The Grove (Open RP)

[Akunosh Inarus]

Akunosh:

*Silence seemed to fall upon the entire grove of orchid trees deep within the forests. Akunosh panted heavily, exhausted beyond any description of words, while leaning against an orchid tree. Slowly and methodically, he sheathed his katana before inhaling deeply. Before him were a pair of dead displacer beasts, both of the ferocious beasts torn to shreds by the mithril blade of the katana. It wasn't until the sound of nature returned until Akunosh relaxed. He had been attacked by these savage beasts while taking time to meditate, pray, and observe the wonderful deeds of his dieties. They were ferocious in their attacks, and the paladin had been forced to rely on a combination of the Makashi and Juyo combat forms to defend against them*

*But as Akunosh returned to the slab of stone he had been sitting upon earlier, his memory refreshed as to why he had come in the first place. The paladin had been disturbed by a recent conversation with his father, who was a Duke within the Cha'arduun kingdom. It was becoming obvious that war was inevitable against Dagoth Aira, the Vampyre Queen who was responsible for countless crimes against his kingdom. All of the noble Great Houses of Cha'arduun were in disagreement about what course of action to take, whether it be war or attempts to make a truce. Five Great Houses. Five different ideas. Inarus supported all-out war. Fenris supported limited war with assassins and agents. Hlaren supported a treaty of some sort. The remaining two, Helkath and Khartuchek, supported neutrality. It would take either a miracle or a charismatic speaker to unite the royal Houses together, or perhaps both*

*Akunosh's father had told him that there was a chance that the paladin himself could convince the councillors, noblemen and noblewoman, and other royal members that Dagoth Aira had to be dealt with, and swiftly. If he happened to convince the noble Houses that she had to be destroyed, Akunosh would be sent in to deal with the threat...alone. But it would be weeks, even months before the oppurtunity came*

*Which was why the paladin had come here. He had to hone in his skills, refine them to the sharpest pinnacle he possibly could, and then wait. But what was perhaps the hardest thing of all was finding an enchanter who had the powers that the paladin seeked. In order to unite Cha'arduun into taking action, he had to find or create an enchanted item that would make him far more persausive and charismatic, easing his workload on gaining support from all the Great Houses. While the presence of Aira was a threat in itself, he had to give concrete proof and evidence of the threat she posed. She had been dormant for thousands of years, causing no troubles during that time. But now that she was active, only the most conservative and blind noble fools of the Great Houses denied her threat. Akunosh would use this time that was caused by the stalling of the nobles to prepare for the inevitable, no matter how long it took*

*But as for now, Akunosh would rest on the stone slab before continuing on to Titan to train with his peers*

Akunosh:

*Akunosh rested for at least an hour before stirring again. The sun had continued to rise until it reached its highest point. As he began to stand up, the mail beneath his plated armor protested the movement. The familiar sound of metal rubbing against metal softly echoed throughout the grove. Sighing, the elf grabbed his plumed helm and stapped it once more. He reached into a fallen log and removed a large pack, which he placed the strap over his shoulder. Now was the simple matter of reaching Titan to find something that he needed*

*The walk to Titan had taken less than an hour. His first stop was to the Tavern, where he went into the backroom, climbed up the stairs, and found his private apartment room. His apprentice, Turwaithiel, was not present. Akunosh sighed, knowing she was probably at the armory or castle. She was always busy as of late. Perhaps later they could spar and train more. He searched around the room, found some more of his weapons, and headed outside of the Tavern. For the next hour he wondered aimlessly before winding up in the Armory*

*Akunosh entered the Armory without realizing it. It wasn't until the sound of hammers forging swords and repairing armor did he realize where he was. The irony was that he had intended to come here later in the day to pick up his latest shipment of personalized weapons. The assistant of the Armory acknowledged Akunosh's presence before placing a wooden crate ontop of the counter. Pleased, the paladin removed the top and found what he had paid for from a local smith. It was a wakizashi and tanto, perfectly crafted and forged. They were exact copies of his katana: mithril blade, golden cloth wrapped around the tsuka, or hilt, and the Inarus family crest embedded within the kashiri, or pommel*

*No sooner had he sheathed the weapons upon his belt than he noticed Carzal waiting. Perhaps this day was going to be more interesting than the paladin had thought*

Carzal:

Where Carzal waited.
He tilted his head, a half nod.
"Akunosh. You seem troubled of late."
He gestured, and suddenly, they were no longer in the Armoury, but in the Grove, and the two beasts were attacking again.
Akunosh leapt forward to defend against them, his blade flickering... except at the same time, Akunosh didn't move.
Illusion.
Carzal pointed at the tree's. Suddenly, the illusion changed again, flying through those same tree's to a stone far away, where Carzal himself sat, a manticore dead on the ground next to him.

Another thought and gesture ended the illusion.

"After my own small battle I heard yours and watched. I considered intervening at one point, but you seemed fine."

Carzal absently touched the blade that he slew the manticore as it had descended on him. He knew Akunosh put alot of stake in skill with a sword.

"Several travelers were attacked during the same time period... all by creatures not normally found in the forest. Some had to deal with two, and some with one. I believe that you and I are the only survivors. Certainly the only ones in the area."

Carzal paced. He had been completely unaware that such a thing had been going on in a forest so close to Titan. He visited all of the forests periodically, and last time he had been there there had been no problem.

"I have the idea that you know, or have an idea of what is going on. Enlighten me please."

Akunosh:

*Carzal acknowledged Akunosh's presence before noting the troubled look on the paladin's face, but before he could respond to his comment, the scenery had changed on him. He was back to where the battle between himself and the displacer beasts began in the grove. His veins ran cold with icy blood; the images were so vivid, so real. Adrenaline pumped vigorously through his veins again as he subconciously grasped the tsuka of his katana and stepped back with his left foot, preparing himself for another battle. It was the beginning of the Makashi form to defend himself from foes in superior numbers (which was perfect for fending off unpredictable animals as well), which would then be woven in with the Juyo ferocity form to shred them to pieces. However, Akunosh realized almost instantly that these weren't real displacer beasts; Carzal was using illusionary magic to recreate the image. The paladin eased his grip on the tsuka...slightly*

*His friend then mentioned the other travelers and their fates. Akunosh grunted slightly, disturbed by the news. While a few deaths of adventurous travelers were not uncommon for the paladin to deal with, especially since he was the ranking marshal in his kingdom of Is'uldul, he still was troubled to hear that Aira's pets had arrived here. More deaths were soon to follow, no doubt. But what was a more disturbing thought was zipcat's and Turwaithiel's safety. One was his adoring wife, the other his apprentice. Both loved the forest dearly. They could take hour long trips, sometimes even daily in some instances*

*Carzal's statement of Akunosh's knowledge of the recent events once more caught his attention. Lately, his mind had been wondering, but that was no matter. Now, however, his friend deserved an answer, and he would answer it*

"I suppose that you think I know what's going on, correct? Well, you're right. I do have an idea about the recent events, more or less. It could be coincidental, but I highly doubt it. First, a brief history lesson to understand any of this."

*Akunosh leaned against the wall opposite from the door that he had entered from, pausing slightly to loosen his helm strap before removing it*

"Long before Cha'arduun was a kingdom or Is'uldul a major city, vampyres were a predominant race in our lands. They were more numerous than you could imagine, as if Hell had sent all its vampyres to breed there. The most powerful vampyres earned the name Dagoth, such as Dagoth Aria or Dagoth Malakhi. Amongst the most powerful of all Cha'arduun's vampyres was Dagoth Aria, the Vampyre Queen. She was terribly powerful and couldn't be beaten in any battle, whether it be strength or magic. It wasn't until Siriuthian's incarnate form, my greatest of great ancestor, Khensthoth Inarus, came to Cha'arduun that she was defeated. He united the lands together and killed her in a cataclysmic battle. Afterwards, the Arthanian Elvish Empire arrived and annexed Cha'arduun just days after its formation. Khensthoth spoke of this as a blessing, and it truly was."

"However, Dagoth Aria wasn't truly destroyed. She had mastered necromatic powers far beyond all except for the most ancienct Liches. She had constructed a phylactery, a container made of a precious soul gem, which had survived the battle. Within the fiery depths of Hell, she reconstructed a new, more powerful physical form and returned. By this time, Khensthoth had learned of her return, and used his great powers contain her within her mountain lair. As Khensthoth aged, it became more and more obvious that he couldn't contain the threat that was bottling up. In response, Siriuthian and all other eleven of our dieties sent their immortal physical forms to aid in keeping this barrier active. Since then, the barrier has kept this threat contained."

"To further aid the dieties, the Ordinators, our holy Temple warriors, were sent in on annual quests to kill as many vampyres, demons, and other undead beasts as possible. This worked to astounding success for many hundreds of millenia, until the unthinkable happened. Very recently, Dagoth Aira and her ally, Dagoth Malakhi, launched an ambush against the Ordinators with as many of their beasts, vampyres, demons, and undead as possible until they broke through the barrier. The dieties managed to reseal the shield, but it is unknown how many escaped. Perhaps a few hundred? Maybe even a thousand or two? No one will ever know. Regardless, they overran nearby forts and settlements until the threat was destroyed. Or so we had presumed."

"It is possible that some powerful magi, necromancers, and sorcerers accompanied the beasts that escaped. Within the forts are tomes of ancient knowledge, some even containing portal spells to other realms and worlds. Titan was possibly one of the destinations, explaining why they're here. But why Titan was listed as a portal destination remains beyond me. Perhaps during one point in time this world was a part of the Arthanian Elvish Empire, but I prefer to leave such speculation to the scholars."

"Any questions?"

*Akunosh was sure there would be*

[Akunosh Inarus]

Carzal:

"Questions? My plane knowledge extents to only two, and since each is in a seperate dimension, I kn ow little of dimensional history."
Carzal paced slightly, his head bowed in thought.
"I don't particularily care why Titan was a possible objective, nor why whoever controlled those creatures was contained However, you have impressed upon me the need for them to be contained, and now we simply have to find a way. I dislike having creatures in the forest, even one as far away as that, but I do not doubt that they will expland their range until they start threatening cities. That cannot be tolerated."
Carzal turned to Akunosh.
"Where can I find more information about this Dagoth Aria, or her location?"

Akunosh:

*Akunosh politely listened to his friend speak before thoroughly thinking out the answer to his question. Within a few moments, Akunosh held an answer, and presented it to him*

"There are many who know of Dagoth Aria within my realm. She is widely known as our eternal enemy and that she, along with Niz'kahl, our Devil, represent all that is evil to us. However, only a few can give you a dignified, intelligent answer. Among those who can truly answer all of your questions are Priestess Iva Seldarine, Archbishop Vindamea Drethan, the Seraphim Khamaria, and our deities. However, Drethan was killed when the demons spewed out of the barriers. Your best bet will be Iva, and from her, you might even gain personal access to Khamaria, the Seraphim that defends Siriuthian and the other deities. From him, you can gain access to the deities if he deems you worthy. Since you are a personal friend of mine, I doubt he'll find any reason not to let you visit them."

"There are also a number of books that are in circulation around my realm about Aira, Malakhi, and the other dark figures of our society. Some of them are even outlawed by the Temple, so it would take some time to find one who possesses them. We could also speak to the most prominent and sagacious prophet in all of Cha'arduun: Galur Rithari. I believe that he might have some interesting answers to your questions."

"If you wish, we can leave by nightfall and arrive within a fortnight. I will fetch for Nicole if you wish to leave now."

Ominous:

It's not that I dislike teleport spells. Also, it's not that I dislike discussing my mishaps. In the case of the latter, in fact, I have great deals of fun.

But, oh how I HATE TELEPORT SPELLS.

Details aside, I don't feel like talking about this one. Mainly because it's superfluous, but also because I dislike implicating myself so with so many tales of how they take me places I don't want to be.

It is compulsory, however, that I discuss what happened after the spell was cast, and took me where I was going.

This time, I landed in the center of the armory. Luckily, I didn't hit any swords.

As I got up in a daze, the first thing I saw was Carzal and Akunosh having a rather serious-looking discussion.

I silently spoke to myself. "Oh, no. OOOOOOH, no. Not this time. I refuse to get wrapped up in another silly adventure. I've been bruised, burned, beaten, hurt, stabbed, slashed, burned, and emotionally damaged too many times for this one to mean anything important to me. These guys can even BEG me to join them, but like hell I will. I value my own safety too much."

Well, that's at least what I wish I did. That would've been smart, if I had thought that then. Really, though, it went a lot more like this:

"OW!!! Oh, hey, guys! What's going on here? Some kind of quest? Can I help?"

Sometimes I truly wish that when I teleported places, I would land on swords. That would make life infinitely easier.

Gus:

.::Gus entered the Tavern and ordered a round. he had a long day much to his dismay noone he knew was in the bar... or rather none of his usual cliche. He sat next to the fireplace with a mug and a book. He was bored, he needed something to stimulate his mind and body. Though he was tired of the usual "end of the world" type of quest... everytime none of his normal cliche was in the tavern something was up.... so instead of going in search of it he thought
"What the hell.... ill wait till it comes to me."
*he sat back and read occasionly taking a drink and eyeing the barmaids*

Tharris:

*Tharris had been hearing reports of mishappenings in the forest. After receiving such reports he had begun finding himself traveling in the forest more often then not in an effort to escort travelers and merchants as well as just general hunting of these beasts. It was one of these hunting trips he and Frost, his pet wolf, were returning from today. They came back to town periodically so that Tharris could resupply on food and general supplies as well as a few slabs of bacon to give Frost, He so loved those bacon strips. Generally Tharris also checked on his assistants at the armory whenever he was in the are area seeing if there was anything he could look for specifically when out on his journeys to help out around thhe place and make things easier for his people.*

*Upon entering the armory Tharris saw several people he hadn't seen since he first came to Titan. The paladin, Aku; the Light Elf, Carzal; and the up and coming mage, Ominous. Tharris greeted each of them in kind and then excused himself to check on the status of the armory, while doing so he couldn't help but over hear bits and pieces of the conversation between them and realized that this probably had something to do with his increased activity as of late. So he walked over and actively listened to the conversation, absently reaching down to pet Frost and scratch behind his ears.*

*It was at this point that Tharris politely cleared his throat in an effort to gain their attention.* "My apologies good sir's, but I couldn't help overhearing parts of your conversation and I believe the increase in escort duties are a direct result of this issue. Now I personaly have not run into any of these beasts, but if the danger is real and help is needed count on my blade and my friends bite to assist."

*After saying this Frost stood up and barked and Tharris reached down and pet him some more while retrieving some bacon from his puch to feed him.*

[Akunosh Inarus]

Cheshire:

*Cheshire held a small roll of coded scrolls over his desk candle and watched them disintegrate at an unordinary speed. His instincts always told him to have a network of informer that were not affiliated with any government, he wasn't quite sure why, but his instincts hadn't failed him yet*

*It had started as a quite morning, after a quick breakfast and checkup of the Armory, he headed back to his quaters on the third floor of the Titan armory. He had just sat down with his new daggar and was about to re-examine it, when his reports came in. They contained the same information as the previous week's: fatal attacks by monsters and foes not common to the area (judging by wounds and other marks), no suvivors, increase in attacks and no one knew anything else.*


*He picked up the daggar from the table and absent mindedly let it hang from his hand. He leaned back in his chair and was deep in thought*

Carzal:

Carzal nodded.
"Speed is of the essence. This is rather sudden, but I doubt it will go slowly. No, rather I am positive that the creatures will attack more and more, and soon control vast areas of forest. And the forest is deep and powerful in itself. There is no telling what a creature with evil in mind could do with it."
Carzal shuddered. The power of the forest was not one to be trifled with, for it was enormously powerful, but at the same time, it could be harnessed. He had seen it done. Many people had seen it done: but very, very few of them survived it.
"We must gather information, and make our way to your world at quickly as possible, neutralized the threat, and then return to Titan to determine if we were successful."
Carzal turned before the newcomer spoke. Though his footsteps had not been loud, his presence caused a disturbance in the air, and a blade-master who was a war-prince besides must always be aware of everything with every sense.
"Indeed. I am Carzal, and this is Akunosh. Might I ask your name?"

Tharris:

*Tharris was on one knee feeding his wolf some bacon scraps when the one who called himself Carzal spoke to him, asking for his name. Looking up while petting his companion he responded...*

"Oh, I forget myself sometimes. I am Tharris of the Erewan family, and skill with blades and the forest are my trade. I am also staff here at the Armory, I was just checking in during my much needed break."

*He stood motioning Frost to sit and cofortably rested his arms over the hilts of his scimitars clasping his hands in front of him. Looking to each in kind Tharris continued...*

"And it appears I am not the only one intrested in your quest to rid the forest of this menace."

*He said motioning towards the amusing scene of this one trying to stand after a spell gone awry and maintain a dignified aire at the same time.*

"This must be the Ominous I've heard so much about. Pleasure to finally make your acquaintence in person. I'm Tharris, and judging by your willingness to join these two I'll assume you already know each other." He said while extending his hand for a hearty shake.

Ominous:

Carzal's dismissal of my arrival led me to assume I had already been caught up in the affair. I divined from what I had heard so far that some kind of something was doing something and we'd have to do something to prevent something from happening.

In other words, I had no idea what we were doing. All the better for me, I felt, since it would probably involve bloodshed on my part.

Tharris approached me, and my disposition changed from a mix of angst and anxiety to simple embarassment. I didn't know I had made a name for myself...I was on the Hich Council, but otherwise, all my accomplishments involved rubble, and me being under it. On the other hand, I did create a lot of rubble...it was at that moment of realization that I reckoned I could start a business to - never mind, that's another story. Really, don't waste your time pondering it.

I spoke, as was the custom when others directed verbosity at me. "Nice to meet you, too. I've seen you around a lot lately. You've been at the recent High Council meetings, haven't you? Well, it's good to meet a nice active member of the clan."

It was true, Tharris had been moving up in the clan faster than anyone I'd ever seen, even me. He was great, and his reputation was a lot better than mine, as reputations went. Nonetheless, when you create a lot of rubble, you get popular for it.

Akunosh:

*Akunosh watched silently as the others arrived, surprised that the armory was such a grand place of meeting. He nodded towards Ominous when he arrived, and did the same when Tharris arrived. Then, Carzal mentioned that time was of the essence, and Akunosh could hardly argue the fact. Finally, Akunosh broke the awkward silence and introductions*

"For those of you that have heard my story and have witnessed these atrocities first hand, I ask that you grab your weapons and leave tonight with me. Meet at the tavern while I fetch for Nicole and my things."

*The paladin walked out from the armory, his new swords sheathed at his side. The walk to his room was a short one, his stride brisk with confidence and newfound relief at the support that his Titan friends have given. When he was in the room, he placed the wakizashi and tanto on his bed next to his katana and looked around for his armor. The paladin quickly found his boiled leather jacket and pants, and donned them. Over those he would wear his azure tinted chainmail before placing plated armor over the mail. Akunosh then sheathed his long sword and grabbed his claymore, Siriuthian's Might, and was preparing to head out when he walked into Nicole. The paladin smiled and spoke quickly to his apprentice*

"Grab your things and meet me at the tavern. We're going back to Cha'arduun."

Nicole:

*Nicole was returning from a long day of sparring with the royal guards when she bumped into Aku. He was quick about their meeting before heading off, but Nicole was used to such things. She grabbed her plate and mail armor, donned it, and sheathed Vigilance by her side. Ready, the paladin made her way to the tavern where she would wait for the others to prepare for the long ride to Cha'arduun*

[Ominous]

Luckily, I carried everything with me, as it seemed it would be a long night.

A LONG FREAKING NIGHT.

My idiocy sometimes amazes me. I do anything just to make a fool out of myself, usually unconsciously.

I sighed, and exited the Armory. It'd be a long walk to the Griffon.

Two minutes later, I began banging my head on the door of the Griffon. I'd been standing there for a minute and forty seconds, having simply teleported there with my now-mastered spell. Funny, ain't it, how things work out sometimes? I intended to teleport to the Griffon in the first place, teleported to the Armory and got myself into "trouble," and THEN found my way to the Griffon. It was as if I was destined for something. Something amazing...

...ly stupid. It was as if the universe wanted me to despise it with all my fury.

And, oh how I despised it.

[Cheshire]

*Cheshire left his office room, but not before strapping on his blades and sheathing his dagger. He quietly made his way to the back door and into the bustle and flow of people in the streets, the smells of street vendors selling grilled meats could only mean it was close to meal time*

*He meandered through the river of people, stopping to get a skewer of grilled, seasoned veal until found himself outside of the Golden Gryphon and stepped inside.*

[Ominous]

I noticed Cheshire, although he apparently didn't see me. I guess opening a door on a guy's head and knocking him over wasn't exactly something that required noticing him.

Or maybe that was his sense of humor. I wasn't quite sure. Well, that wasn't the concern anyway.

I opened the door myself, and walked in. I found a nearby table and sat down, expecting Aku to show his face soon.

[Akunosh Inarus]

Akunosh:

*Akunosh stepped out of his room when he suddenly remember something. He turned back and entered the room, quietly shutting it behind him. The paladin quickly removed a long, rectangular box from underneath his bed. He stripped out of his armor and opened the box, revealing white mithril full plate armor. The cuirass had over a dozen amethysts, emeralds, sapphires, diamonds, crystals, and other precious gems, along with a three-inch long, two-inch high, half-an-inch deep ruby inserted directly in the center of the chest. The gems were magically enchanted to prevent damage, thanks in part by an archmage at the lands of Crimson Dragons. The right pauldron had a golden cross embroidered upon it while the left pauldron had his coat of arms. The rest of the armor included a white mithril helm with a white plume, a white kite shield covered with white dragon scales and had his coat of arms embroidered upon it, and other pieces of armor. White, of course*

*He removed the boiled leather and replaced it with white mithril mail. Above it went the extravagent and expensive mithril full plate armor. The kite shield was tied to his back, and he tied the sheaths to White Flame and Siriuthian's Might unto a white belt. Now, finally ready, Akunosh headed down into the Tavern where he met the others*

"We need to stop for supplies, horses, and a few other things."

Nicole:

*Nicole had been waiting within the tavern for several minutes for Akunosh to show up. Her longsword, Vigilance, was drawn, but the tip of the blade was on the ground. She spun the sword by its golden hilt, watching the reflections of light that glared off the highly polished and sharp blade. It was one of her few prized possessions, a gift from her foster parents before she left her home*

*When Akunosh showed up and stated that they were in need of horses, Nicole was the first to reply*

"The horses have been taken care of already. There are enough clydsedales for all of us here, unless if some prefer another mount. Being friends with the stable owner has some advantages, m'lord."

((Btw, the armor that Aku is wearing was forged in T'Gatherin' as part of an RP that was supposed to take place before this one))

[Ominous]

I was happy to see Aku finally there, so I got up and greeted him. "Hey, Aku. So, where exactly are we going, why, and...ah, never mind. I gather I'll figure it out soon."

[Cheshire]

*Cheshire was having a drink when he noticed Aku come down from the rooms, wearing an entire suit of armor, ready for battle. Cheshire calmly made his way towards him when Nicole spoke about Clysdale horses*

"Hey, Aku. So, where exactly are we going, why, and...ah, never mind. I gather I'll figure it out soon." Omin blurted out

*Cheshire crossed his arms and looked straight at Aku*

"My, my... you're going on an adventure and didn't even bother telling me, the best man at your wedding, where your going, much less you were in town. Tisk. Tisk"

*He waved his finger at Aku for emphasis. He held his gaze for a second before he broke out in a huge grin*

[Akunosh Inarus]

((Edited a little because people have been complaining about the length Akunosh's long speech))

Akunosh:

*As Akunosh walked into the Golden Griffin, he bumped into Ominous who began a sentence, but decided better of it. Perhaps he truly didn't know what was going on, but he was to find out soon enough. Suddenly, the elf heard Cheshire's voice, and he forced a smile to himself. Cheshire was his best man at zip's wedding. He always was an interesting character, and Akunosh had always appreciated his company. His friend's stern voice quickly broke into a huge grin*

"Well, Cheshire, its nice to see you here. I apologize for not saying hi and that I was in town. Things have been rather...hectic...as of late. I'm sure you've heard about the drastic increases of attacks and unusual sightings in the forests as of late."

*Akunosh had no doubt that Cheshire knew about the attacks. It was the only thing people were talking about as of late*

"These demons, beasts, and other unusual creatures have come from my home realm of Cha'arduun. To be more specific, Mount Vernin, many, many leagues south of Is'uldul. We're going to my kingdom to rally support to end the true source of the threat: Dagoth Aria and Malakhi, the two most powerful vampyres in all of the recorded history of the Arthanian Elvish Empire. My greatest of great ancestors, Khensthoth Inarus, slew Aria in the darkest depths of Vernin, but she had already constructed a phylactery for her soul, and thus lived."

"Due to recent events and, more specifically, the escape of many hundreds of demons, monsters, and undead, the faith in the Siriuthian Temple has dwindled, and the powers of our gods are faultering. If our gods' powers fail, then the entire kingdom of Cha'arduun, and perhaps the Arthanian Empire as well, are doomed."

"Thus, we must quickly get to my kingdom and do what we can. Unfortunately, we might be the only ones to enter Mount Vernin. We've learned many tragic lessons when Khensthoth and the allied armies stormed up its slopes. For one, the thick ashes makes breathing difficult, and we lost many troops to suffocation and diseases. Second, the thick slopes and narrow chokepoints makes ambushes very likely, and our troops were massacred with ease. Finally, we also learned that a large army is predictable and easy to track. A small group of people, however, are far more difficult."

"The first battle of Mount Vernin was described as a bloodbath. Our troops marched up the sloops knee deep in ashes and bodies whilst the blood was so thick and deep that it made footing slippery and difficult. On multiple occassions, many troops have fallen to their deaths before they got a chance to attack. Add in the constancy of ambushes and stealthy attacks, and you have yourself a hazardous nightmare."

"But first, we must do a little research and find out more about Mount Vernin's interior. Citadels, fortresses, castles, keeps, strongholds. These things can make our approach into Aria's lair difficult. Afterwards, we shall meet the twelve deities of the Siriuthian faith, and each will give us their blessings before we embark on the perilous quest."

*Akunosh hoped that Cheshire and Ominous would now understood the necessity of their quest and the perils they would face. He didn't want his friends to be disillusioned with thoughts of fame, glory, and honor. This quest was to be one of the most difficult any of them would undertake*

"The sooner we leave, the better."

Nicole:

*During the whole time Akunosh explained to Cheshire, his best man at the wedding, and Ominous, the flambouyant, young, and aspiring mage, the details of their quest, Nicole had bought a glass of the famous Silken Titanium. She was of legal drinking age in Cha'arduun (which was 12 for all races), and thus she held no regret for buying herself this famous drink. She had finished it off before Akunosh finished his speech. Either he was talking slowly so they would understand, or she had been drinking fast. Eitherway, she didn't really care. She already yearned for battle*

"Agreed. Grab your things and lets go. Its a long ride to the northern coast. There is an undocumented shipyard there with a small fleet of Cha'arduun's ships. They can take us to Anchorhead, which is on Akunosh's lands. From there, we can either ride on to the Estate or Is'uldul, depending on which is more favorable."

[Marius Evdo]

~Marius, who had been sitting quietly just across from the others, had been intrigued by what he heard from the great paladin Akunosh and the others. Though he usually despised of quests and travel, the outcast decided that he should join them. Perhaps he could finally make a few friends and find where he belonged with this group.~

"Hey, uh...I couldn't help but overhear what you have been talking about. I'm interested in tagging along. I might be relatively new and inexperienced with magic, but my master, the Archmage Aragon, says that I have great potential and that I'm a rapid learner. Perhaps I can learn a thing or two on the quest. May I join?"

[Cheshire]

OoC: Nothing personal, everything is IC and anything italicized is inner dialouge... aka, him talking in his head. Also, parts of this were written before Aku edited his post... so if it is a little off, my bad, i'm lazy

IC:




*Cheshire folded his hands across his chest as Aku began his speech and let his hand hang down. Subconciously sis right hand started carassing the hilt of the dagger which was tucked under the belt on his left hip.*

"...Thus, we must quickly get to my kingdom and do what we can. Unfortunately, we might be the only ones to enter Mount Vernin..." Inarus spoke.

*Cheshire kept his demenor but cursed to himself*

Damnit Aku! You should be a bard rather than a Paladin!" Cheshire hand gripped the hilt of the dagger "Tell the enemy where we're going like a drunkard rather than carefully explaining it in confindence. He talks as if only to hear himself speak. I should gut you to teac--"

"... we shall meet the twelve deities of the Siriuthian faith, and each will give us their blessings before..." Inaraus spoke.

"Twelve deities?..." Cheshire looked down and saw his hand gripping the still sheathed-dagger. "What am I doing?"

*Cheshire quickly let go of the dagger and looked back up, just as Aku looked at him an Omin*

"The sooner we leave, the better." Inarus stated.

"Akunosh, my friend, if we are truely going to be dealing with the undead, I must gather some of my other equipment. If I leave now, I can be ready before dark... but I suggest we wait and leave at first light, the undead lust the dark"

*At the mention of the undead, Cheshire's eyes almost seemed to glow and his face darker*

[Ominous]

The peices were coming together. "AHA! Now I get it. Sounds like a worthy cause." It'd be an interesting adventure, and it'd save an entire kingdom; something I was more than willing to invest my time in. "I'm ready when you are, Aku."

[Carzal]

"A mountain, eh?"
Carzal descended, a little late.
"Mountains are hellish places to attack, as I've learned on too many occaisions. A tunnel will work sometimes, more an aerial assault, but usually you just have to starve them out."
He shrugged. That had been a long time ago, and had not been very pleasant.
"Do not worry unduly about the undead. Aside from Akunosh's own power, I am more than equipped to destroy the unholy, magically and otherwise."

[Akunosh Inarus]

*Akunosh listened to Cheshire's point, and mentally debated about it. Ominous finally realized what was going on after a little bit of explanation. Whilst the paladin thought, Carzal's voice broke through his train of thought. He listened to his story, and finally made up his mind*

"We'll leave tonight. Whilst the undead loathe the night and are at their apex then, they will be the least of our worries. Nicole, Carzal, and myself are well prepared to take them on. So, spend the next few hours preparing yourselves for the ride north. Winter is setting in my kingdom, and you might wish to bring some warm clothing. And as for you, newcomer, you are more than welcome to join. May I inquire as to what your name is?"