• Event • Through the Fire and the Flames [Ymiden Seasonal - Group 1]

[Oracle]

75th of Ymiden, Arc 718

It was a warm Ymiden trial within the Azurewind Market. Saun was fast approaching and everyone within Rharne could feel it. The purveyors of the market stalls were preparing to close up for the day while the square remained packed with patrons attempting to make last minute purchases.

Azurewind Market was one of the most secure locations in Rharne. The Merchant’s Guild paid handsomely to ensure that the area was under guard during all breaks of operation. There was always a very palpable presence of Lightning Knights in the area, guarding the north and south entrances at a minimum if not actively patrolling the square.

There were even young boys and girls paid to keep the area swept and clean that could be seen hanging around the steep walls surrounding the market. You could buy almost anything you wished here, from newly crafted weapons or pets or clothes. Everything had a place somewhere in Azurewind.

Although there was indeed something or someone that was out of place to-trial, a group of robed men and women who appeared to be Aukari in appearance clung toward the edges of the market. Their faces were mostly obscured with cowls but tufts of red hair could be seen peeking out in places. The robed people spoke softly together in little tight knit circles while mostly ignoring the shoppers milling about the area.

It was odd to be sure, and the group earned a few cold looks from the merchants but there was little to be done about the loiters until they did something to disturb the peace.

However it didn’t take long before the peace was jarringly and violently disturbed…

The robed figures knelt down and pulled several small palm sized packages from the fabric of their clothes and tossed them into the crowd. There was a subtle hissing sound as the objects rolled forward beneath the feet of patrons and merchants alike. Men, women, and children walked past the hissing balls without a second glance in such a busy place.

It happened quickly and brutally as flames exploded with such force throughout the Azurewind Market that the namesake indigo banners hanging above the square were blown off their awnings and into the distance. Screams broke out across the area as limbs were blown off bodies and skin was scorched with flames. The objects the robed individuals had thrown into the crowd had been bombs…

The scene in the market had been transformed from a normal day into that of slaughter within mere trills. Wounded and dead were everywhere, as blood pooled along the flagstones of the square. The stench of burning flesh clung to the air. At that moment the remaining Knights in the market shot into action along with a few passing Priestesses.
A familiar face too many Thunder Priestesses, Karliah Strier had been passing by the Azurewind Market that day when explosions had rocked the plaza. The scarlet headed woman was garbed in her customary armor and armed to the teeth, clearly heading out on a Priestess mission before being subverted from her task.

“Whoever is still standing, get to me!” She roared in her thick Rharnian accent as she ran through the decimated square to stand opposite a half dozen of the robed Aukari.

The Thunder Priestess took a stand between the exits and half a dozens of the robed terrorists.

"Oh you aren't going anywhere." she hissed.

One of the cloaked individuals stepped forward and pulled back his cowl, revealing a handsome face with green eyes and a swathe of should length red hair.

"The Ring goes where it pleases. Now move, or you will be moved."

!	Message from: Oracle
	Welcome everyone to the Ymiden Seasonal Event! Please pm me if you have not signed up and you would still like to join. I will allow late admissions until my second post! Current Participants Nir Arlo Lyn Questions You may all ask meonequestion apiece about your surroundings prior to the bombs going off that you can use in your post. Posting Schedule I will post again in roughly one week (7/3)

[Arlo Creede]

Arlo hated Saun. It wasn't Saun quite yet, but it was close enough and so hot that it might as well have been. And it was enough for him. Vega had chosen a light weight dress that flowed around her as she walked around the market. And it probably helped. It wasn't exactly an option for him however.

And he was armed as well as ever besides. Both of them had learned the hard way that it never paid to go anywhere without being prepared for anything and everything. She'd gone one way with her father by her side, and Arlo had gone another. Without saying a word about it, aloud, he'd sent Lyova to keep an eye on her. Distance didn't make the difference so far as communicating with his diri. Miles away was no different than up close and personal.

Having grown up in Rharne, he rembered this particular market well. His mother had sold eggs here sometimes. His father had sold bags of raw wool or new lambs. And he'd run wild for the most part, earning plenty of scoldings from any number of adults who were trying to keep their stalls in order. The place had everything. It was nice to see that nothing had changed and he was looking for a new cast iron pan and a few other items he'd been meaning to pick up.

But Vega was never far from his thoughts, and now and again Arlo would look through or over the heads of the crowd, looking for that telltale crown of red hair. Oddly, it was unusual in fact, he caught quite a few glimpses of red hair that weren't hers. Aukari? They must be, Arlo figured. Rharne wasn't known for a redheaded human population. To see so much of it in one place all at once was unusual. He'd frowned curiously, and just started to wonder, considering the robes and cowls, when things went to pieces.

Things came apart in the worst way they could have, considering what he and Vega had been through before. He'd missed the hissing and rolling objects since he hadn't been near where they'd rolled in. But he couldn't miss the explosion of flames, the screams, the panicked market goers scattering in ever direction. And his first thought as he turned and took it all in? "Vega!" It was the first and only thing on his mind as he immediately moved towards the spot where he'd seen her last. "Vega!"

Arlo couldn't ignore those he came across however that needed immediate help. A woman's skirts had caught fire and he grabbed a folded blanket from a stall, threw it over her where she'd crumpled to the ground and smothered the flames best he could. He grabbed a child that was running into the carnage looking for his mother, turned him around by the shoulders and told him, "Go home, I bet your mother will find you there." All while searching for Vega.

Truth was he would have ignored the rallying call of the priestess in favor of finding Vega. But as fate would have it, the line of cloaked figures were blocking his path, the way to the place where he'd last seen her and her father. He cursed, not necessarily under his breath as one of the men pulled his hood back. The Ring? Well, that was familiar. Maybe that face and voice was too, or maybe it wasn't. All he knew for sure was that this wasn't the first time.

"Mistral not enough for you?" Arlo said as he joined the priestess, his sword in easy reach and his pistol shortbow, easier, quicker and already loaded just in case. Meanwhile, he looked the men over and took a visual tally of swords, bows or both among them all.

[Lynessa]

“We’re supposed to be training at least a dozen squires and initiates right now, you know,” Leth reminded for the second time, giving her his infamous scowl. And they had only been waiting the Cathedral for like… ten bits at most. The knight was already standing in his armor, like her, his bow and quiver strapped to his back. “We’re late.”

The brown-haired young woman rolled her eyes. He wasn’t wrong though, they were supposed to do some training. Leth with her bow and Lynessa with the daggers strapped to her waist. “Those kids can wait a little bit. Besides, it’ll teach them a bit about patience.”

Her stormbringer raised an eyebrow at her, a small smirk forming on his lips. “Seemed like you must have missed those lessons.” Before she could give him a comeback, the man straightened at the sight of something behind her shoulder. “There.”

Swiveling on her feet, the young woman sought for the shade of red that was the air of the senior priestess. “Sister Karliah!” She ran over to her side, Leth following closely behind.

Lynessa had actually spent weeks trying to get ahold of her. The older woman was always busy unfortunately, being one of the most respected priestesses around. Lynessa wanted to discuss and work out Naera’s training and she didn’t know who else to go to. Her Zephyrus had become increasing active – not to mention growing in an alarming rate – and that meant a lot of the furniture at her room was destroyed in order for Naera to release all that energy.

“Sister Lynessa,” Karliah greeted with a nod to her and Leth. She didn’t pause her strides, but didn’t dismiss them either. “It’s been a while since I have seen you. How are you? How is Naera?”

“I’m great, really. Naera is fine, too fine maybe. She’s been getting even more energetic lately, painfully so. Surprisingly, we get along really well.”

“She had not bitten your hand off so that is always a good sign.”

Lynessa laughed. Maybe not bitten off, but the priestess couldn’t even count how many scratches she has suffered. “I actually still have no idea what I am doing. Do you think it is time for her to learn combat or the hunt on her own? I was hoping that I might train her with you and Vabina, or perhaps at least force you to give me a few more tricks about raising a Zephyrus.”

“Of course,” the older woman offered as they descended down the stairs that cut through all of Rharne. They must be close to the Earth Quarters by now. “I’ll be more than happy to train with you once I’ve returned. We can–”

Karliah never got to finish her sentence. Not when an earth-shaking explosion through the air. To the south of them. The screams came next. Panicked, terrified screams. The world stilled for a moment as everything went quiet… the universe taking a breath in unison.

The older priestess was the first to moved, dashing towards the source of the commotion. Lynessa and Leth followed suit, their training kicking in. There wasn’t much thinking involved, just pounding hearts and pumping legs. She honed to deal with chaos, to wrestle it down and that’s what they needed to do. They sprinted through the crowd, people who were running away or just standing still in shock. The patrolling knights were already doing job, ushering them away to safety, trying to quell the madness.

Soon it dawned on Lynessa that the explosion had come from Azurewind Market, the blue awnings giving the location away. The place was always packed with citizens and merchants… There was no telling how bad things could be with an explosion going off.

Smoke and fire slammed into her face as soon as she walked into the market. For a moment, the young priestess faltered, letting Karliah go ahead for a split tic. The coldness of fear creeped around her heart slowly. But then she felt Leth’s hand on her back, urging her forward.

“Come on, Lyn. You can do it,” he murmured softly, leading her. “We need to stop these people before they hurt another person.”

The priestess straightened and continued her run. He was right. She was being irrational.

Fortunately, she was soon given something else to focus on. Half a dozen of hooded figures standing in their way. One took the lead and took off the fabrics covering his face. A male with flaming red hair and green eyes. And just like that, the young woman felt the surge of adrenaline flushing into her veins. She pulled out her daggers, gripping them in her hands as Leth strung his bow.

“The Ring goes where it pleases. Now move, or you will be moved.”

Lynessa had been itching for her a fight for so long. For the entire season she had followed one trail to another, all pointing toward a group of Aukari with intentions of ruining her city. These people… the young woman spared a look to her surroundings. Injured bodies surrounded them, some still wailing, others were eerily quiet. In the young priestesses eyes, these victims were no different from her father. Innocents hurt by these monsters.

She looked at Sister Karliah, awaiting her lead. For now.

[Nir'wei]

The last time he'd walked down these streets, it'd been with a wolf at his side, snarling and biting at anyone who came near, even in the thick of the crowds. Back then he'd found it embarrassing, awkward and humiliating, to be chaperoned and coddled like a babe in swaddling. Then again, back then he had been; his illness had turned most away before they even saw the wolf, and had made escape from Greyhide's attention all but impossible, no matter how much he protested. Now he walked with three, and honestly, it felt even worse. He'd tried to take his mind off it with idle conversation, but the topic always came back to the same issues, one which Greyhide would not be swayed on and even then, the other two did not have the luxury of dematerialising. Nor would they leave. Wolves were pack animals at heart, and like it or not, he had become a member of that pack. They would not abandon him, not willingly, not without physically restraining them, or forcing commands upon them that would jeopardise the trust he had spent seasons already building.

Greyhide walked to his left, just within arm's reach. Cold trotted ahead and to his right, with Myrth the furthest up ahead, clearing the path with none-too-subtle nudges and shoves to the passers-by, but with nary a noise or a raise of her heckles in response to the occasional angry yell or reflexive shove back. Myrth always did have a talent for self-restraint. It didn't stop the angry or confused looks raised at Nir'wei as he walked in the middle of it all. Not even the stores would let him inside, not with them; even leaving them outside, the store-owners would complain they were scaring away business. It felt like they'd been walking for breaks before he finally conceded. "This was a bad idea, let's just turn home." To think he'd actually taken the effort to dress up for a nice day at the market, too. A fresh white shirt with minimal staining, long trousers that made his legs sweat but hid his scars nicely; for the first time in a long time, he even wore his sword at his side. An ornamental piece, to be sure, especially with the fine cords wrapped in intricate patterns around the hilt and sheath to peace-bond it, but he liked to think it added a little more weight to his figure. All wasted now.

As he walked to the edge of the square, it struck. The first strike was the ringing in his ears; the second, heat against his back, boiling hot, like he'd turned his back on the sun itself. The flames never reached him, not with the bodies in the way, but he saw what they did. He caught glimpses in the corners of his eyes, always out of focus but never out of view. Charred corpses blackened like overcooked spit-pigs. Remains of people or buildings, he couldn't tell. The ashes of the dead mingled, turning what remained of the market into a mass grave. He covered his mouth with one sleeve to avoid inhaling the dust and smoke, but the smell was everywhere.

"We have to go!" It was Greyhide, tugging him back, teeth sunk into the waistband of his trousers and forcefully trying to carry him away. Cold was a mess, unsure whether to growl or whine at the screaming people running past to escape the flames, the Lightning Knight patrols emerging to handle the situation.

On any other day, in most situations, he would have wholeheartedly agreed. The sword at his side was nothing more than a prop to give the illusion of safety for himself, and the illusion of preparedness to any enemies. His bow and quiver lay back in his camp, at the outskirts of the city some many breaks away. But he wiped the soot and tears away from his streaming eyes, and he saw what looked to be a Thunder Priestess confronting a whole swathe of robed men, screaming a rallying cry, readying herself. If the city was under attack, they needed to act now. Killing people was one thing, but... setting fire to an entire marketplace, burning the buyers and sellers and passing visitors so indiscriminately... this was the work of true monsters. Those who deserved absolutely nothing better than to be hunted down like the filthy vermin they were.

He could sense the refusal in Greyhide but he shoved it down. His spirit companion Archailist wordlessly rebuked him for such recklessness, but it fell on deaf ears. His anger had been roused, and as others added themselves to the fray, siding themselves with the Priestess, he understood what needed to be done. Wordlessly he unbuckled his sword and shoved it towards Greyhide. More refusal. He shoved it again, harder this time; his mind had been made, he would not be coerced and he needed absolute trust on this. Reluctance. If he didn't make a stand, then he would not only be abandoning his duty as a member of Isonomia, but doing the greatest disservice to the city of Rharne, to a place he owed so much. Acceptance. Greyhide's teeth snagged on the bindings of his sword and severed them, breaking the peace-bond. He hoped the authorities wouldn't mind in this case. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Stalk them. Use the smoke around the outside of the market for cover, get behind them if at all possible, wait for the command and attack from behind. Go for the legs, then go for the throats." Greyhide took the orders and with a few sharp barks, Cold and Myrth followed, spreading out around to the left and the right while Nir'wei took his undrawn longsword in both hands and took up position with the Thunder Priestess, blocking the exits with as wide a stance as he could make. 'Move or you will be moved', he'd heard them command, as if they had any authority. Well, he had something to say back to them. "Take a step and lose your leg," Nir'wei spat back. "Raise a hand and lose an arm." Not the time to be trading quips, as they stood upon the rubble that had once been the market square, but any time bought for Greyhide, Cold and Myrth, the better.

[/center]

[Oracle]

Everything was steeped in chaos. An acrid smoke swam through the air, making onlooker’s eyes burn and sting. The bombs had been made by some sort of alchemy and the rancid stench of chemicals remained behind long after the grenades had done their work.

Three men and three women stood in black cowls just mere feet from the defenders. Karliah had taken the lead for the moment, taking point before settling into a low defensive stance. The Thunder Priestesses of Rharne were famed for their prowess in unarmed combat, and Karliah Strier was no exception. A crooked smile tugged at the corners of her lips as Lynessa, Leth, Nir’wei, and Arlo Creede took up arms beside her. The odds were now evenly matched, especially when one considered the pack of wolves circling behind the Aukari right at that that very moment.
Arlo ‘Mistral not enough for you?’

The leader smirked, a look of recognition dawning over his features.

“Heh, you were there weren’t you. You and that wench.” The handsome Aukari with emerald green eyes gave a twisted smile at Arlo, whilst nodding in the direction of Vega. “Maybe I’ll pay her a visit when I’m done with you.” There was an implied meaning in his words that was unable to be ignored, especially by Arlo.

Arlo would not be given long to consider what the man had said before the assailant unsheathed a fine coppery blade from the belt at his waist. Three rings artistically encircled the hilt creating an interlocking insignia that must belong to the Ring of Fire.

The aukari leader wasted no time and lunged forward with the grace of a fencing master, making a diagonal slice at Arlo, aiming for his heart.
Nir’wei The three wolves rounded the rest of the robed figures, hiding in a shroud of smoke as they approached under the cover of stealth. The pack had hunted difficult quarry before, but they were suddenly faced with something somewhat unexpected. The scent of another canine would fill their nostrils and set their hair to bristling. This was no mere wolf, but something else and the scent came from a strange fetish hanging from the neck of a robed red haired woman standing at the side of the leader. A massive black wolf’s paw hung there on a leather cord around her neck. There was something strange about the woman, she seemed less Aukari and more Sev’ryn with darker coppery skin that matched Nir’wei’s own. But why would a Sev’ryn be there among the terrorists?

“Loang courouj.” She uttered almost reverently at Nir’wei before she leapt into action.

Within trills of the leader attacking Arlo, the woman snapped around toward the wolf pack, sniffing the air as if she could smell them. An inhuman growl crept out of her throat before suddenly her eyes began to glow and her form began to change. She seemed to take a moment to focus on the item hanging from her neck before she shifted into the shape of a Kathor…one of the Shadowhounds. The other robed terrorists shied away from her as the metamorphosis took place. It seemed that she was a Becomer of some skill and had shifted into the form of the massive black wolf in trills. The Kathor body she now inhabited stood easily to four and a half feet at the shoulder, and she was eight feet in length. The beast that she had taken as her totem must have been at least five hundred pounds.

The Kathor Becomer lurched out with a wild snarl at Cold, going for what she guessed to be the weakest of the group while slamming her immense lower body toward the other two canines, hoping to knock them off balance.

For the moment her back was to Nir’wei.

Off Topic

Loang courouj : Wolf brother

Lynessa/Leth "Stand together, and drive them out!”Karliah shouted as she, her fellow priestess and her Liason were faced with the four remaining robed terrorists.

Before the older Thunder Priestess attacked though she placed two fingers to her lips and whistled loud and sharply toward the sky. The piercing sound was carried out into the skies of Rharne and in the direction of the Sky Quarter there was the echoing reply of a roar. Vabina the Zephyrus was on her way.

Two of the robed terrorists squared off against Leth and Lynessa. It was a man and a woman, both appeared to be pale faced Aukari. The man had a sallow appearance and stringy crimson locks but his frail appearance was more than made up for by the belt of vials and presumbly flammable containers at his waist. This was likely the Alchemist that had made the bombs that had torn Azurewind Market to shreds. The man unclasped a red vial and a green tinged glass vial from his belt and instantly tossed the green one at Leth’s feet. At first Leth might suspect the substance to be benign as nothing immediately happened. The glass shattered and lime green liquid splattered the flagstones beneath his armored boots.

Without warning the exposed skin of Leth’s face would begin to burn with an unbearable pain, his eyes feeling as though they had been doused in acid from the fumes rising from the bright green liquid. Lynessa was unaffected so long as she didn’t breathe in the fumes near him.

“There there, take care of your lover boy.” The woman cackled, patting the Alchemist on the shoulder, who then spoke. “He’ll be lucky if he can see the sunrise tomorrow little priestess.”

Karliah was entrenched in combat a dozen paces to Lynessa’s right as she battled to hold off two terrorists armed with daggers. Her arms were nicked and peppered with cuts but she seemed to be holding her ground for now.

Regardless, Lynessa was now on her own.

!	Message from: Oracle
	Current Participants Nir Arlo Lyn Questions You may all ask me two questions about your opponents or your surroundings if you wish. Posting Schedule I will post again in roughly one week (7/13)

[Arlo Creede]

The air in and around the marketplace in the wake of what happened, while it was still happening, stunk of burned organic materials of all sorts, and something more...medicinal or even unnatural.

But the smell and the sting of it in his eyes were the least of Arlo's concerns. First and foremost there was Vega. But these half dozen or more men who'd done it, were between him an and her. One of the men in particular, and Arlo recognized him. Keeping his pistol crossbow trained on the man, first concealed then out into the open in his hand, Arlo's jaw tightened in response to the man's words.

Oh, he got the man's meaning but he wouldn't be led into looking away. Instead, his gaze bore straight into the other man's eyes. "I'd say if you lay a finger on her, I'll pull your entrails out through your eye sockets. But she'd never give the chance. She'd beat me to it." Suffice to say, between him and Vega, either or both of them would kill anyone that put a hand on her. Arlo fired his pistol crossbow the trill that the man's hand twitched on the way to his blade. He was in fact aiming at the man's hand.

Either way then it was no killing shot and Arlo didn't intend it to be. Immediately after firing he stretched out his arm, fist forward. On that hand he wore a ring that when activated would capture an incoming opponent in a prison made of earth, if only for a handful of trills. Plenty, Arlo hoped, for him to draw his sword and place the very tip at the man's throat.

[Lynessa]

Two people. A man and a woman. Her eyes scanned her opponents swiftly, noting things that might be useful in a fight. She was thought that way, to learn about your enemies as close as you could before attacking. They were both pale and redheaded and Lynessa found her vision going red for the briefest moment. These people had killed innocents, not caring about who might be in their way. The torn limbs scattered about the street was enough prove of that.

The man caught her eyes first. He didn’t seem remarkable in stature, but the colorful vials that lined his clothes were more than enough to make her worried. She had no idea what any of them was but she knew that she would prefer never to find out. Unfortunately, the man moved fast. Before she knew it, a green vial flew towards Leth.

It seemed harmless at first. It couldn’t possibly be. From the smug look on the man’s eyes, it was clear that it would be a problem. Ticks later, the priestess knew her deductions were right. Her stormbringer cursed colorfully and stumbled back, shielding his eyes.

“Leth!” Lynessa cried out, rushing to his side only to be shoved away by his strong hands.

“Don’t get close, Lyn. Just stay where you are!” His voice boomed as he tried to steady himself, his hands rubbing his eyes. “I’ll be fine.”

“There there, take care of your lover boy.” The voice was feminine and Lynessa finally turned her attention to the woman. She cloaked like the rest of them were, but she was unarmed. The priestess could spot the protruding hilts of two daggers strapped to her waist, yet the woman’s hands were nowhere near it.

Her grip tightened around her daggers, Stormsister in one hand and her old dagger in the other, both blades facing down. There was no way of telling how good of a fighter her enemy was. Lynessa herself wouldn’t call herself as a master of daggers when she still had a lot to learn. But here was one thing that could serve to be her advantage. Surprise.

Lynessa didn’t think. It was all instinct and fury that launched her right at the woman. Lynessa knew she had only a few moments of opportunity. Her opponent hadn’t even drawn her weapons – either she was cocky or she was foolish. Whatever it was, it was a gift from Ilaren. She kept her attack simple, straightforward. One dagger slashed at her torso, while the other went for a stab to her thigh. If she couldn’t manage to wound her, the priestess still hoped that her move would allow her to tackled the woman down.

“What did you do to him?” she demanded.

Meanwhile, the gray-eyed knight still struggled to get his bearings. Leth could hear his partner going off and a fight broke in front of him. His vision refused to return. Everything was blurry, nothing more than smudges of color. Yet, he knew he couldn’t leave his charge to fight two attackers. Not to mention she could be rash when overtaken with emotions.

He took his time, trying to identify their attackers as her pointed his arrow at who he hoped was the man with the vials. Dark cloaks, so what he was looking for was dark smudges in his vision. It was a pain, but he knew he could not do nothing.

[Oracle]

Lynessa and Leth Poor brave Leth.

The Lightning Knight was desperate to help his Thunder Priestess, it was his sacred duty and he did not wish to fail her…especially not here and now. Sometimes people do the most foolish things with the best of intentions.

Leth raised his bow, trying to sort out the shifting muted shadows of combatants as the scene raged onwards. Shouts and moans of pain assaulted his senses and he frantically drew his bow and began to choose his target.

Right at that moment Karliah, the first Thunder Priestess to the scene and Lynessa’s mentor was pummled to the ground and came rolling across the cobblestones toward where Lynessa was preparing to combat the dagger wielding woman. The red haired priestess snapped to her feet and she rose into the path of the Lightning Knight’s arrow. Leth released and the arrow flew.

Karliah didn’t cry out when the shaft impacted her chest, she had learned long ago not to show weakness even when in pain. Instead she sharply sucked in a breath, flailing to breathe as her lung was punctured brutally and her blood lightly splattered Lynessa who stood behind her. The priestess collapsed to the ground, crimson fluids leaking from the wound in her chest. Arlo The green eyed Aukari smirked lecherously at Arlo in a way that would make anyone shiver with dread.

“I do enjoy the feisty ones, they are always the most pleasurable to break.” The man replied with a hungry sneer.

He went for his sword and was immediately rebuked with a crossbow bolt through the hand. Scarlet droplets cascaded to the ground and the Aukari cursed loudly as he went to rip the bolt out. At that moment Arlo's ring took effect and a column of earth rose up from the flagstones of the plaza below to ensnare the wounded Aukari up to the neck.

The red haired main was gripped totally and completely with panic. He certaintly hadn’t expected resistance like this, the market was supposed to be full of helpless shoppers not a cross bow wielding man with a magic ring!

“Go to the others!” He shouted, “GET TO THE BANK!” He said again, howling the command at the robed figures that had been attacking Karliah, Lynessa and Leth. The prison of earth then crumbled, but Arlo now held the man clearly at sword point. He stood there, silent with a bleeding hand, looking on indignantly at Arlo.

“You are too late.” he uttered sullenly. Everyone At that moment an ear shattering roar cut through the din like a lightning strike. Vabina; Karliah’s Zephyrus had arrived. The massive indigo and midnight blue feline bounded through the gates of the Azurewind Market with her teeth bared and her lengthy horn crackling with electricity. The mighty cat took one look at her mistress lying prone on the street and hurled herself mercilessly toward the biggest threat she could find: the Becomer that had transformed into the Shadowhound. It was no trivial thing to see an eight hundred pound animal tearing into its enemies with reckless abandon. Blood flew as the Zephyrus leapt onto the black coated Kathor, her claws shearing at the wolf’s hide and leaving deep gouges.
The terrorists that had been attacking Karliah fled toward a group of strategically placed fallen blue banners that hung over the walls of the market.

They grabbed onto the dangling fabric and began to climb upwards toward the Glass Quarter at the direction of their captured leader. The dagger wielding woman and the alchemist also started to turn and run but Lynessa was too quick for the woman. Her blade Stormsister lashed out and cut a broad gash through her robe and into her exposed torso. She fumbled the second dagger strike but her opponent had stumbled to the ground and she was now bleeding out from the wound.

She looked at Lynessa with hateful eyes as her companion ran away, leaving her to die in the middle of the plaza.
“Looks like….lover boy….did some damage…all on his…own.” She said roughly between ragged gasps before looking toward Karliah who lay in a growing pool of blood. The senior Thunder Priestess was limp and her eyelids fluttered lightly as she drifted in and out of consciousness.
The woman Lynessa had struck gave her last breath and she went silent.

Leth was a stumbling mess who was trying is best to find his bearings and of course find Lynessa. Karliah was on her deathbed, Vabina was locked in brutal combat behind them in the plaza with the Shadowhound Becomer and Arlo held the leader of their enemies at sword point.

The group had sustained heavy losses but the trial was not yet over. There was still chaos in the plaza of the market as citizens and a large group of Knights began spilling into the main square to retrieve the wounded. The Defier fighting Vivian and Vega was still at large but she was beginning to grow weary and whether the flame wielding mage noticed it or not she was becoming surrounded by Lighting Knights. It would be foolish for Arlo, Lynessa and Leth to try and intervene now that the Knights were arriving.

However they were now the only ones that knew that the Ring of Fire had unsavory plans for the Bank of Rharne.

!

Message from: Oracle

Sorry for the delay everyone! You all now have a choice to make! I'm giving you the opportunity to make 1 action here since any of these choices will require a substantial investment of time. Available Choices- Help the Priestess - Karliah is dying, she will die if no one helps her soon. Her survival is up to your team. The Blind Knight - Leth is nearly blind, that blindness could become permanent if he does not receive medical attention immediately. Interrogation The terrorists leader is held at sword-point you may choose to question him. Head to the Bank of Rharne Immediately - You all know where the Ring is headed, the Bank of Rharne. You can choose to get a head start in pursing them, if not then there will be an impact. Help Vabina stop the Becomer - More people will die if the Becomer is not dealt with quickly. Please contact me if there is an option you would like to pursue that is not listed. Nir: Please feel free to post in the next round and make a choice. Achievements Prove your Usefulness: Arlo proved his worth and took down his opponent without the need for killing. Well done! There will be an extra reward at the end. First BloodLynessa acted swiftly and killed her enemy before she could escape. Great job. There will be an extra reward at the end.

[Nir'wei]

The sword in his hands was heavy and ungainly; how did knights even hold it upright, let alone fight so fluidly with such cumbersome chunks of metal? The best he could do, glancing between himself and the others, was a crude imitation of their fighting stance, but beyond that he was little more than a distraction for the three wolves approaching in the smoke and dust. Three men and three women meant their rag-tag group was outnumbered... but if each wolf caught a robed figure each and took them down by surprise, he had faith they'd be able to take down the remainder in the surprise and force them to surrender.

"Nir'wei, something doesn't smell right." All three wolves stopped in their tracks, sniffing the air, heedless of the smoke and dust. With the cultists' backs to them, the wolves couldn't possibly see the source, but Nir'wei did. A charm, a talisman perhaps? If only he'd remembered back to what Greyhide and he had talked about, seemingly all those arcs ago, before his transformation. A totem, made of hair, bone and blood. The sign of a Becomer... and judging by the sheer size of the wolf's paw hanging at her throat, one with a very powerful form to command, too.

"Loang nïƙä?" No; a wolf-sister wouldn't wear debase themselves in such a hideous way, and Greyhide would smell one. This was nothing more than an imitator, he realised to his horror as they transformed, skin giving way to fur and muscle. He'd never seen a wolf of such size and caliber before, perhaps a Krome wolf, though the shaggy black fur was an oddity he couldn't excuse. Whatever it was, it stood almost as tall as he did, a monster fit for riding... and it could smell his wolves through even the smoke and dirt of the explosion. Not only had they lost the element of surprise, but they'd completely lost their handle on the situation.

"Skinchanger!" he snarled. "Ke’u awt syayvi nïƙä sọ ẹnikan!" Sword pointed for the wolf he charged, hoping to throw a clumsy stab at its back while it was distracted, but the beast was fast for its size and it charged on four legs faster than he could possibly stumble on two, bowling into the three as they converged like pins. Cold was thrown back with shallow teeth marks in his one good shoulder and while Greyhide managed to stay on his hind-paws, Myrth toppled onto her side and slid through the ash a few steps, dazed but mostly unhurt. "Get back!" he shouted, just as much to Greyhide and Cold as to the Becomer as he raised his sword high for a two-handed overhead slash that nearly sent him toppling backwards under the sword's weight at his back, but it was a piercing roar that shook the beast... followed by an even bigger monster, knocking it off-balance.

He stumbled back on one knee, gesturing with his hand and hearing a small chorus of answering barks as Greyhide, Cold and Myrth staggered back and regrouped. This had truly turned into a battle of titans, he thought. He could pull away now, find something else to tend to, but looking around their smoking battlefield, his eyes kept returning to the Becomer. Even the indigo-and-blue creature couldn't keep the Becomer completely contained, nor did it have the minds and strategies of a human... if the battle should at any point switch back in favour of that thing, he could only pray they'd find a way to sever its head from its shoulders before it did away with them all, and savaged every person from here to the bank. Money could be replaced. Lives couldn't. He could do nothing for the Lightning Knight blinded, nor the Thunder Priestess with an arrow jutting from her chest; he was no more a medic than a soldier. The one at sword-point wasn't a threat... and even as he scanned, he felt another splash of blood as the beast tore another strip of flesh. "Split and surround!" he screamed through Greyhide's mental bond as he wobbled to his feet, sword in both hands again. "Spread out, surround and distract, bite the first leg you see and then back off again. We're not leaving until we take down this skinchanger."

He took the rear while Cold and Myrth took the left and right flanks respectively, Greyhide at the head barking commands to the other two. Whenever it stumbled one way or another they snapped at its legs, biting and ripping where they could find purchase and pulling back again at the first sign of attacks. One slash of those massive paws could be devastating to any one of them. Behind, Nir'wei launched once again with his sword in both hands, but this time he swung low, aiming for the creatures knees and the backs of its calves, but he was cautious, tentative; the metal was heavy and sharp, but he didn't want to risk attacking his own saviour in a moment of panic. What he wouldn't give for his damn bow right now.

[Arlo Creede]

Arlo had killed a number of men by now, though they'd all been busy trying to kill him first. It was an important distinction and he wasn't the sort to shoot or stab a man in the back, or run one through when he was down and defenseless. In this case though? The Aukari and his threats towards Vega? Arlo might just be willing to make an exception and never look back.

The column of earth however was handy, though it wouldn't last long. When it gave way and crumpled however, Arlo would still have the point of his blade pressed into the small at the base of the man's throat. "Says the man trapped at the killing end of a sword," the traveler dryly quipped. But when the Aukari called out to his co-conspirators, Arlo would have taken off too, except that he had to wait for a knight to wander by and take control of the prisoner.

"Over here!" he shouted to a pair of the knights. And it was only when they had the Aukari firmly in their custody, that Arlo would turn elsewhere. Immediately, he was searching for Vega again. "Vega!" he shouted, and just for a trill or two he thought he'd caught a glimpse of her. He couldn't be sure. Too much red hair in the plaza and that wasn't all. If it was her, he just couldn't get to her and he spat out a string of curses before turning back to the rest of the chaos.

Arlo wasn't a healer. He could barely wrap a cut or scrape with a makeshift bandage and the wounded were better to be tended by others. The knights had the Aukari leader firmly in hand. Arlo had made sure of it before stepping away. His skills were better used elsewhere. There was that thing that was tearing through innocents like ragdolls. A Becomer, he'd heard someone shout.

The storyteller wasn't about to take the thing on fist to claw or sword to teeth, but Arlo was something of a crack shot with a bow. So putting his sword away in exchange for his short bow, Arlo would search for a clear shot then fire off one bolt after another. Always a killing shot, that was his goal. Straight through the eye, the open maw, the throat, whatever option opened up to him, that's the one he'd take before looking for the next one.