Quest One Spark

[Eldritch]

15th of Spring, 514 AV

In the early morning, Syna’s rays just beginning to beam upon the city of Zeltiva, two figures stood outside a strange looking medical facility. The air around the place seemed almost artificial, clinically clean in its existence. Few souls dared to approach the place; in fact other than the two none seemed ready to enter from the outside going in. For the longest time both simply stared at the place, one opting to break the peace finally.

She was a rather unremarkable looking woman, blond locks curling about her face which had the faintest signs of old age setting in. She was dressed rather well, a silk robe clinging to her body and the sash over her shoulder possessing a prominent golden trident woven into the design. Her companion was a sandy haired younger man, perhaps looking to be in his early twenties. A shimmering cloak was wrapped around his neck, his hands wrapped around a cane with a silver head of some strange beast and two sapphires glinting prominently in its eyes.

“I don’t understand what you hope to accomplish by this. I trust though you understand my name cannot be connected to this in anyway?” The woman said after clearing her throat.

“Do you know something that holds true in all things, my dear?” The man asked in turn, seemingly ignoring the woman’s statement.

“Do tell.” She prompted, folding her arms under her breasts.

“All it takes is one spark to start a fire. One fire then can start an inferno.” He said as he smirked at her, his steps already carrying him towards the building.

The woman stared after him for a moment, snorting before turning and walking away in the opposite direction. Whatever fires or inferno’s the man spoke of, it was clear she wanted no part in them. At least at viewing distance.

_________________________________________________________________

A season of peace had been had within Zeltiva and that seemed to merely herald things to come, of strife to be bred within the city. Upon the 15th of Spring in the year 514 AV it appeared very much that such strife was to foreshadow events to come. Chaos had erupted, a bounty fit for the table of Rhysol himself as the city found itself caught unawares by a disaster that threatened the entire city. And it came from one of the most strange of sources, the Scholar’s Asylum within the University of Zeltiva.

Mad Wizards had escaped from their binds, sweeping out of the prison for those who had succumbed to overgiving and were now sowing chaos within the University and East Street. The Wave Guard had already been mobilized, though the madness had already allowed a number of these mad men and women time to consolidate themselves. Now the forces of the city were in a pitch battle against those mages whose minds were shattered by overgiving, or were simply too dangerous to be allowed to walk free.

A number of individual’s have rallied to the Lord of Council’s office, where acting Lord of Council Ignotus Everto, whom had ended the Denvali coup was preparing an address to a few brave souls. His intension? To strike straight into the University and both neutralize the mad wizards and find out just how the petch something like this could happen. First however, he needed to sway and convince those within his following lest he find his support begin to crumble at this sign of weakness.

Those others to join him; brave souls and heroic one and all and perhaps would prove to be the true heroes of the hour. One’s that might even overshadow the failure of the Denvali plot, and cast aside a bit of the mystery upon their erstwhile leader. In any event, it would all begin with how Ignotus addressed his people and either faltered or flew in this hour of need. The sign of a good leader… was often how well they managed a crisis.

[Ignotus Everto]

To say Ignotus was displeased by the news of a breakout was... Not very accurate. It was true, certain measure would have to be taken to limit the damage, and of course the populace would have to be mollified, but for him personally? He'd be just fine. In fact, should the situation be contained properly, the incident could even give him leverage over the remaining Regents.

Right now though, he had to focus on the fixing part. How convenient then that a small gaggle of do-gooders had decided to gather 'round his front door.

The heroes-to-be were soon escorted past heavy oak doors into a round, spacious rooms with high windows covered by deep blue curtains. A rather severe-looking (and exceptionally well-dressed) Nuit sitting behind a wide mahogany desk looked up from the contents of a cream folder at the band, and gave them a welcoming smile.

"Well met, gentlemen." said Ignotus, easing himself to his feet. "I think I'm safe in assuming you're here to talk about the little problem in the Asylum, no?"

'As you are no doubt aware, some very unstable men with very unstable power are currently skittering about our fair University. These people threaten the peace of our fair city, and as Lord of Counsel, I shall not rest easy while the innocent suffer. It is my intention to personally enter the grounds and rout out these scum."

Ignotus' brow creased faintly. "Though I will be hard-pressed to do so alone." The undead's lips curved upward then. "Happily for all of us, you're here. You may feel nervous facing magic users, but I assure you; they are nothing but malformed husks that may have once been mages. We, on the other hand, have a real wizard."

OOCSorry for the long wait! D: I got way pickier with this post than I thought I would. Hope it's up to snuff!

[Ricky Maze]

To say that he was nervous was a big understatement right now, as the fisherman could only pray to Priskil that by tonight all this would be over, and the unrest brought on by the breakout would ease just shortly afterwards. Wishful thinking. Either way Ricky knew good and well what to expect out of this because he'd served his time as a Wave Guard long enough, these events were never simply "over" when they'd just began. Still there was enough time to douse the embers that created what fire had spread through the hearts within the city, and sure enough the very source of it would in turn die out like the spark it'd once been. That too though was only hope.

Dressed in the usual uniform of the Wave Guards the fisherman walked among several others to the offices of their official Lord of Council, a man he knew good and well to be manipulative to a fault as he aimed to obtain the very position he sat in now. So long as we work t'get'er t'en it'll be fine. Ricky assured himself in silence while he held onto a semi-confident exterior, he had to be a strong and reliable figure for the rest to count on in this troublesome time. Equipped with his elaborately crafted longsword with the beautiful sapphire gem embued within the hilt and of course the shield with the very crest of the Guard, he followed onward to the upper fellows that guarded the Lord of Council until at last they arrived at his offices.

How amusing. Were it not known or at least speculated by Ricky, then he would've assumed the dark circles underneath the Lord of Council's eyes were brought on by sleep deprivation... well they practically were considering he was Nuit, but point being were he still living then Ricky would've easily assumed otherwise. However that wasn't the case. He always found himself rather indifferent with Ignotus Everto, mostly because their past encounters have led to a bumpy relationship as the fisherman could never grasp at his true motives. Even now Ricky couldn't tell what was Ignotus' aim, other than to put a stop to tonights rebellious act against these magic users. Again. Irony.

Ignotus was by far a mage but he used the fancier title; "Wizard." Such a word nearly made Ricky scoff as he listened closely, except he somehow remained silent as he too could relate to the title in some small meaning. He too had magic. Yet it was magic that put lives in danger tonight, magic that create too many risks in the face of danger. Tonight would be a night for Ricky, a night where he would either decide to keep his magic further secret, or actually reveal some practices of it should the time and need be truly desperate. He wasn't sure if he could handle it, the pressure that rose upon the thought. He'd clearly started to overthink this, more than he should've seeing as how he wasn't alone.

Just play de part o' de big brute an' let de man who t'inks he's smart do de talkin'. Ricky assured himself with but a bare huff, deep breaths followed as he remained focused on Ignotus. He thought to point out that there wasn't just a "Wizard" in their midst but a Sergeant of the Wave Guard too, but held his tongue in silence as he figured the uniform and insignia pinned on his uniform likely did the talking already.

[Pulren Marsh]

Whispers of disaster woke Pulren up as he tried to sleep off the night prior and its revelries. Guardsmen were all atitter over an apparent breakout of wizards in the Scholar's Asylum. There had been no official orders pointed at him yet, but the recruit knew that he had to get up and get involved anyway. Magi were generally a blight, as far as he was concerned. He couldn't recall a story that involved magic that didn't end with insanity or injury.

Pulling his feet from the bunk, the room continued to spin with his sudden movement. His mouth seemed full of old kelp, glued shut for the most part. His left eye was swollen shut. Must have been the chair shot.., Pulren thought to himself. A tickle of nausea was in the bottom of his throat, but he figured he might as well get up and moving before trying to clear his head much. Grabbing his trident and wooden shield, Marsh generally staggered out of the barracks. Some of the regular guards chuckled at him, thinking he had been sleepwalking. "Where do you think you are going, Marsh?"

Looking out of the headquarters and down the hill road, he could see Sergeant Rick on his way somewhere. Quietly and nonchalantly, Pulren pointed toward his ranking officer and started walking. Well, he put one foot in front of the other, at least. Keeping Rick in sight, it was about the time that the road became level that Pulren promptly opened his mouth and let the kelp sea come out. It was a high tide and still rather foamy. A few heaves later, he felt as if the ground was more solid and quickened his pace a bit. A thin layer of alcoholic kelp sweat covered his face and neck, the shield and trident heavier than usual.

The sun was up and in his face, but it seemed to help wake him up more. A vacant barrel of water begged him to dunk his head and Pulren obliged, the shock of cold water and a mouthful of the stuff and he felt almost like a regular person. It did light up a symphony of cuts and bruises that he was learning about, but his vision was nearly back to normal. Swishing and spitting, he nearly caught up with Rick as he approached the Lord of council's chambers. it was clear that there were no other guards hanging around, but Pulren was a little light to be concerning himself with dread logic. he just followed at Rick's heels and made himself seem as important, to his own deluded and alcohol addled mind, anyway.

Before he could change his mind, there he stood before the Lord of Council. Wet, a slight odor of vomit and kelp beer, a swollen eye in a bruised face. But hey, he was armed and shoddily armored. best of all, he was there with his Sergeant, ready to defend his city.

[Loken]

Pains were things that you could handle, even as they tore at your own being, rending and twisting at it. It was your own actions and your own conscience that was harder to handle. There were some things that you couldn't let go of. Whether you got to a hundred or a thousand, they just wouldn't go away, wouldn't leave you alone. It depended on who you were and what your buttons were, but everyone had them. For Loken, it is his insatiable urge to quell conflict. He had awoken with a sudden start upon hearing several people outside of his room door at the Worlds End. People were in a frenzy. Each frantically relaying sights of Mages savaging the city.

Loken closed his eyes with a soft sigh before pulling his black long sleeve linen shirt on along with each piece of his leather armor; lastly slipping his flint and steel into the pouch belt on his waist that held several shuriken just in case he should need it. He paused for a moment as he caught sight of his Scale of Gnora, A holy symbol made of silver that was his only truly adored possession. “Gnora , Keeper of Balance, grant me the will to keep clarity of mind. Give me goals to seek and the balance and precision to achieve them.” Once the prayer ended his gaze fell to the Twin Tiger Hook Swords laying on the table in front of the symbol. He held them both in his right hand, each blade thin enough to rest atop one another to appear to be one singular weapon.

He departed from the Grotto, clad in his all black attire, towards the Lord of council's chambers, a location he was directed to by various members of the citizenry if he truly wanted to help. Upon arrival, The Ano Cultist tilted his head back as he regarded the Lord Consular for a moment. Mages. By most measure, in all that he knew of them, tended to be trouble. He stood in silent contemplation as to weather or not the word 'wizard' actually separated the Consular from that troubling category. Or maybe he was still a true Sunberthian at heart, born into a society of ideas that were heard pressed to fade.

In his opinion most mages had little grasp of the entropy that they ignited within their actions and this event seemed to bolster that fact in his mind. “You do not know him, so refrain judgment.” He thought to himself once he realized it was illogical to just outright chastise someone for their 'mystical preferences'.

[Eldritch]

Gathered in the office of the Lord of Council was a collection of a few souls that had managed to get the idea in their heads that Ignotus might have some answers. Most were either out trying to keep control of the situation but were lacking in leadership at the moment. Those here were either searching for that leadership or were merely doing their duty, such as the Council Guard. Even then, there were not many of the vaulted protectors of the Lord of Council here today. Three were their number, two men escorting a woman dressed in half plate that they obviously deferred to as their leader.

She stepped up to Ignotus and offered an incline of her head, a show of difference to the Nuit no matter how slight it appeared. His words were clear; he wanted to strike a blow deep into the heart of the enemy. The Council Guards that were here then were to defend the undead with their lives, peerless swordsmen that they were. The woman removed her helmet and moved it under her arm, blond hair short and cropped and her other hand gripped the sword at her side. She looked ready for battle at a moment’s notice.

“Well said, my lord. From our limited information received it seems as though the majority of the patients are running about in the city, the remainder of the Guard is working closely with the Wave Guard to capture or neutralize them. Our efforts to enter the University grounds thus far have been futile, however now that we have some magic of our own that might change. Whatever is going on in there, it is obvious they do not wish for outside interference. Still no word on the University staff or how this started.” The woman offered concisely.

“This being the case what shall be our course of entry? Reports of what were faced at the main entrance were fuzzy, but have kept the response units out thus far. Shall we instead search for a more… unorthodox entrance once we arrive?” The woman inquired, staring at Ignotus hard at first before gazing back to those behind her to indicate she was very open to suggestions from those gathered.

[Ricky Maze]

Those who were joined with him were not at all strangers, in fact Pulren was more or less a good friend of Ricky's who he even trained to become a prospering Wave Guard. The recruit held much promise and even better, knew that in times like this the best defense was placed in the support of those around you. Therefore he felt comfortable knowing Pulren had his back, even though the both of them were rather sore from the brawl that had occurred last night. Much to his surprise Ricky didn't really face much injury other than a busted lip, bruised spot on his face, and then of course his nosebleed that transpired as well... though the nosebleed was more or less reoccurring long before last night's scrap.

The memory though... vague, likely because he blacked out. Yet none of that seemed at all irrelevant or important to the situation at hand, more or less rather explanatory as to the condition of the young lad that came with him to defend the city. Loken of course happened to come along as part of his intent to defend the city, at best he too would make a proper guard if he were to sign up and undergo the initiation all recruits took. Still that mattered little. The point was Ricky knew these faces and he felt capable enough to trust him, whether or not his own secrets would be revealed depended on the situation of course. For now though he was a simple fisherman ready to put his life on the line of duty, and defend the place he called his home for the sake of Zeltiva and her people. By the sounds of it the blonde woman, likely served as the captain of the Lord of Council's own private guard, had received word from the other forces that the uprising was being dealt with. The source of the problem however remained impenetrable, thus a plan was in need of development.

Something, some sort of idea, a way in that would allow them to eliminate the source. It was as Ignotus stated, take care of the heart of the matter, so that the rest would wither and die later on. To enter the University even when it served as a base of operations a frontal assault was possible but not without cause, for such a dangerous gambit surely held strong risks in the event of losses. Lives cut short too soon, injuries that would forever scar hearts and minds... It was more or less fighting an uphill battle, thus something that the fisherman would in truth rather avoid at all costs. Surely that wasn't the plan though, surely the famous Ignotus Everto who was the mastermind in stopping the Coup D'ETAT no less, could easily cook up a powerful plan that would work. The room remained silent though as everyone seemed to withhold their own breath, as though a mere sound could very well ruin the train of thought that likely formulated.

There was.... It was a long shot as that part of the under city surely remained unexplored, for who would dare tread down below the levels of the common folk footsteps other than a crazy bunch, determined to put a stop to all the commotion brought on by the insane husks of what were once mages. It be a risk but a risk worth takin, if we got in unnoticed dat is. Ricky considered to himself in the silence as he contemplated the idea further, believe it or not he found it could actually work seeing as he'd been down there only once before. Just once though. "If Oi may, per'aps de ol' water channels f'r de sewers can lead us t'ere. Much o' de pathways run t'rough underneath de city so odds 're we're bound t' find a secret way inside de University wit'out gettin' caught." He suggested grimly as he hoped the idea somewhat tactful, at least he gave it a shot at being the diligent one amidst the group. Or did he?

The others had yet to suggest anything but then again they were likely formulating plans of their own, plans that could benefit the cause for their success if not aid in the prowess of a plan of action. The fisherman stood tall then with his own hand rested on the hilt of his blade, the elaborately crafted longsword a reminder to himself of the position he carried within the Wave Guard. If anything he had to be sure and represent his status well, and make sure he bore as much of the burden as he could in this. Of course guarding Ignotus was part of the task... but with a personal guard of his own, Ricky more or less settled in aiding the wizard to the best of his abilities, all the while protecting his young friend Pulren and of course the man Loken from any dangers that posed harmful threats to them.

oocHopefully his idea is as pleasing to everyone else as it sounds to me, as I thought maybe the sewers could provide an opportunity to sneak in undetected... hopefully.

[Ignotus Everto]

So the madmen could mount a defense, and a good one at that. Ignotus' lips pursed. While a concerted effort on their part might prove capable of tearing into the University, the damage to the building itself would be immense, and the risk of injury was very real. Less than ideal. While sneaking in was a possibility, there was no way of knowing where the lunatics' were grouped. Ignotus' teeth ground together in frustration.

Then Ricky mentioned the waterways.

The wizard's eyes sparked with vigor. Those channels would no doubt be freezing cold with Winter so recent. They might even lead to the ocean. While some books and the like might suffer water damage, it was much easier to dry a tome than it was to reconstruct one from ash. With such an ample supply of liquid...

"If we can enter without being seen... No, even if we're seen, with the contents of those waterways..." A grin cracked across Ignotus' face. "Find us three, four Reimancers. Their skill level is irrelevant. If these channels lead to the Bay, grab a few more. I want a belt ferrying water from them to our point of entry."

'My friends..." the Nuit said as he rubbed his hands together, "Dress warmly. We're making waves."

Somewhere in the distance, a cricket died.

[Pulren Marsh]

Pulren did his best to stretch his eye, the swelling impeding the motion to an annoying degree. He had wished he had brought his razor. It was a good backup and it would relieve the swelling. He guessed that the fight coming might provide ample opportunity for bloodletting. Another fine item was the creeping bile in his throat, especially with the extra bonus of rotten kelp. The wooden shield felt doubly heavy under the weight of his hangover, his attention split until he heard about the plan to enter the University via the sewers.

Picking his head up again, he looked at Rick and tried to decipher the message between the Sergeant's accent and the throbbing of his head. The waterways was an interesting moniker for the putrid tunnels that were being discussed. A slight wave of nausea washed over the back of Pulren's neck at the thought. It was clear that his lack of clout and armor probably meant he was destined to scout those same waterways. Ah, well. It was wet down there, anyway. He suspected that the buildings above would probably be on fire before long.

There was another pang of distaste, though it wasn't alcohol related. Pulren was starting to wonder if Zeltiva was going to become a city ruled by Wizards. Why would it be a good idea to have Wizards face off against other Wizards? Wasn't the problem here that the first set couldn't handle their magic? If Pulren had a say, he would eliminate the need for an Asylum in the first place. If the Wizards went beyond the point of control or even sanity, the young recruit felt that their rehabilitation could be found at the end of a noose.

For now, it was remaining silent until those in the know chose the best proper course of action.

[Loken]

oocSorry about the wait, it slipped my mind that it was my turn to post. Small post to keep things rolling.

Loken was new to the city. And despite giving the impression of naivete and callowness – only one of which tended to be particularly true – he was annoyed that he had no time to plan or over look information regarding the universities layout. Still, despite the evident annoyance, a soft smirk remained upon his lips.

"If we must choose between two paths, any of which may bring death and defeat, then choose the path wherein we have the gretest advantage. I agree with traversing the water ways." Loken nodded, holding his hands and weapons behind his back as he agreed. While the insane mages could make themselves known where soever they chose, in truth he was happy not to openly fight them and sneak around. It was an efficient plan with a logical means of success.