Luminosity

The Blackwood

Mari had always made friends easily, but even she hadn't expected her first encounters in the Blackwood to be so pleasant. Of course, she was swiftly reminded that she was an outsider to these parts when the dwarf, Orek as Ithaca named him, spoke to Kane in a tongue unfamiliar to her, and lured him away from the table. The adventurers already here had established connections, which she'd likely need to do as well if she wanted to get anywhere.

For the moment, she was alone at the table with Ithaca, and she finished another long drink of her ale as she watched the Drogator leave, feeling the warmth of it seep through her. "I'm not sure," she answered. "I'll be coming and going at the very least, hopefully starting tomorrow. The Daughters are sellswords, after all, and I might as well look for work while I look for a lead." There had to be no shortage of it in a place like this, where there seemed to be an endless supply of danger.

She'd need the coin, too, if she wanted to keep a roof over her head while she searched. And it'd be good experience for her, as Mari had accomplished very little on her own, which was no surprise given how young she was. Asherah had given her excellent training, but training could only take her so far.

She ran a hand through auburn hair, enjoying the atmosphere of the barroom. "Actually... I don't suppose you've heard of anything I could help with? Or know who I should ask? I'm not picky." She was no knight in shining plate, certainly, and would take just about any honest work if I meant she could get out and do some exploring the next day.

Escaping The Faewoods - A Survival Horror RP

Freya Carstensen

Come on, Freya, keep it together...

The scores of panicked breathing and frantic curses behind her were seriously stressing her out, but Freya supposed that total silence would be even worse. She put one foot in front of the other and made it deeper into the cave, the damp cool in the dark serving to send a chill through her, enough to make her shudder before long.

She saw the light ahead and slowed to a stop, squinting to try to make out what it was, but her eyes refused to adjust, or perhaps it was still too far away. Regardless, her attention was drawn away when she heard one of them drop to the ground behind her. She turned her back on the light to see Brenton on his hands and knees, breathing rapidly, each gasp clearly paining him.

Freya knew a panic attack when she saw one. It had to be either the dark or the cramped cave, or both, that was getting to him. She didn't know exactly what to do, but she wasn't going to just stand there and watch. She knelt down in front of him.

"Hey, it's okay," she said, putting a hand lightly on his shoulder. "I know it's dark, but we've got a lot of space still. We'll just take it slow. Look at me. Just try to breathe slow, okay? Don't force it." She really didn't know if that would help, but they really had to keep moving. Multiple people were bleeding still, and for all they knew something was on their tail. And there was still the light ahead...

The Blackwood

Mari had to force herself not to stare at the Drogator in fascination. It took her a moment to realize what he was. No doubt Kane was used to stares; his armor alone was enough to provoke gawking, to say nothing of the being encased inside it. He seemed friendly enough, if a little terrifying. She would hate to see how he looked as an enemy.

She was mid-drink of her ale when Kane chuckled, and Mari nearly spat out a mouthful, but managed to contain herself, holding the back of her hand to her lips until she was sure she wasn't going to be an embarrassment.

"Brave, or perhaps just stupid," she said, smiling broadly. "I serve Rán, the sea goddess. I'm on a pilgrimage to one of her oldest temples, here in the Blackwood. I'm to become her Ninth Daughter. If I can survive the rite of passage, that is."

There was a chance they'd heard of the Daughters, if Ithaca and Kane were as well-traveled as they looked. The eldest of them had much fame in the Sea of Swords and even beyond, and while Mari had no legend to speak of yet, the name of the little group carried some weight. Perhaps not here, though. As far as Mari knew, the last time a Daughter of Rán entered the Blackwood was over twenty years ago, when the Eighth passed her initiation.

"Thing is," she continued, "it's said that only Daughters of Rán can find and enter the temple, so I'm not sure if anyone here can help me." A few of the Daughters Mari had spoken with suspected that the temple actually moved somehow, and that old, powerful magic protected it from curious eyes and those that the Widow didn't care for. If she couldn't pick up on any lead, Mari felt she'd have to simply set out on her own, and hope the Goddess guided her.

Escaping The Faewoods - A Survival Horror RP

I was kinda in the same boat? Sorta feels like just us :(

The Blackwood

Mari found Rittenvos to be new and exciting and yet somehow quite familiar. It was the mood of the people, she decided, that was similar to the Sea of Swords. Lots of travelers and mercenaries and merchants, people in general not tied down to any location, simply passing through in search of adventure, fortune, or their own goals. For once Mari was one of them rather than simply a local.

By the time she made it to the barroom her purse was two lordlings lighter. She felt lighter too, given the layer of sweat, dirt, and grime she'd washed off, though perhaps that was also because she'd left her plate, shield, and pack in her room. Considering how many other sellswords there were here wearing armor and weapons, Mari simply changed into a fresh white tunic and dark brown leggings, and cleaned her leathers as best she could before donning them again. On her belt were her sword, daggers, coin pouch, and necklaces of Rán.

She'd managed to get a decent meal to fill her belly before turning in to her room, so it was ale she sought after now, and when she had two pints in her hands she made her way over to the right side of the room, trying to catch Ithaca's attention as she approached. She seemed to be conversing with the... man? Next to her, though Mari had to admit she'd never seen any of their race before. The plate armor was certainly fine, far better than what Mari could afford.

"Hope I'm not intruding," she greeted, offering the pint. "I promised the Road Warden here an ale. If not for her I'd probably be wyvern food by now."

The Blackwood

Loving it so far! Had a few busy days here so I thought I'd pause for a bit. Should be able to post sometime tomorrow.

The Blackwood

Civilization at last. Mari felt extremely lucky that her first encounter with another person in the Blackwood had been so positive, and the tollkeeper served as a stark reminder that it wouldn't always be that way. She took in the town, one building after the next, as Ithaca introduced them. The people didn't seem to find her arrival noteworthy; no doubt plenty of well-armed strangers made their way through this outpost. She made certain to remember Po Harthwyn's name and face, as he seemed like someone she ought to try speaking with later.

There wasn't any hurry, as Mari didn't need to complete her journey on any particular timetable. Completing it alive was the important part, and that meant not venturing back out into the woods until she was rested, restocked, and armed with at least something resembling a lead. The town seemed to have everything she needed, though her funds were limited, and would be restricted to the necessities.

For the moment Mari simply dismounted the horse, far less painfully than she had the last time. "If you're here tonight, can I buy you an ale later?" She grinned a little at Ithaca. "Seems I have five Lordlings more than I should thanks to you."

Regardless, her first stop was the Grandhaven behind her, for a room, a hot meal so she didn't need to deplete her rations further, and a bath. Necessities, all.

Escaping The Faewoods - A Survival Horror RP

Freya Carstensen

"Shit, shit, shit..." Freya cursed under her breath as they made their temporary escape into a dark cave, which really didn't feel like an improvement over a forest clearing. She'd expected something to tear into her back or her leg the whole way, not daring to look behind her as she and Brenton helped the twins along, but it never happened. A few of them had some nasty looking cuts and injuries from the little goblin things or the demon-horse, but somehow Freya was more or less untouched.

"Yeah, unless it decides it wants to be a giant spider or a venomous snake next. Fuck!" Freya ran her fingers through her hair and paced, frustrated, terrified, and unable to slow her breathing. She knew she wasn't helping, but this was all kinds of messed up, and getting even worse fast. "Sorry, I just..."

Freya forced herself to stop, close her eyes, and take three deep breaths. She couldn't panic. They were lucky to all still be alive after that shitshow, but panicking was the quickest way to change that. "We can't stay here. We can't go back. I think we just need to hope there's a way out if we go through." Granted, there could easily be something worse than a shapeshifting horse and goblins inside the dark cave, but they had to take their chances, right? Better than going back to die, or staying here to die.

"I'm not hurt, so... I could lead the way. I guess."

The Blackwood

Riding Roll

Riding: d8 = 2

Mari couldn't help but smile when she laid eyes on the horse. Mounts were hardly common on the isles in the Sea of Swords, and she had very little experience with horses, but she'd always found them beautiful. She took Ithaca's hand and mounted up behind her without much of the same grace, a little unsteady, but the pace wasn't difficult.

"Durgony, that's right." Mari was getting a little tired of traveling, and this Rittenvos sounded like an excellent place to rest and just maybe rid herself of the dirt and dust and grime of the journey. She found herself liking this Ithaca; given her occupation, she likely knew the forest very well. No one was supposed to know of the temple's location, but perhaps Ithaca could help her get started. Not everyone felt favorably towards the Daughters, but Mari had a good feeling about this one.

Any trace of good feeling fled when an awful roar rent the very air, prompting Mari to reach up and cover both of her ears, wincing at the sudden pain of such a loud noise from above. The horse wildly bucked, and without a solid grip on anything Mari was thrown off, landing with a heavy thud on her side in the dirt.

Dragon, Ithaca said. The fall only knocked the wind out of Mari, but instinctively she reached for her shield, even if it'd be all but pointless against such a creature. Her heart was pounding, terror coursing through her, and it only abated when the second awful roar seemed to be further away. Forcing herself to take a few breaths, Mari got back to her feet.

"Goddess," she breathed, brushing dirt off her side. "Are dragons, wyverns, and ogres a normal day for you here?"

The Blackwood

Screaming was the last thing Mari intended to do. She'd allowed herself to be ambushed, distracted as she was by the wyvern's arrival, which she'd only narrowly avoided by luck, but now her instinct was to fight rather than let fear rule. She reached for one of her daggers, but a strong hand caught her wrist. The voice behind her promised her no harm.

It took a few seconds, but finally Mari relaxed her muscles and slowed her breathing, the woman letting her go as soon as she did. If she'd wanted to kill Mari, she had a perfect chance already, and hadn't used it. That was good enough. Mari cautiously checked to make sure the wyvern was still occupied with the ogre, then turned about.

Ithaca, she introduced herself as. A Praelian name if she'd ever heard one, with a look to match. Taller than Mari, and well armed and armored. What she promised sounded like a much needed bit of good luck. "Lead the way," she instructed, eager to put the gulley and the wyvern well behind her.

Only when the sounds of the creature feasting on the ogre's corpse had disappeared did she venture her own introduction. "I'm Mari, of the Sea of Swords. What's this town we're headed to?"