[Quest] It's a (Dangerous) Kind of Magic

[Paragon]

It's a (Dangerous) Kind of Magic OOCEveryone is welcome to join this thread, though those with some magical skills will probably be more useful in rounding up these rogue wizards! It isn't going to be a heavily moderated quest. I will poke my head in and provide basic direction, but don't wait on me posting, as I want you guys to craft this story. Remember, these wizard's are DANGEROUS, have competent or higher skill levels in their respective magical arts, and probably need a group of more than one to take them down. There will be monetary rewards, along with the usual xp and lore shenanigans. Have fun! Timestamp: 15th of Spring, 512 AV Among the chaos and ruin of the storm, there had been little time to sort anything. Emergency came after crisis, catastrophe followed by disaster. People could not catch up with the initial effects, let alone the ripples and shockwaves that emanated forthwith. Maria Satterthwite was sad, gazing out at the city, much of it laying in rubble, but she had known this storm was coming. And now, they had to catch up on other things. The Asylum had been damaged in the storm, and many of the... broken mages had escaped. The thought was terrifying, and one of the mages had already killed seven people in the centre of the city. That was why she placed bounties on their heads - they were not criminals, but they had to be treated as such until they were safely incarcerated once again. For now, they presented a danger to the public. A very real danger. Before her were gathered the people interested in this round up. She warned them of the dangers, and explained that three mages had escaped. A Voider, a Reimancer, and a Summoner. They needed to be returned to the Asylum at all costs. May the God's be with them, she announced, and then left them to their own devices. Everybody had responsibilities, everybody had to take charge in this situation. She could not hope to govern the city alone. She could not feel guilty, since these people had chosen to lay their lives on the line. There could not be more deaths in the city, but what good would her own do?

[Anselm]

The old black-cloaked Nuit was not known for his sense of civic responsibility. This is because he had none. But his livelihood depended on the citizens of Zeltiva accepting him as one of their own. Not something easily accomplished by a Nuit. So he decided to accompany the band of fools who were going to try to capture the three broken mages. Perhaps he could render some minor assistance without putting himself at too much risk, and thereby curry some civic favor. Staring out from beneath a black hood, he watched the little group of would-be bounty hunters for a few minutes. Then he spoke. “Perhaps we should begin with the Summoner,” he suggested in a deep, raspy voice. “If I were a Summoner and wished to so some summoning, I wonder where I would I most likely go?”

[Idue]

It wasn't difficult for a man like Idue to learn of the bounties laid down of the deranged mages running loose in Zeltiva. Rumors of money to be made spread quickly in the place Idue frequented, such as the Kelp Bar which he had been this day when he learned of this meeting. It took a little while, and a fight or two, to show the sailors that he was a force to be beckoned with. They still chuckle when he drank water instead of their kelp beer, but they've accepted him. Which was why one of the sailors had mentioned this bounty to him. In reality, the sailor had wanted a familar face there at the bounty meeting with him. Someone to watch his back while they hunted the mages. And Idue accepted, thinking this would be a way to earn some money. And prove to Yahal that he was still pure by saving the city from the mages. So Idue had attended the meeting, expecting to have his sailor friend there with him. Alas the man had changed his mind, deciding he didn't wish to risk his life. So Idue was alone, as usual, in a city still unknown to him. He had only been here for a few fortnights, and the city was still new to him. Plus the rubble from the djed storm at the change of the city changed everything for him, as a few of his landmarks he had recognized were gone, destroyed in the storm that rumors claimed to be the wrath of Ivak. And Idue didn't doubt the rumors; that storm felt like something Ivak would do. So Idue stood among the other bounty seekers, his left hand resting on one of his axes. They were going to be fighting this day, and he needed to be prepared. So instead of his usual, common attire, Idue wore buckskin armor with his blue sash around his waist to still carry his axes. And he stood out too, because this day he wore his heirloom, the leather helm with antlers on top, resting in his right hand's grasp. A gift from his father on his death-bed, this was the first time Idue had time to don it. Now he was the horned hunter, child of Yahal. He was ready for these mages. If only he knew what to expect. Sure the woman Idue was known as Maria Satterthwite warned them of a few things. The three mages that were loose, the ones they were hunting, were skilled in reimancy, voiding, and summoning. Curse Idue's lack of knowledge in magic. In combat he had only experienced Flux. Idue had never witnessed these three disiplines in real life. He only knew what the rumors had come up with. And in all the whispers, Idue had only learned the voider. Witnesses who survived almost a week ago told passed along what they had seen, and it didn't take long for most of the city to know. And what the sailors spoke of over their mugs wasn't at all nice. Black holes being opened, people being sucked in to never be seen again. All the stories were different, but one piece of knowledge had already been proven. Seven people died because a man went crazy. Even thinking about it sent shivers down Idue's spine. And he didn't know what the other two were capable of. Maria ended her speech with a simple statement; may the gods be with you. Idue nodded, not able to salute with the helm in his hand. With that, she disappeared back inside the building they stood in front of. Now the hunters were alone. It was them who decided their course of action. Scanning the crowd, Idue tried to decide which of these men he could work with. One group in the corner appeared to be all apart of a same crew; maybe a mercenary group. Idue ignored them; they wouldn't work with anyone but each other. A few other misfit fighters, probably caravan guards or sailors, were talking in shushed voices about this. Idue didn't understand these people; to capture these men, everyone needed to help. If that voider could kill seven people, what will a group of three or four do against them? And what about the summoner, or the reimancer? This was a group action, not little squads. And then someone spoke up to them all. Idue searched for the owner of the voice, and found it in the man with a black hood covering his face. Idue had spotted him earlier, ignoring him; he had thought he was merely a citizen listening to Maria speak. But it seemed he too was taking part in this hunt, a surprise to Idue. But unlike the other bounty hunters, he provided Idue something to mull over. The man had suggested hunting the summoner first. And then questioned where he would be if he was the summoner. By the man's tone, Idue got the feeling he was questioning others, not making a statement for others to decipher. Idue didn't care; he had the opening he needed to speak. Idue stepped over to the man, bowing his head towards the man. This man had intellect that other hunters lacked. Idue got the feeling that staring at the man, he wasn't someone who relyed on brute force. Yet he was here to help hunt, which meant he used a different approach in combat; magic. "It seems there is one man here who is thinking with his mind rather than his sword. So I feel that you would be a good person to discuss my thoughts with." Idue paused. He was about to try and sound intelligent with his next words. During the speech, he considered everything and formed a conclusion. He had narrowed down their choices, coming to what he thought was a good decision. Hopefully the hooded man, who spoke when no one else did, knew just as much as him. "Hopefully I can convince you to turn your attention away from the summoner and help me instead. I am no where near excellent with my magical lore, but I assume summoning would take more effort than the other two disiplines. Summoning isn't personal magic, so he has to tap into things outside his body. And since it wouldn't be considered summoning if he made thing conjure from this world, I feel he taps into different places to perform his discipline. I could be completely wrong, but I think the summoner wouldn't be hanging out in the open. Not very easy to summon something while everyone is watching." Idue felt that was a good start. Now to kick it up a notch. "And the other two mages are more dangerous. The voider has already killed seven people days ago. So my next assumption is that the voider has taken into hiding, staying out of sight until things die down. Which probably won't be for a while. As for the reimancer, I have heard nothing of him since he escaped. All mages or crazed, but how much we're unsure of. Maybe they have enough sanity to think. And if I had a bounty on my head, my goal would to disappear. So my conclusion is. . ." Idue pauses. He could've hit the nail of the head or missed widly and slammed the hammer on his finger. He knew nothing of magic, relying solely on rumors and assumptions. Who knew what these mages were thinking. Maybe they sought escape, or they just wanted to perform their magic. No one could know what went on in their head because no one sane has experienced it. They were wandering blindly, and Idue didn't like it. But his conclusion was a place to start their hunt. And if it didn't work today, atleast they answered a few questions. They would be closer to capturing the mages. Plus this conclusion benefited Idue; he was familiar with the places he decided upon. And if they failed, there was always tomorrow; there was no deadline on this hunt. They merely needed to get it down. So Idue was going to go through this, succeed or fail. "My conclusion is that one of these men might just seek an escape on a boat." That was simple. They sought escape. Not through the gates, as then no one would be around them to take care of them. But on a boat, they merely needed to go with the flow while the sailors handled the boats. Idue was sure some of the boats wished to get away from Zeltiva, and they probably didn't care who boarded. Plus with everyone freaking out on the rebuilding and hunting, a single mage could slip by unnoticed. Yes, Idue knew where he would begin his hunt, and he hoped this hooded man would catch the drift too. The hunt would begin at the docks.

[Aello]

Aello simply nodded her head in understanding as a smirk crossed her lips. Her eyes sparkled playfully as she tore her dark hood away from her face, revealing her mane of wavy, deep brown hair. "If that is your wish lady, all their heads will be delivered to you, by day's end," Aello commented. "Although the reimancer and the voider will be petchers, if they're even any good." The girl chuckled as her grip tightened around her father's old bow. The scars of the storm and seasons past stinging anew, with freshened pain as her muscles ripped angrily beneath her flesh. Although no one could see them, she could feel them. Reminders of all her missteps and shortcomings. They hurt her deeply, but the girl tossed this aside. She had no time, for more than their simple reminder: don't petch this up. "The summoner, stranger," Aello picked up again, as she turned to the cloaked figure in the corner, "is just child's play." Her eyes bore into the shadows cast by his hood, as she turned to face Maria. "Pity you're too weak to get that one back yourself." Her right hand slid along her thigh, coming to a rest over the hilt of her cursed blade. But no matter, more money for me, she thought, as she took a moment to concentrate on herself. Her feet in particular. She thought of how she wished for silence, so as to stalk her prey more easily. The silence cast when her birds took flight, and chose not to chirp and reveal themselves. The silence cast when Nex shifted into his more natural form, and padded across the forest, stalking his prey. Her eyes turned then, taking on a feral edge, similar to the dark slits of her bestial friends when in a deepened frenzy, or state of concentration. Aello imagined herself as silent as they, as djed trickled out of her toes, and covered the sole of her boots in a shield that would contain sound. Licking the edges. climbing higher, until everything was doused, even if somewhat uneasily. That should do, the girl thought, as she slinked through the room, and crossed the threshold of the door, slipping back into the outside world, where the sun was weaving in and out of a series of greying clouds. It's coming back, Aello thought, as she reached for a raven-feather fletched arrow, and laced it deftly onto her bow. Her fingers hugged it tightly as the nock clung to the serving. She eased the string back a little, as she held the bow down, poised at a spot just ahead of her step. She had every intention of taking all the mages down on her own, and perhaps those foolish enough to get in her way. With a dangerous glimmer in her eye, the woman slipped into the shadows, and was lost to the maze of streets.

[Leigo]

Much to his displeasure, man knew that the strange girl that stormed out was right. Just like he knew that looking for the summoner would be a waste of time, but between two crazy one man armies out there he and most men gathered stood no chance. Without any further motivation, he wanted to find himself a group of his own. Perhaps the two that were chatting in the corner could do? Excellent! Before going over there, Leigo once more wondered just why he was taking part in this mob. He was not a particular patriot (if such a word even existed in current Mizahar), and he had a general dislike for the people. Still, he could not bring himself to do nothing while the city burned, or imploded, or whatever it was that those crazies were doing. So what if you’re a few screws loose, what gives you the right to terrorize innocents? It was strange luck for so many ill omens to strike at once. Going over to the couple of strangers, Leigo presented himself as a proper Zeltivan gentleman. Just like his father had taught him to do when some stuck up rich girls needed to be impressed. Gods he missed his family. “Excuse me gentlemen, I couldn’t help myself but come closer after hearing you speak of anything other than old war stories. So, might I join you on this quest? Before you answer, you should know that I have lived here for a long time and should prove a competent guide if nothing else.” And there it was, his strangely absent charm coughing up a handful of decency. Leigo didn’t complain, he managed to find a function for himself within the party without invoking suspicion or revealing his less than mundane properties. For all he knew, they were nothing short of blaming him if things went south. Waiting for the answer, he could not help but take measures of the couple before him. They were estranged from the usual people one would meet in the street. One was strangely cloaked as if he was hiding some bodily defect and Leigo could swear that a funky scent radiated from him. No matter, many people had felt the misfortune of not bathing regularly. Second man stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd. He was not from around these parts, that much was clear. For a moment he seemed to recall a certain friend of his late father that looked similar, but the distant thought remained too obscured to be deciphered. His strange look could do them nothing but good however. No one ever suspected a tourist. Well, no one sane would do it. One could only hope even the insane had common courtesy to show their guests a great time during their stay in the pearl of the eastern seas.

[Anselm]

The old Nuit looked at the Benshira and then the human male and then the Benshira again. The Benshira was a warrior in full battle dress and no doubt knew how to handle those two axes. The human was just as obviously not a warrior but might well have other capabilities that were not so obvious. The human female was likely a capable fighter but too hot-headed to be of much use. “The Summoner,” he said to the Benshira, “is likely to be the easiest of the three to handle but potentially the most dangerous of the three if given free reign. Therefore he is the most logical initial target.” He paused and looked from one to the other. “However, I concede the possibility that one of the mages might attempt to escape the city by ship, a possibility I had overlooked. I agree that we should eliminate that threat first.” He paused to shift his weight off his left leg, which appeared to be injured. “It has been a long time since I did battle with a mage but as I recollect, the trick is to break the mage's concentration before he can complete his spells. Things are also complicated by the fact that we are expected to capture him, not kill him.” He cast a meaningful look at the Benshira's axes. “I have some small ability with projection, which has proven in the past to be an effective method of distraction. However, one or both of you would need to overcome the mage and render him unable to cast more spells. Do either of you have a plan?”

[Nai'shee]

When she heard of reward she hurried to hear the speech Lady of Council held. She was short on food, even with her money and she desperately wanted to help around somehow. When she warned them about all the dangers mission held with it, Nai'shee was silent. She wasn't sure how would she be able to help here, and her cheerful attitude was ruined by storm, so she mostly stayed quiet past two weeks. She carefully listened to conversations around her. She was able to conclude nobody, except maybe arrogant girl, wasn't much more skilled than her, which means not much skilled, in magic. She recognized Idue from The Winter Ball, but she didn't bother to say "Hello" just yet. She had to calculate her skills and pick the team. It was obvious that not all of people wanted to work together, even if that would be the best. Listening to all conversations she decided to pick the most logical side, the side where Idue, hooded man and young gentleman were. When she approached hooded man it felt strange, he smelled like he was old, really old. Still, it didn't bother her much. It woke her curiosity, as always, but there were more important things right now. "Hello, my associate hunters", she left a smirk for them, which disappeared faster than it appeared. She nodded to Idue when he recognized her, without a word. Nobody was in mood for chat, including her, so she progressed to her point. "You seem like the only ones with some sort of plan over here, so I decided to help. My specialty is Flux, escaping, dodging and similar. I can fight, but barely, really, and I'm unarmed currently. I think I would serve best as a scout or diversion. So, have me in mind. I apologize for interrupting your plan-making, you may continue." Her tone was serious, but she spoke with no authority or obvious confidence, as she didn't want to seem as the girl she heard. She knew this was mission for many and she could never do it herself. When she thought about it she concluded reimancer was the only one she would MAYBE be able to stop herself, but certainly not capture. And why would she do it herself, even if she was able to, if she could find help?

[Aello]

Aello glided along silently. Her eyes darting from the left to the right side of the street. She wished to remain alert, in her search, and oft, whisked her magic away from her, in order to scout. Even so, with her vast skill in the art of auristics, she had failed to turn up much. Yes, she had detected a few people going about their business, but none of them seemed to hold any magical inclination, or ability. Shrugging, frustrated with the futility of her attempts, the girl concentrated on herself once more. On each of her joints. How her ivory colored bones clicked and slid along narrow groves. As they forced her body to keep on going. Onwards, forward. They seemed stiff, a little cold, but not as much from the weather than perhaps, her frustration. Perhaps even her fear, not that she may necessarily encounter something out on the streets that she couldn't get away from, but that some idiot may come out and sweep the prize right out from under her feet. Smirking, her eyes sparkling as she considered the bone. The knobs... spindly like the fleeting grace of the deer she so oft hunted, but had not seen much of since the storm. She thought of what they were like, picked clean. Strips of bloody flesh dripping from the soft curves of their ribs. The relatively straight lines, and slender bows of their legs. She could feel it in her, their grace and strength. But not their poise. She felt so similar, and yet... distinctly different. She didn't walk like them, clatter like them, and other hoofed creatures, such as the horse. Sighing as she considered, fresh djed began to funnel out of her flesh. Bubbling about her joints, as the soft texture spilled onto her skin, and swam about the curves in her bones; her muscles rippling beneath flesh. Causing it to jump. She thought about how nice it would be if they remained warm- how much easier it would be for her to keep going, for her to run, and exert herself. She thought about how much easier it would be to complete this task, if her body remained feeling both ready and well. She imagined then, how nice it would be if the shields locked in the heat, and kept out the cold. She could feel them now, as her knees and elbows warmed. The knobs in her hands in feet. Her shoulders, about her armpits. The length of her neck too, oddly enough. She could feel them all growing hot, as though she were sitting by the fireside. She thought she could hear it crackling in the distance, as she eased herself along. Her fingers tensing as she took a deep breath, in through her nose, and out through her mouth to steady herself, as she took a left down a fork in the road, down another slender street. Lined with pebbles, and rubble cast from the recent storm. The girl shook her head lightly. Petch... just look at what it did to you, Aello thought, as her gaze swept over the place. Noticing just how much seemed to be out of place, and not liking it one bit. She wished everything was as it had been, all those moons ago. And yet, she knew it could never come to be. Not again. So she may as well quit hoping.

[Leigo]

Oh, the old guy knew some projection? What insanity was this? Running around like it’s “Hey, I’m a mage” day. His nerves settled somewhat when Nuit suggested they should plot before they proceed. Good, so he wasn’t a complete fool. Still, when the girl joined the colorful party and just happened to mention she knew some flux, Leigo was nothing short of glaring knives at all this nonchalant stupidity. Did they really think that no one would assume more than just three mages had escaped the Asylum? Hell, even he was thinking the same thing by that moment. There was no way for the staff to be sure until the storm blew over. And many, like those mercenaries in the corner would probably beat any mage senseless, just in case. Maybe it was a bad idea for him to join forces with such weak minded people, but then again more confident options such as the edgy girl that stormed out were… out of reach. One such as him needed to be pleased with what he had instead of craving more. So he tried to make the best of what he did have. Girl taken into account, they were not so bad off. If he had considered all their skills properly, his group most definitely got the upper hand when compared to the others. They had just brutes and a citizen or two looking for coin. Well, either that or many of them were wizards in disguise; this was not the time for paranoia however. After one more full scope of the room, he turned back to his soon to be comrades. It was not perfect, but it was a start. “What we need to do now is forge a plan, choose a leader of our little pack and last but not the least, we need to split the rest of our roles to fit the plays we will use to outmaneuver the others. For starters, I agree with the horned foreigner here, we should start at the docks. Personal magic users tend to be impulsive creatures, and in a chaos filled city, they will be among many rats trying to flee the ship before it sinks. Add to it that they are both a few screws loose and probably paranoid too, and we have some extra time until they entrust their freedom with any of the docked ships.” As he stopped talking, he raised his finger up again before anyone else got to speak, so he could continue the thought after having rested his aching throat a bit. “We need four things in our party. Decoys, preferably two of them; mostly because we can’t be sure we’ll run into only one raging wizard. Next, we need at least one grunt. I think that choice is obvious with a single glance at our friend here.” Pausing, he pointed at Idue whose name he did not yet know. “One such as him should be able to force those nutcases into close quarters where most of their magic will be useless, either that or he can be the extra distraction, breaking the wizards’ focus and with it their spell. This would of course be one of, if not the most dangerous position within our group. Because of your proximity to our prey, there are no guarantees you’ll be able to pull away in time should things go awry. I’ll understand if you wish to protest, but please let me finish before you move on such thoughts. Finally, there is the last order on the menu. We need an able watcher, someone who could track the wizards whereabouts directly. For easily making the target out of a crowd, an aurist would be preferable. Should no such man be found for the task… well there are always less than subtle methods to provoke the wizards into confrontation. So if my math is right, with the four of us, that gives us one watcher, one grunt and two decoys. The ideal thing would be for someone else to join us as well, as things would go much more smoothly with an additional grunt or an extra watcher. Either way, looking at you all, I would split the roles accordingly. The girl and I would be decoys for obvious reasons, we both seem physically able to provoke and then run, but lack any actual prowess to endanger anyone at close proximity. The old man over here could be our watcher, because honestly, that’s pretty much the only thing I can guarantee won’t get his back aching. That leaves us with the grunt.” As he stopped, he pointed to Idue. “Now before we proceed, I have two questions. And take note, both are important! One, is any of you an aurist? Two, what are your names? I’ll go first. My name is Leigo.” It was not like he wanted or needed to know any of them, but yelling ‘hey old guy in a robe’ in a crowded street was beyond awkward. Leigo had no problem with listening to orders from those more mentally adept than he was, it was just none of them had proven so. This was their chance to prove him wrong however. If any of them had good thoughts or disagreements, current was the time to put them to purpose.

[Nai'shee]

Nai'shee carefully listened to man's speech, and silently agreed about what he said. Yet, said like that they seemed too weak to handle a wizard. With just one grunt - Idue - to fight mage it will be barely possible to win, even with other elements. Plus, even like that they stood chance only against Summoner because they would need higher magical skills to compare to wizards. And they didn't know if some of them were fighters, as well. She sighted, deciding to let him finish before she says this. "No, I'm not skilled at Auristics", she said, knowing that that was the skill they really needed, "I think that the girl that was around might is, she was too confident not to be, but I don't see her around anymore". She was silent until others answered the question before she introduced herself with simple "I'm Nai'shee", realizing that it would be a waste of time to give more. After she made sure to remember names of others, which would be kind of important for operation, or at least warning each other if something happens. "I agree with you, it's the most logical plan, but even so, I don't think it's enough to handle those...", she said, trying to be realistic. "If they by any chance notice us we're done. And even with two of us as distraction we can't know if they're fighters as well. If they are able to compete Idue we don't stand a chance. Anselm is right, it would be much easier to kill them, like this we must face them directly."