Quest The Darkest Night And Longest Day (Open)

[Gossamer]

Timestamp: 80th of Spring, 517 AV

As the morning broke over Riverfall, people woke in their respective homes, be they permanent residents or temporary rented dwellings. Their eyes were unusually crusted and their mouths felt like they were filled with cotton... as if they'd spent the night drinking. Heads pounded lightly and even crawling forth from their beds took great effort. Thirst consumed people and yet a slight nausea prevented any real hunger from taking effect. Remaining inside, they would discover nothing untowards... perhaps a need to bathe or perhaps ruffled hair that was a bit too matted to be norm for each person.

But if they stepped outside there would be signs and signals all over the place. Broken tree branches, sand, and even more unusual garbage scattered across Riverfall as if a great storm had hit the city in the heart of the night. And worse... worse still than the remains of a city caught in Zulrav's wrath... were claw marks that were discovered gouged across a cobbled road. They were enormous, far larger than say a Glassbeak or even a Grassbear would leave. Several roofs were smashed in, and a few buildings had walls missing as if some great beast had climbed up them and taken flight.

And worse still were the signs of fire. Scorch marks in the earth, on the stone, and even the very city walls itself attested to a big fire or at least big explosions of fire. People were stunned. Many wandered between one sign or another, looking for an answer to their blank memories and missing time.

Small groups talked, people questioning each other, questioning even the Kuvay'Nas, though the guards too knew no answers to tell the people. And even though no one seemed to know, more and more questions were asked until one rose above them all. "If this happened last night and we can't remember... what will happen tonight?".... an old woman cried, her human hands on the shoulders of her full grown Akalak son. He turned to shush her, but it was too late. Everyone was now asking themselves this question and wondering this very same thing.

Were they safe? What in the world had happened?

[Turrin]

It was four days till he had to leave Riverfall, and the vagabond didn't want to get out of bed. He missed the feeling of a mattress under him instead of the hard ground. However, the lack of desire to get out of bed was compounded by his severely crusted eyes and his horribly dry mouth that felt like someone dumped sand into the night before. Normally if a night of heavy drinking would cause these side effects, but he had nothing the drink accept water the night before. Getting out of bed, he put on his bryda, walked over to window, and opened the curtain. The light given off by Syna was intense enough for him to immediately shut the curtains. For a moment, Turrin had to close his eyes to let his eyes readjust since they were just blinded by the intense morning light. Walking over to the water pitcher that he had filled the night before, Turrin took the whole thing and started to drink out of it. He was hoping the excess water would quench the thirst in his belly and elevate the dryness in his mouth. It didn't help his mouth, but at least his thirst was quenched.

Turrin got into his normal Inarta garb where he was wearing nothing accept for his bryda; however, he decided to allow his burgundy hair fall loose over his shoulders as he wove his six feather into it. He was hoping the simple act of getting dressed would help him wake up. It didn't. Turrin was going to head to coastal forests to hunt this morning, so he put on his camouflage armor, strapped the quiver filled with hunting arrows to his back, and strung his short bow. The vagabond strapped his talon sword and scabbard to the left side of his hip. Tucking his leather helmet under his arm, he was ready to go get Muncher from the stables. He walked out the door to his room and down the stairs to the common room of the Inn. The Inarta could smell the familiar smell of frying pork and eggs, but the queasy feeling in his stomach kept him from ordering a plate. Maybe he will just get some from fruit from the market.

Turrin immediately thought to himself, 'What the hai happened to me last night? Did someone slip something into my water at dinner? Whatever, the feeling will pass. I hope...'

As Turrin stepped outside, the city looked like it just experienced a major storm as trees were broken or stapped in two. Roofs were missing shingles or roofs were collapsed in. Other buildings were missing walls entirely. The street was litter with debris and garbage this was a shock because he sort of remembered the night sky before was clear or was it. Honestly, he didn't remember anything after eating supper. Walking down the street, he noticed the destruction was extensive; however, he stopped when he started to noticed large gouges in the street like claw marks. Immediately, Turrin thought this was not normal if something or some large creature made these scars in the middle of Riverfall. Somebody would have to see it. Unless they were experiencing the memory gape that he was feeling. Deciding to find a authority, Turrin walked to the nearest Kuvay'Nas. As he walked through the small crowd, he overheard a old lady asking her akalak son loud enough for the Inarta to hear if no one could remember what happened last night. What happens if it comes back? These were sound questions that anyone would ask. Nobody wants to feel vulnerable.

Almost impulsively the Inarta decided what he was going to hunt today or tonight. Walking to the Kuvay'Nas, Turrin said in common to them with a nod, “I take it that you don't remember what happened last night, so I am not going to bother you with that question. I was curious if you need help figuring this mystery out. I going to guess that this happened overnight, so I will volunteer myself to stay up all night and see if...”

Turrin paused trying to figured out what to call harbinger of destruction a force of nature or monster. Monster makes him sound like a idiot because he doesn't even know if it was even alive. Force of Nature sounds like the gods were involved. He doubt it. Turrin looked at the guard and continued, “..I can identify the cause of the destruction and report back to you.”

Turrin couldn't believe that he volunteered to help a city that he was just visiting. Why should he risk his health or safety for them? It not like he being paid. However, if nobody did nothing there could be causalities, and that old woman could loose her son or the other way around. Turrin waited patiently as he waited for the city guards to give him a answer.

[Rhodri]

It was an easy choice for the Eypharian to make. As a descendant of a god, it was only right that he sleep at a place that looked down on the rest of the city. Rhodri came into Riverfall with very low expectation but found he was instantly drawn to a high ridge with no vegetation and white buildings. It was familiar like his home in the desert but also turned out to be destiny. The complex was a residential facility and they had space available. Kreechre, the red-skinned brute who ran the estate, was to the point and uninterested in any conversation that didn’t involve business. The aristocrat could understand such motives as he had no desires to small talk with the trash that walked around the cobblestone streets.

The negotiation process had been stressful for both sides. The Akalak could not make sense of the large mess of arrogant limbs before him and the man with golden skin was having problems figuring out why he was having two separate yet simultaneous conversations with one guy. Before things got out of hand, Rhodri eventually walked to the edge of the common room and pointed at the highest apartment in the structure. It was furthest from the entrance and somewhat isolated except for two other units below. While most people would choose to avoid the extra walk or solitude, the elitist felt that having the highest residence in the city was the only room that he should even be offered. The savvy businessman had recently had that unit listed at less than the rest because no one wanted to walk the extra forty yards and flight of stairs; a discount that was quickly discarded. The five hundred gold piece sum was most of what the Eypharian had but he knew that things would be different here. For starters: he was going to have to pay for everything.

The arrangement had worked out well. Rhodri enjoyed his fortress of solitude despite the extra distance. The tall and athletic figure simply used the extra stairs as an endurance builder for his lungs and legs. One thing the Eypharian could say for Riverfall is that the city forced its residents into shape simply by its geography. If there’s one thing Rhodri hated more than people who didn’t know their place, it was fat people who didn’t know their place.

Waking up on his large bed –a benefit of the native denizens being giants themselves- Rhodri stretched and found his body to be sore. It was not the good kind of pain that normally followed a good day of exercise. No, this was the kind of ache and dull weakness that tended to be a result of too much wine. In his native tongue, the Eypharian cursed then sat up sharply. With his top set of hands, he rubbed his head which pounded and noticed that his hair felt gritty. His lower hands went back behind his body and flattened upon the bed which gave his heavy upper half more support. The middle set stretched outward first then folded and began to rub the numerous sore spots on Rhodri’s well-kept form.

After a few chimes of this slow motion wake-up routine, Rhodri was ready to get started. He yawned as his hands all came down and worked like a team of horses to drag the Eypharian from the bed. His feet hit the cold floor and the reverberating shockwave ran up his bones all the way up his spine to his head. The sensation was not a pleasant one as the final result was a flash of light and a slightly nauseous stomach. The six-armed racist tried to clear his throat but found it to be scratchy and dry as well as having a noxious kind of aftertaste. Rhodri furrowed his brow. This was not the desert. He staggered on wobbly legs over to his window. The view of the ocean had not changed. It was still breathtaking to see the colors of light that danced over the waves. If he didn’t know for certain, the sand brat might have thought it a mirage. However, this was the backdrop to his new life.

The young man went about his morning trying to use the routine to normalize the strange circumstances that he had found upon opening his eyes. He had worked out yesterday but nothing special. There should be no need for him to feel the way that he was currently. He was dressed and ready to go with boots, pants, belt, shirt and cloak. His hands took hold of the anchor on his aclis and lifted it from the coil where it had been propped up next to his bed. He lowered the weapon’s chain through the brass and iron rings. The brass rings were lined up just in front of his hips and held the club and dart nicely. On either side towards his rear sat larger iron rings that Rhodri used to loop his chains through but he was still getting used to the dart’s smaller links. The anchor of the aclis kept the looped over chain in place. Suddenly, an idea came to the young man. He mimicked the technique for the rope dart despite its lack of an anchor to secure it. As his left lower hand fed the chain through the iron ring in a loop, his middle hand on the left side took up his punching dagger. When he got almost to the end, Rhodri drove the blade down through the links which created a lynch point and would prevent the chain from sliding the rest of the way through.

Normally, the Eypharian didn’t carry his weapons with him but he was in a foul mood. The poor state of his body was taken as an indication of how the rest of the day was going to be. Rhodri strapped on his arsenal for the sole purpose of letting everyone know that he was not to be bothered today. The spoiled young man left his residence and headed down the stairs, completely ignoring the wave of one neighbor and the stank eye of another. Rhodri paid no mind to the peasant population regardless of the fact that he was the stranger in their city. That sentiment carried no water for the aristocrat so he pressed onward with his perfect posture of entitlement. He coughed. The Eypharian made a face of disgust at the taste of his own mucus and hocked the spit over the side of the steps. That’s when he saw Riverfall in her broken state. His deep, brown eyes widened at the random footprints of fire that engulfed part or all of several buildings. There was sand blown about and tiny wind devils howled as they twisted in sporadic places. There was some kind event that took place in the night but he had no memory of the sounds of battle. Nor could he recall a duststorm -though he’d come to understand that such events didn’t happen on this coast. Fear spread through the Rhodri as his naivety pulled at the corners of his mind like Sagallius’ strings.

Rhodri ran back up the steps taking two at a time. His legs burned from the weird fatigue and the exertion put forth by his muscles. Each stride was through sheer force of will as his thighs and calves would coil and bulge under his weight and then explode upward. Once back in his apartment, the Eypharian made a few quick steps to his table. The chair he didn’t use held his rucksack which was packed for smaller excursions; flint & steel, water skin, comb, brush, soap, razor, tinder, bedroll, winter blanket, tongs, an iron kettle, rations, mirror, toothpaste, toothbrush and cologne as well as a change of clothes. He hefted the pack with his lower left hand and slung it around his waist with the lower right hand’s help. He buckled it and was already heading back out the door. He sprinted down the stairs making bounds of three steps at a time.

He was down the ridge in less than twenty chimes and there was a mess of people all over the streets. Rhodri did his best to avoid letting people touch him. In preparation for the perfect storm of circumstances, the Eypharian snaked a hand down his left thigh and touched the odd mark left by the god of manipulation; his god. Rhodri started to affix the cords to his fingers on his top hands. He left them to dangle as his gaze shifted from side to side in search of a dupe.

The weather was strange here. Despite the seasonal shift towards summer, the ocean breeze was cold to the desert’s son. He pulled his cloak up around his shoulders with the middle set of hands, his lower set resting comfortably on his weapons. Rhodri was stone-faced and distant to any who looked at him. The mbene-shure were of no consequence to the self-proclaimed offspring of the divine. It was at this point that the muddy waters of his eyes saw the first set of massive claw marks. It terrified him. What sort of beast would cause such damage?

Rhodri spent the next bell following the mysterious gouges from one part of the city to another. It wasn’t until he came up to the main road near the Kuvay’Nas where there was a much larger group. One woman was speaking in a language he couldn’t understand but her words triggered a tidal wave of murmurs and scared expressions. It seems that he wasn’t the only one who woke up in a state today. Then the tall man with six arms caught wind of a conversation in Common. He could plainly make out the words and moved laterally so that he could inherit the rest of what was being discussed. As he slipped behind a rather large Akalak –one big enough to cover the seven foot gift to creation- Rhodri flicked his wrists forward and used his mind to weave the cords around seven different people between himself at the long-haired man speaking Common. He wrapped the magical strands around Turrin’s right wrist.

Once the divinely inspired strings were attached, Rhodri shifted his weight to one side which kept the do-gooder in his site. He was well blocked from any direct contact and felt safe in the shadow of the behemoth blue beast in front of him. As the city’s volunteer turned to address Turrin, Rhodri made a large swipe from left to right with his right hand. The object was to make the stranger swing at the Akalak guard. The strings broke behind the force that the Eypharian used and Rhodri went back to being a still and silent observer. It didn’t matter of he made contact or not so long as the action was large enough. A sly smile crept over Rhodri’s lips but he quickly put it away and replaced it with a look of anxious worry.

TurrinRhodri has Cordas. Please send me a PM if you have questions.

[Claire Lexi'lya]

80th of Spring, 517 AV

There was something to be said about fear. The many ways someone could feel it for one. How different it felt to fear for someone else, and the way it felt to fear for one’s own life. Fear was something Claire had become accustomed to in her life… but it had never been aimed at herself. She worried for her mother’s life, for the life of the people she cared for. In times of fearing for another it was always easier to focus on what needed to be done first, and let the unsteady collapse follow afterwards.

For the first time in her life the Kelvic actually feared for her own life.

There was nothing to hold onto. No one she knew or understood her. She was alone in this city that had remained steady day in and day out for nearly a season. In some ways Claire had come to love the ebb and flow of a city that didn’t move around her. Streets that were stationary and weather consistant as she moved across the city. It was a routine she didn’t have to try and hold on to. It came naturally.

But the city of the day before was nowhere to be found now. Tree limbs were torn from their hosts, scorch marks littered the ground and walls of the city. At least what was left of the walls. The deep trenches gouged into the ground caused the hair on the back of her neck to prickle. Something had made its way through the city and it hadn’t been gentle about it.

Perhaps the worst part of fear was that it reacted at best to the unknown. Claire had feared leaving Alvadas for the unknown… but she hadn’t feared for her life. The very fact that she couldn’t remember a thing from the night before sent shivers down her spine and left a heavy feeling to rest in her stomach, much like a stone weighing her down. It made moving difficult as a part of her wanted nothing more than to shift and flee the city and the signs of pure destruction.

But Claire was nothing if not capable of compartmentalizing her emotions to some extent. Fleeing the city didn’t make her safe, and given the shape of the city… well Claire would be amazed if there were no casualties because of this event. It was up to her to push her own fear aside, or in the very least push it aside in the need of others.

So the Kelvic picked her way through the city, avidly trying to avoid the claw marks dug into the stone and earth. Her fingers pressed slow circles into the base of her neck and skull in a desperate attempt to relieve some of the tension in her muscles and relieve the ache in her head resting just behind her eyes. Her mouth was still dry, partially because she couldn’t bear the idea of putting anything into her stomach. It was going to come back up regardless between the nausea created by her headache and her unsettled nerves.

It didn’t help her headache much either that she was trying to remember something--anything--from the night before. Claire couldn’t grasp onto anything… more unknown factors that sent fear curling further into her stomach. She was used to overworking herself, of sometimes losing time because she was too focused on something else. But this was nothing like that and it made Claire wish for someone to cling onto just so she didn’t have to feel alone in a strange city made into a nightmare.

As Claire rounded another corner in a city once again made foreign to her, a voice rang out above the hushed whispers of the scattered residents. A voice asking a single question. What would happen tonight?

It had been a question Claire had been avoiding asking herself. It was bad enough that there was no answers now. It was the kind of question that would eat people alive, the kind fear bred in. Her eyes flicked from person to person in the group as she approached slowly. Another voice raised in response… offering help. The tone was different than the others. It was the first voice raised to offer help and despite her fear it peaked her curiosity.

Gently she squeezed through the throng of people, trying to approach the direction of the voice. It wasn’t easy as many didn’t seem to notice her in their own fear and worry. More than once the Kelvic had to give a small push just to pass between two people. Luckily most just seemed more annoyed with her than upset.

As Claire attempted to shove past another man, he shifted his weight away from her. Cursing under her breath in Isurian, the inertia of her own weight nearly sent her barreling into the person in front of her. Just ticks before she collided with the body however Claire managed to scramble her feet under her, and had the situation not been so dour, it probably would have been hilarious as she flapped her arms in her attempt to regain balance.

Pulling herself up to her full height, Claire looked up at the muscular and rather tall back of the man in front of her. Despite only seeing him from behind, her mind instantly recognized him. It wasn’t every day that one met their first Eypharian... or a person with six arms at all. Especially one she had tended to nearly the moment she had stepped onto Riverfall’s docks.

One that was borish, arrogant, rude, ridiculously handsome...

Against her own will, her mind scoured for the name she knew was there. Rhodri… The name instantly caused her nose to wrinkle up as if she smelled something disgusting. His name wasn’t the only thing to come to mind and Claire couldn’t help but heave a sigh in defeat. Because as much as it irked her that she knew his name… it also brought a semblance of relief.

He was a distraction from the fear clouding her mind. He was someone that knew of her in the very least and for some reason that brought a sense of peace… despite the distaste that it had to be him of all people. Claire made her way around his back to stand to his left, her sharp eyes taking note that he was well put together… much better than when she had met him. In fact despite the current situation he looked rather perfectly put together.

Of course the petching jerk would be.

Huffing to herself, Claire pulled her eyes from the Eypharian to the front of the crowd. There were still far too many people in her way to make out who might have offered help. Part of her considering moving forward because she highly doubted the man standing next to her even remembered her, but she found herself rather rooted to the spot… much to her annoyance.

Walking away meant being within the city alone, and even if he didn’t remember, she did.

Claire’s fingers twitched, dying to move and do something… anything. So they moved to hair, which the poor Kelvic was sure looked much like a nest rather than hair, and began to run her fingers through. At least as successfully as she could manage because she winced each time her fingers caught a snag. The pain certainly didn’t help the headache. All the while she repeated over and over in her mind. Do not say a word. Do not say a word.

“Rhodri.”

And that just worked out beautifully. She couldn’t have stopped her own eye roll if she tried.

[Crescenta]

The Aurist felt her throat dry and with a sense of nausea crawling up it. Her head pounded as if she had drank heavily the previous night, that wasn't a possibility though. She couldn't have, could she? There was much better things that she could spend her time on than that.

She briefly struggled to open her eyes, and when she did everything looked normal, there was nothing untoward in her apartment, and nothing had occurred. Crescenta's scarred hands pushed against her bed, helping her to stand up, a task which proved to be extremely hard in her state.

What is wrong with me?

She would of been much more optimistic had this happened at night, yet in her human form that had scars running up and down her skin and hopeless eyes, she struggled to have a positive outlook on this. The woman knew she needed to get up, she had planned to go and buy clothing that would better cover the scars that she was covered in. It seemed like this would be a bit difficult the way she was now.

Instead of thinking about this, the Ethaefal focused on finding her water skin that she had filled for when she was going to go somewhere. She searched through the bag which lay on her floor, eventually finding it and taking a long gulp which helped her thirst.

Perhaps this was a side-effect of her current state of mind, the medical side of her mused. She wasn't in a good mindset, especially when the day reigned, that in itself was obvious, and she briefly wondered whether this was because of that.

After pondering that for a moment, Crescenta wrapped her silk scarf around her neck, covering some of her scars at least, and she exited the apartment, finding the city torn up and many a thing ruined.

It was as if a storm had rampaged through the city, destroying the trees and scattering litter everywhere. Yet, it couldn't just be a storm, as claw marks were gouged across a road, and buildings had missing parts, and those were just some of the things wrong.

She herself was terrified, as she looked down at the scorch marks. The woman needed answers, and she eventually heard an outburst, from a woman who was clearly worried of what had happened.

She turned to the Kuvay'Nas, and spoke slightly worriedly, though with a slight hope in her voice. She needed to help these people.

"Is there any way I can help here? I know Auristics, so I don't know if that could be of any use to you, but I want to help out." The black haired woman smiled at them, and waited to see if she could.

[Gossamer]

The crowd was thickening by the minute. It wasn't as if Riverfall was full of those who wanted to look onward and see what the fuss was about. The problem was that Riverfall was full of men of action who wanted to do something. No one seemed to know, however, what exactly happened, and everyone down to a man woman and child seemed to be more concerned about this fact - the not remembering part - than investigating what had actually taken place.

Turin arrived at the southwest corner of the city near Nevar's Tower outside the Bastani Bakery. Here the claw marks were particularly bad, and the crowd was not actually just milling around, but several Kuvay'Nas of higher rank were organizing people to clear the debris in the street and start on some structural repairs. Several children were drafted to send messages, captured in the crowd and redirected by a man wearing a Kuvay'Nas tunic showing a higher rank: Intelligence Kavran. Perhaps those in the crowd wouldn't know this, but several of the Kuvay'Nas with the volunteer tunics openly bowed to his rank. He wasn't a high level official, but it was obvious that he had hurriedly dressed and probably tumbled out of one of the nearby Suvan Suites.

And doing what they did best, the Intelligence Kavran organized people, especially the volunteer Kuvay'Nas, and started the cleanup. There were bricks in the street to pick up, walls having been knocked down and roof tiles left askew. Formally nice pots of plants that decorated the streets periodically throughout Riverfall had been reduced to rubble and needed to be cleaned up and set aside to be restored or rebuilt. No one seemed to be hurt, but it was still an odd thing....

Odd enough that when Turin asked to help, the Intelligence Kavran nodded and looked him over. "Stand over there for a moment. Let me get the cleanup organized first, okay?" He got a few more of the volunteer guard moving then had the locals divide up the street and work on their sections in front of their businesses.

Oddly, the Bakery had no fresh smells coming from it. It's workers had suffered the same loss as the rest of the city and had no knowledge of coming into work at their exceedingly early hours to get fresh bread and rolls, baked goods, and breakfast treats ready for the day. That particular business was a flurry of activity as the head baker Olkaot muttered to his workers inside, trying to get his business back on track for the day.

Finally when there was a moment and everyone seemed organized, the Intelligence Kavran walked back to Turin and offered him his hand. "I'm Glasi Demarkus. My brother is Finas. You said you could identify what did this and report back to me?" The Kavran looked more than happy to let Turin. Though one could tell that Glasi seemed to want to know NOW rather than later. It was really the big question on everyone's mind. "How do you propose to do that, sir? I don't think I caught your name..." He said, glancing at Turin's wrist to see if he had Kuvan status or not. Visitor, obviously, the Intelligence Kavran marked him noting his wrist lacked the citizen tattoo that every Riverfall resident had. That he was human wasn't an issue, but the fact that he wasn't a resident of Riverfall as Glasi Demarkus identified them made the Intelligence Kavran more suspicious.

While he waited for Turin to explain, Rhodri moved in. He was several persons back and focused on manipulating Turin with his cordas, so he perhaps didn't recognize immediately that he was in the vicinity of another Cordas. The man stopped just off Rhodri's shoulder and touched him gently before clearing his throat to get Rhodri's attention. Rhodri's Cordas mark would burn a moment, recognizing the other, before his arm would slam to his side, a victim of the very gnosis he was trying to use on Turin.

He spoke to Rhodri in a low private voice. It was a slightly scathing retort.

"Not very smart. I don't think I'd allow someone to slap, even vicariously, one of my Squad." The Kuvay'Nas Squad Commander wearing the Intelligence Tunic said. "I hadn't realized there was another Sag worshiper here in the city. We are few and far between. Next time you want to use it though, try touching him first. The cords stick better, Eypharian." He said looking amused and decidedly down his nose at Rhodri even though he was shorter and broader of build. Rhodri could feel his mark was greater though the six armed man didn't know how extensive it was.

"Glasi Demarkus. We have another volunteer right here!" Said Glasi's Squad Leader. Glasi lit up and gestured over at Turin. "Put him here. We're getting a volunteer group all formed up, Jaskin, Sir!" The Akalak replied to the second man, who gave Rhodri a little shove towards where Turin was standing. The crowd parted, and the two men were soon standing side by side.

When he came to a stop Claire then bumped into Rhodri coming from the other direction. She said his name, accompanied with an eyeroll. Jaskin, standing right there, looked amused. "Ahh, another volunteer! Girl come forward and introduce yourself to the rest of us. Looks like this fellow... Rhodri did you say?... you know already." He said, chuckling as he sent Glasi Demarkus back to organizing the cleanup of this section. It was, after all, in Nevar's Tower's shadow and it needed to be in top shape immediately so the first family wasn't disturbed.

Crescenta stumbled upon the forming up group at the perfect time. Her offer was received by Jaskin with a nod. "An Aurist? Oh perfect. We've not many mages in this city and another set of magical eyes could be really helpful. I've been authorized to award 100 gold to any individual or group of individuals that can help identify what happened to the city today. These other three are also volunteers. There will be other groups looking too." The Squad Leader said, gesturing at Glasi who was talking to another young Akalak. That Akalak quietly joined the group, a cloak thrown over his features. He lingered with the others, milling around, part of the little separate group but not actually introducing himself or speaking outright at first.

"Okay... " Jaskin started out. "First, who wants to lead this investigation meaning who wants to be in charge? Decide quickly. Then if you need any resources let me know. I need to get the rest of my squad organized and cleaning up this portion of the city. The Kuvay'Nas is spread thin today dealing with this since it seemed to effect the whole city." Once that was seemingly settled, Jaskin went to organize a few more groups, mainly local business owners assisting Glasi giving the others a chance to introduce themselves to each other and speak freely.

The group five seemed to find themselves alone in that moment. The cloaked Alakak youth seemed to eye each of them quietly as well, as if not wanting to be the first to speak. He did though, quietly, after a moment. "It's times like this I wish I had wings. A nice high look at the city to see if there are any patterns we can't see from the ground would be a nice start to this investigation." He said, staring up abruptly, noting that there were roofs as damaged as the claw marks in the streets.

"Seems it might be something that wanted up.... up there... since all the roofs that took damage are higher." He said, gesturing down at the claw marks and up at the roofs.

"What does everyone else think?" He asked, still waiting for them to determine a leader. It looked as if Jaskin would only be distracted for a moment before he made his way back over.

[Gossamer]

Quick OOC note. Turin can't post for a week, not until next Sunday, so hes asked that you skip him if you want to still hold to the posting order and all go ahead. He'll gladly catch up next Sunday when you can expect my next reply.

[Turrin]

Hearing laughter in the back of his head, Turrin frowned when he heard the phantom voice of his long departed wind eagle in his mind, 'Turrin you never ever..ever give a definite like I can! Because if you fail. Well, you'll look like a idiot. Besides these blue brutes are paranoid as petch right now, so I pretty sure that they suspect you know something about last night. Good job, human...'

Turrin groaned inwardly as he noticed the suspicion in the eyes of the authority. He did mess up, and even a dead wind eagle could see it. Petch it! If he could identity their problem and solve it before anyone get hurt. He could sleep better the next day. First, he needed to get past this initial interrogation without them thinking that he was a part of the destruction of there city. Turrin walked to the location that he was told to stand. It looked like he was the first to volunteer himself to investigate the cities problem. He waited only a few times before he was approached by another akalak and offered him a hand. He figured that it was standard greeting in Riverfall, so he took his hand and shook it. The akalak introduced himself as Glasi Demarkus than he said his brother name was Finas. For a moment, the former endal tilted his head in confusion because he only saw one man approach him. Where was the second man or his brother named Finas? He always thought Wind Reach was strange when he arrived in the volcano city as a youth, but when he started to explore the continent, the world just got weird and weirder everyday.

Anyways, Turrin wasn't here to judge anyone else's mental illness since he still had his dead wind eagles voice still lurking in the back of his mind. The vagabond's anxious heart started to pound when the authority asked the question about how can he identify their problem. He wasn't sure. He needed more information and evidence to come up with a course of action. However, he had to say that he could identify their problem, so he needed to give him a theory. Turrin golden eyes looked him in the eyes and said in common with a nod, “My name is Turrin. I was a former endal of Wind Reach of the Warhawk Flight. We were assigned to protecting the hunting grounds and protecting the city from foreign and domestic threats. I was a endal bonded to the wind eagle named Aponivi.” Good, Turrin reassured him with your past credentials. This Glasi Demarkus seemed military, so he would probably respect another military man. He knew that Wind Reach didn't have a formal military, but his flight was the closest Wind Reach had to one.

Turrin could hear the urgency in Glasi's voice for his theory, so Turrin said simply, “I need more evidence to come up with a better theory, but for now, I don't know what caused this destruction. However, I do know that this destruction was caused in the overnight hours. Most likely when everyone was a sleep or made to stay asleep by some sort of magic. I am putting the magic card on the table because if the city was being destroyed around me or anyone else. A person would or should remember the events that caused the destruction. The fact nobody can remember last night. I am assuming some sort of magic was involved to erase memories or keep everyone asleep.” Licking his lips, he paused as he gathered his thoughts and continued, “I am no magic-user, so I can't theories the type of magic or what caused the magic to happen, but whatever caused this destruction was big. You can see it in the streets and on the buildings. Honestly, I personally surprised, and I thank the gods nobody was killed or even hurt last night.”

Turrin looked at the scared street for a moment and said with a shake of his head, “I believe if we can stay up all night that maybe we can catch a glimpse of what caused this destruction. If it was, so easy to get into your city and cause havoc without being detected. Why would it not come back to reek more havoc the following night? No offense, but Predators tend to go after easy prey when they hunt.”

He decided to see if he could get any information out of the guard and asked, “Did anyone or anything go missing in the city? Is the destruction concentrated in one area, or is it dispersed allover the city?”

Turrin wasn't taking a shot at him or his city's defense for the easy prey comment. He was just stating a fact. If you were a predator, why waste your time and energy on stronger prey if you use less energy on weaker prey? If the predator can walk into the city, do what it needed to do and leave without being detected. Why wouldn't it come back to a easy hunting ground? It just logic. He figured the akalak would take offense since it is his home. However, when the bravado started to wane. He will see the truth in the half breed's words.

Turrin watched as the volunteers started to move forward. Some seemed less volunteered than others as a six armed creature was unceremoniously pushed into the circle. The warrior raised an eyebrow and wondered what type of trouble the mortal got himself too. The akalak who pushed him seemed eager to force the six armed creature into the party. Probably to test the mortal's worth. Regardless, the former endal noticed the look of amusement on the akalak face as he pushed him into the circle. Turrin looked at the six armed mortal for a moment than he turned his uncaring golden eyes to the destruction on the street. The next volunteer was a simple human woman. She was picked out by the same guard who pushed the six armed mortal. She seemed like a typical human woman. Nothing about her really stood out. He was sure that she would prove herself eventually, but for now, she was just another volunteer. The next volunteer was another human woman, but she introduced herself as a aurist. Turrin wasn't familiar with the term, but when the young akalak seemed pleased and mentioned that she was a magic-user. The Inarta's golden eyes perked up with interest and thought to himself, 'Maybe she could confirm my magic theory?'

He stayed silent. Eventually young hooded akalak came back and started to explain the situation to the volunteers. Suddenly, the young akalak named Jaskin mentioned that the destruction was all over the city this dashed his theory about motives. He started wondering if the cause was intelligent like a mortal. If not, the cause could be working on pure instinct. Making it equally as dangerous or worse. When the akalak asked who wanted to lead and left to organized more volunteers. Turrin looked at the party of misfits around him and said in common with a nod, “My name is Turrin. I was a endal from Wind Reach. I have experience leading hunting parties into the Unforgiving. I volunteer myself to be leader unless any of you want to be leader?”

When the akalak youth came back, he eyed them for a moment. He seemed to be sizing up his merry band of misfits, so Turrin turned his eyes to him. Suddenly, the akalak said a simple thought out-loud, and Turrin said with a nod, “We don't need wings if we had a vantage point in the city tall enough to survey the damage? We could start our investigation there.” Turrin turned to the party and asked them a question. It was question to get their minds brainstorming on the problem at hand, “Do you think our cause of the destruction could fly? It could explain the reason for all the destruction on the roof tops.”

[Rhodri]

Rhodri blinked. Nothing happened. He must have done something wrong, mis-remembered or perhaps he moved too fast. The Eypharian started to turn away when he felt his left middle elbow crash into his side. His escape was halted by a large blue man who was standing there with a shyke-eating grin and speaking insults in a low tone. The aristocrat was going to fire off a response when his mark began to burn which caused him to clamp his lower left hand down upon his thigh. Rhodri’s head was spinning. There was simply too much going on for him to absorb and formulate a plan simultaneously. His face became overcast like the day itself as a seething anger began to well up in the pit of his stomach.

Then, a sound like the soft chime of a bell graced him. The rage of embarrassment was temporarily displaced as his ears recognized that call. Rhodri looked up when he heard his name and saw the dark brown eyes that had both saved and haunted him all season. He narrowed his gaze to her and opened his mouth to speak when the blue man –obviously of some importance since he wore a fancy tunic- shouted loudly about volunteers then shoved the six-armed man towards the center of the street. The arrogant yet unseasoned warrior rose to his full height and looked down on the other divinely blessed being in the group. A moment’s worth of contemplating violence was given up for a better route; certainly, a safer one.

“I didn’t volunte-“ The young man stopped his protest and exhaled through flared nostrils. It wouldn’t do him any good judging from the air of the one who identified himself as a commander.

Rhodri looked to the small frame of Claire and felt his body and mind reignite a fight that'd been raging for the better part of Spring. The little healer seemed unhinged by the state of the city and rightfully so. Surely, she was frightened but the consistent attitude of defiance seemed to ooze out of her very pores. It brought a smirk to his face just long enough for her to see that slightest glimpse of appreciation. Abruptly, the Eypharian looked to where he was being summoned and caught the name of the one next to him; Jaskin. Rhodri stepped forth to the circle but not before uttering out the side of his face “I’ll see you again, Jaskin.”

More surprises.

The man who had initially been Rhodri’s target was still talking. The deep brown eyes rolled but the motion coincided with a tilt of his face to the darkened sky. Rhodri closed his eyes in an attempt to fend off a burst of explosions against his temples. His upper right hand applied pressure to stem the uncomfortable sensation…it didn’t work. The racist Eypharian very much disliked being thrown into the middle of this precarious situation but when Claire was dislodged from her previous location to be next to him, he felt compelled to stay. Without looking or verbally acknowledging that she was there, Rhodri stood in a way that cast his shadow over the girl; around her. His pheromone glands began to warm with the close proximity to the woman but the Eypharian exercised some will and focused on other things like the scorched bits of the city. If nothing else, he would be a windbreak from everything but the incessant droning of this short man –Turrin.

With the massive blues and Rhodri’s height, Turrin was small. Claire was tiny but she was a woman and thus her prowess lied on other avenues. The calm expression of observation lightened only slightly when a woman who claimed to be an aurist approached the small group. She was taller than Turrin and looked familiar but the haze of the day was playing tricks on Rhodri’s mind. He would try to recall more about her later -if he could- when things had been settled.

Fortunately, the hooded Akalak spoke with soft but wise words. The deep brown eyes lifted to follow the direction of the hood and soon recognized the pattern that he had brought to light. The Eypharian had not noticed this trend on his own and found himself feeling more comfortable with the coward willing to hide his face than the windbag touting himself a leader. A stern gaze clipped the man from Wind Reach like a chiding word. Rhodri had never heard of Wind Reach nor of the Unforgiving. They sounded like a couple stops on the world tour of lame destinations.

Rhodri took a step forward and settled on a course of action. If he was going to be forced to aid the city he called home, he would do so on his own terms. He certainly wasn’t going to take orders from any outsider or woman. That left two options and the spoiled young man wasn’t inclined to make decisions without knowledge so that really made his choice easy. In a voice that was deeper than most and a little husky, the Eypharian voiced his opinion on the matter of leadership. “Given your need to talk, perhaps you would be better purposed as a crier, T-Turr- whatever your name is.” Rhodri knew but he didn’t want to say it out loud and letting the elitist in him out for a change was easy; freeing. “You’ve double-talked more than once and your lack of knowledge in this city is more than enough to see that we’d spend all day chasing the wind if you were to take charge.” His posture rose as he spoke that gave a commanding presence, one often taken as intimidating or challenging. He leaned towards Turrin making sure to look down his nose at the man. “No. I will not follow you, human.”

The Eypharian turned with no more regard to the former endal; almost brushing him with his right arms but being very intentional not to make contact. The deep brown eyes passed over the two women briefly –a vivid flash of his first encounter with Claire came into his mind which sent his pheromone glands into high production. This was unexpected but Rhodri was on a roll and continued with his piece despite the fragrance of sandalwood and vanilla that began to permeate the immediate area. “This is Riverfall. It is only fitting that we follow one of her sons.” The arrogant child of the desert tilted his head towards the hooded member of their group as if trying to see underneath it. He wondered if this man bore the tattoos of the group that lived on the outskirts but did not allow these thoughts to hold up his speech. “Not only are you the highest ranking person here, Akalak, but you brought to light a pattern that the rest of us missed. I certainly did and it’s obvious from Turrin’s backtracking that he did as well.” Rhodri hailed from a political family so the art was not lost on him despite his lack of practice. “I believe you’ve already made a sound suggestion and I’m willing to support your headship.”

His stomach turned over a bit. The idea of following anyone other than himself was growing more unpleasant by the tick. The Eypharian turned with a rather charming smile, his lower hands held out with palms up towards Claire. “What do you say, Claire?” His tone was genuine and the expression on his face held no malice or sarcasm. What she could not know was that he was very aware of how useful her cooperation would be in swaying the group to side with him. The glands in his neck were ‘sweating’ heavily and his aroma cascaded around him like the mists of the great falls. Rhodri had come to appreciate her gifts and even her company though it agitated him like a thorn in his skin or dirt under his fingernails. Despite this unseen struggle, the young man knew what she was and how she could help their group. If he could use her to get his own way then her value would increase greatly. He leaned down towards her so that as he lowered his voice to just above a whisper she would still hear him plainly. “Care to stretch your wings?”

[Claire Lexi'lya]

It felt as if everything around her was moving faster than she could react. Part of her blamed the excessive pounding in her head, but if she was honest with herself it was more to due with the fact she had never dealt with this kind of fear before. Her mother had always made sure the two of them stayed out of any kind of trouble that befell Alvadas. In the fight or flight reaction to circumstances—well her mother had never been one to stand her ground. It could have just been her attempt to keep her daughter safe, given her father’s demise.

It seemed to Claire that she had not entirely inherited that gene from her mother.

Despite the fear that swirled in her stomach, threatening to make her physically ill, she had made the choice to wander the city. Her curiosity had always gotten the better of her. And now it seemed to have landed her directly into a little band apparently labeled to help investigate. There was a man taller than her, claiming to be from a city she had never heard of. There was another woman who was familiar to her... another practitioner of medicine, at least from what she could remember. The raptor was rather sure she had seen the woman once or twice in the medical center. An Akalak was also added to the group, but other than a quiet voice and hooded appearance there wasn’t much Claire could put together about him.

And of course there was Rhodri and her. The two that were more vocally opted into volunteering than actual offering. For her it would have been a matter of time really, whether now or down the line. She was a healer for a reason, and devastation like this rarely came without injury. Rhodri however… she had already spent enough time around him to know that look on his face. There was rage, but he seemed capable of keeping his tongue.

“I’m Claire. A healer…” The Kelvic spoke shortly. Introductions were something she was used to under normal circumstances, but fear made her visibly uncomfortable. There was shift behind her—a tug at the back of her mind. Claire tilted her head to the right, eyes downcast for a moment before she straightened her back with a deep sigh. The Eypharian had moved and it wasn’t just the scent that gave him away.

But the sense of relief was short lived. The human man tried to offer insight on the possible use of magic, and offered up himself as leader to the group. It seemed Rhodri’s tongue wasn’t going to stay in check for long. The six armed man immediately refused Turrin’s leadership. The headache that had plagued her since waking seemed to pound more furiously behind her eyes. She dropped her head to her hands and tried desperately rub it away.

This side of Rhodri didn’t surprise her. High and mighty had been the attitude she had dealt with since first meeting him. Now however seemed the worst time for it to show, despite the fact that he offered to follow the hooded Akalak instead. It was only when the Eypharian suddenly asked for her opinion that Claire dropped her hands to her side and stared at him as if he had three heads.

The haze must have been messing with his head far worse than her own.

“Well… uhm.” The raptor glanced between the three men. Turrin was more than willing to help, though Rhodri had a point about the Akalak having far more experience with the city. Choosing a leader wasn’t something that came naturally to her. Why couldn’t it be an argument over which bone to set first? Claire turned to the woman, giving the slightest shrug in her confusion.

The simple wish for wings however did draw her attention. Turrin mentioned that it wasn’t necessary—a high point in the city would do. And he was probably right, but it was hard to agree when the Eypharian leaned close enough to whisper in her ear. It felt almost like a dirty secret, and part of her wondered if he had any idea how tempted she was in the first place.

There were two sides to that made her whole. Her human form was a fantastic healer, but there was no defense built in. She had never truly considered taking up some kind of weapon because her bird form… it had everything. Wings, beak, and talons were all the self defense she needed—and they were impressive in her opinion. Claire turned to Rhodri, eyes sliding up and down his form for a moment before settling on his face.

“I wasn’t sure you remembered.” She whispered back, before her eyes narrowed slightly. “Troublemaker.” The last word she hissed at him, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at Turrin before smirking slyly at him. It felt better to jab at him than wallow in fear. Her fingers lifted to the ties of her dress, nimbly picking at them to loosen their hold as she turned to face the others.

“I gather it wouldn’t hurt for everyone to get to a decent vantage point, but I’ll get a better view than everyone else. You all can fight or bend over who’s going to be leader while I get a grasp on the damage of the city.” The Kelvic felt confident again, unsure if it was Rhodri’s vague encouragement or the idea of taking flight, that brought it on. It didn’t really matter. Claire felt better than she had all morning and she undressed quickly, tossing her clothing onto debris that had fallen from a wall.

The shift was quick—a simple flash of light and the girl vanished. Feathers ruffled as Claire flexed her wings, stretching them several times as she ensured everything was in working order. While the night before had left her unharmed, she wasn’t entirely positive there might not be lingering effects. The gnosis that had laid dark against her skin was rather opposite in bird form, the three twisting swirls were snow white against the slate gray of her feathers. Satisfied she clicked her beak, head bobbing from side to side as she took in everyone before she fully spread her wings.

There was a moment of hesitance—a last glance at the Eypharian as she felt the familiar pull towards him before she let out a soft cry and pushed off the ground with her feet, wings flapping downward in one smooth movement. The effect was immediate, lifting her swiftly off the ground in a nearly straight up movement. It would take her several more deep wing beats to reach enough elevation for the wind to fully take her high enough to get an idea of any pattern, but it was freedom from the moment—in the air. She would take the time she had to appreciate it.

Common | Isur