Fantasy Roleplaying

[JitteryDragon]

Eternion sighed, and lent back on the column behind him. He let the old broom in his hand settle beside him as he wiped his other hand upon his dusty crest.

'What a mess,' the old Dracon grumbled, his own personal catchphrase. If there was one thing he hated about this temple, it was the fact that it was always getting dirty and dust-ridden. An impressive feat, indeed.

How could they manage such a thing? He wondered if they all did it just to annoy the old Dracon. He had heard some of the priests and patrons whisper things about him, thinking the old Dracon hard of hearing... the lonely old Dracon that sweeps the stone and grumbles all the time.

Hah... I'm old, but I've still got it where it counts, he thought with a grin. Then he remembered he was a temple caretaker... and groaned.

He watched as a pair of the odd priests walked by, and then out of sight. His good right eye looked up to the roof, as if looking for something not there.

'Look at me now, Almia. This is what I've become.'

He took the broom in his hand, and began sweeping once more.

(OOC: Hello everyone! Hope I fit in well... first time Forum RP'er, so please tell me if I do okay ).

[StarfallRaptor]

Akio walked along side Minna and Ilsa.
"If you'd like, I can cast a simple barrier around your feet.  It should prevent you from further pain.  And, slightly riskier, I can contain a healing spell in it, as well..."
He said to them, a gentle smile on his face...

Akito chuckled a little.
"Ah, well.  At least he'll get to know his parents, eh, Ruka?"

To Fauxen, parentage was exceedingly unimportant, and most children never knew their birth parents.  

"I-it is nice.  I wonder what mine would have been like..."
The younger Fauxen mused...

"Indeed.  It's a pity we will likely never know."
Touga agreed, walking beside the duo with Juri alongside him

"Imagine, if one of our parents was some noble from a distant land!"
Utena declared, doing a small pirouette...

"Utena, life isn't like the old stories."
Juri chided, though she seemed rather wistful at the thought of knowing her family.

"I think it for the best, actually.  If someone was, say born to a notable criminal, or a rich parent, then there would be so little equity..."
Miki stated, touching the eyeglasses-shaped mark on his face with one paw...

[Noname]

(OOC: It is VERY good, JitteryDragon, just the kind of thing needed to get the RP going again; it had slowed down after the last story arc had ended. Normally, I wouldn't "break character" for this long, but welcoming a new player merits it. Just post a profile for your character(s) here: http://z7.invisionfree.com/thegangoffive/i...pic=5533.720. Also, feel free to contact me or leave a post in the discussion page so we can coordinate putting your character(s) into a situation to mesh with the pre-existing ones. As it is, I'll have my characters head towards that temple. Thanks for participating! )

Adykon and the party entered the temple elaborate limestone temple. One of the priests looked at the party and, assuming they were a family, extended a hand to congratulate Adykon on becoming a father.

"My best wishes to you sir. I see you and your rather large family are coming here for some business. Please, feel free to look around and avail yourself of our services. We offer reasonable rates for healing, exorcisms, curse removal, cures, potions, you name it."

Looking at Kos, the priest had an idea of what Adykon wanted...

"Are you looking to test this child. We get a some families in here every week asking for that very same thing."

"Yes, I figured you do... and yes, you are right. I am here to get this boy tested to make sure he is mine." the mercenary replied.

"You've come to the right place. Now, if you will just take your child and come with me, it will take a small amount of magic and an even smaller amount of gold to..." and with that, the priest, the warrior and the toddler were out of earshot.

Vespion, being a cleric in his own temple back in Minbenthac, took a look around at some of the architecture...

"Hmm... this temple belongs to an old order... those symbols on the walls, the ones which look like an eight-pointed star... those are not made anymore..." the cleric told the group.



"What should that matter?" Rhiga asked. "What do those stars have to do with anything?"

"Well... that was the symbol of an ancient dragon... the one that founded Hekaga. It was said that the dragon worshiped a pantheon of eight deities, and that when the Dragon died, his eight male children each followed one of those eight and fought each other over control of the city, and each one built a temple to his god during his reign over Heakaga, each one overthrowing the other in short order until the last surviving one took over for good... well, until he overtaxed and tyrannized the population, and was killed himself in a great rebellion. This temple would have predated all of those, if the history is correct."

"Wow... that's old." Rhiga replied. She had lived in this city for most of her life, and yet she had never learned that... it was more of an indictment of her city's failed education system than anything else...

[JitteryDragon]

Eternion eyed the strange gathering with interest. It had been a while since he had seen such a group... a weak smile gleaned across his face, he could spot adventurers from miles away with that eye of his.

But what immediately got his attention was the mess they left behind. 'But of course,' he grumbled to himself. He thought of approaching and giving them a piece of his mind, but he decided against it... the last time he had done such had ending rather poorly, and nearly cost him his job.

Some job, he thought.

So instead, he merely walked over and began sweeping away the dirt with every bit of mumbling and grumbling he could muster.

Hmm, Fauxen... haven't seen one of those in ages, he thought to himself while gazing (rather rudely, he would later consider) at the odd furred creature amongst the party. Quite the gathering, indeed. It made him wonder what they were doing here, but that was their business.

His was cleaning up after them. He grumbled once more.

[Noname]

(OOC: Sounds like a solid character. Also note that you can play more than one character if you wish, and if someone is not available to control a character, you can ask him if he wants you to control his character until he gets back. )

Rhiga noticed an old dracon cleaning up after the party... she then became conscious of the dirt and filth caked onto her from the previous day... and the adventure in the valley. They hadn't cleaned since...  :blink:

"I'm sorry to be tracking so much dirt." Rhiga told Eternion.

[JitteryDragon]

The old Dracon faced Rhiga with his good right eye.

'Must have been some journey,' he said in his low, tired voice. 'You're almost carrying a whole landscape under there.'

With a flick of the wrist, he sent some dirt skimming across the tiled floor, into a corner. He could almost laugh at his theatrics, and he wondered if he should have taken up the broomstick as a weapon. Almia would have surely had a thing or two to say about that.

His weary face sank into a frown. He hated it whenever he started to think about her... especially when trying to talk to someone, something he had few opportunities to do these days. His eye fell upon the Dracon once more, and he hid the emotion under a weak smile.

'But... I'm merely doing my job,' he said as he adjusted his worn leather belt. He made a mental note to buy a new one, and soon.

Eternion looked over Rhiga's shoulder. 'Some gathering you have here, haven't seen such a company for a good few decades-'

He fell silent. Oh great, he thought... now he was going to end up telling her his life story... such a cliche thing for an old timer like him to do.

[Noname]

"Well, we're an adventuring party." Rhiga replied. Looking at the sheer number of them, it looked more like a regiment than a typical adventuring group. How many were there in a usual group? Four? Six? Even with Vaeri dead and the four kids temporarily separated, there was still Adykon, Vespion, Minna, Ilsa, Marcus, herself, the six Fauxen, the temporary addition of four of her half-siblings, including Kos, plus the two panthers Eriol and Arianne.

She noticed that those last two had paws, which left a different pattern than the usual footprints... they also tracked more dirt. "Sorry that we aren't exactly a clean group here, but our work is very important." Rhiga noticed that the old Dracon, while clearly past his prime, was still pretty strong.

"Were you ever in an army? Or maybe an adventurer yourself?" She queried.

[Chiletrek]

(OOC: First of all, welcome to the rpg JitteryDragon!. I figured I would miss lots of posts, but there are always when I am offline... or fixing my pc like today <_< .)

Eriol and Arianne arrived to the Temple with the party. It is indeed a large and strange group of adventurers, but maybe that is what makes everything more interesting. - "Good luck Adykon, I hope things will turn out for the best." - Arianne said to Adykon, as both Panthers preferred to not enter anymore. - "And I am sorry if we are getting the temple dirty, but streets are made much differently in our homeland than here."

"Just say the truth Arianne: this city is dirt, the streets and the quality of life of it's people. I have managed to get more footprints here than after walking in a normal forest." - Eriol replied with a bit of an annoyed voice. His wife just glared at him. Eriol looked to another side, contemplating the decorations of the temple.

[Noname]

Adykon and Kos followed the priest into an inner room with two wooden chairs and a roll of parchment and a stamp. Each chair was surrounded by red symbols on the ground.

"The procedure is very simple. Other temples do it different ways, but we get so many people coming in for this sort of test, we have found a way to speed things up." the priest told Adykon.

"That's good" the mercenary replied. "What do I do?"

"You sit down in one of the chairs, either one will do. Those red glyphs are enchanted. When two people sit in them, the magic activates and if the two who are seated are related, the parchment will say so in writing. It will also show how they are related."

"Okay... how much will this cost?" Adykon asked.

"Ten gold pieces, please" the priest said. Adykon paid him the money, put Kos in one of the seats and then sat down in the other one. Immediately, there was a brief sensation of heat from the chair. Judging from Kos's expression, the boy felt it too. After about 30 seconds, the heat died down and letter appeared on the parchment.

"Alright, let's take a look... yes, you are indeed the father." the priest said, taking his stamp and sealing the paper. "This seal confirms it. It also provides for a free testing at another temple, in case you feel that this test was somehow flawed."

This was true; Adykon had heard that the major temples of the Dracon lands had an agreement to honor these tests, as paternity was very important to the Dracons; it could literally mean life or death for the child, and knowing who one's father was gave one a sense of their status. Therefore, even temples who disagreed with each other in most ways would honor that agreement.

Whatever the case, it was official; Adykon was the father. He'd get another test back in Minbenthac, but unless he heard otherwise, he was now convinced that Kosjurec really was his son. Now he would need to think of a new name for the boy...

[JitteryDragon]

Eternion was hesitant- to say the least- of talking about his past. Well, at least what he actually remembered of it. Still, here in front of him stood the biggest party of adventurers he had ever seen.

True adventurers... it was as if his past had walked through the doorway in force, like an army besieging his past.

'Once,' the old Dracon said with a sigh. He lent on the old broomstick and faced the other way, his blind eye staring into the distance. 'I was an adventurer. A warrior, hero, and thrill seeker.' He almost chuckled at that last one... all those close calls had definitely worked him over.

'That... was many years ago, though.' That was an understatement, he had lost count of how many years it had been. Had it really been a decade? Or more?

He shook his head. 'To be honest, I've lost count of the years. My memory isn't as good as it used to be, to be honest.'

Swept away like the dirt on the floor, he thought.

Still, he was curious. She had said their work was important, and he wasn't about to disbelieve that... considering the size of the group.

He faced her, mind still churning over whether or not he should ask. He wondered why he even worried. All those years of adventuring were over, after all.

'I must ask, for I'm a little curious. If you would indulge an old coot like me, what brings such a party to these parts?'

[Noname]

"In this case, sheer accident" Rhiga told Eternion. "We were heading back from a distant jungle, and the teleportation artifact that was supposed to take us to another city... well... it misfired for some reason, and it teleported us here."

Sighing, the female Dracon recalled all the hard times spent in the lost city, and then the sheer horror spent under Asthia's tower.

"I had originally joined up with a mercenary named Adykon, who is the leader of my adventuring group. We met some others and together, we went to a lost city. In the ruins of a once-great metropolis, we found an item that we were supposed to retrieve. Turns out, it was not what we thought it was... and from there... things went downhill..."

Rhiga went on to explain the party's confrontation with Arcantas, her engagement to Marcus, her capture and imprisonment, her liberation, and the dangers they now faced in Hekaga. She omitted the fact that she had stolen from the prince of Hekaga and was not welcome here...

"So that's pretty much it." Rhiga said. "Long story, I know."

[Nick22]

ilsa spoke to Eternion " how long have iou been cleaning up this temple' She gave the old Dracon a look-over and smiled. she then frowned as she saw the dirt she had tracked in with the others. " My apologies for the mess.. I am not usually this dirty, but after being on a long adventure without much chance to clean up, well, I leave a mess,. I'm Lady Ilsa.. these are all friends of mine" She motioned to the others.
_
I'm Lady mInna of Minbenthac" Minna said to Eternion. 'Allow me to add my apologies for the mess you have to clean up.."

[JitteryDragon]

Though the story was long, Eternion listened with interest all the way. He was surprised by this, given his age. Perhaps it was that old adventurers way, he himself could tell a story or two... though he wondered if anyone would listen to an old Dracon ramble on about the good old days.

However, as the story went on... things changed. What had seemed as yet another adventure became more sinister. The battle against Arcantas, Rhiga's capture... and now, a new threat.

Eternion was stunned. Here before him stood heroes... much like the books he had read and cherished as a child. In all his life he could never imagine the idea of facing the true heart of evil, something that could threaten the world. Sure, he had seen and faced many trials, but this was something else.

And here he was, sweeping a floor.

He barely heard Ilsa speak. He shook his head, ousting his moment of inattention. 'I have been working here... well...' He started counting with his fingers. Was it six? Seven? No...

'Eight years, I believe. Yes, it has truly been that long.' He sighed, so many years wasted.

Ilsa and Minna introduced themselves to him, and he thought it only fair to complete the acquaintance.

'Eternion of Graylane at your service,' he said with a slight bow. He was glad his back was still in good shape, that would have made for an excellent first impression if it weren't. 'I thank you for your courtesy, though. But... it is my job.'

He was beginning to grow frustrated with his thoughts. Sweeping floors... The true, final destiny of a hero.

No, he wasn't a hero. Just another vagabond of the way of life, and inevitability just another civilian in the sands.

Something stirred inside him. An urge he hadn't felt in ages.

Then he heard her voice, like a whisper in the back of his mind. Old memories returning.

- - -

'So what do you think?' Almia said to him, extending her hand through the open window. 'Shall we run away together?'

He frowned nervously. 'If my mother catches me she'll-'

'But you promised!'

'Shh!' He uttered. 'She'll hear you and then we'll be in real trouble.'

She crossed her arms. 'Hmph... Eternion, you're such a baby.'

'Hey!' He cried. 'I'm no baby, I'm twelve years old.'

'And can't even write a word to save his life,' she muttered to herself, thinking Eternion couldn't hear her.

It wasn't his fault he couldn't afford a good education. He felt a little insulted. Odd, considering how kindly Almia usually was to his circumstances... considering her own.

She looked into his eyes with her own. They shined blue under the moonlight, and that feeling of nervousness within Eternion seemed to wither away.

'It's about time you acted your age. Now come on, let's go have an adventure!'

She held out her hand once more.

'Please?'

With a sigh, he took her hand. He thought one night wouldn't hurt... what was the worst that could happen? It wasn't as if he was going to end up doing this for the rest of his life.

- - -

Eternion chuckled to himself. He felt different, as if the old Dracon shell had begun to fall away.

He turned to Rhiga. 'You face so many dangers, and still you press onwards... not knowing what the future may bring. Truly, I am amazed.'

'I must ask you this. Is it true, that the very world is in danger?'

[Nick22]

Noticing the change coming over Etenion Ilsa smiled inwardly. "Come with us! Your heart aches for adventure I can tell by your expression.. You are not a stranger to adventure yourself, but it has been quite some time since you last went out into the world..If you still have any weapons and armor left from your younger days go get them.." Ilsa said to Eternion. "Your days of sweeping the floors are over. Help us, and you'll never sweep floors again.."
_

[Noname]

"Yes. That is undeniable. The world is in danger." Rhiga replied. She moved in closer to Eternion. "I don't want people to hear the Dark Master's real name. He told us what it was, and Adykon says he only told us the name because he wants us to tell others. But instead of just saying it in the open, we are only going to tell trusted authorities. I'll take a risk and trust you too, as long as you promise not to tell anyone else the name. Maybe you'll recognize it, even though almost no one knows it." Rhiga told the old Dracon.

Meanwhile, Adykon returned, carrying Kos in his arms.

The rest of the party gathered around him to hear the news.'

"Well, it's official. The test says that this is my son after all." Adykon told them. "I'll need a name for him, though. I'll think of one later."

Turning around, he saw Eternion talking to Rhiga. He looked like he wanted to join the party, given the bits and pieces of conversation Adykon overheard.

"Hello there. Are you... interested in joining us?" He asked, a bit surprised. He didn't have anything against the elderly, although someone wanting to join a dangerous mission at that apparent age was not typical. Still, if the old one wanted to join, Adykon would not refuse the help.

As for his age... there were ways of getting around that, especially if he had the full support of the temples back in Minbenthac. He had heard they could do something about aging, although they did their best to keep it a secret. It wasn't common knowledge that they had a way of undoing the aging process, but word had leaked out... hopefully it was not a rumor.

He wouldn't tell Eternion until he was sure they existed. He didn't want to get the old Dracon's hopes up. Still, if they existed, Adykon would want to see them, if nothing else, it would be good to have the party at maximum strength, even if this meant having to take unusual means to make them that way.

But that was all getting ahead of himself. Looking around, Adykon considered his next move. He had the people he needed to take of Hekaga, a new adventurer was joining, and now, after his business at the temple was complete, he had to meet Jake and the other kids back at that inn... and spend another nightmarish night there... <_<

On the next day, they would have to find a way to quickly get out of the city and get to Minbenthac. They would have to find a mage to help repair or recharge the teleporter Adykon had, and reset it to take them to the right city, as well as find out exactly why it had teleported them to Hekaga in the first place, when it was supposed to have teleported the the Minbenthac.

[Nick22]

Congratulations!' Marcus cheered. " Anything you need Adykon just ask. Rhiga and I will be happy to take care of him for you when you are away.. We can even help give him a name if you wish.."
_
Yes, Congratulations are defenitely in order" Minna smiled upon hearing the news. "So now its official, we need to get him and all of Rhiga's siblings out of here.."

[StarfallRaptor]

Akio smiled.
"Well, that's quite the good news.  I'm sure that you'll both be quite happy."
He said kindly, as he turned to Eternion.
"And I have something here that you may like."
He reached into a rift, pulling out a simple, well-worn sword, the edges still gleaming, and offered it to Eternion.
"Here.  Maybe, just maybe, you can help to save the world again, old one."
He said, eyes bright...

Akito and Ruka smiled as well.
"You know, sir...I can see such a spark in you, I think that somehow, you may have some more adventures in you yet."
Ruka said, shyly as Akito nodded to him.
"You seem like you could do with getting away from such a menial task.  Come, friend. Let's travel together!"
He said, offering a paw...

[Noname]

"IF he is interested in joining us" Adykon said to the Fauxen.

Turning to Eternion, he spoke:

"My party seems to be rather... enthusiastic about this, old one. As we have made abundantly clear, you are free to join. If you do come with us, we can help you with weapons, armor, healing, whatever you need..."

[JitteryDragon]

'This sword... I, well... to be honest. I'm not sure I could handle my old axe anymore.'

He held the sword in his hand, broomstick in the other. He gave it a bit of a wave this way and that.

'Yes, this will do nicely. I thank you,' he said with a bow.

As for getting out of the city...

'If you would hear me out,' Eternion said, sidling up to the group. 'I may know a way out of this city, if your intentions are to leave quickly... and without drawing attention.'

He faced Adykon. 'There is a network of tunnels beneath the temples, old crypts... many used as make-shift graveyards. Needless to say, I've heard that they made adjustments to the original design... adjustments that went beyond the city confides.'

He sighed. 'It is merely rumor, though. I have had the occasional opportunity to venture down there... old adventurer spirit. If anything, if the rumors are true... we could find ourselves beyond the city. Where exactly, I'm not sure.'

We? He wondered to himself. Yes, this was the opportunity... ever since Almia had passed away, he had been torn between the old times and reality. He was old, past his prime... but if the world was truly in danger...

Well, I certainly wouldn't mind "saving the world" on my list of things I've done in my life. Almia always wanted us to be the heroes of our own tales... might as well fulfill that desire for the both of us

He turned away from the others, clutching the broom in his hand. He looked up to the roof. 'What should I do, Almia? What should I-'

Just then, one of the priests approached Eternion. 'Hate to be a bother, old Dracon, but you're supposed to be cleaning... and you're doing a rather poor job at the moment.'

Eternion faced the priest, eye glaring. 'It is not my job anymore,' he said darkly.

The priest looked at him with confusion. 'Pardon me?'

'I quit,' he said, shoving the old dirty broom into the priests hands... leaving hm dumbfounded.

He turned to the group. 'Now, if you are willing to accept an old, forgetful, half blind Dracon into your party... I would be honored.'

When Akito offered a hand, he took it. It was just like the time Almia had extended her hand for the first time through his window all those years ago.

He paused, and thought for a moment. 'I will just need some time to gather my things from my home... and-'

He paused, wondering if he should ask. All those decades ago, it had been Almia who would assist him when he put on his armor. Full plate was not something you would expect an old Dracon to put on alone... let alone any warrior.

It's been so many years since I stepped into that suit

The problem for him was that it was all he had. He had sold everything else from his adventuring days... apart from his armor, old axe, and Almia's sword.

'Well,' he finally said, somewhat embarrassed. 'I do believe I might need a hand.'

[Noname]

"You got it" Adykon told Eternion. "We have some money on us... Minna and Ilsa are nobles, and they would be happy to help. If you have any equipment of your own, not that I know you do, but, we can stop off at your place briefly and pick it up. If we need to buy some more items... we should do that first thing tomorrow. We are supposed to meet four more members of our party at an inn tonight."