Kingmaker (IC)

[Jacior]

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j26/shinmafox/charter_zps23e9fc34.png

You read the Charter again that empowers you to travel the Greenbelt unmolested by those that'd follow the rules of the Dragonscale Throne. The two people you've been travelling with are... interesting to say the least. Not truly what you expected other holders of the Charter to be like. But then... you were a unique case yourself. You are also surprised that they sent only three people on this venture, though, substantially less so. You know your skills quite well and it wouldn't be unreasonable to suspect you could handle whatever minor issues would crop up along the way.

The time is early afternoon, the weather is sunny and the breeze heavy enough to keep the worst of the heat off of you. You expect to reach the outpost where you suppose you'll be setting up as a base camp for the rest of this expedition into the wild lands of the Greenbelt. It could be over this next hill or miles away yet. You're not sure.

[EdroGrimshell]

Sepia is simply walking along, trying to keep out of view, a cloak on with the hood up to keep herself mostly covered. Solitary, for the most part, she only really interacted with anyone during meal times and just before going to sleep, she seemed to like the night, it was the only time she let the hood down while traveling. She kept clear of the animals too, she seemed to think they wouldn't like her, and was questioned until she mentioned a horror story involving a cat.

Now though, she'd found someone... interesting. Two someones in fact. The metal man and the knight she traveled with. The metal man, Zeruel, was of a race Sepia didn't know, fire and metal. It called up visions of a memory she didn't have, a nightmare she'd had that seemed all to real now. The knight, however... he seemed, fairly normal, for the moment, but she sensed something from him, a triggering of another nightmare from her past. It caused her to shiver, but she couldn't shy away from them, they drew her in. And she wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing.

[Regalus]

The young man strides down the dirt trail confidently as he whistled a jaunty tune, a wordless melody picked up from traveler's so long ago he could scarcely recall where he'd first heard it; but such a thing didn't matter. The sun was bright as it soared across the clear blue sky, the birds sang their gentle across amid the sea of leafy greens around them, and all was right with the world. On days like this youthful vigor and merriment came naturally to Rory, giving him a twinge of disappointment at the fact his Little Friends had been dismissed for the journey; speed was of the essence if he was to make a good showing amid the rush of newcommers, and their little feet would've slowed them down greatly.

Or at least that's what he was expecting.

With how great an opportunity this was Rory had thought he'd be trying to shoulder past caravans by this point in his journey; yet along the trail he'd only came across these two curiosities.

A woman, of that he was sure, pale as freshly fallen ash from the few glimpses of her he'd caught; as if she'd never spent a day in the sun. Moreover she seemed to exude a certain... loneliness to her, as if she were unused to spending so much time around men; or even people if he dared to say. Yet she was a paradox. She carried such a meek air around herself between her stance and avoidance of the few curious critters that had dared to come near them; yet not once had she complained despite their long trek and her nimble movements were so soft and precise that there was little question that she knew her body well. She was well traveled, or perhaps a hermit of a sort, he supposed given how at home she was away from civilization. Though beyond that, the lass was quite the mystery.

Then there was the other one. It took all his well not to stare at the... man, yes. Living in Brevoy he'd grown up surrounded by all sorts from travelers to rascals and even outcasts had all passed through his family's doors. He'd thought himself fairly cultured in that respect, used to meeting folks of all races and walks of life; but this? Never in all his days had he come across a man made of both flesh and metal; his mind buzzes with the swarm of inquiries he had as to the individuals nature, but his mother had taught him better than that. He wasn't sure to be relieved or depressed by the fact his Little Friends weren't with him; they wouldn't have wasted a moment pestering the man about every little thing that came to their mines, and hopefully satisfying Rory's own curiosity before he'd be forced to pull than back. The only thing he could be certain of was that the man had quite a story behind him.

"So my fellows, what brings both of you down this path? Fame, fortune, a fresh start, or something else perhaps?" Rory began conversationally, breaking his song as he addressed the two travelers near him.

[EdroGrimshell]

Sepia glanced at the Knight, Rory, and thought a moment on his question, but the answer fell before the thought even finished, "...a new start? That sounds about right," her voice still carried a slight rasp, despite having used it more often than she had in years, giving it a growling feel, a hint to her feral nature of the past, tempered now by time in civilization.

Away from her old life, she could temper herself, forge the thing she was becoming into something else, what that something else was, she didn't know yet, but she'd already felt the process, so intuitive, yet so alien to the thing that lurked in the depths of her mind. A thing she didn't even know existed, "...those broken need to find something new, to become whole again, do they not?" she asked, once more without thinking on it, or at least, she didn't feel she thought on it. It felt like so natural a question...

[Yasahiro]

Zeruel

Zeruel simply walked on forward, one foot in front of the other. He had no need to take any breaks, he could have kept on going up till they reach their destinations, but his companions needed rest. It was times like these where he could be said to be grateful for what he was, and yet at the same time, it renewed the hatred within his heart as it was just a reminder of everything else that came with this little advantage. Still, it was useful.

He glanced at the Knight that asked him and their other companion a question. Ah, what was he seeking, it was a question he wondered about often. Could he be the one to fix what is wrong with his race, the one that would break this abomination that kept the curse going? Could he recreate the kingdoms of old that his tutors taught him when he still was meant to be the heir? He will certainly try.

"A fresh start? I guess you could say that." His voice, despite having a slight reverb, betrayed that he was still quite young. Not a boy or a teen but young adult.

[Regalus]

Rory hummed to himself slightly in thought at the replies from his fellows, particular from the woman's question, "I think that depends," he replied after a few moments of thought spent admiring the view.

"It reminds my of when I was little the local craftman had a competition between us kids, for us to make some stuff plying their trade; it was a nice community thing, and I think they were trying to raise some interest 'cause a few of them didn't have apprentices yet. Any way, so the race went on and I went tried to make a guy riding his horse to battle. I spent days trying to get it just right, I must've gone through at least a dozen designs before I found one I was happy with. Kid-me was really proud of the little thing up until some jerks broke it; gods above I was furious! Couldn't even fix it right. I tried putting the pieces back together as they where, but perhaps of it where chirped and others broke in ways that left the parts jagged so they wouldn't fit where they used to go; heck forcing a few just made it worse.So with the deadline was pretty close and I knew I wouldn't have time to make a new one from scratch. So I figured the whole thing was pretty hopeless by that point; darn near gave up and threw it all out 'till my Ma' stopped me." Rory told the pair, chuckling slightly at the end.

" Told me I was being hasty, but 'slong as I didn't quit I wasn't out of the running yet. So I took a good look at the pieces I had left, and I figured I could still make something out of'em. Took a lot of work since another misstep could've ruined what I had left, but I managed to take what I had and make'em into this little centaur; had to tweak the pieces I had left, and add a few here and there to make the new build work. Sure as hell wasn't what I was going for at the start, but in the end it went a lot better than I'd hoped; and man was the look on those jerk's faces when I showed up with it the next day worth it!" he ended his little tale with a pleased toothy grin at the memory

"Any way, point is. Once in a while you might even be able to fix it pretty well, but that's only if you're lucky. Other times you're better off replacing what broke whole sale; but it's important to really know what you're working with, since even broken pieces can make something new and great. Those times I think it's best to make the most of the pieces you have; the old ones that are worth keeping, and the new ones bring'em together. That way you can make something new with them; heck maybe making better than it used to be in some ways if you do a good job. Even if you can't make it the way it used to be, that's okay; just means it gets to be it's own thing," he mused aloud to the pair, before catching himself and giving a bashful chuckle, "..bBut I'm rambling now

"Any way, I'm not here for a fresh start. Gonna make myself someone great and important someday, and I plan on making this my next step," the young man commented with an easygoing grin as he answered his own question to the pairs benefit, "Any way, I hope you two find what you're looking for soon, and that it turns out to be what you hoped for and more,"

[EdroGrimshell]

Sepia actually starts to laugh at that, "you still made it whole again, not in the same form, but still whole," she says, "that's a different art, I think I'll have to do the same," she good humor was still there, despite the darker meaning behind the words, even if she was the only one that understood what they meant, though she did look at her hands, the black marks on them being the only tell she had of what was happening to her.

[Yasahiro]

Zeruel

He didn't say anything for a moment, before raising his head slightly.

"Such a thing was what has already happened to me... Which is why I desire a fresh start instead. But I guess you are right about the broken pieces."

[Jacior]

As it would turn out, the outpost that the group was traveling to was in fact over the next hill. To say that their new home was underwhelming would be an understatement. The place was blatantly old. What could be seen past the relatively newer palisade that protected the interior was not particularly promising. Catapults stand at the corners of the walls, leading you to guess that, perhaps, this outpost had been an old fort at one point, long run down and only recently started being rebuilt.

Smoke drifting up from behind the walls would indicate that someone seems to be there right now... or someone killed everyone and started a fire.

[EdroGrimshell]

Sepia tilts her head, she didn't exactly know what to think of this place, even as she approached it, but the thing that struck her most was, it was her home now. That thought brought a smile to her face, she hadn't felt at home in her actual home, but maybe she could find that feeling now that she was in a new home. She was getting excited, the whites of her eyes darkening and her irises reddening in reaction to her excitement. She didn't bother catching herself, it unnerved people, but she found she didn't care if it did.

[Yasahiro]

Zeruel simply looked at their destination and chuckled.

"The only way we could have gotten a fresher start is if we just got a piece of land."

Still, a smile graced his face as he looked at this. It had... potential. Potential to be made better, stronger. Rough, uneven, broken and slowly rebuilt, with a lot of potential. Just like him.

[Regalus]

"'Suppose I did!" Rory chuckles in turn with Sepia. He was quite glad that his wandering tale seemed to be well received, and itching to hear more from his companions; but alas it was not to be for now, though he was fine with that. Both of them seemed to carry great weights on their shoulders, and no matter his own curiousity whether or not they chose to share those burdens with him was not his to decide; especially not so early in their journey. The would-be sword lord simply contented himself with the lighter air that hung amid their trinity now, which seemed to grow livelier as the outpost came into view.

"Ha! At least it means we have something to work with; as I said, better to improve on what's left than start from scratch," he replied to Zeruel with a wry grin, partly from camaraderie and partly to over come his own needling disappointment. He'd been hoping for better to be honest, but it would hopefully be enough to work with for now; if nothing else, it meant no one would be angry if they wanted to improve things.

"We should prooobably check that out," the young man continued as he gestured towards the smoke, "WOuldn't due to have the place burn down right when we show up,"

[Jacior]

The time-worn fort was even less appealing up close, if possible. The repairs being made were clearly done by no professional in any sense of the word and you begin to wonder if you haven't just been sent away from the cities and towns because you frustrated someone somewhere. It would be the politics of the Swordlords to pull such a stunt after all. The thought is quickly pushed from your heads at the smell of fresh, cooking meat and the sounds of sizzling fat in a fire. It had been a few days since fresh meat had been had by anyone and the scent is enough to set even the more recalcitrant Rory's mouth to watering.

Tending the roasting meat at the fire, along with a hanging pot of stew that matches the smell of the meat, is a middle aged woman of seemingly goodly nature. Her eyes light up at the sight of you three and she smiles warmly, gesturing to the long tables and benches. "Please, please! Take a seat, we've been waiting for you to arrive!" She bustles about, pulling from somewhere a fresh loaf of warm bread, split into pieces, ladling welcomingly large portions of the stew into large clay bowls, and deftly cutting generous portions of meat to lay with the bread. The smell of the food is enticing and two stomachs grumble with a previously unknown hunger. "Oleg will be so happy you've arrived today, though, I thought there'd be more of you from the way the letter spoke. Oh, no bother, no bother. I'm sure those lawless sons of- oh, excuse me dears, sometimes I let my thoughts get away from me. I'm just glad you're finally here to help with our little bandit troubles." Somewhere int he middle of this, she's pulled out a bottle of wine and poured three glasses full, readying the table fully for the group to sit down and eat.

The only question was... what was she talking about?

[EdroGrimshell]

Before she can pour all the wine, Sepia manages to request water instead, alcohol tended to make her paranoid, even more so than she was before.

[Regalus]

"Thank you kindly mam; and I like to think we're more about quality over quantity," Rory said graciously with a toothy smile as he accepted the hearty fair, and took his seat.

"Who's Oleg if you don't mind me asking?"

[Yasahiro]

Zeruel

Wine. Alcohol in general was a thing that Zeruel still enjoyed, despite losing most of his sense of taste. The punishment all of his group received in past, for insults hurled at their captors by some. Even though the parts of his tongue that were cut off have been metallized, he didn't have sense of taste in them, only in the leftover parts.

He gladly accepted the wine and drank from it deeply, letting it go down his throat before finally meeting his inner flame, igniting and combusting. He opened his mouth and a small cloud of flame escaped his lips, dissipating soon yet warming up the air near his head.

That was something he have not lost and still enjoyed. The sensation of combustion within his body.

He proceeded to drink his wine in a more calm manner afterwards, rejecting any food offered to him. He desired intense tastes or large quantities, to feel, yet he did not require regular food, so why should he take it away from others that might need it more, when his sustenance is easier to find?

[Jacior]

http://www.lby3.com/dnd/images/5/5e/Oleg's_Trading_Post.jpg

You guys are on the left side of the left bench and table, Oleg is on the right side of the right bench and table

The woman seems more than a little disappointed at the refusal of the wine by Sepia and the food by the strange, metal man. But before she gets to say anything, a gruff, slightly portly, middle aged man walks up from around a corner of one of the buildings in the fenced in yard. Sweating, he frowns slightly and speaks. "I'm Oleg and this is my trading post!" He says, sitting down on the second bench, on the far side from the group, facing them. The woman serves him a generous portion of the food and a bit of the wine. "You two too good for my wife's hospitality?" He asks, though it comes out more as an accusation to Zeruel and Sepia. The woman pats him on the shoulder and he grunts, tucking into the food with a healthy appetite.

"You'll have to forgive him, times have been tough lately, with the bandits coming and all." As she speaks, Oleg's face reddens slightly, though whether from embarrassment or anger it's hard to tell. "That's why we were so glad when Swordlords answered our request! They sent you lot out right quick to deal with this. If you're as quality as you say well then I can't imagine we'll be bothered for much longer!"

[EdroGrimshell]

Sepia shakes her head, "it's... dangerous for me to have any. I ended up putting someone in the morgue after having wine for the first time after..." she shakes her head, "sorry," she says quietly. That was a bad thing to say.

[Yasahiro]

Zeruel

He also offered an explanation of his own.

"As for me... I just about lack ability to taste anything. It is not that I don't want to eat... But having anything that I KNOW will taste amazing, because just by taking a look I am sure your wife's cooking is great, and yet to be not able to taste any of that, it is almost a torture. Otherwise, despite not needing to eat, I would ask for quite a large portion." he said, throwing a bit of sadness onto his face while he was saying that.

"As for bandits, I too don't think they will be s problem for much longer."

[Regalus]

"Don't worry about'em Oleg; just means we get to enjoy more of your lady's fine cookin'," Rory chirped with a toothy grin between bites; the fact this meant they were getting to pairs of hands for the upkeep of one. For an outpost starting out like this it was always good to be mindful of their resources, and for all their eccentricities this alone made made them great assets.

After downing a piece of meat with a bit of wine, the lad gave a content sigh before broaching the more urgent topic, "Speakin' of, what can you fine folk tell us about these scoundrels? Are they a recent thing, or have they been troubling yall for a while?"