[Riverfall] The Land and Sea Gates

by **Tydus Tempest** on March 1st, 2014, 11:29 pm

85th of Winter, 513

Smoke... It was everywhere, the world clouded by plumes of black, rising in the air as the screams of the Tempest Pod sounded. There was no other sound. Voices exploded, the world froze, ticks lasting for eternities as the crimson blood of Laviku's children stained the very water that was his domain. In some part of him, Tydus knew that each and every single Svefra preferred a death at sea with Laviku than one moored in a bed on the surface of the ground. Even Tydus, who some considered to be the more landlocked of the Pod, absolutely loved the ocean. But, now. The ocean was the tapestry upon which massacre was painted upon. Whether the archers were bandits, or simple cutthroats, or assassins, Tydus had no way of knowing, but he didn't care. All that was in his mind was survival. His mind screamed for him to take vengeance, tears flowing down his cheeks as cousins, brothers, elders and even the Lia had been slaughtered before his very eyes by the rain of arrows and debris, but sensibility prevailed.

The Svefra managed a single look around, finding the Lia's corpse, neck torn apart by debris from the ballista fire. Wooden splinters protruded from blood-splattered flesh, bright blue eyes wide, dead and sightless. Tydus held in the urge to vomit, grabbing Lia Tatianna's cutlass from her side and pressing his fingers to her forehead in a quiet prayer to Laviku before he cast his gaze about in search of his Tavan. "VESH! VESH! Where are you? We've got to go, NOW!"

The young emperor penguin was in the living quarters, strewn about on Tydus' bed, but it immediately reacted, hobbling forward before sliding forward onto its stomach and gliding to Tydus' side. "Over the side! Let's go!" Tydus did not wait for his Tavan, knowing that the creature was far more adapted to the situation than he as he climbed over onto the bank of the ship's edge.This is goodbye... Waverunner's Fist... The ship had been Tydus' home for his entire lifespan. He was born on it, raised on it, he lived and breathed its air, but it was gone. There was no way to salvage the ship, fiery holes tearing the Palivar asunder. There was the only choice. Gripping the body of Tatianna's cutlass in his right hand, he dove into the sea.

The water was cold in Winter's frozen embrace, breath immediately falling short in the Svefra's lungs as his legs kicked out beneath him. Again, he called out for Vesh, seeing that the The Waverunner's Fist was a kilometer or more, if not two from the shore. Vesh had to assist him. He forced a breath into his lungs to yell out, "VESH!" Not a moment later, the penguin collided into his side, an oof escaping the Svefra's lips before he grabbed onto it, "Let's go!" The penguin bristled its feathers in the water, Tydus doing his utmost to keep his grip on the slick feathers as the bird began to flap its wings and move its body forward, propelling both Vesh and Tydus forward as the latter began to kick out.

Fifteen chimes of effort passed by, both Tydus and his Tavan far past the point of exhaustion, though finally, they washed on the shore. Violent coughs escaped the Svefra's lips, salt water rose from his trachea. Lungs heaved painfully as he wheezed, rolling over onto his side as the penguin shook out its feathers, curling up on the ground as he waited for Tydus to recover.

"You did good, Vesh... Shyke..."

The Svefra remained on the ground for fifteen chimes before he had the strength to sit up, noting the approaching figure. It had come in the wreckage. "Is that... Ad? AD! Ha!" A bright grin marked the Svefra's lips as he greeted his podmate. A short exchange ensued before the pair walked from Baywatch towards the city of Riverfall, tavan following close behind them.

- Tydus Tempest

by **Adney Tempest** on March 2nd, 2014, 12:38 am

[left]

85th day winter, 513

Adney made it to shore from that long and dreadful swim. He rested for a couple of chimes before sitting up. When he sat up he saw smoke coming from the pod to which he grew up on. He began to cry for a couple of chimes but realized that crying wasn't going to get him anywhere so Adney wiped his tears and got up confidently and began to walk along the shore to see if he can find some form of life or any cities. Fifteen chimes went by and Adney finally found a city known as RiverFall. He was beginning to arrive to the bay watch until Adney heard a familiar voice "Is that... Ad? AD! Ha!" The figure ran towards him to greet him and Adney smiled cheerfully as it was one of his pod mates Tydus. They began to talk a little before they began walking towards the city. From behind Tydus came Vesh his Tavan it was also excited to see Adney.So they walked towards Baywatch and into Riverfall proper, their minds on the acquisition of lodging.

- AdneyTempest

[/center]

by **Grace Lechar** on March 2nd, 2014, 12:50 am

7th of Spring 514AV

It was midmorning when Grace stood towards the back of the ship, leaning on the edge, watching the glistening water. This was how she spent most of her days on the boat. She honestly couldn't figure out why she had wanted to be a sailor so badly when she was young, because the ride had been pure torture. At her feet Jeno lay quietly, his heavy weight leaning up against her leg uncomfortably. He hadn't been fairing any better, he wasn't eating very much the past few weeks and didn't want to play. Just as well, Grace thought silently, she didn't want him interrupting the sailors. She didn't want to be too much of a burden on the ship because she had somewhat cheated the Captain out of her ticket price. It didn't matter, they would be to this city, Riverfall, soon enough. The sailors had told her, in their attempts to flirt with her, that the city was filled with blue men that had two heads. They were supposedly menacing creatures who attacked women. Grace didn't believe them, even if she did she didn't have the money to turn back. Because of this fear Grace had spent her time practicing how to use the only weapon she had, a measly dagger. She wasn't very good at it, but if she needed to defend herself, she could do so.

The usual sound of sailor's shouting across the rough ocean winds, was replaced by a tremendous roaring. Grace inhaled the salty smell of the sea and undid one more button of her cloak, it was the beginning of spring and even though it wasn't warm, the bitter chill of winter had left her bones making her antsy to do something.

"Hey! Lady! Come look at this!" Someone shouted a bit in front of Grace and she looked down to wiggle her foot out form under Jeno, who didn't seem to notice. Leaning down to pat the dog on the head, Grace stepped over him, raising her head to see what was causing the noise. Her eyes flew past the glistening cliff and the gorgeous white stone buildings that snuggled in its grasp to the water that cascaded down the cliff in front of her. Fear coursed through her veins, making her arms stiff as her arm shot out for something to hold onto. She had never seen such a mass of water falling from the sky. Grace could not see the top of the cliff from her view so this was the conclusion she came to. She didn't know what to call this event. It never ended, nor did it seem to have a source. It was frightening. All that water could sweep away the massive ship with ease! A startled gasp exploded from her lips as she stumbled back, her heel catching Jeno in the ribs. She succumbed to gravity, landing hard on her rump, just next to Jeno's head, causing the big dog to startle away from her.

"Oh Jeno! Oh, it's okay boy, nothing to worry about," She opened her arms as the dog walked back to her. Grace clutched the animal's head as she looked up again, the shade of the sails now passed over her head, shielding the view. Her gut reaction was fear but she realized that was a puerile thought, if it was threatening they wouldn't be heading straight for it, right?

"Now, now," She scrubbed the dog's back with her fist, helping him relax before glancing back at the water, still racing off the cliff. Taking a breathe Grace hurried below deck, to get her things before the sailor's began to get the cargo. The ship's captain had wanted to be one of the first to trade this spring, so Grace and the entire crew ground their teeth through the tough winter.

By the time the ship docked and Grace got a chance to say goodbye to the captain and get off the boat, it was mid afternoon. The docks were very busy, her ship wasn't the first one to get in. Many men worked around her lifting heavy crates here and there, while pompous looking merchants bargained deals. But that wasn't the first thing she noticed. What Grace was staring at were the supposed two headed men, the Akalaks. They didn't have two heads, no. they were completely blue, and ambient color on Grace's terms, just as the sailor's had said. That didn't make them any less frightening though. Grace was not short for a human, she was nearly six feet tall, but she was tiny compared to the Dark men towering above her. Shirtless and many bearing scars, the occasional friendly smile did not comfort her. Or Jeno. The dog snarled beside her, not budging, and Grace couldn't find why. He should be attacking these men, like the one a mere two feet away form her that held a crate of some sort of grain in his massive arms. It would take two humans to lift a crate that size but for this man it was little problem to encase in arms around the cargo. Grace realized her white knuckles gripped Jeno's rope collar, keeping him from budging. He wouldn't move unless she allowed him to. Just as well, since she quickly realized none of these men seemed to actually be attacking her like she was told they would.

"Hello there, can I help you with anything?" Grace turned to look behind her, she had to shield her eyes and look up at the man, as her face met his chest, dressed in a worn leather. She shook her hand, her jaw still slack from shock. She actually had quiet a few questions, but no working tongue to ask them with. "Here is a scroll of welcome from the city. It contains a list of our laws, a map of the city, and some advertisements from local businesses that sponsor these scrolls to be made. You can feel free to come in if you agree to our laws and turn this scroll back in when you leave so we can reuse it."

Grace took her hand off of Jeno to grab the paper's, before she remembered why she had it there. She switched the papers to the other hand and gave a sharp two-note whistle to the dog, telling him to sit, before returning to look at the man. Jeno stopped sniffing the man's foot and sat down, all signs of aggression had disappeared. "I, uh, thankyou. I agree to your laws, yes." She opened the scroll and looked at it for a minute, skimming through the text but not paying any attention to any particular one. Except the one that said no abuse of women or children would be tolerated. That contradicted what she had heard about the aggressive advances on women that she was sure to expect. The man, satisfied with her answer, continued on, his eyes searching the crowds again. Sighing, Grace folded the paper, slipping it in her pocket. She glanced around, realizing she did need his help.

"Wait! Sir!" She turned around, tripping over Jeno again, who stood up and followed her, his snarl all but disappeared as his tongue lulled form his mouth. The dog seemed perfectly at ease among the mix of humans and Akalaks, where she was almost the only woman in sight. She caught up to the blue man in front of her, tapping him on the arm where she would normally tap a person on the shoulder.

"Yes?"

"How do I get up there?" She pointed towards the city that not only seemed to be ontop of the cliff but along the sides as well. He stretched his arm out to show her a few set of stairs along the edge of the docks.

"You have a map to refer to Ma'am but you can just follow the stairs. Do you need help with anything else?"

"Yeah, actually. Where do I need to get an apartment? Or a job? Do you have an Employment Office and Welcome Center?"

"Yes, can I see your map?" Grace shifted her backpack so the weight was on her other shoulder and pulled the map out of her pocket. As she unfolded it, she tore the edge a bit, panicked Grace smoothed it out as best she could before holding it out so both her and the Akalak could see. He held one corner of the map and ran his finger along a series of lines, pointing out the route to her. "It's not far and when you get there, ask the Secretary, Malin and Malik, for a housing, employment and Kuvan form. He will get you settled and tell you anything you need to know." Grace nodded, looking back up at the blue man again. She was still in moderate disbelief over his looks, and her eyes tried to absorb every detail of his face. He looked human besides his dark almost midnight blue skin. His teeth were white but his gums were a grey-ish color, a compliment to his blue skin. Something flashed in his eyes made her wary. He didn't seem menacing, but he looked like he had the capability of do some serious harm to her without a second thought. This confused her, considering how friendly and helpful he was. She couldn't find any trace of menace in him, as she had second prior, setting the hair on the back of her neck on end. She grinned past her nervousness and waved to him, looking down at the map again and setting off in the direction she needed to go. This new city was going to be one of her greatest challenges yet.

---

by **Shijara** on March 2nd, 2014, 2:09 am

snow

I'll be crushed

Woah.

by **Xira Hezmek** on March 2nd, 2014, 11:55 pm

8th of Spring, 514 AV

By then Xira and Snow had made it off the ship and onto the dock proper. Getting the windrunner off the ship was surprisingly easier than on it. Xira like to think that the pale mare was happy to get off the ship after being cooped up for 45 days, half a season. All dressed up in her tack and gear, their supplies and Kavala's delivery, she paraded herself around until the courier regained the reins and led her into the harbor proper.

He had seen the city earlier on the ship but now that he was actually there he was stupefied. He actually had made the trip. His first trip beyond the city and he came to a gem. If there was an antithesis for the city of peace, order and civilization it was this city of water. A peculiar, blue man walked up to him and introduced himself. He had heard of the Akalak from sailors on his voyage but it was stunning to see that their tales were not wild and outrageously tall. The short speech he gave felt well worn and used, probably repated many times. "Hello there, can I help you with anything? Here is a scroll of welcome from the city. It contains a list of our laws, a map of the city, and some advertisements from local businesses that sponsor these scrolls to be made. You can feel free to come in if you agree to our laws and turn this scroll back in when you leave so we can reuse it." He naturally agreed to abiding the laws. Laws were a part of life and he would gladly uphold them. But it was his turn to ask questions.

"My name is Xira Hezmek, I am a courier from Syliras. Can you direct me towards a konti named Kavala? I have a delivery for her." The Akalak nodded. "She is a local business owner, a healer and horse trainer, on the map you need to go to the place marked Sanctuary and inquire there." He had a polite, neutral expression as he said this but Xira felt that for this man it was the closest he would get to a full blown smile. The map would be the most useful to him as he had a tendency to get lost even in his own city.

With the scroll in hand and reins in the other he made his way into the city itself.

by **Adi Skyglow** on March 5th, 2014, 7:56 pm

Riverfall
5 Spring
514 AV

Leth's influence was drawing to a close across Mizahar. The city of Riverfall was beginning to wake up to the 5th of Spring, and the sky was slowly growing lighter and lighter. As these familiar things came to be, a change prepared to take place. A change in the form of a new visitor to Riverfall.

A white horse and its rider, simple cloak flowing behind them, swiftly approached the gates of the cliff-side city. As they drew closer to the main gates, the horse slowed, eventually stopping a few feet from the gates themselves. The rider dismounted then, taking the horse's reins with their left hand. The figure walked the next few feet to the gates slowly, whispering quiet reassurances to the horse it rode in on.

Two Akalak watched the figure approach. They were cautious-the figure was of indiscernible gender and wore a cloak. As the figure stepped off the horse, the cloak's hood fell off their head, revealing dark hair tied in a braid. A woman, then? She turned around then to face the guards, her face a still pond with the capacity to change in an instant. Her right arm was held stiffly to her side even as she walked. No smile crossed her face when she approached the front gates.

The Akalak on the right held a scroll towards her and her horse, though he said nothing. It was the Akalak on the left who greeted her. "Welcome, traveler. Here is a scroll of welcome from the city. It contains a list of our laws, a map of the city, and some advertisements from local businesses that sponsor these scrolls to be made. You can feel free to come in if you agree to our laws and turn this scroll back in when you leave so we can reuse it." The woman nodded to them both, awkwardly raising her right arm without bending it to take the scroll. She lowered it slowly, not bothering to look at it then. "I agree to your laws. I'll return the scroll upon my departure from Riverfall." She carefully opened the map then, wincing as she moved her right hand. "Can you point me towards the Sanctuary? I've a horse that needs a stable."

She set off through the gates then, reins still clutched tightly in her left hand. First she would find this Sanctuary. Her horse needed plenty of rest.

by **Aquia Tempest** on March 10th, 2014, 3:51 am

90th of Winter, 5013 A.V.

Clinging onto Ta'ara's back as well as she could, the slippery grey-black skin of the porpoise providing her with little grip, Aquia stared at the port of Riverfall through the Sea Gates. The view was breathtaking and a completely new and strange sight to the young Svefra, especially from the rather peculiar angle that riding on the back of an aquatic mammal provides, and it completely made her forget about her worries of the past day relinquish its hold.

The pristine state of the city, covered and decked out in its winter attire, was brilliant! Having only seen the fluffy substance on the occasion, having spent most of her life at sea, Aquia was mesmerised by the amount of white that blanketed the view that greeted her as the Sea Gates drew closer. Although the water drew cooler and more biting as she approached Riverfall, Aquia ignored it for the small pleasure of seeing the unfamiliar solidified beauty surround her.

All too soon, Aquia arrived at the port in that peculiar manner of porpoise riding. Surrounded by the hustle and bustle that was characteristic of most, if not all, Ports, the young Tempest floated on the back of her Tavan for a few moments longer, soaking up the sight of snow from point-blank before an Akalak, presumed by the girl as the man, or one of many of them, who managed the port in a way, helped her off her Tavan with a gentle lift. Aquia did not weigh much, merely 38 kilograms, so it was no surprise for her to find herself lifted from the waters and on to land with little evident effort from the very well muscled bluish skinned man.

With a light chuckle from the man, he began his ritual sequence of "Hello there, can I help you with anything?" To that, Aquia was quite sure he knew the answer; she was sopping wet, soaked to the bone in the salted waters and quite obviously shivering. Before he continued, and much to the girls surprise and refusal, the Akalak removed his winter cloak and draped it across her shoulders, the broad cloak carrying with it a warmth most welcoming to her body.
"Here is a scroll of welcome from the city," he continued, passing the said scroll to her, "it contains a list of our laws, a map of the city, and some advertisements from local businesses that sponsor these scrolls to be made." Stopping for the moment to allow her to absorb the piece of information into her slowly thawing mind, the Akalak watched her patiently and expectantly for signs of approval to continue, to which she gave very soon after.
"You can feel free to come in if you agree to our laws and turn this scroll back in when you leave so we can reuse it."

With that, the Akalak was gone before Aquia could even shout out that she would return to give him back his cloak when she no longer had use of it, explaining to herself that this is because he was most likely going to one day come to find her to reclaim the cloak. Aquia were like most of her race when it came to belongings, the Svefra were raised without that rather important sense of "ownership", but she was quite different from them when it came to the subject of "need". Believing that anything that someone gives to her which they were wearing or using moments before was needed by them more than her even if that was not true, Aquia made for a very interesting Svefra. She returns any items that she uses to the person before her, especially after she obtained the same item from a person who definitely, and assuredly, did not need it.

Staring at the place that the Akalak left behind for a few chimes, her mind churning over on how to meet the man again to return his cloak, Aquia left the Port. Opening the scroll after her 20th-or-so step on the solid surface of the Port, the young, and oddly short, Tempest followed the map with her meager Common, the paths and labels taking her wherever it may.

OOCThis has yet to be inserted, and edited, into a Flashback

- Aquia Tempest

Courtesy of Garret Sawyer

by **Aria Fyron** on March 14th, 2014, 4:55 pm

Aria gently pulled the horse to a stop, stopping in sight of Riverfall. She smiled slightly, eyes full of wonder at the sight. She stared at the city, then looking surprised as her horse neighed, and she looked down at him, then realized there was a Akalak. She was slightly surprised by the guy’s appearance, and he smiled, looking amused.

“Hello there, can I help you with anything? Here is a scroll of welcome from the city-” He passed the scroll to Aria’s free hand, and continued speaking- “it contains the laws, a map of the city, and some advertisements for the local businesses that sponsor these scrolls to be made.” She nodded, blushing. “ Sorry for that.. uhm.. look.” He laughed, looking a bit more amused. “ It’s fine, it usually happens.” And nodded. “ I’ll return this once I leave, thank you!” She smiled again, before letting her horse walk to the gates, taking a glance at the map to find the stables, then guiding her horse gently to the stables.

by **Odiv Marsen** on March 15th, 2014, 8:03 pm

It had seemed like such a good idea at first. Leave the city that had killed both his parents, sail away to lands of adventure and mystery, all the while making a name for himself. He had given the thrice damned Akalak captain of this grain transport to Riverfall the fare he wanted for a little cot at the back of the hold and meals morning and evening. Little did he realize that he had signed on for an endless torment the likes Yahal would reserve for betrayers. This wooden prison never stopped moving, rolling left and right, bobbing up and down, rocking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth...

*HURCK*

There went the little bit of bread and water he had managed to hold down, into the bucket that had become his only faithful companion on this trip. Every story he had heard had said that traveling by sea was an amazing experience. The wind in your hair, the amazing sunrises and sunsets, the fresh sea air. So far some storm or another had chased them all the way from Syliras, making his little hole at the back of the ship move every direction imaginable. Then one of the few times when the storms broke and Odiv felt well enough to go out on deck, that blue skinned tormentor of a captain decided to go fishing. Needless to say the smell of fish guts chased Odiv first to the rail of the ship then back to his cot, much to the amusement of the crew.

Now a new sound had crept into his private torment, a roaring that had started at the edge of hearing and slowly grew until there was no ignoring it. What was it now; a giant whirlpool to swallow the ship and send it to the bottom of the sea, a sea monster that was right now preparing to smash the ship into a million pieces, or the next Valterrian tearing the world to pieces? At this point he would welcome any of them. Another sound came to him through his misery; that bellowing blue bullfrog of a captain was shouting orders to bring the ship into dock. Could it be? Had Odiv's day of deliverance finally arrived!?

Stomach forgotten, Odiv threw on his coat, strapped his sword to his back and slid his arms through the straps of his back pack. Before dashing out of the "cabin" Odiv glanced back to make sure he left nothing. Cot, good riddance. Bucket and its contents, a gift to the fine captain. Nope, nothing he could live without. Hurrying up the ladders to the top deck, Odiv is brought to a stop at what he sees before him.

Never was a city so properly named as Riverfall. A great river threw itself over a cliff side hundreds of feet in the air to come cascading down into a bay, a great cloud of mist anything that came close with a blanket of moisture. Wiping his wet hair out of his eyes, Odiv tore his gaze away from the mighty falls to the city that seemed to grow from the cliffs surrounding the falls. Hailing from Syliras with it focus on utility and defense, Odiv was not prepared for the piece of art that was Riverfall. The domes gracing so many of the buildings, balconies covered with hanging gardens, and upon closer inspection, the many smaller waterfall within the city itself.

Odiv is jarred out of his inspection of the city by the bellicose bass of the captain. "So have you decided to stay on with us? Im sure I can find you a spot to work up in the look out." Looking up where the captain was pointing in the rigging, Odiv's stomach does a small flip flop. Pulling the straps on his backpack snug, he replies "As generous as your offer is... I think I'll get off here." Walking down the gangplank, the laughter of the captain and crew ringing in his ears, Odiv sets foot on the docks of Riverfall. His manner marking him new he is quickly accosted by an Akalak official and given his scroll of rules and points of interest. Thanking the official, Odiv steps out of the way of traffic and peruses the scroll.

by **Sunette** on March 20th, 2014, 6:19 pm

Date: 27th of Spring, 514 AV

After traveling for who knows how long, a group of five Symenestra (two short of their initial party size because of… "beasts") approached the city on horseback. Two men, three women, and among them was Sunette riding near the center of the group. She was hungry, exhausted, and sore from riding for so long. The constant bouncing was ridiculously painful after a while-- Talk about a chapped ass. The trip had been mostly uneventful combat-wise, but it was truly interesting for those in the group that had never left Kalinor. The sky is an interesting thing for individuals that have never been somewhere without a ceiling. Scary, almost.

Sunette, however, found something beautiful about it. She watched it constantly, admiring the way it changed through the day, the sun traveling across the sky, the stars shining above. It was mystical. She couldn't wait to get into the city and find someone who knew more about it than she did. She wanted to read about it. But, more than that, she just wanted to finally be inside the gates. She wasn't here to join their Harvest, she was here to lose them. She was here to have safe passage out of Kalinor so she could start a life somewhere else. She was tired of the dark, dreary cave city she'd known her entire life. Had she known the outside world was this beautiful, she would have left so much sooner.

The hooves of the entourage clipped and clopped on the bridge leading to the gate, each Symenestra looking around and taking in the sights. The river rushed and Sunette's smile reached from ear to ear. She couldn't control herself and a small squeal escaped her throat. Her heart rushed and she forgot all about the pain in her rear and the emptiness in her stomach was filled with butterflies.

Before approaching eye-shot of the guards, the party split-- The men would be killed on sight, so they would find a cave on the bluffs and send word in any way they could. The three women continued forward. Upon reaching the gates, the group was offered the scroll and the obviously practiced speech from the guards, the eldest woman of the group rode forward and accepted the scroll.
We need no help beyond what this scroll can provide. We thank you deeply for your assistance.

And, with that, the gates were opened and the female portion of the party proceeded inward. Upon entering the gates, the ladies reached a stable and boarded their horses, and Sunette quickly and subtly made her escape at the first opportunity.

Thread	Date	XP Earned
Touch The Waves	(Midday) 29th of Spring, 514 AV	In progress
A New Beginning Amongst The Blue Men	(Midnight) 28th-29th of Spring, 514 AV	In Progress
Always My Thoughts And The Moon	(Midnight) 31st of Spring, 514 AV	In Progress
Shop Till You Drop	(Midday) 32st of Spring, 514 AV	In progress
The Fairer Sex	(Night) 35th of Spring, 514 AV	In Progress
Friendship and Cravings	42nd of Spring, 514 AV	In Progress

Location [Riverfall] The Land and Sea Gates