[Taloba] The Gates (Arriving PC's Post here first!)

[Traverse]

A barely-worn, small path leads up to a massive wall of stone and vine, of bone and wood. From the top, sharp spikes protrude, many with skulls of various shapes and sizes mounted on them, one after another. This is the massive Myrian city of Taloba. Almost entirely concealed by the thick jungle foliage, many visitors hardly realize how close to the city until they approach the walls... or one of the thousands of lethal traps surrounding the outside of the capital. Sentries loom, hidden from sight, along the top of the wall, armed to the teeth, and watching... always watching. At the enormous gate, two skeletons stand impaled, a warning. An enormous dead snake is displayed on the wall, an omen. No Charodae nor Dhani may pass here, should they reach the gates. Two menacing Myrian warriors stand guard at the gate, one on each side. They are tall and dark-skinned, dressed in leather, marked with tattoos and ritual scars, they carry both glaive and battle axe. They are accompanied often by an enormous tiger, looking relaxed and vicious all at once. Any non-Myrian who attempts to enter is stopped, and access is denied until the guards are satisfied. And even then... they may still be turned away. The Myrians do not like outsiders. You have been warned. Enter if you dare... Moderator Note : Myrians have very strong opinions of outsiders, and the Djed Storm of 512 has only cemented these views. These Races would be killed on sight by Myri due to their history with Myrians or their monstrous appearance: Dhani, Charoda, Zith, Symenestra A Nuit if found out for what it was, would be immediately killed as well, though perhaps not on sight. Half breeds with visible Dhani heritage are ridiculed, mocked and openly despised, and Symenestra half breeds are seen as weak and pathetic. Jamoura, Akvatari, and Pycons would not be slayed if they could prove of use, but would be regarded with extreme suspicion and open disgust on first meeting any Myrians due to their barbaric visage. The more humanoid of races can seek shelter in Taloba, but all must prove themselves. If you have a history in Taloba at character creation you require no modded thread to get you into the city, and can pass through the gate relatively unmolested. If you are a foreigner wishing to enter the city of Taloba after a long Journey, you must first request a moderated thread from one of the local ST's, for only once the Myrians have seen an individual's worth will they allow a being to enter the city.

[Seisyll]

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It was via the waters that Seisyll found Taloba, the fortress city of Myrians in the heart of the jungles of Falyndar. Following the murder of some of her kin, her curiosity had been piqued about the ruthless, hateful bipedals who lived in the city. Her first sighting had been in snake form, low, silent and hidden from sight, as it had been safest to follow the hunting party in such a form. On a few occasions, she returned to view the walls, either alone or following more Myrians, in order to cement the knowledge of Taloba's location in her mind.

But a number of seasons passed before the. Freshwater Ivyess worked up the courage to shift into the more acceptable human form and set foot in the city. Years, in fact, passed, where she had lived primarily as a snake, shifting only to practice the smatterings of the Myrian and Common tongues that she could pick up from hunters and other travellers who traversed the watery jungles that she hid in.

Sporting a white blouse, moss coloured trousers and a black cloak, Seisyll wondered what impression her mismatched apparel would give to the inhabitants of the city she was about to enter. This was the first time she had properly worn the clothes; the concept of covering one's body out of shame, or a want of privacy, was a novel idea for the Dhani. Yet, to give her fabricated history more credence, she had taken pains to rub sections of her clothing in mud, and on the leaves, to make them appear more worn than they truly were. Slung across her shoulder was a small pack filled with human essentials which, while not properly used, had also been treated to give the illusion of long travels. The final item, also held to her pack by a drawstring, was a small, handheld harp which she was slowly learning to play.

The sandals were uncomfortable on Seisyll's feet, and even more so when the jungle path became a man-made narrow path of wet, mossy stone. Her feet clacked and squelched along the path, and then she finally saw the overbearing walls and gates of the city. The Ivyess shivered as her eyes fell upon the various skulls that had been placed upon spikes and left for all to see. The warning was clear: now that she was in sight of the city and guards, Seisyll had handed her life over to these peoples.

Two guards stood waiting, well armed and terribly fierce looking. Her approach slowed, and the hesitation might have been obvious to the two men. In an instant, it became evident to Seisyll that all outsiders, not just her own race, were disliked by the Myrians. Even though she looked human, her pale skin immediately gave her away as a foreigner. "You have come to the gates of Taloba, the fortress city of Queen Myri," the warrior was speaking loudly but quickly, and it took all of the young woman's concentration to understand his words, "why venture so far, outsider? For what ends do you seek Taloba?"

What was she to say? That her brothers had been murdered in cold blood, out of a fear or hatred that spanned decades? That she wanted to know why? That she, too, was the 'enemy', who should be exterminated where she stood? No. Instead, she uttered a single word, "S-sstoryteller."

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