

OOC: also posted in Kings Court

[Torc Blackfoot]

Late Chyril

As the days slow turned to dusk, Torc focused himself on but two things. Firstly, he held a meeting with Lucius De la Mere, the representative for the Brie Grain Merchants. Torc focused on all his divination magic and negiotation skills on making Lucius realize the resource opportunities available to him in Pax. Iron, lumber, and stone could all come from Pax by way of Brie and with those resources Brie would become a power that few others could contend with. Greed, Torc hated using that emotion, but in the end Brie would become better, and people would have a chance for a better life.

After Torc concluded talks with Lucius, he found himself helping the folks of Pax. As each tremor came about, he sought out people injured and used herbal knowledge with his magickal healing to help the citizens of Pax. He felt a dark chill in the air as the days passed, yet with his focus on help the sick and weak, he barely had time to think about the stone cube. On the last day of the month, Torc was taken back by the Day of the Dark, confused by the evil Torc bore down on his magick and set up wards against the creatures. He walked the streets getting to people who were also caught outside, taking them into the ward and protecting the few that he could find. Afterwards, with little concern for himself, Torc spent his magickal reserves till he couldn’t stand anymore, and few asleep with patients around him.

Jyam

As Jyam found Torc, he spent a great deal of time with Nyrellon, mediating and taking the time to focus on the problem at hand. He used his magick for the sick and for passing children. When the laughed, he felt that magick was once again a wonder and worth the smile of a child.

Then came the day when his people came. Refugees from the World’s Mouth, he had lived amongst the elf quarter so long that once he started seeing the faces of the his people, his tone once again changed. Torc went out and everyday used his muscle and magick for the refugees. Most nights he spent amongst the refugees too exhausted to move another foot. Quietly he used divination magick to from work groups of men. He organized them to help clear trees and build some shelters. He asked around for scribes and lore masters to help educate the children. He used his divination to find a few wild bears and help organize the men to kill a few for food. Almost every burn was spent helping his people, lost children, hungry families, and sick. Most night before he went to bed he prayed to The One to help him come up with a plan for his people, he prayed and prayed, and wondered if the One truly gave a damn.

At the time when he heard of The Walkers, he cared not, so he focused on his people. At the end of the month, Torc finally tired of acting, Torc started bringing together leaders of the refugees to talk at nights. Many nights he spent helping them devised a plan for the people around them. There were many passionate conversations, but before fists could fly Torc would stop them all and “divine” the future. Most nights he couldn’t have even lifted a leaf with magick so he simply acted like it was a trance and used his best judgment on most decisions. He compromised as best as possible, but his focus was on the families and how to heal a shattered community.

Jygust

Finally as Torc saw the refugees come together it into the Pax community, Torc returned to Nyrellon. He talked with her every day, asking for advice with the refugees, on magick, and on the stone cube. The constant talks with the priestess helped him find reason and sometimes it even made him question his faith. As the poster and slogans began to appear, Torc tried not to think of the future. Yet, Torc, kept talking to Nyrellon trying to find a peaceful solution to the rising hate. Torc, took time now focusing on strenghing his magick and reading the books the Oracle of the Gibbets had given him. He still went out amongst the people and treated them for their ills, he gave them what he could, but at nights he spent his time focused on magick of the Festival.

On the announcement for a summer festival, Torc began to build breakable charms of light. He smiled and thought of his time in the Mouth. Now they knew how to throw a festival! So he built charms that would shot light up into the sky and burst into many colors. He created charms that would move illusions of birds compromised of lights throughout the streets; he included some of the brightly colored birds from Pan’s Isle and majestic eagles. Other charms trapped musical songs played in the taverns, so that on the night of the festival everyone could hear musick, and then he thought of a great illusion show, building charms to augment the telling of his favorite story. The story of a knight and mage that fell in love with the same women, and the tragedy that befell them.

As the days came closer to the festival Torc would allow a charm to break for a crowded street and let them all witness what was to come. He felt happy that for once Magick would be used to make everyone happy.

SKILLS:

Magickal Rote [Sorcery] +*
Negotiation: +****
Persuade: +**
Healing (Non-Magickal): +*
Bartering/Haggling: +**