Location [Syliras Entrance] The Main Gates

[Diane]

First day of Autum.

At some point, Diane got down from her horse, holding him by it's harness, slowly put down her hood and with her blueish eyes took a glace around her.The place, had many people and judging by their looks so far,they seemed all like her.They were new around here, maybe resting or trying to buy food from here, in fact it was the best place which she knew of so far for having such great food.The place seemed civilized.

However, with a delightful smile Diane walked more into the city, as her color eyes turned into a deep blue,trying to find a store with some food and a fountain or something.She needed some water and also Syn.It was necessary more than anything.Diane stepped forward, passing by people around there and tried to find what she was seeking for.It would have been easier if the stores area, was held all together and not spread everywhere in the damn city.But, of course things aren't easy to find, so..you gotta pull it together and don't complain.

"excuse me Sir..where I can find some fresh water for my horse?" asked a near person,hoping it will give her an answer.
"No I don't Miss, I am kind of new here.Sorry." replied the man walking away, leaving Diane in confusion mode.

"Syn, this is why I don't like new towns..I need a damn map! I don't know from where to start.." complained a bit, pouting like a child and sitting in the middle of the people, which passed by her with no interest.

[Ryjaoka Windia]

Walking calmly up the dirt path I keep my head held high, each stride more powering than the rest. Keeping Parkas's lead tight in my gloved hand I ignore the normal stares of the people. The gates to Syliras seemed grander than what I was use to in Endrykas. The chill that ran up my spine almost seemed to unnerve me, my outfit not fit for autumn time weather.

Coming to a halt I pat absently at Parkas, my serpent green eyes scrutinizing the gate before me. Checking ever nook and crack that the white stone had, picking out key weaknesses that could be useful in an attack. Not that I was planning one, I just liked to keep my combat knowledge fresh in my head. Moving to the side of my mount I brush aside his wintry mane opening up the chest saddlebag.

Allowing my cool fingers to dip inside the leather I reach for my cloak. I wasn't an idiot when it came to wrapping up in cold weather, any true warrior knew that your body should be taken care. Letting the ruby cloth wrap around my skin I take another look at the entrance. Reaching out to brush at the white coarse hair of Parkas my mind travels a little. Thoughts of my last night in Endrykas sneaking up on me again, the way they'd yelled at me. Accused me of my mother's own death, every time I thought of her pained face it nearly brought tears to my eyes. How could they think that? Why would they think that?

Shaking off the thought I clear my throat, letting my head rest against his solid body for a moment longer. "what do you say we go find something to drink?" Grabbing his lead again I approach the gate calmly locking eyes with the guard standing near the gate. His face was enough to show me what he was thinking. The same thing everyone thought, was I of mixed blood. Fighting the need to express that I was merely born with a mutation and nothing more I nod pleasantly at the man before entering the large city. Hoping that maybe this time I wouldn't be outcasted for being a little different.

[Diane]

"OK, now this is becoming embarrassing and lame.Syn, I will just got and find a place to get us some water and food.After that we are outta of here.." replied to her horse with a sigh, starting to walk from there into the city more.

She took a look around, as tried to find a place to eat and to drink some fresh water, even if it will take her half of the day to find them in the new town.It was very restricted and a peaceful place, at some point Diane got the idea that every move it was watched by the people inside there.

Holding the harness from Syn,as the horse was walking at her left side, Diane's eyes were looking all over the places to seek for what she needed.At some point, she saw a near tree where she tied Syn by it, while at some distance not to far, saw a Inn called "The White Swan Inn".Diane tried to decide is she should or not go there, considering that she didn't had to much money on her; judging by the name, it seemed expensive.

[Fortenbras]

First Day of Autumn,
Just before Dawn


The Isurian stumbled forward in exhaustian, determined that he would at least make it through the gates before he completely collapsed. It had been a long and hard journey from his mountainous home. He still mourned the death of his father, and couldn't help but wonder what befell his mother.

What if she hadn't gone missing, and just simply took too long to get home? What her reaction be at the sight of her dead husband, and the disappearance of her only child?

No sense worrying about it now. He concentrating on putting one foot after the other, hoping to Izurdin that he would not show any weakness at the sight of something so new and foreign to him. He had finished the last of his rations 2 days ago. His trousers and cloak were tattered and dirty, bare-chest encrusted in dirt, hair unkempt, he looked no better than a common beggar. What gave him away was the shield strapped to his back, Forte's hammer hidden beneath it. He also had another hammer, one not as valuable as the other, yet much larger more formidable. This hammer he kept at the fore of his shield, as if to douse all suspicion that he had another hidden from plain sight. Strapped to his trousers was a gold purse, which held 600 gm. Knowing this was all the gold he had, he pre-emptively decided that it was best to spend it wisely.

He let out a grunt, his head moving up, at the sight of two pikes that blocked his pathway into the gates.

"Your name, Izurian."

"Fortenbras."

"What is the reason for your visit?"

"Food, provisions, hopefully work."

"How do we know you won't be using that hammer to cause trouble?"

"As you already know, I'm Izurian, the only thing I use that hammer for is to shape metal into things such as your pike and armor."

The two guards look at one another, the one to the right nodding to the one on the left.

"Enjoy your stay."

The guards moved their pikes from his path, and he moved forward, grunting once again, his dissatisfaction of not post-poned at his arrival into the city.

As he stepped through the gates, his first thought was that of food and ale. Once that was dealt with, he'd be more than happy to figure out why he came here.

[Diane]

Taking another quick look around her, Diane spotted a small store-like which had some big barells, which had water in them.She passed by the people getting closer to the place and held her water-skin opening it on the way there and saw it was not a single person in the area.She fast put in one of the barells, the water-skin filling it with fresh water scanning the view.

"Come on already..!!" almost done and also took a small barell near the big one and made a run for it towards Syn.From behind her a man, with authoritary voice begun to yell after her.
"You have to pay for that! Stop there..you thief!!" the man shouted as the other people were looking around and Diane put on her hood down to her face.Once she reached where Syn was, fast she tied the small barell by it's left side and jumped on top of him.

"let's go,now!!.." patted Syn, Diane went from there knowing that soon the guards will come after them, of course she won't have any other choice but to go on the front Gate.Syn was running fast between the people, at some point he jumped over a small fence and nearly took down a small carriage.
They were near the Gate now and the guards were on their positions, ready to stop them but it wasn't not a single chance.They passed over to the guards, rather careful but at full speed heading to the field before their eyes and continued to run and run, as much as Syn could carry on.

[Howl A Stute]

"You cowards! Ganging up on me like this, you never could fight like real men anyway!" "Shut up!" The two voices rang out in a dark alley near the Main Gates, Howl had been confronted by old "acquaintances", and now they sought revenge for the past. There was 6 of them, all of which had large daggers, close to the length of a short sword, their faces shrouded in the darkness of hods, with an evil pair of gleaming eyes piercing that darkness. Cornered and outnumbered, Howl draws his sword. There was no worry in his eyes, he had stared death in the eye many times before, yet he wondered if this was the last time he would. "Would you really dare to kill me? If you do, the knights will-" "I shall take that risk! It'll be worth it in the end, for what you have done." "I have done nothing, if you'd just see reason, but your thoughts are clouded by lies! I beg of you-" "NO! Enough of your treachery! Die, scum!"

The man charged at him widely, and Howl had only a second to reach. He quickly raised his sword in defense, parried the attack, then kicked him back. "Do not make me kill you!" The man grunted, and replied, "You did that long ago!" One of the other men ran towards Howl, swinging downward at him. Howl dodged the strike, then retaliated with his own, causing a gash to appear across the mans chest. When the man fell, he appeared dead, with his heart cut in half. The gang members gasped, looking to Howl in both shock and anger. "THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH!" Multiple guards stood at the end of the alley. "All of you except the man at the end, clear out!" Most of them were already in the streets seconds after the arrival of the guards, their leader got up and began to back away from Howl. "I'll get you for this, you'll see!" With that, he turned around and ran.

The guard glanced at the dead man, then looked up to Howl. "Mind telling me what just happened, sir?" "I was corned by these 'thugs', they tried to kill me, but I defended myself, as you can see." The guard nodded. "Well, try to stay off the streets, find an inn to stay at." "Will do, sir. I had just arrived here when they ambushed me, care to point me out to the nearest inn?" The guard walked towards him, shaking his head. "Right now, I've got to clean up this mess. I'll get one of my men to escort you to one." He signaled one of his men, "Find this man a place to stay, and make sure those men don't regroup and track him down. I'd like to keep the casualties as low as they are right now." "Yes sir." He turned to Howl. "Come with me, I know the perfect place."

[Dusk]

Moderator's Note to Howl: Please read the Rules for Posting in Syliras, especially the part about playing large bands of NPCs to fight. You can't just have a half dozen people chase you through the city, get into a screaming match with them, and then start fighting without anyone noticing. Not only that, if you killed a man in the streets you'd be thrown in jail until your trial was held. It helps if you have your character and the consequences that apply to him be as logical as they would be in the real world - I certainly wouldn't be able to kill someone in front of a bunch of people without being arrested for manslaughter, even if I wasn't convicted.

[Airil]

Flashback: "Name a place. Wherever you desire to go, I will take you there. In fact, Mura is not terribly far. Would you like to go home?" He watched her patiently. "Mura is not my home." She had no home. Where could she possibly want to go? Her mother's words, so long forgotten, now came unbidden to her mind. The safest place for a Konti, short of Mura itself, is, "Syliras." It was only when she was being loaded up onto the horse that she realized she had spoken the word aloud. 18th Day, Fall of 510 A.V. Airil stood less than fifty paces from the gates of Syliras, indecisiveness rooting her to the ground. The people who passed on their way into the city, gave her a wide berth. For them, she was a cloaked figure of unknown threat; and, though they were well within range of the guards, caution was still a prudent choice. It was her escort who had insisted she remain as anonymous as possible for their journey. A man and a cloaked figure were far less vulnerable looking than a man and a young Konti. Even now it was proving to be effective. The guards had been keeping half an eye on her but seemed patient enough to wait for her to provide some indication of being a threat. She stared up at the gates and wondered, not for the first time, whether this had been a good decision or a dreadful one. She watched as merchants and other travelers approached the guards, spoke their part, and were admitted easily and freely to the towering city. Every now and then a request was made to inspect someone a little more thoroughly. What reasons might they find to refuse admittance to someone? She rubbed her right hand over the back of her left. She hadn't counted the days of her journey; in the beginning, she hadn't done much of anything. But, as distance and time had passed, taking her further from Ravok and the tragedy that had so upset her life, she began to awaken to the problems that lay in her future. She had come here because of her mother's words. She had been a wonderful storyteller and Airil's favorite story had been of the Konti woman, Nila, who helped in the founding of the Syliran Knights. What wasn't there to love about a group that went around restoring peace and order to the lands and fought against the evil Black Sun? But Airil had been so young and when she had shared her mother's stories with her late master, he had told her the truth. The order brought by the knights was their order and peace would be kept by a blade to the throats of those who submitted. In chaos, there was freedom for people to live how they chose and those people could protect themselves because they wouldn't forced to rely on the benevolence of others. It was true, he told her, that the knights abhorred slavery, but they also abhorred the slaves. In the eyes of the knights, those pushed into slavery had brought their fate upon themselves and deserved little else. It wasn't her mother's fault for lying. The woman had been naive. Her world had been painted prettily by the gift she had received from Avalis. Despite what Airil knew about the knights, she had still continued to the city. She didn't know what else to do. It was her first time alone in the world. She was just relieved that she had managed to convince her escort to leave her once in sight of the guards. She had claimed that she wanted to enter the city by herself; her first act of freedom. He had smiled and nodded sympathetically, leaving her with a sentimental “Good luck” and a bag of money to start her new life. She shook her head as if it would shake the thoughts and memories from her mind. She'd been standing there far too long. She took a deep breath and followed her feet as they carried her forward. Her only protection in the world was gone, and without it her fate had become an unknown. But if the world was cruel to the weak, then whatever it dealt her was no more than she deserved for that weakness. She came to a stop in front of the guards and lowered her hood. Mild surprise and amusement flashed over their faces: they had not been expecting her. “Welcome to Syliras,” said one of them. His smile seemed genuinely warm. “May I have your name and the purpose of your visit?” “Airil and I'm,” she faltered. Her heart fluttered with nervousness. Purpose? What would be a good enough purpose? And what if she gave the wrong answer? She continued, her voice becoming softer, “I don't really know. I..I just wanted a place to stay for a little while.” Mentally, she kicked herself. Why did she say that? She sounded so pathetic. “Well, that's all right. You're first time to Syliras, eh?” She blinked at his response. That was all right? “No... it's just been a long time.” He nodded at her and proceeded to give her directions to the welcome center and Traveler's Row. “Just in case, and if you get lost, don't hesitate to ask a guard for directions.” He stepped aside and gestured her through the gates. Her shock at the easiness of the encounter kept her still for a few moments but she soon recovered and stumbled forward into the city. One guard leaned towards the other after she was gone. “Poor girl, I think she's a little overwhelmed.” OOC NoteI know that the description of the knights in the above story is false, but I am telling things from Airil's perspective. As far as she believes, her master was telling the truth. We know better. He was, after all, living in a city that is run by a corrupt organization and led by the god of chaos and deceit.

[Shanti]

20th day of Fall, 510 AV

Shanti trudged up the road to the gates of what would hopefully be her new home. Her entire body ached from walking, she had lost count of the days, and her full bag felt heavy on her shoulder. It was strange how much more you noticed things when you were fatigued.

The wheels of the wagon squeaked as the group of travelers left behind her, headed to a destination further than her own. Her blonde hair was concealed by her black cloak, and her golden cat-like eyes glanced nervously at the two knights who stood guard at the entrance to Syliras. One stood on either side of the gates, both looking handsome and smart in their armor, and rather intimidating as well.

With heavy, tired feet Shanti continued her trek up the road. Each step was uncomfortable since her well worn sandals were now paper thin and she could feel every pebble and stone that she stepped on. Finally she made it up to the gate. She wanted to pass out now, but knew that would be a stupid thing to do. The knight nearest to her, the one on the left, spoke.

"What is your name, and what brings you here?" He didn't seem like the mean, uncaring knight that Shanti had imagined on her way here. She was pleasantly surprised at the man's gentle tone.

"Shanti, and my purpose..." She paused, considering what to say. "My purpose being here is to find a new home, hopefully something permanent." Her long, tanned fingers pulled back the dark hood and revealed her face. The knights' eyes widened as they took in her silted pupils.

"A Kelvic, huh? You're few and far between, young lady." The man teased her, not meaning any hurt with his words.

"I would suppose so." Shanti nodded, absentmindedly fiddling with her fingers. She was anxious to get through the gates and away from these men. It wasn't that they were terribly rude, or mean; it's just that she felt uncomfortable around most men.

"Welcome to Syliras, Shanti. If you need any directions, feel free to ask either a guard or another knight like myself." The knight on the right spoke this time, his voice was deep and warm, and Shanti so badly wanted to snuggle up to him and do whatever he asked.

Clenching her fists, Shanti smiled in thank you to the two men and headed through the open gates into the city.

[Azureus]

1st of Fall 510 AV. Evening Azureus trotted up to the gates of Syliras in his animal form, with his backpack fitting snuggly across his big chest. He slowly approached the gates, checking out the architecture of the formidable structure. The guards took notice quickly and became wary of his movements. He wasn't hard to spot, he stood out like a sore thumb. His bright yellow fur with black spots and three stripes made him appear distinguished. The closer he got to the gates, the more the guards became cautious and attentive to his actions. Azureus noticed that the knights acknowledged his presence and that they became fixated on him the closer he got to the entrance. Knowing that the knights were only protecting the city, he knew he wasn't going to gain access in his animal state. He took notice at the bowman above taking aim at him, waiting for orders to shoot if he decided to act hastily. Not wanting to cause any trouble before entering the city, he slowly backed away. In order to acquire passage through the watch of the knights, he needed to transform back to his human state. At first, he was going to transmute right in front of the gatehouse, he then realized that would be inappropriate. Everyone entering the city would see him standing there naked, all except for his backpack covering his butt. He turned towards the woods and looked for the thickest brush, where no one would be able to see from the road. Once he found a good spot, he then made his way behind the bush and started his transformation. Back in his human state, he realized that the vegetation he choose just barely covered him from the waist up. He forgot to take into account that he is taller in human form. Everyone that was passing by en route to the city saw a half naked man standing behind a bush. Quickly, he took off his backpack and ripped out his clothes. He got dressed and made his small journey back to Syliras. Upon approaching the gate, he noticed the knights looking at him in a peculiar manner. They took notice of the three black stripes and spots in his vibrant yellow hair. The guard standing by the ironoak door was staring very intently at Az's hair. Az questioned him as to why he couldn't takes his eyes off his hair, "What about my head is so significant that you must gaze at it?" The guard looked Az in the eyes and responded "A cheetah just approached the gate and fled off quickly, just moments before you arrived. The fur is the same color as your hair and carries the same distinct pattern. You wouldn't happen to be that cheetah now, would you?" "Yes, that would be me. I didn't intend to give everyone here such a scare. I saw that you were all on alert at my presence. I know it doesn't look too good to have a wild predator try to enter a city full of potential prey. If you would please let me in, I would like to get something to eat. I'm very hungry from the conversion process, it takes a lot out of me. I promise I will not eat any citizens. I have come here to meet my comrades at the Rearing Stallion." The guard examined Az, seeing that he wasn't ill and didn't pose any danger, so he let him progress into Syliras. He had a meeting with friends at the Rearing Stallion in two hours, since this was only his second time to Syliras he didn't know where the tavern was. He stood in the enormous doorway and looked around the city, deciding which way to head off. Not being able to decide which way to go, he just walked off into the city, letting his legs lead the way.