Location The Amaranthine Gate

[Ciarda]

My character: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yNcmTc_XwYnlCmAXFfQD8rMoun8u-KD1nrYIcmtZ_-s/edit?usp=sharing

I look down at my feet and blush nervously, trying to come up with an answer. In truth, I was only here because I'd been told that food scrapes were easier to come by here than in most cities. I was always picking off of food other people left behind and threw out; there wasn't many other options for me. The guards continue to look at me, expectantly. Finally, I look up at them with an answer. "I wish to improve my life." I tell them, surprised with my volume.

One of them nods and I continue on my way, nodding a thanks to the old man who came up with me. The city is even more beautiful than I ever imagined, and I can feel my jaw drop in awe. The streets are clean and bright, and all the people moving around are smiling and happy. I try and stay close to the wall as I can, running my hand along it at all times. The amount of people bustling around makes me uncomfortable, and I feel very exposed, but I keep going.

People wave and smile, to me and everyone around us. I already feel at home here.

[Cynthea Wode]

__9th of Fall, 514 AV_____

Cynthea wasn't sure how long they'd been travelling, but by the time they arrived at the final leg of her journey, she was exhausted. Her one skirt was covered in dirt, the hem smeared in mud from when she had walked through puddles on the trip, and then splattered brown just above it from the caravan's wheels. She had done what she could while they waited for the guide, had hidden behind a caravan, ignoring her companions' smirks and good-natured jeers, and combed out her hair as carefully as she could. There was no time for anything more elaborate than a simple bun, but she had wanted to make a good first impression and arriving as dirt-encrusted as her fellow travelers was not the way to do it.

The Caravan Master had returned with a guide, a polite man named Hachia Koat, and after a few minutes of discussion with the guards and companions who would be remaining below, waiting his return, they had set off. The progress was quick but the pace slow, and Cynthea took the time to get a small mirror out of her bag and carefully wiped away largest smudge of dirt. Applying actual cosmetics was not something to be done while riding; even as it was she had to hold on tight to the animal with one hand, her legs clenched against its sides, and put up with the jerking movement of the mirror.

The men, she noticed, exchanged an amused glance as she snapped the mirror away and folded her bag primly closed. Finding somewhere to stay was her first priority, she decided, looking pointedly at first the Caravan Master, then the Guide, until both, still smirking slightly, turned back to look at the road. Unpack the small amount of belongings she had, get cleaned up, then look for work. Sleep, and food, would have to factor in at some point. After finding a home, of course, but before finding work; collapsing on the job was not the sort of first impression she wanted to make to potential employers.

"Hail, what brings you to Lhavit?" someone said, and Cynthea snapped her eyes up. They had come to a stop, and she hadn't noticed. A huge, beautiful gate loomed up in front of them, and a guard - the speaker - leaned over it from the top. She hastily dismounted, accepting Hachia's hand with a light squeeze of thanks and feeling a strong surge of relief that she was wearing her gloves - refusing the polite gesture, after his assistance, would have been rude.

"I'm a merchant, looking to sell my wares." Cynthea's companion said, after a brief pause. He glanced to smile at her. "The lady has been traveling with us, with the intention of finding a home here." Cynthea gave the guard a smile and a small wave, grinning properly when he waved them through the gate and, with a brief, mouthed 'thank you' to Hachia, was on her way. After saying a surprisingly heartfelt goodbye to the merchant captain, and promising him that she'd stay safe and be careful, she watched him depart, and stayed there for nearly a four chimes before choosing a direction at random and heading off into the city.

[Saej]

Summer 16, 514 AV

Saej had been traveling for weeks. It was finally her stop. Her body hummed with excitement and she resisted the urge to run. Though she had arrived with a caravan she had no interest in the people and payed them little mind as all 6 of them walked up to the most beautiful home Saej had ever seen despite its meager size. This had to be Skyglass. While one of her companions knocked on the door she touched the side of the house, there was a stone in the mortar... It looked like a piece of the night sky had fallen to Mizahar and on the way met a rainbow. Warm to the touch. Not much bigger than her palm.

"Ye, child. By Zintilas grace. Now quich yer gawkin'.", came a gruff, but playful, voice. Spinning around she saw a man among them, she must not have noticed him come out of the house. Saej knew little in the way of common, but understood his tone and the word "Zintila". "Sorry.", she said with a broad grin and broken common, "Could not stop mahself." He winked at her and motioned the group to follow. For some the road might have been frightening, she could hear gasps at some points and the stench of fear hung in the air. In all honesty she could see why, that was a petch-load of a drop; but as an Inarta she felt nothing except excitement. She was used to sights like this, friends had died from worse falls indeed.

When they finally arrived to the gates she was awestruck yet again. 'I feel like a babe. But, this is all just so breath taking.' The doors were a work of art within themselves and she hungered for more. This may had been the best decision of her life. "Hail, what brings you to Lhavit?" said one of the guards. Each person among her group stated their claim; prosperity, knowledge, a new beginning. She agreed with everyone of them. When it was finally her turn she glanced at their guide, or where he had been standing. It seemed he left long before. 'I never even asked his name', and he nodded to her. "I come search for Skyglass, by the will of Zintilla."

And with that the guards opened the doors and left everyone through. The beginning of the strangest thing she'd ever done... and that was a contest.

[Orion LaCroix]

Fall 7 514 AV

Orion had been traveling with the merchant family since she had left her home of Konti isle by boat, They had been traveling for quite some time, In fact Orion who had never been a very time conscious person had lost track of the days as summer had faded into fall.

What Orion had kept track of had been terrain as the group she was with traveled primarily by foot using horses to drag their wares. Not that Orion had minded at first as the journey had started out on relatively flat terrain with easy roads that had been used for years. But as Orion got closer to Lhavit the roads became progressively less flat as the terrain shifted to being more mountainous and less hospitable.

By the time the group she was traveling with had reached the gates of the city beads of sweat dripped from Orion's pale brow and her breath came in gasps. Stumbling a little as the group came to a stop and the guards of the gate approached the group. One of the guard looked at her and said "What is you business in Lhavit Konti?" Looking up at while still trying to catch her breath she stammered out "M,my Business i,is to learn the arts your fine city has to offer sir" and with that her group had been allowed passage into the city where she said sad farewells to the merchant group she had traveled with and went on to search for lodgings in the large city.

[Tel'Mar]

The morning was cold and crisp, the salty air weighing heavily on Tel'Mar's shoulder as he walked through the fog. He searched for the trail that would take him to his destination.

Man, this fog is heavy today. Can't see my feet on the trail. He thought to himself as he crunched on an apple. The hunt the day before hadn't gone quite as well as he had hoped. He'd only managed to bag three rabbits, and they were all pretty thin. They worked well enough for him, plus their fur helped patch up his vest.

"Hail, traveler!" A man shouted, as he steps out from a shack Tel'Mar swears wasn't there a second ago.

"Hail friend! I'm looking for the trail to the Amaranthine Gate. Be this the right area?" He motions on the general area.

"Aye, but you probably shouldn't go up while the fogs still about." He smiles.

"Hmm.. point taken. How long do you think 'til the sun burns it away?"

"Soon i'm sure. Come now, the trail head is this way." He shows Tel'Mar the start of the trail leading up. "Oh, by the way, names Hachia. I'll guide you to the top."

"Much appreciated, friend. I'm Tel'Mar. Could we head up soon?"

"Not caring too much for the dangers are ya?" He smiles

"What danger? A trail leading to a mountain is nothing new to me. I've just traveled from Wind Reach." He points to his hair, indicating the red hues. "I'm Inarta."

"I figured. Ya red heads, always falling and flying when you should be waiting and walking." He laughs. "No skin off my neb though. Come on, I'll show you the way."

The two men walk along the trail, swapping a few stories as Tel'Mar questions nearly endlessly about Lhavit. Finally, as the mist fully burns away, the two men reach the top. Tel'Mar holds back a gasp as he sees his first taste of Lhavit, the Amaranthine Gate.

"Good luck to ya son." The guide pats his shoulders and the two say their farewells. Tel'Mar takes one last look down the trail, then squares his shoulders as he approaches the gate.

"Hail, what brings you to Lhavit?" one of the four guards ask.

"Hail, guardsmen. I come seeking knowledge that I could not find anywhere else as well as a place to hone my craft!"

The guards motion and the gate opens.

New adventures, here I come! Tel'Mar steps through the gate, and into what he hopes might be a new, and better life.

[Azaela]

Sometime during the Spring of 514


Sundogs surrounded the sun and its fiery essence. Azaela’s eyes were set in slits and her mouth hung open as she looked towards the sky. It was Syna’s orb that kept the sky so alight. It was beautiful and sometimes enchanting, but above all it was oh, so warm. Why she felt so cold and lonesome made Azaela trail in dismal thinking.

The road seems barren, but it isn’t really barren, she thought. The cluster of leaves adorn the sides of the road. They make it seem green, so it isn’t so barren. The road is bumpy, so it isn’t so barren. And the grass and the various shrubs surrounding the outskirts of the outline of the road, they make it so that it isn’t so barren too.

A multitude of thoughts swarmed her head. They were all erratic and spontaneous. She didn’t have control over their simultaneous conjuring. Instead of trying to block them out like she had been doing this entire trip, she allowed them to flow.

The mere trickle of ideas and concepts that were jumbled around in her head was enough to allow the time to pass by quickly. Before anyone could have realised, she had already made it up and down and up the long trek to where a gate stood prideful and tall.

Men were standing upwards, in their positions of protection directly above and to the sides of the gate. It was immense, the gate. It stretched forever upwards and arched in a way that resembled a rainbow freshly grown after a dastardly down pour.

“Hail! What brings you to Lhavit?”

The words were so harsh, so loud, they were abrupt and snipped like a name Azaela had heard before. Just the simplicity in the man’s tone of voice was enough to set off some sort of vision. She was falling again; she was falling to the floor of the earth and something was being whispered to her. So many things were being spoken to her in hushed voices. She couldn’t centre her ears on just one. They were like many voices, conjoining to make just one omnipotent force.

She shook her head and wet her lips. “I am here for fresh beginnings.”

Content, obviously, satisfied, the guardsmen acknowledged to someone invisible and the gates opened. Once they were completely separated, they exposed a treasure to be found. The city was golden with hues of various colours, some of which she had never seen before. She didn’t know the names. There were so many people and so many luxurious looking buildings and the smells that wafted around her as soon as she stepped through almost gave her a migraine.

“So this is home,” she said aloud. “Welcome, new life.”

[Fen]

A Clean Slate

The cold air filled Fen's lungs as he walked to the shack at the start of the path. Every step sinking slightly in the snow. He adjusted his bag before knocking on the shack door. The for opened and before him stood a man.

"You must be looking for the path to Lhavit, follow me."

The man stepped through the door and walked around the shack. He returned with two strange animals.

"These are Okomo they will take us to the top."

Fen nodded at the man while he mounted the Okomo. The trip was long but seemed to go by quickly. The rough ride slowly rocked Fen to a state somewhere between sleep and consciousness. As the Okomo slowed Fen snapped into consciousness staring at the large gate. Fen dismounted and nodded at the man. He approached the gate.

"Hail, what brings you to Lhavit?"

"I seek a fresh start and a clean slate" Fen clears his throat after saying it.

The guards smile and the gates open. Fen walks through the gate and nods at the man who began walking down the hill.

[Bennar Witt]

Spring 513 A.V.

Bennar sat precariously atop the Okomo. It was a hardy mountain animal, and he appreciated the ease with which it climbed the daunting peaks of Kalea. But he was no rider. The guide, Koat, seemed to have no problem making the harrowing climb or handling the Okomo. Ben was not a rugged outdoors type. He could appreciate the wild beauty of greater Mizahar, and was game for a nice hike now and again. But he had never truly lived off the wild as he was force to do over the past weeks from Alvadas. He was eager to reach the beauty and safety of Lhavit.

As they approached he finally saw the towering Amaranthine Gate, famous for its humbling beauty. This was the first impression of the city beyond, and often left travelers in awe. Ben had certainly never seen anything such as this. No architecture he had seen possessed so much artistic passion, so much majesty. He could not take his eyes off the gate as they approached.

Koat seemed more content with trudging along with his eyes focused ahead, supremely unaffected by the city's beauty. Undoubtedly he had seen this same sight hundreds of times.

When they came to the pair of able bodied guardsmen at the gate Ben dismounted at length, his caution betraying his inexperience. He turned to the two guardsmen, both lean, both giving off an air of still deadliness. Such a wonderful city needed proficient defenders. Ben was willing to bet the two first line defenders of the main gate were probably some of the best. He decided that they deserved his utmost respect.

"Hail, traveler. What brings you to Lhavit?" one intoned pleasantly, though it sounded like he said those words a lot.

Ben smiled and bowed. "I come to find a place in your city. Hopefully work as well." He glanced at the other guard. the woman gave him no notice, but inspected his meager possessions.

"Ho, is this a book of magic?" She said, indicating the Reimancy manual he kept near the top of his pack.

"Why, yes. An instructional tome of Reimancy. Is that a problem, Ma'am?" Ben hesitated after his response. Would he be unwelcome because of his pursuits?

The male Shinya spoke. "You must register as a practitioner of magic, sir. Then you may continue about other business in Lhavit." They seemed content to let him pass after that.

Bennar Witt turned to thank Koat, who was already gathering the Okomo. "Thank you for your service, Master Koat. I hope to see you again." He bowed shallowly and hiked his pack over his shoulder.

Lhavit awaited.

[Ingrid]

72nd of Autumn, 515 AV

It had been an absolute whirlwind. Ingrid was taking her first steps toward finally achieving all of those once-seemingly elusive goals. She had passed the test in Sahova and had gained the ring of apprenticeship. She had begun rigorous training in the field of Animation. It was all going so well....

Then out of the wild blue everyone was packing everything they owned. A veritable stampede of living and not so living creatures. All with one single thing on their collective minds: get me the petch out of here! Everyone was so bent on evacuating the place that they didn't spare even a moment to inform Ingrid what the shyke was going on. That hadn't stopped her from asking politely. Shouting her inquiry. Grabbing shoulders and demanding answers like an insane lunatic! Still, everyone was closemouthed.

There was little to do but follow the masses in their exodus of the greatest bastion for learning the world had ever known. So much for her dreams. The days that followed came and went. She was on autopilot. Perhaps still not completely believing it had all happened the way it did. Or maybe a part of her had no use for the mundane any longer. Traveling seemed like such a useless exercise. One that did not concern her. Her mind had been cluttered with ideas for magical creations. Her world was a rainbow of schematics and moving parts. Now it was ship schedules and the status of wind eagle flights.

Everything culminated with her standing before the beautifully wrought Amaranthine Gate of her homeland. She had returned, of course. What other options did she have to her? It was her world. A place where people just made sense. If she was going to ascend in her studies and create living things to rival the imagination of the Gods themselves it would have to be there. Her hand lingered on the Okomo that had brought her to the top of Sartu. An adorable bleating noise issued from the Okomo in response to her caress. The guide smiled at her in a fatherly way.

"Good luck to you dear. I'm sure everything will sort itself out in time....Or it won't. But that's part of the fun eh?" he said and chuckled in a warm manner that made it entirely too hard not to smile.

"Thank you for your assistance sir. I....I'm sure you're right. Bye Moontail!" she said, hugging the animal tight. Ingrid bid them farewell and stepped through the gates. The familiar sights and sounds of Lhavit buoyed her spirits. She found herself bubbling with excitement to see her parents again. To tell her father all that she had seen and learned in Sahova. And attempt to explain why she was back so soon.....

[Switch]

Mid-Summer to 1st of Fall
Early-Evening

Switch had fled from the isle of the undead at the dead of night during the middle of Summer, he felt like the undead controllers of the isle were on to him and he didn't want to be come some sort of experiment of thiers. It was getting harder to stay hidden he noticed.So he decided to flee by boat, and Switch had only but a brief moment to gather what he could into his cheaply constructed golem and flee with them. Bringing along his golem with him they fled to the boats.

There was an indiscernible amount of time before they came ashore elsewhere, Switch had no idea where or what was to become of the carried cargo of this fine wooden vessel, but they landed in a place of Hai for a few days, until the wind beating wings of an eagle landed and took those that wanted to flee to Lhavit. It was with this grateful winged carrier that Switch and his golem climbed upon and they were off.

That was four days ago, they landed early morning beside a long flowing river and a path up the mountain. It was here that Switch found the guide and the Okomo they used to go up the mountain trail that sprawled before him. With assistance getting himself and his belongings onto the goat creature the guide took them up the path. It was easy going and yet Switch had to keep reminding him to not look down. It wasn't until the stars started to twinkle in the stars and the sun started her graceful descent into the reign of the night did Switch arrive at the gates were a lone guard stood, a simple question was asked in which Switch replied, “Seeking refuge, a home, and a job.” The guard ushered him in and directed him to the proper authorities.

It was from here that Switch would start to rework his life's plan to a new location. Same plan… Different location. More work though it may seem...