Sinners or Slaves [Markus, Nari, Blythe, Sondra]

[Dusk]

Sinners or Slaves A Winter quest beginning in Syliras Mid-Winter, 510 AV OOC NotePlease note that as John Griffin has been inactive and did not complete his prequel, he has been removed from the quest. Looks like Markus gets all the ladies. The rains of spring had lasted longer this year than usual, leaving the Mithryn Fields flooded with rich soil and promising a hearty crop for the citizens of Syliras. It left travel a bit of a sloppy mess, though, and anyone making their way through it would find themselves thoroughly soaked and likely covered to their knees in mud as well. As the various travelers made their way to the Lykolav Mines, they would see first that the road that veered off from Kabrin grew wider as it approached the huge mouth of the iron-ore caves. There were various wagons with teams of mules attached, some being loaded with smelted iron and some simply waiting their turn for a load. The south side of the great clearing was taken up by several shelters, most of them simply roughly-sketched roofs held up on thick poles, providing open-aired shelter to those who worked beneath them. There was where the ore that came out of the mines was heated in huge bloomerys and transformed into wrought iron that was then hauled back to Syliras to continue processing. The north side of the clearing housed what looked to be a dormitory building of some sort, long and wide and a surprising two stories tall. And between them lay the black, gaping maw of the Lykolav Mines. There were a number of people working the bloomery bellows, and several more doing the more general manual labor of hauling ore out of the mines or hauling iron to the carts. There were also two wings of Knights patrolling the grounds, though their eyes seemed to be on the laborers rather than some threat from outside. OOCLet me know how you arrive, who arrives with whom, and who you talk to when you get there. If you arrive near the same time, feel free to interact with each other!

[Blythe]

Blythe walked along in silence, her arms were folded over her chest, trying to lock in as much heat as possible. Syliras was nothing like her home in Mura, the winters in Syliras were far colder, and Blythe found herself struggling to adjust. For even at this time of year, Mura was warm. No matter if the sun had gone down, and the wind was raging, everything was peaceful there. Blythe was learning rather rapidly that Syliras was not like that. The wind always whistled, and seemed to seep through one's flesh and into their bones. One's hair was always whipping wildly around them, occasionally flying into one's eyes and mouth until it was spat back out, only to repeat the process. Blythe was rubbing her hands over her arms, as her teeth chattered, and her skin grew cool. Her bag bumped along on her back with each of her steps, as she trekked through the fields, and the mud, which would occasionally seep into the spaces between her toes. Should have bought a pair of boots. Blythe silently scolded herself. These gladiator sandals just don't cut it in other portions of the world. Blythe sighed. She had reached the entrance of the mines. People seemed to have paid her little mind, and simply continued on with their work. Blythe could see the occasional mule pulling a cart along. They would stomp the mud, squishing it around their hooves, snort, and swat away imaginary flies with the steady swishing of their tails. Workers shouted back and forth amongst themselves, and the clicking and clacking of picks on iron ore could be heard reverberating through the mine, and echoing out into the open. Tired from her journey, Blythe looked around. No one seemed friendly enough to approach, or willing to stop working in order to show her around the mine. Blythe sighed heavily, she supposed she would just have to take a quick break, and then explore the mines on her own. She looked around, and eventually spotted a rather large grey rock. Blythe walked over to it, and then sat down upon the flattest portion. The stone was cold, and did little to help her warm up, since it hadn't been kissed by the sun's morning rays. But, at least it got Blythe off her feet, and gave her a chance to rest. Blythe lifted her bag off her shoulders, and gingerly placed it on her lap. There wasn't much inside- just some money, a little bit of food, toiletries, waterskin, journal, flint and steel, letter from Nualla to her sister, and her eating knife. Just the things she would absolutely need to get by; nothing more, nothing less. Blythe opened the bag, she dug around inside until she felt worn paper beneath her fingertips. She wrapped her hand around it, and then pulled Nualla's envelope out of her bag. Blythe simply stared at it. The envelope was crumpled, the paper frayed a bit at the edges. It was although Nualla had sealed whatever was inside many, many moons ago, and hadn't yet had the chance to deliver it. Now that was Blythe's job. If only she knew who Nualla's sister was, the task would be far easier. She never did get a name. Blythe turned the envelope over and over in her hands. She couldn't help but wonder what was inside, and who it was for. Was Nualla's sister another Konti, or was she a woman of another race? Perhaps only a half sister with dark red hair or something. Did the envelope only contain a letter, or something more? The envelope didn't feel too heavy to Blythe, yet, it wasn't too light either. Perhaps it is a very lengthy letter. Blythe turned the envelope over a few more times. She wanted to know what was inside. Curiosity always killed her. She hated surprises, and always wanted to be in the know. Blythe was tempted to simply open it. But that wouldn't be the right thing to do. Nualla had trusted her with the envelope, and Blythe knew that if she had trusted Nualla with an envelope for one of her sisters, she sure as heck wouldn't want the other Konti to open it. But then again Nualla wasn't here, now was she? Blythe smiled playfully. She'd never even know. Nualla isn't even here to see you open it. Besides, if you're that worried, you could always stick whatever it is in a brand new envelope. Get rid of the evidence, make it look as though nothing at all has happened. You could even crinkle the envelope a bit, give it a rather well-traveled appearance. Blythe flipped the envelope over as her bag sank into her lap. The top of the flap was facing towards her. Blythe stuck her finger into the side of the envelope, lifting the paper flap slightly. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She was feeling such a strange rush. She could feel blood rushing behind her temples. Just open it. You can do it. Blythe made the tiniest of tears in the paper. You know you want to. Suddenly, Blythe pulled her eyes away from her task, and looked up. She was certain she had heard someone calling her. She felt like she had been caught red-handed, a kid trying to sneak cookies from the cookie jar before dinner time. Petch! Blythe pulled her fingers away from the seal of the envelope, and quickly shoved the envelope back inside her bag. Blythe closed her bag, and tossed it back over her shoulders, as she looked around for the source of the sound. "Hello! You were saying?" Blythe called out to whomever was speaking. OOCI read the lore and what not, but haven't really rped in Syliras, so if something is wrong, please pm me and I can fix it. Thanks. Stuff in bold is Blythe thinking.

[Nari]

Nari trudged along the road, her feet and legs caked in mud. Like Blythe, her toes squished in the muck. Unlike Blythe, however, she was fairly used to being dirty- enough, at least, that it didn’t particularly bother her. It wasn’t as cold as she imagined, either, even the slimy liquid coating her clothes. The wind made her chilly, of course, but it was tolerable. With her cloak wrapped tight around her body, she was as comfortable as could be hoped. Travelling was a hardship for which she had definitely not been ready. Day trips and even overnight excursions were normal when gathering herbs, but treks through unknown territory for days at a time, surrounded by strangers? Definitely not what Nari had been prepared to handle. Her packs had weighed her down more and more as time passed, not only figuratively as her muscles became sore but also literally as she harvested as many of the unique-looking plants that she could find. The haze of exhaustion and disorientation of such new surroundings left Nari unable to remember much of the trip from Mura, beyond the ffirst fragmented memories of the ship’s uncomfortable rocking and the newer feeling that her feet were being pulled toward a specific destination. When she suddenly looked around and noticed that she was in the middle of a strange mining ‘camp’ with Blythe sitting on a rock quite a ways ahead of her, she panicked. “Blythe,” she called, breaking into a stumbling jog. She saw her friend’s attention had been taken by something in her bag, but that was as much as she could garner from such a distance. Peripherally, she became aware that the surrounding area was teaming with humans, more importantly armed and working men, and her panic intensified. From the time she was born, she had only really had much interaction with women, with the exception of her father, and the sheer number of men (as well as the violence their weapons could cause), terrified her. “Where are we?” she asked, panting, as she reached the boulder and hunched over her knees.

[Markus Andres]

Markus had been semi trapped in the Syliras fortress city for a good and well eight years. So these regular trips to the mines were a god send. Perhaps it was Priskil shooting some hope into him, or Cayha allowing him to enjoy her wild nature. Whoever it was that had granted him the freedom to travel between Syliras and the mines, he was grateful. While uneventful, the fresh air and trek made up for the lack of action. It also seemed that by sheer luck, Markus had managed to steer clear of any particular deep puddles of mud when he had been on his way earlier that day. He was wearing lighter armor that day. None of the heavy plate mail for Markus when he traveled through the mud, it just invited him to trip and drown in the mud. Markus wore white clothing underneath the armor which in turn was covered by a dark green traveling cloak. Smudges of dried mud covered a good foot of the lower part of the cloak. It took the worst out of Morwens chilling touch. His head bare so his blond hair flowed freely in the wind. His shield strapped to his back. His heritage sword strapped to his left side, hidden under the cloak, just above the blade, Markus' latest addition to his armory, was a dagger he had borrowed from the knights. His composite bow was not on his body at that time. He had placed it somewhere on the ground with the quiver next to it. For he had been at the mines for a good bell and had been staying near the warmth of the bloomeries. Using the heat to dry himself after a particularly muddy walk. Markus had been about to get something done, when he had seen the first Konti show up and had cast more than just a curious glance in her direction. Wondering if he would perhaps meet the elusive Kontis who might have come to heed some call? For he had not encountered any Kontis on his travels back and forth from the mines. But Markus stayed where he was, subtly observing the Konti and noting her behavior. Planning his next move. That was when the next Konti showed up. Obviously knowing the first Konti from her expression. Or all Konti's knew each other. Markus didn't know much about the Konti race. The few he had met could hardly, he hoped, be called the norm of their race. Markus wondered if he should even get involved with the Kontis. The mission had been nagging at Markus. At first, he had expected it to be done quickly. But now half a season had gone by, and he didn't feel like he had gotten any closer to uncovering a plot at the mines. At the same time, he felt a need to do the quest alone, it had been entrusted to him, but at the same time. It was a lot of responsibility on his shoulder. He would feel a lot more comfortable having someone else with him on the mission. Someone he could rely on. Markus willed himself toward the two Konti ladies. They might have valuable information from Avalis, or have seen something. Markus stopped his stride through the mud before the Konti ladies. "Hello ladies-" he nodded respectfully to the two ladies. "Avalis must have blessed me." Markus said with a charming smile. "It is rare to see such a delightful sight at these mines." Markus said with a little bow to the ladies. "Why don't you allow me to escort you to the shelters, so you can get away from the open sky and get warm again?" Markus offered the two Kontis with a motion of his hand indicating the bloomeries. The excess heat could easily chase away the worst of Morwens lingering touch.

[Sondra]

A incredulous sound interrupted Markus’s endeavors to charm the Kontis. “I wouldn’t get too close, girls. You might catch smarm.” Sondra walked a bit past the group to stare at the mines. Her boots and the trousers tucked into them were liberally mottled with mud. An unadorned war-hammer was fastened to a battered pack on her back. She surveyed the limited scene of workers and the black maw of the mine’s entrance. That was likely the destination. It had the proper amount of foreboding. Going underground made the Konti a bit nervous. The weight of the whole earth was muffling you and the Valterrian had proven what strange things the dark and dank could create. Lady-lis, why couldn’t a call draw her to a beach or a well-stocked tavern? But then it wouldn’t quite be a call then. Sondra was beginning to realize if it wasn’t perilous, it wasn’t important enough for divine assignment. At least it had gotten her out of Sunberth before the city and her vices collapsed on her. “Well, I’m here. Now what?” she muttered to no one in particular. Sondra turned about looking at the others. Markus she knew was connected, and the other Konti, it just seemed natural they would be a part of this. Their sort were moths to mystical flames. It had been a while since in the company of her own, a purposeful decision. Sondra could get little from her surface appraisal of the pair. They were obviously cozy and had all the right Konti cues and accoutrements. “I’m Sondra, and I was yanked out of a bender in Sunberth to come here. Anyone have a clue what for? Because I sure as shyke don’t.”

[Dusk]

As the group gathered around the rain-drenched boulder to one side of the clearing, several of the workers stopped to stare. Pointedly. At the three milk-pale women who, despite being thoroughly soaked, were still very attractive women. Eventually there was a sharp yell from one of the knights - "Hey! You lot, get back to work! We've a quota to fill before the sun goes down, get those wagons loaded!" The men grumbled, shooting angry glances at the man, who put a hand to his hilt and thereby ended the argument. Workers turned back to their tasks, picking up the heavy, unwieldy loads of wrought iron and dragging them to the waiting carts. Once they were on their way again, the knight made his way over to the group. In the rain it was hard to tell exactly what color his hair was, slicked down brown that ended in sopping curls though it could have been blond when dried. "Welcome, strangers - ho! Wait, Markus, that you? Good to see you again," he said, laughing as he extended a hand. The man, an unranked knight named Thompson, had been there almost every other time the squire had visited, and had been the one to first show him around. "Here for another inspection? Didn't expect to see you bringing such illustrious friends," he said, eying the women curiously.

[Blythe]

Startled by Sondra's poor choice in words, Blythe's lavender-colored eyes widened a little. Someone needs to wash her mouth out with soap. Within seconds, however, her eyes had returned to a more normal state. Instead, they simply stared at Sondra sternly, as if to say, where are your manners? and you'd better watch yourself young lady. After she had calmed down a bit, Blythe replied, "we know no more than you Sondra." There was a slight pause, "simply that we are supposed to be at these mines for a reason. They called to us, and we have come to answer them." Her tone was neutral, and seemed somewhat guarded if one bothered to truly listen to the undertones that lingered there. Hopefully that one learns how to behave herself, Blythe thought, as she turned to face Thompson. Much like Blythe's own, Thompson's hair was plastered to the sides of his face by the rain. He seemed kind enough, if not a little cold. What does he mean by inspection? Is that what we're doing here? Inspecting the mine along with Markus? Or have we been called here for something else? Blythe stared at Thompson's hand. She was waiting for Markus to take it. After all, it was the polite thing to do, especially when the two seemed to know each other. The rain continued to pummel Blythe and the others as she waited. "So how long have you two known each other?" Blythe asked as she cleared her throat, as if to remind the knights that there were three Kontis around. Three Konti women who seemed to be freezing cold, and awaiting their own introductions. "And how long have you been... ohh what did he call it?" Blythe wracked her brain, "inspecting the mines? And for what? Is there something we should all know?" Blythe inquired as her gaze passed from Markus, to Thompson, and then back to Markus. "Or is that explanation so long, that it best be discussed when we get inside? Perhaps even to a place where we may not be overheard?" Blythe wasn't sure why she had added the second portion of her latest question. It simply seemed strangely necessary to her. Having sat upon the rock for several minutes now, the Konti found that she was hearing less and less of the mines. It was as though she were shutting the sounds of men working out, thinking it little more than a nuisance; something not worth paying attention to. "Unless you'd rather stay out here in the rain." There was a slight pause as Blythe looking up into the darkening sky, and the cold rain drops drizzled into her eyes. When she turned back to the knights, the water poured out of her eyes, and down the length of her cheeks, giving the impression that she had been crying. "It is rather nice, isn't it? In its own way," Blythe commented as she stifled another shiver. It may be beautiful, but it sure does make everything so very cold.

[Markus Andres]

OOCSorry Nari, but I'm going to skip you. Markus turned to look at the familiar voice. Pretty annoyed by the presence of Sondra. Completely ruining his attempt at being charming. Then he remembered, did Konties even talk Common? Perhaps his attempt had been botched from the beginning. Markus decided to keep his mouth shut when she started to ask the other konties, (who answered his question whether they talked common or not) but the first one Markus had seen, seemed to have no answer to her question, only a reprimand for her colorful language. Markus had thought Sondra somewhat different from Konties, but she seemed very different when compared to the two other konties. Markus heard a different voice and turned and saw Thompson approach them. Markus gave the man a heartfelt grin and clasped his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Likewise, ser Thompson." Markus heard one of the nameless konties speak. Asking how long the two syliran knights had known each other. Markus found it quite a peculiar question but he found the next line of questions more interesting and complicated. He wanted to make her stop talking, but anything he did to break her off would be very rude or attract more attention than her question itself. He looked to Thompson and decided to answer the question, even if he spoke out of order. "Ser Thompson and I have known each other since the start of this winter. And since you seem so interested, I am just on a routine inspection round." Markus replied in a respectful but firm voice. Then turning to Thompson. "But if you permit, ser, I could show the ladies a place they could get warm again?" Markus said with an amount of eagerness under his respectful tone. Hoping Thompson would think his eagerness stemmed from the fact that he might be alone with 3 konti ladies, and not that he might learn more about this 'call' and perhaps get closer to solving his mission.

[Sondra]

Markus's peevish look was absorbed with a quick, innocent smile. Whereas the lingering workers' stares were answered with an un-attractive sniff and business-like appraisal. She wasn't entirely opposed to a good time, but her criterion were not being met by the men in front of her. Blythe's voice brought her back to matters at hand. Ah excellent, Sondra thought, everyone is just as clueless as I am. The other Konti's mouth made an irritated line, as it held back scolds, so Sondra breezed past the idea of pressing for details. A lovely, disapproving Konti-sister, it felt like home all over again, and Sondra hated home. Thompson was a happy interruption. Sondra gave a nod and an even, "Hello, Ser." But little else. Sondra often liked to watch dynamics more than create them. The other Konti was taking up the slack in conversation. If she kept up, Sondra would be able to get away with grunting, pointing and occasionally swinging a hammer for the duration of the call. After all Blythe's pertinent questions, Markus took his turn, trying to encourage the idea of "nothing to see here, folks". Sondra clung to one idea between the two of them. "A dry spot would be nice..." She looked at Blythe and smiled devilishly. "...it's petching cold."

[Dusk]

Thompson grinned to the women, though there might have been something like suspicion lingering in the corners. Or perhaps just curiosity - they were known to the Knights, were the Konti, counted among their ranks, but they were still rare enough to cause a bit of speculation. "Apologies, ladies, I didn't mean to hold you out in the cold. There's one of your kind in our company, a healer, and she says the cold is a bit much here in winter though we who've lived here our lives find it refreshing. Especially when we're in our armor. And... now I'm rambling," he said, his grin twisting into something more self-depricating. "Come, come, let's get inside the mines and get you dried," he said, waving them to follow him. He led the group toward the dark entrance of the caves, which weren't nearly as impressive as one would think for the amount of ore that was worked in Syliras. But as they passed into the darkness, it became quickly evident that the vast majority of the work was done underground - pathways wound down towards a cavenous hole in the ground, lit by a few flickering torches that left more shadows than light. Ladders and creaking wooden stairways descended, and great hauls of ore were being brought up by an intricate pulley system. "We're having a fairly good day despite the rains," Thompson continued, leading them over to one side of the entryway where a fire blazed for those coming in from the cold to warm themselves. There were three miners gathered around it sharing a bottle of what seemed to be spirits. On the opposite side of the fire were another pair of men, looking much more grim and exhausted. These two had the look of caged beasts about them, and kept glancing at another knight who stood a little behind them as if watching over them. Thompson smiled a greeting to the first group of men and ignored the others entirely as he waved them to stand closer to the fire for warmth. "We usually have to battle at least one of the mines flooding, but we've done fairly well so far. As to why we have inspections, it's fairly routine. The higher ups in the city like to know that everything's running tip-top here, and we just follow orders," he chuckled. At those words, there was a snicker between the two men on the other side of the fire, but neither of the knights seemed to acknowledge it.