Jollan

The Vanishing Kingdom

@Honesty Crow

When Juliana mentioned he would be there shortly, he smiled and gave a small bow, which ended up being closer to a nod than anything, and thanked her. He looked around the store with all its fabrics and clothes, though only a few fully made garments to show the tailor's talents, as it seemed like everything was custom fit here. Definitely way over Bidzil's budget....even if he had money. There was then the sound of another set of footsteps approaching, prompting Bidzil to turn to see who it was. Bidzil's eyes widened a bit with a smile as he saw a familiar face walk into the room. "Well, I'll be... I never thought I would see you again. Who would have thought that you came all the way out here." He reached his hand out to shake Aerex's. He stopped for a moment and looked around. "H-hey, didn't Joan leave with you as well? Is he in town too? There's something I need to tell you two if you haven't heard already, but you may want to sit down first."

@drewccapp

The merchant took the silver coins and inspected them, honestly, three silver was a little much in most places, but for a foreigner out in the middle of the desert, most usually paid. He wrapped up a loaf of bread and handed it to him, still warm and with a flaky outer shell. "Ah, a man after the fine arts I see. Well, those lovely flowers don't normally come out until night time at the taverns or during festivals. But maybe madame Valia can help you. she is one of the finest dancers around, she has been teaching other girls for a few years now. She hasn't been herself recently though, guess something has been on her mind. Got some big party we should know about?" he ended with a deep laugh. "She could be just down that street, a few houses away from the chieftain's place. You will know it when you see the blue silk banners.

@Kaia Tau

Ren's shop drew some attention from the local's, not really used to seeing magic, let alone one that spawned an entire shop. A few warrior looking men seemed to take interest, but not to her store, though after a moment of watching one of the men tapped on the other's shoulder and jerked his head towards the market, and they went on their way. There seemed to be a couple girls following behind them, quietly. Not a moment later though,a small group of kids would run up, fascinated at some of the items on display, but when it came to books, a number of them didn't even know how to read them, and their interest wavered more towards the gadgets and magic items instead.

@Lotrix Molick

The table Kistal served was close to another table with some of his regulars. A large brutish looking man, though actually very kind, and his friend liked to come her for a drink or two in the morning to take the edge off the day. But it seemed like the big guy was down once again after hearing some troubling news that hit a little close to home.

"Oi, did ya 'ere? That bastard, Lord Calibirs, sounds like he's been lookin for some new girls for, eh...'entertainin' purposes." the big gruff man said at a table to his friend, already half drunk.

"You shouldn't talk like that about him, you never know who h has listening-" the other man tried to tell him.

"Oh shut it...He already took my daughta. Wut do I care if he hears me. I'm so buried in debts, I'll probably never see 'er again. Least he is leaving us alone this time. Word is 'e wants one them dancing girls from the deserts. Got some...Varlick tribe or whatever on pay." he stammered.

The other man sighed. "Look, you are going to have to let it go, you are already working yourself to death, it wasn't your fault. We will get her back soon, I'm sure. As for those in the desert, I couldn't imagine what that must mean for them..."

Ascension: Monster Farm

Bidzil nodded to the older man behind the counter. "That sounds perfect! I just need to consult my accountant!" Bidzil said with a big smile. He the squatted down next to Nix, disappearing behind the counter, and with Sedna joining for the sheer sake of feeling included. The three of them squatting on their haunches, save for Sedna who was floating, they huddled close and began discussing their financial situation in hushed tones. "Okay so how much do we have again?" Bidzil asked.

"Twenty gold, we would only have one gold left, Bid..." Nix said in dismay. "I don't think we can both eat on that, can we?"

"Why sure we can! How much do you think food costs?" Bidzil replied.

"Those raw steaks were two gold each alone..." Nix pointed out.

"Thats because they are special monster steaks, obviously."Bidzil said confidently.

To this Nix stopped for a moment with her head titled to the side and a single ear pricked up. "Really?" She stood up for a moment, her eyes barely level with the counter. Her hands popped up on the counter-top as she slightly lifted herself up and sniffed the air before quickly dropping back down on her haunches with Bidzil and Sedna, who was just watching the conversation go back and forth. "They don't smell special. Smells like meat..." With the mention of that, Nix's stomach grumbled fiercely, to which the three of them all looked down at her stomach.

"Alright then, tell you what. If we can't afford to eat before we leave, I'll cook one of the steaks and we will split it. Sound good?" to this Nix nodded happily and both of them stood straight back up, Sedna a little slower on the uptake. "I am al clear to go! Nineteen it is! Thank you sir!" he said with a smile as he made the exchange. When they walked out of the shop, Bidzil noticed Jones and Hurrah standing outside, not to far from the weapon shop. Bidzil waved at them, "Hey you two!" He called out to them. "So, where do you two plan to go?"

The Vanishing Kingdom

Trantis lake lay empty and the ground as dark as that of the forbidden forests of Death's Pass. The town that had floated upon it waters now lies desolated as the buildings had collapsed to the ground. Two men stood at the edge of the lake, overseeing the wreckage. One with long flowing green hair, the other, tall and muscular, face covered with an ornate mask. There were small piles of clothes everywhere, still warm from their previous inhabitants bodies, yet not a soul in sight. The masked man leaned forward and picked up what looked to be a doll next the a broken down pier.

"Do not mourn for them. They too once sent their men to murder my people for their own selfish gain. This is the price for their ancestor's folly.... Your first lesson I shall teach you," the masked man said, tossing down the doll. "In war, your enemy must be completely wiped from existence. Not just the men, but the women, and the children. You will be seen as a monster, sure enough, but grieving women and vengeful children beget rebellion and more bloodshed in the future." He turned towards the green haired man and held his arms out . "Am I not all the proof you need of this truth? This town will serve as an example for those who seek to oppose my birthright." He then turned and started walking towards the dark woods to the east.

"Follow me and leave this place behind you. You are no longer a man bound by this lake or its people. Bardus shall spread the word of my arrival in Salna. In the meantime, I shall prepare you for what is to come."

In Salna, an odd man wearing stilts, a worn out fur cloak, a basket helm, a smoking pipe, and carrying a hoe with a thick blade shambled up to the front gate. He took a deep breath and called out to the guards at the gate."Hear me, ancestors of tyrants! The final days for those who oppose the vengeful king draws near! In three weeks time, this town will face the judgment of King Jeevak of the Grandis Empire! Submit! Lest you wish to perish like the people of Trantis!"

This caused a stir in the crowd that had gathered to watch, and really caught the guards' attention. The stir turned into panic as there were a lot of people with family in Trantis. A small group of guards assembled to arrest the man, though, in a flash, the first man to move towards him suddenly stopped walking forward. An outcry from a woman in the crowd as she seemed to be the first to register what happened. The guard slumped and fell dead to the ground, the odd man's farming hoe lodged into his skull, piercing through his helmet. The towns people backed off as more of the guards moved in to attack the man who was now retrieving his weapon, but each one fell to the surprisingly nimble enemy, who seemingly dispatched them with fluid ease. When the tenth body hit the ground motionless, the other guards backed off to regroup and make a new formation, but were knocked over by a freak gust of air that seemed to come from the odd stranger.

"Do not rush your fate." He said as he dipped a hand into one of the fallen guard's wounds. he then drug the dead man over to the wall, and using the blood, wrote a message on the wall. "A NEW KING RISES. THE GRANDIS EMPIRE HAS RETURNED," it read. The man wiped his hand off in his fur cloak and turned towards the people with a bow. "You have been told, you are no longer ignorant. We will return." With this, the man then hobbled off. The man's pipe seemed to start billowing out smoke, turning his image into nothing but a haze, gone when the smoke dispersed.

---

2 weeks later

---

Bidzil woke up in a sweat, though, the heat baring down through the window he was sleeping next to the cold night before. He was currently in Kalla, the one and only town in the Killiman Desert. The heat was something he was used to in Trantis's summer, but it was a bit different when there wasn't an ever present body of water around to jump into. Sure, there was the few spots of water around the town as it sat in an oasis, but people didn't take to kindly to others jumping in the water they used daily for their chores and to drink, as he had found out the night he arrived. Bidzil kicked the thick blankets off and got out of the bed he rented for the night, and started to get himself ready for the day. His gear and jacket were locked in a rental chest at the foot of the bed, thankfully it didn't look like it was tampered with. He popped it open and threw the jacket on and then equipped his gear. He patted himself down, making sure everything was still there and in the right place before heading out the door. The first thing he wanted to do, is get something to eat, and then get supplies for the road, so he needed to head towards the market first.

The markets were packed with people bartering and selling their wares. Here was plenty of things to choose from in the market, from dates and melons, to corn, millet bread, even potatoes and lamb meat. The smells of all the different vendors cooking their foods was enough to drive a starving person mad. Though Bidzil was originally making a beeline for the opportunity of a filling breakfast, he found something else that caught his eye. Out to the side, just south of the main merchant tent, sat a tailor's shop with Aerex's name on it.

“No way...that couldn't be...but... I don't know any other tailors with a name like that,”] he murmured. He found himself making strides to the store to see if he was right about his assumption.

The Vanishing Kingdom

Thou hath been accepted

Ascension: Monster Farm

added bright flashes of light for a weakness as it prowls at night, but it isnt a darkness type so light magic in a holy sense shouldn't be a weakness. but messing with its night sight may do a lot.

Ascension: Monster Farm

Quadrolisk "Shore Stalker"

Species name: Quadrolisk

Common name: Shore Stalker

Food source: Meat

Size: when standing upright, large ones can grow to be eight feet tall, though they average just over six.

Abilities: High speed and strong capable limbs covered in hard chitinous plates it uses for digging and smashing objects. It has a strong and sharp bite making taking chunks of meat off quickly and efficiently. It can impale targets with the spear like ends of its tendrils, either together or separately. it will often stab with all its tendrils and then spread them apart to open up its prey for a quick kill. Its tendrils each have many spines that can retract into itself, each highly effective nerve poison that stuns its prey as well as clots its blood. it will use these spines to either capture its prey in its grasp, immobilize it for later, rend flesh from its opponent, or for extra grip with its tendrils. It has enough power in its tendrils to suffocate its prey or break it's bones.

Temperment: Shore stalkers don't tend to make much noise unless looking for a mate, as they tend to keep to themselves. They are mainly located around Nero bodies of water, mainly but not restricted to rivers and sandy beaches. They tend to burrow and hide in soft soils and sand, or swim in shallow waters during most the day, though they can sometimes use this tactic to surprise prey, erupting from the ground or jumping out from shallow water to latch on to their next meal. During the night, they are most active in hunting for food. They will often stalk their prey for periods of time, waiting for good moments to strike, or can even set up its own ambush. There are very few of these creatures and most believe them to be myths. Often used as a tale to keep kids away from shallow waters.

Locations: Nero shallow waters

Weaknesses: lightning magic, bright flashes of light

The Vanishing Kingdom

Nice, we got ourselves a beastman! Accepted

The Vanishing Kingdom

Noice! Accepted.

Ascension: Monster Farm

Bidzil made his way back to town, following Jones for most the way. She didn't say much to him, though, neither did he, ad when they got to town, she decided to go to the weapon shop. Bidzil thought about what he may need himself. "I don't think I need any weapons....but I may nee to get some supplies for you two." he said to Nix and Sedna. nix transformed back into her descendant form.

"Bidzil...I'm still hungry..." she mentioned, her ears down a bit. "We didn't get anything this morning either..."

"OH! CRAP! I'm so sorry! Let's go get some food! Just a quick trip to the general store and we will go find a place to eat. Maybe see if that Jones girl wants to join us." he said as he started for the store. Nix sighed as she followed with a growling stomach, and Sedna just seemed to float along behind them.

Bidzil browsed through the items in the shop, quietly gathering necessary items. He brought up a monsterpedia, a yellow berry, a green berry, two steaks, and two herbs. when he set them on the counter, he looked up to the shop-keep. "Pardon me, but, would you happen to have anything that can carry a larger amount of water than a canteen that I can still carry easily?"

Ascension: Monster Farm

well, i was going to make a post tonight, just too tired. I'll get it in the morning though!