To make is simple, I'm first going to list some of the more drastic changes incase you didn't catch them in the story.
General InformationAndora as a whole is home to the majority of fantasy races; Elves in the forests and jungles of the Terazon (western coast and side), dwarves and halflings in the mountain range of Lyinial's Wall which runs horizontally along the lower half of the continent (a variant of drow is said to live there too), gnomes and Gheyrs near the southern coast, and humans of course all over. Andros itself is home to a variety of races that come to trade and live there.
While it is usually a peaceful city, after this war, it has become a bit tighter in its security, at least until everything is rebuilt. This means that the castle is -NOT- open to the general public anymore. Azymyth has access because, as a bard, he offers entertainment in these trying times, and since he's been under the service of the king before, he can be trusted. The only people allowed access within the castle at this time other than members of the court are builders, guards and perhaps a couple entertainers.
What happened in Sojourn!
While on his travels, Azymyth had met up with Calena, Taavi and Lyme. After it was known this was indeed the Azymyth they were looking for, they all headed to Andros, though Lyme parted ways because of the vision brought on by her spirit companion. When they arrived, it was right in the middle of preparations for the war. Whether they actually faught is unclear. Suffice to say, they all survived.
After Azymyth was able to get back into the castle to act as an entertainer (at the princess' request), he managed to pull a lot, and I mean a lot of strings in order to gain Calena enterance in so that she could view the royal library.
And that's where our story picks up, a month after end of the war, when everything has just started to set finally...
IC: Azymyth yawned a bit as he decended the staircase that led from Princess Deladia's chambers; dark rooms always made him feel tired. He had a smile on his face nonetheless for he always enjoyed it when someone was as intentive as she was when he told his stories. It still amazed him that she was actually an adult and not some sweet child sometimes.
As he passed the threshold into the hallway, he gave a nod the guards standing watch and then continued on his way down another flight of stairs which led to the ground floor. He took a moment to gaze around him and walls that were still fairly bare; much of the more expendable castle decorations such as tapestries, vases, and paintings of non royalty had been used to pay off the soldiers and mercanaries.
Shrugging, he continued on down the hallway towards the library where he thought Calena might be. The invention she was working on intrested him greatly and he wanted to know if she made any progress in her plans.
Slowly he opens the door and walks in peering around.
While dashing through the damaged areas and into one of the halls, something caught her attention. She looked up and down the hall then shrugged,
Nobody'll miss my presence for a little while, there're at least twenty people doing the job better than I. Everybody loves the small black fox when the enemy's difficult to get to and a little subtlty is needed, but once the 'hard work' starts...
She let the joking statment drop then started down the the side hall where she thought she'd seen something, her tail swishing behind her in a curious manner.
When he reaches the dining room he puts the crate down in a specially marked area near the king's table. Now it can be seen marked in bright blue letters on the Crate the words "MALBI THE MAGNIFICENT ILLUSIONIST AND ENTERTAINER" Those who now look at the carrier of the crate see a gnome about 3feet and 3 inches tall wearing dusty worn garments. he has blue eyes and dark black hair that stands straight in all directions and a beard that has been styled into 2 long twisting forks tied off with bright copper bands.
He opens the crate and pulls out a collaped tripodal stand and a thin placard painted in bright colors. The placard has written on it the same words as the crate though more decorated and ornate. Additionlay several unusual objects are removed including a rope several cloth cloaked objects and a bright purple and blue striped shiny robe and a wide brimmed orange hat, which is hung on the back of the tripod.
"Okay Now that this is all set up I shall go rest for tonight"
Necromancer: How DARE you imply that I was involved in a rude act with my undead servant! I will flay the flesh from your bones! I will summon a thousand maggot-ridden corpses to gnaw your flesh! I will trap your soul in-
Ghoul: My ass hurts.
These words greet Azymyth when he pokes his head into the library, and a tall, slender form dives under the table, upon which rests a strange, squarish metallic contraption with steam spilling from it. Oh, and it's bouncing around like a jackhammer. And starting to turn red from heat.
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
The rat-tat-tat of the contraption just over their heads gets louder and louder, the heat penetrating in the room raises the temperature higher and higher. Things grow steadily more urgent, until the contraption finally lays flat, then the top panel pops off, steam screams into the air, and shrapnel goes flying everywhere, as the insides fly out. The commotion continues for a matter of minutes, then it's finally safe to come out from under the table. [ 03-15-2002: Message edited by: Lyinar ]
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
Taavi had been walking for some time now through the bustling marketplace, wearing a new suit of soft leather armor, a thin but effective sword at his right hip and his trusty bow strapped to his back. Most of the people in the marketplace were unarmed with the exception of a decorative dagger here and there, but occasionally Taavi would spot a mercenary or warrior moving through the crowds so his weapons were not out of place. They could however, soon prove to be neccessary.
Taavi had spotted the gnome that was following him about an hour ago when he had been browsing through a book stall. The gnome was wearing a dusty yellow robe and had tripped, knocking over a a stand that held trays of food with his wooden staff. It hadn't created much of a scene but Taavi had noticed, and then noticed later when the gnome was trying to be subtle about watching him. Taavi wasn't quite sure if the gnome was a messenger trying to ascertain his identity before approaching, or if he was some mercenary assassin who wanted to kill him. Regardless, a marketplace was not the best of locations for such a confrontation.
Moving away from a merchant he had finished chatting to, Taavi slipped out of the main stream of traffic and down an alley which lead into a more residential area. He took off at a running pace, wanting to get as much distance between himself and his pursuer while they were out of sight of eachother. He came to a halt at an intersection in the thin alley way, turning around he waited for the gnome to come into view...
After the noise dies down, he turns to Calena and frowns, "I am guessing progress is not going well?"
OOC: The Pepuila brothers, Abolago and Falzdim, are Andros' High Priest and Magic Academy instrustor, respectively.
Sounds like somebody's throwin' around silverware... maybe I should have a peek.
She did her best to make herself as hard to spot as possible before continuing on towards the sound.
"A minor setback, Azy, nothing to be worried about. The containment unit for the energy processor still needs some work," she says, calmly going out picking things up.
Although there is shrapnel everywhere, the books are still in their usual pristine condition, as well as the rest of the library. "I am glad my protection spell held, though. I wouldn't want Abolago to get angry with me."
Cal stands, and a outside observer would get their first good look at her. She's very short, only 5'2". She wears her sandy blonde hair cut just to her shoulders, since she found early on that long hair and inventions don't mix. The overly large eyes peering through the goggles are a light hazel, and she wears a simple dress and protective leather apron.
A smile comes to her lips as she turns her attention to Azy again, and she asks cheerfully, "Did you need me for something?"
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
Azymyth is quite a contrast in appearance from Calena. He is dressed in his preforming clothes, which actually make up his usual garb: a plain white, long-sleeved, baggy shirt tucked into striped trousers than alternate between blue, grey and royal purple. Brown leather boots and a green vest next. No jewelry or adornments except for a bronze bracer over his left arm that lacks any sort of ornamentation. This 6 foot, grey eyed half elf with long white hair obviously believes it's the bard himself, not the clothing that makes the entertainer.
He peers back at Calena's question and then shakes his head with a smile, "No. Just had some free time and wanted to see how things were going. I'm really interested in seeing this thing of yours up and running..." he trails off as he finds a book that looks interesting and opens it, reading quietly.
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
ooc:
Would someone like...say and Elven Ambassador have access to the Castle?
'Ello... eh... I came over this way, in all honesty, because I heard all the commotion and thought we'd had another breach, as unlikely as that is. Good to be on your toes though, or so they say.
She looks around
So, this is the library huh? I've never been the bookish sort myself, you know, always being asked to be on the lookout for -something-. [ 03-17-2002: Message edited by: ArchAngel ]
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
Sure, if they aren't gonna blow up or anything... would be awfully inconvenient.
Grins.
IC: Gives a smile as he listens to the girls. After a moment, he turns to Zelante, "Thanks for the concern."
He then quirks a brow at Calena then grins, "Other inventions? Anything I haven't seen yet?" Azymyth asks with an air of curiousity.
Cal rummages in her ever-present backpack, then comes out with what the modern world would know as a rough version of skates, little more than a wide strip of metal, four wheels, and a strap to hold them on. "I've not shown you these yet, Azy, because the wind spell wasn't quite perfected. I think I have a workable prototype now, though."
She walks past the two into the hallway and sits on the floor, tugging on the skates. "I thought these would be helpful for delivery boys, since they'll be able to get to their destinations faster." The funny inventor gets to her feet and grins at the two.
"I call them Acerian's Boots," she says, "after the old time God of the Sky, who had shoes with little wings. They work like this." Cal hitches up her skirt a bit so they can see clearly how she lifts up the heel of her boot and touches the front of one Acerian Boot to the floor. In an instant she's racing off down the hall, body tucked down, arms held close, zooming past the suits of armor.
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
Another casualty...
Takes off down the hall, towards the stairs, to see if Calena needs some help.
The figure moves, pushing off from the perch and loping across the floor on all fours. Absently putting the book up on a shelf as he passes (not even in the correct room of the library, much less the right shelf).
A snout, not unlike that of a canine, presents itself from the doorway, followed by a muzzle, there is a faint sniffing sound, but the messages from the sensitive sniffer are altogether too late to warn the owner of WHACK! Calena cracking the figure across the face in her macabre rolling landing at the floor.
Almost immediately, Calena would hear a tremendous Grrrrrrowwwwllllll... from behind, and the rhythmic thump-thump, thump-thump underbeat to her screams, the of something launching itself into motion after her, something large and (in her flash of awareness) gray...and apparently something very unhappy with being hit.
sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me
[ 03-18-2002: Message edited by: Lyinar ]
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
thump-thump, Thump-Thump, THUMP-THUMP, the creature, whatever it is, is gaining on Calena thanks to its quadrupedal motion...there's another low, feral GRRRrrowwwwllll, the sort that skips the intellectual mind altogether and digs its auditory fangs into the primitive hindbrain.
Creature charges after Calena, onto a chair, table, jumping and rebounding off from a barrister of books, taking a flying leap to attempt to tackle and roll with Calena
EditOOC: Clarifying a phrase, corrected a typo [ 03-18-2002: Message edited by: Ja'Deth Issar Ka'bael ]
sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
He's huge and he smells of the earth, muscles rippling formidably (LOTS OF BIG BLOODY SHARP TEETH!), eyes a luminous yellow color, almost hypnotic in their wild gaze, and fitted into a somewhat disproportionate (for most canines, not for hyenas) jaw, are bones clearly intended for grinding through flesh, for shearing bone.
The creature's lips peel back, baring the full view of the imposing teeth...
GRRRrrrrowwwwwllll.....
EditOOC: ubb ownzorz me [ 03-18-2002: Message edited by: Ja'Deth Issar Ka'bael ]
sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
Tilts his head forward, sniffing at her pinned form...sniffsniffsniffsniff. The golden eyes pivot in their sockets, giving Calena a rather well-veiled incredulous look as he probes over her form with his well-trained olfactory senses...Seems to have no regard for her personal private space. Or for proper places for men to sniff at. If it is a man. Well...it's clearly MALE...but...it's sniffing at her as if it were a dog. Or some sort of beast.
sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me
Lyinar Ka`Bael, Piney Fresh Druidess - Luclin
Reaches out and carefully takes hold of Calena's goggles, trying to remove them from her face
sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me
