Destiny IC

[Ertier]

A craggy coastline draws a line of stark contrast and delineation from farmland to open ocean. Precariously perched on the edge of the bluff, small shacks dot the dirt road running through town. It is eerily silent this early in the morning, with very little activity. By midday, the town will be bustling with business, however, with fishermen and merchants selling their wares to the small population of townsfolk. This is Vale. Most of the young men and women of the town have been drafted for the war effort. You all managed to dodge the arrow, so to speak. However, circumstances have left you as the town’s only stable militia. Barely trained, pest killing seems more like actual combat than a dull chore. Nonetheless, the village Elder, Mayne, has called you to the town square for a request.

A slim man of about sixty-five greats your presence. His long grey hair is left to flow with the gentle breeze. You know him as Mayne, the Elder of Vale.

"Greetings children. I have a task for you. It seems some pests, Kobolds from the forest, have taken rest in the ruins outside town. As members of the militia it is your duty to rid us of these pests, lest they terrorize the nearby farmers. The ruins are to the northwest, down the main road. Please try to return by nightfall...

[WrathOfLife]

Jack Fletcher

The young hunter listens keenly, he knows some of those farmers and fears for their safety. However this will be the first time he's actually tried himself against creatures that can fight back. With a nervous glance at the others, he takes his bow off his back and tests it carefully.

"I shall go grab some more arrows from home, on the way out. Does anyone else need anything before we go?"

His short tone is nothing out of the normal for Jack, who's time as a hunt has made him some one what blunt in conversations.

[Demons_eye]

Soul stares at the elder blankly, thinking, was this man truly older then him? Maybe he himself was well over centuries old, for the reborn do not age. He finds himself daydreaming about his past and the ever elusive shadowman and chides himself for not respecting the old man. He listens to the rest of the conversation before nodding in recognition. He stand ready for the others as everything he owned he carried, and had no family to say goodbye to.

[RocketMan]

Finnigan Fairlea

Finnigan had never been so excited in his life. At least not that he could remember. First he got to be in the militia! The past six times he had asked to join they had turned him down. By the time that Mayne told the small halfling that he'd get to fight kobolds Finnigan was positively bouncing with joy. It was incomprehensible to Finnigan that Jack should be so dour – but then again, he had killed things before. Like deer, or maybe even a moose.

"I've got my arrows right here," Finnigan replies to Jack, gesturing to his quiver. "I always keep them with me, in case a dragon comes." The halfling smiles eagerly. He wants his companions to know he's prepared.

[Freshmeat]

Nalthen

After hearing Mayne out, Nalthen nods ever so slightly. From what he'd learned in his short stay at Vale, he would do well to heed the village Elder's words. Not that he was planning to do otherwise. In fact, he thought it interesting that someone new to the town such as himself, and who had had precious little training in regards to combat, would be chosen to aid the militia so soon after his arrival. Probably not a coincidence.

Perhaps Vale was much like those other small towns where trust is not easily given and must instead be earned. If that is truly what these people wanted, Nalthen would do his very best not to disappoint.

"I've got some armor at the workshop I've been working on as of late." he mutters. "It's bulky and restrictive for the uninitiated - but it may prove useful."
While he'd planned to present the armor to the blacksmith as a token of his increasing skill and craftmanship, matters such as these took precedence, and would go a long way to earning his place in Vale.

[Ertier]

Parting ways with the Elder, you walk north towards your goal. At the top of the hill outside of town, you stumble upon the ivy-covered ruins. A mess of marble pillars and overgrowth, you can only proceed in a fairly linear manner toward the center of the junk heap, like some sort of bizarre maze.

[WrathOfLife]

Jack Fletcher

Picking up an extra quiver of arrows (total 40), Jack joins the group for the trip out of town. Coming to the ruins, Jack draws his bow and notches an arrow but doesn't draw it back yet.

"We should advance with care..."

With that he moves forward in a low crouch.

[RocketMan]

Finnigan Fairlea

Finnigan follows Jack's lead, moving forwards in an unnecessary crouch. Even had he stood straight up the halfling still would have been shorter than the human. He knocks an arrow with an overly dramatic flourish.

"I wonder if there are any kobolds up ahead," Finnigan queries in a loud whisper. His heart is beating quickly in his small chest – what an exciting adventure this was already turning out to be!

[Freshmeat]

Nalthen

Nalthen grips his heavy shield tightly, placing his trust in his own handiwork. Even though he'd brought his breastplate along, now safely stored in his backpack, he was already regretful of the decision. With every step he took, a blunt piece of metal prodded him in his back. But if it became clear that large-scale combat was unavoidable, he'd still be more than happy to put some solid metal between him and any arrow or sword.

Holding a measly dagger in his right hand, he follows closely behind the hunter, Jack, while keeping his eyes and ears peeled and staying out of sight. At least Finnigan seemed to be enjoying himself.

[Ertier]

Entering the maze of marble, something catches your eye. Three kobolds are scavenging around a clearing in the rubble. You don't think they have spotted you yet.

[RocketMan]

Finnigan Fairlea

The marble and ivy ruins provided the perfect backdrop would provide a perfect backdrop for Finnigan's first heroic act. The halfling's heart was pounding and a nervous grin spread across his face.

"I think we should attack," Finnigan whispers, more quietly this time. "Do you guys want to get 'em?"

Finnigan's hands tighten on his bow and he pulls his arrow back, waiting for his friends.

[WrathOfLife]

Jack Fletcher

Tilting his head slightly, Jack looks over the situation.



[roll0]
looking for weapons, signs of others, that sort of thing.

[Ertier]

The kobolds do not appear to be armed.

[Freshmeat]

Nalthen

"Attacking them while they're still scattered and distracted sounds good to me. We shouldn't rush into this though - not until we're sure there aren't more of these cowardly creatures hidden nearby."

Wary of kobolds' general preference for ambushes and traps, Nalthen carefully inspects his surroundings while keeping his ears open for anything out of the ordinary.

[roll0]

[WrathOfLife]

Jack Fletcher

They don't seem to be armed, they don't look exactly hostile. I wonder why they are here....

In a soft whisper over his shoulder Jack talks to the others
"They do not seem to be armed. I do not wish to harm unarmed women and children. Even if they do look different from me. I do not think we should attack until we know for sure."

Jack keeps an eye on the kobolds and waits to see what the others wish to do.

[RocketMan]

Finnigan Fairlea

Finnigan looks a little crestfallen, but agrees with Jack.

"It wouldn't be very heroic to kill innocents, even kobold innocents. But how can we be sure they're not setting a trap for us," Finnigan continues. "Maybe these ones are bait, and when we attack they'll come riding in on their tame dragons!" The halfling realizes that, in his excitement, his whisper has risen a little too much, and quiets down.

[Freshmeat]

Nalthen

Nalthen motions for Finnigan to quiet down, even as the halfling already lowers his voice. Undoubtedly it would rise again in a few moments if a new fanciful idea struck him about this situation.

"This is odd, I'll give you that," Nalthen says in a hushed voice "but their lack of weaponry doesn't exactly fill me with confidence that we happened upon a kobold family picnic."

"Kobolds usually don't leave their pits and caves unless they've got a pretty good reason, so these are probably outcasts or something. If any of you speak Kobold, we could aks them some questions if we capture them right now. We'll need to find out how many of them there are and what they're doing here anyway. Wouldn't want to leave the job half-done if they are hostile after all and there's more of them out there."

[WrathOfLife]

Jack Fletcher

Jack nods at Nalthen's wisdom.

"If some of you want to keep an eye on this group, I'll scout across this way" Jack points towards the left, side of the ruins "And if there are any more. If some one wants to check around the other side, it would speed the process"

Jack suits his own words and moves back into the undergrowth before moving around the left flank of the ruins looking for other kobolds or traps.


[roll0]
Kobolds, traps etc
[roll1]
to avoid being seen

[Ertier]

You see five other kobolds hiding amongst the ruins, scavenging. None of them are armed. They don't seem to spot you...

[WrathOfLife]

OOC: Really? No one else wants to do anything?

Jack Fletcher

Returning quickly Jack quietly informs the others of the other 5 kobolds. "There are five more deeper into the ruins, that makes 7 in total. There all unarmed, but I don't think its our choice that matters. We're here to get rid of them, so that's what we must do. The only question left, is how do we handle seven without any getting away?"

[RocketMan]

Finnigan Fairlea

That was a real stumper. How could they stop the kobolds escaping? Luckily, Finnigan had the solution:

"We could get a dragon of our own, like the kobolds have – or no, actually we should get a pegasus, that would be easier to ride – and then one of us flies overhead and watches and if any run for it they jump down on them and grab 'em." It is somewhat surprising that the halfling can say so much in one breath despite his small lungs. Nevertheless, Finnigan persists.

"I think Jack should be the one to ride the pegasus, because he knows animals the best. Or actually, I'd kind of like the ride the pegasus, could I do it?" He pauses, considering. "Or maybe that wouldn't work, cause I don't know where we can get a pegasus. But maybe we could flank them?"

[WrathOfLife]

Jack Fletcher

OOC: See OOC thread, will be away from internet for two days.

[Freshmeat]

Nalthen

"Seven in total, you say?" Nalthen muses quietly before perching up. "Don't you mean eight? Three here, five over there? Anyway, I agree that surrounding them will probably work best here. Shock and awe might work to our favour. If we come at them all at the same time - quickly and decisively, they'll hopefully be too scared to do anything else but stand there. Chances are good that if they scatter, we won't be able to get all of them."

Frowning a little, he adds sheepishly "Of course, if we can't communicate with them in the first place, we might as well shoot to kill from the start. Even if one of them escapes then, the rest of the clan - if there are indeed more out there - will probably get the hint and go away."

[Demons_eye]

Soul who had been silent for most of the trip and in what can only be described as a daze speaks up for the first time "I can speak the dragons tongue"

He walks over to a clear area away from the others encase of attack, dusting off his jacket seemingly regaining some of his formal self.

"Be you friend or foe sons of dragons?" Soul ask in darconic bowing the them in a respectful manor. He stands up from his bow and wobbles a bit as his dull nature seemed to come back.

[RocketMan]

Finnigan Fairlea

Finnigan's mouth hangs open as Soul approaches the kobolds. The reborn says something in a raspy voice, and bows. The halfling watches closely, eyes wide, yet tries to stay concealed.

"How can Soul talk to them?" Finnigan asks. "Maybe he was raised by kobolds. Maybe he is a kobold. That would be pretty exciting!"

Stealth check to stay hidden [roll0]
Finnigan readies an action to shoot an arrow at the nearest kobold if they attack Soul.

[RocketMan]

Trying that stealth roll again
[roll0]

[Ertier]

Eeep! The skin bags speak! The kobolds notice your presence and flee deeper into the ruins.

[Demons_eye]

"Young ones, please do not flee, I mean you no harm. I only wish to swap stories." Soul says. Should the others come out he translates for them.

[WrathOfLife]

Jack Fletcher

Staring at Soul as he suddenly decides to act, and remove any chance of an easy battle through ambush. Jack can be heard sighing rather loudly.


Jack whispers sharply to the others "I'll run around the far side, if you hear me whistle, their trying to make a run for it. If not, it means they've gone deeper into the ruins and we'll have to flush them out, risking traps and ambushes."

With that he sets off a fast pace to end up on the other side of the ruins, there he takes a good hiding place and watchs.


Per [roll0]
Stealth [roll1]

Also, I'm back, yay

[Ertier]

Giving chase, you find your self in an ampitheater. The kobolds are nowhere to be seen. You suspect they have fled the ruins entirely. No doubt they'll be back later, but this seems to have been an at least temporary solution. Pausing to gather your breath, the design on the floor of the ampitheater catches your eye. Twenty one symbols have been etched in a circle around a mosiac of the world. The faded designs stir a feeling of primal fear in your brains. The hairs on the back of your neck begin to stand on end, and chills run down your spine. Something is terribly wrong.

[Freshmeat]

Nalthen

Nalthen involuntarily takes a step back. For a second, he forgets all about the kobolds, how they might perhaps have been captured had the four of them done so-and-so and how they could possibly explain this to the village elder if the cowardly pests returned next week or next month. Yet all of these thoughts and more are swept aside as Nalthen's eyes dart across the room.

This design... That pattern... he mumbles to himself, half-captivated by the strange markings, but he quickly wills himself to look away.

A quick glance at his companions tells him that they feel it too. Some kind of nigh-indescribable feeling of uneasiness. The knowledge that this place just isn't right, shouldn't even be. For a moment, Nalthen wonders whether he should leave, but then realizes that that would be the ultimate failure. To encounter the unknown and learn nothing. To find something truly unique in this world and simply run away. To be led here, perhaps by fate's hand, and let oneself be overcome by one's emotions instead. To return empty-handed.

Steeling himself, Nalthen takes a step forward and then another, before turning around, as if reassuring the rest that it's okay and nothing will happen to them. Then he focuses on the symbols again, trying to figure out if he's ever seen them before, or to at least get an idea of what the hell they're dealing with here.

Hmm.. Knowledge(esoteric)?
[roll0]

[RocketMan]

Finnigan Fairlea

Finnigan stands rooted to the spot, unable to move. His brilliant emerald eyes flicker with fear. The kobolds seem to be gone, fled into the ruins. It's not the kobolds that frighten Finnigan – the runes that ring the map are eerily unnerving.

But fear is soon overcome by curiosity, and Finnigan creeps forwards, up to where Nalthen is standing. The half-elf seems to be examining the runes carefully.

"I wonder if they can teleport us to a secret mountain-top fortress," Finnigan muses. "Do you think they could do that?"

Still transfixed, Finnigan takes another step forwards. He looks nervously, almost sheepishly, over his shoulder at his companions. "Can I touch on of them?" he asks.

[Demons_eye]

Soul

The fear the others felt seemed to register in Soul's mind some place, way back in his primal mind. His body reacted in a primal way and Soul knew he was scared but he seemed to resist it to little avail. He watched the others shock waiting for some other thing to happen, but the reactions he got was not as bad as he thought. He walked around for a bit mumbling to see if the kobold would come out and explain while the other's checked out the symbols.

"Fear of a symbol is meaning less. Fear what it does, will do or fear what it wont, but don't fear the symbol." But even Soul was not convinced by his own words, the fear had gotten to him even if he knew he was foolish.

"Touch them if you wish but until you do you will never truly know what it will happen." Soul says in his emotionless voice. He walks over to them and touches one if the other do not. The quickest way over a fear was to face it, at lest that's what he thought.

[Ertier]

Overcome with fear, you cannot bring yourself to so much as look at anything with sanity, much less touch the symbol.

The feeling of fear grows more and more intense, reaching a raw panic. A bright flash of light and tremendous force fills the air. You feel your body being torn apart, atom by atom and slowly reassembled, then darkness fills your vision. A vision fills your mind;

The power of Destiny is yours...

((Please pick one of the following. This will determine which class you can select at first level, as well as some aspects of the story. Choose wisely. Upon choosing a "card", you will be elevated to level one. Two players may not pick the same "card".))

Destiny Cards - The 22 Major Arcana

Fool, The Idiot
Magician, The Elder
Priestess, The Virgin
Empress, The Dominator
Emperor, The Ruler
Hierophant, The Faithful
Lovers, The Lustful
Chariot, The Determined
Justice, The Truthful
Hermit, The Suffering
Fortune, The Lucky
Strength, The Courageous
Hanged Man, The Martyr
Death, The Unknown
Temperance, The Balanced
Devil, The Tempter
Tower, The Ego
Star, The Mystic
Moon, The Woman
Sun, The Man
Judgement, The Divine
World, The Infinity (not selectable)

[Demons_eye]

Hanged Man, The Martyr seems fitting for Soul, are we allowed to muliticlass using this system or PrC?

[WrathOfLife]

OOC: Are we all picking a card? Or just Soul? Does Jack see this from where he is on the other side of the ruins?

[Ertier]

((Everyone. Soul didn't cause the... event... and everyone is subjected to it. Multi-classing is allowed based on... a later mechanic. As will PrCs.))

Demons_Eye

The Hanged Man: Represents martyrdom, inevitability and slavery. Classes are Prophet (Favored Soul), Spellsword (Duskblade), Minstrel (Arcane Bard) and Warlock.

[WrathOfLife]

Chariot, The Determined

Seems close to Jack, what with his desire to do things properly, and get things done right.

[Ertier]

WrathOfLife

The Chariot: Represents perseverance, fortitude and devotion. Classes are Fighter, Barbarian, Druid and Knight.


((BTW, everyone will "regain consciousness" when everyone has selected a card.))

[WrathOfLife]

OOC: Are we allowed Alternative class features? Also what books are we allowed to draw on? (I appear to have lost the original recruitment thread).

[Ertier]

((Sure, no worries.))

[RocketMan]

Finnigan will select Fortune, The Lucky

[Ertier]

RocketMan

Fortune: Represents luck, gambling and loss. Classes are Rogue, Agent (Ninja), Scout and Minstrel (Arcane Bard).


((You may want to post your class choice in OOC for the other players, so nobody selects the same class/role.))

[Freshmeat]

Hermit, The Suffering

I believe that should properly reflect Nalthen's thoughtful demeanour and inner wisdom, yet simultaneously his rather anti-social habits and desire to find his lot in life, whether in Vale or elsewhere, regardless of what may come his way.

[Ertier]

Freshmeat

The Hermit: Represents pain, isolation and epiphany. Classes are Druid, Ranger, Cleric and Monk.


((Once everyone has leveled up to 1, we'll move on))

[Ertier]

Like a blast of cold water hitting your face, you regain consciousness to find yourselves standing in empty space. As your eyes refocus, you look down to see a platform, with the same designs as the amphitheater you were in a minute ago. A man unfamiliar to any of you stands off to the side of the circle. He has long black hair and empty, pitch-black eyes. His face looks weathered, though he can't be older than his early thirties (if he were human). The man smiles.

Welcome ba... oh right, this would be the first time you've seen me. Time is really a pain in the ass sometimes. The major problem with time travel is not changing the past or the future, rather it is grammar, which is much harder. That and chronology. I've seen you here seven times so far, but you've never seen me before.... Allow me to explain:

This is the end of time. Even though it's the end of time, this section of Eden has been saved. Time does not pass normally here, as evidence by our existence. You can use the destinies you have acquired to reactivate this "machine" allowing you to revisit time periods in the past (or relative future for you).

The future versions (or past from my point of view) of yourselves have explained your predicament. In 9856 AR, (the year you have traveled from) a cataclysm wiped out 99.9% of life on Eden. You cannot travel back to your own time period, because doing so would mean instant destruction. These alternate versions have explained that the past can be changed, and thus so can the present. They (you) have taken it upon them(your)selves to prevent this in order to return home, and save the lives of billions of organisms. And they asked me to explain this to you upon your(their) "first" arrival here, the seventh time that I've seen them (you). Ugh. Any questions?

[Demons_eye]

"Did we give you any advice to tell us now? Like watch out for the man in blue? Will I ever find the shadow man?" Soul says the trip into the void had reawakened his more human side. His past life was still a blank but his spirit had rose and so did his look on life. "Also nice to meet you I am sure we are good friends by the 7th meeting?"

Souls transform did not stop at his personality, his pale face had gathered some color and his glowing eyes had become a fire from the embers they once were.

[RocketMan]

Finnigan Fairlea

Finnigan doesn't really understand. But that's irrelevant.

"Do you mean that we get to save the world?" the halfling chirps. "Because I'd really like that, if we did! But how do you start saving the world?" Finnigan's head is spinning from this new information. Here's a chance for him to be a hero!

"What was future-me like? Was he really cool and heroic? I bet he was... I wish I was future-me right now!"

[Freshmeat]

Nalthen

"This is a lot to take in, all at once," Nalthen says, "but your words ring true, and the past few minutes have been enlightening indeed."
Nalthen moves a little closer, both to familiarize - or perhaps refamiliarize - himself with his surroundings and to inspect this strange man better.
"If I understand this correctly, introducing ourselves seems fairly pointless, although - for convenience's sake - would you care to tell us who you are, and how we ended up here after entering this ampitheater? Or, I guess, the past version of this place. You also happened to mention something about a cataclysm that wiped out nearly all life on Eden. How is such a thing possible? Wouldn't the Gods prevent such a thing from happening?"

[WrathOfLife]

Jack Fletcher

Jack casually puts the arrow he had notched away. Looking around in disbelief. He comes to a sudden conclusion I've being knocked out and given some kind of poison...

Listening to the others talk in a half hearted fashion Jacks mind begins to wonder. A cataclysm? Well, we'd have to go to after the cataclysm to find out what caused it. Then go to before the cataclysm and try to alter the events leading up to it. This must be some powerful drug the kobolds gave me. I hope the others are ok.

Jack looks at the 'phantom' others and notes with interest how his mind makes Soul more emotional than he has ever seen him in real life.

[WrathOfLife]

OOC: Hello? Whats going on?

[Ertier]

OOC: Sorry, I'll post soon. I'm in the hospital right now for a compound fracture. I get out tomorrow, so I'll update this then.

[WrathOfLife]

OOC: Sorry, I'll post soon. I'm in the hospital right now for a compound fracture. I get out tomorrow, so I'll update this then.

OOC: Take your time mate, hospital is hospital, I know all the joys of it. I'll be waiting for when you get back.