Treasure in the Muddy Waters (Celeste, Ronas, Khasara)

by **Mirage** on October 2nd, 2013, 4:58 pm

20th of Fall, 513 AV

Within the Vestibule, where the TAR now stands dormant and useless, Wizards from all of Sahova have begun posting advertisements for work they need done. Papers litter the walls, the floor, and some are even tacked to the TAR itself. THe range and types of requests vary between individual Wizards, some simple gathering missions while other's require a volunteer to put himself, or herself, into perilis situations. Compensation almost always comes in the form of Mizas, however, promises of possible favors or recomendations are implied.

On the 19th of Fall only a single sign was posted for the world to see. It called for those who were willing to seek out Gresshal, Warden of the Mudpools, and request the capture of a Gramble to retreave the precious gems contained within its bodies. There is no name written to indicate who the order comes from, but at the very bottom right corner there is the symbol of a half closed eye with instructions to present this form to Gresshal to prove the validity of the requet. The reward is listed to be 500 Gold Rimmed Miza's to be split between all parties involved in the quest.

OOCA very quick note. The current description of the Vestibule may not last past this season, thus I have not made it a location in the link map yet. Whoever posts first will be the one who has first claims on the quest, and thuse the one who will pick up the note and have first dibs on the reward ^.^. All three of you may feel free to show up and accept the form in person, or Khasara and Celeste could pick it up and meet Ronas on the way. No matter what it works for me! Now lets have some fun!!

Character sheet · by **Celeste Arumen** on October 2nd, 2013, 9:16 pm

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Celeste did a bit of wandering, here and there. It was a part of who she was. For the most part, she kept her hood up and eyes down; there were certain people who might misinterpret her normally direct gaze. Politics were everything in the Citadel. It had new players but ultimately, it was the same game - part of which was knowing your place. Not to say it was easy to bow and scrape; the little girl chafed at every instruction, every command. Not only was she human, but she was thirteen. Odd things were beginning to happen, physically and emotionally. She woke up to a shock of blood between her legs earlier that week. Needless to say (and after a great deal of explanation) she’d been in a foul mood ever since.

But this wasn’t a game of recreation. It was of survival. Therefore, Celeste trailed in through the Vestibule, eyes on the floor, glancing up to give the TAR a cursory examination when… ”Hm,” she mused, stepping in. ”Gresshal,” she breathed softly, fingertips tracing the letter. It’d be smart to perhaps, forge ties with the other Wardens. While it didn’t do her apprenticeship much good, it would help in defending the Testing Grounds. The coin wouldn’t hurt, either.

Swiftly, she snagged it and folded it away, scanning the room before heading back the way she came. And the first name that sprang to mind: Ronas. She was supposed to meet him, anyway.

They’d tackled things together, before. And Celeste had a rebellious adolescent will; she wanted to impress Riyana by doing things on her own. How dangerous could it possibly be? So, with a smile she headed toward the door, basking in the angular Alahean architecture when –

She froze. Who was that? For a brief moment, the woman made her think of Tierra and the thought halted her mid-stride. But before she could play it off, it’d gone on too long. She’d been caught staring. ”Excuse me,” she said, managing a shallow bow. The very thought that she’d been careless set her teeth on edge. Then again, every thought did.

”I didn’t mean to disturb you.” The woman seemed… Alive. Well, that was good at least, though she might just be especially well-preserved. The whole affair was annoying. Why couldn’t things go according to plan? And who was this woman, that she had to show respect? Celeste really just wanted to break something.

Teenagers.

HmPerhaps Ronas is en route to meeting her just outside the Citadel? That way we can all group up at roughly the same time.

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by **Khasara re Menehat** on October 3rd, 2013, 7:09 am

Khasara dashed through the halls, holding onto the sword strapped to her belt so she wouldn’t bash it into anybody as she ran past. She bumped into the occasional apprentice in the narrow halls, muttering “Excuse me”s and “Pardon”s as she rushed past. Before going to bed the night before she had noticed a posting on the board in the Vestibule, calling for the capture of some sort of beast in the training grounds for precious gems. She thought it would be a fantastic idea for training her skills, and no doubt the mizas would be helpful. 500 mizas could support her for a number of years as she studied here, and doing it all in a single job would be even better. If I don’t die, she thought, amused at the thought. Today, she felt as if she were immortal.

When she arrived at the board, she saw a young human girl tucking away the note she had seen the night before. She was quickly noticed, the girl staring at her as if she were confused or in shock, boosting Khasara’s pride further yet. She laughed as the girl excused herself. “You were not bothering me at all,” she said with a smile, her movements seemingly excessive were one not to be familiar with High Arumeic. “Are you hear for the job as well?”

She suddenly felt bad, as if she were missing something important. This girl had been kind and polite to her, and she had dashed directly into the informal without as much as an introduction. She blushed, curtsying. “My apologies for my rudeness. I am Khasara, visitor to Sahova. Who might you be?” She noticed the girl had been headed in a direction, and began to follow that path as well, motioning for the little girl to follow her.

She was remarkably young to be in such a place as this, though Khasara knew better than to assume all was as it seemed in Sahvoa. In truth, this girl was likely many times her age, simply newly moved from one corpse to this new host. It was difficult to bypass looks and first impressions, so hard were they drilled into Khasara’s mind by her mother, but still she tried. She may look young, but she’s likely your elder she told herself. Still, she had to swallow her pride to speak to the girl so formally.

by **Ronas Dermir** on October 3rd, 2013, 12:26 pm

Season of Fall, Day 20, 513 AV

Ronas Dermir had been summoned.

It was a rare circumstance for the man, who rarely followed any order that did not come directly from the nuits or Master Brent himself. But in this instance he chose to obey. A fellow Initiate had requested his presence, the young mage Celeste had asked that he meet her outside the Citadel and so that was where he headed. He had no idea why she would want to meet in such a place, but that was none of his concern.

As he arrived at the Citadel (the location as quiet as it had ever been), his steel-gray eyes scanned the area for any sign of the young girl. She was nowhere to be found, however, so he entered the Citadel, stopping just inside the Courtyard and sat down crosslegged. Ronas closed his eyes in meditation once again, allowing his mind to settle into the familiar emptiness that came with the calming technique.

If Celeste appeared, then Celeste appeared. If she did not, he would wait meditate another twenty chimes or two, then head back to the Blood Hills. Ronas occasionally broke from his meditative state to try to pick up the presence of the young Initiate, but his eyes never opened. If Celeste approached and produced any noise, however, Ronas would likely hear.

by **Mirage** on October 3rd, 2013, 5:08 pm

OOC :

Character sheet · by **Celeste Arumen** on October 22nd, 2013, 7:41 pm

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Celeste hurried quickly past, unwilling to linger. Ronas was surely waiting just beyond the walls. Who knew how long he’d wait for her? Thus she scurried off, head down, thinking of how she’d pose the question.

The tyrian purple robe rustled as it brushed the ground, announcing her presence. It was difficult to move about with it bunching around her ankles. With a frustrated little snarl, she yanked the hem up, fingers clustered in the smooth fabric. Her irritation was abnormally high. The bleeding from earlier that week hadn’t stopped. Riyana had been patient and kind, but for a girl on her own in a city of the undead, the transition hadn’t been easy. ”You’re a woman now, sweetie” she’d said. As if she should be proud.

”Ronas,” she said softly, seeking to break him from his reverie. The man sat with his legs folded and his eyes closed. ”I’m here.” Very slowly, she withdrew the letter and offered it to him. ”I’d asked you out here to inquire about something else, but look what I’ve found.”

It was difficult to know what to say, other than that. If he were to take the proffered paper, she’d withdraw her hand. After a few moments of silence, she finally decided to speak.

”Would you like to pursue this end with me? It could be beneficial.”

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by **Ronas Dermir** on October 26th, 2013, 4:37 pm

Ronas opened his eyes the moment he heard Celeste behind him. She had apparently asked him out to the Citadel for another purpose but had acquired something interesting. Turning around and standing up, he accepted the proffered letter, reading it over closely. Apparently, the note wished for the recipients to look for Gresshal, Warden of the Mudpools, and acquire something known as a "Gramble" for further study. Ronas had no idea what a "Gramble" was, nor had he ever heard of Gresshal, but nonetheless if the notice was posted in the Citadel it meant that the Nuits of Sahova wished it done. And what the Nuits ordered, Ronas would obey.

"It appears to be a legitimate request," Ronas rumbled, his gray eyes meeting Celeste's amber ones. He nodded once, to signal his acknowledgement. "We should go quickly."

As Ronas turned to walk down the path to the forest near the Citadel, and then further toward the Testing Grounds, Ronas' mind worked slightly on this request. It was an odd one, to be sure. Could this "Gresshal" not handle his own creatures? Was he short on Initiates? Why would someone send Initiates from other areas to the Mudpools for this exercise? Granted Ronas had plans for forming a small group of Initiates whose purpose was to do things like this, but it was merely an idea at this point. He had not brought up the subject to any of his fellow Initiates, not until he had a solid idea of what he wanted to do for the group, and how it was going to operate. If it was going to operate.

He would admit quietly though, that this girl must be quite the fighter to have survived this long in the Testing Grounds. He did not know what it was like in the Prairie but he knew it took all the skills he possessed to remain alive in the Blood Hills. Sahova was not for the weak, so if Celeste believed this little adventure was worth looking into, he was not opposed to doing it. More to the point, it would then allow him to potentially meet other Initiates, which may or may not then expand into his idea for a rapid response team. He would have to see.

The walk down the path was mostly silent, but Ronas spoke up as the forest came into view. "What was it you wished to inquire about?" he asked. "Before you found the letter?"

Character sheet · by **Celeste Arumen** on October 31st, 2013, 7:27 pm

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Celeste nodded, extending her hand to take the letter back. She’d found it first, after all. He was a decisive individual, which suited her. In the Testing Grounds, a moment’s hesitation could easily spell the difference between life and death. As they walked, they did so in silence. Thus, it was with surprise that she glanced up at the sudden inquiry. ”I’d like you to keep an eye out for certain flora in your area,” she said simply. ”I’m a philterer by trade and not everything can be found at the Dalafurgu.”

She contemplated whether or not to continue. ”Additionally, I’ve a theory that the local flora must be influenced by the Island’s sheer amount of wild djed.” He was certainly safe to talk to in this regard. Ronas was notoriously quiet and from his current position, there was no status to be gained. ”So far, it’s proven true from what I’ve found in the Prairie. I could perhaps, be very inventive, provided I had the right ingredients.” Vague, but she still felt somewhat exposed. She hadn’t even mentioned it to Riyana.

”Have you been to the Mudpools before?” Celeste frowned. ”I know there are three, but at which of them would we find Gresshal?” It would help to be systematic about it. The nearest Mudpool she knew was just before the Prairie. ”There is one in front of your domain and one in front of mine. The latter is closest however – what do you think?”

She certainly hoped it was one or the other. Traveling through the Heartlands was never high up on her list of priorities, considering it was all but a deathtrap – even for her.

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by **Ronas Dermir** on November 16th, 2013, 9:31 pm

"Flora," Ronas repeated dryly, his gray eyes not straying far from the path he was walking. "I am a soldier by trade, but I shall see if there is anything that might be useable. Though perhaps I should mention now that there are not very many plants that grow at all in the Blood Hills. The hard soil does not appear to be well-suited for botanical cultivation."

Wild Djed. It was a danger that was ever-present in the Testing Grounds, the surges that had an unpredictable effect on Djed that was currently in use. Given the fundamental nature of what Djed was, it was not really all that surprising to Ronas that they would be able to influence the nature of plants that were exposed to it. More to the point, Ronas was sure that if a plant was able to survive multiple exposures it must have developed some form of defense to protect its essence from being changed to such a degree that it was no longer able to survive the Wild Djed surges.

"An interesting theory," was all Ronas would say regarding Celete's experiment. As far as a soldier like Ronas was concerned, while experimentation was respected and necessary to the continued development of military science it was not his place as a soldier in it to attempt it himself. A soldier was not expected to experiment, a soldier was expected to obey. He did not doubt Celeste would be tremendously successful, given the unpredictable nature of the plants on this island it was entirely possible that she would be able to philter some quite interesting effects. He gave the girl a blank look, before continuing.

"As I have little to no experience with Philtering I could not speak to the likelihood of your theory being correct or not," he confessed. He did not feel any particular shame or anger as he said this, it was simple fact. "The main issue I can see is the unpredictability of your potential results. What I myself have observed of the effect Wild Djed has in general seems to indicate an almost chaotic nature to the phenomenon, which means that there is precious little room for controlled experimentation. The ingredient you discover might well only exist because one particular Wild Djed wave modified one particular plant in one particular way. If so, such an occurrence may not repeat."

It was the most Ronas had spoken to Celeste in a single sentence, and a quiet lull fell as the man felt he'd said enough. He listened to her ask about the Mudpools, of which he had never visited as it had never been within his orders to do so (what few direct orders he had been given). It was to Celeste's credit that she was direct and to the point, despite her relative youth. And while a softer man might have found it sad that such a young girl would be forced to grow up so very rapidly, Ronas merely found it gratifying he was not stuck babysitting a bratty teenager who could not understand that Sahova was not a nursery. Though truth be told that should have been expected; after all she had survived this long without being killed.

"I have not visited the Mudpools," Ronas answered, direct as ever. "Though I am aware of their existence. I would prefer not to cut through the Heartlands as that is not an efficient path." Not efficient mainly because Ronas was acutely aware of the dangers that existed in there. It was not a place to visit unless one had a very good reason; while he was not afraid of death, Ronas was also not interested in courting it.

"If the Mudpool adjacent to your domain is closer we should visit that one first," Ronas agreed, eyes scanning the tree line of the forest for any sign of activity. Nothing seemed to be moving, however, and the thick cloud cover prevented even Syna's light from penetrating far. The light was muted, gray, and if Ronas were a sentimental man, he would have described it as "depressing". Instead, Ronas set his jaw and his gray eyes narrowed at the weather. His mind would prefer to consider this weather "tactically disadvantageous". And it was.

As the blackened volcanic rock under their feet gave way to more gravelly sand and even the occasional twisted plant, Ronas pressed his lips into a thin line, turning to Celeste and raising an eyebrow. They were on her domain now, the Prairie stretched before them like an endless plain. Only the occasional twisted bush or hardscrabble clump of grass broke the flat expanse and Ronas realized he was only versed enough in this domain to return to his own, by passing through the Forest of Thorns. And while Celeste had made him aware now that there was a Mudpool close to her domain he did not know where exactly that pool would be located

"This is your domain, Celeste Arumen," Ronas intoned, indicating with his hand that she should lead. "You may lead, and I shall follow. So long as we are upon the Prairie I will obey your commands. Lead the way." It did not strike the soldier as strange or foolish to place himself under Celeste's command. As far as he was concerned, it was her domain, thus making her the subject-matter expert. Whether she proved to be a competent commander or not was irrelevant; his path was clear.

by **Mirage** on November 19th, 2013, 6:28 pm

A familiar howl cut across the prairie, one that belonged to none other than Celeste's Mentor. In the distance a cloud of dust appeared, and soon a figure resolved itself from the cloud. A large creature, a wolf, running on four legs. The closer it got the more apparent its size was. Easily six feet at the shoulder, its fur was fur was pure white and bristled, sticking out at odd angles. What looked like plates made of bone ran along its back over its spine, covered its under belly and other sensitive areas like the neck. As Riyanna neared she would slow her pace, changing as she did until she lightly trotted in her naked human form to stand before Ronas and Celeste.

The Warden was shorter than Ronas, and she looked up to meet his eyes, looking at him curiously before turning her attention to Celeste, "Whose your friend? He seems a bit too old for you, but I am not one to judge." She said with a shrug.

Riyanna's body had a slim, yet full, figure. She could not have been much older than her mid twenties. Her hair this day was short and spiked, dark blue tipped with silver while the silver streaks ran down each cheek as they always did. The scars that covered her naked body told the story of many battles fought and won, though the large hooked scar that traced from the center of her chest under her left breast held a promise of a much more interesting story.

Setting her hands on her hips the Warden looked between Ronas and Celeste, "So what are you two up to today? Something interesting I hope?" She smiled broadly and wrapped Celeste up in a quick hug, practically hanging over her from behind as she rested her chin on the Initiates head to look at Ronas, "This cutie isn't give you much trouble is she? Just say the word and I'll give her a stern talking to." She tried to make her face into an authoritative expression, however she failed quite miserably.

OOCYay Wardens! Hehe lets FINALLY get this quest underway! You guys read? ^.^

Quest Treasure in the Muddy Waters (Celeste, Ronas, Khasara)