RIGHTEOUSwench

Chronicles of Altea

Unless it's terribly boring in there and you'd like to post here, certainly feel no obligation to post until you're in better health, Jays! I'm sure there's ways to work you in later :c :c get better soon

Chronicles of Altea

Nala Rand

Independent

Slick moss coated the cobblestone walls of a dungeon deep beneath the Undercity, the crude architecture fashioned by the hands of men. Within, the dungeon’s air hung dank and dusty; doom clung to its darkness. Screams echoed down the aisle, and the stench of blood and flame permeated the atmosphere like a thick cloak.

A woman, her linen dress white against the shadows, hovered at the entrance of a cell, torchlight creeping in from behind her, being swallowed by the closing door as she stepped into the room.

Her steely gaze flickered.

There was no light in the cell except what emanated from the body of a Luminous Knight. His body was stretched long, for the wrists of the man were clad in iron cuffs, gripped by chains that slid up and down as he sought footing. The chains clattered as they scraped through a loop on the ceiling, their length measured and induced by their ending place, a crank wheel bolted to the wall. His toes swung and scraped against the floor, for he was bound in such a way that air would enter his lungs only in shallow breaths, his transient toes his only support. Ragged gasps and muffled groans whistled through his open mouth. Only it was not lips that were spread wide.

His jaw hung by a thread. The exposed teeth oozed with dry blood and pus. The molten swelling of a flame spell’s embrace set upon his side, crawled in a winding motion up his arm, while his skinless abdomen weeped scarlet, the flesh exposed so that as he breathed, the winding and tightening of each thread of muscle could be clearly seen.

“About time you showed up,” said Bertwall, standing up with a groan as he stretched. The torturer’s whip was on the floor beside him. It had yet to be cleaned for the day, so dried blood caked the glass and stone-perforated leather straps into one gooey bundle. The man’s black face held no compassion nor contempt as he stood and drew the dagger from his belt. In the casual walk of a man at his daily business, he crossed the room and, with one hand braced against his prisoner’s shoulder, he stabbed the blade hilt-deep into the man’s shoulder, drawing it out swiftly, with fresh blood and an agonized scream to follow.

“He’s in rather bad shape, but the boss wants him pristine come the dawn.” Bertwall’s face was empty, his tone monotonous. “You best fix him up good.”

There was a threat laden in his words, therefore Nala nodded, the motion slow.

He passed her by, lighting the torch as he left. Other business to attend to, his stride said. Other prisoners to torture, no doubt. The CharHornets were filling up their cells, and the few torturers around had their schedules full. For what purpose these captives were intended, Nala did not care to know; she kept her head down, and her thoughts low. She did not think herself capable of handling a worse burden, one of knowing the end of her actions. Her heart was already black with offense.

The lit torch seemed to grow brighter as the knight’s luminosity ebbed. His head began to dip, and bob, but just as it seemed as though the poison had claimed him, he snapped it back up, fire in his eyes, the left side of his face clenching, shaking, furious. He strained against his bonds, a feral yell thinning the last thread that held his jaw in place. Nala jumped back, catching her breath. Pensive, she inched towards the door, ready to bolt if his luminosity flared in kind. But she need not have done this; the futility of his display was soon made known. The demands of his body overtook him, and his eyes turned glassy, the lids falling, until he collapsed completely; the fearsome glow died out.

The collar rested heavy around her neck as she approached him. Her fingers pressed against it and she wondered briefly whether her father would have demanded she oppose the boss and slay the knight, or at least refuse to heal him.

Father is dead. Cease such imaginings.

She cranked the knight down to crumple against the stone floor, and once she had laid him prone, Nala coated her hands with magic, and ran them over his wounds. Careful, knowing fingers traced over his exposed flesh, and coated the interior with mana. His blood she commanded to recede, the skin to cover, and soon the edges of his wounded abdomen began to thread inward.

The skin had stretched nearly halfway across when the world went black. She snapped her eyes open to find that she had collapsed, and fallen over the body. Silently chastising herself for such sloppiness, Nala raised herself up, supporting hand slipping to smear across the knight’s pinched and welted burns. Blood leaked, her hands now smeared with it.

She wiped them on her dress and continued her labor.

Blinking the fatigue away, Nala took a pinch of herbal remedy from her pouch, and coated what remained of his abdominal laceration with it. She focused on the jaw next, as facial tissue would be the first to scar. Blood welled up as she pressed the jaw against the cheekbones, and willed the muscle to knit. The flesh around his beard remained a thick scarlet line. Her hands were shaking now. She continued on, because the sky was turning orange. For the thick, braided welts that covered his back and left arm, she had little mana to spare. The innermost muscle she patched up, and wrapped the rest of his injuries in bandages and ointment.

With a heavy sigh, she fell back on her heels. The work was sloppy, but it would have to do.

Storyteller, Lover of Mythology, and Yes, I'm a RPG-er (and writer)

I'll be sure to check that out. I've been looking for a good read ever since I finished Chretien. Thanks :)

Storyteller, Lover of Mythology, and Yes, I'm a RPG-er (and writer)

You're very welcome to the site!

This goddess sounds like a fun read! :) I'll hafta check her out. While medieval history is my particular interest, I've always been interested in the bronze and stone ages and their mythology, for similar reasons, especially in regards to what has influenced the Medieval era (like Greek philosophy and epics).

Chronicles of Altea

More accurately, @Laue we are more than willing to collaborate with you, even come up with ideas based on your premises.

You need not carry all the burden!

We hope to inspire and be inspired, certainly not perform as an obstacle. If during our posting, we pose a threat to the coherence or intrigue of the storyline, inform/correct us or remove us. May such a word be accepted humbly.

Chronicles of Altea

Oh... hm... So you don't want us to interact at all until later?

Idk about this... we were thinking of writing out an origin story to our camaraderie in the beginning/intro portion of the rp. I was hoping to work other characters into it too.

We would separate into alternate groups afterward. I'm willing to change details, but I'm convinced that changing the structure would convolute the development.

Chronicles of Altea

Got a counteroffer/compromise for you. That you're investigating bandits works in your favor. The base idea is that you attempt to investigate by approaching your encampment, stuff happens, you get separated and end up in your respective groups. Is that OK with you?

@Laue

I don't quite understand how this is different from what I outlined XD Ya know, we're just here to have fun and write a good story. Is the issue that I'm a mage and this would all be totally okay if I were a normal outsider? From the start, I was planning to have a character that seemed contrary at first glance because she aligns with the luminosity knights.

If what you need is more mages, I'm sure we could find someone.

But I need to understand the problem to offer solutions. I really like the ideas SPA and I threw around, and I'd like the chance to write them out.

If it's completely not possible to do as we planned, please let me know why :c

Chronicles of Altea

The only time she'll wear the collar willing is on her head, as a focus for her power to defeat the Luminous Knights with. Bwa Ha Ha.

@Cyrania

I like your fire XD

Chronicles of Altea

Hey Laue, SPAssemble and I were thinking of doing an intro plot wherein our characters get to form a comrade relationship. I sorta gave you a brief overview in the PM. After the intro plot, we get a piece of info and head back into the city, where we could get involved in the investigation. I could even play as a spy for the Lumies, which would be fun.

That way we'd still be pretty connected to the plot, right?

Chronicles of Altea

Maybe that'd be more of a luminosity spell? Like a glow emanating out your character rather than a beam of light?

Make sure to leave room to progress it's capability, of course. We're all like lvl 1s here, haha.