[Seasonal Quest] The Winter Ball: Act I of Darkling Tides

[Avari]

"Eorar?" Avari repeated, with a puzzled look on her face. The foreign-sounding name came out sounding more like "error" from her lips.

Even mispronounced, the name tugged at her memory, hinting at something embarrassing or at least pitiable on her part. She stared at the bald young man, wondering what he meant by forgetting that he was "like this" and utterly failing to notice the tall, disappointed-looking fellow behind her who moved away with a glass of champagne in his hand. Then, all of a sudden, his curiously accented Common, his odd but not unintelligible syntax, and the familiar way he tilted his head struck a spark inside her head and kindled her memory into a bright flame of astonished recollection.

"Eorar?" she gasped. "You're...you're the Charoda? The one with the pitch-dark cave and the...what did you call them…the oranges?" With what she felt to be vast understatement, Avari declared, "You're not looking at all like yourself, I must say."

Indeed, if it hadn't been for the fact that only one person she knew talked like that, was likely to greet her in a friendly fashion, and called himself Eorar, Avari might have suspected some kind of trick. If she squinted, though, she thought she could see some resemblance to the Charoda she knew in the shape of the gleaming head, the lines of the jaw, and the warmth of his smile. Besides, the only reason a genuine human male would approach her would be to demand his money back or to ask for a fortune-telling, and this man hadn't done either.

It was unsettling, though. She had no idea why Eorar would want to disguise himself as a human, or how he'd managed to do it so well. Avari definitely had to ask him later what cosmetics he used and how he made his prosthetic nose look so convincing.

When he looked over to the side, she followed his eyes over to a small group of people standing a short distance away. Just as Eorar predicted, two men and a woman drifted over to the refreshments table. One of them even smiled and bid them both a good evening, to which Avari responded cursorily with a polite nod, before they all headed over to a corner of the hall. They struck up a conversation with two other men, as unconcernedly as though no one had ever announced a crisis during the Ball.

Avari turned back to Eorar, at once smiling gaily and furrowing her brow in confusion. Loath though she was to admit it, she was glad to see someone else she knew at the Winter Ball amid the sea of strangers. She had taken a liking to the friendly, guileless Charoda the last time they met, not least because he had probably saved her life on that occasion by sheltering, healing, and feeding her out of the generosity of his heart.

"I would never have recognized you if you hadn't said hello," she went on, unaware of her amusingly mixed expression. "Your disguise is amazing. It's like magic! You swim well, you know about medicine and healing, and now it turns out you'd make a sensational spy. There's no end to your talents!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a tall, stocky young manElem Bree with a glass of champagne slowly heading toward the doors, unobtrusively following the professors' path out the hall. A delightful idea occurred to her as she spied his progress. Her smile slowly broadened, her eyes taking on a mischievous glitter.

"And speaking of spying..." The Konti leaned closer to Eorar and whispered conspiratorially, "Aren't you curious about what this crisis might be about? I've half a mind to follow those professors and peek out the window to see what's really going on."

She half-turned and beckoned to the Charoda-turned-human, waving her hand invitingly. For a moment, Avari looked like the lively, impudent young Konti she had been before she left Mura, her face shining with excitement.

"Come on, Err…er, Eorar," she urged. "Let's go see what those professors are up to. We won't break the lady's rule, I promise. We'll just peek out the windows and take a look at them. How often do you get to see the whole University faculty dealing with a crisis, after all?"

[Warden Thrice]

To be honest, Eorar was quite glad that there had been no one in earshot when she had recognized him, and subsequently spoke of his nature out loud. Looking around to make sure no one was looking at them oddly, he grinned as she pointed out that he did, indeed, look different. “Really? Is it my hair, perhaps?” he teased. The three that had been glancing at the refreshments table meandered over, and Eorar mimicked Avari, nodding at each of them as they passed and eventually made their way towards a corner. The Konti turned back to him, and he tilted his head as she spoke, doing his best to follow. There were a few words he didn’t know, but he got the gist of it. He shuffled his feet, and though a bright blush of embarrassment spread across his cheeks he was obviously pleased with the compliments. “Th—thank you,” he said. “You are kind, very.” What could he say to her in return? From their interactions, he knew little to nothing about her aside from the obvious. He didn’t know what she was good at, and he always thought that one compliment deserved another. The one thing he might have been able to say about her was how beautiful she saw. He had seen Konti before, in Charbosi, always fleeting and from a distance, but he had always thought that they were beautiful. The very word pinned to them in Char translated almost literally into “shining lady,” and the race lived the title well. And here was one, just as lovely up close as he had always thought from a distance. But how the hell could he turn that into a compliment? Before he could think about it, he saw her gaze flick away, and followed it with his own to a young man that was discreetly making his way to the door that had swallowed the entirety of the staff. When he looked back at Avari, her face was alight with childlike excitement. His own face began to reflect hers, troublemaking thoughts drifting through his mind. He broke into a wide grin, and his hands quickly flew to his mouth to stifle it. He wrestled with his face for a few moments, and when his hands withdrew it was a mask of relative calm. To someone familiar with him, however, it was bursting at the seams, like a child frantically biting their cheeks to keep from giggling. He nodded and slipped into the crowd, angling in the direction of the door. Despite his inherent gentleness, he loved mischief. He loved sneaking where he shouldn’t, learning what he shouldn’t, and he would admit to dabbling in some of the more harmless pranks. After all, what good was curiosity without a compulsive need to fulfill it? By the time he reached to door all traces of amusement vanished. He leaned against the wall casually, watching a waiter weave through the crowd. He paid the door absolutely no mind, pretending it wasn’t there, and winked at Avari. “Very brightening in here, do you thinking?” he asked suggestively, offering his arm. "Perhaps darker outside?"

[Paragon]

As the Mistress of the Infirmary returned to the hall to gather the other, inebriated, professors, Hal ventured further into the darkness, trying to forget the image of the dead Auristics professor. His first thought was that Remy had broken into this place. But was he truly skilled enough to break the sealing glyphs? Perhaps he had come in to investigate the break in like Hal. And then, his heart truly thundered. Could the intruder still be here? Was he walking into the jaws of danger? But he couldn't hear anything, only cavernous silence. He came to the last step, his breath billowing out. It was a Winter evening - and the bonesnapper came off the sea slowly, but cruelly. Claira had left her torch with him when she had returned to the hall, and he clasped it tightly, moving it about in front to light his passage. He had only come in here once. As part of his training, he had been shown some of the artefacts. There were restricted areas however, and he had never been allowed into those. Some of the items were even concealed from professor's eyes. He swept the flame around. At first glance, everything looked untouched. He nearly jumped out of his skin when footsteps came from behind. When he looked, his demeanour softened at the arrival of Claira and a small group of professors. "Split up, and check everything. Don't leave a stone unturned," the healer announced, as the other professors began their own search of the packed room. Hal nodded, and she walked towards him with a face of severity. "Whoever did this was looking for something. No question about it. It's important we find out what's missing, and quickly." She swallowed. In the torch lit darkness, her wrinkled face seemed even older than before. It made Hal uncomfortable. She had always been a matriarch of sorts, and yet here she looked so weak, so fragile. "There were dangerous items stored in this Archive. Very dangerous." The search took nearly fifteen chimes, and then suddenly Cyril, the Astronomy teacher, gasped, calling everyone over. As they listened to his explanation, Hal was clueless. He wished he had listened more to the endless lectures on the University's artefact catalogue. Feeling overwhelmed, he quietly asked for an explanation. Cyril turned, pushing up his glasses so that he looked like an inquisitive owl. "About two years ago, the University funded a diving expedition off the shore. There was a small group of Konti and Charoda, that helped with the investigation. They found something ancient, buried not far from Zeltiva's docks. An obelisk of black stone." Hal frowned. He remembered the expedition from way back, but he had never really looked into the findings. "Though not immediately noticeable, the obelisk hummed with djed. It was dormant, sleeping if you like, but there was quite possibly a powerful pool of djed within the stone. That was when the God's got involved. The team took a small sample of the rock. A fragment, if you like. And the following day, one of the Charoda was visited by Laviku, God of the Ocean. It was a warning, confusing, and enigmatic. But a warning all the same. He instructed that the fragment should be kept separate from the obelisk, and never reunited again." Cyril looked frightened. The room grew icy cold. "The fragment is missing. That's what missing from the room. That's possibly what Remy was killed for. Perhaps he caught the thief in the act. If it's reunited with the obelisk..." He didn't need to say anymore. The whole room went silent. Hal felt a terrible foreboding in his heart, like a ticking clock, with midnight an inexorable fate. Eorar, Avari, and Elem who they had followed in the first place, stood hidden near the Archives entrance, and they had heard everything. Their eyes crossed paths with concern. Back in the hall, the Ball was officially underway, white and black masks handed out by the waiters and waitresses to all the attendees. The formal dance began, participants changing partners with the music, prancing about the hall in an untrained fashion. But what the attendee's didn't know, was that behind one of those masks, was the face of the fragment thief - a dangerous murderer.

[Trente]

Secret :

Well Stri feel free to jump back in whenever you want. ^-^

Trente nodded a hello to Faylon, and Ibue, allowing his friends a moment of silence to introduce themselves in turn before making his own. "Trente Ostentatoire-Criard Eclatante," he gave a half smile and pause, showing that he was well aware his full name was unnecessary in current company then finished with a simple, "Trente." He always loved his own name, as silly and overbearing as it often seemed to others. The way it rolled and ran across his tongue as he pronounced each vowel with confidence. It would not be all together incorrect for one to assume from his introduction that he thought a bit higher of himself than most did of themselves. He found that a shame, he would have all feel so highly of themselves.

As Ibue adorned his own introduction with a question, kicking off the conversation in a manner Trente half expected the weapon clad men would. Though he wished they wouldn't he understood that they would have the announcement to speak of, like any other person in the room. He was not, however, offended by the question in and of itself. He quite actually reveled in the chance to answer the question, being proud of his accomplishments with his sword work. A haughty smiles framed his response, "Weapons, 'showy' as they may be, must always serve a function over fashion. I wouldn't say I am a master of the rapier, but I can confidently say I show an aptitude for the art, and have spent many hours in Syna's witness reinforcing this aptitude with dedicated practice. So, in short, yes. I can use it with enough grace to win efficiency." He then gave a slight sigh to the second of the man's sentences. "I do hope that won't be necessary. I believe it's safe to say that all present have come to enjoy an evening of socialization, not to start some common tavern brawl." He shrugged disregarding the concern. "In fact, we were just talking about how foolish it would be for the professors to leave the laymen of the party unattended if there really were anything to worry about. No, surly they have some trivial matter to attend to that only a professor of the college could call a real crisis."

He then took a miniscule sip of wine, his first, and added. "I've been at the college for only a season, but I've witnessed on a few occasions these over dramatizations by a select few professors. I wouldn't dub it completely out of the ordinary." He then paused a moment, adopting a slightly more serious expression then looked as Ibue in the eyes. "I do assure you, however, that I will not hesitate to put my aptitudes, and practice to the test should a true crisis arise. I hope that comforts you. And what of you two? I trust you can wield your weapons with some proficiency? And you Nai'shee? Any interest in the martial?" He looked her up and down again, drinking in her vibrance, thinking a moment on how much potential her form held, how graceful it could be in combat. He, of course, hoped such a need wouldn't befall her. But, his mind did wander.

[Avari]

Avari's eyebrows drew together in puzzlement, all conspiratorial merriment fading from her face as she strained to make some sense of the professors' hushed conversation behind the doors of the Archives Building. For once, the formidable pair of armed guards that usually warded the entrance was gone, and the Konti, the still confusingly human-looking Eorar, and a stocky, brown-haired young man were able to press their ears to the building's doors to hear what was being discussed inside. If Avari had been alone and the building empty, she might have decided to do more than simply listen, if only to find out what exactly lay behind those sealed doors. Alas, now did not seem the best time for pulling out her lock-picks and sneaking inside for a peek.

Even so, the professors' conversation had given all three of them a ripe earful. She didn't know what sort of crisis she'd thought she would overhear, but this definitely wasn't what she expected. Some mysterious figure had killed someone else and stolen a fragment of some ancient obelisk buried in the bay, an obelisk so important that Laviku himself warned the professors never to put it back together. That was all that she'd been able to grasp.

Remembering the youthful-sounding professor's description, the Konti thought back to all the times she had swum around Zeltiva's harbor looking for treasure or enjoying some exercise. Never had she seen anything like an obelisk of black stone humming with magical energy. It would have been hard to miss, yet she'd never heard even a whisper of its existence until this fateful night.

Rising up onto her tiptoes and bringing her face closer to Eorar's ear, Avari whispered quizzically, "You live in the Bay, don't you? Have you ever seen of an obelisk like that?"

She glanced over at the brown-haired human man and added in a low voice, "Or you. Have you heard of this obelisk before? Or about this party of Charoda and Konti divers investigating underwater?"

As she spoke, her eyes darted around their shadow-shrouded surroundings, which had never felt so still or so ominous to her as it did now. The darkness that had appeared so sheltering when they'd stolen out of the West Wing and followed the professors now seemed full of peril and menace. Avari had no liking for the thought of a thief -- well, another thief -- lurking nearby, a thief so much more skilled than she was that he could outfox the University's protections and steal one of its precious artifacts. From what she had gathered, the Archives Building had been locked down and sealed tight for decades, accessible only by the highest-ranking University officials, yet somehow this mysterious thief had gotten inside. And if he'd killed someone to get what he wanted? So much the worse.

Small wonder that every whisper of the breeze and every crackle of a twig made Avari shiver. The nape of her neck itched fiercely, anticipating the bite of a swift dagger in the dark.

"M-maybe we're in a bit over our heads here," she faltered, starting to back away from the Archives doors. "Perhaps we, uh, we should leave this in the professors' hands and get back to the ball." She bit her lip nervously. "This crisis sounds a lot deeper than I'd ever guessed."

[Warden Thrice]

Eorar nodded to the man that seemed to be joining them, the stepped into the night. They were silent as they stole through halls and courtyards, coming to a halt at the mysterious archives building. Crouching by the door, Eorar leaned one ear against the heavy wood to hear what took place within. His eyes widened steadily as he heard the professor’s tale. His gaze met with those of his two companions, and he could see Avari’s worry as a reflection of his own. He shrugged helplessly. “I don’t knowing,” he whispered. “So many things there. Trash. Ruins. Broken ships. I haven’t seeing all of it, even.” The night was suddenly much more frightening. He was afraid to even go back to the party, and every shadow seemed sinister. “Waiting,” he squeaked. “What if the thief is being at the Ball? Or what—” he blanched. What if the thief was going to the bay? He needed to know what was happening. He couldn’t just walk away, because he would be walking in the direction of his home; the water. And if the obelisk was in the bay… He nodded vehemently at Avari’s suggestion. “I…” His voice cracked, and he looked just a bit ill. “Perhaps… we should going back to the party.” The thought of so many people gave him a sense of comfort, a sense of hope. Even in his mind, the light was warm and protective, and he looked at Avari and the human, looking for affirmation.

[Idue]

For future reference, it is Idue, not Ibue

Idue wasn't one who could judge someone by their clothing and their exterior attitude to determine their social status. But he, especially these past two seasons, have gotten to the point where he formed personal opinions about people before he really got to know them. He wasn't proud of this trait, and he never announced to everyone what he felt about them. And sometimes their first appearances didn't hinder the friendship, sometimes making it stronger. So what Bob Barton was a midgit and hit Idue in the nuts. The Benshira could still call him something more than a person he knew of the street. Maybe not best friends, but friends nonetheless. But Trente was a different story, with his pompous attire and ornate rapier. Idue saw a rich snob, and this Benshira didn't really like rich snobs. After a first-name basis from everyone else, the arrogant man gave his full name as if anyone cared. Idue was Idue, Faylon was Faylon, and Trente was Trente. The last name meant nothing in places like this. Even the man's smile, which probably was only for being asked about his swordsmanship, annoyed Idue. He shouldn't get so agitated by little things, but Idue did. Even the man's words annoyed Idue. The Benshira even looked around, studying the longsword on Faylon's body and his handaxes. The only "showy" weapon around here was the rapier on Trente's hip. Idue shook his head; it was time to set this boy straight. "Personally, I feel the axes at my waist really aren't 'showy.' They are basic steel, not ornate decorations, and dried blood still staining the blades. And while you 'practiced' under Syna's watching eyes, I put them to use while Leth watched above. I don't use my weapons for praise. When I use them, I'm fighting for my life. Outside your little bubble, life is petchin' rough." Maybe that was a little harsh on Trente, but Idue didn't care. Before living in Sunberth, Idue would not have condoned killing. But after living with your life on the line everyday, Idue's beliefs changed. No longer did he looked down on those who used their weapons to earn money for their families of for themselves. They weren't born with the golden spoon in their mouth, and Idue had finally realized it. He still did not condone killing without cause, but it no longer was forbidden in his mindset. Oh, his father would kill him if he ever had said killing was alright. And what did Yahal think? But Idue still wasn't done. He still was ready to give the boy a tongue lashing. Nice clothes and a pretty sword didn't impress Idue. All he had to do was kill the person, and then all of those items were wasted. But he wasn't here to kill anyone, even Trente. But that didn't mean he wouldn't continue with his verbal abuse. "Trente, I want you to learn that not everything goes as we planned it. I left my home tents in search of my mother, planning on finding her. But did that happen? No it did not. And I didn't return to Ekytol like I planned either, instead ending up here, with no idea what the future held. You might've come here to socialize, but in the end, you might just fight. Our plans are never etched in stone. More like sand, waiting for the breeze to blow it away." Yeah he was almost done. "And never question me if I can handle my axes. If I wanted an ornament, I would get something like what you wear on your waist. But I want something efficient, so I wield these two weapons. Just assume I know how you use them so you don't have to learn the hard way." With that, Idue finished his rant and chugged the rest of his wine. He needed to calm down, and enjoy the dance. Waitors were walking around, handing out masks for the people to wear. Nathan grabbed one, a black mask that covered the top half of his face, stopping at the bridge of his nose, with white circles around the eyes. It still allowed him to converse, even though he wasn't really in the talking mood anymore. "I need some petchin' wine." Maybe that was said too soon.

[Elem Bree]

Elem found himself in company with the Konti named Avari and her companion. The three were the only ones apparently interested enough to intrude, rather than gorge themselves on finery. The news, grave. A dead professor. An ancient obelisk. It's activating part missing, most likely the reason that Mister Lars was inside the Archives building, stone dead. The worst news? Laviku had warned the Charoda. Laviku. There was little doubt that catastrophe was imminent, brewing in the air around them like a thunderhead.

Elem watched as Avari leaned up to her bald friend's ear and whispered something. She turned to him next, her question logical.

"I've lived here my whole life and not heard of it. Of course, I stay pretty busy with my work and studies."

He brought his hand up briefly before remembering another Konti who didn't like to shake hands. There was an entire hall of socializing going on closely enough.

"Elem Bree. I am an assistant doctor at the Infirmary and medical student. Listen, I think it is best if you two head back to the party. It won't be long before the professors come through here and our eavesdropping would probably not be received well. You two have the advantage inside, being a couple. I need to wait out here and see if Mistress Claira needs me. We can meet back at the banquet table in say...half a bell?"

It was lost on the young student why the other two seemed so jittery. His life, to this point, had been very droll and mundane. The presence of an ancient relic and a God's warning was more than enough to stupefy him into a dulled awareness. He merely brushed himself off, straightened his collar and waited back several paces from the Archive, to see if Mistress Claira could use his help. It would make for an excellent reason to stick around as well.

[Faylon Kwanda]

[Listening to the chit chat between Idue and Trente caused Faylon to remain mostly silent, he’d drink more of his wine while the two of them conversed though he noticed how Nai’shee looked away after Idue had questioned Trente as to whether or not he knew how to use his weapons as well. Whether Trente actually knew how to use the rapier at his side was largely inconsequential to Faylon who was happy to listen to the banter between the others. Drinking from the glass of wine provided to him, he’d definitely plied himself with a bit of the beverage tonight, though he’d become used to the stronger Kelp Beer that was served near the docks. Kelp Beer being an acquired taste to be sure though.] [When Trente voiced his opinion that he and the others joining Idue and Faylon were just discussing the matter and believed it would be foolish for the professors to leave the laymen unattended if there were actually trouble he smiled thinly. Briefly Faylon considered the sentiment before his eyes wandered out over the crowd of party goers. Looking across the sea of bodies before his eyes turned back towards those present Faylon had been sizing everyone around him up and while he was by no means a master of observation he felt he had a good idea of the strengths of those around him. Were he to speak openly about it he would have remarked that Idue was a physical person, much like himself, and that Trente’s greatest asset at this point was his charm; Nai’shee he wasn’t so sure about seeing as how she hadn’t said much.] [Idue had broken what seemed to be a building silence with how he addressed Trente after the man had spoken to him and it was clear by his tone of voice and what he said that the Benshira didn’t care for Trente. Faylon hadn’t made an opinion of him yet. The tongue lashing seemed a bit severe to Faylon though he didn’t interrupt Idue in the middle of it allowing the Benshira to voice his opinion to Trente and warn the man not to question his efficiency with the axes. When Idue had finished Faylon would have said...”What I think Idue means is that nothing goes as planned. None of us are here for trouble tonight but if there is real danger nearby it would be best if we were all prepared.”...he hadn’t meant to undermine what Idue had said regarding things but Faylon had tried to smooth things over a bit seeing as how he might not have been quite as rough around the edges as the Benshira.] [Watching Idue then he hoped the Benshira hadn’t taken what he’d said the wrong way and as the man stated he might need some wine Faylon couldn’t help but answer...”That sounds like a good idea. Nothing wrong with a bit of wine to ease the nerves.”...spoken like a man who occasionally indulged in the vice of drinking which Faylon did now and then. Eyes had turned to Nai’shee after that though and Faylon went on to ask...”What’s your story? We know Idue and I aren’t the academic types and Trente is attending the University but what about you? You live on the docks?”...the way he had asked the questions might have hinted at the idea that Faylon thought Nai’shee was a bit out of place to be here. Not that he minded since all of them were largely in a similar state.] [Noticing a waiter from the corner of his eye then Faylon would raise his hand and wave the man over, he was carrying drinks and masks that were being handed out to the different guests as the ball was coming full circle, before telling him...”Take this. I won’t be needing it anymore.”...then he’d set his empty glass on a tray laden with others that were full of wine. Not many professors that were even mildly sober were still around and that had started to put Faylon on edge somewhat though he wasn’t worried and any misgivings he may have felt were hidden behind an indifferent expression. When the waiter offered Faylon a mask he’d pause before taking one and saying...”Why not. I’m not much of a dancer but it couldn’t hurt.”...then he’d look at the mask he’d chosen. The Mask was silver with a gold trim lining the edges and it flared out to complete the mystique of wearing it; Faylon found it silly but there wasn’t any harm in indulging in the mood of the ball.] [Nagging curiosity did effect him though and looking out over the sea of people as the music of the ball started to rise Faylon would lift his mask, placing it over his head, before stating...”Well mingling a bit couldn’t hurt. Maybe we’ll be able to find out what’s going on.”...just a suggestion but behind the mask he wore Faylon had already seen a few curvy figures he wouldn’t have minded getting to know better.]

[Nai'shee]

Nai'shee calmly ignored little argue going on around her. Yet, even if her mind wasn't really there, she was able to hear Idue and Trente, and she mentally agreed with Idue's opinions, but yet she hoped little group wouldn't need his wiseness tonight. She really didn't want any trouble she can't handle, and this seemed exactly like this. What she didn't want even more was everything to remain unexplained. If professors just come back cold-headed and refuse to tell them what was all of this about she would really go crazy. She turned back to conversation, noticing situation is calming. She completely ignored Trente's question before, about was she able or not to fight. Idue was warmed up enough to answer instead of her, and she really didn't feel like telling all her abilities to this group. Maybe she liked them, but it was still most likely she will meet some of them in the streets one day. If they're part of her job it would be really a burden for them to know anything. When they mentioned another drink, she noticed her was almost empty as well. She wasn't really a drinker, mostly because she didn't want to waste money on such a things, so she was surprised she adored alcohol so much. It might be due to this tense atmosphere here, but she would definitely like more wine. With that decided, Faylon spoke to her. She could see hidden curiosity, but she wasn't sure if it was innocent question or not. However, she, or perhaps wine, left her guard down, concluding it was completely unnecessary to have it on such an event. "My story is really long story, so I would concentrate on present. I'm Zeltivan, yes", she avoided question about location of her house, "and I definitely am not academic type, as well, but I do study at University. You see, I want to become a sailor, and this is easiest way to gain needed skills." She took another glass of wine and offered mask, but she didn't want to dance. She barely knew how, and it looked a bit silly to her. Yet, she knew something, so she would dare to try if she really had to. However as soon as she had her drink again she turned back to conversation they had, hoping somebody will continue talking.