Axis: Your exile hasn’t taken you far. Centaurs mostly keep to their own territory. After several weeks out on your own, you’ve found yourself only as far as Kolovoro, which is about as far south as centaur roaming grounds are. So far, the locals have at least been civil towards you. The elves are wary and don’t seem to have much to do with you, but at least the humans don’t seem to mind as much. Finding places to sleep in the little village has been somewhat of a challenge, though. The best you could do was use one of the local stables. The stableman found this rather amusing, you…not so much. Just as you were about to drift off into an uncomfortable sleep, you hear the horses in the stalls next to you growing restless, and not far away, you can see smoke rising from one of the rooftops of a home. That’s when you hear the screams of civilians and the shouts of soldiers. Your boldness urges you to go and see what all the commotion is about, but just as you’re about to gallop into the fray, the smoke starts to overtake you. Realizing you cannot see and are more likely to die breathing in the smoke, you quickly turn around to get out of the village. Just as you get to the edge of the village, you spot what appears to be an elven woman struggling on her feet (this is Viaya).
Bree: For unknown reasons, your patron has bid you go to Goyag, so far east and away from your homelands, you’re struggling to get your bearings. You only hope that your patron doesn’t have malevolent reasons for you coming here. The people of Kolovoro find it odd to see a halfling in their midst, but stranger beings, like the genesai, have visited here, so your presence is not seen as a problem. You had found a room at a small inn and had already settled in for the night. A few hours into your sleep and you start to hear the screams. Bolting out of bed, you realize that the inn is much warmer than you would have thought on a cool summer night. It doesn’t take long for you to realize that the inn is on fire. Lucky for you, you’re small and nimble enough to navigate your way out of the building with minimal struggle, and the fire had only just started. There was time to get out. Upon exiting the inn, you realize this is more than just a freak accident. The entire village has become an inferno and frightening men on horseback are running wild through the streets, striking down any civilians they spot. You quickly recognize the armor as Valcimonian and bolt before they can see you. You’re able to get far out of the village and stop to catch your breath in a distant clearing while watching the village be reduced to rubble.
Talos: You’ve been on a journey towards the central regions of Goyag, where the majority of the temples are located. Your mission has been to seek out the Council of the Nine, the theocratic council that rules the land in search of a temple where you may study with your ideal mentor. For now, you and the rest of your original traveling party stopped in Kolovoro for rest and food. You and your companions stayed up late into the night enjoying drinks at a tavern. But just as your festivities came to a lull, shouts were heard outside. Not long after that, you hear the solid thwack of an arrow hitting the side of the tavern, and you see the flames starting to consume the siding. You and your companions rush to see what all the commotion is about. Several men on horseback are shooting flaming arrows into the sides of buildings all over the village. You are stunned by what you see, yet one or two of your companions attempt to intervene. Their actions are met with blades to their throats. The rest of you run, realizing the danger you’re in, and you are separated from the rest of your former travel-mates. As you run further, you see more buildings burning, and it breaks your heart that you actually have to leap over the fallen bodies of former citizens. Wasn’t that last one the beggar woman who only hours before you had given a small bit of coin to? Just ahead, you spot a gnome also making a run for it, but his shorter legs put him at a disadvantage (this is Zakon).
Viaya: True, restlessness has bid you venture far away from home, but you’re still not exactly sure about leaving your elven homelands altogether. After all, there’s a war going on, not much adventure other than bloodbath to see out there. So, you’ve stayed on the fringes of Goyag and your travels have led you to Kolovoro. You usually stay in villages until you’ve either outstayed your welcome, or your boredom bids you elsewhere. For now, things have been fine in this little village, and staying for just a few days more couldn’t hurt. A small elven family was happy to give you a bed to sleep in, and meals in exchange for running the odd errand for them. They were a simple family who probably had never heard of your own, or has any idea who you are. When you are awoken in the middle of the night by the elven woman who had taken you in, you are more than surprised. She ushers you, her husband, and her children out of the house as fast as your groggy self can go. The house had somehow caught on fire. You were ready to go help the family fetch water to put out the blaze when something begins to feel amiss. A man in dark armor, riding an equally dark horse strikes the husband from behind without warning and he is left sprawled on the grass, dead. Before long, more soldiers approach and it becomes apparent that they are taking no prisoners. Left with no choice, you run, but with so much smoke in the area, it’s getting harder to breathe, and you’re certain you hear the sound of another of the soldiers on horseback approaching you from behind.
Zakon: The land of Goyag has its advantages. You’ve gotten far enough away from Sobilamos that no one is really looking for you, and the occasional gnome from the west visiting the elven lands isn’t all that unusual, so you’re no one’s suspicions are raised. For now, you’ve been wandering the small village of Kolovoro, trying to figure out your next plan of action, and maybe make a little coin to continue your travels. You’ve taken up the odd job here or there on the smaller farms in the area. After all, these are honest people. Not really keen on handouts, though, you’ve not taken any offers for shelter from the locals, so you spend most nights just wandering the streets. It’s hard to sleep anyway. Normally, nights in these small villages are quiet, so when you hear the approach of horses, your curiosity is piqued. In the village center, you spot a small regiment of Valcimonian soldiers assembling. At the command of their leader, they begin shooting flaming arrows into the nearby buildings. You can hear the voice of their leader give one last command. “I want no prisoners,” he says. ”The elves need to learn they cannot expect to stay out of this war forever. Kill them all.” Knowing that by yourself you can do nothing, you do the next best thing: raise the alarm. You shout in hopes that anyone can hear and try to get out before they are burned alive or worse. After all, no one deserves this. Pretty soon, the village becomes a chaotic mess as citizens flee for their lives, most being slain as they run. You may be small and quick to avoid the soldiers, but your legs are getting tired from all the running.
I usually post DM notes here for when I'm just talking to you the players. So, this is your opportunity to get into the action and start getting to know each other right in the thick of things. I tried to give most of you a chance to start interacting with each other quickly (Bree, I'm sorry, you're on your own, but don't worry, you're kind of the meeting point everyone's heading towards). Please note your character colors, and be sure to check the PbP Rules thread on the main PbP forum page. It will provide you with some helpful information on how to label skills, spells, and other such things. And above all else, have fun. Welcome to Imela!
Bree stands in the little clearing she's found, hands on her knees as she pants. She's not sure if it's the adrenaline racing through her, the smoke, or the sight of Valcimonian armor that has left her feeling so shaken-- but eventually she looks up, back toward the burning village. Nervous and half distracted, she shoulders her pack off, checking over the contents. She owned precious little at the moment, and had made sure to grab it as she fled the inn. Worry recently has been keeping her dressed in her leathers, even while sleeping, and tonight it has paid off. A quick visual inspection shows she's lost neither the crossbow nor spear lashed to it-- and her daggers remain safely holstered, one at her calf and the other tucked against her right side for a quicker draw. It reassures her to have weapons, even if she now has other means of defense.
For now she removes her spear and slides the pack back on, the crouches down, watching the village. Part of her wants to try to do something-- but she's alone. The best she can do for now is to try to keep safe in her position-- and that means watching to make sure none of the soldiers are coming through. Where she'd retreat to, Bree doesn't know-- but anywhere a Valcimonian emblem can be seen is not a place she's keen on staying.
Zakon pants as he runs, his leg muscles burning with exertion. His bright blue eyes scan ahead, looking for any dark shadowy place where he could hide for a few moments just to catch his breath. There! As he reaches the edge of town, he sees a small break in the bushes, small, but plenty big enough for him to slip through unnoticed. He pushes harder, running faster, hearing the fires blazing behind him, the screams of the townsfolk as they are brutally cut down. He grimaces, pushing down his self-loathing at running rather than trying to help, but one gnome against mounted Valcimonian soldiers would earn him nothing except death.
Legs still churning, he reaches the break and slips through to the other side. He crouches down and tries to regulate his breathing, patting his belt to make sure his belongings are still intact, then begins running his hands over his body, checking silently that each of his hidden weapons are in place. Satisfied that everything is where it should be, he begins slowly moving away from the town, hoping that some will survive thanks to his early warning, but with a heavy heart, knowing that the soldiers will be merciless to any they find. He moves as silently as possible, even though his small steps will likely be lost in the chaos currently happening in the town.
It was surely a miracle that Axis could even see as he tried to make his escape; his eyes burned and blurred from the smoke, drawing tears that did little to ease the pain. Frantic hooves slowed to a sluggish, weaving lope as he hunched forward with a deep cough…
He’d never experienced anything like this. Smoke and fire? People screaming? This…violence? What was even happening?
But even as he brought the back of his hand to his mouth and blinked away tears, he looked ahead and could see an elf struggling through the ash and smoke. At first he sucked in a breath and tried to call out to them, but his throat seized uselessly into another fit of coughing. Gritting his teeth in a moment of screw it, he surged toward the elf at a hard gallop, trying to bite back the Hell filling his lungs.
She was right there— thinking maybe he could snatch her up and get her out of there with him, he reached a hand out to try and grab her.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
.~*The Stable*~.
| Gela |Human|Cleric/War Domain| | Axis |Centaur|Barbarian| | Fen |Half-Drow|Monk/Way of the Open Hand|
Viaya was struggling to breath as she ran, lungs burning and eyes stinging as she went. Her feet seeming to catch on every piece of rubble or downed body that crossed her path. She couldn't see, screams and fire were all around her. She'd have thought this was a nightmare had it not been for the pain in her legs, her throat, everywhere. She didn't understand. What was happening? Why was the village being attacked and by who? Goyag had kept themselves aloof from the war for years. This made no sense. She'd lost track of the woman and children whose home she had been staying in after watching the husband fall and while she desperately wanted to find them, desperately wanted to help, in her current state and in the current environment she was all but useless. Months on the road and longer months on the run had taken their toll even with a few days to a week spent in each town she came to. She was not as strong as she had once been, perhaps she had never been strong at all.
Her trembling limbs seemed to attest to that as she neared the edge of the town, the elf doubling over with her hand braced against a wall as hacking coughs wracked her frame. Straightening just in time to hear the sound of galloping hoof beats closing in behind her, she spun, rapier sliding from the sheath that she had hastily buckled around her waist after being woken hours or minutes before. Not intending on dying without at least some kind of fight. Only instead of coming face to face with an armed soldier on horseback she instead found herself standing directly in the path of a literal horse-man. A centaur,as ash stained and apparently set on fleeing as she was. Slowing in his own mad dash to escape, reaching for her. For a moment Viaya hesitated, shying back. She had never directly encountered one of his kind before, and what was to say that he wasn't allied with the black clad figures rushing about slaughtering townsfolk and burning things to the ground? Then again, who was to say she wouldn't wind up slaughtered and burned up right along with everyone and everything else if she continued to try and escape on her own? In the end, logic and desperation won out. The rapier slipping back into its sheath as she reached out in turn and grasped his hand.
Talos was heaving, bile rising in the back of his throat from the strain. His boots pounded in the mud as screams of terror and the crackling of flames surrounded him. He raced around a corner to the outskirts of town, stumbling over the corpse of a teen boy. He gagged, and felt a sob rising in his throat. But Talos pushed on. He scrambled past two sobbing women.
"Run!" he shouted to them as he darted past.
Finally, Talos saw a copse of trees ahead and he scrambled into some bushes, near where he'd seen a small gnome in dark clothing disappear. Talos put his hands on his knees, trying desperately to catch his breath. He wanted to cry or scream, just do something. But he couldn't. Not without giving away his position. So instead, he carefully went through his gear, making sure everything was in place.
Zakon stiffened as heard something crashing through the brush behind him. Moving quietly, he edged his way around, hoping that one of the soldiers hadn't seen him fleeing and followed. Heart pounding, he crept along until he could see what was making the noise.
Before him he saw a scaled man, breathing heavily. Zakon sighed with relief. It wasn't one of the soldiers. He moved closer, reaching out and putting a hand on the man's arm. His finger to his lips to indicate silence, he motioned for the man to follow him. Zakon immediately wondered what the dragonborn was doing in Goyag. He gave a mental shrug. Right now, fleeing was more important than information. If they managed to escape this massacre, then he could ask questions. In any case, as a dragonborn, the man likely had no love for the Valcimonians, so he'd do what he could to help the dragonborn escape as well.
Path decided, Zakon concentrated on getting them as far away from Kolovoro as possible. They were still close enough to hear the crackles of the blazes and nearby sounds of others making their escape through the underbrush as well. Crossing his fingers that the dragonborn was smart enough to follow and nimble enough to be quiet, he wove his way through the thickets and bushes, intent only on putting distance between them and the soldiers.
Talos nearly jumped out of scales at the touch to his arm. He almost shouted in fear, sure that he'd been caught, before glancing down to see a small grayish gnome. And while Talos would have probably greeted the man warmly, he caught the signal to be quiet. And he knew that the further away from Kolovoro they got, the safer they'd be. Visiting the Council of the Nine didn't seem as important anymore. Neither did studying with the priests.
All that mattered in that moment was his stealthy footsteps, his quiet breathing, and the gnome in front of him. He crouched down, silently moving deeper and deeper into the darkness. He trod on a few twigs, not being the nimblest man around, but in his mind, he was totally silent. When Talos deemed them far enough away, he crouched down and gently tapped the gnome on the shoulder.
"What's your name?" he asked in a hushed voice. "I'm Talos."
Axis grasped the elf by the hand and wheeled aside, using what momentum he had and sheer power to gracelessly swing and haul the elf over onto his back. Still wheeling in place, he’d give her only a few moments to get her seat and bearings on him. As he did, his hooves thudded and cracked loudly against the hard ground, a chaotic earful of noise to add to the cacophony around them.
When fear began to dig its icy claws into his gut again, he broke from his circle, straightened out, and glanced back over his shoulder to make sure the elf had her seat. She would have to contend with the straps of his gear and a traveling pack slung across his withers, but other than that it was just him, his sweat, and his fur.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
.~*The Stable*~.
| Gela |Human|Cleric/War Domain| | Axis |Centaur|Barbarian| | Fen |Half-Drow|Monk/Way of the Open Hand|
Grip tightening, the centaur wheeled, lifting Viaya off of her feet entirely as he swung her up and helped her scramble onto his back. Having spent many an afternoon in her youth hiding in the stables to avoid being trapped in either the tutoring or the sitting room, the elf had done her fair share of riding. And while it had been years, decades since then and while this was very different, she found that the instincts had remained. Allowing her to gain her seat without falling at the very least, her would be rescuer still turning in place as she tightened her knees around his flanks and used his pack as a convenient pommel. Holding on for dear life as he straightened out once more and broke into a gallop. Wide, murky green eyes meeting his as he glanced back over his shoulder to make sure she was managing. Viaya glancing over her shoulder in turn as renewed screams rang out from somewhere behind and beyond their sight but still far too close for comfort, the sound piercing and terrible.
Ash like bile still stinging the back of her throat, grip on the Centaur's pack becoming white knuckled, the elf hunched her shoulders against the sound and hunched lower on his back. The pair of them racing toward the trees at a breakneck pace.
Zakon jumped slightly at the tap on his shoulder. He gritted his teeth, annoyed with himself for not paying close enough attention to the man, his concentration focused on getting them away cleanly. He nodded his head at the man, whispering softly, "Zakon. Nice to meet you, Talos. Wish it was under better circumstances. Let's get away from here, yeah?" The gnome turns and begins once again silently making his way away from the carnage of the town.
The mad gallop away from Kolovoro wasn’t quite so easy as Axis had hoped. It wasn’t so much the way his lungs burned with each breath or the way his eyes stung from ash, but making that escape when he knew others couldn’t didn’t sit so well in his gut-- he could feel his cheeks burning with shame. Just as they’d broken the edge of the town his hooves had struck something other than earth— something soft, motionless and sprawled on the ground— and he winced.
For now, he didn’t let himself dwell on it. He couldn't. Not now.
He galloped on and out, leaping over a line of low brush and weaving into the cover of trees.
It was only when they’d made it a good few lengths in that he eased into a slower pace, taking himself and the elf through the trees at a smooth trot. His sides heaved as he tried to suck in what clean air he could, and with wet, red eyes he peered about for sight of anyone else.
He could see the shapes of people, likely trying to shuffle away to safety in the dark much like he and his passenger. He veered to join them, herd instincts driving him through his fear.
Viaya kept her head down and her eyes squeezed shut as they ran. Her heart pounding in her chest faster even than the pounding of the centaur's hooves against the ground. She could hear hisbreathing too with how close they were, the ragged rhythm of it testifying to the fact that he had not made this escape any easier on himself by adding the burden of extra weight. By stopping for her. The elf didn't understand why he'd done it but now was not a time for questions, neither of themhad any breath left for such things regardless. There was too much behind them to do anything but run. No matter how terrible running felt. Now matter the fact that the screams were still ringing in at least her ears.
They trampled over something, the centaur stumbling slightly but not stopping. Viayanot daring to open her eyes until the changing temperature of the night air around them and the centaur'sslightly slowing pace told her that they had reached the trees. She lifted her head then, stifling another coughing fit as she followed his gaze to see two figures moving through the underbrush not too far from them. Away from the town, deeper into the trees. Running. Just as theywere. The two of them weren't the only ones who had made it out then. Relief flooded the elf and she made no objection as the centaur made to go their same direction. Tonight had made it clear that there was little safety to be had in numbers but that didn't mean it was any safer to be alone.
Talos nodded. "It's a pleasure," he whispered before following Zakon deeper into the undergrowth. He stumbled over a root and fell on his face, but scrambled back to his feet and hurried onward.
Behind him, he spotted a centaur with a woman on his back. He waved a massive hand in their direction to beckon them before sprinting onward. He finally stumbled into a clearing where a halfling woman was standing, her hands on her knees.
Zakon kept moving, creeping silently, cringing every time Talos made noise and flinching when the dragonborn stumbled and fell. As he looked back towards Talos, watching him scramble to his feet, he saw the large dragonborn wave a hand at someone - who, Zakon couldn't see. Cursing, Zakon hoped it was simply more refugees and not a signal to the attacking soldiers. He continued forward with Talos, stumbling into a clearing, eyes widening as he saw the halfling woman standing there. "Evenin', lass,"he said. "Out for a stroll, are ye?"
Bree tenses at the sound of feet through the undergrowth and the sound of hoofbeats approaching-- and her grip on her spear tightens. Her expression is grim and set-- until she gets a better look at the pair coming out of the underbrush. The handling hesitates for a moment, looking between the gnome and the dragonborn.
"Were you followed?" She asks, ears straining, and eyes going a bit wider at the sound of hoovescrashing after through the foliage. Her expression is still tense as she turns to look back toward the village for a moment. "Look-- they're running them down," she says, pointing. Another figure has emerged from the smoke, but a rider on horseback is quickly after the unlucky civilian, cutting them down. "I don't think they intend to leave any survivors," she adds, nervously. Perhaps the best option would be to run-- but Bree is sizing up the group that's stumbled into the clearing with her now, and she's starting to think that allofthem might be able to do something at least.
Talos gave Zakon a strange look before bowing his head to the halfling. "We come in peace," he said. "We're not with the Valcimonian soldiers." He took a moment to catch his breath before crouching down in the grass and going through his things. Once he had confirmed that he'd grabbed everything, he straightened up again.
"I don't think we were followed, though a centaur and an elf were fleeing behind us." He listened for a moment before introducing himself.
"I'm Talos," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake.
Bree stares for a long moment between the gnome and scaled man, but she reaches out to shake Talos' hand, her expression a little uncertain. In the midst of the attack, it's a strange time to observe basic courtesies, but she does anyway. "Bree,"she replies toTalos, before looking back to the gnome.
"Out for one of the less pleasant strolls I've been on, that's for certain,"she adds to Zakon. "I was in the village as well. Valcimonians don't seem to like my sort very much," she says, with a small, perhaps slightly bitter chuckle. "I don't know how long we'll be safe here though-- if you made your way here, it may not be long until others do, and they may not be as friendly. Maybe we should keep moving?" She suggests.
Following the gnome and dragonborn, Axis had let himself slow to a walk. He needed it to try and catch his breath— as such, he didn’t bother throwing an introduction as he stepped into the clearing to join therest of them. Instead, he covered his mouth with a balled fist in an attempt to stave off a cough itching mercilessly in his throat.
“Lil’ one’s right,” he croaked hoarsely. “Gotta get going.” He glanced back at the elf riding him.
Strange as it was having someone l i t e r a l l y riding him, it wasn’t as terrible as his people made it out to be. She wasn’t exactly light and it felt weird having those spindly legs on him, and heck, maybe his balance was a little off, but…it was tolerable.
He asked her, “Miss— you know this land? By any chance?”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
.~*The Stable*~.
| Gela |Human|Cleric/War Domain| | Axis |Centaur|Barbarian| | Fen |Half-Drow|Monk/Way of the Open Hand|
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Axis: Your exile hasn’t taken you far. Centaurs mostly keep to their own territory. After several weeks out on your own, you’ve found yourself only as far as Kolovoro, which is about as far south as centaur roaming grounds are. So far, the locals have at least been civil towards you. The elves are wary and don’t seem to have much to do with you, but at least the humans don’t seem to mind as much. Finding places to sleep in the little village has been somewhat of a challenge, though. The best you could do was use one of the local stables. The stableman found this rather amusing, you…not so much. Just as you were about to drift off into an uncomfortable sleep, you hear the horses in the stalls next to you growing restless, and not far away, you can see smoke rising from one of the rooftops of a home. That’s when you hear the screams of civilians and the shouts of soldiers. Your boldness urges you to go and see what all the commotion is about, but just as you’re about to gallop into the fray, the smoke starts to overtake you. Realizing you cannot see and are more likely to die breathing in the smoke, you quickly turn around to get out of the village. Just as you get to the edge of the village, you spot what appears to be an elven woman struggling on her feet (this is Viaya).
Bree: For unknown reasons, your patron has bid you go to Goyag, so far east and away from your homelands, you’re struggling to get your bearings. You only hope that your patron doesn’t have malevolent reasons for you coming here. The people of Kolovoro find it odd to see a halfling in their midst, but stranger beings, like the genesai, have visited here, so your presence is not seen as a problem. You had found a room at a small inn and had already settled in for the night. A few hours into your sleep and you start to hear the screams. Bolting out of bed, you realize that the inn is much warmer than you would have thought on a cool summer night. It doesn’t take long for you to realize that the inn is on fire. Lucky for you, you’re small and nimble enough to navigate your way out of the building with minimal struggle, and the fire had only just started. There was time to get out. Upon exiting the inn, you realize this is more than just a freak accident. The entire village has become an inferno and frightening men on horseback are running wild through the streets, striking down any civilians they spot. You quickly recognize the armor as Valcimonian and bolt before they can see you. You’re able to get far out of the village and stop to catch your breath in a distant clearing while watching the village be reduced to rubble.
Talos: You’ve been on a journey towards the central regions of Goyag, where the majority of the temples are located. Your mission has been to seek out the Council of the Nine, the theocratic council that rules the land in search of a temple where you may study with your ideal mentor. For now, you and the rest of your original traveling party stopped in Kolovoro for rest and food. You and your companions stayed up late into the night enjoying drinks at a tavern. But just as your festivities came to a lull, shouts were heard outside. Not long after that, you hear the solid thwack of an arrow hitting the side of the tavern, and you see the flames starting to consume the siding. You and your companions rush to see what all the commotion is about. Several men on horseback are shooting flaming arrows into the sides of buildings all over the village. You are stunned by what you see, yet one or two of your companions attempt to intervene. Their actions are met with blades to their throats. The rest of you run, realizing the danger you’re in, and you are separated from the rest of your former travel-mates. As you run further, you see more buildings burning, and it breaks your heart that you actually have to leap over the fallen bodies of former citizens. Wasn’t that last one the beggar woman who only hours before you had given a small bit of coin to? Just ahead, you spot a gnome also making a run for it, but his shorter legs put him at a disadvantage (this is Zakon).
Viaya: True, restlessness has bid you venture far away from home, but you’re still not exactly sure about leaving your elven homelands altogether. After all, there’s a war going on, not much adventure other than bloodbath to see out there. So, you’ve stayed on the fringes of Goyag and your travels have led you to Kolovoro. You usually stay in villages until you’ve either outstayed your welcome, or your boredom bids you elsewhere. For now, things have been fine in this little village, and staying for just a few days more couldn’t hurt. A small elven family was happy to give you a bed to sleep in, and meals in exchange for running the odd errand for them. They were a simple family who probably had never heard of your own, or has any idea who you are. When you are awoken in the middle of the night by the elven woman who had taken you in, you are more than surprised. She ushers you, her husband, and her children out of the house as fast as your groggy self can go. The house had somehow caught on fire. You were ready to go help the family fetch water to put out the blaze when something begins to feel amiss. A man in dark armor, riding an equally dark horse strikes the husband from behind without warning and he is left sprawled on the grass, dead. Before long, more soldiers approach and it becomes apparent that they are taking no prisoners. Left with no choice, you run, but with so much smoke in the area, it’s getting harder to breathe, and you’re certain you hear the sound of another of the soldiers on horseback approaching you from behind.
Zakon: The land of Goyag has its advantages. You’ve gotten far enough away from Sobilamos that no one is really looking for you, and the occasional gnome from the west visiting the elven lands isn’t all that unusual, so you’re no one’s suspicions are raised. For now, you’ve been wandering the small village of Kolovoro, trying to figure out your next plan of action, and maybe make a little coin to continue your travels. You’ve taken up the odd job here or there on the smaller farms in the area. After all, these are honest people. Not really keen on handouts, though, you’ve not taken any offers for shelter from the locals, so you spend most nights just wandering the streets. It’s hard to sleep anyway. Normally, nights in these small villages are quiet, so when you hear the approach of horses, your curiosity is piqued. In the village center, you spot a small regiment of Valcimonian soldiers assembling. At the command of their leader, they begin shooting flaming arrows into the nearby buildings. You can hear the voice of their leader give one last command. “I want no prisoners,” he says. ”The elves need to learn they cannot expect to stay out of this war forever. Kill them all.” Knowing that by yourself you can do nothing, you do the next best thing: raise the alarm. You shout in hopes that anyone can hear and try to get out before they are burned alive or worse. After all, no one deserves this. Pretty soon, the village becomes a chaotic mess as citizens flee for their lives, most being slain as they run. You may be small and quick to avoid the soldiers, but your legs are getting tired from all the running.
I usually post DM notes here for when I'm just talking to you the players. So, this is your opportunity to get into the action and start getting to know each other right in the thick of things. I tried to give most of you a chance to start interacting with each other quickly (Bree, I'm sorry, you're on your own, but don't worry, you're kind of the meeting point everyone's heading towards). Please note your character colors, and be sure to check the PbP Rules thread on the main PbP forum page. It will provide you with some helpful information on how to label skills, spells, and other such things. And above all else, have fun. Welcome to Imela!
Lvl 2 - Dathyra Galanodel - High Elf Cleric of the Life Domain - Platinum Plated Keys
Lvl 5 - Dathyra Galanodel - High Elf Cleric of the Life Domain - Hunted
Lvl 1 - Geth Hornraven - Human Wizard - Lost Mine of Phandelver
DM - Imela: The Adventure Begins
Bree stands in the little clearing she's found, hands on her knees as she pants. She's not sure if it's the adrenaline racing through her, the smoke, or the sight of Valcimonian armor that has left her feeling so shaken-- but eventually she looks up, back toward the burning village. Nervous and half distracted, she shoulders her pack off, checking over the contents. She owned precious little at the moment, and had made sure to grab it as she fled the inn. Worry recently has been keeping her dressed in her leathers, even while sleeping, and tonight it has paid off. A quick visual inspection shows she's lost neither the crossbow nor spear lashed to it-- and her daggers remain safely holstered, one at her calf and the other tucked against her right side for a quicker draw. It reassures her to have weapons, even if she now has other means of defense.
For now she removes her spear and slides the pack back on, the crouches down, watching the village. Part of her wants to try to do something-- but she's alone. The best she can do for now is to try to keep safe in her position-- and that means watching to make sure none of the soldiers are coming through. Where she'd retreat to, Bree doesn't know-- but anywhere a Valcimonian emblem can be seen is not a place she's keen on staying.
Zakon pants as he runs, his leg muscles burning with exertion. His bright blue eyes scan ahead, looking for any dark shadowy place where he could hide for a few moments just to catch his breath. There! As he reaches the edge of town, he sees a small break in the bushes, small, but plenty big enough for him to slip through unnoticed. He pushes harder, running faster, hearing the fires blazing behind him, the screams of the townsfolk as they are brutally cut down. He grimaces, pushing down his self-loathing at running rather than trying to help, but one gnome against mounted Valcimonian soldiers would earn him nothing except death.
Legs still churning, he reaches the break and slips through to the other side. He crouches down and tries to regulate his breathing, patting his belt to make sure his belongings are still intact, then begins running his hands over his body, checking silently that each of his hidden weapons are in place. Satisfied that everything is where it should be, he begins slowly moving away from the town, hoping that some will survive thanks to his early warning, but with a heavy heart, knowing that the soldiers will be merciless to any they find. He moves as silently as possible, even though his small steps will likely be lost in the chaos currently happening in the town.
It was surely a miracle that Axis could even see as he tried to make his escape; his eyes burned and blurred from the smoke, drawing tears that did little to ease the pain. Frantic hooves slowed to a sluggish, weaving lope as he hunched forward with a deep cough…
He’d never experienced anything like this. Smoke and fire? People screaming? This…violence? What was even happening?
But even as he brought the back of his hand to his mouth and blinked away tears, he looked ahead and could see an elf struggling through the ash and smoke. At first he sucked in a breath and tried to call out to them, but his throat seized uselessly into another fit of coughing. Gritting his teeth in a moment of screw it, he surged toward the elf at a hard gallop, trying to bite back the Hell filling his lungs.
She was right there— thinking maybe he could snatch her up and get her out of there with him, he reached a hand out to try and grab her.
.~*The Stable*~.
| Gela |Human|Cleric/War Domain|
| Axis |Centaur|Barbarian|
| Fen |Half-Drow|Monk/Way of the Open Hand|
Viaya was struggling to breath as she ran, lungs burning and eyes stinging as she went. Her feet seeming to catch on every piece of rubble or downed body that crossed her path. She couldn't see, screams and fire were all around her. She'd have thought this was a nightmare had it not been for the pain in her legs, her throat, everywhere. She didn't understand. What was happening? Why was the village being attacked and by who? Goyag had kept themselves aloof from the war for years. This made no sense. She'd lost track of the woman and children whose home she had been staying in after watching the husband fall and while she desperately wanted to find them, desperately wanted to help, in her current state and in the current environment she was all but useless. Months on the road and longer months on the run had taken their toll even with a few days to a week spent in each town she came to. She was not as strong as she had once been, perhaps she had never been strong at all.
Her trembling limbs seemed to attest to that as she neared the edge of the town, the elf doubling over with her hand braced against a wall as hacking coughs wracked her frame. Straightening just in time to hear the sound of galloping hoof beats closing in behind her, she spun, rapier sliding from the sheath that she had hastily buckled around her waist after being woken hours or minutes before. Not intending on dying without at least some kind of fight. Only instead of coming face to face with an armed soldier on horseback she instead found herself standing directly in the path of a literal horse-man. A centaur, as ash stained and apparently set on fleeing as she was. Slowing in his own mad dash to escape, reaching for her. For a moment Viaya hesitated, shying back. She had never directly encountered one of his kind before, and what was to say that he wasn't allied with the black clad figures rushing about slaughtering townsfolk and burning things to the ground? Then again, who was to say she wouldn't wind up slaughtered and burned up right along with everyone and everything else if she continued to try and escape on her own? In the end, logic and desperation won out. The rapier slipping back into its sheath as she reached out in turn and grasped his hand.
Viaya Morbrew - Imela: The Adventure Begins - High Elf/Rogue (Level 1)
Entropy Klyv - Hunted ! - Half Orc/College of Lore Bard (Level 6)
Xieva Talwinder - Crosswinds - Firbolg/School of Enchantment Wizard (Level 5)
Talos was heaving, bile rising in the back of his throat from the strain. His boots pounded in the mud as screams of terror and the crackling of flames surrounded him. He raced around a corner to the outskirts of town, stumbling over the corpse of a teen boy. He gagged, and felt a sob rising in his throat. But Talos pushed on. He scrambled past two sobbing women.
"Run!" he shouted to them as he darted past.
Finally, Talos saw a copse of trees ahead and he scrambled into some bushes, near where he'd seen a small gnome in dark clothing disappear. Talos put his hands on his knees, trying desperately to catch his breath. He wanted to cry or scream, just do something. But he couldn't. Not without giving away his position. So instead, he carefully went through his gear, making sure everything was in place.
Zakon stiffened as heard something crashing through the brush behind him. Moving quietly, he edged his way around, hoping that one of the soldiers hadn't seen him fleeing and followed. Heart pounding, he crept along until he could see what was making the noise.
Before him he saw a scaled man, breathing heavily. Zakon sighed with relief. It wasn't one of the soldiers. He moved closer, reaching out and putting a hand on the man's arm. His finger to his lips to indicate silence, he motioned for the man to follow him. Zakon immediately wondered what the dragonborn was doing in Goyag. He gave a mental shrug. Right now, fleeing was more important than information. If they managed to escape this massacre, then he could ask questions. In any case, as a dragonborn, the man likely had no love for the Valcimonians, so he'd do what he could to help the dragonborn escape as well.
Path decided, Zakon concentrated on getting them as far away from Kolovoro as possible. They were still close enough to hear the crackles of the blazes and nearby sounds of others making their escape through the underbrush as well. Crossing his fingers that the dragonborn was smart enough to follow and nimble enough to be quiet, he wove his way through the thickets and bushes, intent only on putting distance between them and the soldiers.
Talos nearly jumped out of scales at the touch to his arm. He almost shouted in fear, sure that he'd been caught, before glancing down to see a small grayish gnome. And while Talos would have probably greeted the man warmly, he caught the signal to be quiet. And he knew that the further away from Kolovoro they got, the safer they'd be. Visiting the Council of the Nine didn't seem as important anymore. Neither did studying with the priests.
All that mattered in that moment was his stealthy footsteps, his quiet breathing, and the gnome in front of him. He crouched down, silently moving deeper and deeper into the darkness. He trod on a few twigs, not being the nimblest man around, but in his mind, he was totally silent. When Talos deemed them far enough away, he crouched down and gently tapped the gnome on the shoulder.
"What's your name?" he asked in a hushed voice. "I'm Talos."
Axis grasped the elf by the hand and wheeled aside, using what momentum he had and sheer power to gracelessly swing and haul the elf over onto his back. Still wheeling in place, he’d give her only a few moments to get her seat and bearings on him. As he did, his hooves thudded and cracked loudly against the hard ground, a chaotic earful of noise to add to the cacophony around them.
When fear began to dig its icy claws into his gut again, he broke from his circle, straightened out, and glanced back over his shoulder to make sure the elf had her seat. She would have to contend with the straps of his gear and a traveling pack slung across his withers, but other than that it was just him, his sweat, and his fur.
.~*The Stable*~.
| Gela |Human|Cleric/War Domain|
| Axis |Centaur|Barbarian|
| Fen |Half-Drow|Monk/Way of the Open Hand|
Grip tightening, the centaur wheeled, lifting Viaya off of her feet entirely as he swung her up and helped her scramble onto his back. Having spent many an afternoon in her youth hiding in the stables to avoid being trapped in either the tutoring or the sitting room, the elf had done her fair share of riding. And while it had been years, decades since then and while this was very different, she found that the instincts had remained. Allowing her to gain her seat without falling at the very least, her would be rescuer still turning in place as she tightened her knees around his flanks and used his pack as a convenient pommel. Holding on for dear life as he straightened out once more and broke into a gallop. Wide, murky green eyes meeting his as he glanced back over his shoulder to make sure she was managing. Viaya glancing over her shoulder in turn as renewed screams rang out from somewhere behind and beyond their sight but still far too close for comfort, the sound piercing and terrible.
Ash like bile still stinging the back of her throat, grip on the Centaur's pack becoming white knuckled, the elf hunched her shoulders against the sound and hunched lower on his back. The pair of them racing toward the trees at a breakneck pace.
Viaya Morbrew - Imela: The Adventure Begins - High Elf/Rogue (Level 1)
Entropy Klyv - Hunted ! - Half Orc/College of Lore Bard (Level 6)
Xieva Talwinder - Crosswinds - Firbolg/School of Enchantment Wizard (Level 5)
Zakon jumped slightly at the tap on his shoulder. He gritted his teeth, annoyed with himself for not paying close enough attention to the man, his concentration focused on getting them away cleanly. He nodded his head at the man, whispering softly, "Zakon. Nice to meet you, Talos. Wish it was under better circumstances. Let's get away from here, yeah?" The gnome turns and begins once again silently making his way away from the carnage of the town.
If I’m not mistaken, Bree, Zakon and Talos are nearing your position. At least, that is how I read their exchange. Axis and Viaya are on their way.
Lvl 2 - Dathyra Galanodel - High Elf Cleric of the Life Domain - Platinum Plated Keys
Lvl 5 - Dathyra Galanodel - High Elf Cleric of the Life Domain - Hunted
Lvl 1 - Geth Hornraven - Human Wizard - Lost Mine of Phandelver
DM - Imela: The Adventure Begins
The mad gallop away from Kolovoro wasn’t quite so easy as Axis had hoped. It wasn’t so much the way his lungs burned with each breath or the way his eyes stung from ash, but making that escape when he knew others couldn’t didn’t sit so well in his gut-- he could feel his cheeks burning with shame. Just as they’d broken the edge of the town his hooves had struck something other than earth— something soft, motionless and sprawled on the ground— and he winced.
For now, he didn’t let himself dwell on it. He couldn't. Not now.
He galloped on and out, leaping over a line of low brush and weaving into the cover of trees.
It was only when they’d made it a good few lengths in that he eased into a slower pace, taking himself and the elf through the trees at a smooth trot. His sides heaved as he tried to suck in what clean air he could, and with wet, red eyes he peered about for sight of anyone else.
He could see the shapes of people, likely trying to shuffle away to safety in the dark much like he and his passenger. He veered to join them, herd instincts driving him through his fear.
.~*The Stable*~.
| Gela |Human|Cleric/War Domain|
| Axis |Centaur|Barbarian|
| Fen |Half-Drow|Monk/Way of the Open Hand|
Viaya kept her head down and her eyes squeezed shut as they ran. Her heart pounding in her chest faster even than the pounding of the centaur's hooves against the ground. She could hear his breathing too with how close they were, the ragged rhythm of it testifying to the fact that he had not made this escape any easier on himself by adding the burden of extra weight. By stopping for her. The elf didn't understand why he'd done it but now was not a time for questions, neither of them had any breath left for such things regardless. There was too much behind them to do anything but run. No matter how terrible running felt. Now matter the fact that the screams were still ringing in at least her ears.
They trampled over something, the centaur stumbling slightly but not stopping. Viaya not daring to open her eyes until the changing temperature of the night air around them and the centaur's slightly slowing pace told her that they had reached the trees. She lifted her head then, stifling another coughing fit as she followed his gaze to see two figures moving through the underbrush not too far from them. Away from the town, deeper into the trees. Running. Just as they were. The two of them weren't the only ones who had made it out then. Relief flooded the elf and she made no objection as the centaur made to go their same direction. Tonight had made it clear that there was little safety to be had in numbers but that didn't mean it was any safer to be alone.
Viaya Morbrew - Imela: The Adventure Begins - High Elf/Rogue (Level 1)
Entropy Klyv - Hunted ! - Half Orc/College of Lore Bard (Level 6)
Xieva Talwinder - Crosswinds - Firbolg/School of Enchantment Wizard (Level 5)
Talos nodded. "It's a pleasure," he whispered before following Zakon deeper into the undergrowth. He stumbled over a root and fell on his face, but scrambled back to his feet and hurried onward.
Behind him, he spotted a centaur with a woman on his back. He waved a massive hand in their direction to beckon them before sprinting onward. He finally stumbled into a clearing where a halfling woman was standing, her hands on her knees.
Zakon kept moving, creeping silently, cringing every time Talos made noise and flinching when the dragonborn stumbled and fell. As he looked back towards Talos, watching him scramble to his feet, he saw the large dragonborn wave a hand at someone - who, Zakon couldn't see. Cursing, Zakon hoped it was simply more refugees and not a signal to the attacking soldiers. He continued forward with Talos, stumbling into a clearing, eyes widening as he saw the halfling woman standing there. "Evenin', lass," he said. "Out for a stroll, are ye?"
Bree tenses at the sound of feet through the undergrowth and the sound of hoofbeats approaching-- and her grip on her spear tightens. Her expression is grim and set-- until she gets a better look at the pair coming out of the underbrush. The handling hesitates for a moment, looking between the gnome and the dragonborn.
"Were you followed?" She asks, ears straining, and eyes going a bit wider at the sound of hooves crashing after through the foliage. Her expression is still tense as she turns to look back toward the village for a moment. "Look-- they're running them down," she says, pointing. Another figure has emerged from the smoke, but a rider on horseback is quickly after the unlucky civilian, cutting them down. "I don't think they intend to leave any survivors," she adds, nervously. Perhaps the best option would be to run-- but Bree is sizing up the group that's stumbled into the clearing with her now, and she's starting to think that all of them might be able to do something at least.
Talos gave Zakon a strange look before bowing his head to the halfling. "We come in peace," he said. "We're not with the Valcimonian soldiers." He took a moment to catch his breath before crouching down in the grass and going through his things. Once he had confirmed that he'd grabbed everything, he straightened up again.
"I don't think we were followed, though a centaur and an elf were fleeing behind us." He listened for a moment before introducing himself.
"I'm Talos," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake.
Bree stares for a long moment between the gnome and scaled man, but she reaches out to shake Talos' hand, her expression a little uncertain. In the midst of the attack, it's a strange time to observe basic courtesies, but she does anyway. "Bree," she replies to Talos, before looking back to the gnome.
"Out for one of the less pleasant strolls I've been on, that's for certain," she adds to Zakon. "I was in the village as well. Valcimonians don't seem to like my sort very much," she says, with a small, perhaps slightly bitter chuckle. "I don't know how long we'll be safe here though-- if you made your way here, it may not be long until others do, and they may not be as friendly. Maybe we should keep moving?" She suggests.
Following the gnome and dragonborn, Axis had let himself slow to a walk. He needed it to try and catch his breath— as such, he didn’t bother throwing an introduction as he stepped into the clearing to join the rest of them. Instead, he covered his mouth with a balled fist in an attempt to stave off a cough itching mercilessly in his throat.
“Lil’ one’s right,” he croaked hoarsely. “Gotta get going.” He glanced back at the elf riding him.
Strange as it was having someone l i t e r a l l y riding him, it wasn’t as terrible as his people made it out to be. She wasn’t exactly light and it felt weird having those spindly legs on him, and heck, maybe his balance was a little off, but…it was tolerable.
He asked her, “Miss— you know this land? By any chance?”
.~*The Stable*~.
| Gela |Human|Cleric/War Domain|
| Axis |Centaur|Barbarian|
| Fen |Half-Drow|Monk/Way of the Open Hand|