[Denval] Entrance Thread

[Taithrosa Eldytia]

70th Day of Winter

The Star of Denvel had finally arrived at its destination. The Ethaefel stepped off the ship glade for the chances to get away from the chaotic life of sea travel. His silver eyes looked around at the hidden city as he pulled his cloak closer around him. His cloak hide the clothing underneath that announced his membership in the Opal Order. He was interested in seeing this rediscovered community and seeing what more he could learn here.

He looked around his eyes taking everything in as he wondered were to wander to next.

[Fornax]

38th of Winter 511 AV

Petching cold it was. Not as harsh as the stories he had heard about the winters of Avanthal, but still unacceptable. Looking off the ship, he could see a distant rock where goods were being transported to. Such action was expected, still, he disliked the chance of getting his clothes wet – which had just become pretty high if both wind and its sibling the sea kept toying with his landing like that. One transport, and another and then his turn came. Grudgingly, he climbed down to the transport with hesitation as his feet were not prepared for this much time at sea. He wanted to puke, but showing weakness in front of mortals was also unacceptable so he just swallowed what came up.

Soon enough he was on firm ground again. One of the waves had splashed against the right side of his body. Rotten luck, some would say. It hardly mattered though. He got away from Lhavit and no one knew where he was – it was enough, more than enough actually. Fornax would have been glad to endure a journey three times worse if it meant getting away from it all. Some people gathered around the only part of the town he could see clearly through the fog. Going with the usual pleasantries, he took the time to greet as many as he could tolerate. Again with all the usual ideas in mind, he accepted only one invitation – the one that led him away from the cold.

Soon he would find himself in a tavern and then he would… not even he could tell what was there to do in such a god forsaken place. His escape was indeed swift, but not all that well planned.

[Laudus]

47th Day of Winter, 511 AV The name of the ship was The Big Bosom. The captain's name was Timpom, but most of the crew called him Tim save for the first-mate who called him Pom Pom. The helmsman enjoyed the drug Mirage, and often went into laughing fits when under its control. Hidden behind a barrel below deck is a graphic novel about the reproduction of Zith. Overall the trip to Denval was a hectic one for the nuit. An odd shift from the long years of Sahova to a ship full of misfits. But it only fueled his desire for change. And his first change was to get off this boat and on dry land. He could handle the sea just fine, but he wanted green underneath his feet instead of blue. Which is why Laudus was already prepared to leave the ship before the gangplank even landed on the dock. His backpack was shouldered precisely so the ink vials inside wouldn't spill. His hood was already drawn over his head, shrouding his face in shadows. Although the grey beard of his current body did protrude out of the gaping hole that was his hood, reaching to the center of his chest. To many, he appeared to be a scrawny, old man. But one touch to his cold skin, or one glance at his black tongue and people would know who he was. But for now he would play the part. He'll hide until he knows it is safe. With a slight glance to the captain from under the hood, Laudus walked down the gangplank slowly, playing the part of an elderly man. No more mirage, Zith porn, or Pom Pom for this Nuit. This was a new beginning for the nuit. And to begin this new beginning, he needed to find several things. A job, a house of his own to build on, and a place to train his magic. But where should he begin his search?

[Ardo]

The 2nd day of Winter, 511 AV.

As the ship approached the coast, Ardo's heart tightened. It had been years since he had last seen Denval, and even though the place looked exactly the same as from when he left from that same rocky coast eager to travel the world and discover the foreign secrets of Mizahar, he knew that people would have changed. His old friends would be older, perhaps even married, and his parents would finally see him as a grown man. He had, after all, seen more of the world than they could dream of, and learned from far distant lands that not long ago Denvalis even knew existed. Still, Mizahar was just a shadow of its former self, Ardo knew that much. The glory of the foreign world could not even have been a small part of what the great Suvan Empire once was. Mizahar was not what he had expected at all.

He could see the silhouettes moving, the lights coming from inside the rustic houses, people returning to home after a hard day of work. He had missed that familiar feeling, the familiar view of the city, the familiar noises of voices speaking the Denvali language. Perhaps his trip to the foreign had taught him how much he truly loved home. But would the feeling truly last? Would he find what he was looking for inside of Denval itself? At this point his fate surely had turned him away from the world outside.

The ship got closer and closer to the city, and he could finally feel home again. When it finally stopped and the anchors were released, he pulled his backpack on his arm and took a glance on his own belongings as if to check whether all of them were still there before leaving the ship. The salty scent of Denval was strong in the air, and he loved it. The orange light of Dusk guided his footsteps outside of the ship, and throughout the plank that led the passengers outside, who were coming down from the vessel one by one. On the rocks many children were playing, as well as waiting for foreigners to bring them interesting stories from abroad. Ardo could not recognize any of them, perhaps he had been away for too long.

As soon as he stepped down from the ship, a young villager approached him, offering directions. "Looking for some directions?" he said in Common, "I can tell you where to get some fine lodging, as well as a hot meal in the stomach!"

Ardo smiled gleefully, and answered in good old Denvali: "I need no directions, my friend! This is my home! I was born here!"

The young villager quirked an eyebrow and then approached Ardo, as if to inspect him from head to foot. After a few moments of staring, he had his expression changed to one of surprise. "A...Ardo!?"

"Wait a chime...", Ardo said while approaching the man with his eyes to see if he could recognize him. He was young, probably around fifteen years old, and his hair was dark. He likely had only been a child when Ardo left, he could hardly tell who the youngster was. He extended his lips into a huge smile, showing his teeth, and trying to ignore the fact that he could not remember the boy. "It's been so long! How has it been going here?"

"Denval has been doing great! We are getting more and more visitors everyday, and Denval is growing!" he said with great satisfaction on his face, but his expression quickly turned into a serious one before pronouncing the following words. "Ardo...your father..."

Ardo's face turned white. He had feared this. Could it be? His father wasn't that old, could he have died while Ardo had been gone? As much of a rough and controlling man as Dietrich was, Arno truly missed him, and he wanted to see the man. He knew he was not Dietrich's biological son, but he loved the man like a real father.

The teenager continued, "Your father is...quite ill. You should go see him."

That was a relief, but the youth seemed quite worried about it. It was likely a serious problem. But at least he would get to see his father again. Ardo sighed. "Thank you for letting me know, I should get going now," his voice was interrupted by the lack of a vocative to call the boy with, which made it quite obvious that he could not remember the name.

The boy smiled. "Grifo," he said, "I am Grifo." You probably don't remember me, but I used to watch you when you trained your swordsmanship in the academy. Perhaps we can train together sometime."

Ardo smirked in response. He remembered the kid, and he had changed much indeed. He was quite a small boy, but now he was at about the same height as Ardo. Ardo waved to him while walking away into the deeper streets of Denval. "I will see you then!"