[Secyclion Harbour] Call of the Dead [Closed]

[Ragman]

Imperos
Second Cycle
Autumn, Era II of the Celestine Mandate
Era XIV Post Fractum
Early Brightening

"Hail, adventurer!" A voice would greet anyone who seem remotely able-bodied along the Secyclion Harbor. Males would be approached more than females, which wasn't surprising in a male dominated Secyclion.

The criers are dressed in vivid colors, dark blues and browns, and seen very well dressed in supple leathers. Locals seem wise enough to avoid them, knowing the very nature of their request, though the few unsuspecting tourists had since been snared by their vocal talents.

"I come on behest of my Master, Angelos Lativian, who has stepped up to assist in the locating of the missing students personally. We set sail once we have eight or more brave warriors to join us in our search. Will you come?"

With the Cycle of Remembrance drawing near, natives are frantically preparing for the festival. Rumors of strange spiritual occurrence are amok on the Island, and many of course blame the enigmatic Bone Woman for all the strange and often terrifying happenings, but none dared to voice their indignation mainly fearing that the Bone Cult, that had grown in prominence over the Eras, would claim them in the name of their oracle.

The news of the missing students were of course spread far and wide over Secyclion, and even mustering the City Militia was taking longer than it normally would. Crypt Island was not the best place to be within the Eunesian Continent, filled with it's own horror stories. With the current forbearance on unusual paranormal activity, only the foolish would agree to such an expedition, money or not.

Within a candlemark however, the lackluster response seemed to have forced Angelos Lativian to sweeten the pot, and soon his serfs were proclaiming on the streets than he would pay each adventurer five hundred crowns just to set sail with him, irregardless of whether or not they locate the missing boys.

[Eir'helm Mithania]

Eir'helm was simply wandering the city. He was good at wandering. He wandered well, very well, but he was forced to stop, **** his head to the side and watch a man that stepped up before him. The bard didn't say much, he just shrugged, smiled, and then, for added effect, he shrugged again.

Sometimes a little extra shrug made all the difference in the world.

"Alright." The bard said, only to ponder, though he should have asked for something more. "Would you come and buy me some wine and fruit?"

He really didn't need five hundred crowns all that badly, but a full stomach and a filled wineskin never hurt anyone.

Eir'helm didn't know a damn thing about bone cults, spirits, or missing people. He just didn't have anything any better to do.

[Ality Vera]

At first Ality was put off by the fact no one approached her scrawny female arse. Give her a breastplate and a sword and she could easily be called a brave warrior! She was prepared to go off toward the Main when word of a five hundred crown reward reached her pointy ears. The elf rubbed her pale palms together and cackled. She'd get to go on a little adventure with brave manly warriors and get five hundred crowns by the end of the brightening-- why the heck not?

"I'll join. I'm smart, lucky, and un-boring, unlike the whole lot of yas," she proclaimed, pointing at the nameless serfs before following one of them.

[Ragman]

OOC: Latecomers feel free to join up and assume you've been there. Eir'helm and Ality will have one post to 'explore' the ship, check out the cabins, etc etc

The Syl'rosyan Bard and the Human Woman were led to the Harbour by their individual serfs, who are only too pleased to have managed to snare the two unsuspecting tourists to go on the expedition where the natives are only too wise to even probe into.

Eir'helm's crier was a small man with short, cropped hair and fiery blue eyes. Like the others, he was garbed smartly, and was quiet during the trip back to the Harbor, after promising the Elf that there would be plenty of food and wine on board the vessel. He seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts that were private and dark.

Ality's own guide however, was a tall man, broad shouldered and handsome figure. Despite his position, he had a powerful air around him, his jet black hair short in Secyclion fashion, curled in sensual circles. He smiled a lot, and indeed, it seemed he only approached the woman because he was interested in her, not because he thought she would be much of a use on the trip. Walking in front of Ality, his Fustanella -- the traditional Secyclion skirt worn by men swaying as he strutted. He, like Eir'helm's serf, would speak little, only turning his head back every now and then; flashing that charming smile of his to make sure that Ality was still following.

It wasn't a long walk, and the two would soon set sight on the man who was paying them on this expedition. Angelos Lativian, one of the sons of the Main who had recently tried to regain prominence and failing rather pathetically because of his sordid past and hedonistic pleasures. Squandering the very last bit of his very rich inheritance, Angelos had tried to propel himself into favored light by casting an expedition to locate the missing students.

A tall, rather attractive man in his late twenties, Angelos was standing at the upper deck of the vessel named 'The Whale's Feather'. Three Sirens co-joined at the hips stretch out from the hull, one holding a harp, the other a flute and the last a coral shell into which she blew. It wasn't a particularly attractive vessel, the sign of empty cargo holder and it's relatively small size led to it's identity as a former small-time merchant trade ship.

Decked in colorful tones of blue, white and gold. Angelos could easily pose as a Prince from a foreign land, except that he seemed to be rather inebriated at the moment. His comely face was flushed, and he was barking furiously at one of the serfs, before landing a kick right on his shoulder, sending the poor man rolling down the steps.

An elder man, in his early forties, was watching the entire spectacle as if bored, and his livery would distinguish him to be the Captain. His gaze turned into vague annoyance toward the end, but that evaporated as Angelos turned his head back toward him, and began issuing what seems like orders.

"Useless fools! How hard is it to get someone?! I'm paying!" He growled as he stormed off onto the lower deck, before a direct collision with Eir'helm sent him stumbling, and he would have fallen if he had not reached out to grab hold of the numerous ropes clinging onto the mast and starboard.

"Kyros Lativian, we have two adventurers." Ality's guide announced awkwardly, obviously trying not to laugh at the comical sight of his master trying to untangle himself, before showing off the Elf and the Human girl; as a smile lighted up Angelos's face; obviously pleased. Ignoring the serf, however, he moved toward the two figures, intent on greeting them personally.

"Very good, very good." He took the Elf's hand and shook it warmly; and from the corner of his eyes, his gaze was wondering down the Elf's torso and eventually nestled on the crotch, before he turned to the next adventurer -- his brows drawing down at Ality for a moment, almost questioningly.

"A girl?"

"She claims to be talented, Kyros Lativian." The retainer replied quietly, flashing Ality a wink.

"Oh... right. I'm sure we can find somewhere to put her." He didn't even bother to take Ality's hands as he started rummaging toward the upper deck once more. Around Eir'helm and Ality, the rest of the gathered adventurers, almost a dozen of them, mostly male, crowded around the two.

"My name is Angelos Lativian, and I commend you, brave warriors, each and every one of you for coming forward to volunteer your services. We will set sail in half a candlemark, in the meantime, feel free to enjoy yourselves. My wine is your wine, and my bread is your bread this Brightening!"

[Ality Vera]

When Mister Dreamy approached her, Ality did nothing more but smile, and feeling quite giddy, hoping she had signed up for an all sexy man cruise. Unfortunately, the eye candy ended when she boarded the ship, until of course Angelos appeared. Dreamy male number two caught her eye. This was going to be a good little adventure after all.

Of course her happy thoughts were shattered when she met Kyros. She had to restrain herself from punching Kyros in the gut to show him not to refer to her in the third person, as if she was invisible. That urge dissipated when the crowd gathered around her, all sweaty and stinky men. Regret immediately bubbled in her but the promise of five hundred crowns for a mere brightening of adventuring was still too lovely to pass. Whatevs. After the captain made his speech, Ality looked for the promised bread and wine, befriended the other adventurers and then just stood and waited and wondered if she was going to puke all over the deck.

[Vanderlou]

Vanderlou's reasons for being on this trip were simple enough to understand. Being someone who didn't have that much to his name, he had lived his life never letting an opportunities pass by. Five hundred crowns with free food and lodging in exchange for a job that he didn't have to fulfill was a bargain in his opinion. Of course he did intend to find the missing students if he could. Though he couldn't quite imagine how he would go about in doing so, moreso because he wasn't familiar with these lands.

He hoped the other people who came along with him knew something about the place they were going to. In addition, it was clear that there was some measure of risk involved in this affair and that there was a chance that his Sorcery and Shaasskah would be put to the test.

For now he decided to push aside his worries. He had solved his monetary issues for the moment and he would try to enjoy this adventure as best as he could. Maybe one day, he would be able to share stories about this particular trip of his with his grandchildren, if ever he was fated to have any in the eras to come.

[Ragman]

The crowd slowly dispersed as Angelos Lativian returned to the upper deck, and the retainers were quickly ushering the adventurers into their individual cabins. There were food, weapons, mainly of Secyclion traditions -- the buckle, spear or the Xiphos -- a leaf shaped blade, all catered for men of course, lying in a neat pile on the table, with the necessity such as a wash basin, candlestick and a flint.

It didn't take long; in fact, true to his words, the vessel set sail at exactly half a candlemark, bobbing a little shakily as the last of the ropes securing the ship to the docks were released, almost like a child barely released by his mother's apron strings, a little awed and shocked by the sudden freedom, floundering for a moment before adjusting to the colorful, wild, world outside.

Navigating Nephele Bay took well over two candlemarks as the dangerous waters required utmost concentration to steer, guide the vessel slowly to avoid the underwater reef formations. There was the occasional hard steering that was required as the sailors rigged and pulled at the mast, performing a sharp steer that jerked the vessel, and undoubtedly the occupants within.

Once out of the Bay however, the vessel began at full speed in the Eunesian waters toward the infamous island. Several others, presumably locals have already gathered around, speaking in hushed, fearful whispers of the place they are headed towards, while others wore faces that indicated that they were already regretting on their course of action.

Whatever the case was, the adventurers were free to roam about, mingle and socialize before the Cubori, which was a splendid spread of meats and wine. Angelos himself personally toasted each and everyone who had embarked on the journey with him, and seemed resplendent and pleased even before landing on the Island itself -- like a cat who already envisioned the fat, juicy mice squirming helplessly in it's jaws.

By late afternoon, someone shouted from above the observation deck, possibly the phrase that many wished they wouldn't hear. Indeed, the adventurers would have caught inkling whispers that some wished that they had the chance to be blown off course... if they were lucky.

"Land ahoy!"

Now Crypt Island, as one might imagine after listening to all the stories would be an Island surrounded by darkness, lightning and dark clouds roiling above it, drizzling with sinister droplets of rain.

It wasn't the case. The Island seemed uninhabited for sure, but at a distance, remnants of buildings, already eaten by the elements were eroded, but nevertheless brightly lit by the sun, and it there was no need for anything to indicate where nature had began reclaiming the Island for itself.

Navigating for a suitable natural harbor took another candlemark, and by then lady twilight was already approaching, spreading her delicate velvet cloak of stars over all things big and small. Even Crypt Island, which had been described as a place of utter evil.

Anchoring the vessel, the adventurers slowly filled up smaller boats that were to take them to shore, rowed laboriously slow by retainers, with Angelos standing like a very proud figure in the front.

"We make camp here, this Darkening, have Pracenda, before proceeding." The message was being passed down shortly after landing on the beach, and moving further up into the Island. A bonfire was set up, and torches were pierced into the ground, encircling the encampment.

And then Pracenda was served.

[Vanderlou]

The sight of Crypt Island wasn't pleasant in the least, there was something wrong with the place, something that didn't quite sit well with the half-vagaran. No wonder Angelos went to the lengths of putting out that much money just to get recruits, if he had known beforehand what he was getting into the sorcerer would have thought twice before jumping onboard. Vanderlou shook his head, perhaps it wasn't just the island in itself. The crew themselves didn't seem to have their hearts set in finding the missing students, in addition Angelos Lativian didn't look like a saint in the least. The half-vagaran could almost smell the scent of ambition from this person, there had to be an ulterior motive driving the man. In fact, he was sure Angelos had one - and he would find out what it was.

"Five Hundred crowns." he muttered the words softly, approaching the son of the Main, his expression speculative. "A little steep, even if you are paying for the occupational hazards isn't it?" the half-elf made sure that nobody else would hear him, he didn't want to jeopardize this mission by scaring people - they were plenty scared enough anyway.

"I'm not here to ruin your plans, I genuinely want to help out." it was evidently clear from the look in his eyes that the half-elf was serious. "I'd like to know the reason behind this quest of yours and why your men are afraid of this place."

[Ality Vera]

Crypt Island. The girl who had panicked and cried like a wee babe at the sight of a huge orange glow setting across the seas in hicksville Trysvale was now sitting before a bonfire on an isolated and creepy island with a bunch of smelly men. She didn't want to make small take with any of them since she was so hot, they'd probably want to take turns trying to remove the very panties off of her-- they were nice panties from the Nymph's Haven, would make a good gift for their significant others, if the whole lot of them weren't *cough cough* fruitcups. She stuffed food into her mouth and enjoyed the pracenda-- anything free was good, no?

Traveling with a bunch of men had few perks. She couldn't relieve herself before them, she couldn't share a camp with them. The autumn air brought along chilly weather and she sneezed. Hopefully the darkening would pass quickly.

If this were to progress like other creepy island adventures, by the 'morrow or the 'morrow after tomorrow, half of the adventurers would be missing and turning into corpses.

[Ragman]

"Merely paltry for the service of my people." Angelos murmured almost convincingly, though he was unable to shake that smirk from his face. The other serfs moved around to serve Pracenda shortly, which consisted of delicious bacon and Eunesian sausages with yogurt. The sizzling meal was hearty, and did improve the mood of sorts, as some of the men began to relax somewhat.

"No one, not even the City Council is willing to dispatch men to rescue our people. The legends are merely old wives tale. Nothing to be worried about, my friend." He glanced around, and waved his hand about as if to gesticulate his point... yet the ironic thing was that sentries had been stationed all around the camp, as if they were fearful that something was coming. The dying dusk was throwing unruly and strange lights across the land, and by the sea, the air was rapidly chilling, blowing howling noises across the darkening beach that glittered in some grotesque resemblance to blood.

As it would have it though, one of the gorgeous Secyclion men (It must be noted at this point that most of them are infuriatingly good looking) approached Ality. Tall, olive colored skin with sensual dark curls, his piercing blue eyes stood out against the dark colors, and he seemed to have a body that was as hard as a rock under the afternoon sun, and just slightly less hot.

"Chairete." He greeted the woman, with somewhat a quiet dignity, sitting a respectful distance from the girl and softly chewing on the strange native bread wrapped with juicy lamb sausage.

"You must not be a local woman. The local woman would be wiser than to come on an expedition like this." There wasn't a mocking tone in the man's voice, though there was a tinge of concern, perhaps even a slight offer of support, if needed.

A sharp piercing scream from the middle of the camp would take the entire group of men by surprise. Angelos would be the first to run towards the commotion as a man from a group of three began to shriek as he seem to notice something on his hands.

Ality would be too far to catch sight of what is happening, but her companion in the meantime had forgotten about her as he dashed toward the man. Vanderlou could see tiny, sharp fang marks covering the man's exposed arms, and as the man in his dance of frenzy ripped his shirt off, the sight of his entire torso being covered in the same hundreds of tiny insectile bites would be painfully obvious.

"Oh bless Markalin! Markalin have mercy!" The man fell to his knees as he cried out. He didn't seem to be in mortal pain or danger, but the wounds looked more horrifying than anything else, though they seemed to have stopped growing in size.

"Is is sandflies?!"

"This place is evil!"

"We have to leave now!"

The rising sound of inflecting tension rose as Angelos stepped into the middle with the same effusive charm.

"Gentlemen! Please, listen to me, we cannot leave now. I'm sure there's a very logical explanation for this man's ailment! Allergies, insects! Be rational!" And then turning to the man, Angelos extended his arm forward to help him up very kindly.

"The medics will tend to you Sir, please remain calm." There was a certain way in the manner Angelos spoke, so firm, with his threat so carefully concealed that the man fell quiet more in fear than anything as he nodded mutely, before being led away by the rest of Angelos's serfs.

"Nothing to worry about at all, Gentlemen, please, enjoy your Pracenda, and we will set out to look for our charges." Angelos gave a little short bark of laughter though it was more out of a loss of confidence than anything. Nervous laughter.

"Right." Ality's companion returned as he murmured with mock disdain at what Angelos said, obviously unimpressed, a dark look on his face.

[Vanderlou]

"I don't like this, not in the least." Vanderlou was obviously not pleased at how things were progressing. They hadn't even set out and already strange things were happening, add to the fact that the night had only just started.

Angelos was proving to be no source of information. The man was tight-lipped and it was all to clear that he wouldn't allow anything to interfere with his ambition. Vanderlou couldn't relax, not with the memory of that man's bite-marks still fresh from his memory. He waited for the commotion to die out, and then he'd approach one of the locals, the man that the gorgeous flame-haired elf seemed like a perfect candidate for interrogation. "Excuse me miss, might I borrow your friend for a moment?" the half-elf asked his companion, his voice gentle and serene.

"You don't seem to be enjoying the trip either," he said, stating the obvious. "Do you know anything about this island? Something only locals are aware of? Ghosts stories? Legends? If my neck is on the line I'd at least want to know what we're dealing with."

"And about those bite-marks, do you know anything about them?"

[Cerius]

[ooc - Permission given by Ragman to join this thread]

The events of the brightening had flown by for Cerius. Finding his way to Secyclion in his attempt to isolate himself from the Church fo the Faith, the elf had found himself lost in a city with not quite enough gold to purchase a house and no real direction. He was where his past would not catch up to him, but he needed something to occupy himself. The hermit would not survive in the wilds of Eunesia, as close to a foreign environment as he could ever find himself. Hearing the call for warriors to find some missing students, the elf's ears had perked up. On the addition of a five hundred crown reward, the decision had been made.

Now, he found himself sitting far enough from the general chatter to be able to hear the sound of his own thoughts. He did not know much about the request, but any children that required a minimum of eight experienced warriors to shepherd themselves home would have done more than to get themselves lost in a wood. At five hundred crowns each, the fellow Angelo was looking at a minimum of four thousand crowns whether the children were recovered or not - a princely sum, by almost anyone's measure. The fact that they were sailing to a place named Crypt Island was enough to place even the normally overconfident elf on his guard, and the whispering of spirits abroad all across the Empire was already a worry.

The elf closed his eyes.

The last time he had tried to cast Sanctuary in a location filled with undead, his mind had almost split with the tide of hatred that had washed over him. Gathering the essence of Life within himself, Cerius prepared the all-too familiar weave. He had always likened casting Sanctuary to the casting of a net. The more experienced the caster, the wider the net could be cast without sacrificing precision and technique. However, should the net be cast too wide, the caster always ran the risk of being overloaded - either with a plethora of information in an environment rich with unexpected living beings, or pain if his environment were filled with the weaves of Death required to animate the living dead.

With this in mind, Cerius cast his net slowly and deliberately, starting with his immediate visible surrounds and then widening his net out in roughly ten or fifteen metre increments. His aim was simple - to make sure there was nothing sentient within a radius of a few miles that he did not know about.

[Ality Vera]

For five hundred crowns, Ality had thrown herself into the face of danger yet again-- wonders never ceased in Sexylion. Instead of men in loinclothes, she found herself trapped on a crazy island with a bunch of weird men. Too many things were going on and she had too forgotten about her neighbors and all she sought now was a cutlass or a weapon of some sort she could wield. She had learned that crazy swinging of a blade could easily save her hide, like in that other situation with the flies and the drowning of the isle. Seriously-- when would she learn? She had never been the adventurous sort and yet ever since she left her cousin's husband's ship, she had been thrown into one adventure after another. She did not mind when the young man borrowed her companion what's his name, but she did join in the conversation.

"Yea what about those bite marks?" She rubbed her neck and throat. "And can someone find me a weapon? I can hold a sword, don't think otherwise," said the elf before she winked at Vanderlou.

[Ragman]

Ality's charming male companion's face had fallen dark, brows furrowed pensively. He seemed unwilling to speak or divulge more information until he noticed Angelos had left to console some of the other adventurers, waving to indicate that whatever they were about to discuss were perhaps best done in a more private setting.

"Crypt Island. Long ago, a rich merchant had intended to settle here." He pointed to his West, where the dying light of the sun still gleamed against the dark rocks that had a somewhat sinister and forbidding appearance; especially with what just transpired.

"The builders discovered crypts... coffins on the Island and ever since, no one has returned. The myth surpasses the reality, but most men are too wise to ignore old wives tale." He continued coolly, his eyes watching around the shadows as if expecting something to jump out from within to attack them.

"There are just rumors that the Island is home to evil creatures, creatures summoned by the Bone Woman." He seemed nervous as he speaks of the last two words -- of a character that had somewhat of a nefarious status on the Island City. A faint rustle to his left sends him watching intently, but he continues speaking.

"I just don't have a good feeling about this, about this whole place." He admits somewhat ruefully, rubbing his chin as he seemed haunted by deeper and more private thoughts that he didn't mention.

Meanwhile, the seasoned Cerius had began his weave, slowly inching further and further away from him, like a rhapsody slowly reaching it's crescendo, pulsing in terse staccatos, building up to a beautiful finale. If Cerius was an Island, then now his surroundings had became oceanic entities, and he was in the center of it all. The information would have inundated a novice caster, but Cerius was no debutante.

Nothing seemed amiss... until...

Something moving across the long dark of the stretch of the beach where his eyes could not discern within the shadows. Moving towards the trio of Ality, Vanderlou and the Secyclionian native.

Something... non-living, filled with the baleful aura... of death.

[Vanderlou]

Evil creatures? The Bone Woman? Vanderlou considered the implications of the stories. He had seen people summoning elementals first-hand before, was this mythical Bone Woman some sort of mage? Was that what they were dealing with here? A powerful being who didn't like people encroaching in here territory.

A silent gnawing sensation of dread came looming at the back of his consciousness and Vanderlou felt an even greater need to know more about this enigmatic summoner. "Who is the Bone Woman exactly? Do you have any ideas?" he pressed the local for more information though he kept his voice steady and even, or at least as even as he'd have liked. Vanderlou didn't want to sound confrontational, especially if he would have to depend on these locals for directions later on.

The Bone Woman...

If this person was indeed a mage and as powerful as the stories made her to be then this island would be heavily contaminated by some form of arcanic essense but there was really no way to test that theory unless... Vanderlou's eyes hardened, there was a way for him to do that. He needed to get into clara, if there was something arcanically wrong with the island then he would be able to see it with his own two eyes.

The boy began meditating, though he would try to do it discreetly. He really didn't want anyone here to know he was a dabbler in the arcane arts, if they did they would undoubtedly expect more from him - and being an initiate, there was only so much he could do.