KOTR EP. 2

Ok.

Post order will go like this:

1.) Lysander (until the epic escape battle erupts and you just jump in and help us, (which is something i love about your character) just search for us in Talc. Ask around alot, make up random citizens and talk to them to find out a little about Ryde. This will give Lysander the opportunity to learn about the world he is in. Once we are running from gaurds you help us. Esker and Ryde will eagerly accept your aid so it wont be difficult for you at that point. All the talking and explaining can be done after the action. You can use the start from the original Ep. 2)

2.) Ryde (set up the setting and get us moving, i reccomend starting at a camp outside the city. If you want to leave Esker or Lion there it will give Tekk the opportunity to attack the camp in search of food. If not we can find shawn later, up to you.)

3.) Esker or Lion (all up to Ryde's post really. If one does stay at the camp they could fight Tekk, which i would reccomend being done in a seperate topic. to progress the story, whoever wins the fight should not kill the other. It would be best if Tekk was KO'd, as this would lead to the rest of the party having to incapacitate him when they arrive and hes gorging himself with our food.)

4.) Tekk ( most likely if someone stays at camp and has to fight Tekk, will be posting in a seperate topic. This will keep it more organized. If Ryde chooses to have both Esker and Lion then Tekk will have to come in at the end of the episode)

5.) Brynn (she will be hunting Ryde's contact and then she should give away his identity and BOOM! epic escape battle scene)

Scene progression:
1. Ryde and Esker enter Talc. Ryde where's a cloak to hide himself. I think Daden and Lion should stay at camp, it would make for funny conversation and allow Tekk to enter the story.

2. Ryde meets with his contact. Brynn is stalking the contact and notices Ryde.

3. in the mean time Lysander is searching in the city for Ryde, who really is his only lead.

4. Ryde becomes exposed and the gaurds proceed to arrest him. the group will not let Ryde get arrested so we attack the gaurds and run.

5. The party fights through legions of gaurds and runs into Lysander who overhears the commotion. He should quickly introduce himself and join in the fighting.

6. They arrive at the camp to see the destruction that went down from the fight with shawn. they dont have a lot of time to talk so they grab the kid and take off. end episode.

Remember Talc is huge. Its stone buildings create tons of streets and alleys. The best way to think of it is Ravnica, or the Imperial city from Oblivion. It is extremely easy to get lost and there are bad parts of the city. There are slums and Market districts as well as middle class and high class districts. Gaurds are everywhere in the Markets, middle class and high class districts so be careful. They enforce their laws very harshly and will engage you if you resist arrest. The slums are not patrolled much, but gangs and street urchins are everywhere making very dangerous. Outside the city walls, on the Silica side, you can find some small settlements and traveling merchants. It then opens up to the plains in which the Arkose controlled patrs of Silica are known for. On the Mainland Turast side is some temperate forest. Not like Silica's forest which is very untamed and more jungle like, it has roads and various Inns dotting its paths. This area is has a high population of bandits here so be careful.

Some good examples of what Talc looks like

"So you're really going, huh?
"I have to. Alexia must be rescued and I will NOT stand by as the Black Dawn carries on."
"But it's only you, Lysander! You can't possibly stop an entire covert group of the Arkose Army by yourself!"
"That's enough Lemaire. I'm going after them."
"At least let me come with you."

The half elf stood before her stella nympha friend. Lemaire Teaunepar had known both Alexia and Lysander Noctum since birth. Juste Noctum and Liamwil Teaunepar were both guildskin for 237 years and have both married their resepective wives and sired children since then. As Lemaire looked at him, Lysander turned around and started upon the road to the island docks.

"Lemaire, stay here until I return. The things I might face will endanger you."
"...but I care for Alexia too. I wish to help her as well."
"I appreciate the offer Lemaire. I can't possibly do anything to put you in harm's way though."
"..."

Lemaire always held Alexia as a sister of her own, and Lysander as a protective brother. The three were inseparable as children and even now. Lemaire was a nurse at the schola that Lysander taught as an instructor. Of the last couple of days, Lysander hasn't been his usual self. While normally friendly and approachable, Lemaire saw him become distant, brooding and taciturn. She wanted to see her friend happy. Something, anything to ease Lysander's conflict.

"My father and mother gave me the Syu and her protective amulet. I'll be fine."
"Lysander, I know you have become one of the strongest warriors on the island. However, you're trying to take on an entire faction of an army! An army! What if something happens to you?"
"Then, at least I'll have tried."
"Lysander..."

Lemaire slowly reached out to touch Lysanders face. He hesitatingly turned his face away and turned towards the road.

"Goodbye, Lemaire. I'll see you when I return."
"...so you're really going it alone."
"I am."
"...fine. Go."
"..."

Lysander started walking as Lemaire hung her head and clenched her fists.

"Why can't you at least ask the schola for support?!?! Why do you insist on being so stubborn?!?! You're only walking into a death trap!!! Then... then who will save you when you're in trouble?! WHO?!"

Lysander stopped as Lemaire turned the other way. A gentle breeze blew and stirred the high grass. The sky twinkled with stars and was plumed blue and violet across the black, like paint on a canvas. The two moons sat opposite in the sky and the lake outside the town gently stirred.

"Lemaire...I'll bring her back."
"..."
"You may be mad with my decision and I'm fine with that. It shows you support me deep down."

Lysander detected her essence and felt something from her he hasn't felt before. It was like her emotional spectrum radiated a new flavor. While Lysander couldn't pinpoint the emotion, he could discern intent and demeanor. This was one Lemaire has never given off before and it was intense.

"...please come back safe Lysander."

Lysander felt her essence change and mix with the new one. Sorrow. He had felt this essence from her in the past. He had every intent to reunite the three. The new essence he felt slightly took him over. Lysander knew that the more he lived life around someone, the more attuned he became with their essences and emotions. It was one of a few abilities that made stella nymphas unique.

"I will."

Lysander smelled the breeze as he walked away and picked up on Lemaire's scent. It was faint, yet hung in the air for a brief moment before whisking away. He made his way down the road with an iron clad resolve; bring Alexia back and take down the Black Dawn. Half an hour later Lysander stood at the docks and boarded a charter boat. Paying the fee, he found a seat on the forward starboard side and sat down. Gazing into the eternal night sky that shrouded Lunastium from the world, he had only read and learned of the rest of the empire of Silica. He knew an entire world existed outside this island; the very world of Turast waited before him. In the distance, a figure was seen breaking the surface of the water. "Mysuria? That's a rare sighting! It's going be an interesting travel." Mysuria was the legendary sea dragon that swam the waters around Lunastium for thousands of years, guarding it from intruders and attackers. Mysuria was a very benevolent dragon that only wished to find peaceful seas to live. The residents of Lunastium had run across the dragon rarely and revered it as a sign of good luck when they did. In turn, Mysuria felt the natives' kindness and have helped watch over the island. Lysander had a mix of thoughts and feelings going through his head. What was that essence Lemaire gave off? Where to start looking for Alexia? Could it really be done, stopping the Black Dawn alone? The salty breeze from the ocean helped Lysander focus to inner calm and await to arrive in the next port; Talc.

By nightfall the boat had reached the port of Talc. As it pulled alongside and was secured to a pier, the passengers stepped off and headed down the pier for the city. Lysander stepped off the boat and took in the sights. Across the starlit sky, the city lights could be seen through the forest in the dunes. It was just as Lysander read of in the books at the schola. While it didn't seem that large from the docks, Lysander knew it was the largest city in the Arkose kingdom and it had a sense of buisness to its coastal setting.

Stepping onto the sand, Lysander decided to skirt the shore instead of heading down the road that led to the city. The beach never failed to help ease a resident of Lunastium and Lysander was no exception. Lysander's face suddenly went stern and drew his sword. "Someone's after me," he thought to his self. In the forest, a red essence pulsed. The blade went ablaze with magic flame and Lysander shuffled back and swiftly deflected three arrows that came from the forest.

Lysander put up a shield of ice as he tore off for where he saw the glowing essences in the woods. A few more joined and he saw they had to have been Black Dawn members. Lysander dug into the sand with his shield as arrows pelted off the slab of ice. He then leapt into the air and sent three fire bolts to smoke out their assailants. Two cloaked men ran from the area, ablaze with flames and screaming while the third ran forth with a dagger drawn. Lysander bent back and threw a swift kick to his jaw and watched the man get flung to the side. Lysander finished the other two with another set of fire bolts then readied one more on his sword as he pointed to the woods.

"Come forth or be slain," Lysander commanded. The person feebly came out of the woods, wearing a black cloak. "Black Dawn." The man uneasily made his way from the forest and laid out, eagle spread. Meanwhile, Lysander stepped over to the black cloaked man and pointed his sword to his throat. "You're Black Dawn; tell me where Alexia Noctum is." The man grumbled, "You'll never find her; she's been taken for special purposes." Lysander's face went emotionless as his eyes began to glow bright orange. His sword went ablaze and turned to an eerie blue as he readied a spell."

"You've one more chance to answer my question," Lysander growled, angered at the very thought that his sister was nothing more than a part of some plan, a tool for someone's ends to this man. The man, now frightened at the sight of his eyes and sword was about to speak, but knew he'd be killed if he revealed anything. Lysander's eyes then changed from orange to red as he collared him and began to deliver a series of brutal blows. Each punch resounded a sickening crack and thud, it was apparent that something inside the stella nympha changed; Lysander's blood heated and soon was pumping through him like a raging waterfall as each hit cracked a bone on the cloaked man. The black dawn operative screamed in agony with each thunderous blow.

Throwing the assailant down, the man choked out, "The black dawn...they reside in the northern...part of...." the man didn't finish and passed out. Lysander's blood went back to a normal pulse, as well as his eyes returning to their orange color. "I just make it to this city and I already have attackers pursuing me. I need to tread cautiously." Lysander made his way into the city and saw it was a sprawling population. People were bustling everywhere, quickly getting to where they needed to. Shady looking people hung in dark alleys, clearly with less than honorable demeanors. Lysander saw a shop and headed over to it. Walking inside, he grabbed a pamphlet that mapped the city and made his way to the shop owner. The owner was a kindly old man, well into his later part of life.

Lysander approached him and said, "Good evening sir. I have a question." The old man gently replied, "How may I help you young man?"

"Do you know of the Black Dawn?"
"Black Dawn...hmm... I've heard things, but I haven't seen any here."
"Very well. Do you know of a Rydelus Archaic?"
"Rydelus Archaic? Of course! He was the grand hero of this city."
"Have you seen him?!"
"Not in years, I'm afraid. He used to stop by this shop every now and then, but it's been such a long time since. No one's even heard from him. Some rumors say he's dead."
"I see. Very well, thank you very much for your time sir."
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you more. Be well on your journeys young one."
"Thank you."

Lysander stepped outside and read the map, following it to the center of the city for more searching.

Rydelus could only grin as he heard the conversation between Coris, the old shopkeeper and the Stella Nympha (sp?). A Stella after him too? Things were certainly getting out of hand, as he looked towards Esker across from him, both were cloaked in a deep black cloth that could hide the face. Both stood ready at the door in the back of the shop in case the Stella threatened Coris. Ryde listened until the Stella was gone before speaking to Esker.

"That was close."

Rydelus and Esker had carefully navigated through the populated throngs of Talc city, not even raising a slight suspicion of who he was, to everyone else they were just a bunch of mysterious figures that no one wanted to mess with. They had left the camp to the Demon and the Dwarf, and as bad as that sounds, Esker promised the Demon would play nice. Rydelus doubted this entirely, but shrugged off the situation, he needed to speak to his old merchant friend Coris.

Coris used to supply the Arkose Army with wartime supplies. A incredible Blacksmith with a grand fortune from a rich noble family, he had many war factories during the Arkose Reign. You could basically attribute the many victories of the Arkose because of Coris, but he never gained that much recognition. The Arkose supposedly disposed of him in favor of a younger, and cheaper merchant. Rydelus of course hated this decision and still did dealings with Coris on the side, Rydelus gave his own men the superior craftsmen of Coris supplies such as Swords and Shields and Armor.

Coris was one of the few people Ryde trusted.

Ryde waited until Coris closed his shop, and returned to the room in the back, his Accounting room. It was littered with receipts and silver coins. Coris shut the door and locked it with a key he grabbed from his left side pocket. Coris then turned to Rydelus and grinned, both men spread their arms out wide and embraced in a huge bear hug. They both laughed as they lifted apart from each other, grasping each others arms,

"Its been a long time friend" Remarked Coris,
"It has been too long my friend", grinned Ryde.

"Please sit, sit, im sure you are weary from traveling and running all the time, as I hear Ryde, youre quite the celebrity" Chuckled Coris.

"You are right, Coris, Please tell me they didnt get you to testify against me?"
"Are you Kidding, Archer himself came here, with some Stella in tow, Ryde, it was Strange. When did we start capturing Stellas?"
This came as a Shock to Ryde, Arkose disbanded slavery of any race hundreds of years ago, did Archer suddenly return it, this is not good thought Ryde.

"He didnt hurt you did he?"
"Lets just say he treated the Stella worse then he treated me..."

Ryde thought was incredibly strange, but now was not a time for chit chat, every moment he stayed in this city, he was more likely to get caught.

"Coris, I came here because I need a favor, and you're the only one who can me with thi-"
"The Answer is Yes." Interrupted Coris, his gaze never hesitating as he stared at Ryde. He was entirely serious.
Ryde could only grin, he had not expected his friend to be so willing to help him.

"I need supplies for an army."

"Done" Coris Replied. Again with a fierce stare.

"Coris, if they find out you were helping me, they'd-"

"Spare me Ryde, im older then you are, and im still stronger then you are," as the burly man flexed his bulging bicep,
"I've lived a long life Ryde, and its been a even longer time since I went to war, you have no idea how glad I am to actually start working again. I can now whip my factory smithies into shape."

Coris Smiled as he grasped Ryde's shoulder with a meaty hand.

"In one month I will be ready, no more, no less. Find me then. And i will Supply your army with the finest equipment you have ever seen, You have my word." Coris Grinned

"I appreciate it my friend, I owe you one."

"Dont mention it, now you and your friend should get outta here before ya raise anymore suspicion on me."

Rydelus rose from his seat to leave. but something was uneasy, he felt as if he was being watched, that someone knew he was here. He shook the feeling, as Coris unlocked the door.

Esker was in disbelief. This place was enormous. Talc, Ryde had called it. The place was awe inspiring, the way the buildings towered over everything. The way the townspeople seemed to move at a million miles per minute. The golden stone that made the majority of the city’s buildings was so well complimented by the sun, shining upon the city as if it were a beautiful jewel on the surface of Turast. Shops were everywhere, and people made transactions for all sorts of things from fish to weapons to underwear. It was like nothing Esker had ever imagined.

All over there were people in shady clothing, so he and Ryde blended in well. No one cared to pay much attention to the pair who both wore dark robes (though Esker always wore dark robes). Ryde led him through street after street after street until the duo had arrived at on of the larger shops. It had mostly weapons on display, hanging from walls and what not, but there were other things, such as pamphlets, maps, rings, armor, clothing that looked like it was for adventurers and a barrel that smelled kind of strange. Esker did not dare look at what was in the barrel, so he stayed clear of it.

Esker noticed a rather large, tan skinned elf man looking through some of the pamphlets displayed outside the shop. Apparently Ryde noticed the elf too and decide to wait to see what he would do. Ryde led Esker around the side of the shop as he watched the elf. The elf asked a few questions that seemed completely harmless, except that he mentioned Ryde's name, after which the elf departed.

Ryde waited a second then approached the shop keeper. The two embraced in a fashion that he could only compare to the days he remembered of his brother. They seemed happy to see one another and the shop keeper, whose name Esker did not catch, was eager to help Ryde. They had said something concerning weapons, which Esker had no interest in, so he looked around, once again getting lost in the city's scenery.

He just could not get over the way everything here was. He wished that they had time to stay longer and take in the sights. Esker yearned to see what else the world outside his swamp was like, but it would have to wait. Esker could not forget why he was out here. He had to help Ryde stop this Archer fellow, who apparently was wreaking havoc upon Ryde's people. It did not seem so terrible, the way this city continued to move like it was a living thing, but he did not let it concern him. Esker did notice a larger concentration of guards as he and Ryde were moving through the city streets.

To Esker, however, it did not matter what Archer had done, he just needed to be stopped so Esker could use the army he and Ryde raised to kill the Arbiter and avenge his brother's death.

OOC: F.Y.I. for Richard: Esker's essence is heavily tainted, I’m not sure what color it would be, but it would be very similar to a demon's. Possibly black. This is due to his demonic embrace that allows him to channel black magic through his blood.

Whilst in the form of an older, grey bearded gentleman, Brynn resided outside of her newest preys shop, observing. She sat on the bench perched outside the stained glass windows of the shop as she waited.  In her hand, some old reading material lay open.  The streets were busy today, people were passing by, bumping into one another And the sun was gleeming heavily upon their heads. Brynn gazed into the book but watched the door the whole time.  Her keen senses zoned into the hustle and bustle of the shop, as people floated in and out of it all day.
The routine started to become tedious until she spotted two cloaked men rearing in her direction. At first, brynn did not think much of them, the streets were filled with masked men, but it was just after they entered the shop that she became wary.
She looked into the windows as the men embraced eachother and she then heard something that made her stomach fall. "Rydelus!"...... Memories of her long lost friend spread accross her mind. She shook it off and focused. 'an army?' she though to herself. To her, Ryde was dead and although there was always rumors, she always felt he was truly gone.There was no way he could be alive. Brynn allowed there foolish business to continue. 
She could only hear every-other word, the building was thick and they were on he far side of the shop. Their business continued as Brynn attempted to formulate what was happening. The men were short with their words, and one of them soon ventured back into he street while the other, the one presuming to be her longtime friend, took slightly longer to follow. 
As the men once again began route into the heavy traffic of Talc, Brynn left her book on the bench and trotted after them. Brynn was not one so easily concerned with he affairs of others, but if his man was proposing to be Ryde, she was going to get to the bottom of this. Coris simply had to wait.
The men moved quickly, and Brynn had to come up with some kind of plan to unveil this imposter and fast, before they ventured out of Talc. 
The imposter took lead, he seemed to have a good general knowledge of the streets here, but not enough to eventually walk down a secluded alley street. Brynn could easily trap them here. She ran around and ahead of the pair, perching herself on a roof top. Still in her old man form, she watched on and waited for the men to continue their path. 
Once the men were ahead of her enough, she would jump from the roof top, expose herself, and quickly get the answers she seeks. If this were infact Ryde, Brynn had to expose herself to him.
She was quick with her task and moved with such agility, she could have been mistaken for a mouse. She quickly sprang into motion, leaping from the roof top and landing upon her danty toes behind the lagging man, bunting the back his neck with the handle of her dagger. This man was not a very thick, or bulcky man, he went down easily. Brynn had mastered this technique, taking down her enemies one by one, without making a sound. This was her specialty.
She then pursued her imposter, she leaped overtop his hooded figure and landed infront of him, putting her dagger to his throat. "State your name and your business here." His face was still covered by his dark cloak.
(OOC: please remember, this is Brynns specialty. Taking down people in this quick manner and getting down to business. It all happened so very quick.)

Lysander was sitting on a bench, slight frazzled from asking citizens. Reading the map only did so much; it still didn't give him any lead on his sister, the Black Dawn and or Rydelus. Rydelus was a man of legend he had only heard of in his father's stories. His father served with under Rydelus in his 33rd Garrison as a lieutenant and heard countless stories of his father's service with him. The most Lysander got out of the citizens here was either rumors of his demise or memories of his heroics. Lysander got up, stretched and thought to his self, "I'll go back to that old man's shop and see what he has for sale, then grab some lunch." Browsing some weaponry and a hot bowl of chouza noodles was a nice thought, especially since chouza noodles was a rare dish back home. Wiping the sweat from the midday sun off his brow, Lysander headed back for the old man's shop.

There was no doubt in Rydelus' mind that the elf rouge in front of him was his former pupil and partner, Brynn.

Rydelus had suspected that he was being watched, and his suspicions were confirmed when a beautiful elf landed silently before him in the small excluded back alley. At first Ryde took this confrontation as a random mugging, but then realized that a thief would not get past a zealot so easily, even without his demon. (He hoped Esker was alright) No, Ryde thought, this was much more then a mugging, he deduced. Ryde did not flinch at all when a long, strangely familiar looking knife was brought to his throat, but then again, he had been in worse conditions before.

""State your name and your business here."" The elf spat,

Ryde stood his ground, but inside his mind, it was an earthquake. His mind raked with intensity, somewhere, sometime, he knew this person, they seemed so familiar, yet distant at the same time. The eyes and mannerisms of the elf told stories, the look in her eyes had seen battle, and lots of it. The knife in her hand had Ryde bewitched the most, it stung in his mind, tearing at an old repressed memory, almost long forgotten. Ryde's mind dug and dug and dug until it had finally found what it was looking for. Ryde's piercing grey eyes grew wide, he just remembered where he saw that dagger before. Recognition hit him faster then a lightning bolt.
The person before him was...

"Brynn...". Ryde whispered to himself, as he slowly unveiled himself to elf, Ryde starred directly into the elves eyes. He had to remain calm, he bet that she thought him dead. But Ryde had always hoped that Brynn had survived the onslaught on the kings caravan. When Ryde had first made general, his first order was the immediate search for a female elf named Brynn. His scouts roamed mainland turast and silica for years without turning up a single clue. There was only one remaining option of Brynn's survival and that was hope, and Ryde held on to the hope that she was still alive and living freely, to her hearts content. After twenty years, Rydes memory of Brynn had faded to near obscurity, having the same effect as seeing someones face once and passing them in the street, never to see them again. Only now had these long lost memories flooded back into Ryde's mind.

Brynn would not make the same approach that he did, if he knew Brynn, she would rely on reason, and less on passion. Her decision would be more logical and precise. Ryde would have to prove to her that he is really who he is.
Ryde gently grasped her dagger arm at the wrist, turning her palm up, revealing the whole of the dagger. It was an intensely polished blade, and heavily decorated, the hilt was a solid black. If Ryde remembered, the blade had a twin that was just as decorated, but a solid white hilt and the blade a inch shorter. Ryde grinned, and stopped a laugh mid throat, it always amused him about the wonders of the mind and bringing up old memories.
Rydelus looked again to the elves' intense eyes, matching her glare.

"I am Rydelus Archaic, the previous Commander of the Arkose Army."
Ryde remained in a steadfast steely resolve, he would not be shaken by the elf, He was almost angered by the way she interrupted the duo.

Ryde said in a calm, soothing, but commanding voice.

"And is that any way to talk to your former mentor!"

Blackness. It was a familiar sight to him, only this time it was not because he was escaping into the blackness it was because something hit him, and hit him hard. As he slept he could see his brother Ethyl, still 15 years old, staring him in the face, surrounded by the blackness.

"Get up." He said calmly as he disappeared into a fiery shroud.

Esker opened his eyes and light poured in. He was still in the alley way where he went down. It was like waking from a long sleep, and his neck hurt like Daeden had been sitting on it for hours. He slowly lifted himself to his knees, resting his body over his palms. He focused for a second, allowing what little black magic he could muster flow through his body. It concentrated around his neck area, soothing it as if he was being caressed by a familiar comfort.

Esker was no healer, nor did he know any actual healing spells, but he could suppress pain for hours, allowing him to fight through even the worst wounds. Esker was not sure why his brother's spirit had awoken him, but he was sure that whoever hit him would not expect him to wake so quickly.

He looked around to see where Rydelus was. Perhaps the assailant had gotten him too. The attacker could be a Zealot, but it was unlikely as he and Ryde would be dead by now. Esker cursed himself for being so distracted by the city; it had made him careless, and it could have cost both him and Ryde their lives.

His vision was blurred by the sudden flow of light into his eyes. He could see Rydelus in his dark robes, but it was fuzzy and it looked as though his hood was down. In front of Ryde was another person, he could not make out any features as Ryde blocked most of the view. The person had to be their attacker. Esker took a quick glance behind him. Someone in shiny armor was approaching from the distance, most likely a guard.

"I am Rydelus Archaic, the previous Commander of the Arkose army." He heard Ryde's voice say. Despite Ryde’s confidence this meant that the attacker now knew who Ryde was as well as whoever approached from behind.

Esker noticed the person in the shiny armor speed up, it had to be a guard. He had to act fast. Esker could not risk Ryde's exposure, nor could he risk the attacker killing Ryde. Ryde still blocked his view of the person who had attacked them, but the gaurd was clear now.

Esker jumped up and spun around; as he did he threw his left arm in the direction of the approaching guard. A shadow bolt flew from his palm and whistled through the air, making contact with the guard’s armor. It ate strait through his target's armor, leaving a large hole in his chest. The bolt continued moving, leaving a long trail of blood as it did. Its course sent it beyond the alley way and into a wall on the opposite end of a busy street. Esker could not see if the bolt hit anyone else, but it was not good that there was a blood trail leading strait to a dead guard. They had to get out of there. Now.

He whipped around to face the mysterious attacker. He threw his arms into the air, both outstretched in front of him. Two pyres of flame grew from the ground on each side of Ryde's assailant. He would have to be dealt with. Esker and Ryde would surely have a tough time escaping this mess.

So this was Talc, he thought to himself, as he walked into the main square of the area of town. Beautiful place, with strange people, but still so awesome he smiled as he sauntered up to the middle area of the bazaar. Dressed in his finest leather he had his rapier hanging by his side, and he wore a tri hat that helped him stand out in the crowd. He then pulled out his mandolin and started strumming something fierce to where a crowd started to gather around. He then casually flipped his hat off his head, just with a nod and it flipped to the ground in front of him, right away people started to put coin into the hat.

“Come, come, good people of Talc…come hear the stories told by Colin “The Daring”, for only a few moments of your time, surely I will be able to blow your mind. Whether it be a story off in a distant land or maybe a story that involved your Gran” He said as he looked at a pretty woman in the crowd, who blushed as he singled her out. “Be it known that if you throw a coin down you will but have to hang around, and be entertained like never before, believe my stories can make you feel better than some cheap inn whore” The whole crowd laughed at his last statement, and coins started flowing in as he continued to play to the crowd, this was going to be easier than he thought. “So let’s start with a tale, everyone grab an ale, children gather round, there is no need to frown, for I am the bard Colin “The Daring” and of course I am wearing the most fashionable grab in the land, now of that I am sure you all comprehend, that whatever I say is “mostly” true, but if I doth be lying who would have a clue, for you all just sit back and listen and I shall tell of the tale of the …….”

He smiled as no one in the crowd had caught how he was calling most of the idiots, the select few who caught it actually laughed and nodded thinking he was clever, he then strummed out his one cord and said….”The tale of the Captain of the Arkose Army Sir Rydelus Archaic!” He then finished his strum and smiled as the crowd had gasped a little and looked at him stunned, could he have possibly known this great commander?

He put his instrument down and casually paced in front of the audience and quickly picked up his hat and took all his coin and shoved it in his pouch and he smiled and bowed and then looked up to the crowd, while throwing his hat back to the ground, before it even hit, there was more coin thrown into it.

“Now alas the tale of Rydelus, the great warrior commander …THE HIGH TEMPLER OF FELDSPAR!, THE KNIGHT OF THE ROUND!” He yelled this at the top of his lungs in dramatic fashion as the crowd gasped, not knowing whether to be afraid of excited, either way they couldn’t take their eyes off Colin.
“They say he comes from the same land as yours truly …the countryside of Shale, but to this tale I am not sure, because of his duties and deeds he must be more nobler than I? Surely this man is more than a man, he must be….neigh…he must be part God! For he has battled evil knights, and slayed dragons of the plenty, don’t believe me then …kindly drop me twenty, and I shall continue the tale and why this man is so dangerous and when he is in your town you are surely blessed, because not all stories are false, but not all are true, and I can tell you this good people of Talc…..until tomorrow..this story is through.”

People had dropped over a hundred gold pieces into his hat already; he quickly picked it up and pocketed the money. They were starting to get angry because he didn’t finish the story, and he smiled as he jumped up on the fountain that was his backdrop and the middle of the market circle, where he said loudly to the crowd.
“Good people do not be mad, for I shall be back to finish the tale, but for now, have a heart, and let this but lowly bard grab an ale, for if I do not take care of these “golden pipes” then there will be no more stories, and then that will be bad for all, because once again, the city of Talc will be boring. So I shall see you all again, but until then continue to meander and spend your good money on this bazaar, it doesn’t get any better than this, and tomorrow I shall see you all….if you wish.”

He then hopped off the fountain and bowed as the crowd cheered and then slowly dispersed; some people went to meet him while others just walked away laughing and talking about how good it was to be entertained. Colin “shook the babies and kissed the hands”…or was it the other way around? He smiled as he met his crowd and nodded politely as he held on tightly to his gear, for he knew pickpockets would be about and he did not feel like killing anyone at this moment. So far this was a rewarding experience, now all he had to do was find a party and go on a real adventure, so he could get more stories to tell crowds like these.

Brynn was in utter shock as her lost friends voice rang through the air. Her knees felt weak as she lowered her dagger. She could not speak. There was so much to say to him, but nothing she could muster.

Twenty years of pure loneliness and self-seclusion now seemed like a lie. The lost princess was now more lost than ever. She had always masked her emotions, hid them from sight, not letting them torment her and she had accepted this way of living, until now. She was so unsure of anything, this man was the only father figure she had ever had and she was so sure he was long dead but there he stood.

Brynn lowered her head before him, it was obvious she felt bad for attacking his companion and for approaching the pair as she did.

Before the words I apologize could escape her mouth, some kind of black bolt flew past both her and Ryde, fallowed by two walls of fire appearing on either side of her.

She quickly maneuvered backwards as the walls collapsed into one another. Brynn had seen magic used and she knew this sorcery was not coming from Ryde, but his now standing and probably pissed off companion.

A black bolt shot out from a nearby alley, carrying a trail of blood with it, followed by two large, structured flames as they shot up and closed on one another. Lysander stopped and looked at the disturbance of magic. Pausing for a moment he thought to his self, "That can't be good." Lysander felt strong essences from the alley and cautiously made his way to it.

OOC : Just to clarify, the shadowbolt would never have passed Brynn, so she should never have seen it fly by her since i positioned Ryde between her and Esker. The dead guy, whom we have yet to confirm is a guard (Esker just thinks that) would be behind Esker, who is a few paces behind Ryde who is standing infront of (and facing) Brynn. Lysander would be in the street close by, which would make it possible for him to see the whole thing if in th right spot.

Also not sure what Colin's plan of approach is. Maybe he could follow us or something.

Rydelus' mind raced. It was all moving too fast for him. First his long lost surrogate daughter reunites with him, and now Esker just killed a guard or someone. All the talking and training we did together, and he still acts as if he doesn't have a brain sometimes. This couldnt get any worse.

Rydelus' grey eyes grew wide when he saw who was on the other side of the alley. Ryde moved as fast as he could towards Brynn, all his muscles strained as he exerted everything he had. Ryde reached Brynn and wrapped his arms around her, and with a quick hip twist brought Brynn beneath him as they both hit the ground. Ryde covering Brynn's body with his. Three arrows soared over their heads, each where they had once stood near second ago. Esker was in such a position that all the arrows missed him completely. Ryde made sure Brynn was fine before standing up to face his foe.

"You know Ryde, I wont miss twice!" A man yelled to him, another arrow cocked, taut in the bow.

It was no other then Archer.



(OOC, clarification, I did not take control of Joles chars, Ryde simply used his power to move her out of harms way, similar to when Deaden grabbed Ryde and threw him on the ground.)

OOC: kk ima light him on fire, we should give him a cool burn scar! It wont kill him of course, but it will help us escape.

Esker's heart was pounding. He loved this feeling, he thrived on it. A strange man appeared at the opposite end of the alley. He stood tall and confident as he drew back his bow and fired three arrows at Ryde and the woman who had seemingly without effort evaded Esker's pyres (perhaps I should make them a little faster... oh well he thought). Esker watched in confusion as Ryde dived to rescue the woman who had attacked the two of them. Could this be one of Ryde's friends?

In the short time he had been travelling with Ryde he had seen the man do many strange things, mostly the way he fought. It was non lethal and only incapacitated his foes, which was something Esker had not thought possible. Regardless, this action to save their attacker was among one of the larger surprises. How he risked his life by tackling the woman to save her from the confident man's arrows.

"You know Ryde, I won't miss twice!" The man yelled as Ryde got to his feet.

"We need to get out of here!" Esker yelled to Ryde as he pointed to a pair of guards wielding crossbows perched up high on both sides of the alley.

Esker had to move fast. He shot his body into a kneeling position and summoned a black cloud. This was a diversionary tactic that would only hinder the vision of the crossbowmen and the confident man. The cloud filled the alley in an instant blurring the vision of anyone in its radius. He then shot a large fireball in the direction of the man at the end of the alley, being careful not to hit Ryde or the female.

"Grab your girlfriend and run Ryde! Follow my voice to get out!" He said as he turned and began to bolt towards the alley's exit.

Just as he finished his set and was out amongst the crowd he heard a loud scream and then people running away from an alleyway in the distance. “He shot the guard!” He heard a woman scream, tilting his head to the side a bit like a dog wondering what was going on his slowly made his way to the direction of the commotion, people were leaving the area quickly, not wanting to be involved with what one person saw go down in the alleyway. Then the crowd started barraging him and saying..”You’re a hero right? Get your ass in there” “OH daring one!” Some people were not so nice

“I bet he doesn’t have the guts, he is a chicken shit, I tell ya” And on that note, Colin drew his rapier and moved people out of his way. “Step along, step along street urchin! A real hero is making his way through!”

He sauntered over towards the alleyway, where no one was anymore; they had all dispersed and gone on their way. He looked down the street and saw a guard lying motionless…and there was blood…..He gulped and nodded to himself, keep pushing fool!

Slowly he slinked down the alleyway keeping to the side, and watching for people, he wondered what he would see, or who he would meet.

Brynn quickly sprang to her feet as soon as Ryde had lifted his body from hers. She did not like his companion, but there was no way that she would lose Ryde this quickly. They both had plenty of unanswered questions and a lot to catch up on.

Brynn turned to follow Ryde, and his sorcerer friend. The three bolted down the alley in the opposite direction of Archer. If there were any quick escape routes, Brynn would know them, but she was unaware of the mens athletic abilities, so she continued to follow.

OOC:sorry its short, patient just got here

Sensing something was wrong, Lysander decided to get a better vantage point and swiftly clambered up window sills and awnings to the rooftops.

Rydelus hadn't felt this good in a long time. Or this hurt. His body ached all over. It screamed at him, wanting to stop. Ryde pressed onwards, willing himself to keep moving. Getting caught now, would mean death, and the destruction of his goal, he would be letting everyone down. Ryde drew Arkosa from its shelth, it rang loudly when it hit the air. Two guards came out of a side alley, both ignoring Esker and heading straight for Ryde. One guard went straight for a kill with a lunging strike. This was his first and last mistake. Ryde sidestepped as the guard flew past him. Ryde elegantly and fiercely sliced the left hamstring of the guard. He fell to his knees instantly crying out in aginizing pain. The man would never walk again. The other guard swiped horizontally at ryde, Ryde ran forward, catching the arm at its pinnicle, the old man stabbed Arkosa deep in the guards sword arm, the guard yelled in pain.
He could not do this all, they needed to get out of here. Fast.

The city was in chaos. The once beautiful city, busy in its hustle and bustle was now in a panic. People ran in the streets screaming and trampling over one another to get to their homes. Others watched in amazement as the guards chased down the trio which lead the commotion.

Two guards ran passed Esker in a hurry. He guessed they didn't register Esker as a threat in all the commotion. Ryde mowed them down with a few counter attacks. What took Esker by surprise was not the fact the Ryde took them down so easily, but that he managed to do it without killing them. The two guards did lose a reasonable amount of blood and were now immobile, but they lived.

Now, more guards were coming, some shouting orders at the others and most of them just yelling "Arrest Rydelus Archaic!" Esker knew not what to do in this situation. They were running, but he had no idea where to. Guards perused them at every turn and it was frustrating. He could stay and fight, but he was so outnumbered that inevitably he would run out of energy long before they ran out of guards.

He was angered now; this had gotten way out of control. He turned to the Elf girl who ran with them, why he still did not know. "Since you seem to be on our side, please tell me you know a way out of here girl."

Brynn smirked at the sorcerer asked for her help. She gave him a cold glare and nodded. As the trio were approaching the end of the alley that was lined with a wall of guards, Brynn took a sharp left down a an even smaller back alley. The passageway was only about four feet wide and was lined with all sorts of crates and cans.

Her companions followed, single file as Brynn lead them left and right. "We are almost there!" Brynn shouted as she knew they were nearing some sort of exit. She made another left, and was stopped by a wall that stood about 6 and a half feet tall. The three stood there for a moment, they could here guards hustling to catch them. Brynn leaped up, grabbed the top of the wall and pulled herself on top, She then turned to the men and outstretched her hand to the sorcerer.

Behind her companions, she could see guards in the distance... "STOP RIGHT THERE RYDELOUS ARCHAIC!" one of them yelled out as a caravan of about four guards began running in the trios direction.

"Those guards are after Rydelus!!!" Lysander saw the four guards close in on the group below, with more behind them. Lysander leapt into a freefall, face first and grabbed a clothesline. Snapping it from its anchor, he swung in and kicked one guard in the face. The others stumbled over their comrade. Seizing the opportunity, Lysander leapt in the air and yelled "Tatsumuki Senpuu Kyaku!!!" as he dealt a spinning kick to the next guard. The remaining two went to seize the stella nympha and made a grab for him. Lysander ducked under one, scooped him up and threw him to the other. As the four guards made their way back to their feet, another three caught up and rushed the area. Lysander charged them and they all went down in a pile. He struggled under their collective weight and couldn't break free. As the pile stopped shuffling, the guards were hoisted up as Lysander rose to his feet. Throwing the three into the air, Lysander bounded off a wall and spilt kicked the first two, grabbed the third in a headlock under his arm and brought him down to the pavement. As Lysander got up, he felt his blood pulsing and time was slower than normal. His pupils were red; he was using his bloodborne trait that tripled his physical capacity to almost superhuman levels for a short time. More guards yet showed and flanked the alley. Seeing the group behind him make their escape over the wall, Lysander threw a shield of ice up as arrows flew down the alley. He turned on his heel and made a dash for where the others were.

As he looked amongst the crowd, he could see there were no adventures to be found. Nodding to himself he realized this might not be the best way to find a group. Colin thought to himself, regroup and …as he was thinking to himself, he heard commotion and the crowd gasping and quickly talking to each other. Apparently something had happened, to where they would freak out as such. “Hey Colin oh so “Daring” one, apparently some people have killed some town guards why don’t you go and be a hero?!”

Colin tilted his head as he heard the man speak, and then winked at the man. “I’ll get right on that good sir” He then smiled and turned to walk off, then turned back and spoke to the man. “Surely your town guard can handle this situation…I have more important matters to attend to, like slaying of dragons and saving maidens in distress, not hunting down second class citizens who slay guardsmen. He then waved again and headed off down the main street, towards the way out of town.

As he made his way, he heard the gossip of the group who were being chased, a kid? Apparently Rydelus, the great warrior he had told his story about, how weird was that? And two elves…interesting. Whatever, wasn’t his problem, he sauntered his way down the main street of town still waving to people and smiling the whole way towards the front gates of the city. It was time to blow this Popsicle stand, and head out for an adventure of his own, if he couldn’t find a group here. If you can find them, screw them…and go make your own fun. At least that is what his old “Pappy” used to say to him. And that is just what he planned to do, but hey all wasn’t a loss, he did make some coin during his visit to this city.

'He needed this job' he told himself as he digested the new orders.

"Do not let anyone through this gate. Stop everyone! This order is coming from King Archer himself. Be vigilant Wilhelm" The guard captain had said.

Now there were tons of angry people. Merchants, simple farmers getting supplies, and tourists from the countryside all equally upset that they had to stand at the front gate while the Talc Guard sorted out its business. Wilhelm never did well under pressure and all these people yelling at him and throwing things at him did not make things easier.

From what he could gather a group led by none other than the famous Rydelus Archaic, former Arkose general was killing guards by the hundreds because he was angry that the king retired him. He was not sure if this was true, since in Talc word travelled faster than any foot could carry a man, but he was a guard now and would do his duty.

This did not mean Wilhelm was not nervous, far from it; after all he did have a wife and newborn to feed, but killing guards! The guard captain had said that there was a strong possibility that Rydelus and his gang could be heading this way to try and escape the city. He hoped that they found a different way out.

"YOU POMPOUS! LET US THROUGH!" one man yelled as he threw a head of lettuce at Wilhelm. Wilhelm immediately held his arm up to deflect the vegetable.

"OPEN THE DAMNED GATE YOU ARKOSE DOG!" a woman yelled as more vegetables of varying colors flew to meet Wilhelm’s red and black armor.

He was sweating heavily and his hands were cold. "I am sorry citizens, but it is the direct order of the King that no one leave the city at this time." Wilhelm said in an attempt to quell the crowd.

"TO HELL WITH THE KING!" one man screamed. That one surprised Wilhelm. Arkose were always proud people and always praised their king, perhaps the rumors of King Archer taking the throne by force had caused this outburst.

He looked around panicking; he was unsure how to calm the crowd. Then like a saving grace he saw him. It was the bard that came into the city a few days ago. He sang beautiful songs and people gathered and happily listened. Even Wilhelm, who as a guard is supposed to keep his composure and professionalism, was enthralled by the man's stories and songs.

The Bard had a wide smile on his face, seemingly unaffected by the panic that surrounded the front gate. Wilhelm hesitantly ran over to the well dressed man.

"Bard please, you have to help me" He said in desperation "I have been given orders to halt anyone who goes through this gate and the people have become restless. Could you please sing a song or tell a tale to calm these good people?"

OOC: its ok for Matt to post after this post, but after that the post order will be:
Ryde
Esker
Brynn
Lysander
Colin
(admin will post where needed)