Twhirtley

They Have Returned (Ebonfort)

He watched her prod the stones, expecting something dangerous to spring out, his entire body coiled, ready to strike or evade. But as the stones jostled about, nothing happened. But the hairs on his neck were still ruffled. A Keremis always trusted their instincts, or they died in the desert. He'd heard her words, as his mind tried to figure out what exactly the problem was. In his native tongue, a deep, guttural language, smooth like silken sand, "Something very old..."

He didn't know how he knew, nor did he notice that he'd spoken a language she couldn't understand. The more he stared through the portal, the more the feeling of dread grew. It reminded him of something, he just couldn't put his finger on it. After Drache finished her investigation of the stones, unveiling nothing, he stepped cautiously onto them, lightly at first, slowly supporting his weight onto it. As nothing happened, he moved forward, taking another careful step. Stepping on the next stone, he immediately knew it was a mistake, as it sank ever so slightly.

His instincts screamed to rush forward, not back. He roughly grabbed Drache around the waist and dove forward, as a metallic shnng snapped through the air, a searing pain piercing through his calf. The pair collapsed in a heap, her atop him, their bodies close, as dust permeated in the air. He tried to move and found his leg pinned and in pain. He looked down and saw a thin metallic spear sticking out of the floor and up through the back of his calf. Further inspection showed so many of the spears, from every angle, filling the corridor, enough to slaughter dozens of people.

He was cursing under his breath in his native tongue, as he grabbed his javelin, wincing at each movement. He gripped it beneath the head, and used it to slice the flesh at the back of his calf, and slipped his leg free of the spear. It was bleeding profusely, and Raffey ripped his sleeve from his shirt and roughly wrapped it up, knowing it would stop soon, a feature of the Keremis. He looked over at Drache, seeing that she hadn't been skewered, asking between pained breaths, "Ah ya ohkay?"

He now knew they were trapped, or at least he was. She could fly out through one of the upper exits, but he doubted her wings were strong enough to carry him. He used a javelin to get himself to a standing position, gingerly limping on his injured leg, staring down through the portal. "Yah guh a'ead an' eescape. Ah be he'e wheen yah ge' ba'" He didn't believe those words, as his instincts hadn't been for the trap that got set off. There was something more, something that would be the death of him soon. But at least Drache could get out.

Fairies Shouldn't Fly Alone [Ebonfort]

The Reward Review is complete. Well done both of you, if you have any questions, let me know. @RomanAria@Rekaigan

Fairies Shouldn't Fly Alone [Ebonfort]

Reward Review

Lyriia Elenye

Skills
Aerobatics: 5
Herbalism: 1
Bodybuilding: 2
Land Navigation: 1
Observation: 5
Stealth: 1
Socialization: 2
Flirting: 1
Weapon (Dagger): 3
Leadership: 1
Persuasion: 1
Medicine: 1
Healing: 4

Knowledge:
Contact: Ahmal Ervallen

Other
Migraines, bodily pain, exhaustion for 10 days, full recovery naturally.

Ahmal Ervallen

Skills
Poison: 2
Camouflage: 1
Observation: 6
Aerobatics: 1
Ranged (Composite Bow): 4
Tactics: 1
Leadership: 3
Socialization: 3
Bodybuilding: 5
Subterfuge: 1
Land Navigation: 1
Endurance: 4
Investigation: 1
Medicine: 1
Unarmed Combat: 1

Knowledge:
Contact: Lyriia Elenye
Lyriia, The Pretty Fairy Physician
The Feel of Healing Magic

Other
Weakened leg, 20 days natural healing for full recovery

They Have Returned (Ebonfort)

Raffey stared at her a bit incredulously. She sure talked a lot in what he was sure was somehow a dangerous situation. He kept getting that feeling of impending danger without actually seeing the threat. He agreed with her, why would a magical, well, anything magical, be unguarded. Surely it had been discovered in recent times. Unless whatever was on the other side was dangerous enough that it needed no guarding. He hadn't moved the instant she'd said not to, and readily handed over a javelin, watching what she intended to do with it.

He drew another javelin, peering over her, studying the room. He probably could scale the walls with a lot of effort, though Drache could obviously fly out. Looking back toward the portal, he studied the glowing, mushroom like objects. They seemed to be moving, ever so slightly. He saw them moving in unison, as if a wind were constantly blowing past them. Or that it was alive. He suddenly began to distrust this entire situation, and he adjust the grip on his javelin ever so slightly, further readying himself for what he felt was very immediate combat.

Ebonfort

@Landaus Five-One - That's correct or through questy things, can get an elite apprenticeship in the capital (very difficult to do) *queues You're the Best Around*

They Have Returned (Ebonfort)

Went ahead and moved this along, if anyone else wishes to continue that was skipped, just reply on your own and we'll keep at it. If this storyline finishes before anyone other than Drache replies, the quest will be declared finished

They Have Returned (Ebonfort)

Raffey chuckled at Drache's various jests. Such jokes easily traversed the language barrier. He was about to make a comment on Kavinog breath but stopped when she told him to wait. He looked back to her, admiring her curves outlined by the light from behind her. Listening to her as he enjoyed what he saw, he found he disagreed with her. He walked over, looking closer, head cocked to the side.

"Ah dun thin' so. Ah thin' we come dis way." He pointed at the hall following the line to the intersection, opposite where the line continued onto. "Ah thin' dah seercle he'e ees sometin' else. Ah thin' mahbee dees stahrs guh tah dah seety. Ees seem lahk eempotent place, nah?"

He wasn't sure what the line meant, but he figured perhaps it went somewhere very important to the culture. He thought it best to check the room with the circle, since it seemed to be the only dead end. "Le's guh he'e. We dun mees anythin' dees way."

With that, he turned off to the right, scouting down the corridor that they believed led to the circle. The corridor was long, had many carvings. Raffey went slow, watching the carvings on the walls. The smell grew stronger and stronger, the air warmer and more humid. One carving stuck out in particular. It showed a line of people walking toward a circle, then into the circle, then out of it again. The landscapes on either side of the circle were quite different.

Eventually a room far ahead came into view, giving off its own light, a dull blue glow. The stench was so bad, Raffey stopped, ripped some cloth from his shirt, spit on it, and plugged his nose. He offered Drache some of the same. Something was tickling the back of his neck, a warning of the sixth sense sort. He drew one of his javelins, easier to handle with a single hand, and continued toward the light. He didn't bother to walk with stealth, for the torch would give them away.

At the edge of the room, he could see what was clearly an ornate alter. It was obvious raiders had been her before, from the empty gem slots and the chisel marks all over it. In its prime it was probably worth more than any single person could earn in a life time. But that was far from the most eyecatching thing in the room. Off to the left, set in the wall, was what was emitting the light.

A giant circle was set in the wall, from floor to ceiling. It seemed like the mouth to a cave, but was off, unnatural. It was a portal, to somewhere else. The edges were frayed between this reality and the other. Through the portal, there were many dangling blue lights, that seemed to look like fungi of some sort. The torch did nothing to further illuminate the path through the portal.

Around the room were many stone benches carved high into the walls, like some sort of ancient arena, with this being the main attraction. There were other entrances to the room, only accessible from other areas, and the walls to the benches were quite high. Raffey looked at Drache for guidance, for his area of expertise was monsters, not portals. Raffey was too in awe and too on guard to notice that the first stones past the doorway were slightly raised. But he had yet to move.

Ebonfort

@Letter Bee - Ranged Weapons is not a skill. You want Ranged Weapon (Light Crossbow) as your skill

You need to read the Survival Kit a bit more closely.

This kit, in its entirety, can be substituted for Housing.
*Remaining money can be used to purchase traveling mount(s) and appropriate riding/storage gear for such. Any remainder beyond this is used to provide 1 year's worth of living expenses.

This means you don't get the 1000gp for not having a house. This is your house, essentially. You need to redo your possessions/ledger.

@Landaus Five-One - Children usually get apprenticeships (which come with a wage) but can get jobs as well. As a child you pretty much are put on an apprenticeship path, raised as a page or squire. There are no orphans, as they get adopted by knights. Slacking children are not tolerated, and will be sent to the knights.

Ebonfort

The Ebonfort Region/Ebon Knights are very "grey" as you put it. Strength/survival of the smartest/fittest is first and foremost. It's how they've survived when everyone else fell during the Death of Magic. They do whatever is necessary to ensure survival.

NPCs, there are thousands and thousands in Ebonfort. Player Characters, that are in the region are numbered at about.. 10 I think?

(Ebonfort) Strangers in a Strange Land

"Aye, she are an Auric bee'le. Beeg as a 'ouse." It was a matter of fact statement, as if anyone would've instantly known what he was talking about. "Ees a plehjure ta mee' ya, Drackuh." He found her hand quite warmer, warmer than one might expect from a lizard. Lizards were normally cold in his experience, no matter the shape or size. He noticed the differing types of scales upon her hand, these ones thinner, smoother. Whatever she was, it was quite unusual. And interesting. So very interesting.

He felt her move closer, finding some comfort in the wing draping around him. He found it quite evident how amorous she was, for it was just like himself. And it was pleasing to be the one pursued rather than the one chasing. A breath of fresh air, so to speak. "Das cuz ah'm no' 'uman. Ah are Keereemiss. We are da people of da san'." Most people never guessed that he wasn't human, and it seemed likely that his kind may have been human at one point, and the sands of the deserts changed them enough to make a whole new race.

"Aye, Aureec ees one of da deserts. Ees da one ah'm from. Ees an ocean of gol'en san'. Can walk much tendays an' onleh see da sans. Ees... much..," he struggled to find the word, "more 'arsh dan dees lan's. Ees why der are nah slaves der. Ees too danjuhroos tah nah work togedder."

As he finished a piece of meat, he scooted just a bit closer, giving her what she wanted, and that was more of him. For the first time in a while, he found some pleasure in another's company. "An' yah's from where? Ah've nah seen yah kin' een udder lan's. Wah are yah kin' call?"