Quest Fire In The Sky (Grandfathered)

[Gossamer]

Fall 516 AV – Morwen’s Domain Linked To Avanthal

The Kelvic slowly and dramatically rose through the floor of Morwen’s massive office. He breached the stone like a ghost in his animal form, sliding through the ice-kissed marble without disturbing it, one claw at a time. He heaved himself from the earth like a lumbering giant, curling up and minding the space in the office before he shifted into his human form. Mueir. He was one of Morwen’s grandson’s finest works. Gifted to her ages ago, the Velispar had grown larger over time, its age as infinite as the Goddess’ herself. As a human he still looked young, no more than twenty, though in excellent physical shape and with a shock of ice white hair that matched his scales. It had been nice of Marcus to think of Morwen when the egg had hatched and the vicious little hatchling had gleamed in ice white and shades of blue like Morwen’s Palace. In a way, Mueir was one of the last remnants of Marcus that Morwen had. And though he was firmly bonded with the Goddess, they’d been through a great deal and faithfully throughout the years Mueir had kept Marcus’ search ongoing, still looking for his lost twin, Morwen’s grandauther.

The Kelvic strode across the stone, ascended the small dais that Morwen’s desk was perched on, and circled it to run his hands across the tense Goddess’ shoulders. He softly nuzzled her cheek with his own, filling her senses with the exotic spice of an Earth Velispar and comforting her as only a bondmate to a Goddess could.

“Is all well in this world?” He asked, leaning a hip against her icestone desk and meeting her gaze with his wise icy blue eyes.

Morwen sighed, nodded, and met Mueir’s gaze. “Yes. Surprisingly. My city and my children are doing well. Winter is coming and I look forward to getting out of here to enjoy the world. We have had a bumper crop of Icewatch Bears born. Like I said, Surprisingly good. Even Yshul visited. And we didn’t fight. I was happy about that.” She said, reaching out to stroke the Velispar’s arm and run a finger along his jawline to scratch just where Mueir liked it. The Velispar trilled deep in his throat then reached down and took both of Morwen’s hands.

“I have news. After such a long and winding road that has taken me far from this place and all too often far from you, I have news.” Mueir said gently.

Morwen froze. This was never how his debriefings went. Nothing. That’s how they went. After all this time, he had found nothing. She’d been prepared for it and was going to keep him by her side this time for a longer period before asking him to look again, explore one more place. Mueir, after all, looked tired and worn. And he’d been out longer than usual.

“News?” The Goddess blinked, confused, not knowing how to process what Mueir was saying after all this time.

Mueir knew not to withhold or play any games with her. He got straight to the point as the Goddess clutched her quill in her hand, not noticing the nervous twitch that caused her jar of silvery glittering ink to spill across whatever document she was writing in.

“Yes. I’ve found her. Myrna is alive.” He said simply, and waited as the Goddess drew a huge breath and then let it out, not expecting this at all. Her eyes darted across the room and fell on a long table of Icestone that was partially transparent. Through the glass she could see what the table, which was actually not a table but more of a coffin, contained. Her grandson, Marcus, rested suspended, pulled from his fortress and saved from the deadly results of the Valterrian moments before all that he had built had been destroyed. Not dead. Sleeping. Waiting. The man had been half a man without his sister and Morwen had dedicated her life to trying to fix that when she wasn’t carrying out her seasonal duties as the Goddess of Winter.

“She is like him. Held. Suspended between life and death. I cannot touch her. But others could. You could. Maybe She could as well.” Mueir never called Yshul by her name. The two had clashed too many times because her daughter loved tricking and taunting the Velispar almost to the point of torture. Yshul was never like Morwen. She had a darkness in her that neither of her children had thankfully possessed, a darkness that made Mueir wonder who her actual father really was. The Velispar had only tolerated Yshul and had thus far not been inclined to retaliate for a specific reason. Morwen knew it was because Mueir felt the love and deep loyalty Morwen felt for her family… even her wayward daughter. The Gods knew the Velispar as a race were fully a threat to them, as aged adults and certainly the occasional rare elders. The Pantheon of Mizahar often kept the council of certain Velispar because the wyrms knew things the Goddess and Gods had often forgotten. Mueir was no exception.

Morwen took it all in. She wasn’t a reactionary Goddess, one that knee-jerked or showed a ton of emotion. But her eyes gave away the emotions pouring through her. “So its possible… even after all this time… that I could have them both back? My grandson whole and my granddaughter’s laughter filling the halls of this domain once more?” The question wasn’t actually a question. Mueir knew that and didn’t respond, waiting for her to ask for more, to be ready for the details. He didn’t have long to wait.

“Tell me everything... everything you’ve learned.” Mueir smiled slowly, nodded, and did just that. He laid out his pathway over the last few seasons and what he’d found. Morwen listened to the whole of his explanation and then only after he had finished did she go back and question him further. They talked long – time meaning nothing in the place where Morwen kept her office – and eventually they were joined by a darker figure, a woman who also had a vested interest. Yshul remained quiet as they filled her in. Pensive for a time the dark woman suddenly burst out laughing. It skewed the mask she normally wore, which she pulled off and discarded on Morwen’s desk.

“Well, damn…. we’d better get ready, gather who we need, and leave soon. I’m glad you got that team headed to Syka to establish a support settlement. It looks like we’re going to need the World Gate in Pavena before we thought.” Yshul said, glancing between Mueir and Morwen. She tried to avoid it as well, but her eyes strayed to the strange icestone coffin as well. Though she was loathe to mention it, she missed her son more than she let on and visited her mother’s office more frequently than she liked to admit just to see him.

60th of Winter, Present Day Season, Syka 517

Mathias frowned. He had gathered with the other Founders and family and they sat in a loose grouping in Randal’s lofted Bungalow. Juli sat beside James, both Chalvia in the know. They were also joined by : Stuvantis Alkamar , Jansen Alavarth, and Rainmere Shantu. Buraga Shamzen was lingering by the doorway. The group had never seen their unofficial leader look so stressed. “It’s too soon. We haven’t had the time we needed to establish this settlement and gently awaken Pavena like we wanted too. I don’t think the settlers are ready either. We haven’t lured the mages I’d hoped to get. Nor have we had time to prepare anyone to survive off world if necessary. They are vulnerable… and we are out of time. To be honest, I never thought any of this would happen in my lifetime. I thought we’d have the whole of it to get the next generation ready to take the reins. Morwen’s message was clear, get here and get things done, but who knows how time passes off world. Her vanishing means she’s on track, but whether or not she’s successful or not is anyone’s guess. But now we have serious stuff to deal with. Randal… do you want to take it from here?” Mathias said, turning the meeting over to Randal.

The youngest Founder nodded. He took a long drink of his rum and fruit juice, something Stu had brought a flask of with him to the meeting and passed out to settle nerves. “I went to the World Gate yesterday. It’s obvious people have been passing through it. I couldn’t get very close without the risk of being spotted. There’s some sort of team there guarding the gate… and they aren’t any of Morwen’s people. I don’t know who they are frankly, and if the rumors and signs of what’s been wandering the jungle are to be believed, then they aren’t that friendly. We need to take them out and establish a stronghold on this side of the gate. We knew as soon as she used it to leave Mizahar, it would draw attention to it. But Morwen can’t get home, none of them can, unless we have a foothold here. And even if we gain one, we might need to send people through to help. I’m not sure who we can send at this point, but sometimes us mortals can get things done faster and easier than The Gods. They aren’t watching for us. They won’t expect us. No one really knows we are here that matters in all of this. I suggest we call a meeting of the settlers, quietly, and take a team to go secure this side… and wait.” Randal said, prompting the others to begin to chatter.

The group talked quiet a long time. In the end it was decided the meeting would be called for the next day… the same day James would sail on the outgoing tide and make one last trip to Riverfall before all chaos cut loose in the colony. As usual, Stu offered The Tidepool as a gathering place, saying he would close it down that day for a private party.

Buraga would deliver the invitations. It was up to the individual settlers if they wanted to come to the special meeting or not. If they did, they’d be informed… and be placed on a team to secure the World Gate and to do whatever it took to assist Morwen in getting back to Mizahar.

The meeting would start at sunrise on the 61st at The Tidepool. Mathias hoped who he invited would be enough...


OOC: If you have 50 seasonal points for doing themes this season (or can earn them quickly - even if they are pending) feel free to receive an invitation to the meeting and rp joining in the next day.

[Aladon]

Time Stamp: 60th of Winter, 517AV

Hanging up his hammer and his apron for the day, Aladon walked outside of the forge to stretch and enjoy the cool breeze coming off the ocean. The Isur needed to clean up, so he decided to head to the community pool for a bath. The blacksmith wasn't to keen on getting naked in front of his neighbors, so he brought his loin cloth to change into before bathing. Strapping his sword scabbard to his belt, he put his hat on his head and walked down the beach till he got to the community pool. The walk was pleasant enough for the Isur, and the local wildlife seemed to maintain a safe distance. After his run in with the local primates earlier in the season, he tended to give the primate vagabonds a wide birth now. The birds were always lovely as he saw a multicolored bird fly from tree to tree as he walk through the hot noon sand. When Aladon got to the community pool, he gave Duncan a pat on the shoulder who was sitting on the edge of the pool with his feet in the water. The man seemed to practicing his magic because he seemed maintaining a large ball of water the size of a human head a foot above the water. Duncan said to him in a neutral voice, “You know that you shouldn't mess with someone if they are manipulating djed, Aladon.”

Aladon took off his shirt, his pants, and undergarments. He tied the loincloth around his groin and said with a chuckle, “All I see is a grown man splashing in the water. I nothing about Djed or fancy magic tricks.” Sitting next to the man, the Isur had to admit that he was always fascinated with reimancy. The idea of controlling the elements with your mind seemed intriguing. He wondered if it was dangerous, but he didn't want to hurt the mage if he was concentrating. The Isur put his feet in the cool water and watched the mage with quiet fascination as the water started to change shape from a sphere to a pyramid to a heart. Aladon wanted to clap, but he controlled himself because it would be childish. Suddenly, the heart turned into sphere again and the ball of water floated above him and dropped onto the Isur's head. Wiping his face, he said with a chuckle, “I probably deserved that..”

Duncan stood up and said with a smile, “Fancy magic tricks, blacksmith! You just smelled something fierce, so my fancy magic trick keep me from losing my lunch. I could smell you coming down the beach...”

Aladon gave the man a hurt look and said, “Come on Duncan give me a break. I work in humidity that you can literally cut with a knife. At least you can tell how hard that I work by the amount of funk emanating from me.”

Duncan shook his head and said with a chuckle, “Take a break more. I would like to enjoy my lunch.”

The Isur snorted, “Humans and their breaks. No wonder why the world in such shabby shape..”

The mage feigns offense and says, “Well I will take my lazy self somewhere else, so I don't offend your busy schedule Isur.”

Still staring at his feet, the Isur smiled at the blind's man's wit, “Talk to you later, Duncan."

When Duncan walked away, Aladon got up and walked to the bathing pool and jumped into it with his soap in his hand. The blacksmith started to clean every inch of body. He was happy to choose bathing around noon because the other settlers tended to bath in the evening or the morning. He hadn't been in Syka long enough to bath with a audience yet, so he tended to go during the slowest times of the day. Noon was closing time for the smithy because the afternoon Syna just was to hot to work in the forge. The heat and humidity would kill him, so he tended to start his work days four bells past midnight during the coolest time of the day. He always enjoyed his noon baths because he always felt refreshed to enjoy the evening before bed.

Laying his head against the wall of the pool, Aladon mind started to drift to images of Riverfall and pretty konti women walking through the streets of his former home. The happy memories of the akalak city were interrupted by the sound of a loud screeching monkey in a tree. Suddenly, the memory of the grove of burnt trees weighted heavy on the mind of the Isur because he could still remember the pain from the burn mark on his butt cheek. It was still tender today even after it has long time since it healed. The sixty days of being in his new home tended to be the strangest two months the Isur experience in his life. He still had one more month left, and he was starting to wonder when the next weird event will happen. Suddenly, he heard heavy footsteps approach the pool, so he opened his eyes and saw the warrior Buraga approach him. Aladon said to the older human, “The water is nice, Buraga. You should jump in...”

Buraga knelt down by the edge of the pool and said with a shake of his head, “Not today, Aladon. I am sent here to give you a invitation to a party at the Tidepool bar.”

Aladon looked at the ripples in the water and said with a smile, “I will be there.”

Buraga stood up and said, “See you there, and thank you.”

Time Stamp: 61th of Winter, 517AV

Putting his hat on his head, Aladon wasn't wearing much accept his hat. He decided to go shirtless since it was hot humid, and if he got drunk enough, he might take a swim off the side of the bar. Tying the strings of his loose flowing white pants, he put on his sandals, his hat, and lastly grabbed his sword. He never went anywhere without it because he didn't know what could be lurking in the undergrowth of jungle. Putting his hat on his head, he walked out of his tent and made his way to the tide pool bar. It didn't take him long to get to dock to the bar, so he walked down the sturdy wood planks to the bar. He could see a few people already in the bar, so he decided to take a seat in a table by the water. Setting his sword on top of the table, the Isur leaned back in his chair and waited for the other party goers to arrive. He heard rumors that Stu's parties can get a little wild, so he started to imagine all sorts of different scenarios that could enfold by the end of the night.

[Anibesa]

61st Winter, 517AV

Anibesa was walking along the edge of the beach, close to where the jungle started as she eyed the place cautiously, not wanting to take her eyes off the place as she was still unnerved by what had happened earlier in the season. The animals that had all died suspiciously, the light that had hit her and left her with various injuries and sleeping for what she assumed to be just minutes. Even the unusual lights in the sky and the loud rumbling that she was no longer startled by. Everything seemed to revolve around the jungle, but Anibesa couldn’t work out why, or even where in the jungle was coming from, and she had never dared to venture far into it. It was too dangerous in the jungle for her. Everywhere in the jungle left her at risk. Whether it was some form of fierce predator looking for an easy meal, a small venomous creature aggravated into attacking, or even a seemingly harmless plant that might leave her writhing in pain for days or worse. Even the harmless monkeys weren’t entirely harmless.
Even when she stayed on the beach she was now overly cautious of everything that she came across!
Now she walked along the edge of the jungle, eyes darting between the jungle and the ground beneath her feet as she kept wondering about whether she was about to step on something that would attack her in response.

Eventually, she stepped closer to the jungle, picking up small dried up twigs that had fallen from the trees at first, her eyes scanning for larger pieces of wood so she could set up a fire near her tent to start cooking for the day, and to provide light and heat when the sun went down should she need it.
Eventually she found a few larger pieces of wood strewn about the ground and cautiously she stepped closer to the pieces of wood, picking them up and balancing them in the crook of her elbow before darting back to the edge of the beach, eyes darting around again to see if she’d drawn the attention of anything in the jungle, though she couldn’t see or hear anything other than her own breathing, the lapping of the waves on the shore, and her own quiet footsteps in the soft sand.

Unaware of the second set of footsteps coming up behind her she continued to walk quietly, her eyes focusing on the sand in front of her and the jungle beside her.
Soon she felt something on her shoulder and instantly she shrieked, her arms moving into a more defensive position as the twigs, sticks and other pieces of wood dropped to the floor with a gentle thud as they hit the soft sand. She span only to see Buraga and then spent a few moments catching her breath, doubled over with her hands on her knees.
”You scared the life out of me! Shyke was that for?” she said in between breaths before standing up straight and looking the man in the eyes.
“You should pay attention more. With your ears.” the man refuted and all Anibesa could do was nod in agreement. Now she was just glad that it had been Buraga and not some dangerous animal or a less trustworthy citizen, though it seemed that nobody in Syka was untrustworthy or dangerous.
”Yeah yeah, you still didn’t have to do that.” Anibesa responded, bending down to gather her wood again, and the man bent down to help, handing her the pieces she hadn’t picked up yet.
”Anyway, real reason I’m here. There’s a private party at the Tidepool Bar tomorrow at sunrise, and you’ve been invited.” the invite caused Anibesa to raise her eyebrow. She hadn’t heard much of private parties and it didn’t seem like it would be easy to hide an event in Syka. The event was intriguing to Anibesa though, and a feeling of excitement came over her as she grinned at Buraga and nodded.
”A private part ey? Colour me interested! I’ll be there!” she said, her excitement obvious in her voice as she stood up the wood bundled in her arms awkwardly as she looked at the man with her smile.
“Well, I’d best be off. See you there!” the man said, before turning and walking away. Anibesa watched him for a few moments before going back to her own business and
holding the wood in her arms and making her way back towards her tent.


61st Winter, 517AV

It was the day of the private party at the Tidepool Bar and Anibesa sat on the floor of her tent, hurriedly attempting to pull on her boots and lace them up, before she pulled on the rest of her clothes, her shirt only buttoned halfway up in the heat and her pants rolled up to her knees. Had it been a usual day she’d likely have opted to spend the day in her undergarments and enjoyed the sun on her skin, but going to a mysterious private party where there would likely be a number of other people meant that she preferred to at least prefered to seem as though she had some form of modesty.
Sighing, she picked up her backpack and forced her cloak into it before slinging it over one shoulder and heading out of her tent, walking along the beach towards the Tidepool Bar. Once she got there, she walked over the wooden walkways the sun rising and she shifted back into the form of the redheaded Svefra as light rippled over her. Her eyes glanced ahead to the bar to see who was there. She noticed a couple of recognisable faces and as she walked in she nodded to everyone with a smile, before her eyes landed on Aladon leaning back in a chair
Sighing, she moved to sit in a seat next to him with a grin briefly noticing the sword on the table, before she glanced towards the man and smiled, nodding a greeting to him.
”Nice sword! You alright if I steal this seat?” she asked with a smile, despite having already sat down before she glanced around. ”Private part ey? You got any idea what to expect?” she asked, glancing around the bar again. "Nothing too dangerous I'm hoping. she said with a grin, placing emphasis on the 'too' as she glanced towards the sun as it rose above the horizon more and more.

She was curious, and that curiosity made her mildly impatient, causing her to move from the seat to a standing position instead as she waited to see what was going on.
~

[Ialari Pythone]

The day had began with Ialari engaging in another hunt for ingredients that would aid her in her duties to the Panacea. Despite the inhabitants of Syka living in and around an area inundated with all manner of dangerous, poisonous plants and animals, they still found themselves on the receiving end of scratches, bites and poisonous plants that left them in need of her care. The beach held all manner of materials that could be used to brew antidotes for the various toxins. She did however quickly discover the need to venture more and more into the jungle to find more sources of medicinal concoctions.

There was a seemingly endless supply of hazards just waiting to take down anyone ignorant enough to look past them. As a result, Ialari needed to track down not only the known dangers, but also those that were potentially deadly yet not yet encountered. Dressed a little more appropriate for jungle travel with her boots, a pair of trousers and a top, she carefully stepped through the jungle outskirts looking for the dangers. With her poisoncrafting kit in hand, she worked to collect various specimens for study and crafting.

While out and about, an unexpected piece of parchment had been delivered to her ranchero, tacked to her door. Although she'd only been in Syka for less than a season, she'd managed to gain the attention of someone significant in order to receive such a summons.

Having gathered more than a few spiders of differing sizes and colors, she focused on a few of the more poisonous looking plants as well as a couple of snakes whom she gently, and with a few words of comfort and thanks, extracted some venom. When she'd gathered what she felt was a sufficient amount of material, Ialari made her way back to her ranchero to take stock of all that she had found.

When she arrived and approached the door, she saw the parchment tacked on the door. It was an invitation from Mathias to attend a special meaning to discuss something important. Immediately she thought of the strange events that had been occurring around the settlement; the strange rumblings and fiery sky events coming to mind. Stashing her gathered items inside, Ialari noted the prescribed time for the meeting and prepared.

When the time came for the meeting, Ialari headed off toward the Tidepool bar. Upon arriving, she headed to the bar and ordered a Rum Punch while waiting to see who else arrived with a look that said, "I'm here for a meeting."

[Satevis]

61st of Winter, 517 AV

Satevis honestly hadn't expected to be invited to a meeting of such import. He'd been in Syka less than twenty days by this point, but apparently, that had been long for him to be noticed moving around town. The invitation to the meeting had been waiting for him when he returned home from the Panacea, a sheet of paper in an envelope, pinned to the ground by a rock outside of his tent. He'd read it slowly in the light of the setting sun, taking it in.

He wondered what this was about, and why it had been addressed to him in the first place. He'd met Buraga during his time in town. It was the guard he had asked many questions of, in fact, about the odd happenings in town. Perhaps that was why the guard remembered him. Regardless, he was invited. The only question now, was whether or not he would go.

As Satevis stood there, the letter in his hand, watching Syna sink beneath the western horizon and feeling the rush of power that nightfall always brought him, he knew what his answer would be.

The next day, he stopped in the Panacea to tell Jansen--Kalum that day, actually--that he wasn't going to be in because of a meeting. The Akalak, somehow, hadn't been surprised. Satevis thought on that as he walked into the Tidepool bar, wearing his sword. He wasn't sure if it would need it, and wasn't sure he was skilled enough with it to be of any use if he did, but it was better than nothing. He looked around the room. Anibesa, he recognized, but she seemed to be talking with an Isur, so she didn't interrupt her. There was another Isur in the room, a woman. Satevis didn't know her either, and he wasn't sure if now would be the appropriate time to introduce himself. Likely not, so he nodded to Anibesa and took a seat at one of the empty tables, waiting.

[Gossamer]

James and Juli Chalvia sat quietly sipping rums as the people began to trickle in. James had that urgent look he often got when The Veronica was all set to sail and the tide was just holding him back. A lot of beach was exposed, truth be told, and even though the dock ran out into deep water, it wasn’t safe to take the ship to sail until the tide came in and flooded the bay good and deep. He’d wait, pacing, sometimes up and down the dock, staring at the sky and consulting a bonfire that was usually going at the beach side of the dock watching the smoke and checking the air pressure. So, for him, the meeting was a good distraction even though he wouldn’t be here to see the follow through. Syka was going to need the supplies he ran for and he wasn’t sure after this run when he’d be able to do another run.

Stuvantis was there, passing out drinks and looking all the world as if there were not a single care to be had. It was his typical nature and he made everyone that walked in feel welcome by placing some sort of drink in front of them, usually what they liked ordering if they frequented the Tidepool. Jansen Alavarth had settled into a corner chair, looking tense and counting heads as they walked in. He and his brother had somehow beat Aladon to the meeting without even looking like he broke into a sweat. Rainmere Shantu was perched on a bar stool next to a blond man who was a stranger to the people arriving at the city. He had shoulder length hair that fell across broad shoulders that were encased in a light linen shirt that was sleeveless and open down the chest. It was tucked into deep brown leather pants and knee-high jungle boots. A pack and a drum case sat on the floor next to him. Rain and the man looked like old friends.

Buraga Shamzen was sitting on the rail in the light of the morning where he could see both the sea and beach approaches to The Tidepool. The remaining two founders, Mathias and Randal, sat near him and slightly in front of him at a table with one other. They looked less than happy, even perhaps tense. Another man sat with them who had the most intensely piercing green eyes. He had waist length black hair that was dawn back with a leather thong. He wore a tan linen shirt with short sleeves and a matching worn pair of long pants similar to the first strangers. His feet and legs were encased in tall leather boots of a deep dark brown. And, more importantly, he was heavily armed. He looked relaxed and pensive, as if deep on thought on something.

Mathias was the first to speak when everyone was settled. He nodded his appreciation at the gathered group and looked them over as if trying to decide something. The blond at the bar with Rain caught Mathias’ eye and nodded. The Founder exhaled slowly at the gesture and rose.

“I’m glad you all decided to come. Four individuals was actually more than I expected, though I had hoped for the whole of the city. I have some things to say and those things will be difficult for you to hear. But they are important things, and things I hope in time you will come to fully understand.” Mathias started out as a sort of preamble. Randal moved to get more comfortable knowing that Mathias could often take a long time to get to his point.

“Syka is not what it seems.” He lead with after a deep breath and a pregnant pause.

“A long time ago, before the Valterrian in fact, this place was populated with people. It was not exactly a city for a city indicates so much more than what this place was. This was a private research facility owned by Myrna Kelvic. For those of you not familiar with the name – and truthfully there’s no reason why you should be – I will have to tell a story.” He took a deep breath as if to gather his thoughts and try and determine where he was going to start. The stranger with both him and Randal cleared his throat and gestured to the group.

“Keep it simple, Mathias. It will be easier for them to ask question later if you sketch it out first and fill it in later.” The stranger said, his voice had a warm resonance to it that matched his dark good looks. Appearing in his thirties, his green eyes flashed with a knowing sort of light that was almost uncanny. Stu glanced at him as he passed, neither offering him food or drink. There was something in Stu’s gaze that most of the patrons of The Tidepool had not seen before. His features were tense but not unhappy, like he was focused, and things were serious.

“Many of the Gods are inter-related. Morwen bore Yshul which is a very little-known fact since the two are vastly different. Morwen is a powerful Goddess so her daughter was born to Godhood just as she was. And later, Yshul bore twins. One was named Myrna. The other she named Marcus. The brother’s story is far more known because he left us with a legacy that is particularly enjoyed today here in Syka. Marcus created the Kelvic race as only an Alvina. Yshul’s blood and the sire of her children were not as strong as Morwen’s match so her children were not exactly immortal. They aren’t mortal either. Incredibly gifted, the pair worked for the betterment of the Suvan Empire. They were scientists and explorers. As you may know, or indeed not know, there are far more worlds than just Mizahar. Myrna wanted to explore all of them. So she moved here – indeed here in the isolation of Falyndar – where there was no sea here and nothing but dense jungle. She created a research facility that was far beyond its time. She brought humans in to assist her and her facility grew until it became renown. It was known as Pavena. The word, in times before the Valterrian, was equated with an almost mystical quality because Myrna provided many many coordinates for those summoners that still survive today due to her knowledge.” Mathias continued, his voice taking on the cadence of a storyteller… a person who was reciting history like he was remembering it.

“There was always rumors of Pavena. There were stories told of flying ships here that did not sail the oceans but instead sailed the stars. They were fueled by magics long lost that harnessed currents of Djed that circled the world. And even more fantastical than that was the rumor turned story turned legend of the World Gate. It was a gate that rivaled any watchtower gate both in size and scope. It allowed people to pass both into it and out of it. And indeed the great flying ships could come and go as well. The World Gate is still here, hidden very near here in the jungle…. guarded by Syka.” The older man said quietly, then paused, letting those words sink in.

“We built Syka at Morwen’s request. And in a moment I will tell you why.” He added, looking pensive before glancing at the stranger sitting with Rain. Rain had reached into one of her bags and had pulled out a rattle, a kind of maraca, and was gently shaking it as Mathias spoke. It was almost in nervousness that she did it. The stranger with her had reached over while Mathias was speaking and had freed his drum from its drum case. He stroked it lovingly which produced such an odd soft voice it matched the tone of the rattle and together the two were forming a sound that was almost like the jungle in the rain and was wholly Syka.

“Myrna had a perfect track record. Her missions would go smoothly and the teams she sent off world would come home safe. More and more people flocked here and joined Pavena. Soon there were whole families and all the sorts of folks needed to support that situation. There were laboratories, mages, scientists, botanists, and anyone who studied any sort of life. Pavena was synonymous with new invention, new discovery, innovation. It was a place both Morwen and Yshul were proud of. Myrna’s twin brother, Marcus, was more of a stay home guy who was often buried in his lab. He was close to his sister but ended up in the long run needing just as much room as Myrna so he created his own place across Kalea called Ironrock. He liked lofty heights and the wilds of a different sort of wilderness." Mathias added.


"And while Myrna’s place was city that was not recognized as one, Marcus’ place was a fortress. In many ways the unusual living situation of both twins reflected their personality. Myrna’s was open and teaming with life and energy. Marcus’ was closed and imposing and very solitary.” The Founder said, clearing his throat and reaching back to take a long drink of what looked like straight orange juice. He paused and took another drink before continuing.

“Just before the Valterrian, Myrna left on a mission to recover a team that had gone missing. She never returned through The World Gate. She never came home.” He said abruptly, as if impatient to get to the end of his own story. “Marcus was summoned, and concerned he began the search for her. He wasted so much time working himself to the brink of exhaustion until he came to the conclusion there wasn’t enough of him… nor enough time. So he returned home to Ironrock, assembled a team, and expedited a project he had been working on that had been creating bonded servants and workers for Ironrock to avoid needing to import large amounts of untrustworthy people." Mathias needed another drink so paused to clear his throat of dust before he continued..

"The team of human scientists became known as the Alizarin Team. Because of the vast interests and expertise of the Alizarin Team, Kelvics of all shapes and forms came into existence faster than their timeline had anticipated. Members of the team specialized in different types of kelvics and together they perfected the new artificial race. Some dedicated to larger breeds, some to small invasive ones, and some to simple minded servant class. He turned them loose in this world and many other worlds to find Myrna. He was close… so close… to locating her when the Valterrian happened.” Mathias said, pausing then to take another drink and make sure everyone was following him.

“Kalea, as you know, was utterly destroyed above ground. The Isur nations were devastated and forced underground. Ironrock was obliterated. It took a great deal of Morwen’s power to pull Marcus out of the middle of that death and destruction… and even then he was half dead. So grave were his injuries that Morwen set him to sleep a healing coma that has lasted since. It is rumored that Marcus is still slumbering in Morwen’s private domain.” Mathias added, his voice starting to crackle under the strain.

“It’s not a rumor. It’s absolutely true. By my hand I crafted the glass coffin he slumbers in. And he is nearly healed.” The blond said from beside Rain. She gave him a soft smile and nodded, while Mathias gave the blond his attention for a moment.

“Forgive me. I should have introduced you to the two here you perhaps don’t know.” The Founder said. “The blond is Rain’s mentor Kultra. This other here… with us… is Vas. They came to give us a hand with the situation we have before us.” He explained then continued on with his story.

“Marcus, like Myrna, created many marvelous things in his doings. None was more marvelous than the Kelvics… and the best of his creations was Mueir. Mueir is perhaps the oldest Kelvic alive. His animal form is an Velispar. And he’s probably the single most intelligent worldwalker we’ve had in ages. Marcus gifted him to his grandmother Morwen as a companion and the Kelvic bonded with her almost immediately. It was Mueir that taught Morwen the secrets of creating the Ice Watch Bears in Aventhal. Those giant talderian polar bears that carry riders out onto the ice packs on patrol. And it was Mueir who later came to her…. just this last fall past in 516 and told her he’d found Myrna. Morwen left with Yshul to find her and bring her home.” Mathias finished with a gentle sigh.

“You know the rest of the story… at least parts of it. Morwen has disappeared now. No one knows Yshul is also missing. And in order to get home she needs our World Gate. Which, naturally we assumed was fine. It’s not fine. It’s been captured by an unknown force and they are starting to invade the settlement and interfere. We need to recapture the World Gate, secure it, and then open it for Morwen when the time is right, so she can hopefully bring Myrna home.” He finished with sweeping gesture.

“We have no idea who holds the Gate. They are actively using it and that’s a problem. We need to find out if they are friendly or hostile and then proceed from there. So I’m tasking you with a very simple job…. Find out who they are, why they are here, and make sure Morwen can get home.” He added, then took a seat once more. He looked tired and worried.

Kultra spoke up then, still rubbing his drum to Rain’s shaken rattle…. “We need to do it sooner than later too. The force at the Gate is just getting larger daily and I have noticed they are now eyeing this settlement with who knows what in mind.”

Randal nodded, so too did the rest of the group. “And we need you more than you know. Whomever is blocking our access to the gate is expecting divine forces. WE think a small mortal one can accomplish far more than Gods at this time. They are watching for Gods… not for mere Sykan Settlers.” He took swig of his rum then and looked pensively at the group.

“Any questions? We leave within a bell. Gather your stuff and get ready. If anyone wants to stay, we will be disappointed but understand. If anyone has questions… we are here to answer them.” He said gently, giving the understandably confused and possibly shocked crowd a chance to digest and ask their questions.

The gathered group at The Tidepool seemed to be holding their collective breaths.

[Aladon]

While Aladon was sitting at the table, he was approached by Anibesa. The Isur smiled at his old friend when she approached and asked to sit at his table. He looked up at her and waved his hand to the open seat and said with a smirk, “I just sharpened and polished it today, but I will get it off the table since we have to make room for drinks and food.” Reaching on the table, he grabbed the scabbard and put the sword behind his seat. He never wandered around the settlement without some sort of weapon because he never knew what predator could be lurking in the jungle. The Isur smiled at Anibesa remembering the day that he met her at the Blue Bull Tavern in Riverfall. It was good night, but it was such a long time ago. He wondered if they grew too far apart. When she asked about the private party, Aladon shrugged and said with a smile, “I am prepared for anything tonight, so if I have to drunkenly stumble to my tent. I have the sword, and if I get really wasted, I brought my loin cloth to jump in the water for good soaking. Maybe the salt water will help me get somber, but I doubt it..” Anibesa asked if they were going to do something stupid. Aladon shrugged and said with a chuckle, “Your guess is as good as mine, but if the activity is dangerous than it must be fun!”

The Eth woman was in her human form, so she was the same cute red head that he remembered so many years ago. She seemed antsy, and he gave the woman a look of concern and said gently with a warm smile, “Everything will be fine, Ani. It is a party. Just relax and enjoy yourself. I made sure to pick this spot, so I had a great view of the Suvan Sea all night..Relax.”

The Isur started to wonder if the party was less of a party and more of a town meeting. If it was a meeting, he was surprised that there wasn't more of the settlers in the bar. Whatever. He was just going to sit and be patient. There was no point and worry about things that could happen, and he can't control. All a person can do was just let it happen and pray to Izurdin that you live through it. He decided to let the red headed eth be and start people watching in silence. The next person to come in was a Isur woman! It has been years since he saw perfection, and she just walked through the door. He had been living with humans, konti, and akalak for so long. He was starting to forget what his people looked like especially females. The Isur decided to approach her later when the party gets into full gear. It would be nice to talk to his own people again in his people's tongue. The forth settler that walked into the bar was a young human male that he never met before. However, he nodded to Anibesa, so he must know her. It wasn't surprising that they met since there might be forty people tops in Syka.

The rest of the settlers were people who were in the settlement long before he arrived in the settlement about two months ago. Aladon met a handful of them, and they all seemed welcoming to the wandering Isur. When Mathias started to speak to the now crowded bar, he was starting to realize that this was no party. The Founder started explain that he was disappointed that more people didn't show up, but he continue with a warning that the information might be difficult to here or understand. Aladon turned his head to look at the Founder as he said that Syka was not just a settlement on the frontier. He explained that Syka was a private research facility before the Valterrian, and it was established my a Myrna Kelvic. Aladon paused remembering Nya saying that she was a kelvic. The Isur was trying to understand his “Not Friend” since he met her. Aladon leaned forward to hear Mathias better in the silent bar.

Mathias explained that Morwen was the mother of another god named Yshul, and Yshul was the mother of two twins named Myrna and Marcus Kelvic. He explained Marcus was the creator of the kelvic race, and since he was a offspring of a god, he was something called a Alvina, and they weren't altogether mortal either. The pair of Alvina worked for the old Suvan Empire, and they were scientists and explorers. Mathias explained that Mizahar wasn't the only world, so Myrna wanted to explore them. Aladon figured it was out of curiosity that drew Myrna to other worlds. Mathias explained that she moved here and established a research facility with the help of other like minded humans to the jungles of Falyndar.

Aladon reached into his pocket and started to stroke the piece of the watchtower stone that Nya found in the geoduck's belly, so he thought to himself, 'So I have a piece of the watchtower of Pavena...interesting..'

Mathias explained that Pavena was a mecca for magical innovation in the world before the Valterrian. He explained that the city was known in legend for flying air ships that could explore the stars themselves with the use of riding the djed around the planet. Magic was a curiosity for the down to Mizahar Isur, but he had to admit that stories of flying ships were definitely hard to believe. He explained the legend of the world gate that it was more important than the watchtower gate. He explained that it was big enough to bring whole flying ship through it as they went to other worlds. He told them that Syka guarded the gate, and it was very near to the city. Aladon eyes blinked and he started to realize that the lights and the noses in the sky could have came from the gate! On the 50th of Winter, he saw the lights before the snow started to fall. Could the gate could have caused it?

Mathias explained that Syka was built by Morwen's request. He explained that Myrna was gifted with much success in all her endeavors. She would go off on her excursions into the world gate and come back with much success, so more like minded people came to Pavena, so the research facility became a city with each one of her successes ventures through the World Gate. He started talking about Marcus who established a fortress named Ironrock where he conducted his research into kelvics. He explained that Myrna's home was teaming with life and energy while Marcus's was solid, imposing, and solitary. Aladon thought it was interesting that the twins were the like two sides of coins, but they were still interconnected. Mathias started to explain that Myrna left to recover a team that got missing through the World Gate and never returned herself. Marcus came to recover his sister, but his efforts failed, so he created a team of kelvics called the Alizarin Team. He sent them out into the world and other worlds in search of his sister, but the Valterrian happened and his efforts stopped when he was mortally injured.

Aladon eyes light up when he realized that the snow and the lights could be a warning that Morwen needs help. Mathias started to explain that the greatest of the kelvic race was a kelvic named Mueir a animal called Velispar. Mueir explained to Morwen how to create the polar bear kelvics in her domain. In the winter of 516AV, he told Morwen that he found Myrna and Morwen left with Myrna's mother to retrieve her granddaughter.

Mathias explained the current present situation that the World Gate was captured by a unknown force, and it grew everyday. The Founders didn't know if they were hostile or friendly, but they needed to find out. If they are hostile and they weren't stopped, Syka might be in danger of invasion. Aladon rubbed his chin and realized that he needed to do something otherwise he might loose his new home. Mathias explained that he requests for them to head to the World Gate and find out who or what the unknown force is, why they are here, and get Morwen home. Aladon thought to themselves that it sounded simple, but nothing tended to be easy either. Randel piped up and explain that they are preparing for gods not mortals, so they had the element of surprise, but the invaders must know about the settlement? Shouldn't they since Syka was on their doorstep too?

Aladon took a deep breath and said simply, “And I brought my loincloth for nothing!”

The blacksmith looked at Mathias, and he asked his first question, “Everyone who lived in Syka for two months have been seeing strange lights and noises coming from the Maw. Is this unknown...party trying to activate the World Gate? If they are, the snow on the 50th of winter could be Morwen letting us know that she is close or right on the other side of the gate. Maybe when Morwen went through the gate, they came through the gate when it opened, and now they are trying to get home.” Aladon was silent for a moment and suggested, “This is just speculation on my part, but it could be something to be considered when we meet them.” The Isur said nervously with a chuckle, “Or they can be alien monsters bent on world domination, and they are opening the gate to bring their armies through...”

The blacksmith knew his last comment wasn't going to help anything, but he tended to deflect his fear with humor, and he was still trying to wrap his head around flying ships, world gates, kelvics, and all the crazy magic created before the Valterrian. He wasn't a wizard or a warrior. He was just a simple Isur blacksmith in a strange and mysterious place, so it was quite hard fathom all these extraordinary events all around him. Lastly, the Isur realized that these alien bastards might be the reason that he was shot in the arse, so he slammed his left fist on the table and stated, “I will come because these bastards might be the same people who shot me in the arse early in the season, so I might have a few choice words for them when we met them!”

[Anibesa]

"Common" | "Fratava" | "Tukant"

Anibesa grinned as Aladon moved his sword. She was quite interested in swords, and knowing that Aladon was a blacksmith, she made a mental note that she’d have to speak to him about the possibility of getting some tools made. She didn’t have much with her in Syka, and she figured that if Aladon could make a few things it would make her time in Syka more comfortable and easier.

Then she listened to Aladon speaking of how he had prepared and she smiled slightly. She herself hadn’t brought much at all, though her tent was set up fairly close to the Tidepool Bar so she could quickly travel back if she needed to gather anything.

”I didn’t really bring anything, but my tent is pretty nearby so I don’t have far to go if I need anything.” she smiled slightly, despite the anxiousness running through her. She didn’t know what to expect. She’d never been to a private party before, and to her it felt weird being in the Tidepool Bar and not tending the bar and pouring drinks for patrons at the bar. It was a good feeling though, being invited to a ‘private party’ as it had been described.

”It is a good spot here. I like the look of the Suvan. Makes me realise just how much Laviku blessed us with the Suvan Sea.” she said, glancing towards the horizon and smiling at how blue the Suvan Sea was, and how calm it looked today, before she glanced back over the rest of the bar.

She saw the female Isur enter, and realised that he hadn’t the woman before, though she was intrigued by her. She couldn’t recall ever seeing a female Isur before though, as Aladon had told her when they first met, most Isur preferred to stay with other Isur and she figured that was probably the reason for how few Isur she’d met. Next she saw Satevis enter the bar and she saw him nod to her. Respectfully she nodded back to him, but she couldn’t help but feel the sadness and sense of longing she felt for the place where she had been before falling back to mizahar. Everytime she saw someone like her, she was reminded of the feelings of loneliness she felt in those first few years before she found somewhere she’d managed to fit in.

She realised how much time she’d spent reflecting on things she couldn’t change, and instead she turned her attention away from the other Ethaefal and towards the others in the bar. Aside from the Isur woman, there were two people she didn’t recognise. One was blonde and sat with what looked like a drum on the floor below his stool, while the other was dark haired. Having not seen them before, Anibesa guessed that they must have arrived recently possibly with the Veronica when it had come back from Riverfall earlier on in the season.

The other attendees at the party she recognised, Stuvantis most of all. The others all looked very serious and tense while Stuvantis looked like his usual self, making everyone else feel welcome and giving off a more cheery atmosphere as he handed out drinks. His disposition in turn made Anibesa feel more comfortable amongst the somber nature of the others.

Then Anibesa heard Mathias start to talk and she turned her attention to him, her eyes looking him up and down as he said that more had come than he’d expected. To Anibesa that seemed odd. She couldn’t understand why more people invited hadn’t come to a private party. Then she heard Matthias continue.

Now she was intrigued. It seemed that it wasn’t just a party, and that the private party had been a facade to get people to the Tidepool Bar in order to start something more serious.

She listened carefully, leaning forward slightly, eager to hear more and more from the man. He spoke of what Syka was before the Valterrian, that it was a research facility, and the name of it’s owner ringing a bell in Anibesa’s mind. She’d heard the word ‘Kelvic’ before, in regards to one of the races of Mizahar, though the name ‘Myrna Kelvic’ wasn’t one she’d heard before.
One of the strangers interrupted, telling Mathias to keep things simple and Anibesa turned her attention to him, taking in his appearance, before she glanced around again, her eyes landing on Stuvantis as she saw his unusual expression. The seriousness in his features wasn’t something Anibesa had seen from him before and it unnerved her slightly. If Stuvantis was this serious, then she imagined it was something very serious that they were gathered here for.

Then Mathias continued and Anibesa listened, turning her attention back to him as he spoke of how Yshul was the daughter of Morwen, and that Yshul had two children that were neither immortal nor mortal. He told them how gifted Marcus and Myrna were, about how there were worlds other than Mizahar, and how Myrna had created a research facility named Pavena which had been here. She listened to his words, engrossed in them as she tried to match pieces of information in her mind to the story.

He continued speaking of rumours, of flying ships fueled by djed that they had harnessed somehow. Then mention of something called the World Gate. She was intrigued by that even more! She’d heard of the watchtowers, seen how their gems had flared when the seasons changed, and even heard rumours that they were once a way to travel. If the Worldgate rivaled the watchtowers, she was intrigued by it. She wanted to go see it for herself, especially if it was large enough to allow flying ships through it.

Then Mathias spoke of why Syka was built, and that Morwen had requested it’s formation, and Anibesa remembered earlier on in the season, when she’d been discussing the odd goings on with other residents of Syka and someone suggested that Morwen maybe had something to do with it, and Anibesa realised how likely it was that that was true.
He spoke of Pavena and how successful Myrna was, and Anibesa was left wondering what had happened and how Myrna Kelvic influenced what had been going on. The comparisons between Myrna’s Pavena and Marcus’ Ironrock seemed to be superfluous, though she understood that Mathias was trying to help everyone understand quite how busy and successful Pavena was, and quite who the siblings were. She was certain that everything would fall into place soon.

Finally it was mentioned that Myrna had left through the World Gate just before the Valterrian and had effectively gone missing. She was searched for and never found, and Marcus had used the Kelvic’s to try and find them, sending them to other worlds and that he’d almost find her when the Valterrian had happened.

Anibesa felt something stir inside her as she wondered how Morwen and Yshul had felt, learning that their grandchild and child, respectively, had been lost offworld, and their other grandchild and child had almost been killed and would have been had he not been pulled out of Ironrock by Morwen.
She couldn’t imagine how Myrna must have felt becoming stuck off world, and she felt herself empathising with the lost woman being stuck somewhere that wasn’t hers.

Then came the mention that Marcus Kelvic was still alive, kept asleep in Morwen’s domain. The blond had apparently crafted his coffin, and Anibesa blinked a few times, unsure as to how old the blond, now introduced as Kultra, was. If he had crafted the coffin, had he been alive since the Valterrian? Or had the coffin been made more frequently.

As the tale came to an end, a Velispar Kelvic named Mueir was mentioned, a Kelvic bonded to Morwen herself. Anibesa hadn’t considered that a Velispar Kelvic could exist, and she couldn’t deny that such a powerful creature would make a good companion to a goddess.

Once the tale came to an end and they were told what was needed to be done, Anibesa nodded. Morwen and Yshul might not have been her goddesses, but every god was important on Mizahar. Each god had their own role, and each god contributed a lot to Mizahar. And the feeling of being stuck on a world that was unfamiliar resonated with Anibesa. She would do what she could to help Morwen and Yshul bring Myrna home! She didn’t know how much help she would be, but she would give her all to the task at hand.

She heard Aladon’s words and a slight smile spread across her face. She had no questions, though she was interested in hearing Mathias’ answer to his. She suspected that the lights were linked to the so called World Gate, and that the snow was because of Morwen being somewhere through the World Gate. She heard him angry at the people from the World Gate having shot him earlier, and she realised for the first time that she hadn’t been the only one shot.

”So you were shot too?” she said calmly before turning to Mathias. ”I will help. They shot me too, I’d like to see who or what they are, and anyway I can be of service to the Goddesses would be an honour!” she said, the look on her face collected but obviously determined and serious.

On top of what she’d said, she was also curious as to Pavena. She wanted to see what it looked like, and whether the images the Mist had shown her earlier on in the season had been of the ruins of Pavena. Those goals didn’t sound as righteous as aiding the Goddesses so she opted to keep those to herself.

Quietly, she stood and nodded to the others in the bar, before leaving the bar and heading towards her tent to gather her things.

Once there, she retrieved her backpack and emptied it of everything, before gathering the things she thought she might need.
”The compass might be useful… And the torches! Lantern too… Flint and steel. Rope.” as she thought through her belongings, she added them to the backpack. ”Shyke why didn’t I buy a weapon? Maybe the razor can be used for that? Yes, the razor! And the waterskin!”
She folded her cloak and stuffed it into her backpack on top of everything, unsure of whether she’d need it, and with that she was ready.

Nervously, she slung on the backpack and made her way back to the Tidepool Bar, nodding to everyone who was still there as she was ready to set off into the jungle when it was time.
She could feel nervousness running through her, possibly even a sense of fear for what was happening and what may happen. She hadn't a clue as to how things could play out, but to her any risk was worth it for the chance of a glimpse at what Pavena was, and the opportunity to do something that might be remembered for a long time!

Belongings on herClothes. Backpack Containing: Cloak, Razor, Flint and steel, Rope, lantern, One torch, Compass, Waterskin.
~

[Ialari Pythone]

As the people began to gather at the Tidepool, Ialari casually turned around in her seat to face them. Sipping her drink, she listened and observed. She was sparsely dressed at best in a simple black silk loincloth, belt and belt pouch with a mundane looking dagger slung in a loop on the pouch as well as a rather odd looking one that resembled the tooth of some sea creature mounted on a hilt with a crosspiece covered in netting and seashells. Also, slung in a loop on the pouch was an odd tube-like object with a handle. Bare-chested save for a few silver necklaces, Ialari sat calmly as Matthias told his story and the others reacted.

She made it a point to closely look at each of those who had come for the meeting and tried to get a sense of who they were and what they were all about. Thanks to the vast amount of time spent between worlds, Ialari had a unique altered perspective of people and how they were connected to the greater world. While she couldn't discern detail, she got a general sense that there was a wide variety of inherent talent and skill present.

She took many mental notes from the story Matthias told and a vast number of questions began to form based on the dilemma he presented. Of the various individuals that were gathered, Ialari's attention was most drawn to the stranger known as, Kultra. He mentioned having built the coffin that held Marcus Kelvic. Doing so would mean that he was at least 500 years old. Both the creation of a coffin that could keep someone in statis for so long and the fact that the creator was still alive meant quite a bit to Ialari. At one point she gave him an obvious glance of creative interest as well as one that said, You have a secret and I want to know it.

There of course were the others that she had seen before even if she didn't know all that much about. Matthias of course was one she'd met a few years ago, albeit briefly. There was Rainmere, Jansen, Stu, James and Juli who all seemed a bit anxious even if some tried to hid it. Finally there was the one named, Vas, a quiet one who sat next to Matthias during the meeting. Vas was another who struck Ialari as being a bit odd mainly due to his sticking out among the rest. Strangers in Syka, even from her limited experience and time there, stuck out as being quite obvious and a little odd. She imagined it was the same thing the settlers felt about her when she first arrived.

Then there were the lesser known. An Isur of the Sultros Clan and a blacksmith in Syka. She hadn't yet had too much to do with the man mainly because of her own personal tasks which took quite a bit of her time. He seemed solid enough yet, in relation to what Matthias was asking of all of them, she wondered if he really knew what he was getting into. He'd mentioned something of being shot but it wasn't something that made much sense when she heard it.

The red-headed Svefra was also somewhat new to Ialari. She'd caught glimpses of the girl before yet, as Ialari was one to usually keep to herself, she hadn't really gotten to know the girl at all. Other than the red hair, which was unique in itself, the girl didn't stand out to Ialari as being overly special. It wasn't as much a judgement as it was an observation.

Another man with short brown hair and tanned skin was also present. While she couldn't gain much from his physical appearance, Ialari sensed that there was a little more to him. His djed felt like it had a different weave to it as if he had some greater control over it than physical appearances would otherwise dictate. What this feeling was all about, Ialari didn't know but the sense of magic use was there.

When Matthias had finished laying out his story as well as what he was asking of all who were present, Ialari listened to what others had to say before formulating her own questions and response. What had been said was truly above and beyond to be sure but the questions it raised were seemingly endless for her.

Sitting at the bar, Ialari sat down her drink and waited for the opportunity to speak. With a slight clearing of her throat, she began. Her accent was thick but she spoke slowly and methodically as if trying to ensure that her words were as clear as possible and her meaning was equally as clear. "Matthias, I wish I could say that what you speak of is absurd and overly-fantastic. Most people would hear your words and laugh at the concept. Fortunately, I am not one of them. I've had my share of encounters with magical research facilities, specifically the Island of Sahova and the remnants of the Seven Robes of the Alahean Empire. I've traveled across the known world and back again and have encountered things that would drive a sane person mad. Despite all of that, what you have shared with us is truly concerning to me." Ialari stood from her seat and slowly paced back and forth along the length of the bar.

"I have more questions than we realistically have time for answers so I will try to keep them brief. First, what exactly is a Velispar? You say it is a form of Kelvic bonded with Morwen but what is it? How is a Velispar significant?" Ialari had never heard of such a thing but if this creature was somehow bonded with a Goddess and was some sort of Kelvic, why wasn't it involved in all of this in a greater way. "If this creature is so close to the Goddess, why isn't it here and helping this unique menagerie of individuals you've collected?"

Ialari continued to pace, her black, silver-veined metallic hand occasionally running its fingers through her short hair as well as rubbing a strange mark on her flesh hand.

"You say that Myrna operated a research facility here known as Pavena. It was tied to the study of other worlds. Does it still exist? Is there anything here that could help us in this quest you've tasked us to undertake?" As Ialari began systematically running through her mental notes, she couldn't help but start to sound a little annoyed. There were so many unanswered questions related to Matthias' story and so many unknowns that were causing her analytical brain to go into overdrive.

"The Goddess of Winter and the Goddess of Thieves went to another world in search of Myrna whom the Velispar supposedly found yet her brother Marcus was unable to. He sent an entire race of creatures out in search of finding her yet failed. Now the Goddesses need our help, the help of mortals, to return to this world. Do you even have a plan for all of this beyond a little bit of scouting meant to learn more about whoever currently controls this gate? I mean, an entire race of creatures was created for this, the children of the gods were involved and were lost or driven mad. Two Goddesses went there and haven't returned. Yet we are attempting it with even less knowledge and ability than those who came before."

Ialari was getting even more upset as she spoke yet she tried to subdue it. She silently prayed to the Divine Father for patience as she combated what she perceived to be complete and total ignorance of what they were getting involved in.

"You..." Ialari looked to the one known as Kultra. "You built the coffin that now holds Marcus Kelvic? That means you are at least 500+ years old and are capable of feats of Magecraft that I can only dream about. We should talk. I am guessing you may have some insight into at least the gate and the magic that is involved." Ialari's growing anger was softened a bit as she focused on the blonde man. Something about him seemed rather off although at the same time was enticing in an odd way.

Ialari was fighting the overwhelming questions that were flooding her mind as she tried to pick out what she thought were most important. It wasn't easy.

"Flying ships? Really? Flying ships that travel between worlds? Does this not make anyone else here think, In the name of the gods are you truly serious? This gate must be huge and the amount of magic involved in the opening, closing and maintaining of such a thing is unimaginable." Ialari considered the possibility of such things but even with her extensive knowledge of ancient magic, the idea of flying ships traveling between worlds was out there so to speak.

Ialari paused in her pacing for a moment and reached for her drink at the bar. Draining the last of it and motioning for a refill, she continued.

"So this brings me to my greatest question. How many of you assembled here have actually traveled between worlds? Raise your hand." Ialari raised her hand.

"Keeping your hand raised, how many of you have any experience with open doorways to other worlds?" Ialari kept her hand raised.

"Matthias, as much as I respect you for all that you've done here in Syka and as much as I believe in all that you've shared with us today. I feel like you have no real plan for what to do here; no real idea of how we accomplish what you are proposing." Ialari paused for a few moments as she struggled with whether or not to continue in the way she was thinking of. Finally, realizing that deception was in no way appropriate for the situation, she revealed her secret.

"I am known as a Domineer. I am the first in known mortal memory to be named as such. I routinely travel between this world and the Ukalas, creating doorways in and out and moving through them. I've been given a personal tour of that realm by the Goddess of Death, Herself and have dealt with otherworldy forces beyond established mortal understanding." Ialari held up the fleshy palm of her had to reveal the mark of Dira. "I have encountered things over the years that would both inspire as well as cripple your minds and yet the unknown of what you are proposing, Matthias, scares me. I don't scare easily." Ialari ran her fingers down the silver tattoos that ran from the shoulder of her metallic hand down to her elbow as she offered another silent prayer to Izurdin for patience. A favored of the God of Patience and Strength, she hoped to find guidance.

"If we are to have any hope of surviving all of this, we need more of a plan. Right now we know we need to scout out and discover more about this opposition that controls the gate. What do we do then? Let's say we have to destroy them if they don't cooperate. How do we do that? It's been said that they have "shot" some of us. What does that mean? Does this have anything to do with it?" Ialari reached for the strange tube with a handle that hung from her pouch and held it up for others to see. "I found this at the falls not far from here. It isn't metal and doesn't bare any recognizable magical features, at least in my eyes. It looks however like something similar to a chopped up crossbow or something that could be held in a similar manner."

"We are talking about an opposing force that is likely prepared for divine intervention. I hate to break it to you but unless some of you are hiding something pretty sizeable, we are not gods. How do you propose we take on a force that is prepared for something as far beyond us as you can get? Sure, they may not be expecting a handful of mortals but that only buys us the element of limited surprise. What do we do after?" Ialari herself didn't feel like much of a leader. She'd always felt she was more of a supporter. However, as in Sahova when she was left with no choice but to lead others to stop the coup by the Supervisor Golem and Champion of Sagallius, Drainira, she now felt as though she needed to help open the others' eyes to what exactly they were getting into.

"Let's assume we are able to overcome this opposition and get control of the gate on this side. Does anyone know how to open it? How do we get back through if we do make it to the other side? Are we even able to survive on that side without some form of magic or magic-related items? What is on the other side that could threaten or perhaps hopefully help us? Where are the goddesses? What sort of trouble could be keeping them from getting back and how do mortals help rescue goddesses?" Ialari felt the urge to slam her head into the wall at the lack of any sort of real knowledge or plan tied to what they were potentially getting in to.

"Personally, I think we need to capture one of these thing guarding the gate. Take it alive and interrogate it until we know everything it knows. If anyone is too squeamish for that, I'll do it. I've done it before. Since it's been attacking parts of the settlement and is somehow surviving in this world, it has answers that we can take from it. Based on that information, we can maybe form a plan for how to proceed. Right now though, as we all sit here pondering this, I can taste death in the air meaning Milady Dira is near." Ialari returned to her seat and downed her refilled drink in one motion. She'd been called to Syka by some unknown force and that feeling of desperation was currently on fire. So much talent and experienced individuals collected in one place for one purpose yet none had any idea of what was in store for them. Though wishing she had all the answers, Ialari did not. Experience however screamed at her as to how to begin yet she hoped the others would follow her lead. Though not a charismatic figure, she was confident. She knew what she would do if given the choice and hoped that others would see that logic.

[Satevis]

Satevis nodded in thanks to Stuvantis as the man passed him a drink, raising the cup and taking a small sip from it. He partook more to be polite than anything else. It wasn't typically in Satevis's nature to drink, not liking the loss of control that alcohol caused him. It also tended to bring certain other things to the forefront, thoughts that Satevis tried to keep below the surface. Given the magnitude of today's meeting--and the fact that Anibesa was in the room--Satevis thought that drinking would likely not be a smart idea. Still, a sip or two would not make him drunk, and a sip or two was certainly welcome under the circumstances.

Especially when Mathias started his story. When the white-haired founder started speaking, Satevis set his cup down, the drink and the company forgotten as he leaned closer to listen. The things that were happening in Syka, it seemed, were much grander than he had given the place credit for. He'd heard about the ruins, and had been interested in exploring them when possible, but this...

Morwen. Yshul. The creator of the Kelvic race. The Valterrian. Pavena and the World Gate.

These were matters of the gods.

Satevis kept his gaze on whoever happened to be speaking at the time, clearly hungry for information. In the back of his mind, he was already taking what Mathias had said, making connections and putting concepts together. If Morwen were here looking for her granddaughter, that would explain the sudden snowstorm a handful of days ago. And if Morwen were trapped behind the World Gate, that would explain the lack of winter across the continent. But that didn't explain the creatures that were standing guard at the World Gate (unknown creatures! So I was partly right about an uncontacted group within the jungle...), or why they would have any vested interest in keeping it closed. Or what they could possibly mean for the settlers at Syka. Or how this Kultra could have possibly created Marcus Kelvic's coffin. The only race that Satevis could think of off the top of his head that could have survived the intervening 500 years would be...

His own. The Ethaefal. He frowned at Kultra, wondering...but no, he shouldn't jump to conclusions. Perhaps there were other races. Perhaps there was more to the story.

There was always, always more to the story, and Satevis realized that he was allowing his mind to go off track, attempting to follow so many different threads and different paths that he was no longer grounded in the present. That wouldn't do. Remembering what Nya said about being alert, about staying in the moment more, he tried to whittle down Mathias's speech to two or three important things.

1. The goddess Morwen was missing, likely trapped behind the World Gate.
2. There were unknown people actively using the World Gate.
3. It was necessary to find the World Gate, contact the strangers, and open a path for Morwen to get home.

Though his mind itched to understand more, and his fingers itched for his journal, he focused on those things for now, listening to the flow of the conversation. The Isurian man had a point. They didn't know if the group were inherently hostile, or whether they might be hiding armies behind the World Gate.

"Alien might not be too much of a stretch..." Satevis said, more to himself than to anyone else. "But, I'm sorry, you were shot? The both of you? With what sort of weapon?" He addressed his question to both the Isur and Anibesa, reasoning that he couldn't very well ignore her for the purpose of this expedition. It was easier to address her in the light of day as well, when she appeared no more than a Svefra.

The Isurian woman's words were equally intriguing. He was very impressed with how she had managed to sort through everything that Mathias had said and come up with so many questions so quickly, especially when he was still reeling. She clearly had an investigative mind. He made a mental note to find time to speak with her, if possible...although, he thought, with a lowering of his eyes and a slight flush, did she have to wear so little?

When the woman asked who among them had ever traveled between worlds though, Satevis gave Anibesa a sidelong glance before lifting his hand, holding it at roughly chest height. That he didn't remember the fall did not make it less true. When she asked who had done so with experience and (implied) intent, he lowered his hand, listening.

A Domineer. Someone who traveled regularly between this world and the Ukalas. A servant of Dira. Satevis listened with more and more fascination, but as much as it burned, this was not the time to ask questions about the Ukalas for his own interest, nor was it the time to think about his fall. The woman had asked all of the questions Satevis himself might have, given an hour or three to think through everything Mathias had said. He saw no need to add to them, instead nodding his head.

"If it wasn't clear," he said, "I'll be coming along as well, although I do think that her questions should be answered before we go" Particularly how they were going to stand against a force that was prepared to stand against gods.