PM to join The Wreckage Of Lives (Midnight Gem Crew & Kreig)

[Kreig Messer]

Kreig could only let out a curse, mind same as Ren’s. Of course he wasn’t going to up and leave them! His hands itched and his fingers slapped against the palm before clenching into a fist, dropping his own pack upon the deck. His mind cursed the ship and magic. His eyes watched Kelski leave, then Kyn shortly thereafter and now that feeling of dread was spreading all over like bugs upon a table with a sugar coated surface.

“Yeah? Well I’m stayin’ too Yahal save my soul” He let out, not loking towards Ren as he climbed back down to the cargo hold. Trying his best to catch up to Kynier but the man was simply too many steps ahead and he was left to to watch the scene before him. Kelski in some kind of trance, Kynier trying to pry her away from it only to be rebuffed by something… then more magic as Kynier brought out a scroll and tried to do something which Kreig had no idea of to put in proper words only for the slab…whatever it was do something that sent out some shockwave that sent even Kreig tumbling back despite him not being as close, his form sent backwards and his form crashing hard onto his back, armor and all.


He groaned lightly, gasping for breath as he pulled himself upwards and forced himself to stand. Everything felt too fast for him to comprehend, getting onto his knees he looked to Kelski, still in the slab’s grasp he assumed. Would Yahal’s gift be of use here? Could his mark somehow knock her out of this trance or whatever this is?

Only one way to know as he stood on his two legs and wandered in closer. Once he was of ten feet within range of her than it would perhaps take affect. Was Kelski coerced into touching it? Did she touch it and enter this of her will? He didn’t really know and all of this was simply a gamble… if nothing then he could at least watch over Kelski.


Out of the corner though was Kyn, his form in a limpless heap. Gods he knew little of the man but he hated to think him dead “Ren, get down here an’ take watch over Kyn! Check his breathin’ or somethin’!” He bellowed out as he crept close to Kel to be practically within punching distance of her, waiting for his mark to take effect if at all against… whatever is going on.


x

[Kelski]

.

Kelski was swept up in the vision almost immediately. She’d never experienced such a thing and it took her fast and hard, inserting her deeply into the slab’s world. Those that came at night were wicked, or so the slab thought. She knew immediately that it had a purpose and an enemy but it had lost the will to fight. She stretched hard in the vision, trying to see the enemy, trying to understand the mission. “What is it? What is your enemy? What is your mission?” She asked it, with her hands locked on its stone surface, stroking it, comforting it, wanting it to understand it better.

Events swept her away and she felt surrounded by its lovely djed. The name Ivander stuck to her mind. The words tests and efforts and prototypes filled her mind. She felt the pain of the man ordering herself as the slab tossed away, into the sea, apart from the others. The name Rupert stuck in her mind as well. He’d spread …. Slabs… throughout the city? Just as she felt on the verge of understanding, the memories faded away.

She knew, in that instant, what it was like submerged and alone in cold waters for ages. She thought she sensed the Valterrian upon it and the slab absorbing energy, changing, growing…. Still waiting. Gods she hated waiting. Then there was Leth’s light and hands. There were Daggerhands that freed her from the sea.

Kelski knew the slab was afraid of the Masked Person and was caused pain at the hands of the madman. And she knew it was alive… utterly living… and contained power that was meant to be used as a weapon. Kelski gasped, redoubled her efforts at pouring love and comfort into the slab, and tried her hardest to pull one more secret from it. How? How could it be used as weapon? If she could find that answer, perhaps they together… all of them here could change that. If it couldn’t be used as a weapon, it could be perhaps released from the pain and fear and aloneness. Maybe it could be given new purpose. That’s what jewelers did. They repurposed stone in an almost supernatural manner to be something better, something beautiful, and something people admired and coveted for its looks not its power.

The Nightstalker was a twice marked Favored of Akajia. Akajia’s army of Nightstalkers had one purpose and that was to gather secrets for the Night Mother who was looking for an answer greater than any of them could understand. So as she talked to the Slab, she told it of Akajia in her mind then physically, opening her mouth and speaking, her arms stretched across it as if she could hug it. “The Night Mother needs to know about this… about all of this. She can help you because she knows many things and if she doesn’t know this, then informing her is one giant step in the right direction. Akajia hear me. This living thing is in pain, in need, and has gathered djed over the ages, power upon power from tests and experiment’s pre-Valterrian to absorbing the essence of the Valterrian itself. It holds secrets – a purpose, an intension, as a weapon – but its so very much more than what it was before. Help us! Help it. It knows so much more than it can remember. I can feel it. Nothing should be without hope, without purpose, without love.” She whispered fiercely, her hands forming claws as if she could dig her hard nails into the stone and somehow release its pain.

Then Kynier was there, just as Kelski was finishing her prayer and stroking its stony flesh to comfort it. He reached out to touch her and she felt the stone defend her because it didn’t understand his intentions weren’t noble. She felt the raw power surround her for a moment and tried to intervene before something bad happened. “Kynier… no!” She said, turning, but it was too late.. he was already recoiling and unfolding a scroll he had in his hands. He said a word and Kelski felt the stone brace for an attack. It expected pain, abuse, torture…. It hadn’t expected a simple shield. It was already striking back before it realized a shield was all that had been cast and had thrown pure djed at Kynier, taking him down. Kelski, half turned where she crouched, saw Kynier strike the hull, first his back then his head, before he crumpled.

She started to shake, not sure what was going on, and said… “I don’t know why he did that. I don’t know why he attacked.” Kelski didn’t know his spell was a shield. In her world shields were cast slowly and deliberately and not unfurled from a scroll with the shout of a word. She wanted to peel herself away immediately from the stone, but it was so lonely… so needy of attention…. and Kynier had tried to hurt it.

Kelski saw too that Kreig had joined them, just in time to be hit with the force the stone flung off itself, trying to defend the pair as they spoke together. “Krieg, no! It’s okay… check Kynier… please… he attacked it… I don’t know why. It was just speaking to me… showing me things… I’m alright…” She said, turning to the stone again, pouring her knowledge of her friend into her thoughts. Her love for Kynier and her friendship with Kreig, how much they meant to her… how good of people they were….

She also saw Kreig as he approached, glancing at something on his body and wondering what that meant. The Kelvic didn't linger though, she rose, broke contact with the slab and went for Kynier's crumpled form... went to make sure he wasn't dead and that his back wasn't broken. Both looked possible... filling her with fear.

[Regime]

Profit made the world go round.

What Deviant couldn’t find a way to make coin in Sunberth?

All things had some type of value, even strange oddities such as the Slab. For Kreig, he would come to understand as he focused on his connection to Yahal to impart some divine will onto the Slab, he’d know that he could make him a pretty penny if sold to the right people. The Brawler would have a feeling that any alchemist worth their lab would give an arm and both legs to have it in their possession.

Likewise, any crafter of unique arcane ability. Maybe, cut off a piece of it?

Or… perhaps if Kreig were of a brave bent. Use Kelski as a tool to remove the slab from the ship, and ransom it to a very ‘specific’ Daggerhand. Its relative importance to the average citizen of the city would make the Slab worthless to them out of fear. An item both worthless, yet priceless. How would the Yshulis react? It might fetch quite a shiny penny.


Kynier could not possibly fathom the danger his petty shield almost forced upon his loved ones. A singular line, like the etchings of a mage crafting a glyph started to form a single perfect circle on the surface of the stone. The slab vibrated in some in some singularly accursed way inorganic way, that to an alien onlooker, could appear like pain. The very ship they stood on shook as well. Every deck shaking in at some dangerous frequency. It was hurting itself to defend itself. Then all at once, Kelski’s please ceased its shaking.

The negative space of the etching rising from its body to reclaim the space to return its surface perfectly flat before several words in Common formed on its body. “NO! Why did she leave?”

The slab in all its waiting had finally felt kindness, and the loss of it hurt like a festering wound once it was removed. The Slab began to protrude three shapeless elongated pseudopods of stone from each of its sides. They gave the Slab the semblance of some abstract arachnoid statue. The Slab did not move from its spot, mainly because the very idea of movement was still a foreign concept to it. It lowered its slab-body back to the ground, contemplating its own existence.

The Slab caused more words to appear below those previous words “They always leave.” Then all at once, it retracted its legs back into itself to return back into an inert Slab stuck to the ground. If they would not stay to end its loneliness with kindness, at least it knew it the Masked Person would be there shortly to show it horrific attention.

The Shadows would gather around the Nightstalkers, whispering them sweet nothings filled with a curious warning. The rattling of the ship was enough of get the attention of those Daggerhand in the area who kept an eye on the ship. It was only a matter of time until it spread to its leaders. "You should get ready. You can learn all about the Slab if you wait a several chimes... Boss Daggerhand might know how to answer the questions you have. That, or you might all want to run."

[Rene Rafar]

"Shyke!" Ren snarled when she heard Kreig yell for her to help Kynier. "On may way!" She called back as she struggled to gather up everyone's supplies that they had left at her feet and made her way back down below deck as fast as she could manage.

"What happened? What was that shaking?" She asked dropping the packs close to Kynier before rushing over to check on his breathing. Letting out a sigh in relief she carefully ran her hands over him checking for any noticeable wounds not knowing if Kelski had did the same. "He's breathing and I can't find any sign of broken bones but then I not a like Ebon." She gave both them a worried look. "You want me to go get Ebon?" She asked not sure what she should do.

"Petch it! I'll be back with Ebon soon as I can." Making up her mind she started to stripe out of her clothes so she could shift into her cat skin before racing back up the hull steps and off the ship towards home.

****

Short time later Ren raced into the Gem shifting forms before calling out for the night lion. "Ebon come quick Kynier is hurt and needs help!"

"Where little one? Take me to him." Ebon replied as he walked up the stairs after closing the shop for lunch.

"This way he's on the ship." Shifting back to her cat skin she lead the way keeping her pace to Ebon's human form.

***

Taking a little longer then before Ren made her mad dash to get help the two of them made their way to the ship and back down into the hull where the others were waiting.

Winded Ren shifted back to her human skin and started to redress in case she needed to help fight.

Ebon went strait to Kynier and started to heal what he could.

[Kynier]

He was lying face down on the wooden floor. If left to his stillness the slow inflation of lungs would be apparent after a moment of study. When the two Kelvics ran their hands over his spine they wouldn’t feel any unnatural bumps or protrusions. And the feeling of their touch would stir no response from the unconscious mage either. Kynier still breathed and still had a healthy pigment to his skin, but apart from those two facts he appeared dead to the world. No touch either gentle or rough would evoke any sort of reaction.

The name Kynier held no meaning to Ebon. It was the name of a stranger with no face associated with it. But the night lion still came for two reasons. The first was that he was blessed by Rak’keli and had a spiritual oath to help anyone in need. The second, was that Ren had come with such desperation. Ebon was not going to turn away someone in need of help, especially if they were a friend of those that had taken him in.

Once Ebon finally descended to the bowels of the ship his compulsion would flair and lead him to the person on the floor by Kelski. The night lion knelt by the man’s side and immediately set his hands upon him. “How was he hurt?” he would asked Kelski after firmly shooing her hands away from the mage’s body, so that he could examine him unobstructed. Ebon’s hands began to glow with the power of his gnosis as they ran up and down the length of Kynier’s spine. “His back is fine though it was severely bruised. He’ll be stiff for a while.”

When Ebon’s hand ran up to the back of Kynier’s head they paused. The glow of his gnosis ceased and Ebon’s movements hastened a bit. The night lion tucked Kynier’s arms to his side before looking up at Kelski. “We need to roll him onto his back. But his spine needs to stay in alignment as we do so.” Ebon turned to Ren. “Ren, help me roll this man carefully onto his back. Kelski,” he said looking back to the sea eagle. “Hold his head so that it’s straight while he roll him over, then keep it from rolling to either side as I examine him.” With the three of the kelvics working together it wasn’t a difficult task. Once Kynier had been rolled onto his back Ebon check his pulse. It was strong and regular.

Next the night lion peeled back an eyelid of the unconscious man with a thumb and watched how the eye reacted. The iris was slow to react. “This man has a concussion. Thank Rak’keli that he doesn’t have any blood pooling in his skull or he’d be dead before he wakes up. This man will have a very bad headache for some time. But he’ll live. He’s going to need to avoid any more head injuries for a while.” Ebon removed his hand and the eye closed on its own again. Apart from rest, there wasn’t anything they could offer this man here.

The mage’s lips parted as soft moans that were barely audible were made. Muscles on his face twitched slightly as he seemed to try and say words from the depths of a tremendous slumber. The rest of his body remained still as his lips made the smallest of movements. Only if an ear was pressed close and someone listened hard would they hear a faint whisper. “Let… her… go.”

Boxcode credit goes to Nellie!

[Kreig Messer]

Kreig did not like those suggestions, mind he wasn’t quite averse to making coin but he had his moral standards. For one he hardly knew of any such sorts in Sunberth and thus would have been forced to rely upon merchants of sorts to take it to find buyers outside the city and that would take time providing his partners don’t rip his off. He also didn’t find it wise to give the Daggerhands reason to suspect him or his friends even if perchance they didn’t find out of their involvement…. The ransom itself would have certainly marked him.

And he alspo felt it too dangerous to give to anyone untrustworthy, he’d rather ship it to knights and let them deal it to be honest and he did not know of any representatives here that could somehow expedite such matters.


Ultimately he didn’t want his friend to endanger her life simply because he himself desired coin, yes it would likely have been an obscene amount… but far less the worth in comparison to the morals he held and people he held dear.

And as the sight of a big ol’ hunk of stone suddenly growing feet, words on its face appearing then suddenly going back to an inert state told him anything… it was that it was probably a bad idea to do anything further.

And Kynier’s state of being was a far more pressing manner than the slab. Kreig breathed deeply as he joined Kelski and Ren on checking upon Kynier, the latter Kelvic in her feline state then departing to quickly fetch Ebon though Krieg had harbored a wonder if it was perhaps better to bring him to the Gem itself. It didn’t matter hopefully and he simply stayed silent, eyes darting to Kelski then to Kynier.

He wanted to ask questions, but there was time for that later as he watched the slump form of Kynier. His gaze turned to Kelski wondering if she was ok himself while confusion raged inside him mixed with cautious fear as his gaze also returned to the slab.

Soon, though it felt like eternity and he was unsure just how long Ren it had been since Ren left, the aforementioned Kelvic returned with Ebon in tow.

“Is it safe to move him?” Kreig asked, his eyes falling upon the trio each “This might be jus’ me feelin’ a tad bit fearful, but I ain’t sure its safe to linger any longer”
x

[Kelski]

.

Kelski was still shaking, torn between the stone and Kynier’s crumpled form. She tried to check him to make sure he was fine, but Ren was there and checking him over and then Kreig was too. Kynier seemed fine – breathing – though Kelski wasn’t healer enough to tell if he was truly hurt. She was angry with him too, she realized suddenly, for attacking when he shouldn’t have. The slab was doing nothing wrong…. nothing!

Kelski backed away as Ren went for Ebon and moved closer to the slab. She touched it again, soothingly, and very firmly planted the location of The Midnight Gem into her mind, broadcasting where she lived and that it would be welcome to hide there if it ever needed a place to do so. She wasn’t sure why Kynier had tried to attack the slab or what he’d actually done, but there was nothing else she could do as the healer went over the crumpled mage’s form and Ren and Kreig fussed. She didn’t look at any of the rest of them.

And she couldn’t understand why they were all acting crazy.

In a sort of time-warped fashion, Ebon arrived, checked over Kynier, and declared him okay. She held his head while Ebon rolled him, moving away from the slab again, both missing the words and the feet in her attention to the errant mage. Kelski was seething, almost shaking with the anger she felt. Yet she held Kynier’s head gently and gritted her teeth as Ebon worked. She heard the words concussion but didn’t know what one was. She did understand headache and nodded, thanking Ebon for his work.

Kelski rose and backed away as Ebon picked up Kynier in his arms and gently slung the mage over his shoulders. “Lets get him home.” The Night Lion said, looking around at the people gathered in the ship as if they were crazy to have gone here to begin with. He especially gave the slab a wide berth and headed up the stairs with Kynier in tow.

“It’s definitely safe to move him, Kreig. What we need to do is make sure he doesn’t sleep tonight but stays up until his head is a bit better.” He added, beckoning the fighter and the feline to proceed him up the stairs. Then him and Kelski followed, Kynier packed like goods from the market.

Kelski followed, too tempted to linger with the stone, but heeding the shadows advice about departing. She gave the slab one last glance and made sure Ren and Krieg were following before she headed back to the deck, collected her things and Kynier’s pack and items before she followed Ebon who bore the man with relative ease up the dock and back out to the coast line so they could take the beach path way back towards The Gem.

All she could think about is how dangerous magic was, according to Kynier, yet he seemed to be the only one that was constantly hurting himself and going beyond sanity in the name of crazy. She didn't know how to feel, and she wanted to spend more time with the slab - uninterrupted time - but she had promised and regretted that deeply because Kynier was always there to place himself between her and anything remotely magical. Kelski was starting to think it was some sort of endeavor to leave her in the dark forever.

And it made her hate humans all the more because of it... they abused, interfered, antagonized and bullied. It was something they were very good at doing and doing so repeatedly. Thankfully the packs weren't heavy, nor was the violin though she found them bulky as she walked or else she probably would have left Kynier's share there... for the Daggerhands to find. Kelski kicked a stone on the beach in anger, watched the unconscious periodically moaning muttering mage resentfully, and truthfully just wanted to grow wings and fly away from it all.

Linking to the stone had done something to her.... made her feel what the stone had felt. And for that she was even more cautious of interacting with humans for what they were capable of. And more and more Kynier was proving her fears right with his ever tightening leashes and his forced oaths and promises.

Then and there she vowed to make Kynier no more such things be they promises or oaths. Nor would she let him restrict her learning or asking for knowledge from whomever she'd managed to get it from. She was not a child nor was she someone that needed protecting. It wasn't her fault she'd yet to prove that to him. It was his fault. It was his abuse. His stubborn choke hold on her life was going to be coming to an abrupt end soon. She'd honor everything she'd promised him thus far, but when push came to shove he needed to start giving back.

Because honestly? His words were empty without actions in the way she wanted to see action, not in the way he demanded inaction. And so it was she headed towards the place they met on the beach with their little party, not sure what the future would bring and absolutely unwilling at this point to answer anyone's questions unless they seriously convinced her they meant something other than ill will.

[Kynier]

Grades!

 

Kelski

Skill Rewards

• Endurance +1
• Intelligence +2
• Investigation +2
• Leadership +3
• Logic +2
• Persuasion +2
• Rhetoric +2
• Running +1
• Stealth +1

Lores Learned

• Backpack of Voiding: Feels weightless no matter how much you stuff inside
• Kadric: Shadow at The Saique
• Location: The Saique
• Lore: A Pre-Valterrain memory of the Mysterious Slab’s
• The Saique: Piloted by the Daggerhands and Stiletto
• Mysterious Slab: Has reacted to four people. Kynier, Aer’wyn, Doctor Petricius, and Stiletto
• Mysterious Slab: Is one of three that have been to Sunberth
• Mysterious Slab: Anchored in place by a strange magic
• Mysterious Slab: A magical artifact
• Mysterious Slab: Was thrown into the sea
• Mysterious Slab: A living container of magic meant to be used as a weapon
• Self: Will make no more promises or oaths to Kynier
• Self: Won’t let Kynier restrict her learning
• Stiletto: Daggerhand Boss

 

Ren

If you decide to come back to Miz, PM me for your grade.

 

Kynier

Skill Rewards

• Auristics +1
• Glyphing +2
• Intelligence +1
• Leadership +2
• Logic +2
• Planning +1
• Scouting +2
• Shielding +2
• Socialization +2
• Stealth +2

Lores Learned

• Backpack of Voiding: Feels weightless no matter how much you stuff inside
• Grisham Griswald: A crazed mage with a dead wife
• Kadric: Shadow at The Saique
• The Saique: Piloted by the Daggerhands and Stiletto
• Mysterious Slab: Has reacted to four people. Kynier, Aer’wyn, Doctor Petricius, and Stiletto
• Mysterious Slab: Is one of three that have been to Sunberth
• Mysterious Slab: Anchored in place by a strange weave magic
• Stiletto: A man according to the shadows on the Saique

 

Kreig

Skill Rewards

• Leadership +1
• Logic +3
• Planning +1
• Socialization +3

Lores Learned

• Backpack of Voiding: Feels weightless no matter how much you stuff inside
• Location: The Saique
• Logic: Exploring dangerous places isn’t wise
• The Saique: Piloted by the Daggerhands and Stiletto
• Mysterious Slab: Has reacted to four people. Kynier, Aer’wyn, Doctor Petricius, and Stiletto
• Mysterious Slab: Is one of three that have been to Sunberth
• Mysterious Slab: A magical artifact
• Self: Has moral standards
• Stiletto: Daggerhand Boss

If you have any questions or concerns about your grade please feel free to PM me.