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| The Carrion Princess; Open | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sun May 7, 2017 2:46 am (277 Views) | |
| Quinn | Sun May 7, 2017 2:46 am Post #1 |
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The wind howled. The last growls of their foes had faded. A girl pushed herself out of the undergrowth, covered in muck, blood and wounds. A gash in her shoulder. A dozen bites across her face. Rats scurried from the hole she had hidden in. She rose to a burned wasteland in the night. A few fires still raged, but armored bodies spread all around her, all along natural defenses. A banner lay on the highest rise - not more than a lump - and she couldn't bring herself to look upon the symbol. Quinn Koros sa Toli-Koten limped to the spear the banner had been tied to. She untied it, folded it, and placed it gently upon one of the corpses. Tarken Koros, her brother. Memories were quelled. Quinn ripped her armor from her body, her fingers struggling at all the secret little pulls the League's armorers had planted. Why did you fight at the front, prince and princess? The last piece of armor struck the ground. Quinn picked up the banner, rolled it tightly and pulled the collar of the thin, shining black garment beneath her armor away from her neck. She slipped it in. Her eyes roved into the distance, at the light. A government in exile. The attempt for a beaten ruler to retain the power they never deserved. Quinn stepped across the bodies of her allies until she reached one of the medics. Lomi Hirra, a young logistician who had held on to the end. She picked through her bags until she found the alchemicals she desired. She mixed them, then poured. A moment's work of flint and steel brought a raging fire to life. Is it an ambush if you knew that death would tear what it was owed from you, Quinn Koros sa Toli-Koten? Quinn wandered until dawn rose and smoke guided her to the village she knew was nearby. It sprawled out across a distant low rise. An obelisk rested upon it. A scorchliner's spike. Whatever it was. Quinn couldn't fathom some of the arcane works the Imythessians flaunted. She stepped through the mud, adjusting her scavenged cloak and hood so that as little of her possible was visible. Just a shaded chin. She walked past a tavern. She had no money on her person, but her hunger didn't respect such failings. A patch of cobbles rose above the eternal mud beside an inn - or a whorehouse, she could never tell - with quite a significant flow of customers entering and leaving. She turned and rested against the wall for a moment. The clatter of plates and laughter pierced the wall just enough. Her hunger rose. The crowds in the street ignored her. They looked as muddy, downbeaten and miserable as her. Death stood before her, a faded image that no others reacted to. A young woman bearing an executioner's squared-off blade in the garb of the Noi, a long white robe marked with the first thousand words of the Book of Death. A necklace of eyes strung by copper wire rested against her pale skin. Death leaned forward. "One last life to claim. I'm patient, daughter of the betrayer-queen." The figure had never been there. Where she stood was a pair of inexplicable narrow shoe prints in the mud. Quinn's lungs screamed for air. She inhaled and fell to the ground, shivering between gasping, ragged breaths. A handful had gathered around her. Vultures waiting for her to expire. She struggled to calm her breathing even as her muscles twitched and squirmed against her wishes. |
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| BiggerSword | Sun May 7, 2017 3:43 am Post #2 |
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Malam growled as he looked at the pittance he had earned. The inn owner had blamed him for a broken vase, claiming it was a family heirloom or some horseshit. If there wasn't another month before he had to pay the next alimony payment, he'd have broken the man's wrist and demanded to be paid in full, even if the innkeep was a head and a half taller than Malam, the innkeeper was also fat and flabby, Malam's muscles were formed from farm work and swinging his nodachi. He knew he could out fight the innkeeper, but it wasn't worth his time, instead he haggled for the use of the kitchen and any food in it to make a traveling meal. The innkeeper hesitated for a moment, but agreed in the end. Malam walked into the kitchen, physically removing the cook in charge and taking stock. He found tomatoes, a few kinds of cheese, various sliced meats, and quite a bit of bread. He cut the bread into thick slabs, crushed the tomatoes into paste, adding a bit of spices here and there as he went. He cut the cheese into strips and cubed what meat wasn't sliced thin. He tasted some of the meat to make sure it hadn't gone bad... which forced him to toss about half of it after cutting. What meat he could identify was pepperoni, good, he had taken the more expensive meat, probably had it specially imported or smuggled in. He threw cheese and sauce onto the large thick slices of bread, throwing the pepperoni on it last before folding them in half, sealing them for travel, then placed in the oven. Once the food was done he had them wrapped up and left, not giving the innkeep and the cook a second look as he left, of course outside was a new trial. A crowd was gathering around a young girl that looked very panicked. He almost turned and walked away... when one of them was getting a bit to close to the girl. He growled, damn it, if it was a full grown woman with a blade he could ignore it, but a panicked girl, shit, he wouldn't be able to stop feeling guilty for months. He pushed his way through the crowd, elbowing the man that had walked a bit to far forward, sending him sprawling onto the ground, his hand holding the fresh bruise. Malam turned around, standing between the girl and the crowd. Malam wore black pants, heavy black boots, a white shirt, a heavy black cloak, and a large travel pack. His hair was mostly slicked back, a fair stray locks were free but he had never bothered with trying to keep them back, he could only afford so much hair care product. On his back was also a nodachi, he drew the massive blade and placed it on his shoulder, he looked at the crowd, "Back off." A few hesitated. Malam stomped and brought the blade up, swapping his grip as the sound of gears turning came from the blade, extending the handle and rotating the blade around, creating a scythe. He gave it a spin and held it like one would hold a two handed axe, extending slightly behind him. They scattered. Malam growled as he transformed the scythe back into a nodachi, sheathing it on his back. He turned to the girl and looked her in the eyes as he crouched down, damn it, she was probably hungry, looked to be down on her luck to... gods damn it, oh well... he could just have one of the two oven-baked delicacies. He brought his hand back and fiddled with his pack, taking it off so he could grab one of them. He offered the girl the paper-wrapped food, "Take it. I've got another." |
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| Quinn | Wed May 10, 2017 2:18 am Post #3 |
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Quinn rummaged through her cloak to grab at the end of the knife she bore. But then one of her tormentors struck the mud in front of her. The woman flinched as one put him between the rest. Her sulerian logic sprinted ahead, mixed with the fatalism of the Noi. The man warded them away. She relaxed just enough to rise, adjusting her cloak during her rise so that her face remained concealed. Her ill-fitting boots wobbled as she stepped away from the wall. Quinn took the bread-substance in one hand and took a bite. She savored it for a few moments before fanning at her mouth. A strong urge for water overtook her. "I'm in your debt, stranger." Quinn continued to eat despite her displeasure. She hadn't eaten since yesterday. Since a battle had raged. Ice gripped her heart. "I...need some help. I need a mask. Other things as well. I can ...probably make my own money. I've never been to Balefire before." The woman turned towards the wall and drank from a black flask. She twisted back around. "What can I do to make this worth your while, sir? I have nothing but a dagger at the moment." Her mind raced. Salvage would be no good. She could still complete the mission and get rescued by the League. Laughter only for her ears drifted down the street. Her free hand curled into a fist as she took another bite. No, she would finish her mission and this man would help her whether or not he knew what was coming next. |
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| BiggerSword | Wed May 10, 2017 11:28 pm Post #4 |
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She needs... a mask. Well if that didn't raise the 'suspicious as hell' flag nothing would. Then again she was just a young lady... maybe she was some kinda ex-noble war orphan... those existed, probably. He smirked, "What, you some kinda Phantom Thief from those ten copper books from back in the day?" He shrugged, "Look kid, this place ain't gonna have any kind of stylish mask... or any kind of mask really. There are merchants on the other side of the village, some have got more exotic wares and the like. You might be able to get a mask from there, I've got a few extra notes to kick around, so I can spot ya. In exchange... I could use a partner for a bit. I'll be walking to the next town, an extra set of eyes could help me pick out any bandits and the like." Of course the real reason was the war was getting to close to this place, it was time to move on. He thumbed towards the east, "I'm heading east at the moment, figured I could snag some easy mercenary work or maybe collect some bandit bounties." He rolled his shoulders, "But first, I'm Malam, not stranger, who are you?" |
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| Quinn | Sat May 13, 2017 2:44 am Post #5 |
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"My name is Quinn." She disappeared for a moment and reappeared, patting the crumbs from her hands. "I'm no thief, quite the opposite. I come from a country in Suler where showing one's face lightly is a taboo." Quinn followed Malam to the market. It was a miserable little place, nothing like the grand market of Koten. She picked past stinking meats she couldn't name, past an attractive dress or two she'd consider at a costume ball only and then stopped at an odd-goods shop. A miserable wooden mask hung from a rod that had everything from lady's undergarments to hanging cured meats. Quinn indicated upwards and was handed the undergarment. The young woman shook her head and was about to push it back before she marveled at the size. "I can scarcely believe someone would delve into such gluttony. The mask, please." The proper item ended up in Quinn's hand. In a sudden blur of well-practice motion, the mask was on her face. A small hissing sound escaped her lips. "He'll be paying." The vendor, a young man, looked surprised someone had purchased it. The pair headed towards the edge of town. "Thanks. For everything." She looked into the woods, at the flicker of Death, and exhaled. "This next town." As they walked into the woods, Quinn could feel the frigid air coming in waves. It was so damned cold in Balefire, and her underlayer wasn't up to the task without armor above it. She pulled her cloak closer. "I'm going to guess you fight with that big Nalai-style blade." Her eyes took in the weapon. She had favored Nalaian blades enough her mother had brought a Nalaian swordsmaster to teach her the art. Her hands gripped tighter at the thought of a real blade. Her utility dagger was not up to the task. "I've been trained in the arts of magic." A lie, effortless. Her magic was inborn. "I have been told it is a subject of significant displeasure outside of the League, but I use the art of necromancy primarily." Her eyes met his. "I will use my magic. If you have an issue with it, I can find a means of repaying you for the mask and the meal." |
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| BiggerSword | Sat May 13, 2017 6:01 pm Post #6 |
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Malam nodded, "Right, Quinn." He lead her to the market, there were a number of things he wanted to get, but he would need more then the fistful of notes he currently had. His nearly aimless wanderings through the merchant stalls lead them to an exotic goods shop... which had a particularly large set of undergarments. When Quinn spoke about them, Malam chuckled, "The rich get fat easily and some don't wanna spend the cash on magical treatments to stay thin." He gave the boy a few notes and moved on with Quinn. Malam lead them to the edge of town and took in a deep breath of fresh air before responding to Quinn, "You're welcome." He lead her through the woods, he only knew the next town over was 'east' but he had a good sense for direction, he couldn't get them to terribly lost. Malam hopped over a fallen tree when Quinn spoke of his sword and her magic. Malam shrugged, "Didn't even know it's Nalain. I used to be a farmer, grew up a farmboy, married the pretty farmgirl next door, combined the farms. I bought the blade to protect myself, but this thing practically damned me, killed three masked intruders in my manor, three of my own workers. Long story short, my wife used that to divorce me and took everything. So now I do mercenary work with this weird sword that can turn into a scythe. As for magic, as long as you're not raising undead to take away jobs from small businesses, then I don't care what you do with it. When it comes to mercenary work, I'll take every advantage I can get." He turned and saw her clutching her cloak... damn it, why wasn't she properly dressed. He gave a low growl and went into his pack, he retrieved an old scarf, worn but warm... he used it during the especially cold nights in the swamps. He tossed it to her, "That's all I can spare unless you want to slap on one of my spare shirts." He turned back to the path and moved on. He barely turned his head to speak to her again a few minutes later, "What are you doing here anyway? You're not some random orphan, right? Color me curious, but why are you here, in Balefire of all places? Gotta be better places than this swamp hole." |
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| Quinn | Wed May 17, 2017 5:58 pm Post #7 |
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Quinn shook her head. "I don't need a shirt." The forest became darker, deeper with every step. Quinn felt her nerves fray. This was not a place she wanted to be in. What she wanted most was to simply run into the woods, towards the League, but she was not a good enough navigator. It was a conflict between her sense of reason and her heart that left her silent for a few seconds. She jolted then looked to Malam. "I'm lost, honestly. I'm hoping this next town over has a scorchline station." She was at the very least capable of a bit of honesty. This far behind enemy lines, her true identity was more of a harm than a help. "It can't possibly get worse. Isn't the northern region near Norwood the backswamps? This is closer to the Ivory Maze. More..." Her words drifted off as the forest closed in again. Her eyes roved the dark reaches flicking between the luminescent plants and the sudden appearances of eyes. "I don't even know." |
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| BiggerSword | Wed May 24, 2017 10:32 pm Post #8 |
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The eyes came... the girl was a lost, and he was an unlucky swordsman, it was like a damn kid's tale. Malam sighed, "Look Quinn, if you want to survive in this place, you need to stop for a moment. Breath deep, hold it for a few seconds... then exhale. The animals around here normally won't go for people unless they're already injured. With the exception of feral were-creatures, but they usually stay to the darker areas." He counted the eyes... a few of them were in the trees... grouped together into groups of three in a line. He stopped, "Quinn, you're going to need to follow me, take slow steps behind me. You hear a hiss from above, you run on ahead, we've hit a... snag lets say. They don't normally come this far down from the north... but if you wanna look up, you should be able to make out a few of them." The lizards in threes had three eyes on each side of their head, their heads were large, their snouts long and bulbous. Most of them seemed to only be three or four feet long, their claws are curved and sharp, digging into the trees to keep them balanced, their tails made up for two thirds of their body, and the tails were thick and fast, wrapping around tree branches or trunks to keep themselves balanced. Malam kept his walk slow, he noticed a few on the ground, standing up on their hind legs to look at them, their fangs could barely be seen, thin and straight, sharp as daggers. He took a deep breath, "If they attack, do not let them bite you. Their bites easily cause infection... and an infection out here will likely kill you." |
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| Quinn | Sat Jun 10, 2017 1:51 am Post #9 |
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Quinn held close after the warning. "Are those senka?" The eyes roved closer. A moment of excitement surged through the misery - Senka! - but those feelings faded as the fangs loomed. Quinn drew her dagger. She nodded after being told about the dangers of infection. "Then we'll put them in the grave!" It sounded better in her head. One of the creatures lunged. Quinn's foot came up and caught the beast in the chin. She lunged forward and scored a hit with her knife. Strange colored blood splattered across the ground in an arc. Her fingers worked through a quick spell, a chant under her breath turned words into power. Her foe slowed drastically and its next snap did not find its mark. The princess flipped the blade in her hand and stabbed downwards. Again. And again. Blood splattered across her mask. |
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| BiggerSword | Sun Jun 11, 2017 1:44 am Post #10 |
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They began to move. Shit. Malam took his sword and readied himself as their foes moved in, Quinn said something about putting them in the ground first... yeah, right. He brought his blade down, using the length to his advantage to cut one down before it got to close. Now that they were closer he could see them better... the lizards had a massive black spot on their heads that went around the eyes on each side... a Senka parasite. He growled as one launched itself from the trees, he moved to dodge it, bringing his blade down on another one, but he noticed a problem with his plan, if he completely dodged it... then it would strike at Quinn's back. He hit the switch on his blade, transforming it into a scythe as he spun it around, shouting at the same time, "Watch your back!" He had wanted the blade to catch it and cut it's head off, instead the haft smacked it, sending it off to the side. He wasn't to comfortable with the scythe form, but he sent it spinning around, "We should probably run, these aren't Senka exactly, they're Senka Parasites that have taken over a host. They're looking for an upgrade." As if to answer his question, one of the dead ones moved again, this time the black splotch jumped off, only to finally meet it's end at the tip of his scythe, a lucky hit. He breathed a sigh of relief, "Kill the black splotch, kill all of it." |
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| Quinn | Fri Jun 23, 2017 9:08 pm Post #11 |
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Quinn ducked beneath the scythe, then neatly fended off a lunge from one of the critters. "Parasites!?" Quinn immediately disengaged. Her fingers worked furiously. She chanted and jabbed a finger at the nearby corpse. Butterflies of light burst from it and immediately engaged the strange critters, the black splotches and even random insects going about their lives. Quinn stepped back. "First plan sounded good. Let's run, a fight without injury is a fight won." She bolted. The young woman was quicker than expected. Cold air filled the gap between her flapping cloak and her body. She stopped and looked back for Malam. Her dagger flicked out. "Come on, how far until the next town?" |
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| BiggerSword | Fri Jun 30, 2017 11:40 am Post #12 |
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She wanted run? Fine by Malam. He rushed after her, returning his scythe into sword form, he didn't watch what Quinn did to the corpse, but the fact that stuff came from it he could guess some kinda necromancy, a useful tool. He forced himself to speed up, running next to her, when she asked how much farther he spoke between breaths, "A few hours if we walk, we keep up this run or go to a jog, maybe one, one and a half hours. It's not a terribly big place, but it's growing, got some fancy new tech in there apparently, good place for bounty hunters." Once he figured they had run far enough, he began to slow down, "Hold on Quinn, gotta take a breather, slow down to a jog." He looked to her, "Where are ya heading anyway? I know it's not my place to pry, but I figure it can't be for just no reason. Looking for long lost relatives or just a place to belong? Something like that right?" |
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8:39 AM Jul 11

