Roleplay

Please go to the above link for all information pertaining to the role play, and to chat.

We are currently closed to new applicants.


Posting order is as follows;

Reserve list of those interested to join should someone leave;

@ Balrier @ DalphiaRose @Ghostil @ Mypilot @ nettledbird

"I don't understand why we have to be here of all places." She said, speaking in their native tongue. Aelon was visibly agitated, shooting glares at the passers-by as they came within arm's reach of her. She had never been much of a people person, and it showed. Luckily for her, the giant that walked but a pace behind her was enough to part the crowded streets of the market-city.
Stalls lined most of the streets, only sparing the residential districts from the busy and boisterous atmosphere that plagued the city. Merchants shouted at them as the duo passed by, waving their prized wares in the air above them. Aelon paid them no mind, staring ahead of her with a stubborn determination that had often gotten her into more trouble than she cared to admit.

Yeret, on the other hand, was enthralled by the trinkets that were offered to them. His eyes drifted from one thing to the other while he silently contemplated what they could afford and what they needed. "This is a major crossroad." He replied. "We have to get to Eld'ser somehow."
Aelon glanced back at him with a frown. "We could've just passed through the High Mountains from Arome." She protested. "We've been walking for two weeks. You said this would be the shorter route."

"I said it would be an easier route. There is a well-traveled road west of here. The route we would've taken from Arome, we wouldn't have had any trails or roads to go by and we would've been trekking through the coldest part of the mountains." Yeret countered. It earned him a small 'hmph' from Aelon as she turned her attention back to those that passed them.
"Besides, I thought you would appreciate sleeping in a real bed after two weeks of sleeping on the ground." He stated, vaguely amused.
Aelon gave a short laugh at his words. "I would; but not flea-infested ones, which is all we can afford in this city."

Yeret shot her a glare, which she did not notice, and sighed. "Come on, Kin'it."
He grabbed her upper arm, pulling her toward a stall. She protested, cursing at him, until he stopped in front of the array of ornate weapons. "Why don't you get something nice, to cheer yourself up?" He offered, dipping his head to the merchant behind the stall.
Aelon glared at both of the men, resting her gaze on Yeret for a few moments to make a silent point that she was in no mood for games. When he lifted his eyebrows and nodded to the table, Aelon sighed and turned her eyes to the wares.

They were very ornate, to say the least. Aelon lifted a hand, picking up dagger that rested directly before her. She flicked her gaze to the merchant as he gasped and recoiled from her. It was no surprise, her 'fingers' were black and talon-like, with the joints being the only flexible part of the digits. She flashed him a grin, which only caused further disgust from the man. Her teeth were those of a carnivore and predator, angled and sharp to inflict as much damage as they could.
The man then started shouting profanities at her. Yeret grabbed the dagger from her, tossing it back onto the table and ushered her away from the stall. He apologized to the man in Common, Aelon's grin fading into a discontented frown. "Your wares are pieces of-" She called out to the man in Torian. He was already red in the face by the time she looked back. Yeret covered her mouth with a hand and pulled her back into the crowd before she could finish the statement.

"Why do you always do that, Aelon?" Yeret hissed under his breath, his eyes darting around them to see who all had seen the uproar. "One of these days you're going to get us both killed with a stunt like that."
"Oh let me have my fun, Yeret." Aelon snapped, shrugging out of the hold he had on her. She reached back, pulling her hood over her head to shield her eyes from the midday sun. "It's not my fault his wares were for decoration rather than practical use. They were a sad excuse for decoration, too. All the jewels were stone with magic to make them look real."

Yeret gave her a hard stare. "Try to keep a low profile?" He pleaded. "A lot of wealthy clients come from Torom. We don't need to insult any of their acquaintances and lose their business."
Aelon clenched her teeth, turning away from her companion and friend. He was right, as much as she hated to admit it. There was only so much she could do, though. She wore enchanted items to conceal a portion of her Draden attributes, but there was only so much they could do. Even though she could pass as a mixed blood, it was not in her nature to simply accept when hatred was still thrown at her by humans.
She had been raised to be a proud being, and proud she was.

"Fine." She stated begrudgingly. Yeret let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders dropping slightly as he relaxed.
She turned to a nearby stall, nodding toward it. "If you really want to get me something nice, I need a new bag." She stated, eager to change the subject. Yeret followed her gaze, nodding thoughtfully. "As long as you let me do the talking." He said quickly, a note of warning in his words.
She shrugged as they detoured to the stall, Yeret stepping in front of her.

"Afternoon! What sort of bags do you have today?" Yeret asked the merchant, speaking in Common. Aelon lingered a pace behind him, arms folded and hands promptly concealed under the loose fabric wrapped around her shoulders, over her tunic.

@Balrier @DalphiaRose @Ghostil @Mypilot @ nettledbird

With a pleased sigh, the young woman placed the last of the merchandise on the stall with a small thump. Fatima eyed the little pot critically before shifting it slightly to catch the light better. Satisfied, she nodded happily to herself and began to scan the throng of people in the crowded marketplace for potential buyers. The stall she and Sherrinford ran was an eclectic mix of items the two had purchased while traveling, wood carvings she had made, and animal furs that came from Sherrinford’s hunts.

Catching a passerby’s eye, she smiled invitingly only to have her view blocked by the sudden appearance of her friend, who vaulted himself easily over the stall’s surface to stand next to her, not disturbing a single item in the process.

“I swear, the coach stables are charging more and more to take in our horses and wagon,” Sherrinford declared in Common. Over the years, the two of them had taught each other their native languages but still found it easier to communicate in Common, a language they had known almost as long as their own.

“It’s practically robbery, those prices,” Sherrinford grumbled, not noticing the exasperated look his companion was giving him for scaring away a potential customer. Fatima’s look morphed into one of barley concealed glee and amusement when the tall man pulled out a jangling pouch with a grin and shook it discretely at her.

“Oh, tell me you didn’t,” she said, laughter in her voice. Sherrinford’s grin widened as he hid the pouch back on his person, nodding happily. “At least tell me you didn’t take it off the stable owner, like you did in that city in southern Arome. The guards where on us in a blink.” Fatima didn’t bring up how the guards had been just as much her fault but Sherrinford’s knowing look meant he remembered.

“No, took it off some blowhard merchant who was leaving when I came in. Figured, since we’ve already taken care of our, ah, other business but were going to be in town while we figured out where to go next I should do something to keep the skills sharp,” Sherrinford admitted. “Still, it covered for the few extra days of stabling fees nicely, with some left over.”

Fatima’s reply was cut off when a young man came over to the stall, looking critically at some of their wares. While Fatima smiled pleasantly at the customer, Sherrinford’s previously grinning face shifted into something he probably hoped was neutral but was more of a scowl. Discreetly, Fatima elbowed Sherrinford and he tried to smile at the customer himself, although if the young man’s face was anything to go by it had come off more as a baring of teeth. With only a few stuttered questions about prices, nervous glances cast at Sherrinford the whole time, the young man took off without buying anything.

“Oh honestly,” Fatima said in frustration, giving Sherrinford a light thump on the shoulder. Sherrinford just looked embarrassed and rubbed dramatically at the spot she hit while she continued on. “I’ve seen you practically con people out of the cloths on their back but ask you to act friendly to a stranger off the job and you act like someone’s pulling your teeth.”

“I’ll do better with the next one,” Sherrinford declared, although without much conviction, considering how often that sort of thing happened.

“No, you’ll go get us some lunch, I don’t need you chasing off anymore business” Fatima said, pointing a stern figure at him. “Besides,” she added with a smug grin, “you’re the one who just came into some extra cash earlier. So go on, fetch some lunch”

“Alright, alright, I’m going. Enough with the dog jokes already,” Sherrinford groused, although he was fighting down a smile at the old joke. With a wave, he made his way around the stall and into the bustling crowd in front.

“That barley counted as a dog joke,” Fatima called to his retreating back, laughter in her voice. With a fond shake of her head, Fatima turned her attention back to the matter at hand, smiling welcomingly as another person made their way over to the stall.

@DalphiaRose @Ghostil @Mypilot @nettledbird

((I'm gonna have Jack and Marea meet up as soon as possible so I'm not jumping all over the place. lol))

The river water was cool against Marea's skin, the clear water gliding over her pale fingers and holding tiny glimmers of the sun in each ripple. With each minuscule wave, the black that stained her fingers was taken downstream, where it would get lost in the rapidly growing width of the river.

The water did more than clean the coal dust off Marea's skin; it cleansed her mind and allowed her to gather her thoughts for the coming days. It had been only a month since she left Eld'ser, but already she was missing the familiar waters that her home land had supplied. The river was indeed the same in Torom, but it didn't settle her growing tensions quite as well as it did.

Marea leaned over the crystalline water, looking at her appearance in the reflection. Despite being punctuated by the shimmering glimpses of the sun, the girl looking back at her was indeed Marea. Her once vibrant blue hair was hidden beneath lairs of coal. It had taken all morning, but the effort wasn't wasted. At least like this, those living within the city were least likely to suspect her as being a Draden. They might question her too-bright eyes, but she need only speak to erase such thoughts.

Resolving herself to the duty at hand, Marea finally rose from the riverside. She often went to the forest to keep her distance from the overcrowded streets of the city, but it was time to return. The sun was high in the sky, meaning the trade district of Torom was in full gear. What better a time to buy needed supplies than when all the stalls were open? By now the merchants had been selling long enough to lower prices, but it was still early in the day to get the good stuff.

Grabbing her empty bag, neat leather dyed a dark brown and sewn into a circular shape, and headed towards Torom. Hopefully she could get by without incident.


Jack ripped his cape out of the thorns, his teeth clenched in anger. "Oh, for the love of-" he growled, as if the prickly ******** could hear him. Over the week the cape had proved more trouble than it was worth, getting caught on nearly every surface imaginable. Jack was amazed it managed to hold shape when the damned wind blew by.

The path Jack had taken to managed to only worsen as he carried on, although he knew he was growing closer to Torom. Smoke could be seen past the trees, a give-away to the popular city's location.

"'Go to Torom,' they said. 'Lots of jobs, and the women are good.'" Jack spat out each word in a mocking tone, figuring he'd at least give the animals a show. The drunk fools back in Arome had promised him the good life, but who knew Jack would have to walk through hell and high waters to get there. He'd have to stay a whole year just to make up for all the grievances along the way.

Finally, just as Jack was beginning to think he'd never reach the city, the trees parted and the walls of Torom blossomed into view. He still had a small ways to go, the city just past a little clearing. Still, at least he had something to look at.

As Jack drew closer, he distinguished the faces of the guards standing on either side of the gates. They certainly didn't have friendly faces, but the familiar tanned skin of the Toromins at least kept his sanity in check. The last thing Jack needed was to have gone to the wrong city.

"Greetings," he called out, once he was in range of the men. His voice was far too friendly for his liking, but people liked friendly. The guard closest to Jack, standing off to his right, turning forward and sized him up.

"What brings you to Torom?" he asked, reciting the question he'd likely said countless times before. His eyes, wrinkled at the edges, stared into Jack's very being as if trying to see the evil that was in him.

"Passing through." Jack offered a smile, feeling less than pleased at getting a guard who seemingly only spoke Common, a language Jack was mediocre in at best. "I'm from Arome and I need new things." He likely sounded like a child, piecing together words he recalled learning from the people he met on his travels. It was enough to get by, but not to sound educated.

The guard looked as if Jack had answered a question that hadn't been asked. "Aroman," he replied, easing up on the tough guy voice. "Try not to cause trouble."

With that little bit of advice, the guard stepped back to his post and allowed Jack through wordlessly, his looking away all the permission Jack needed.

Passing through the gates was like stepping into another world, the buildings opening up before Jack like a a forest of stone and wood climbing ever higher into the sky. Finally, Jack thought, letting out a sigh and confidently walking through the streets. Torom.

@Balrier @DalphiaRose @Mypilot @nettledbird

((Okay, so. First off, sorry for the delay. I ended up having a massive headache and couldn't do much yesterday (plus storms) so this is a bit delayed.
Secondly, please, please only write what you are comfortable writing. I know my posts are long and I, again, apologize for that. I hope I can trim them down as time goes down and I get back into the groove of writing in group settings xD;

That said, I have these two splitting up. Feel free to do something to interact with them! I also have a sort of fun festival plan going on that I'll be working out over the next few days, it's mostly just a 'buy stuff and have fun' idea at the moment, but. Depending on your opinions on the thing I posted in the ooc thread, there might be more.

Again, sorry for the delay and I'll work on getting everything up asap now that I should have more time to focus on my writing! ))

It was not long before the duo left the stall with a new bag in tow. Aelon had taken up the task of searching for any sign that the old merchant had ripped them off for the purchase, seeing as she had been forbidden by the giant standing over her shoulder to touch anything.
He had a right to be tense, she supposed. Even though Torom was a country of mixed cultures and races, there was always a disdain for those that were different. It was often like walking on hot coals, dealing with people. Even Yeret, at one time, had looked at her with anger and disgust in his eyes. Aelon would openly admit that she deserved the animosity back then, though. And even now, she was not totally faultless for the anger thrown her way when she decided to amuse herself by watching those around her squirm.

When she was satisfied with her conclusion that the bag was made of good quality, she pulled its strap over her head and let it rest side-by-side with her other. She would concern herself with the task of moving her belongings to the new bag when they had time to stop.
"Should we stop and to get something to eat?" Yeret asked her.
She shook her head, giving him a skeptical sideways glance from the corner of her eyes. "We do not have much money to spend, Yeret. We might as well get back on the road and make camp." She said in a slightly condescending tone.
Yeret smirked, tapping his coin pouch. It made a solid enough sound, which gave her pause. "The merchant we guarded on the way here gave us a hefty tip. We've enough to rent a pair of rooms for the night and get a hot meal."

Aelon looked up at her companion, dumbfounded. It took her a few moments of walking in silence before she straightened her posture, regaining her composure. "And how much will we have afterward?" She asked. It was Yeret's turn to pause, and she waved a hand in the air dismissively at him, silencing whatever excuse he was about to cook up.
"What should happen if one of us should be injured and require the aid of a healer? Or maybe be forced to stay in another town due to some natural occurrence that would be out of our hands? I am glad we have more coin than you initially informed me of," she shot a pointed glance his way, "but that does not, by any means, mean we should go spending what we have left and right."

Yeret did not reply for some time. They took up passing by the stalls, making their way through the maze-like streets of the city for some time. He was the one that broke the silence, pointing to one of the stalls.
"Look, it looks like they are setting up booths for some sort of festival." He said. "We can afford to spend one night here, especially if we spend the time looking for a client headed toward Eld'ser. Something to keep your mind distracted from the upcoming meeting with your folks."

Aelon shot him a vicious glare, grinding to a halt in the middle of the street to turn and face him. "Mind the line, Yeret. You are overstepping your boundaries." She snapped. Yeret stopped, turning to face her. It annoyed her that he was not fazed by her anger, which only made the call of her fire magic that much stronger. She clenched her teeth together, feeling her canines bite into her gums as she did so.
"You're nervous. You've every right to be. However, you get more stuck up than normal when you are nervous, and it makes working with you unbearable. We can afford to take a day off." He insisted, keeping his tone level and calm. He always had to be the voice of reason, and knew her tells to the point it made it easy for him to get under her skin.

Yet, she knew there was no point in arguing with him. The last time she had insisted on pushing past his idea of a 'break' and dismissed him, he had made it so she couldn't leave. Even if he was a commoner by her family's standards, the man had connections in places she couldn't begin to fathom. He had had her locked up for a night in jail instead, and walked in the next morning with a smirk.
Granted, she had also thrown a plate at someone's head and had knocked them out before she had been arrested, and he had used that to deny all involvement in her arrest, but.
And he was right, she could feel the anxiety of the overbearing weight of expectations that every Draden had to live up to in order to make their family proud. It was part of why she had insisted on studying in Arome, to get away from the pressure they had placed on her shoulders. Besides, she did honestly enjoy living with the mixed bloods there, even if her parents would consider them no better than savages.

She gave a sigh, turning her eyes away from him. "It appears they are celebrating the end of the Great War." She stated. She could see the grin that spread on his face out of the corner of her sight, and she grumbled under her breath as she started walking again. "As well as mourning all that lost their lives during it. I wonder if they will include everyone, though."
"Only one way to find out." Yeret said, obviously proud of himself as he fell into step behind her.

Aelon ignored him, turning her eyes to take in the colorful decorations that consumed the area. They were hung on the sides of the buildings around them, draping down to hook onto the stalls that were slowly filling with goods specifically for the festival. People were busy at work to set up the streets of the northern side of the market, weaving around the consumers as they bustled to and from the rest of the merchant trades. No doubt by sundown the entire market district would be consumed in festive decorations for the celebration, adding the length of time for the merchants to sell their goods well past the normal sundown curfew.
What had she gotten herself into?

"We should find an inn to stay at before the rooms are all taken, if they aren't already." Yeret said. She nodded, turning back to him. "You go do that, I will stay here and look for anything we might need for our travels." She replied.
Yeret grabbed his money pouch, drawing out a few coins from it before he held it out to her. She shook her head, nodding to his hand with the few gold pieces in it, holding her hand out for them. "If you think I am grumpy now, you do not want to see me after sleeping in a bug-infested bed. You might need more than you anticipated if you have to outbid someone for decent rooms."
He nodded, dropping the coin into her hand and tying the pouch back to his sword belt. "Try not to cause an uproar. I'll be back in a bit. Don't stray too far, eh?" He said as he walked backwards. She lifted her eyebrows as he bumped into someone and immediately spun around, apologizing profusely in Common to the person. He dipped his head to them, and then turned to do the same to Aelon, before walking off toward the one area of the city not lined by merchant stalls.

She turned, muttering under her breath of the clumsy oaf and questioning just how she had gotten stuck with him as her traveling companion. Aelon continued toward one end of street, navigating around what appeared to be a peasant girl and her donkey at one of the stalls as she made her way down the row and eyeing the goods that were laid out on display for medicinal supplies, specifically.
If Yeret was starting one of his klutz kicks, they would need a lot.

“Welcome,” Fatima said with a pleasant smile at the young woman that came up to her stall. As the other woman began to look over the wares the stall had to offer, Fatima gave her a critical once over. The wear on her clothes and the dust the covered her all indicted intense and what was most likely long travel. Glancing at the donkey the woman had tied up outside, Fatima noticed it was a sturdy and well cared for beast, probably a farm animal. So, her new customer certainly wasn’t from the city, probably from some of the farmland further inland. After a moment of thought, Fatima realized her best angle if she wanted to make a sale was to highlight how useful her products could be.

“Anything you’re looking for in particular?” Fatima asked, reaching for a stack of colorful cloth on a shelf nearby. “I’ve got some lovely blankets, all the way from Seraek. Very warm, very sturdy material.” The short woman unfolded the blanket with a flourish to show off its bright colors and intricate geometric patterns. “Got some pots from Eld’ser and some lovely fabric from Arome. Make some very good clothes with that if you’ve got the talent for it. Little bit of everything from everywhere really.”

~*~*~

Making his way through the crowds in relaxed pace, Sherrinford kept an eye on the stalls around him, looking out for one that was selling something appetizing. If he surreptitiously took a sniff at the air on occasion, hoping to scent something appealing, well, it certainly wasn’t his fault that particular sense could be more reliable at times then some of his others. Eventually the man was rewarded with the smell of fresh bread in the distance. That, along with some fruit and a small round of cheese from one of the local vendor should make for a filling enough lunch. Both he and Fatima, with all the time they spent on the road, were generally used to something small and quick for a noonday meal anyway.

As he made his way further into the market, he noticed an increase in the market’s normal bustle. Paying a bit more attention to his immediate surroundings he noticed people putting up decorations. Sherrinford stopped for a moment in confusion but a slight grin soon broke across his face when he remembered the local festival to celebrate the end of the Great War. Well, that certainly offered an opportunity for fun. Fatima wouldn’t take a lot of convincing to close up shop a bit early so they could have a bit of fun, they’d been working hard enough lately and had been on the road for a while before that.

With that cheerful thought in mind, Sherrinford continued on his way to baker’s stall he had sniffed out. Sherrinford’s good mood even stopped him from taking the coin purse off the giant of a man he bumped into in the crowd, although he did make note of him in case they crossed paths again. No point in passing up such a full coin purse twice. He waved the man’s apologies with what almost counted as a smile and went back to his task.

@Balrier @DalphiaRose @Ghostil @Mypilot
(Sorry this took a bit, I've been busy with work and honestly had a bit of a hard time coming up with something write. Oh, Ghostil, hope you don't mind what I did with Sherrinford at the end there, I can change it if you do.)

@Mypilot @DalphiaRose @Ghostil @Nettledbird

The leering guards at the gates of the great city were precisely were Marea had left them, but in the time it had taken her to darken her hair the festival decorations had already been set up. Most were still in the process, as the festival didn't start til well into the evening, but already Torom looked much more lively.

Some faces Marea saw were friendly, people with whom she'd shared a smile with while shopping for the necessities. Others were unfamiliar, mouths set in grim lines as they did their best to keep what coin they had well in their pocket.

The air was cool on Marea's skin, each breeze bringing with it scents of food and perfumes. The Draden closed her eyes and took in all the smells of this city, only being reminded of her abandoned home. She was better here anyway.

"Well aren't you a lovely lady!"

Marea turned, the voice surprisingly loud in her ear, and was startled to see a Toromin man so close to her. He smiled, but that did little to hide the cruel look that seemed to naturally rest on his face. He held nothing in his hands, but Marea immediately felt fearful of his presence.

"Uh, yes, thank you," she replied quietly, trying to slip by him without touching him. Her plan failed, however, as he slipped an arm out to grab at her shoulder. His smile only broadened, still never quite reaching his eyes.

"Oh, you're quite welcome." His breathe on her was uncomfortable, his hand feeling sticky against the leather of her chest piece. His eyes were quick to take in all of her, making Marea nauseous.


Jack sidled away from a loud man, hollering out his wares in Jack's face. He never understood how people could stand to be so close to one another, their unwashed bodies stinking up the place. It was just dreadful.

"Flowers, sir?" A small girl, looking ready to abandon her post and check out the few things already set up for the festival, spoke to him from a stall. A variety of flowers were arranged with care in baskets and tied together in pretty bouquets.

Seeing her expression, Jack stepped up to the stall. "Actually, yes," he replied with a smile. He pulled out far too many coins and handed them to her. Her face lit up, surprised, and she looked at Jack wide eyed. "I think I'd like...this one." He pulled out a bouquet of yellow and purple flowers, each scented wonderfully.

After a brief farewell (and the avoidance of getting his coin back), Jack disappeared into the crowd. He kept the flowers pressed to his chest, not wanting to immediately ruin them. He wasn't entirely sure what he'd do with them, but at least he'd made someones day.

It was in his search for a stall to spend his money on that he spotted a girl in a fairly uncomfortable situation. She was pressed into a wall, a sneering man unusually close to her. She kept her eyes on the ground, but her tense standing told Jack all he needed to know.

Brandishing the flowers like a weapon, Jack burrowing through the crowd without taking his eyes off the sketchy man.


Her discomfort was overwhelming, but Marea knew what she had to do. There was no way she was just going to sit there and let that man press ever closer to her.

Looking him dead in the eye, Marea opened her mouth and spoke. "Go." Immediately, his stature changed. His eyes, glazed over, seemed to stare into space.

"W-What?" he asked, seemingly not even speaking to her.

"Leave. Don't look back. Touch no one as you go."

The man hesitated before turning in the other direction, his steps hurried and direct. Marea remained tense until he was out of her vision, but she was immediately startled by a human boy jumping out of the crowd with a battle cry, before halting suddenly.

"Oh," he said dumbly, staring at the spot where the man was. Then he looked at her, his face relaxing. "Are you alright?"

Marea nodded, glancing away only briefly. "Yes, are you?'