PARTICIPANTSNixira Uí Ímair
Rachel Spring
Brug
Mortis Karris
Bell Kastner
Claudia Novak.
BRIEF
To what is known in piecemeal, perhaps the occasional whisper in the Tavern, or Portside Guard stationed amongst the ruined deck, there exists a rumor that someone is coming with harsh truths. The Admiral has made it known to some of the Guardforce that remain, to stay vigilant of any ship arriving at port, come the next few weeks.SUMMARY
Kala-Sae would be standing on the pier seemingly waiting for something. Occasionally her gaze moved to the floating black mass now agitated by someone's tampering, making sure not to have a repeat disaster at the docks. Soon enough company would begin to join Kala-Sae at the docks, originally a curiosity of Nixira going to check in on a friend. She would exchange small talk with Kala-Sae, a worry of the ichor tossed in with her greeting. Soon Rachel was to follow after her love, Nixira, then Bell would grow curious and approach the small group on the docks as well. Mortis, Claudia, and Brug would be the last of the group to be drawn to the pier by curiosity. Kala-Sae would warn the group that Minister Amunea was due to arrive at any moment, though she voiced concern over the lack of visible ships coming to dock. With everything that has been happening in the seaside town it’s no wonder why Kala-Sae would have such a concern. Nixira and Rachel would inquire about the arrival, Learning more about the Minister and also the presence of The Hierarch of The Azure Order. As if on queue Kala-sae and those touched by the Meridian would notice a faint buzzing in their ear and trails of fog only visible to their eyes before it grew denser and thick enough for the rest of the congregation to see it too. It came from the horizon, off at sea. Breaks in the wind an ensemble of haughty shrieks, displace the otherwise busy market.
Amongst the market stalls grew a thicket of fog, the air turning stale with a hint of peppercorn. Brief flashes of light erect themselves from one side of a large thunderhead above from the other. The group of onlookers were met with a geyser of fragrant clag, the fish in the water bolting away from the port with distorted speed, as if looking through a cracked mirror, their angles abrupt. The air felt cold, bringing the back of necks and lengths of arms goosebumps tens of more.
As the fabric of reality twisted and tore, a rip in space-time manifested, revealing a shadowy silhouette of a woman and a man. Their forms seemed to flicker and waver, as if uncertain of their own existence, a presence both ephemeral and unsettling. As the figures stepped closer, their outlines sharpened, revealing details of their appearance. The woman's features were serene and dark, and her eyes were deep amber. Her resplendent attire was not so much dampened by the downpour that ensued. The fog that invades the port prevents this.
With each step, their forms solidified, and the surrounding environment seemed to distort in response, as if struggling to accommodate their presence. The air grew heavy with a sense of foreboding, and the very ground beneath them seemed to groan in protest. The man beside the woman leached of quiet strength. And as opposed to the woman to his flank, he was clothed in dark blacks and blues. Down his right eye, where flesh would be, was a shimmering silver scar that was only dethroned by the glaring power that pulses a galaxy's after-glow.
“if you insist.” he spoke, his words reflecting against the wood boards with breaks in the fog, his unnatural glare persisting, and set upon Rachel among the group. The glare would bring Rachel into a silent psychic duress, something the rest of the group seemed blind to.
“I have been given reports that there are trouble-makers amongst us. Is this true, Kala-Sae?” - Minister Amunea breaks the silence. She approaches the dark woman with an increasing frown which weighs her painted lips.
"..I.. uhm- is .. Professor say-" she is cut off. The man that had come with the Minister held his hand up. Kala-Sae briefly stunted in acknowledgement, takes a step back, and lowers her head for a length of time. "Sorry."
"Tell me how this came to be, where was it first?" he spoke with rifts between syllables, longer pauses than needed, trying to bait for something that was unseen by all. He stepped no further, occasionally looking amongst the group only.
"Whatever amok has been happening on my port. It will cease to exist. You and I- we will speak now." she directs to the Elf, whilst leaning downward. She kept the dagger-eyed stare all the while, without giving Kala-Sae the relief she most certainly needed. Kala-Sae was only able to stand back up, and turned towards the group. The Tideguard that had been so dutiful to his post was given the modicum of a nod.
"The Hierarch will deal with this mess. Whatever fetid ideologies that happened to bring this filthy mold will answer in full." she spoke with vitriol, a coiled up Snake preparing to envenom its prey.
Kala-Sae and The Minister walked away from the group, a passing of worried words from Nixira to the dark elf but nothing more stopping them from leaving. The group at the docks was then left in the presence of The Hierarch. He would address Rachel out of the crowd, apparently knowing the woman the most out of everyone in the crowd or at least she piqued his interest. The Man would ask the crowd to explain the acts that lead to the infection of Naalka at the port, everyone recalling what they knew as best they could. Mentions of dead Necromancers, Druids, and the disposal of criminal corpses.
The Hierarch would proposition everyone to gather in the tavern to talk more, those that lagged behind would witness him snap the black ichor floating on the docks out of existence before walking to the tavern. In the tavern everyone at the docks would gather, finding their own seats and watching The Hierarch find his own spot in the middle of the tavern, everyone's eyes on him. He would introduce himself to all as The Hierarch of the Azure Order, then asking all to share their burning theories.
Nixira would be the first to pipe up on her burning theories of Naalka, "I had a suspicion that the Naalka was necromancy. That this is the start of the end, the eight year peril all over again if we can't stop it." Her words seemed to amuse The Hierarch would proceed to confirm Nixira’s suspicions that the peril had a source, like Kala-Sae had told her it was simply an aftershock. He spoke of a war that spans long beyond any of the participants' lives and their parents' lives, it even apparently eluded The Hierarch and his Augurs.
Nixira would continue, noting a beast they met in the Ebonwoods that spoke in riddles. Rachel would chime in about the ectoplasm in the woods and in an instant The Hierarch extended his hand yanking a mask from Rachel’s possession.
"Hey!" She says, she was very much almost tempted to try and cast her own magic to try and yank the mask back, but she restrained. "Please be ah- careful with the mask. It's been a good source of information so far." She explains.
"Has it been?" The Hierarch asks sweetly, mocking. "Of what I told you so far hasn't bargained you to mention this to me?" he looks down at it, grimacing.
"Didn't really get brought up in conversation yet, as far as i heard" Bell Kastner spoke up, coming to Rachel’s defense. Rachel would add to her defense, saying how she had little to no time to disclose the information especially to someone who was a stranger to her. The Hierarch would have little to none of her defense, waving his hand dismissively before asking Rachel to show him her conduits, the redhead would proceed to produce two conduits asking which one he meant.
"Show off." he bluntly put, but then lets out a dry-throated chuckle. "The Professor had inputted correctly."
"It's really not that much, I just made one for daily use and one for combat" She explains "Life's a bit easier when you can just use magic to move objects for you" She says, motioning at her bracelet.
"Had I the time, we would do things very differently." he stated, before approaching Rachel with his left hand now holding something new, "You are a walking threat, Miss Spring- be careful with what you carry."
"Else I will deal with you," he added.
The Hierarch would then float a rune tablet towards Rachel, Imploring her to not toy with her new possession until Theodric Fothes returned to Manaan. Rach would quickly agree to the terms, trying to keep her childish excitement tampered down. The Hierarch would then turn his attention to the crowd again, asking if there were Any more conundrums to elate.
Bell spoke of the lizards they fought, disclosing the presence of a crown that Rachel took from the cursed tombs. The man didn’t seem too bothered nor interested in the lizards or the crown of supposed spirits Rachel had. He brushed it off as the Lizards being emboldened by a newfound Faith. Nixira would ask next if he could give anything on naalka if there was anything to stop it.
“They take over everything, consume all." he would start, "It was beyond our World, it came from somewhere. That I know to be true." each sentence adding more concern and dread over the crowd. “It did not act as recess before, nor do I believe it will do such now. Only hope we can surmount a large enough force, to match this War of a bygone era. As there were things in such a time, that even I am folly to defend." he finally finished with a great frown.
"So I guess we should make as many allies as possible then huh?" Bell would ask as Nixira seemed to be cursing to herself at her own table.
"Correct." The Hierarch answers Kastner, "There are powers around that will help, Manaan and the Order included. For sake of Diplomacy."
Bell would take it upon himself to keep an eye out for powers that could help them in such dire times while Rachel spoke another open inquiry. She’d question the naalka, about how irradiated waters could turn into such a thing. The Hierarch would respond with a theory of his own, how the naalka was likely always in Manaan but the essentia is what disturbed it.
Though Nixira would inquire more herself, The Hierarch would cease the questions stating that it could be discussed another time once his list of priorities were cleared. He mentions that he will visit the Ebonwoods and the Cabal. Little more information was given to the group as The Hierarch departed, saying he would be able to speak later. The group was left with their own thoughts, some frustrated, most confused, others determined.
PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE
- There's whispers amongst townspeople of Necromancers and the end of the world.
- All Tideguards seem to be on edge and on their best behaviors.
- The Tavern talks about a powerful man holding a meeting on strange magics to a group of people.
- The floating black ichor on the docks is gone now and the hole patched up.