Location [Entrance] The Rolling Waves

[Valdyor Avenca]

79, Spring, 513 AV
Valdyor approached the city from the land, smiling happily. It had been a long journey to get here, but it was good to arrive. He smiled as he entered the city, even a some people avoided him. This would be a good place, he decided as he noticed many a merchant and shipman. The place was bound to have criminals. And that was right up his alley.

[Airell]

. 71st of Spring, 513 AV Thud after thud. He tried to step lightly, Airell did – why, he did not know; there were things he did that he had learn to accept as facts of his strange existence – but that was impossible with the heavy load he carried, and perhaps that was just as well. Thud after thud, and then a thud again, until all else faded, until all thought faded, and only sound remained – a perfect kind of rhythm that made the rest of the world seem poorly defined, awfully unfocused. It was a kind of meditation unlike any other. Without any outward sign of regret, Airell let go of that emptiness. Even after all these years it would be difficult to regain, but what he saw was well worth the inconvenience. The mountains that had dominated the world not that long ago had given way to an open patch of land – a downward slope, as rich with plain rock as with lush greenery, that marked the end of the Mirahil Pass and, eventually, touched a city unlike any Airell had ever seen. With no outer wall, all of Zeltiva’s sprawling mass was plain in his sight, and even from afar it was clear that the city was bustling, with patches of colour roiling between buildings and sounds from the docks that carried even here. Airell nearly missed a step. Sights like this were what he still clung to this world for. And so the man plodded on, one figure among the many that dotted the land – though it was nothing like a throng, not yet. He ached for speed, but there was nothing to be done about that. Thud after thud. He let it all sink in. Thud after thud. It was a kind of meditation unlike any other. .

[Alona Halloran]

15th of Spring, 513, A.V. It was early in the morning when Alona decided to step out of the family cottage. Her uncle had arrived home from a voyage the day before, and the last thing she wished to do was wake him from such a deep rest. She picked up her backpack as she went to the door, wiped the dust from her skirt, and opened the door with her fiddle held close to her chest. Before she left, she made sure to leave a note at the table that she would return by the late afternoon, of course. Once that was done, she left the cottage and began the short walk into the city. She smiled, and hoped that today she would find the time to practice. With that, she set off towards the pier.

[Aleron Mangrove]

Spring 83rd, 513 AV

Late in the evening, at long last, the caravan Aleron'd been travelling with arrives at its destination, fair Zeltiva. Tired, sore and, for once, a touch grumpy, he leaves the party with only the plainest of farewells, eager to move on from the journey. What caused this swift departure? Alas, we may never know. All that can be added further on the matter, is that he made his way swiftly to the Grotto, ordering a night there, something of a frown creasing the large mans brow the whole time - quite the different man from when he would come back down in the morning. He collapses immediately into sleep, and rest, upon arrival on the bed, pausing only to take his shoes and coat off.

[Opette]

Spring 3rd, 513

Vibrant orange wings fluttered lightly as the Akvatari glided low over the deep blue sea, her seal like tail occasionally moving to provide additional thrust and speed. She was nearing Zeltiva's docks now and could almost spell the stench of lament-worthy human corruption. Lament-worthy... She might have to write that one down. Once every season Opette made a trip to Zeltiva, in order to gain inspiration for her next tragic poem and further study the anatomies of humans so that she could better sculpt them. It was her specialty after all, she made her living writing poems and sculpting incredibly anatomically correct sculptures of various species. Most of the time her sculptures were left unfinished, as Opette was never satisfied with her own work, but occasionally one managed to be completed. Right now she carried the wrapped sculpture of one of her own kind. Hopefully someone would be able to appreciate the beauty and work put into it, because she herself didn't.

She reached the docks finally and took a moment to land, hovering in the air as she descended, fur-covered tail hitting the wood of the dock with a soft thump. She'd take a momentary break before taking off again, heading towards the inner city.

"Oh Zeltiva with your vessels,
Do you hear not the thunder across the sea?
See how it beckons, beckons for thee
It bays, bays! Bays for your blood!"

She paused for a moment, a shadow of a smile appearing on her face. "Truly remarkable. I have to write that one down..." She readjusted her sculpture, cradling it carefully as her orange wings fluttered and lifted her off the ground.

[Tsaba]

Spring 86th, 2013

Tsaba tugged up her hood before coming abovedeck to watch the ship pull into port. She had been assured that she was perfectly safe in Zeltiva, which made sense -- if a lot of Nuit were going to be travelling through any Pulser town, it would be Zeltiva -- but old impressions were still ingrained, even so many years and so many bodies later. She couldn't help remembering Craun's layers and layers of clothing, the preservative smells he washed through their home to disguise the scent of embalming fluid emanating from his skin. The years of gambling that the people smart enough to look closely were also smart enough to know they needed a healer, even if they didn't particularly like him.

Perhaps coming back to the mainland was a stupid idea.

But as the boat was secured and she walked out onto the dock, even Tsaba could see that Zeltiva was no Sunberth. She drew a deep breath of fresh sea air; even through her own chemical smell, she could tell it was different to Sahova air. Not that she ever really bothered to breathe on Sahova. But here... here, she was sure she'd breathe every day, and remind herself what salt and freedom smelled like.

[Ranakadia]

Into the Gaping Jaws : Spring 87th, 513 The blotchy taint that had grasped the surrounding waters, made it harder for the Charoda to navigate the sea about Zeltiva, he blamed that of which on the mouth breathers naturally. At times Il'adru found it hard to orientate himself, especially when nearing shore or coastal lines,the water would become shallow and mostly bland until land was afoot, littered with a few waylaid objects and not much vegetation. However, Il'adru's familiarity with Svefra transportation means, often gestured at the populace and the immensity of whatever city/dock Il'adru approached. This indeed was somewhat a marvel of a city, having just passed Mathew's Bay, the worn Charoda could tell this much already. In hand lay the pike he had become so fond of, and in his other was a tight fearless resolve. His intentions were purely juvenile, in the sense that they were simply a end to a means, he would explore that which he could and appraise that which he saw, simple. Although, rarely in the time of Il'adru was anything so simple, while being a sea-dweller was somewhat of a gift, at times it warranted much distress and mistrust. Yet, these matters were never of too much concern to Il'adru, for he could defend himself and he would if need be. Before long, wooden legs made their debut, lengthy and domineering in their stance and atop them shelves of wood rest, which many set foot upon. Sparing but a few minutes to materialize his confidence, the somewhat bulky Charoda began his venture upwards.

[Ohirin]

60th Spring, 513

It was an early morning start for Ohirin to leave the city of Zeltiva. He was headed to Nyka on more or less of a whim. He was planned for a 65-70 day journey and he was ready to travel. The path from Nyka to Zeltiva was well traveled and probably not very dangerous for travelers. The horse back journey would be a long one but hopefully worth the travel.

[Sain Kayun]

89th of Spring, 513 AV

Rise with the sun, sleep with the sun, Sain followed this old saying... albeit without the "sleep with the sun" part. Sain woke up on his bed still tired from staying up till late trying to treat a patient at the infirmary, but it was worth it. Looking about groggily, he checked his rather empty cottage about, the result of a ransacking from a few seasons back. As well as the fact Sain was now the only occupant ever since his father passed away. Sain sighed sadly as he remembered this, but now was not the time for that.

After a quick wash and change of clothes, Sain opened his cottage door into the crisp morning air of Zeltiva, taking in the warm sunlight and salty smell of the sea. To think that he had plans to leave the place he called home in a season... Sain chuckled at the thought as he walked off to the city and eventually the infirmary, his father's journal at his side as always.

[Titus]

21st of Summer, 513 AV.

Titus smiled as the ship slowly made its way to port, finally he was here and he could get off this forsaken boat. He waited till the boat was fully docked before he began to help unload the ship as a final thanks to the captain.