Thinslayer

The Faraway Land

@XenoCyanide
The Recruitment of Xen'Desh Idlindra

Sadron was wise to seek him first, for it took the messenger many days just to reach him. The poor boy was utterly exhausted by the time he found someone resembling the great wizard Xen'Desh.
"For you...sir..." the boy huffed as he handed him a letter.

The Letter

Greetings, Lord Xen'Desh Idlindra,
Your guidance and council are requested at High Council Hill by eight in the morning tomorrow. Enclosed is a teleportation crystal to facilitate travel. A great evil has risen up in the north, and we have hand-picked a number of Champions to fight it. Please, for the sake of all that is right and good in the world, lend us your aid and lead our Champions to victory. We need you now more than ever.
~Sadron Aphaderuiondur

The Faraway Land

@ineffable
The Recruitment of Laina Silverstide

The day Dionaea Sycamore received her letter, the same messenger delivered a letter to a certain healer named Laina.
"For you, Miss Silverstide."

The Letter

Greetings Lady Laina Silverstide
Your presence is required at High Council Hill by eight in the morning tomorrow. We need your prowess in the healing arts to halt the advance of evil. As a Free Elf, you have the right to decline, but know that the fate of the world may depend on your decision.
~Sadron Aphaderuiondur

The Faraway Land

@Hawlin
"Right! Pardon..." said another voice.
Everyone looked up to see who it was.
A blonde knight set a jug on the table and procured a letter. "Such grand invitations don't come often," she said, allowing herself a light chuckle at the end. Then she placed the letter on the table and gestured to a seat. "May I?"
Sadron nodded. "You must be that 'Jericho Kaite' who keeps popping up in my status reports. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please, have a seat. We are just warming up. I'm sure Arandur would happily entertain you."
The corner of Arandur's mouth twitched down a bit.
Sadron chuckled, followed by a frown. Arandur is quiet today. He bopped the elf on the knee with his staff, yielding a surprised squeak. Arandur slapped his hands on his legs and glared at Sadron. "Don't do that!" Then, turning to Kaite, he added, "My apologies. There's tea in the pot, brewed from the finest Sagian herbs. It's positively rejuvenating." He poured a cup and offered it to her.

"Have some?"

The Faraway Land

@ineffable
@rush99999
@Rune_Alchemist
@Darkmoon Angel
@SuddenSardines
@Thecrash20
@MissCapnCrunch
@Lord Zee
@John Humphreys
@Hawlin
@Cuccoruler
@tex
@Rekaigan

Hawlin has a point. Okay everyone, post pics of your characters in the Characters tab.

The Faraway Land

Ivan gladly accepted the letter from the messenger. "Thank you good sir." He sent the messenger on his way and read the letter. "High Council Hill... Eight in the morning... Bring your best equipment... Huh, wonder what old Sadron wants with me." As he read the letter, Ivan felt a pair of eyes peering over his shoulder. He turned to find that it was Sir Noire, a good friend and knight though he did have a habit of eavesdropping.

"What's that? Can I come?" Ivan put the letter away and gave his friend a friendly smile. "Well my friend, it seems that it's your lucky day. It seems that our dear high elf, Sadron, has need of me for whatever reason and he has allowed me to bring some company." Ivan brought Noire with him to the armory to suit up for the trek to High Council Hill.

They stopped by the market to get supplies and returned to the barracks to set everything up. "Ok... Map, check... Food and camping supplies, check... Alright that's everything." Ivan didn't mention his family sword and shield, as he kept these items on his person at all times. "One of these days.." he thought. "One of these days..."

"Ok, we should be ready to go... Anything else before we set out Noire?" Once they were done with what Sir Noire suggested, they set out to High Council Hill.

@Darkmoon Angel

After about a day's journey, Sir Ivan and Sir Noire approached the gates of the Domain. "Welp, here we are. I gotta drop off from here, or Sarge will have me bee-hind. I'll see you around, man." He lightly punched Ivan in the shoulder, turned around, and headed for the nearby inn.

The Faraway Land

@Darkmoon Angel
@Hawlin
@Lord Zee

The Story So Far

The Storyteller reached High Council Hill to find only Arandur was present. They exchanged pleasantries, but Arandur adamantly refused to talk business until the other champions arrived. Then Sadron arrived and exchanged more pleasantries, similarly stubborn (but less explicit) about his refusal to talk business until the others arrived. There seemed to be a bit of tension over what happened at the last Council, but no one explicitly stated what caused it. Meanwhile, Kaite and Tiberius arrived, and while Kaite was reluctant to join the group, Tiberius got straight to the point and joined up.

"So, uh, I got your letter," Sir Tiberius Longshadow blurted out. Sadron looked at Tiberius and sized him up. The corner of his mouth turned up slightly. "Excellent. Join us," Sadron murmured through his pipe. He winked at the young man and gestured for him to sit in one of the chairs.

"I've heard stories about you, young man. You're quite a remarkable fellow. Did you really defend Miss Evergleam from armed challengers with your bare hands, or was that a popular exaggeration?"

The Faraway Land

"Did you meet any of the other champions yet?"
"Not yet, though I don't suppose that will be the case for long."
"True enough," Arandur agreed.
"As for my journey, it was about as uneventful as you'd expect from a day long walk on a road leading to High Council Hill. But enough about me. How have you and the rest of the council been faring? I trust Sadron didn't have too much trouble in dealing with the aftermath of my last visit?"
Arandur flinched again. "It's been...trying."

"Indeed," came another voice, this one deep and powerful. Sadron had come up behind the Storyteller. "But the conflict is over now, one way or another. A new threat has taken its place, one that threatens all of us. But more on that later, once everyone is here." Sadron paced over to his seat, inched himself down, and pulled out his pipe. "Nothing quite like a good smoke, eh?" he commented as he lit the tobacco.

Arandur glanced at the third unoccupied seat. His shoulders drooped momentarily before he turned back to Sadron and exchanged with him a knowing look.
Sadron puffed out a little cloud of smoke resembling a sailing ship. "What do you think, Storyteller, of the state of affairs in Aetherion? I trust you've had a good look around since the last Council."

The Faraway Land

"I see you three plan on giving these champions of yours a warm welcome to the hill."

Arandur flinched. So he doesn't know yet. He turned and gave the Storyteller his brightest smile, choosing not to respond yet to his comment about Sadron's task. "Ho there, Friend! It is so very good to see you again!" He took the man's hand and clasped it for a firm shake. "You have no idea how much I've yearned for your company. Honestly, Sadron is dull as a brick in social situations."

A quick glance around the hall revealed that Arandur was the only High Elf present at the moment. "They're coming," Arandur said quickly. "Want some tea? I brewed a splendid pot if I do say so myself. The tea leaves are the very best, transported directly from Sagia's finest herb farms. This pot is brewed in traditional style, since I think magic ruins the taste." He offered a cup and saucer to the Storyteller and took another for himself.

Arandur crossed his legs and took a long sip. "So how was the journey? Did you meet any of the other champions yet?"

The Faraway Land

Also, I posted about the High Council Hill in the IC thread so you have some material to use for your characters' arrival.

The Faraway Land

<Snipped quote by Thinslayer>

Out of curiosity, what exactly happened during The Storyteller's last meeting with the High Council that made it a 'wash'?

@rush99999

Heh heh heh
It'll be obvious once everyone's present at the Hill. I'll PM you the details then. The rest...everyone will have to figure out for themselves.