A Long Journey... To Begin a Longer Journey

by **Dyrdas** on February 2nd, 2011, 9:16 pm

As the silhouettes closed in on Dyrdas, he saw their true nature: they were Drykas, riding like the wind towards him, at a speed that made a mockery of his slow amble through the vast Sea of Grass. He had grown to known his humble pony, Matilda, much better on their many days together, wandering in the general direction of the Cyphrus region, following roads and paths as often as possible. He thought he could stay in a saddle without major difficulties, which were a break-through in such an inexperienced rider’s abilities, or so he thought. He could even ride faster than a limp.

However, Dyrdas knew these hideously inadequate riding skills he had accrued would not enable him to escape these master riders. He figured that they could ride their horses backwards, blindfolded, and missing an arm and a leg as well as Dyrdas could. He was equally unskilled with the longsword lashed amongst his horse’s saddlebags, and so made no move for it. He raised his empty hands slowly, showing that he was unarmed, offering no resistance when the Drykas demanded he ride with them. He nodded silently and tried his best to keep up with them, and noted their annoyance at having to slow down for some foreigner on a MOUNTAIN pony, in the PLAINS. So he attempted to alleviate some of their frustration and pushed his horse into a slow trot, which he managed with only minor discomfort, moving at as fast a pace he could without falling out of the saddle like an idiot.

After a long, and needless to say, agonizing ride, the party of Drykas with their powerful steeds, plus one inexperienced traveller and his comparatively tiny pony, came upon the rest of their group, circled around a large beast of some sort. As they drew closer, Dyrdas could see that is was a bear, and was oddly enough offering no more resistance to the circle than Dyrdas did when they came to retrieve him... quite strange. Then he noticed a heavily modified pack on the bear’s back, marking it as much more than a simple animal. Dyrdas used his rough knowledge of Pavi, the language of the Drykas, to listen in on what the riders were saying. He was rusty, his knowledge decayed from disuse, as the last time he’d used Pavi extensively was back when his master, Oromyr, were still alive more than two years ago. He couldn’t catch much from the quiet mutterings of the men, but he could tell that they had never seen a bear before, meaning they were not native to the Sea.

Then he heard a woman speaking common, and turned to see her at the head of the circle, obviously the leader of this band. She spoke to another foreigner: “Do you know what this is, Luke of the Lammergeirs? It is not of the Grasslands, but it does smell of your forests.” He shifted his attention to the foreigner, who was dressed mostly in black, and awakened his auristics to analyze the mans aura. He tried to get a rough read of the man’s emotions, sensing his mild confidence on his horse, more than what Dyrdas had. He focused a bit more, and locked onto the man’s feelings towards the bear, which as far as he could tell, were not hostile. He also had the rough impression that this man also knew that the bear was possibly much more than it was. Surely enough, he rode into the center of the circle and began speaking to the bear, and of “Kelvics”. Dyrdas figured those were the semi-natural shapeshifters he had heard of from Oromyr, the source of all his knowledge.

And then the bear disappeared in a flash of light, replaced by a naked man, gargantuan in his own right. He was massive, and would’ve been a force to be reckoned with, if he weren’t surrounded by half a dozen well armed, mounted Drykas warriors. Dyrdas pulled his attenion away from the foreigner and latched onto this man, probing him for information. His eyes stared past Luke, at the leader of the band. Dyrdas sensed no aparent hostility, none more than would be expected from someone surrounded by armed men, anyways, though he was not entirely a friend either. The man remained passive, stating his standing with the band of Drykas and their two companions... or were they prisoners? Of that, Dyrdas was unsure. Keeping his focus on the Kelvic for a while longer, he noticed his attention on the female leader of the troop. Dyrdas shook off the fatigue from extensive Auristics use, and pulled away from the man’s aura. He turned to the leader, listening intently, expecting her to speak next.

by **Mixcoatl** on February 16th, 2011, 2:27 am

The Drykas, understandably, watched Luke with a skeptical face as he passed into the center of the circle, claiming that he knew something more about the creature than they did. Granted, that was true, but he claimed it was more than a simple-minded, animalistic creature. A small snort left most of their lips, but not a word of dissent was passed between them, as Inaril remained serious. Her expression decided that of the group. She was their leader, and as such, they would follow her until their deaths. She was the sort of leader that gave off that aura. As Luke approached the bear trapped within the center, she barked out a sharp order, one that only Dyrdas would understand, that translated to: "Watch them both! I will have no conspiracy!" She then squeezed her horse's flanks, urging the mare forward with an eager nudge. Together, the pair approached the second group of Drykas, where Inaril consorted with the man in charge of that group. Apparently, he actually could be talkative, for he responded eloquently to all of her inquiries. Eventually, the focus of her brown eyes shifted to Dyrdas, scanning him from head to toe in a manner that was frighteningly similar to the way she had scanned Luke, if he was paying any attention. That little circle she made around him, the way she closed in next to him, leaned over (and since Dyrdas was on his short pony, slightly downwards) and inhaled next to his neck, taking in his scent. It was at that point that she returned to her fully upright position, riding backwards until she had a few feet between them.

"Tell me, foreigner, and tell me quickly, for my patience grows thin with the amount of you that see it fit to enter the lands of the Drykas in such rapid succession of one another. What brings you to the lands of Neverending Grasses, where the land itself rejects those whom are not its own, where the ground beneath your horse's hooves will vanish into flood waters in but a few brief moments? What could you possibly see within this land, foreigner?" Inaril spoke quickly, in flawless Common, her eyes never wavering from Dyrdas, looking through his facade for any little cracks that might begin to show. She was a master of her craft, the craft of detecting honesty, and it was at this point that she was plying her trade.

When she finally received her answer, and deemed it fit, she tossed a head over her shoulder, long brown locks swinging with its arc. Silently, she observed Luke's attempts at negotiation with the creature, riding slightly closer to the circle, motioning quickly back to the group around Dyrdas without even looking at them. Silently, they dispersed from around him, and she motioned for him to join her by her side. "Is it often that Northerners speak with animals other than horses?" she asked curiously, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, tilting her head in a manner just as inquisitive as her tone if he spared her a glance of his own, her brow furrowing. She only returned her attention to the circle at the last second. What happened then was even more confusing than what had been happening a few moments ago, when he was talking to the creature. The creature, it turned out, was not a creature, but a person wearing the guise of a creature. Or maybe it was a creature wearing the guise of a person. Such thoughts, either way, were not thoughts for now, and were dismissed. As confused as she was, her face remained neutral, revealing no weakness, revealing not an ounce of her confusion.

Instead, she watched in silence as the wind howled around them, as the person that could wear the guise of an animal began to speak in flawless Common. When his eyes drifted to her towards the end of his sentence, she did not so much as flinch. Weakness was something that would never be shown. Instead, she responded to him in a stern voice, one that demanded to be answered, if not even respected. "Your name, if you would be so kind. It is a courtesy that vital. I am Inaril, of the Frostwind Pavilion, of the Diamond Clan. Now your turn, beast-person. Tell me who you are, what you are, and most importantly, the question asked of all trespassers, what brings you to Cyphrus, a land so different from the Northern Forests you are so clearly from?"

by **Luke Lammergeier** on February 18th, 2011, 9:09 am

Luke couldn't help but feel insulted by the Kelvic's reply. Refusing his friendship was only topped by getting ignored. Luke couldn't blame the creature they were naturally ignorant to the ways of humans, and it wasn't his place to hold a grudge or be angry. The only thing that he could do was simply ignore it and leave it to Inaril. He didn't bother trying to tell him to be more respectful when he did address her. Kelvic's weren't ones for human rules so he didn't waste his breath.

He felt he had proved his worth to the Drykas and defused a situation. When he turned and started to ride towards the commander he noticed all the new warriors and a tall thin man sitting on a small pony next to Inaril. He didn't want to look too questioning and risk being rude. So he simple came up close to Inaril on the other side as she began to speak to the Kelvic. It wasn't all that surprising Inaril was calm and cold faced when she saw the Kelvic shift. Just like Kain she would show no weakness or surprise.

He sat next to Inaril on his horse and waited as she spoke politely to the Kelvic. She was taking a nice diplomatic approach and he was impressed. Solving the situation with a curved tongue first would save everyone a lot of trouble if they had to fight the man. Luke was confident the situation was in good hands. Even though things were feeling alright he still kept his mind sharp and his hands close to his sword.

by **Asim** on February 22nd, 2011, 1:22 am

With a snort, the Kelvic pushed the human from his mind, focusing on the Drykas before him. She spoke to him, not rude, but not polite either. Her beast-person comment was not well received, as he lifted a lip in a snarl at the term. But he spoke, staring straight at her, ignoring the other Drykas and the two humans watching him. They did not bother him, at the moment. "It is an honor to meet you, Inaril Frostwind, of the Diamond Clan. My kind are given names by those who would keep us as "pets", Horse Master. But, my current Bondmate calls me Asim," stated the Kelvic, a smirk flicking across his face, as if at a private joke. "As for what I'm doing in Cyphrus, I go where my Bondmate goes. And she's here. As for where I am clearly from, I'm a Kelvic. We show up everywhere." With these words, the Kelvic stood up, slipping his pack off his back. The fact that he wasn't wearing anything didn't seem to bother him, as he stretched and then fixed the straps of his pack so that they would fit his human form better.

by **Dyrdas** on February 25th, 2011, 8:41 pm

As Dyrdas watched Inaril quietly, he saw her break off from her circle of men and approach the one around him. Matilda, the usually implacable pony, neighed uncomfortably and the woman approached, her imposing presence affect mount as well as man. The woman conversed with one of her underlings, tossing questions at him in an effortless Pavi, one much smoother than Dyrdas had ever achieved. Even now, he remembered Oromyr’s lessons in the language. The old man was quite the eccentric, and placed a wide variety of unusual, yet uncannily useful skills at the feet of the only child he could ever call his own, regardless of their lac of blood relationship.

Dyrdas snapped back to reality as the woman stared him up and down, circled him and his humble mount, inspected him, sniffed him. It was as if he were nothing more than cattle to her. She moved back, looking him in the eyes now, and spoke, asking what he was doing in her peoples land, so obviously out of place, when the Sea of grass was about to become a literal sea.

She spoke in common, Dyrdas noted thankfully, though the last comment caught him unawares. He looked to the skies and the clouds, adjusting his cloak thoughtfully, when his eyes snapped down and made contact with Inaril’s. “I am a traveller, madam, though an inexperienced one,” he began, “But more importantly, I am a man of mystic, a student of all things magical,” he said with a tone of grandeur. It was not often he got to introduce himself to others, and when he did he made sure he left an impression.

He lifted his left hand from the reign, holding it up somewhat theatrically as he generated Res in gas form and after a moment had a decent orb of the stuff hovering at his fingers. He gently tugged and pulled on his Djed, growing the sphere to a size of his liking. Then he swung his arm dispersing the gas in all directions, releasing a strong gust that ruffled the hair of the Drykas and their horses, though from what Dyrdas had seen, the steeds were well trained enough not to spook at a simple gust. “I am capably of much, madam, more than you have witnessed, it is likely. I come to your lands seeking respite from my old accommodations in the City of Zeltiva, as one grows tired of living in a cramped shack, sulking day in and day out. I come seeking a fresh beginning from that which I have known before.” His introduction finished, the tall, thin man self-consciously stroked his wild beard, hoping Inaril did not taing him as a raving lunatic or mad man. One could only hope, though.

by **Mixcoatl** on March 3rd, 2011, 10:57 pm

Still, the beast-man, or Kelvic, as he seemed to prefer to be called, reveled in his nudity, even going so far as to straighten the pack on his back for this new shape he had taken on. Clearly, he had no intention of shifting back to his animalistic form. At least that was some sort of progress. It showed that he, at least, wished to negotiate with them. However, she did not have the time to parlance. She had spent all of the time she could with these men. If they were to survive the coming flood, they had to make it to cover. Fast. She shifted somewhat uneasily on the back of her mare, brushing hair from her face as the wind kicked up ever so slightly, whispering softly to her ears in that language that only she could understand. The winds were not pleased. They were the forefront of a violent rain. She turned her head to look at Dyrdas, catching him just as he began his speech about his profession, waving his arms about as if he was displaying something. The movements were a little too familiar to Inaril for comfort. Her Rayvehk had made motions not too dissimilar when he was in this life. Her gut telling her that it could go poorly quite quickly, she watched him with ever-cautious eyes, spear clutched tightly between white-knuckled fingers.

The gust rolled past her, blowing the hair of both her and her horse out and about, making a sort of halo around her face. She did not mind. She had experienced worse. With her hair whipped around her face, she simply eyed him. “No more than I am familiar with,” she said simply. A breeze slowly came to life around them, something which she took for granted. Honing in on it, she increased it to a full blown gust, directing it at Dyrdas with but a little movement of her arm, the source of her power, the twirling mark on her back, hidden from sight by her layers of armor and clothing. Slowly, it died back down, and as her lips moved just enough to be perceived, Dyrdas could hear a single word, whispered to him by the breath of the wind itself.

Zulrav.

With Dyrdas sufficiently creeped out, hopefully, since the wind was talking to him and whatnot, Inaril returned her focus to Asim, speaking to him quickly. “Well, then, I have no reason to interrupt those things that are a part of nature. If you wish to join us, you may. If not, then go about your business. Be wary, though. Not all in the grass are as forgiving as I,” then, to Luke and Dyrdas, “as we speak, a storm encroaches upon us, one that will fill the Sea with water. We must make it to the Pavilion I have spoken of with all due haste, if we are to survive. I shall take you there myself. My men have other duties to attend to upon the Sea. Fear not for them. They are trained,” Finally, she spoke once more to Dyrdas. “Also, names are a courtesy often exchanged between companions. You know mine, but I know not yours. It would be wise to share it.”

With formalities out of the way, the group proceeded with or without Asim in tow. After two hours of travel, the sky became notably more foreboding. Dark storm clouds, unlike any of them but Inaril had ever seen, billowed overhead, threatening to burst and drown them all at a moment’s notice. Inaril pushed the group as fast as they would go, ignoring the hostility of the gusts that assailed them, tearing through their clothing. One more hour brought them to the Pavilion, a normally moving construct of hides and wood. Now, though, it was stationary, sitting next to a cave entrance carved by the hands of men, within which they undoubtedly hid their precious horses. Stone slabs, perfectly fitted for the entrance, rested in the gate, preventing the water from flooding the tunnel and killing the occupants. Inaril guided them into the Pavilion, only pulling down her hood once they were safely inside, a sharp clearing of her throat announcing her presence.

As she did so, an old man emerged from the depths of the Pavilion, looking over the party. “This is them?” he asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at the wind-battered group. “This is them.” She responded, mirroring his words as a statement instead of a question. He nodded, and pulled them inside the safety of the Pavilion. His steady hands guided them to a circle of pillows, in the center of which he sat. The horses were a different story. Never a people to let horses perish, they also were brought up onto the Pavilion, brought into the tents, albeit carefully. They could not let them break anything.

“As you are our guests, you will be doing the tasks of a member of the Frostwind Pavilion. You will have access to the majority of our resources for your stay. So long as you work, you will be fed. Your other option is death. From where we are now, weather permitting, we shall meet Endrykas on the 8th of Spring. Then, you are free to go about your business. If you perform exceptionally, you shall be compensated with the coins your people so cherish. Are these terms acceptable?” As he laid out the terms, Inaril stood in the corner, arms folded over her chest, shield over her back. “Uncle,” she said simply, looking over at him, “the bearded man is also of magical prowess. I do not know if he is able to do much more than create wind, though.” As this fact was laid out, all he gave in response was a contemplating nod.

OOC Note :

by **Luke Lammergeier** on March 5th, 2011, 10:44 am

The show of magic between the commander and Dyrdas was nothing short of shocking and massively frightening. He had never actually witnessed magic only heard about it from Kain. It was the very thing he wanted to study himself. Seeing it done right in front of his eyes was a mixed blessing.

And whether or not Luke would admit it. He was slightly scared off by it. If they could make the wind flow in a certain direction at whim. What else could they do? Was magic really as powerful as he was told. Could magic contain souls inside a dead body? What about creating fire out of nothingness. The thoughts made his urge to learn take a step back. Their were some things in life you simply didn't tamper with. Magic was looking more taboo then ever.

When Inaril talked about an approaching storm that would flood he began to feel nervous. Not only for himself but the inexperienced rider that would have to follow. He could hardly go at a trot, how could he keep up with the warriors? Hell, how would he keep up with them? She told them to follow her to a Pavilion that would take them in. He wanted to ask the magician something but Inaril asked for his name. When they stopped talking Luke caught Dyrdas's attention.

“Your chances are better if you ride with me.” With or without then Northerner Luke began to ride at full speed with the group of warriors. Keeping up with the warriors was nearly impossible, it almost seemed like his horse was lame compared to them. Still Luke put faith into his unnamed horse and hoped they wouldn't be swept away in whatever flood was coming.

When they finally reached a cave jutting out of the plains Luke was relieved they were alive. In a couple of moments the gate made of stone was lifted. The men and horses were lead inside by a Inaril. They entered a tent and sat inside a circle of pillows with the man at the middle. Like a good leader he laid out the law and what was expected. Hard work and little pay was Luke's specialty working for Kain. Inaril told the man, her uncle. About Dyrdas and his magical abilities. He himself was still pretty impressed and threatened. He remembered to keep a eye on the man.

“I'm extremely grateful your taking us in sir, your terms seem fair enough I accept. My name is Luke Lammergeier. What work will we be doing?”

by **Asim** on March 5th, 2011, 8:44 pm

With a chuckle, the Kelvic gave a bow to the Drykas. "I thank you for the offer, Horse-Master, but I can not. I must return to my Bondmate. It was an honor to meet you, though," stated the Kelvic as he bowed to the other Drykas and the two foreigners.

Turning from the horse riders, the naked man strode off, back towards where he knew Raiha was. As he did, he adjusted the straps on his pack, and slid it on, before shifting back into his bear form. The swirls of light around him quickly vanished, leaving the bear with his pack on his massive back.

Within two hours, the Kelvic was back with his Bondmate, his eyes turning back towards where the Drykas had taken the two travelers. He respected the Drykas, for carving a life out of this land, and thought, that if time, and Raiha, permitted, he would travel with them for a time.

by **Dyrdas** on March 11th, 2011, 11:07 pm

Shortly after his weak display, the Drykas woman, Inaril, whipped up a breeze of her own and sent it rolling towards Dyrdas. Hers was far different from his, however. It spoke to him, and him alone, bearing a single word with an inhuman voice. “Zulrav...” it whispered, delivering it’s message seemingly devoid of emotion, an inhuman voice with an indifferent tone. His eyes widened a little, and the normally implacable man did, for once, show surprise. Dyrdas knew little of the Drykas people, other than some of their language that Oromyr had thought would serve his son well. Ironically enough, it did. The wind’s voice was not something Dyrdas had heard of before. He suspected it’s origins were much more supernatural than his own winds...

However, sufficiently chided and humbled by Inaril, he spoke: “My name would be Dyrdas, madam. I am not possessed of any surname, though.” Then he was subject to a rushed briefing about the nature of the plains and the impending storm. Dyrdas simply nodded, gripping Matilda’s flanks with his lanky legs and hunching over the back of the stocky, muscular pony. He was certainly not the most skilled rider, but his steed was steady and reliable. She was not as fast or as impressive as the more glorious mounts arranged around her and her rider, though she was perfect for a beginner to be taught the way of saddle and reins.

Then the foreigner, Luke, approached him. He offered to allow Dyrdas to ride with him on his horse. He declined, thinking it would be awkward to place his long frame on the horse, and unwilling to leave the stalwart Matilda, whom had stayed by his side despite his stark ineptitude. Dyrdas was going to have to learn to ride for real, and learn fast. He leaned forward in his saddle, determined, and rode as fast as he could alongside Luke and Inaril, trying his hardest to both stay in his saddle and keep up with the riders as the Kelvic, Asim, departed, changing to a bear again and loping off with that odd pack of his.

After a while, they rode up to the Pavilion, which looked to Drydas like a gigantic rolling tent... which is precisely what it was. It was stationary by a cave entrance, which from it’s perfection and convenient stone door was obviously man-made. Dyrdas, Luke and Inaril were drawn inside the Pavilion, alonsweat, of hardship and fulfillment with the horse-people, the Drykas. For a while, anyway.g with their horses, and led to a circle of pillows, at the center of which sat an old man, supposedly the leader of the Frostwind Pavilion. Dyrdas quietly took his seat with Inaril and Luke amongst the pillows, listening intently as Inaril conversed with the man. Dyrdas simply nodded when the man laid out the terms of his stay with the Pavilion, mentally preparing himself for the work ahead and his time amongst the horse clans of Cyphrus, a far cry from the Scholars and Sailors of Zeltiva, his homeland. As Inaril mentioned his more unnatural abilities to her uncle, Dyrdas nodded in confirmation. “I am skilled in Reimancy, specializing in the elements of wind and flame, Auristics, and also the old ways of Magecraft. You can put these abilities to use any way you see fit, sir.” He listened again as Luke inquired as to the nature of their work, and his mind drifted, fancifully imagining a life of steel and sweat amongst the horse-people, the Drykas. For a while, anyway.

by **Mixcoatl** on March 26th, 2011, 9:54 pm

[spoiler=Award Template]

The Lord of the Hunt is Pleased!

The Lord of the Hunt showers you with gifts in joyous celebration!

Luke Lammergeier

Experience
+3 Riding

Lore
Drykas (Basic)
Sea of Grass (Basic)
Inaril Frostwind (Basic)
Frostwind Pavilion (Basic)
Kelvic (Basic)

Asim

Experience
+2 Running
+1 Land Navigation

Lore
Drykas (Basic)
Inaril Frostwind (Basic)
Standing Up Against Armed Drykas
Confusing the Locals

Dyrdas

Experience
+3 Riding
+1 Reimancy

Lore
Drykas (Basic)
Sea of Grass (Basic)
Inaril Frostwind (Basic)
Frostwind Pavilion (Basic)
Kelvic (Basic)

Nice threading with you lot. As said above, I'll post up the second half, and let you two train your little hearts out until you partake in it.

You are paid enough by the Pavilion to cover whatever cost of living you choose.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, don't hesitate to PM me.