Location [Riverfall] The Land and Sea Gates

[Evalin]

53rd of Fall, 514 AV
Location: Sea Gates

Evalin had begun to grow weary of the constant rocking of the ship, day in and day out. It never stopped, never slowed. A steady motion and rhythm which would increase in intensity at times and then return once more to how it was before. If Evalin were still of the living she might have found sickness to overcome her, but as she was not there was only an irritation at the repetitiveness of the motions.

"Ready am I to leave this tedious journey and step foot on land once more..."

To the side Evalin heard a retching sound, and did not bother to look at the large man bending over the railing to relieve himself of his latest meal. Straightening, holding onto the railing for support, Gresshal wipped his mouth with the back of his hand, unfocused eyes glaring at Evalin, "Yeah, you are not the only one. Dhani were never meant to travel on the sssea."

This of course made the nuit smile and she pushed back her hood to smirk at the Dhani, "Perhaps it is only you who holds such a weakness. Now take up my belongings. We are docking."

Today Evalin wore her child form, her dark black hair falling in straight locks bast her shoulders. Thin and deathly pale, she looked like a child who bore some long sickness and never quite recovered. This was in part true, though perhaps not as most would suspect. As the plank was lowered and passengers began to depart Evalin took up her staff, leaning it against her shoulder and waving absently for Gresshal to follow. The Dhani hefted a medium sized trunk on his human shoulders, a grumble in his eyes though his lips were silent.

Upon the docks Evalin was quickly greeted by one of the large, very large, blue giants of Riverfall. He towered many heads above her own, but seemed to not give Evalin a second glance, instead moving to talk with Gresshal instead.

He sees you as a child it would seem, in the care of your own servant. the amusement in the Irylid's voice was apparent, but the Immortal ignored and and turned her back on Gresshal who was speaking with the Akalak.

Closing her eyes Evalin took in a deep breath, the scent of this place filling her senses as she heard and felt a whole new world around her. It was strange, completely different from the caves and tunnels and the Jungle in which Evalin had found herself for the last year. It was busy and bustling, bodies moving about, laughter in the distance and smiles... It made something in her stir somewhat.

Blinking her eyes open Evalin shook her head, pressing her palm against her temple as she furrowed her brow.

Is something wrong?

After a tick Evalin shook her head, lowering her hand to gently stroke the icy gem on her chest, No. It was nothing.

"Come Gresshal, let us be off." She stated, heading into the city. The Dhani came quickly behind, hefting the chest into a more comfortable position on his shoulder, doing his best to avoid running into anyone as he tried to keep up with his Master's small frame.

[Zarkaia]

Riverfall

Zarkaia was relaxed and quite within the hull of a ship heading towards Riverfall the journey had been unpleasant to the small pyco that snuck on board the vessel at first but he now enjoyed it away form stress and life just crossing the sea until the boat reached its distension he had a piece of clay in his hand but then heard a few voices saying that they have docked " time to go" he said to himself before sneaking off the ship.

"Welcome to Riverfall" he heard a human man say as the crew began unpacking while Zarkaia went to the gates he was spotted by two guards but they did not see him as a threat so he walked on through the gates exited and in awe of this place "well il be staying here for a while" he said to himself.

The pyco now wandered the streets making sure not to be stepped on looking for somewhere to put a tiny tent he saw a market place and got inside a stall before setting it down and eating some clay he was stuck here for now being a living clay statue he would need to find someone nice to stay with.

[Ebbagale Tidemount]

1 Fall 514 A.V. Inevitably the falls of Riverfall never failed to leave Ebbagale breathless. And as she carefully maneuvered her casinor through the ever shifting labyrinth of arriving ships, she found the primal beauty of the cliff side city no less arresting than she remembered. Of all the ports that her pod frequented this was, by far and large, her most favorite. There was simply something about the city that stirred her soul, much as the falls churned the waters of the bay. And as she docked her ship, she felt a swell, like a great ocean wave, at all the possibilities that the city may hold for her. Almost immediately she was met with an old, familiar greeting. "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." There was something welcoming and comfortable in the invariably routine greeting. Ebb flashed the Akalak her most fetching smile, and took the scroll. She needn't read it. The rules of the city were almost as familiar to her as the sails of her casinor, but she gave it the once over nonetheless; if only for decorum. "Thank you." the Svefra answered in practiced Tukant, and giggled as the male arched a brow in mild surprise. "I do and I shall." With a polite nod she tucked the scroll into the inner pocket of her jacket and produced from it the necessary documentation for her ship. The typical entourage of dockworkers was, surprisingly, yet to descend upon her vessel. However, Ebb was familiar enough with the port's protocols and procedures that she was prepared nonetheless. Perhaps they were predisposed with the larger freight ships. Or perhaps a vessel such as The Wave Horse did not require the same scrutinization and documentation as passenger ships or freighters. Either way, she wanted to be absolutely sure that her assets were properly secured according to the city's high standards. Handing the slip of parchment to the Akalak she continued, "I am the captain of this vessel, and will require docking space for at least three days, possibly longer. With whom should I enquire to settle the necessary fees?" With a polite smile the man handed her a form and a list of fees / services. A few minutes later Ebbagale handed back the completed form and one gold Miza - enough to cover the necessary fees and provide a fair cushion should she overstay the estimated three days. With the Akalak's assurance that everything was in order, Ebbagale tipped her hat and made for the city's entrance, the remaining arrangements which still needed to be made weighing heavy on her mind. There was much to do before she could settle in... Much to do. ....

[Kalina]

43rd Day of Fall, 514AV

The Gates were busy; people were bustling back and forth, lifting crates and shifting them around. The noises were completely unlike anything that the little Kelvic had experienced at the port on the island of Sahova. No, whilst those events had been just as frightening as this arrival, there had appeared to be a deathly silence over the port. Maybe the antisocial time of arrival had had something to do with that, compared to the rush of the early afternoon excitement in Riverfall.

The Kelvic, though in human form, whined as though she were a feline. In such a form, the girl appeared to be about fourteen or fifteen winters old, and it would have been evident to any intelligent onlooker, who bothered to examine the girl for more than a tick or two, that she was frightened.

Ravok was what she had been told. Following her new guardian, her saviour, Annalisa. More importantly, she knew that Ravok meant that she would be returning home at last. Perhaps returning to find her Master, whom she had left in Zeltiva. After meeting Clyde, she had been so sure that she would find the Black Sun Agent again, and return safely to his protection. Her nightmare would be over.

Riverfall, however, was not Ravok.

Despair hit the shifter like a tonne of bricks. Once again she was somewhere unknown, foreign, and she was alone.
*

[Ayianie]

12th Day of Fall, 514 A.V

It was almost like Ayianie wished she hadn't left her beloved deserts in the first place. She was drenched, she had never experienced so much rain in her travels. Black, stringy hair stuck to her face and body. Nopah was enjoying himself more than usually. He large head was high up and his ears were perked up.

The dog's long tail continuously crashed into the Chaktawe's leg as it swished to and fro, even whilst sitting down. The painted black ban around her eyes had already either crumbled off her skin or was washed away. In the dead of night she was forced off the ferry. Large, muscular Akalak men watched the Chaktawe, as though she would attack at any moment. With Nopah by her side she placed her hand softly on his writhes, taking a deep breath, Ayianie was stopped quickly. This man, he statued well past her head, explained everything to her.

Only using the best common language she could, listed her intentions and he handed her a scroll. After telling her what was continued inside she was allowed into the city. Fearfully she inhaled and patted Nopah on the head a few times and his propeller-like tail begun to wag once more. There was no telling what this city had in store for her but, with Himez and her companion by her side she felt safe enough.

[Aesil]

Aesil 3rd day of Fall, 514 AV Dust and grime from the road stained Aesil's upper body as he passed the orchards outside Riverfall, and the rush of water sounding in the distance was a small relief after lengthy travel across Mizahar. Fatigue revealed itself through his scowl, despite his renewed vigor at coming upon civilization. Kabrin road hadn't been fortuitous for Aesil, and the men he promised gold to accompany him to the waterfall ridden city. They had come upon a carcass; a result of a pack of jet black night lions who hadn't been entirely finished. During their altercation with the beasts, his two men were injured, and one was eaten alive viscously while they ran. The other man had bled far too much as they rode and died as well. Such was the struggle of the traveling man, and the life Aesil chose. His gelding trotted slowly down Kabrin road until it forked off towards the city where he pulled on the reins, stopping to take in the beauty in the architecture. He always admired structures of cities not built into mountains or volcanos. It took more finesse, and a standard of architectural beauty to build walls and structures such as these. Not to mention the rumors he had heard that the Bluevein river flowed straight through the city into the Suvan sea. He heard the river to the south a bit further, and could make out a ferry from where he sat halted on his gelding, indicating the rumors were true. I should make my way inside. I will need a new party to accompany me to another city anyway, he thought as he pulled the reins in the direction of the city gates where two muscular, armored Akalak guards stood waiting for him. His weary scowl persisted as he approached causing the two guards to stir nervously. He stopped in front of them requesting access to the fair city of Riverfell, and they handed him a scroll that when opened revealed a map, laws of the city, and advertisements for local business. The two men explained that if he agreed to the city's law and to return the scroll when he departed, he was welcome. After parsing the document for a few moments, and a few snorts from his mount, he agreed wearily to the agreement. The Akalak that handed him the scroll nodded, and called to his fellows behind the gate to open it. As it opened, he squeezed his legs against his gelding lightly, and made his way through. He was still weary, but with a mind set at ease by the rock walls of a beautiful city he'd never seen before.

[Byron Allestor]

Fall 60th 514 AV, Noon
Location: The Sea Gates

The ship that carried its passengers had been filled with a bit of excitement among the crew members as their vessel had almost made its berth, those that were passengers aboard this transport had already started to collect their personal items as the interior of the ship creaked and moaned with the waves. Ever since they had started this journey there had been hopes dueled against doubts, mainly because the older brother of the two wasn't sure if they would find any promising leads in this new unexplored territory they were about to enter. Beyond the borders of Lhavit the world had always remained a mystery for them, the only enlightenment of its existence prominent in musty old tomes and the shared word of the common ear. Yet to have actually put behind the very home they grew up in, all in an effort to go on this quest for a means to save his little brother...

That was the reason they were on this boat now. "All right, looks like we've arrived." Byron remarked as everyone seemed to shuffle up on deck, in a few chimes they too would be out in the broad of daylight and ready to great the big blue sky, only something else stood tall before them as their eyes adjusted to the brightness of Syna's rays. Awe was shared between the two brothers as a city towered above them, it resided from the top of the cliffs and all the way down to the area of the sea they came from. They had officially arrived in Riverfall, the first stop in their journey for finding a "cure" of a sort. "So that's Riverfall then, pretty big to look at."

"You seem pretty excited about this." Tailen pointed out as they made their first steps on the docks.

"N'aah, I'm just ready to get off the boat is all." Byron shrugged the notion off with a stretch of his arms, a sigh to follow as he felt the tension in his limbs loosen while they were approached.

"Hello there, can I help you with anything?" A big blue colored man approached them with a curious grin on his face, as the boys looked up at the giant that towered over them. He's big.... and he's blue. The boy mused in fascination as there existed a moment of silence, that is until Byron managed to clear his throat before he addressed the jolly blue giant.

"Well we are new to Riverfall after all and we've had a long trip, mind telling us were we can get some food and rest?" He inquired in what he meant to be a humble manner, though he felt unsure about the proper form of interaction here in this foreign land.

"Well, we've several places you might like. Here is a scroll of welcome from the city, as 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 large man instructed as he handed the boys a scroll, the two opened it to find the laws that he so happened to mention. After a few moments of glancing over these laws the two returned their gaze to the larger man, simultaneous nods followed as they agreed to follow these alleged laws they were presented. On that note the large man grinned and wandered off to greet other new arrivals, which left the two boys to head off into this new and interesting place they'd arrived in.

[Shane Wallsly]

Timestamp: 50th of Fall, 514 AV

Shane's eyes popped open. The repetitive rolling and lulling of the ship that had once been foreign to him and was now practically the essence of life had been interrupted. He had felt a bump. His mind instantly clicked on to a piece of information. Riverfall had been in sight when he had started his nap. The bump, though it could have perhaps been a number of things, was sure to be the boat hitting the dock. They had arrived!

Shane jumped out of his swinging hammock and grabbed his Traveller's Chest by the handles. All of his earthly possessions were in this one chest and he'd been sure to pack up anything he might have been using over the trip earlier. He was ready to go and anxious he was to. He so surely missed the feel of dry land beneath him. Everything was rocking, moving, never stopping out on the water. It was a strange, strange feeling sometimes. He belonged on land. That was a given.

Shane pulled along his traveller's chest and climbed the stairs up to the top deck. The sun glared at him. Ever since they had happened into the waters of Cyphrus the sun had been a near constant companion to them. It was, by contrast to Syliras, almost like Summer again. In fact Shane felt as if the weather actually rivalled some of the greatest summers of Syliras. Which was mazing to him to see in the Fall of all times. He wondered if the good weather continued into the Winter.

When Shane was done getting the glare out of his eyes a precious sight met his eyes. There it was. Riverfall! The giant waterfall that gave the city it's name. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Shane's eyes swept across it hungrily and then moved on to the white-washed buildings and lush greenery situated along the cliff side running his eyes down and then sweeping back to the docks. This was when he noticed perhaps the oddest thing he had ever seen. Masses of hulking manly men with skin of all shades from blue to green to purple and all with rippling manly muscles displayed clearly by their lack of upper clothing.

Shane's jaw dropped and for the longest time he wanted to stay on the boat. If anything could prove to a man that he had arrived somewhere completely alien it was perhaps the sight of so many giant, hulking, manly Akalak.

[Athaera]

The following are me trying to figure out the Style feature.

83rd of Fall, 514 AV

The walls of Riverfall had been in Athaera's field of vision the whole day, but she'd finally reached them. "We're here," Athaera muttered to Shae, and the horse snorted in return. The vantha laughed a bit, stroking the mixed breed's mane. She'd made it a habit of talking to the horse, as she had nobody else to talk to. And, as far as Athaera could tell, Shae was a good listener. The Vantha recalled the endless evenings spent with the horse laying down with her legs under her body, with Athaera's head resting on the horse's body. She would tell the horse anything that came to mind, and it was, on occasion, the only thing that kept the huntress from going insane. Other nights, they would spend hours silent, and Shae had become Athaera's friend.

Sometimes, Athaera felt the horse knew more about her than she knew about herself. She always wondered what was concealed behind the horse's inability to speak. Before she'd bought her horse, she'd seen animals as food, or tools to aid in everyday activities, not as living, breathing creatures. But Shae was definitely intelligent. She was Athaera's equal, if not superior.

The gates were nearly before Athaera, as two red-skinned guards came into view. Athaera recognized them as Aka-- what were they called again? Right. Akalak. The shorter of the two handed her a sheet of paper. In an evidently rehearsed fashion, he said, "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."

Athaera took it from his hand, giving the akalak a polite smile and nod. "Thank you." She walked inside the gates, leaning against a wall so she could browse over the paper. She didn't read the laws, but assumed they were fairly generic, and took a quick look over the map. No, it was the sponsors that interested her. If she was lucky, the vantha could find an advertisement for a place to stay. It took repeated skimming and re-reading, but Athaera finally found a square that had "Atri's Place" written on it. it would be convenient and temporary, and it was very affordable. Taking a look at the map, Athaera set off to find her temporary lodgings.

[Marion Kay]

1 Winter 514 AV
8th Bell
Sea Gates

It had been, what, nearly two years since she last set foot on a ship? That hiatus had been killer on Marion's sea legs. She would have liked to ride into the bay comfortably seated in the passenger bay, but the handful of other travelers had sent her out on deck as soon as they saw the first signs of seasickness in her paled flesh. Now the chilled sea wind lashed at her lithe form as she stood huddled against the rail of the ship, and she struggled to hold both herself up and her coat closed.

Her usual loose smirk had hardened into a frown, and she raised a hand to wipe the windblown hair from her face in case she needed to retch. Again. This was not the kind of first impression she'd been wanting to make, showing up all ill and wobbly-kneed. Still, she had to be marginally grateful that she had the chance to watch the city as they approached -- she was sure the view was only fully appreciable from sea. Of course, she'd probably appreciate it more under different circumstances, but that couldn't be helped.

Still the city, for all its glory, could only hold her squinted gaze for a few moments at a time before her body succumbed to the queasiness once again, he head slumping against the wood of the rail. Deckhands scrambled to and fro behind her, readying the ship for port. Marion was content to wallow in her misery until they reached dry land, idly wondering if she ought to simply become a fish and swim to shore herself, but she was interrupted by a hesitant hand at her back.

"You okay?"

At the same moment she was wracked with another sudden upheaval. She lurched forward over the water slightly, clamping a hand down over her mouth as she managed to fight back the sickness. At this, a second unseen hand came up to rest on her shoulder, and Marion slapped it away as she regained control of her systems and turned her head to glare at the person. "Pretty stupid question to ask, don't you think?"

It was a young man, one of her fellow travelers, who had come to check on her -- his name was Cyrus or Linus or something like that. Her temper flared twofold because one, she felt miserable and was therefore already in a foul mood, and two, he was one of the ones who had exiled her to this wretched deck where she was exposed to the elements. He recoiled for a tick, dropped his hands before moving to lean on the railing next to her, his arms crossing against the wood as he bent forward. He stood like that for a few moments, silently gazing out at the city, before Marion grew more agitated.

"Oh for petch's sake, what do you want Cyrus?"

"My name's Linus."

"That's what I said."

"Sure." He paused for a few more ticks before speaking again, and there was a wistful tone to his voice, "Isn't it beautiful? The city, I mean."

Marion's brow knitted in annoyance, a particularly snarky edge making its way into her voice. "Really? You're bothering me just because you want to talk about the landscape?"

Linus gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Ah, no. I just kinda felt bad for having to kick you out." He turned back to face her with an apologetic half-smile. "Y'know, we've all been traveling on this ship together and I almost feel as if we've all kind bonded. I don't want this trip to end on a bad note for anyone."

"First off, you didn't have to do anything. And, uh, no. I am so entirely not in the mood to have a heart-to-heart, so just stop it right there." Now Marion was just as confused as she was annoyed and ill. Where was this coming from? This guy had kept to himself for the vast majority of the trip -- she could count on one hand the number of times she'd spoken to him before now. And there certainly wasn't as strong as a kinship as he was describing between any of the passengers.

He frowned, seeming genuinely dejected by her words. "Alright, well, okay." He shrugged again, offering her a small pat on the shoulder as he turned away. "Just know that I'm here for ya." And, with that, he disappeared once more below deck.

That had been odd, to say the least, but before Marion could dwell on it too long, her stomach twisted into a knot and sent her dry-heaving over the rail once more.

.....

Nearly thirty chimes later and Marion was comfortably back on land, if a little worse for wear. The passengers had disbanded almost immediately, and she hadn't seen Linus at all after the ship had docked. So much for that sense of bonding, she thought sardonically, grunting as she hauled her overstuffed backpack to her shoulders. Once she'd settled, she allowed herself to take in her surroundings. The morning air was crisp, far more fresh than anything she'd ever breathed in Sunberth, and perhaps even cleaner than at Syliras. The architecture was like nothing she'd seen before, and her eyes followed the city ever upwards as it stretched above.

She sincerely hoped she wouldn't have to trek to the top to find a place to stay. Surely not -- it always made the most sense to put inns nearest to the city entrances. And if anyone knew the nearest inn, it would be the sailors.

"'Ey!" she called out to a particularly broad-shouldered fellow. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail, his body swathed in grey seafaring garb. Of course, he had his back turned to her and, if he'd heard her call out, he likely assumed it had been to someone else. "'Ey, Ponytail." She tried once more, now striding towards the hulking man. He was looking down at a piece of parchment, probably an inventory list, but his head now jerked up, recognizing the nickname. As he spun to face her, Marion stopped her advance.

His skin. It was green.

Not the sickly green she had come to know well during her days at sea, but the pure, vivid green of Spring leaves. When they had said Riverfall was full of colorful men, she'd thought they'd been talking about their personalities. But no. They were literally colorful.

The green man (was he a man, or something else?) appraised her similarly, though with considerably less shock than she was currently displaying. He arched an eyebrow, a wry grin spreading across his face as he greeted her. "Yes? New to the city, are we?" His voice was thickly accented but clear, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Something like that. Can you point me towards the nearest inn?"

"That'd be the Kulkukan." He paused, eyes flickering to something over Marion's shoulders. "Ah, here's the welcoming party," he chortled, bobbing his head. "He'll have a map for you." He turned back to work. Marion turned to where he'd indicated, and was immediately greeted with more colorful flesh -- pale blue this time -- attached to another giant of a man. Without missing a beat (and before she'd had time to fully assess him), this new man launched into a spiel that was obviously well-rehearsed, yet still enthusiastic.

"Hello there, newcomer! I see you're already getting to know the locals." He shared a sidelong wink with the green man before continuing, offering a small scroll for Marion to take. "Here's a little scroll of welcome from the city." She took it gingerly, a sideways grin spreading across her lips. This was a nice change; everywhere else she'd been, people were mostly left to fend for themselves once they arrived in the city. She'd barely set foot here and they were already highest up on the list as far as hospitality went. She spread the paper in her hands, scanning over it as he went on.

"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."

"Yeah, okay," she chimed absentmindedly, taking a peek at the city's rules without actually reading them. Laws were such an arbitrary thing, but she'd tell him what he needed to hear.

The blue man nodded in approval and, with that, the city was hers to roam.