When Curiosity Takes Hold [private] (Verus)

[Rhargn Etn]

First Cycle of Melora
Tenth Candlemark in the Brightening of Solaria
The Winter of Era I of the Celestine Mandate
Thirteenth Era Post Fractum, the Second Era of the Reign of Arabella
Paradigm: The Eclipse of the Sun

Relative darkness. The delightfully elegant rays of the winter sun had been engulfed by thick, power hungry grey clouds which swarmed the sky and shed huge waves of chunky flakes. The only stray's which made there way down to Telath, were those which were favored by the Gods, like a mother who favors the healthiest child. It was as if with winters final cycles, came a desperate assault, one which sought to wreck habitats, shatter dreams, sow seeds of distress and punctured the lung of life. Every presence had abandoned itself.

'Chuffin' Nora', Rhargn thought to himself, as his huddled up form flashed his Visa to the unfortunate guards which had to patrol the gates at times like these. The ruffian had promised himself, whatever the weather, this brightening he would traverse into the wilderness that surrounded the relative safety within the walls of Nexus Prime. A dying mist was forced out of Rhargn, the sigh clinging for dear life to the mattered beard about it. 'Them unlucky swines must think I'm a right idiot coming out in this weather.'

Each struggling foot step sunk deep into inches of the azure carpet, relaying a soft crunching sound to those that were insane enough to make their way through it. Was it not for the size of Rhargn's boots, he'd surely have been treading each step into a freezing pool of agony.

The malestorm of thoughts that usually twirled and swirled its way about Rhargn's mind was void. The only minute idea he had, as so not to become lost in this unforgiving weather was to not travel too far away, and head in one direction. Huddled up among his fat self, Rhargn glanced up, his hazel orbs scouring the obscured horizon, his beard immediately entrapped among an army of white. The mountain mad had moved but a few steps from the gates to now, however, it was time. Rhargn set off.

[Verus]

Once again, Verus was out and about on his brightening off. Unlike most times though, he was not in the company of his two friends. This brightening he had felt the urge to get out of the city and enjoy his time in the wilderness, and enjoy what he declared was fine weather. Most thought him crazy for this, but having been born and raised in the snow covered peaks of the Arium Mountains he was accustomed to the cold and had come to enjoy it.

The rhagrhnd was dressed in his usual attire, brown woolen pants grey shirt and his now white cloak. He also wore his shortsword at his hip and the leather armor under his cloak, a habit he had become accustomed to from his various adventures in Nexus Prime. His attire was all that was needed to get him in and out of the gate. The guard knew him for what he was, a member of the military and it was completely likely that the guard had seen him before, coming and going from his patrol routes.

Walking out the gates with only a slight nod of the head to the guard on duty, Verus was surprised to see another man. He had figured that he would be the only one to venture out into the cold bite of winters embrace. But no, here, a rather large man stood before him. With his cloak of white, Verus blended in easily with the snow that lay about. The soft crunch that his leather boots made in the crisp snow was the only sound to herald his arrival. Coming up close to the man, Verus greeted him politely. ”Serale, nice brightening isn’t it?”

[Shandrila El'Shier]

Most people would find the dreary grey sky a symbol of despair, however Shandrila was quite different in that regard. The overcast shadowing of the usually brilliant blue sky gave her a chance to shed her hood, the bright sun being hidden behind the clouds. Her graceful ebon ears revealing her Vysstichi heritage as well as her shoulder blade length ivory hair could. It was as if Haya herself had deemed it time from the young harlot to move out into the world to explore and see what she could find in the way of entertainment.

Her black cloak was draped around her body, tied back against her so that it accentuated the curves of her female form instead of hiding them. A smile alighted upon her full lips as she walked across the snow strewn plain; the sound of her boots upon the powder the only sound that she made as she walked. Alone with her thoughts the young Vysstichi outcast wondered what it would take for her to regain her position among the houses of Har'oloth. Visions of her bloody dismissal from her family were still fresh in her mind as she wandered, so much so in fact that she almost missed the image of two humans ahead.

Slowing down, Shandrila watched them for a moment, and then deeming them to not be the type of human that may just shoot her on sight, Shandrila made up her mind to join the wayward humans. Though she was excited to make their aquiantance she was not a fool, not a complete one in any case. Loading her hand bow with a bolt she clipped it onto her body in easy reach should she need to snap it up for a shot. That done, she made her way towards the two men her hips swinging in a provacative fashion as she did so.

"Serale gentlemen. What are two handsome men like you doing out in a dreary cold place like this without a woman to warm you up?" she asked her voice a seductive hue as it came out in a small column of steam.

[Rhargn Etn]

OOC: Sorry Shandrila but you can't load your crossbow. You don't have any bolts to load it with, unless you're going to load it with a snow ball

Were it not for the sinister howl of the hell bent gail, Rhargn would have caught the sound of the harsh crunch that seemed to creep upon him carefully. His greasey hair provided excellent coverage for his thick, cauliflower ears, though this was as a sacrifice to hearing. One thing the ruffian wouldn't miss however, was the greeting that mysteriously forced itself upon him from the side.

Eyes shot wide open as a shocked gasp of ice mist rambled from Rhargn's throat. Spinning on his worn heels, the mountain man readied his brick like fists to meet the oncomer. However, a soothing aura of relaxation soon washed over Rhargn as he realized it to be but a human, apparently also on his way out of the city in these treacherous conditions.

Initially, the 6ft6 bear of a man shot his focus straight over the Dwarf sized character that stood before him. As confusion began to meander its way into the the thoughts of Rhargn, he looked down and struggled a chuckle. It was only a kid, compared to the 33 year old ruffian anyway, and one for the females at that. Delicate looking facial features, a lean structure, completely the opposite of Rhargn. "Nice brightening?! Are you chuffin' mad son?!"

The fat mans gaze drifted back to the horizon. Void. That's all there seemed to be. Nothing but a thick sheet of white.

"What's a young un like you, doing out in weather like this, aye mate. You'll catch your death." At this, a new myserious voice alerted Rhargn. He'd not seen the figure close in on the duo, yet for some reason he wasn't suprised by the arrival of yet another new comer.

Hazel orbs now quickly shifted to the ebony flesh of what appeared to be an elf. Scouring the femine body of of this lean peice of meat, Rhargn heartily laughed out loud, a deathly cold chunk of the wintery assault bombarding his lungs. "Handsome?! Ha, I think you mean this fellow 'ere." The ruffian bellowed, as he slipped a massive trunk like arm about the Rhagrhnd, edging him into the lime light slightly, for Rhargn was far from attractive. However, although he was a fat, barbaric looking man, he held no real prejudice for any race bar Orcs, for they were the ones who'd kidnapped his younger sister Ell from his village in the Arium mountains.

"I'll guess I'll say it to you both now then... What on Telath are you doing out in this 'orrible weather?! Me, I promised myself a quick tour of the out skirts of Nexus, whatever it was like." With this, Rhargn awaited both replied.

[Verus]

Most people who saw Verus’ face as delicate were usually drunk. But this human appeared to be quite sober, or at least he better be wondering around the wilderness in winter. Sure, the rhagrhnd was lean, and his face at one time might have been delicate looking. But that time had long passed, his lean and cleanshaven face was hard, unusual for one of his age. His face seemed to be carved of granite and not a flicker of emotion passed over it. His grey eyes told many stories, the saying goes that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and one could see in Verus’ eyes that he had seen, faced and dealt death. No, he might be a child in age but he had matured long ago.

His comment about the nice brightening brought the expected reply, and Verus could not help but be amused at it. But before he could further comment, a third voice entered the scene. Turning, Verus watched as a female vysstichi approached them. This brought back memories from the first of this very season; the darkening that Nexus Prime was attacked by vysstichi pirates. That darkening, Verus had gained more life experience then one could usually achieve in eras. He had fought for his life, as well as the lives of his friends and comrades. But above all that, he had fought for justice, an ideal that had been worn into him from the brightening of his birth. Turning aside the memories, Verus listened as the vysstichi asked them, her voice dripping with seduction, what they were doing out in the cold without a woman to warm them.

Not a moment later, Verus felt the large arm of the bear of a man beside him clasp him on the shoulder. Pushing the hand away, Verus simply said, ”I like this weather.” All her attempt at seduction was lost to the rhagrhnd, as if he never even noticed she was female. He had never bed with a woman and he had never had the urge to. When he became an adult in the eyes of his tribe then he would bed a woman, but there would be no love. The only point was to reproduce so that the tribe could continue on. But that was not the only reason that Verus seemed oblivious to the attractiveness of the female vysstichi, no. It was more custom that did that. Rhagrhnd’s did not breed with outlanders, it was simply not allowed. On the occasional chance that it did happen, any offspring that came from the event were killed.

Next came the man’s question. The rhagrhnd was the first to answer, ”I’m enjoying by brightening off.” Then he had a proposition for the man. He had nothing better to do with his time, so he figured he might as well offer his help to the man, ”I know the area around Nexus Prime quite well if you would like some company.”

[Shandrila El'Shier]

A slight motion of her delicate neck marked the shift in focus between the two men before her as Shandrila studied each of them in turn. The one a barbaric brute of a man who was indeed quite unattractive and seemed possessed of an incredible strength and would seem to be the larger threat, and the other who really commanded the attention of the Vysstichi whore. He was a taller figure with a face that seemed to be cute from stone in its stoic nature. He seemed to be quiet to the observations of the Vysstichi, but something in his eyes gave her the notion that he may not be quite so innocent as she had thought and thus the larger threat.

It was of no matter to Shandrila though, for she had been born to violence and bloodshed, a penchant for cruelty and betrayal had permeated every pore of her body and it was part of her very essence. A slow smile made its way over her mouth though as she listened to the words being exchanged. Not really caring that her blatant flirtation had been so easily turned aside, She responded to the large man first,

"Oh I dont know, beauty has many forms" a smile accompanying the warm words she directed at the male, more then she normally would but she did not want to put them on their guard to early.

"As for what a little thing like me is doing out here, well, I became lost in this white land and have been wandering for some time hoping to find people that could help me find my bearings." A lie to be sure, but one that would hopefully bear some fruit, perhaps they would offer assistance to her, the lowly lost innocent female that was to fragile to survive on her own. Something that the surface races she had been told were well known for.

"If you dont mind I would be most grateful if you would allow me to accompany you as well"

[Rhargn Etn]

'Curious little fellow', Rhargn thought to himself as his gloved dannie was avoided. 'Why on Telath would someone like this bleedin' weather'. It tore savagely at the flesh, it managed to squirm its way into clothes, it ripped at hair, and to make it all the more enjoyable, one couldn't even see two flaming foot infront of himself.

The comment made by this Vysstichi however, was one that brought a candlefire of warmth to Rhargn. "Haha, many forms indeed love." Now with all this dilly dallying and shilly shallying, a 'perfectly' good brightening could be wasted, and luckily the rhagrhnd apparently knew this as well. Hearing his rasp words struggle to ear, Rhargn forced a turn of the shoulders, his paws tugging down at his fur hat. "Aye mate, in weather like this, the company would be much appreciated. I'm Rhargn by the way." A hand was offered.

Hazel orbs once again slid back to the horizon, a potent glare occupying them. Initally a cream grey barricade held the way, now however, it seemed more like a constant scattering of azure. 'The storms getting worst.'

Once again a voice found its way to Rhargn, though this more sexual then the first, as this was simply from a female. "I don't know about sonny here, but I don't do saving damsels in distress. Don't get enough back from it." This serious tone immediately snapped into 'bar banter' as the sentence died off with Rhargn hefting a little wink at the other male of the group. The mountain man had the worst humor most thought. "But sure, I don't see why you can't join us. Just keep close, okay."

Time was ticking by and the ruffian was getting anxious, however the malestorm had returned to his head as character descriptions began to formulate in his mind.

The bloke of this duo seemed stern to say the least, from inital few words it seemed he was not one for a rowdy joke at Longbeard's. However, there was an aura of safety about him that fortified the mammoth figure's confidence, an aura that said, I'll keep us all okay'. Now whether this was true or not, who could say.

The Vysstichi on the other hand, although a welcoming peice of eye candy, minus the ebony skin and so forth, seemed a bit shifty. Her persona oozed sexuality and mistrust, almost as if she could play the damsel all brightening and then when a blind eye was turned, easily stab you in the back, though this was far from confirmed. In matter of fact, the ruffian pretty much distrusted most females.

Rhargn showed no mirror of his thoughts on the two at all though, instead, with a deep inhale of death, he stepped out towards the horizon. "Come on then!"

[Verus]

When the hand was offered, Verus reached out with a firm grip and answered, ”Verus.” What came next though, the rhagrhnd could not believe. The vysstichi woman’s absurd story of becoming lost and wondering around. Turning to face her with a dead stare of his grey eyes, the rhagrhnd raised his hand and pointed into the distance behind the woman to the still, but barely, visible walls of Nexus Prime. ”The city of Nexus Prime is right there… would you like to try again?”

The rhagrhnd was already suspicious of the woman. There was an air about her, something that told him not to turn his back and keep one eye open when he slept. Verus did not like that feeling, but he had become accustom to it, the empire was not a safe place. But the woman would be in for a surprise if she tried anything… unlike most of the outlanders down here, Verus did not hold a single bias towards females. In his society, males and females were treated equal and barely distinguished between, they were not treated special. If the woman chose to learn this the hard way, well all her charm or seduction or even blatant crying would not save her from the rhagrhnd’s wrath.

But in the end, even he believed that one must be proved guilty. No amount of suspicion or tiny hairs on the back of his neck raised would make him do a thing until she proved to him that she was warrant of his wrath. With the giant of a man named Rhargn voicing his agreeance to her coming along with them, Verus gave slight nod. She could come but he would be keeping a careful eye on her.

[Shandrila El'Shier]

It was of course just her luck that she could not be paired with a couple of people that lacked any sort of brain at all. Shandrila simply hated when she had to deal with people who were in any way intelligent, so now she knew that her charms would not work and that she had been caught in an obvious lie. Chuckling to herself and to the other two mne, Shandi simply replied,

"No...to be honost I simply wanted to kill some poor hapless sod and take his belongings" she stopped then an innocent smile on her face and then continued once more, her breath coming out in a puff of steam.

"But then I met you two symbols of virtue and decided that travelling on an adventure with you would be a grander use of my time! I am Shandrila"

I must be wary around such men...even if they are males it is not as though I am back home with the comfort of my house around me, this is the surface world and here people die for the most simple of things... pondering these thoughts Shandrila decded that for the time being she would not attempt any kind of betrayel. Instead she would follow them, who knew perhaps they would encounter a battle of some kind in which she would be able to turn a profit, and maybe a slave or two that she could use shamelessly.

"So, any specific plan as to where we should go lads?"

[Grim]

Arium was an unforgiving Province. The people either strongly for one cause or another. They were rash, they were hard and they were as unforgiving as the land they lived in. They had to be. In a land like this one needed to know who one's enemies and who one's friends were.

Among the former, the primary choice was obvious. Vysstichi, there were few things that were more hated in the Province of Arium than the Vysstichi. In Nexus Prime they would be shot, killed. That was if they were lucky. If the mobs got a hold of their elfin frames, they would face a much less comfortable fate.

Perhaps the Province itself hated the Vysstichi as much as the people did, for from the west came the wind. Whistling across the knee deep snow. Driving cold and death with it. Beyond the safe confines of Nexus Prime lay the farmland, which stretched out for miles and miles in every direction. And beyond that, the dark woods of Arium.

The wind shrieked, bringing with it the snow, which painted a sharp contrast to the darkening clouds up above. With wind like this, and the snow coming down, any honest Ariumite would know it was time to find shelter and get out of the wind.

Though, the question was, where could one find shelter out here?

[Rhargn Etn]

Blades of an icy cold bluster battered the enwrapped form of Rhargn as a second step was placed forward, sinking deeply with a crunch, into a patch of soft snow. The ever enraged gale seemed to be warning the troupe not to go any further, but instead to turn back and head to home. This wasn't something the mountain man had come out to do. He wasn't the type to set out on an expedition only to head back the very same candlemark, no instead he'd push on with the duo behind him or not. There was sure to be a farm house or two within the vicinity, wasn't there?

Thoughts began to race through his mind as he picture the cozy room he'd stayed in when with Claude, how the beef stew had toasted his inners into a homeishly feel. If the weather was going to fight its damndest to keep him away, Rhargn was going to try his damndest to keep pushing on, warm thoughts as his weapon. A handful of steps taken and he turned his head back to see if he was being followed, pulling his hat tight to his head as he did so. "Verus, you coming son, or going to fancy around with ya new lady friend?" The ruffian joked, taking more comfort in the fact that the human would be with him rather then the Vysstichi. Fore as he'd been struggling forward, the dastidly words of the Nexus Prime citizens had condemed the female of the troupe, he finally started to accept what they'd been saying.

[Verus]

Verus could not believe the nerve of the vysstichi woman before him. Claiming that she just wanted to kill someone for their belongings. This could be passed off as a horrible sense of humor, but at this point Verus was not about to give the woman the benefit of the doubt. She would not find what she was looking for here, and if she tried... things were not going to go so well for her.

Reaching up, Verus pulled the hood of his cloak up to protect his face against the bite of the wind. Though the rhagrhnd preferred this weather to that of the warmer months, he knew when to draw the line and was not going to make foolish decisions that would leave him frozen to death. The group would need to find shelter soon, and as Rhargn began to trek forwards it was obvious they were not going to go back to Nexus for that shelter.

Hearing the bear like man's words, Verus shot him a wordless glare before striding forwards ignoring the bit of the wind. "We need to find shelter until the storm passes," he said out loud, raising his voice to be heard over the gale. "If we are not going back to Nexus we should head to a farmhouse. Or even the trees will provide a bit of shelter."

Glancing over his shoulder, Verus did not like the idea of leaving the woman unchecked behind him. He did not trust her though he would rather know she was behind him then not know where she was. "Common. Hurry up," he said gruffly before turning back and continuing on.

[Shandrila El'Shier]

Was it just her or was it a fact that it had gotten damn cold out, and pretty fast if she had anything to say about it. It was so blasted cold in the empire around winter time and it made her so frustratingly mad.

"Yes yes, I am coming you need not be so impatient now..." she offered back in retort to the shorter of the two, the most annoying one in her own opinion. Looking at the duo, she pulled her cloak tighter against her in defence to both the harsh way she was being treated and the way the cold itself seemed to be attacking her.

Of course! Everyone wants to hate my people, I mean what kind of people are these folks....what am I even thinking? I mean, I am going to kill them the first chance I get, either that or reqruit them. The big one might, the little one is seeming more of the good soldier type... she let these thoughts comfort her in the sense that she would really not feel to bad in killing the little critter if it came down to that.

"Now there big guy! You shouldn't joke with your friend like that, he seems to be the type that has strict vows about using his manhood. A shame to..." she chuckled through teeth that chattered randomly, adding to the irritation that she had about being out in the cold.

"I say we dont go back to Nexus Prime!! We should find some farmers hut, or something, I am sure there are many around here. When we find one, we'll go in, ask for shelter, kill the people and take their belongings!!" she offered the last part of her plan with a emphasis aimed directly at the little stoic natured companion of hers just to see how far she could push him.

[Grim]

The wind whistled across the grain fields at the borders of Nexus Prime. Snow following along with it now, obscuring vision beyond the nearest confines. But there, a while ahead rested a shadow in the white, something which might be a farmhouse.

For sure it was the closest shelter they'd find around here. The decision being made and the distance being slowly chewed up, step by step through the deep snow. The wind whined and shrieked as it blew past them, doing its best to impede their struggle, as if it wanted them out here, out in the open, where it could prey on them easily.

Trudging to the farmhouse seemed to take longer than it should, though perhaps that was just the wind and snow, making each instant seeming a torture lasting for ages. Up close the farm house looked no different from any other farmhouse around these parts.

It could have used a lick of paint, the walls were slightly slanted, as if they were leaning as much inward as they were standing up straight almost, the slanted roof might have once been covered in soil, though now it had snow covering it from one end to another. There was very little by way of windows, and these were merely openings in the walls, though they had been carefully shuttered to keep the wind out.

There appeared to be only one entrance, or one that was kept out of the snow anyway, in front of the others no one had bothered to shovel the snow out of the way and they were pretty much useless with regards to opening. An old, partially rusted snowshovel was resting by the door.

[Rhargn Etn]

The behemoth of a man pulled his furs tight round his person, tucking his head down so that the collar of the coat and his hat would keep the majority of the facial flesh relative warm, if that was at all possible. His teeth chattered desperately, while the thick rug of hair on his chest stood to attention, fighting to keep the last ounce of heat in. The dry flakes were raging about as they sailed on the wind, what an easy like to be a simple flake of snow.

Rhargn squinted his hazel orbs as he pushed onwards, hoping to find a place to sit out the blizzard. Fortunately, after several passing moments, the vague shape of a building came into focus and the ruffian felt a flush of thankful warmth flood over him. "Ere we are! Seems to be our lucky brightening." He huffed, bringing his trains attention to what was before him, if they hadn't already noticed. "Seems we've found ourself a place to stay."

His thick legs began to pump harder through the azure carpet as the reality of heat began to flicker in his mind. They were hardly out of Nexus Prime and were already thanking the God's for shelter. As they came closer, the finer details evaded Rhargn, his concentration dealt towards getting inside, one way or another. There appeared to be a spade outside the door, causing the titan to believe the place was at least inhabited, a hardy chuckle squeezing its way into the frosty open. He knocked with a grin on his face, before stepping back in line with the others.