Leverage

From Tried's Mouth to the mysterious Tower, the waters around Scalvoris and the island itself hold a vast array of secrets, just ripe for discovery. Here are landmarks, jungles, mountains, forests and islands of note.

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Balthazar Black
Approved Character
Posts: 2107
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2019 1:15 am
Race: Human
Profession: Leader of The Black Cats
Renown: 1815
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Wealth Tier: Tier 5

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Leverage


85 Ashan 722
An alarm woke the mage and his company early the next trial. A miner from one of the forward groups in the mountain had spent the night battling the weather to get back to the basecamp to report the terrible news and the alarm had been sounded when the watchmen saw the state the miner was in. He fell to the ground just outside the camp delirious, dehydrated and nearly frozen. There were a few members of the Order who had come with the academics for exactly that sort of emergency and they'd spent most of the trial tending to the man. They wanted to save as many of his digits as they could before the damage was too extensive. The man spent the time in and out of awareness but he did report one thing. One terrible thing.

One of the mines had collapsed.

They were harvesting some ore from the side of a room and pillar mine when the pillar holding up the room gave out. No one was expecting it. No one knew why or how it had happened. No one had a chance to question it. At least a dozen miners were trapped beneath the earth, inside the mountain. They could have been dead for all the runner knew but he had heard voices on the other side of the collapse. He was confident, in his delirious state, that they were alive.

The camp was abuzz with conversation when Balthazar left his tent in the morning. Some were curious about what had happened, others were quickly working to make sure that none of their research was compromised, and a few were too tired to realize what was happening. Balthazar was among the first grouping and he knew exactly where to go to find out. He made his way towards the Dean's tent and about halfway there he was flanked by Robin from the side. He'd heard the boy approaching but thought nothing of it.

"What did you do?" Robin asked in a very quiet voice.

"This wasn't me but if we can help, we will." Balthazar replied as they neared the Dean's tent. "Then maybe renegotiate."

The duo of hopeful helpers pulled back the flap of the Dean's tent and found it was even more active than it had been the trial before when they arrived. Much like the last time, nobody stopped to address them in the light of the news that had just come in. The University needed to respond quickly to the collapse of one of their mines. They needed more people from the Order to treat the injured and they needed Elements to help clear the rubble. Balthazar and Robin slipped into the back of the room, Balthazar a little less noticeable than Robin and listened carefully to what was going on.

Dean Henri Wagstaff's leadership was in full display. He commanded the room very well for an academic in Balthazar's opinion but it could have been better. Maybe it was ego, but Balthazar felt Henri should have addressed the powerful Defiance mage who entered the tent. Knowing that no one would overhear them over the orders that Wagstaff was delivering, Robin whispered to Balthazar. "Did you really mean what you said about using this to renegotiate?"

"I'm not going to let people die." Balthazar said in a normal volume. He was not nervous about being overheard. Robin didn't seem convinced so Balthazar added, "I will help where I can." Though he had to admit that if they did not recognize he was providing them a great service, he would probably be angry about it later. Robin said nothing else, instead choosing to stand silently and watch. He was good at that. Like Fuego and Crow. However Fuego and Crow were quiet because they were observing. One to learn and one on alert for dangers. Robin was quiet because he was thinking. In this case, he was thinking about whether or not it really would be a bad idea to use the situation for leverage.

Balthazar motioned for Robin to remain where he was before taking a few steps forward to try and make the Dean more aware of his presence. Wagstaff was still too preoccupied with organizing a response to the disaster to notice the mage waiting for him. "Get these to the Element Hall and the Adunih outpost in Scalvoris Town as quickly as you can," Dean Wagstaff said as he handed off folded letters to a one of the researchers who's name Balthazar did not know. Henri turned quickly to another of the university's team, "Get word out to the mine on Ornthrus, have the miners there bring their gear to the Syper mine so to begin clearing away the rubble."

"It will take trials to a response from Scalvoris Town," Balthazar said in a loud enough voice to be heard, causing the Dean who still hadn't noticed him to turn with a measured look. Henri was pulling things together well but this was not a situation he wanted to be in. "Take me to the collapsed mine. I can find out if the miners are alive and get them out with magic."

"How?" Henri asked, unwilling to bet the lives of the miners simply on 'magic.'

"I can project my senses beyond the collapse with attunement and that should help me figure out if they are still alive inside. Then I can move the earth out of the way with defiance. It would have to be slow to avoid causing any other cave-ins but defiance is not as blunt a magic as you might think. I should be able to tell if the earth will fall again." Balthazar explained before adding, "More importantly, I can do it all now- not in a few trials when the miners might run out of air or injuries might get worse."

Dean Wagstaff didn't seem sold on the idea but it was for the same reason that they hadn't come to an agreement the trial before. He did not know if he could trust Balthazar. He also didn't know if he could sleep well knowing he could have let the mage help the miners and instead waited while they died. He made a decision. If Balthazar did help, he could be trusted a little more. If Balthazar got the miners killed, he would be held responsible. After far too long of a pause, Henri nodded to the mage and began writing something on a piece of parchment. "Powell will take you to the Syper mine. Find him in the camp and give him this," Henri rolled up the parchment and held it out to Balthazar.

"I'll need Robin but feel free to instruct the rest of my men. They'll help in whatever way they can." Balthazar offered as he took the note from Wagstaff. The Dean of Science nodded to the mage and Balthazar left to find Powell. Robin fell in beside him as he left the tent.

"That went better than last time." Robin whispered.

"People tend to trust magic more in emergencies when they need it. You should have seen me in Quacia." Balthazar said with a small shrug as they went to look for the geologist.

word count: 1229

Visible Mutations/ Marks

Mutations
Defiance: Skin always glows faintly and he is warm to the touch. His is also the center of a field of static electricity so people get shocked touching him on occasion.
Rupturing: Orange etheric cracks spider-web up his arms to his elbows. His eyes and the glowing cracks going down his cheeks glow dark blue.
Transmutation: He has a series of emerald, glowing cracks on his right pectoral.
Marks
Bellinos: His fingernails are always black. The color fades into his fingers.
Celarion: A dim glowing ring surrounds his left forearm.
Palenon: A silver lightning shaped mark about the size of a hand stretching up towards his torso.

Scars

  • Oops, Oops, Ouch: Balthazar Black has twenty scars across his back from a lashing as well as scars on his hands and arms from jagged rocks on Faldrass. There are two scars on the sides of his abdomen from being stabbed and a slash across his back which blends in with the whip scars.
User avatar
Balthazar Black
Approved Character
Posts: 2107
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2019 1:15 am
Race: Human
Profession: Leader of The Black Cats
Renown: 1815
Character Sheet
Character Wiki
Plot Notes
Letters
Point Bank Thread
Wealth Tier: Tier 5

Featured

Contribution

Milestones

RP Medals

Miscellaneous

Events

Re: Leverage


85 Ashan 722
Finding Powell was one of the easier parts of the trial caused it required no detective work. Everyone was scrambling around the camp and Balthazar happened to catch a glimpse of Powell passing from one tent into the tent the Order was using to treat anyone injured by the gas or falling rubble from the mines. He and Robin presented the geologist with the letter from Dean Wagstaff and as soon as he was done reading it, Powell took them into the Order of Adunih tent.

"Why are we stopping here?" Robin asked Balthazar in a quiet tone as they passed through the opening into the tent. There were a few people sitting around being treated for minor injuries by different colored cloaks, but one cot in the back of the tent was being closely monitored by a few different healers. It was the man who had run from the mine to the camp. Based on what Balthazar could see, he was not in any better condition now than he had been when he arrived. Stable and being taken care of, but still a little out of his mind.

"I thought it would be useful to talk to the miner who reported the collapse." Balthazar said sadly, "but it seems he will need more time." If not for the fact he was sure he would find people in worse conditions in the mine, he would have used his abilities to heal the still delirious man. "Let Powell handle what he was coming here for and we'll be we'll be off to the mine after." Balthazar instructed Robin as the duo moved to part of the tent where they would be out of the way. Powell went to speak with one of the few sitting around with minor injuries and when they were done talking, he lead the mage and the squire from the tent.

Balthazar mounted Simula carefully and Robin mounted Nimbus with a bit more ease. Balthazar's initial mount training had been on merquestrians with the Elements. They sat on the water and Balthazar had a mutation which caused the water to pull him down so he'd always had to use more strength to get onto them than he did to get onto Simula. As a result he often found himself pulling too hard on the saddle. Simula was well trained and didn't respond as aggressively as another scalvwing might, but she clearly didn't like it. She made a small huff each time that Balthazar understood was disapproval. He was getting better but it meant he had to mount up slower. Once he was in the saddle his own athleticism made it easier to stay in it.

When they were all on their horses with the gear needed to manage in the weather, Powell lead the duo from the camp up to a more narrow mountain path where the horses couldn't fit through. Balthazar and Powell dismounted to continue up the mountain on foot, Powell taking a pack of supplies with him while Balthazar brought only his enchanted bag, a few trinkets, a walking stick, and the clothing he had been wearing the whole trial. Robin remained behind to take care of the animals incase the weather grew worse and they needed to be brought back to the camp. The squire was not exuberant to be left watching the animals but it was not his first time and Balthazar really didn't need his help with getting the miners out.

The hike up the mountain path was more daunting for Powell than Balthazar, who could endure the weather due to his supernatural and physical advantages. But Powell was with the University and he was prepared. He had little packets of sand to keep his hands warm and plenty of layers. They only stopped twice to take small breaks. The air at their elevation was a little bit thinner than either of them were used to but it also felt fresher. There was something about the wind in the mountains that was different than the wind by the sea. All the same element and yet different and made different by nature alone. When he conjured fire that was different, it was unnatural. Lightning that was dark, unnatural. This wind? It was itself and it was as kin to him as any other wind. It gave him the same deference and aid.

The first signs of the collapse came in the form of a feeling. Balthazar could hear the call of the elements at a good distance now and he could feel that the earth was not pleased. It had been violated and broken. The miners had done their job thoroughly and the collapse was their reward. Balthazar said nothing to Powell. The geologist might have loved to heard about what each rock felt like to a defier, but he could never understand. "I can find it from here." Balthazar said to Powell as he came to a stop.

"It's just a another bit up the path. You'll see the gear from there." Powell said with a gesture.

"Head back down to Robin and the horses, the weather was better down there." Balthazar instructed. There was no point in Powell waiting around for him and Balthazar didn't need the geologist to keep him company. He had diri for that. "Wait with Robin until dark or until you hear from me. I'm not sure what other help we will need." Balthazar added as Powell began to depart. Balthazar turned and went up the rest of the way with nothing but his diri and trinkets to accompany him.
word count: 949

Visible Mutations/ Marks

Mutations
Defiance: Skin always glows faintly and he is warm to the touch. His is also the center of a field of static electricity so people get shocked touching him on occasion.
Rupturing: Orange etheric cracks spider-web up his arms to his elbows. His eyes and the glowing cracks going down his cheeks glow dark blue.
Transmutation: He has a series of emerald, glowing cracks on his right pectoral.
Marks
Bellinos: His fingernails are always black. The color fades into his fingers.
Celarion: A dim glowing ring surrounds his left forearm.
Palenon: A silver lightning shaped mark about the size of a hand stretching up towards his torso.

Scars

  • Oops, Oops, Ouch: Balthazar Black has twenty scars across his back from a lashing as well as scars on his hands and arms from jagged rocks on Faldrass. There are two scars on the sides of his abdomen from being stabbed and a slash across his back which blends in with the whip scars.
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