This area is unmoderated. Please click on "Forum Rules" at the top of this page or go to the "Unmoderated Areas" forum to see the rules for playing here.
It was her first day in a foreign land, and while her footfalls were steady and evenly placed her mind was anxious and manic. Isabella was there because of the promise of power, she thirsted for it. And while the bloody cauldron was a good start, how could she face her initiated peers as some half wit magician with feeble prowess in comparison to there awe inspiring glory. How her black little shriveled heart sank, how the sorceress loathed being the groveling worm that was beneath the dirt.
She had decided to improve herself, and found her way to the bounty board at the office looking over criminals to find her victi.... bounty. People died all the time resisting the law, so why not pretend to uphold the law so you can murder behind the flag of justice? Ah yes, sweet melencholy thoughts often drifted her back to the pupil she usurped. The sounds of the rock colliding into the dirt, and how his face shattered and crushed into a flat pulp it was a succulent masterpiece of emotion. It was just a taste of such chaos that brought her joyous jubilation. Kata be praised for she is the light of Idalos her savior, her everything.
Thatch seemed like the right candidate, he had presented a certain level of threat that would prove useful to grow and you couldn't have rewards without risk. As she held the paper parchment in her hand going over the details, her long white hair fluttered nonchalantly as if got in a whimsical breeze yet no flurry of air was to be had next to the board
Last edited by Isabella Valentino on Sun Sep 04, 2016 1:11 pm, edited 2 times in total. word count: 278
The massive stone walls and archways of the Minäih Judgement Hall loomed in front of Inali. The Eidisi paused to study the thick marble flooring and ornate architecture of the building. It reminded her of the University in Viden and seemed somewhat out of place in Ne’haer. She had come to associate the lakeside city with the Biqaj, the Lochgrass Gardens, and the small cafes that studded the Docks. In truth, the architecture of Viden was not any more advanced or grandiose than that of Ne’haer. Still, she hesitated on the steps, lost in a haze of memories and longing.
When Inali finally made her way into the hall, she didn’t need to search long to find the famed bounty board. The wooden board was plastered with parchments containing official bounties as well as smaller notes that had been posted by citizens of Ne’haer. The official notices were written in a fine script and finished with a red wax seal. Intrigued by the quality of the postings, the Eidisi stepped closer to the board. She read each bounty slowly and tried to contain her shock at the depiction of Gorgolas that was rendered in the center of a fading piece of parchment. Such valiant adventures were far beyond her skill, and she doubted that she would ever engage in such foolish behavior, even if she did somehow acquire the resources and prowess needed to slay such a beast. Heroics were for humans who sought to throw their life away and be branded martyrs in history books that no one would bother to read. She shook her head at the thought. No, she would need a much safer bounty.
Inali’s gaze flickered to the woman beside her. Her height marked her as a human, though Inali had never seen a human with such a striking hair color. The silken strands were a pure white, reminiscent of the tundras in the remote reaches of Northern Idalos. Curious as to how such a slight human would be able to tackle any of the bounties listed on the board, Inali spoke up in broken Common, turning to face the woman as she did so,
“You are here to gather news? Or to slay the lurker, Gargolash?”
She grinned in spite of herself, unable to control her reaction to the thought of such a small human slaying such a ferocious monster.
A bit unnerved by the mannerisms of the blue one before her, dissatisfied sapphire eyes sparkled radiantly as she evaluated what had just happened. How wonderful she thought did she really appear so weak as to be patronized by a troglodite that could barely spit common tongue? Her verbal diarrhea was enough to make her wince, but she refrained from rudeness choosing to further investigate the intent of such savagely butchered words.
Her response was an erriely half cocked shit eating grin, one part welcoming two parts sick and twisted. As plush lips parted unveiling her fabulous ivory decor, most notably her incisor as if displaying it as the centerpiece of a lace of shimmering pearls. Perhaps she was giddy brimming in excess to overflow with malifocent glee as murderous intent danced in the loom of a funny farm she called a mind. Just a twinkle of delight in her eye as she daydreamed unforgivable atrocities, maybe she'd like to see the smarts of this ones think pan.
"My humblest apologies, I am after a run away knight named Thatch.
I would be no use in your service for Gargolash I fear the beast is out of my league, at least for now.
I am Isabella Valentino I am most pleased to meet you.
perhaps you'd like to assist me?
You look positively formidable."
She took a moment to put the past transgression behind her for the sake of brevity. The sorceress wanted to know who or what she was dealing with, before further assuming things that could very quickly get her killed if she sated her vulgar desire for violence. Maybe she was a fearsome mage like herself, maybe just maybe she needed to watch her manners at the grown ups table.
"May your spark burn brightest when times are dark."
Inali blinked, slightly unnerved by the arrogant grin that had spread across the woman's face. It was if she had expected some sort of comment and reveled in it. While she could not discern the thoughts behind the human’s wild sapphire eyes, a mixture of disquiet and trepidation blossomed in her mind. Even the most arrogant of Eidisi were not so openly brash. The smile she saw was one cultivated by some sort of crucible. Perhaps the woman was insane. Perhaps she was secretly powerful and unafraid of anyone or anything. The Eidisi awaited a verbal reply, curious to see which of the two possibilities manifested in the woman’s speech.
Inali scanned the board as the woman spoke, quickly re-reading the bounty for the runaway knight and his companion. Both were listed as dangerous and they had been last seen in the sewers. A shudder run down Inali’s spine as she imagined the manner of traps that would await an unwary bounty hunter. She shook her head in response to the question.
“I am scholar. Languages. Eidisi tongue and Ellune. Do not fight.”
Inali’s nose wrinkled for a moment before she continued,
“Do not fight in sewers. I collect secrets in Ne’haer, teach children Eidisi tongue.”
She nodded at that, rather pleased that the majority of her thoughts had managed to coalesce into something that could almost be called Common.
After going silent, Inali did her best to decipher the odd quote that the woman had mentioned. Her spark? Did this strange human want her ‘spark’ to burn bright in a sewer and alert the knight? Again, Inali waited. This human was too intriguing to simply ignore, she had decided. Those who spoke oddly and exhibited strange mannerisms were usually eager to part with the secrets they knew. Of course, such secrets were often fantastic falsehoods.
As the blue one continued the conversation Isabella could not help but think that a feline puking out a hairball that rolled onto the floor radiating in moist glory couldn't be a more appropriate analogy for whatever excuse for common was drooling out of her mouth; Again.
Isabella thought that was rich, a teacher of languages that couldn't speak common. There was some margin of Irony in that and she felt like sharing is caring.
"Aye I should have known, your mastery over the most basic of languages has left me all but perplexed and flabbergasted. I am but a humble worm beneath the boot of your verbal prowess."
Her tone sincere with but a touch of vibrantly colorful enthusiasm to cast an exquisite ambiance to her own patronizing retort. Followed by a mocking nod of approval, she kept the gesture serious to overshadow her dubious little satyr.
Perhaps Isabella felt superior to her magically uninitiated peer what with no real response to her magi salute. As if she was blissfully unaware of the meaning behind such a message. Of course on top of that either accidentally or purposely chosen had not yet indulged the sorceress with the basic courtesy of sharing her name. She'd bite with jabbing word play of her own.
"So what shall I call you?
Big Blue?
Maybe
Special Snowflake?
Or
Not So Common ?
Speaking of which how are you going to find any secrets lying in bed? You should go with me, -Not So Common- less your afraid. But whatever secrets I find are mine alone unless you decide to come along."
Isabella raised a quizzical brow at the nameless eidisi, she expected her peer pressure to work like a child going neiner, neiner, neiner to another child and cowing the blue savage to show some level of testicular fortitude and prove that she is as classy and sophisticated as anyone else by going into a sewer and trekking through a river of the cities shit and if they weren't swept away and drowned in the perfect wave of fecal matter they could wage warfare against armed foes.
What a positively delightful way to spend ones afternoon in the blistering heat of saun. She was certain the odor would be as offensive as it was stomach churning. What a brilliant notion, a charming expedition into a rank labyrinth with a frienemy in tow.
Inali glared at the woman, taken aback by the sheer idiocy of the insult. Common was not anything close to a basic language. It had enough quirks and anomalies to drive even the most patient of linguists into a fit of rage. Common borrowed from over twenty other languages and followed the rules of none of them. The changing tenses that seemed to dart through sentences like an angered housecat had been enough to stall her study of the language for many arcs. Now her knowledge of Common paled in comparison to her fluent mastery of Rakahi. After a few moments of standing in silence, Inali spoke in the Ancient Tongue, reveling in the harsh syllables and lengthy sentences.
“You know nothing of my kin and our mastery of Linguistics. We were given our intellect and superiority over communication by Yvithia herself. You are but a human who knows one or two languages. I doubt you will ever learn more.”
Smiling at her retort, Inali waited for the human to speak again, curious as to how she would take an insult that she couldn’t even begin to comprehend. A pointless list of pseudo nicknames dribbled from the human’s mouth. She was rather proud of knowing Common and sought to display her mastery over it even if it was ‘the most basic of languages’. Smiling inwardly, Inali chose to ignore them all and replied,
“I am Inali.”
Inali paused at the thought of finding secrets within the sewers of Ne’haer. Did such secrets exist? Would the urchins of the city scratch their findings on the stone beneath the city streets? It was doubtful, but the prospect was tantalizing. If nothing else, Inali could watch as the knight cut down the over confident human. After that, she could bargain with them to save her own life, if it came down to that.
“Will go sewer with you. Needing supplies from Ne’haer center. Weapons. Arm...ers”
With that, Inali waited, hoping the girl was finally past her desperate need to start a pissing contest.
There was some level of great amusement for Isabella when the eidisi spoke in a foreign tongue. As if it substantiated her belief of just how deep the sorceress had gotten under her skin, it was a self gratifying moment of minor personal glory that she clung to like a needy child as she savored every moment of the succulent emotion as though it danced on her palat.
The mage was blinded by ignorance to just how complex the syllables and nouns actually were and without a background in linguistics there was little appreciation for the intricate complexities that revolved around foreign vocabulary. While it was true there was power in words, the naive youngling spurring on adulthood had yet to grasp the concept opting for raw force.
It came all to easily being a pompous snob after all the power of arcana flowed through her veins, she could do things horrible sick and twisted things that no mortal should be able to do to another and yet here she stood entwined with awesome power meant solely for immortals. Such thoughts elevated ones personal view of themselves to loftier heights than even the most privileged nobles.
"Inali is it?
Well then if you see it appropriate to arm yourself then let's make our way."
Maybe Isabella was caught up in the moment of some superiority complex but she made a decision to further boast while her head was blissfully up her magi her ass a trait shared by most if not all mages.
As she drew in ether she began channeling the sphere of discipline known as sovereign as she focused a telekinetic link between she and the paper bounty and tack, her hand that once held the parchment dropped to her side and the paper fluttered capriciously suspended in the air under Isabella's influence. It was an act of controlled power to then thrust the scroll and tack back into the cork board adjacent to them as it jigged forward constantly on and off course as she was not as refined as she liked to think she was. Heavier objects might prove to be a more stressful burden on her reserves, but something as delicacy and quaint as a tack skewered through paper should have been well within her means of manipulation.
An armored guard standing watch noticed the particularly odd manner in which the ashen haired woman . . . grabbed the bounty board request. He immediately narrowed his brow and grimaced, walking over to the two women and yelling. "Hey! No magic in public spaces!" he declared, an angry expression flaring. The man was quite muscular, with light caramel skin and a complexion that screamed 'Biqaj'. Shortly after his words and a stern look however, he returned to his post and kept a clear eye on the mage who had so boasted her degenerative powers for everyone else to see. He spat on the ground as he finished returning to his post.
(OOC: Pay me no mind, I won't be joining this thread. But be aware magic is frowned upon by many in Ne'haer, largely due to its history with certain mages like Lilith Odam (who is one of the worst mages in Idalos). It's not illegal most of the time, but boisterous use in public - within city limits - may land you into trouble, or even into the slammer. But yeah - no worries, and nothing wrong here. We needa get to posting about the magic views in the lore!)
Inali nodded, happy that the arrogant human had no reply to her tirade in the Ancient Language. If the woman had doubled down and bothered her with another childish nickname, Inali would have simply left. If the jape was particularly cruel, the Eidisi might even try to send a message to Thatch herself. Surely the knight would appreciate a description of one of his most eager bounty hunters. Smiling to herself at the thought, Inali nearly missed the floating parchment that hovered just beyond her peripheral vision. As the guard approached, the Eidisi pivoted to face the human and raised her eyebrows at the parchment while taking a step back, doing her best to distance herself from the needless display of power.
It all made sense now – the arrogant way the woman held herself, the odd manner of speaking, the cocky assurance that she could hunt a knight into the depths of the sewers… the human was a damned mage. Inali hadn’t bothered to look into magic while in Viden. The knowledge could be found, of course, but many had warned her about mages, citing many of the unfavorable traits she saw manifested only a few feet away.
Inali shot a cold look at the woman, happy that she been adequately disciplined for her childish stunt.
“Am trusting you not do… that… while we get weapon, armor.”
The Eidisi pointed to the large archway that served as a door.
”We go, before you get your fake name.
Smiling to herself, Inali thought of the nicknames that would suit the woman. ‘Child without control’? ‘Impetuous one’? She paused and looked back over her shoulder, waiting to see if the woman would leave or argue with the guard.
It seemed as if Isabella was on the receiving end of a verbal lashing from a guard for letting her ego reach critical mass which apparently had become so abhorrent it was deemed socially unacceptable for public viewing by her peers who fringed on drawing arms in protest of such unconventional behavior.
Isabella sucked it up like a champ though and let her head sink in shame, as her shoulders slunk as she slouched forward gloomily at the biqak speaking of which back to the topic of peers with arms and his rippling pectorals that shimmered with a steamy layer of sweat in the heat of saun, the suns so bright weren't the only thing sizzling like bacon in a pan.
The problem with guards was they were team players, if you fell one you fell them all or die trying that was like a cardinal rule somewhere. And the sorceress wasn't in a hurry to have her pine box send off to some plot of land on six feet under Avenue either. She had this visual of Inali dancing a happy dance on her grave but reserved the chuckle for herself.
Inali pointeded to the exit but Isabellas eyes said no as she intended to break herself off a piece of that prime rib before or after breaking her own neck metaphorically speaking to avert her shamelessly stabbing gaze at his bare chest before shaking her head and sheepishly grinning and following the blue ones lead.
"If they gonna send them like that to spank me, I can't say I won't be tempted."