Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Extreme =&gt; Extreme Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: MagicalPen on 21-05-2013, 10:54:37</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>21-05-2013, 10:54:37</strong>
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				<div align="center">(http://images7.alphacoders.com/339/339161.jpg)</div><br>"Land Ho!"<br><br>The cry from the Crows Nest made everyone on deck look up. The Ships Boy who had climbed up the main mast to the Crows Nest was leaning over the edge and pointing towards a point off their Starboard Prow. Immediately, the entire crew rushed over to that side of the ship, pressing up against the railing, eyes straining to try and pick out what the Ships Boy had spotted.<br><br>The last two months at sea had been brutal, for everyone. <em>The Albatross</em> had left with much fanfare and celebration from the Port of Reynar. It had been part of a Fleet for its first few days - warships providing an escort - as it started to head out to sea. Once it had cleared the Wayward Islands - and the threat of its Pirates - the escorting fleet started to dwindle in size. After a two more days, <em>The Albatross</em> was on its own, fully stocked with supplies and not much else as no one was really sure just how long it would take to travel to the West.<br><br>The two weeks went smoothly, with a steady wind from the East sending them well on their way. A chance encounter with a small, uninhabited (and mischarted) island allowed them to get some fresh water and fresh food on board, but that was the last piece of good luck that they'd had. The wind had died shortly after that. At its peak, it was barely enough to fill a sail. The ship simply drifted at the mercy of the currents, setting everyone on edge.<br><br>And then the tide had turned, literally. A Gale had erupted out of nothing, tossing <em>The Albatross</em> about like it was a child's toy. Three men had been washed over board and another had been crushed when some cargo broke free. No one was really sure how long the Gale lasted but when they finally broke free of it, they had clearly been blown off course and had no idea where they were.<br><br>The Captain decided to continue on with the mission of course, and set a general heading of due West. With luck they'd find the land they were looking for. The wind had been consistant for several days after that and they made good heading, though with no real knowledge of what - if anything - lay ahead.<br><br>Up until a few days ago, the wind had died once more, leaving them drifting again. Supplies were running low by this point and rationing had begun. They needed to make landfall in a bad way - they needed fresh water and fresh food - before they'd be able to do much of anything.<br><br>Cracked lips curved into a smile as the faint outline of land could be made out on the horizon. Even if it was only an island, there was sure to be food and water to be had, and if nothing else, the crew could use some time relaxing land-side and some minor repairs could be made to the ship.<br><br>A few long hours passed and the small dot on the horizon continued to grow and grow until it was clear that it was more then just an Island. The ships crew seemed to suddenly have an extra spring in their steps and soon shore birds were circling over head. The Ships Captain, a man earmarked for greatness should the return voyage be successful, was not foolish though. Instead of making for the nearest landfall, he made the crew earn their wages and sailed up and down the coast a few miles in each direction. There were no signs of any villages or boats, save for the ruins of what could have been a castle at one time upon a rocky outcropping that formed part of a harbor. <br><br>With no signs of life, and the noon sun starting to sink over the landmass before them, the Captain had <em>The Swallow</em> lay anchor in the bay. A Shore Party would be needed to locate fresh water and any sort of food but with over half the day gone, the Captain erred on the side of caution.<br><br>A tin whistle called hands to deck. "Listen up!" The Captain bellowed from the fore-castle. "Clearly we have arrived, somewhere in the West. What dangers now lie ahead of us I can not say but by the ruins above us there were men here once upon a time. There is no saying what led to their demise, or what sort of dangers lurk in the woods on shore. But I will not hold you back - especially you land lover." His gaze slid over those who had boarded the ship that were not Sailors and were the 'muscle' behind the expedition. "But I caution you to clear the ruins first and make camp there for the night, with a Night Watch as we shall have on this Ship. I will not be caught unawares, thinking we are safe now that we have arrived!"<br><br><hr><hr><hr><br><strong>Posting Format:</strong><br><br>See this &nbsp;Specific Post &nbsp;(http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=174637.msg8309193#msg8309193)
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				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Inkidu</strong> on <strong>27-05-2013, 23:00:31</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/5/5c/Dantius.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Dantius "Ghost" Adelhiem<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The <em>Albatross</em>, top deck<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> OPEN<br><br><hr><br>The sun was hot out on the blue waves. The smell of salt air was familiar and comforting to Dantius. It reminded him of his younger days. He gave the captain of the ship a wry look when he dubbed him a land lover. He grew up running the ratlines, pulling in canvas, still he was not brought on to sail the ship, he was brought on to track down another party. He crossed his arms and checked his gear. He checked his pack to make sure none of the items were missing. He moved his steel mirror to one of his belt pouches, as well as one of his spools of twine. Walking up and down near the rail of the ship. He unpacked his armor. Normally he wore simple tan cloth clothing with sashes like many of the people of his homeland. He shrugged on his chest piece and cinched it. Next were the thigh guards and elbow guards. It did not take him long to suit up.<br><br>Taking up his short bow he pushed down on the arms until it bent in and he slipped the sinew bowstring over the other arm. Dantius slung it over his shoulder while he slung it over one shoulder while he affixed his quiver to the small of his back. It was a small quiver only holding a dozen arrows. He adjusted the bow to his other shoulder so it would be slung diagonally across his back. Next he checked his axe. It was homely but effective. It had a small pick on the other side that was just as useful in combat as the bit. He slipped the axe back into the loop of leather on his belt that served as a holster. Next he checked his dagger and tested its point and balance. He flipped it over his hand a few times and strapped the sheathed dagger to his left thigh. <br><br>Dantius threw his rucksack over his shoulder and went to find the rest of the party. He was ready to go, anxious even. He did not show it. Dantius knew he had to be patient, but after weeks at sea he was ready to get started. They knew he was looking for what happened to the last expedition to come to the West, but they did not know his personal stake in this expedition. He would like to keep&nbsp; it that way. He walked toward the aft of the ship wrapping his fingers in strips of leather. Gloves were too restrictive, but he did not like busted knuckles so he often wrapped his hands in this fashion. He crossed his arms, ready for them to drop the longboats to go ashore. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sussurus</strong> on <strong>28-05-2013, 02:05:54</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/8/88/AdrianDark.jpg)</div><br><strong><br>Name:</strong> Adrian Walker<br><strong><br>Location:</strong> The Albatross, top deck<br><strong><br>Attention:</strong> OPEN<br><hr><br>Adrian Walker watched the sun dance on the waves with narrowed eyes. One slender hand gripped the rail, the other rested with easy familiarity on his sword. He ignored the others gathering to the aft, though he was ready to cross the deck in a moment, as soon as he heard the longboats splash down. <br><br>Never an overly sociable man, Adrian's dark mood at the beginning of the voyage had only made him more inclined to keep to himself, brooding and staring at the water for hours. He had made no friends in those long two months -- though no enemies, either, as grief dulled what could otherwise be a viciously cutting wit.<br><br>Now at last there was land -- he looked up at it, reminding himself that there was more to see now than the endless expanse of the sea -- and some hope of distraction, at least. Adrian drew his rapier, checking an edge he'd carefully honed, and not used since. Needless to say, it was quite sufficiently sharp -- as was his dagger, when he checked that.<br><br>And so he went back to staring at the waves, and waiting.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>28-05-2013, 03:03:16</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/9/90/Jerika.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Jerika Almsworthy<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Albatross, top deck<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> OPEN<br><br><hr><br>As soon as the first whisper of land on the horizon reached Jerika's ears, she wasted no time in claiming a spot that was relatively out of the way and yet allowed her eyes to fasten on the gradually growing mass on the horizon.&nbsp; At first she was sure that the sailor had been mistaken, and that it was nothing more than fog or mist, or a low-lying cloud.&nbsp; The voyage had been a misery, with more than a week of being barely able to keep down anything more than water as the ship pitched and rolled beneath her feet - or so it seemed.&nbsp; &nbsp;After she had finally begun to get her sea legs, she quickly learned that the initial days of the voyage had been relatively calm, and for that she thanked the gods with whatever scant devotion remained to such remote and mocking beings.&nbsp; Now, with the promise of land beneath her feet, she felt the first true surge of thankfulness she'd had in long months and planted herself to await deliverance.<br><br>The shoreline magnificent, and Jerika paced with impatience as the captain ordered the ship to scout out the lay of the coast.&nbsp; Her feet ached for the roll of sand and rock beneath them, for surface that did not move beneath her even when she sought out the stillness.&nbsp; By the time the captain called to announce that they would be allowed to disembark, she was waiting with her gear, her eyes locked toward the beach.&nbsp; If all the dangers the captain spoke of were waiting in plain sight, she still would have chosen the shore over another night rocked upon the waves.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Adrianna Paige</strong> on <strong>28-05-2013, 03:57:27</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/c/cb/Jetta.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Jetta Aldaloth<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Albatross<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> OPEN<br><br><br>Jetta cinched up her boots, that stopped just below the knee, and made certain that she had her water skin, her pouch of assorted wooden whistles tied to her belt and another small pouch containing the her two spools of thread and the soft coal that was wrapped up. Next, she sheathed her dagger and fastened it securely to her upper thigh before giving it a good pat as she lowered her foot to the floor. She placed her small compass inside her other small pouch as she left her room and walked towards the stairs that led to the top deck of The Albatross. Jetta almost always wore her hair down save for two small braids, one on each side of her face and today was going to be no different. It was something that her mother and her did and so she did it today so she would be with her. However, her hair braided in such a way served another purpose as well.<br><br>Quickly she ran up the stairs leading to the top deck as she pressed her longbow carefully against her side after slinging it over her shoulder and arranged it so that it laid diagonally along her back. Her quiver held different types of arrows. Some were for target archery while others were for hunting. They were made for different purposes as well. She had traditional pine arrows for practice, cedar ones for hunting, and then other arrows made from woods such as ash, birch, poplar, hazel, beach, and oak for more...serious issues. The feathers were natural feathers and patterned in specific ways for identification purposes and the fletchings were cut in different lengths with each type offering a different degree of wind resistance.<br><br>Once on the top deck she took a deep smell of the air as she grinned and revealed straight white teeth. Instantly her hair blew and it immediately told her what direction the wind was blowing. As she walked to the edge of the boat she would turn in a circle, to see all around her, before laughing excitedly. She stepped up onto a piece of wood and held onto one of the ropes as she leaned a little bit over the boat to look at the water below before standing straight again and enjoying the sea air brushing along her creamy ivory skin. Her leather armor, which fit her slender body rather well, made its little noises as it stretched and shifted to move and bend with her body.<em> “It's beautiful!</em> “she cried out happily as she was referring to both the ocean water and the faint outline of the land that she could barely see out on the horizon.<br><br>She didn't care who heard her as she had been waiting for at least two months to see any sort of land at all! She didn't mind the sea but it wasn't her element. She couldn't feel the dirt beneath her feet or touch trees or study creature's movements or hunt while she was out to sea and The Albatross, though a nice boat, was small compared to the mountains and woodlands that she was used to tromping and hiking through. Still, she appreciated the ocean's beauty and enjoyed seeing whatever wildlife the sea blessed her eyes with. She took a look around the ship to see who all was out yet and noticed the gray skinned person with the bone white hair and slowly arched an eyebrow curiously as she had never seen such skin color quite like that. She exhaled and took a breath as she looked about the rest of the ship and noticed the straight black haired female that was growing happier and happier to see land as she was. Jetta couldn't help but laugh as she wanted to jump the ship and swim if she thought her attempt had a good chance of being successful. <br>&nbsp;
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				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>30-05-2013, 01:01:33</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/c/c9/Gori.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Gori Ironhair<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Albatross<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Open<br><br><hr><br>Boarding a ship had been by far the worst decision of Goris life.<br><br>It was worse then venturing into the Underdark Alone, looking for a Drake. <br>It was worse then riding a horse.<br><br>Gori had been sick the entire time and had spent much of his time either puking over the rails or hanging on for dear life. He could understand now why no Dwarf chose to set foot on a ship. Perhaps crossing a lake was one thing, but crossing the Ocean was another. If the bards didn't write about him, he'd make sure he'd smash each and everyone of their faces! Now or in the Afterlife!<br><br>Gori didn't even have the will to make it back onto the deck when word filtered down that land had been sighted. It was only after the ship had sailed into the bay and calmer waters that Gori was able to make it up the stairs. He came fully laden, ready to get off the ship and never set foot on one again!<br><br>"Show me to the longboats!" He bellows out, walking over towards the railing.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>30-05-2013, 01:09:58</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/b/bf/Ragnar.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Sir Ragnar Ulfric<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Albatross<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Open<br><br><hr><br>The voyage had gone better then Ragnar could have expected. The Storm had not sunk them nor had they lost life along the way. He considered that a good voyage. They were also not attacked by pirates at any point of the journey either. However, he was somewhat disappointed with what now lay before them.<br><br>The Western Lands were, so far, disappointing.<br><br>They looked no different then any of lands he had seen. Of course, what lay before his eyes was only what he hoped was a small piece of land, but even so, he found the whole thing rather underwhelming. He felt more elation at having found land for the purposes of resupply and getting off the ship for some time more then he got elation out of having finally found the mysterious Western Lands. He would have honestly preferred some sort of welcoming party - a hostile one, even, just to stretch those muscles once more.<br><br>He absently tugged one on of his braids as he gathered his own items together and moved to the railing. He stood upon it, to be higher then those that had gathered there, before turning to face them all. "Alright. For those who are headed for Land, lets get one thing clear. I am the Captain once our boots touch soil. My word is final and I expect my orders to be followed, just like the Captain here of this ship. I don't want any foulups or anyone getting hurt. We've only just arrived, so why not enjoy ourselves a little?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Inkidu</strong> on <strong>30-05-2013, 18:36:04</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/5/5c/Dantius.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Dantius "Ghost" Adelhiem<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The <em>Albatross</em>, top deck<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Sir Ragnar Ulfric<br><br><hr><br>Part of Dantius's deal when embarking upon this voyage had been that he would be under the command of Ulfric. The man was formidable, but he'd never worked with him before so he did not know what kind of leader he would be. Dantius excepted that he might not return from this expedition, but he rather not be because of bad orders. Still, this was all idle speculation born of boredom due to so many weeks at sea. <br><br>He saw the man walk up to join his underlings. He was listening to their leader's speech and crossed his arms. That was the standard line as far as he was concerned, he'd heard something of a similar vein in his time in the military. Dantius wouldn't let this expedition interfere with finding the merchant's party, after all that's why he was really here (at least to them), and he made it no secret. Still, he was here and there was no harm in following the man's command. They would need a pathfinder like him no doubt. <br><br>He turned to their leader, "Have you spoken with the captain, sir?" Dantius's words held no mocking tone, nor one of reverence. They were matter of fact, "What is the ship to do while we are ashore?" Dantius did not like the idea of being stranded in this wild and unexplored place. Still, it looked somehow less foreboding and mysterious now that he was here. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>30-05-2013, 21:34:36</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/b/bf/Ragnar.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Sir Ragnar Ulfric<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Albatross<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Dantius. Open.<br><br><hr><br>Ah, for the first questioning voice! He was wondering when it would arise given the hodge-podge of people assembled for the voyage. <br><br><em>Why not send your own men?</em> Ragnar had voiced his own questions once. Too valuable. Too much that could go wrong. They wanted to send expendables, people who could easily be silenced with no questions raised. A married man would not go on such a voyage. Only those that had nothing to lose. Ragnar had nothing to lose but was only going along to represent the Crown in all matters once they arrived in the West.<br><br>His eyes focused on Dantius. He didn't like being questioned like that. "Of course I've spoken to the Captain." He refrained from adding terms like 'idiot' or 'oaf' to the end of his sentence. "The ship will remain anchored hear. You heard the Captain speak - the ships crew will take on fresh supplies tomorrow and carry out repairs for the remainder of the day and take stock of what supplies remain now that we've got a stable place to remain. Once we've surveyed the area for food and water, I'd imagine we'll all get back on board the ship and head along the coast until we find something."<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Inkidu</strong> on <strong>30-05-2013, 22:59:04</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/5/5c/Dantius.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> "Dantius "Ghost" Adelhiem<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The <em>Albatross</em>, top deck<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> OPEN<br><br><hr><br>Dantius nodded and simply walked away, he did not want to talk longer than he had to. Ulfric wasn't footing his bill, as far as Dantius was concerned he was an over-glorified carriage service. He would do his job in as much as it didn't interfere with his personal goals too much. He headed back down toward the middle of the top deck, making sure to stay out of the way of sailors. He supposed he could climb the ratlines, but the sailors were bustling about trying to keep the ship moving smoothly. <br><br>He stretched. He hadn't been comfortable shoved bellow deck, it was much too cramped for him, so he would only return there if he had to. He wondered what exactly it was that drew people to these desolate lands. His sharp eye scanned the outline of the landscape. It seemed like a whole lot of nothing. He thought he spied some ruins, but without a spyglass he couldn't be certain. His hair blew in the brisk salty breeze. Offending the expedition's leader was not something he'd trouble himself with. <br><br>He finally decided to sit on the railing and watch the horizon. If he was needed someone would find him. He took out his dagger and one of his remaining coins. The gold was soft and he began putting a small hole in the coin slightly below the rim where it had been struck. It would be useful if people were indeed about these lands, and it helped pass the time. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>31-05-2013, 02:35:18</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/9/90/Jerika.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Jerika Almsworthy<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Albatross, top deck<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> OPEN<br><br><hr><br>Jerika more or less agreed with the woman whose enthusiasm seemed to have survived the miserable voyage, though her assessment only applied to the approaching shoreline.&nbsp; Her lips curved upward in a faint smile prompted mostly by the thought that she'd once again be seeing the water at a distance instead of floating atop it like a bobbing cork at the mercy of the winds.&nbsp; The dwarf, who'd had an even worse time with sea sickness than she had, called for the longboats, and she nodded her agreement.<br><br>As the large fair-haired man spoke, Jerika drug her eyes away from the approaching shoreline to regard him through half-lidded eyes.&nbsp; She'd never had good experiences with those who felt the need to make sure everyone knew who was in charge by issuing orders for no good reason, and she thought it likely that the trend would continue.&nbsp; If he contented himself with sensible directions at necessity, she would have no reason to complain.&nbsp; &nbsp;If he did not, she would likely do what she had always done and damn the consequences -- but saying so would accomplish nothing.&nbsp; &nbsp;The encouragement to enjoy themselves sounded like a decent beginning, though she hadn't learned enough about their leader to know if they had similar ideas of what was considered fun.&nbsp; Whatever happened, she would be on solid ground ... and if the ship wanted to sail on to look for a better spot, she might just have to catch up on foot.&nbsp; <br><br><em>"Ready when you are, Captain.&nbsp; The sooner, the better, in fact."&nbsp; </em>That was as close as she was going to get to acknowledging his position, but she really didn't care what people wanted to be called.&nbsp; How they acted was what mattered, and she wasn't really sure what she thought of any of them just yet ... nor they of her, probably.&nbsp; So long as it worked itself out on land, she'd be happy.<br><br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedEve</strong> on <strong>02-06-2013, 15:51:46</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/2/2c/Vanairiel.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Vanairiel Undolithe<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Albatross, top deck<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> OPEN<br><br>To say that life on board the ship had not agreed with Vanairiel was an understatement. She had been on board of ships before, but never longer than a couple of days, and even then she had found the entire experience unpleasant. But those short trips had not prepared her for the long months she had spent inside the large wooden coffin – or so it felt to her. She had mercifully been free of the sickness that had plagued their dwarf companion, but the hull of the ship had an increasingly claustrophobic effect on her mind, to the point that she had been dreading the loss of her senses in the last couple of days. The sight of land then filled her heart with relief. There was a chance of course that they were not yet at their destination, but just the prospect of feeling sand, dirt underneath her feet instead of the wooden deck was enough to improve her demeanor a hundred fold. <br><br>After briefly going to the deck to spot the beautiful sight for herself, she returned below deck and started putting on her armor. With no immediate threat of combat, she had foregone the heavier metal components of her protective gear for the duration of the trip, and had even stashed away her blade and throwing knives. She had however kept the dagger on her belt at all times. She was wise enough in the ways of the world to know that being one of the handful of women on a ship of increasingly desperate men was a delicately dangerous situation, even for a warrioress. But the prospect of being gutted by an elf seemed to dissuade most of the crewmen from trying anything, or at least it had so far.<br><br>Vanairiel returned to the deck in full gear and was just in time to see the short little interaction between Sir Ragnar and Dantius. There was no need for this little exchange for her to figure out that the two men had little love for each other. Whatever the reason behind this was, she did not know, nor did it matter. It was the lot of all mercenary outfits to get over petty differences for the greater good: their collective desire for wealth. <br><br>The human magic user seemed eager to follow the captain’s orders though, but appearances can be deceptive, especially with mages. Truth be told, Vanairiel had always been creeped out somewhat by the practitioners of the arcane arts, even though a few of them had saved her elven backside in battle. She fell in just behind the woman and gave her a curt nod.&nbsp; <br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>08-06-2013, 23:42:21</strong>
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				<div align="center">(http://www.fireondarkwater.com/images/boat.jpg)</div><br>The Ships Captain quickly ordered the Longboats over the side. Two sailors jumped into each to man the oars and hold them steady against the side of the larger ship, though the calm waters of the bay barely made them rise up and down. Provisions were loaded into one of the boats along with an extra two sailors to help manage it as they started for shore. The boat contained some of the ships food supply, along with canvas to make tents out of once they arrived at the ruins. <br><br>The second long boat was for the 'land lubbers', as the Captain put it. Once everyone had loaded into the Longboat, it pushed off from the side of the ship and started to cross the bay to shore. It was a short journey, perhaps 5 - 10 minutes, and the going was easy, the Sailors barely breaking into a sweat. The beach was a gentle slope as well, allowing the longboat to ride up a ways into the soft sand, allowing those to disembark onto dry land with out getting their feet wet.<br><br>The gentle slope of the beach started to rise more sharply where the treeline started, though the trees here were thin and sparse, leading up the hill to the rock outcropping where the ruins were. It would take about 10 minutes to walk up to the ruins from the beach and the strip of land was quite narrow, perhaps 200 yards across before it entered the water once more. The further from the ruins you walked, however, the slope became more gentle, the land spreading out as the peninsula ended on the mainland. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Inkidu</strong> on <strong>09-06-2013, 14:47:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/5/5c/Dantius.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Dantius "Ghost" Adelhiem<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The beach<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> OPEN<br><br><hr><br>Dantius hopped over the side of the long boat and helped the sailors secure it quickly. The current was gentle now, but but who knew what the weather held. He squatted down and took a handful of the sand of the western land. He brought it to his nose. It didn't smell any different than the sands of his homeland. He smacked his hands together dropping the ground rocks back onto the beach. It was good to have dirt beneath his boot heels. He took up his bow and put an arrow against the string. He liked the feeling of the hawk fletching. This was a broad spear-point style tip. He adopted an aware posture. He didn't walk so far ahead that he couldn't get back over in a hurry, but it was a habit from his days in a professional military. You didn't move forward without securing your landing area. <br><br>He kept the bow pointed down toward the sand. He walked a small circuit near where the longboats were landed. He didn't really expect to be attacked on the beach in the noonday sun. He simply did it to do something. He was sure the expedition leader had plans and orders to give. He looked up at the ruins. He wondered who had built them. Until coming to Reynar he hadn't heard much of the West, but he got the impression that it was a big deal in the city from which they'd set out. <br><br>He turned his attention back toward the inland area they would have to travel through to get to the ruins. He was finally in his element. Though he liked finding people in bustling streets the woods were a close second. He gave a glance back toward the longboats and idly shook the sand from his boots. <br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lady Lunarius</strong> on <strong>11-06-2013, 04:15:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii89/CowGoil08/169b039e-7691-4763-9a92-871c4cc19454.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Natalia Amorie<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> Ship's mast/The Beach<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Jetta, Dantius (Mentions) <br><br><hr><br>Natalia let out a sigh as she let her leg swing over the edge of the crows nest. Her eyes catching sight of land just as the calls came out. She winced before her gaze traveled from the delicious sight of a land she'd long craved to touch down. The last few weeks had become truly unbearable, despite the acquaintance she'd made in Jetta. The girl in fact could be heard below and she gave a soft giggle before she began her decent. <br><br>A part of Natalia felt guilty for the lie she'd told the young woman, but that was just how she was. To Jetta she was the black sheep daughter of a nobleman who'd run away. Seeking to make her own way in the world. Not wanting to live by her fathers name. The truth was much different, yet in many ways true. Natalia took the final few feet in a leap and landed next to Jetta, a smile hidden behind her mask as she adjusted her rutsack. Old habits had her close to what was everything she had left to her name. <br><br>As they brought forth the longboats she hung back before boarding, her eyes searching those who boarded ahead of her. Silently she assessed them before taking her spot, watching as land came so very close. Leaping from the boat she let out a contented noise and let herself adjust to land before she slowly moved up the beach. <strong>"I'll scout ahead, if you don't mind."</strong> she said calmly, her dark gaze looking for some form of cover. As she stopped next to Dantius. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Adrianna Paige</strong> on <strong>12-06-2013, 23:29:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/c/cb/Jetta.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Jetta Aldaloth<br><strong>Location:</strong> Ship's mast/The beach<br><strong>Attention:</strong> Natalia (mentions)/Open<br><br>Jetta smiled as she hung onto the ropes and looked out at the land as the boat got closer to the shore line. The ocean breeze was blowing her hair all over the place and quickly she ran her hand through the long blonde strands to put them back in place before quickly looking to Natalia. The woman had a tendency to appear out of nowhere but Jetta liked it. The past few weeks Jetta and Natalia had been talking and getting to know one another and, along with that, Jetta was able to pick up on a couple of her behaviors. <br><br>Jetta looked to the girl and motioned towards the long boat with her chin before giving the girl a nudge with her shoulder as she herself walked towards them.<strong> “Come one Natalia! You don't want to miss this!” </strong>Jetta said excitedly. Once in the boat, Jetta preferred to stand and not sit. For her, it seemed to give her an advantage but really it was a sense of safety. Her blue eyes scanned the others as they entered the boat and sat at different points. Purposefully, she looked to Natalia and made note of where she was and stepped back towards her. Jetta didn't feel like she needed to protect the girl nor did she feel she needed Natalia to protect her She simply wanted to be beside her as she was enjoying the beginning stages of their friendship. She blinked and lifted her head to look towards the beach that was their destination.<br><br>With the long boat beached, Jetta jumped from the boat and took her time letting her eyes scan the tree line. Quietly, and with smooth motions she reached over her shoulder to pull out one of her arrows. Her eyes didn't leave the trees as she raised the arrow to her nose and let the wood slide smoothly against the skin beneath her nose and smelled the wood. Cedar...for hunting. Slowly, the left side of her mouth turned up into a smile as her eyes gleamed with the anticipation of the hunt. They would all need to eat at some point and she was interested in seeing what she could track here. <br><br>Jetta, lost in thought initially, looked to Natalia as she moved over to Dantius and spoke about scouting ahead. Jetta shook her head and approached the two of them herself. She took a minute to look over her shoulders at the tree line before looking to the two of them again&nbsp; and then spoke to Natalia.<strong> “I'm going with you. Two are better than one when it comes to areas unknown and I have items that will allow us to mark out paths until we become familiar with this place.” </strong>Her eyes looked back at the rest of the crew and slowly arched an eyebrow at Ragnar before wetting her lower lip and biting it for a moment as she figured out the best course of action to take. When she blinked her eyes settled on the two of them again. <strong>“We should probably get our leader's blessing first. I would hate to be on his bad side the first day here.”</strong>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sussurus</strong> on <strong>13-06-2013, 19:53:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/8/88/AdrianDark.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Adrian Walker<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The beach<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Sir Ragnar Ulfric<br><hr><br>Adrian stepped lightly from the longboat, looking around, eyes narrowed against the bright sun in the west. He walked with evident care along the beach, getting used to the constant steadiness of land under his feet, after the months of walking on a rolling deck.<br><br>Though he'd given no particular sign of acknowledgement at the man's earlier speech on deck, he looked next to Sir Ulfric. "Orders, sir?"<br><br>Perhaps it was just his natural tone, but it almost seemed like there was a little <em>too</em> much emphasis on that 'sir.' He stood casually, one hand resting on his sword, regarding his new captain with one eyebrow raised.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>15-06-2013, 17:23:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/c/c9/Gori.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Gori<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> Dry Land<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Open<br><br><hr><br>Gori eyed the even smaller boat but knew it was his only real option of getting off the big one. He didn't like it one bit. Looking up, however, brought his gaze to the foreign land. It certainly looked welcoming to him, in his eyes, and he was eager to see the ruin on the outcropping. He was interested in examining its craftmanship - hopefully for signs that perhaps there were other Dwarves in this land too! Climbing down into the Longboat was the only thing standing in his way. Cursing under his breath, he climbed over the railing and down into the wobbling boat. His face noticeable paled at the rocking motion as the others climbed in.<br><br>Once the boat got moving, however, he felt his stomach return to its normal state. Once the longboat beached, Gori nearly jumped out to get his feet on solid ground once more. He stumbled a few feet forward and sank to his knees, hands grasping clumps of sand. "Praise to the Gods, I shall never set foot on a boat again!" He murmurs, staring up at the blue sky overhead. He shortly regains his feet and grabs his pack of gear, watching the more lithe humans take off towards the trail that led up to the ruins.<br><br>While they stopped to debate who would scout ahead, Gori's sturdy legs swiftly took him past them as he started up the incline. "Talk about paranoid..." He mutters under his breath, more then eager to get to their encampment so he could start exploring the ruins.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>15-06-2013, 17:34:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/b/bf/Ragnar.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Ragnar<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Beach<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Open. Adrian.<br><br><hr><br>Sir Ulfric stood at the front of the bow of the lead longboat as it was propelled towards shore. While he was comfortable with ship life, they had spent many long days on board and he was eager to feel the steadiness of land beneath his feet and eat some meat. Not salted meat, but fresh meat. And no more fish - at least not for a week. Fresh water was also a priority too. Everyone could use a wash, to get the salt from their skin and clothes. He had wrapped his weapons and armor in protective deerskin for the journey to protect it from the acidic properties of the salt, knowing what it could do to such metals. <br><br>His boots were the first to make an imprint on the sand and then he helped the others remove their packs from the boat, watching as the Dwarf muttered a prayer. He couldn't help but smile at that - the Dwarf had been by far the worst off during the voyage and was probably the most thankful that they had made landfall at last. He imagined that the Dwarf would have been just as happy to make land even if there had been a hostile welcoming party to greet them.<br><br>He took a moment to collect himself, drawing in a deep breath of air that he held for a few seconds before exhaling, knowing that the hardest part of their journey was over. They had made landfall, they had reached the fabled West, and they could return home now if they wanted, their mission a success. But the ruins on the outcropping bespoke of people that had lived her once. Why they had abandoned the fort, he could not tell, but he was certainly interested in exploring the Western Lands to see what they had to offer.<br><br>The voice of Adrian caused Ragnar to turn his attention to the half-elf. He had never known a half-elf that had dark-elf blood in him before. It made for an interesting appearance. But at least the man knew how the chain of command worked. A few of the others had already run off but Ragnar did not think they'd run into any trouble. A hostile party would have seen them coming for a long time, and the sparse trees along the peninsula to the outcropping couldn't hide an Elf, let alone a group of people.<br><br>"We head to the ruin. We'll make camp there - its probably our best option until we can send out some scouting parties into the woods and a boat along the shore. But I think we could all do with some solid rest and some solid food for a few days before we exert ourselves too much. We'll reconvene once the Ruins are secured and camp is setup. Just be wary - we don't really know what awaits us."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Inkidu</strong> on <strong>15-06-2013, 20:51:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/5/5c/Dantius.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Dantius "Ghost" Adelhiem<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The shore<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Open/Gori<br><br><hr><br>Dantius scanned. The shore was open, he would easily get a shot off on any attackers. He was here for something other than the rest of the group. He spied the dwarf already blazing a trail up the incline. Shrugging slung his bow back over his shoulder and replaced his arrow. If the dwarf was going on ahead then he was either eager to get started or took his orders from Ragnar. Either way it was good enough for Dantius. <br><br>"Master Dwarf," he called out softly, "better not go alone," and he simply fell into stride with the dwarf. He was paid to scout and blaze paths for these people and he would. He'd seen Ragnar's kind of commander, he would not become expendable. In point of fact, Ragnar was not footing his bill, so if the man wanted to come and give him orders he'd have to do a bit of walking.<br><br>Observant eyes scanned the landscape as he made it up the incline with the dwarf. Dantius always liked the dwarves, they were a lot like him. They were terse and didn't brook nonsense. "What brings you to this forgotten place?" he asked his voice barely above a whisper. He was not one given to shouting. Call it the scout in him. Dantius kept his eyes open for strange signs and activity. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>15-06-2013, 21:16:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/4/4a/NathanInto.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Nathaniel Carter<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> Shore-Side<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Open to Any<br><br><hr><br>Nathaniel had quite enjoyed the voyage. He had never come closer to dying in his entire life then during the storm and had found the whole thing entirely thrilling. He'd never been on a boat before, and it had taken him some time to adjust to the constantly rolling deck. He had even been allowed to climb up into the rigging, but getting tangled in all the ropes had required a displeased sailor to cut him free and Nathaniel had quickly made his way back down to the deck, red in the face from his embarrassment. <br><br>He had spent much of the voyage conversing with the Captain - both Captains, in fact - and had taken up learning how to Navigate on board a ship. He found the concept of the Sextant to be quite intriguing yet useful and had made several drawings of it, though later realized that every ship had one. He also spent many hours writing his observations and findings in his journal, or drawing pictures of the daily life on board the ship. He had not talked very much to his fellow adventurers, figuring that there would be plenty of time for that later, though he had made it a point to talk more to the crew of the ship. His presence was always getting under foot and he had been cuffed and shoved once or twice, but he was used to such actions.<br><br>His anticipation quickly rose at the sighting of land and he stood at the prow of the ship with his sketch pad, quickly sketching down the outline of the land they saw before them. The first OFFICIAL sketching of the Western Lands, he reminded himself, made by an Official of the Royal Court! He signed the sketching before tucking it away for safekeeping. It would surely become famous upon his return! Once they had laid anchor in the harbor, he had gathered his items - parchment, charcoal pencils, ink and quill mostly, - before joining the others on the longboat.<br><br>Once they had reached shore, he stood there with a huge smile on his face, chest puffed out as he basked in the moment. He may have stood there a bit too long though, thoughts of grandeur and fame racing through his head, as he soon found himself alone on the beach. He startled and quickly looked around before racing off to trail along behind the others as they started the climb up the the Ruins.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Gypsy</strong> on <strong>16-06-2013, 05:30:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/9/90/Jerika.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Jerika Almsworthy<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Albatross, top deck<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> OPEN<br><br><hr><br>The short span of distance between the ship and the island stretched out for seeming miles, but at last the small group reached the shore.&nbsp; Jerika hopped out of the longboat, taking care not to get her boots any wetter than was necessary and breathed a long, slow sigh of relief.&nbsp; She stumbled at her first few steps on the sand as her body readjusted to having a surface under her feet that did not move ... or at least moved so slowly that she could not discern it.&nbsp; Her body adjusted quickly, and she smiled.&nbsp; The expression felt odd on her face, for she couldn't remember a smile prompted by anything other than the basics of politeness since the Albatross had first set sail.<br><br>She took a few more steps just to make sure she had found her balance again, and then moved over toward Sir Ulfric to await his direction.&nbsp; He had made it clear that he was in charge, and that suited her well enough for now.&nbsp; They were in unknown territory, so it was better to have one deciding the direction instead of running off willy-nilly and he might as well do it as any.&nbsp; <br><br>She smiled again when she heard Gori state his intent to never set foot on a boat again.&nbsp; Never was a long time, but nonetheless she liked the sound of the word in that context.&nbsp; "You, and me as well.&nbsp; My boots like the earth and sand beneath them, and furniture that does not require nailing to the floor."<br><br>She did not volunteer to accompany the scouts -&nbsp; such skills were not hers.&nbsp; When they found danger, then was when she would have an opportunity to shine.&nbsp; For now, it was best simply to pull her weight.&nbsp; Nor did she begin moving until Ulfric stated the ruins as their destination.&nbsp; Only then did she shoulder her pack and begin walking, though her stomach lurched somewhat as if in mockery of the worst days of the voyage when they had first started out.&nbsp; Ragnar's talk of food did not sit well, but she hoped that hunger would soon return, else before long she might well be too weak for the fires to obey her command.<br><br>When their leader began to move, she fell in a few feet behind him, keeping a little off to the side so that she could keep an eye out for movement to the sides.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedEve</strong> on <strong>16-06-2013, 16:23:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/2/2c/Vanairiel.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Vanairiel Undolithe<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Albatross -&gt; Longboat -&gt; the beach<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Ragnar, Jerika, OPEN<br><br>Vanairiel had climbed aboard the longboat and stared towards the sandy beach from her seated position. Even though she would be glad to feel earth underneath her feet, she was still keenly aware of the dangers ahead. They were going to be the first men and women in a very long time to walk these shores. The first outsiders, anyway. The ruins which were already visible in the distance were proof of a civilization. And where there is a civilization, there are people. Or at the very least, there were at one time or another. She was not naïve enough to believe that they would be getting a very warm welcome. <br><br>After the longboat had reached the sand and been dragged onto the beach, she had moved around a bit to stretch her limbs and get used to the feel of the wet sand underneath her boots. She then started to slowly walk up the beach, halting halfway up the slope of the dunes. The people around them were off on their own little private adventures, or so it seemed. A few of them volunteered to scout without any order from their leader. The remainder of their group did fall into place when their captain suggested heading towards the ruins. It was a logical plan, even though she could sense the potential danger. For all they knew, the ruins held more than just old artifacts and spider webs. <br><br>She fell in just behind their leader, to the other side of where the Mage was walking. Her stance was relaxed, but she was ready to unsheathe her blade at the first sign of trouble. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Sussurus</strong> on <strong>16-06-2013, 21:09:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/8/88/AdrianDark.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Adrian<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The beach<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> OPEN<br><br><hr><br>Adrian followed behind Jerika and Vanairiel, walking with the grace of his heritage and training, and the interested alertness of someone glad to be looking at something -- <em>anything</em> -- other than endless ocean. <br><br>He looked over his shoulder as Nathaniel ran to catch up, and shook his head slightly. No doubt the man had useful talents, but truly, he needed a minder... and Adrian had no intention of volunteering for the job.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lady Lunarius</strong> on <strong>19-06-2013, 05:37:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/4/40/Nataliain.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Natalia Amorie<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> Ship's mast/The Beach<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Jetta<br><br><hr><br>A smirk crossed Natalia's lips, not that you could see it with her mask that covered the lower half of her face. <strong>"It seems we need not worry about scouting."</strong> she said softly glancing Jetta out of the corner of her eye before she followed <strong>"Do you know how to walk so that your target does not sense you?"</strong> Her eyes travelled to the woman's boots before she glanced back at Nathaniel who was a short ways away. <br><br>Her pace slowed, he seemed unarmed and as though he was a bit dazy from the way he was hurrying to catch up with them. <strong>"It is good to be on land again, the sea was growing a bit too bleary for my liking."</strong> she said to Jetta, her steps just a few paces ahead of Nathaniel now. She did not like letting others fall behind. It usually spelled for trouble. Her quiet almost shy demeanor was creeping out once more. The dwarf seemed a bit rash, while a few of the others seemed more calm. Tonight she'd watch, see what she could gauge from the group she was with. After all, she was best at watching, waiting. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Etherealdreamer</strong> on <strong>20-06-2013, 05:58:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/9/94/Lili.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Lilliana McClae<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> Beach<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> OPEN (Mentions All)<br><br><hr><br>"<em>Ya' wan' a house an' a lo' o'close friends, I love the feel o' m'back t'the wind...</em>" Contrary to her fiery appearance, Lilliana had done her best to leave the ship and it's crew untouched. She knew her presence could and would be too much for most to handle amidst such close quarters, especially when the storm had crashed down upon them, and rationing had begun. Tensions could run high, and while indisputably charming, the gypsy witch&nbsp; knew that too much time around anyone, especially as buoyed and above the clouds as she, could be grating. It was her being such a people person, however, that kept her at bay. When not needed, Lilli spent all her hours people watching. Some if it was obvious, most of it was not, but whenever caught she gave her widest, sweetest smile and an artful wag of her fingers- she did this especially to the boorish and the quiet. An extrovert to the core, those would naturally be her favorite targets of study; they usually hid the best bits.<br><br>From the deck, to the sighting of shore, to the longboats, and now to the sand beneath her travel-beaten boots, Lilli was all smiles again, although this time it wouldn't be from being caught peeping, but from the slow, crumbling turf underfoot. The feel of it was indescribable. Incomparable really. Being jostled by the water and feeling the waves churn through the wood shielding them from certain aquatic doom was thrilling to say the least, but nothing beat solid land. The soil carried a heartbeat all it's own. Deep and resolute. Something that begged to be explored. It was what had prompted her bout of song-- something that'd started after the 'ground captain' had taken and issued charge. Beneath the threads of sunlight, her entire being seemed to come alive. Even her cheeks were flush, although one might attribute that to the briskness of her pace, it was the excitement of potential adventure making her heart beat faster.<br><br>"<em>... t'cage the wild would be wrong.</em>" Her song carried, albeit softly, in heavily accented, husky dulcets, along with the wind up the trail. It almost blended all their noise together; the grumbles from the Gori and the whispers of Dantius ahead of her, the silent stride of the elven, Adrian, and the excited chittering to and fro from the svelte ladies at her back, Jetta, Natalia, and the ever vigilant Valnairiel. She hadn't heard a peep from the sextant, err, cartographer, oh darn... His name. Too many names.<br><br>Looking down quickly, Lilli was just now remembering to check her pack and her person to make sure she had everything she needed for such a trek. Water skin, knife, knotted symbols of protection wrought from iron nails, an assortment of pouches varied in size, fabric, and shape- all bounced and clinked and peeked out from amidst the flutter of her skirts as they frothed about. She was sure everything she'd need was on her person, if not, she'd gleaned enough from those about to know what she could borrow or barter for, and from whom. Molten eyes crept up and slid past the leaders of their motley crew of hikers to the space beyond, ever curious. <br><br>"<em>...The time has come t'sing a travellin' song.</em>"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>22-06-2013, 23:19:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111224023358/creativethoughts/images/f/fa/Cloaked_figure.gif)</div><br>The party would find the going easy, up the gentle slope. It wasn't long before the lead elements happened upon the remains of what could only be described as a walkway, leading straight towards the ruins along the ridge of the rise. It was long overgrown now, but there was no mistaking the cobblestone that was underfoot. Broken up in places, a few stones here and there, but the sign was obvious even to the uneducated. It would certainly speed up walking - as long as you avoided the loose stones.<br><br>The road west, as you could put it, quickly disappeared down the slope and into the thicker foliage that was creeping up the slope. Walking east along the walkway, towards the ruins, offered a glimpse of their ship in the bay to the South, and open waters along with the curve of the land spiraling to the North. It was clear even from this vantage point that they were certainly not on some large island but of man and his kind there was no indication.<br><br>Birds chirped in the trees around them, and small animals rustled in the bushes. There was no sign that man had ever set foot here other then for the ruins of the castle that they steadily approached.<br><br><br>(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/116/2/0/shore_castle_by_macrebisz-d6323ue.jpg)
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>23-06-2013, 00:23:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/c/c9/Gori.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Gori<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Ruins<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Open<br><br><hr><br>Gori led the way, his steady feet traversing over the broken stones of the walkway as he bee-lined straight for the ruins. His short and stubby legs kept up a steady pace even on the incline and he was soon the first to reach the beginnings of a wall and gate. He stopped then and looked up at the ruin - some sort of Keep, he thought, based on size and location and lack of space for a village - either inside or outside the walls. And certainly man made. Well, some one other then Dwarves had made the place. You could tell by the seams and mortar and the fact that the place had fallen into ruin after years of neglect. There was no saying how old the place was but judging by the rubble covered in vines and other growth, it had been a few hundred years or so.<br><br>Gori's calloused hand patted the stonework as he shook his head. "Well, I'm still the first Dwarf here." He mused, murmuring his thoughts aloud before unsheathing his Battle-Ax, its well worn blade showing a few nicks despite its Dwarven craftsmanship. "Into the Breach we go!" Gori states, anyone nearby able to hear him, before he propels himself through the gap in the wall where he assumed the gate used to be, Ax at the ready for whatever came at him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedEve</strong> on <strong>23-06-2013, 16:00:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/2/2c/Vanairiel.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Vanairiel Undolithe<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> the beach -&gt; the ruins<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Gori, OPEN<br><br>Vanairiel had followed not too far behind the dwarf. She was close enough behind him to have observed his appraisal of the masonry and then see him disappear into the gap in the wall. Pre-planning was obviously not very high on his list of priorities. The elf sighed before unsheathing her own blade and following Gori inside the ruins. She was ready for anything… though she somehow expected to find nothing. The state the place was in suggested that it had not been minded by human – or other – hands in a long time. The odds of someone being inside on the very day they landed on these shores had to be tiny. Still, she had been inside enough similar places to keep her guard up. <strong>“Watch your step, dwarf. Whoever built this place might be long gone, but they might have left a few surprises for unwanted visitors anyway.”</strong> That was her main concern now. Trap doors, hidden holes in the wall that fired poisoned darts. She had seen men die of all sorts of nastiness inside places like this and she wasn’t about to join them.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Etherealdreamer</strong> on <strong>23-06-2013, 17:52:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<br><div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/9/94/Lili.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Lilliana McClae<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Ruins<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Vanairiel/OPEN <br><br><hr><br>"<em>...The time has come t'sing a travellin' song.</em>" Lilli's voice drifted off just about the time they came upon the gloriously old and craggy site of the castle ruins. That drift off of song she replaced with a low, comical whistle.<br><br>"Well ain' tha' a shame? They've le' the place go t'shambles." The gypsy announced loudly to no one in particular. Having been non-too-far behind the head of the pack, Lilli, like Vanairiel, watched Gori disappear. She turned in time to watch the wheels grinding in the elf's head.<br><br>"Dwarf's a cannonball w' legs. Hopefully if there is somethin' in there he'll jus' roll an' blas' righ' through i', eh? S'no like folk t'leave a whole house an' no' have laid ou' a few less than desirable things b'hind. S'writt'en all over yer prett'y face." Her tongue, much like her singing voice, was very obviously and very heavily accented. Not to the point of it being unintelligible, but it was <em>quite </em>the set of sounds that rolled off her tongue. Grinning, Lilliana shook her head and tossed a hand up through her riotous curls. <br><br>"... s'no unlike the land captian's face either when we t'ouched sand. S'like he's wait'in' fer nast'ies t'come ou' an' pinch us in the rear." She added wryly as she slipped a hand over one of the pendants she wore at her hip; a jumble of iron nails. Those pendants were not so coincidentally located near her largest knife. A handsome thing with an old, worn wooden handle and a well treated leather sheath. Her fingers brushed that too as she herself found her thoughts wandering toward trouble.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Inkidu</strong> on <strong>28-06-2013, 01:43:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/5/5c/Dantius.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Dantius "Ghost Adelhiem<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> Beach =&gt; Ruins<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Mentions Lilliana McClae, Gori/OPEN<br><br><hr><br>Dantius looked up warily at the old ruins. They looked fairly old, but still, incredibly, intact. His hawkish eyes gazed up at the ruined wall, and they trailed back down to toward the woods around the ruins. He pulled his dagger out and drew it lightly across the stonework's mortar. None came out, whoever made it done fine work, he saw the dwarf touch it with some sense of familiarity. <br><br>He heard the red-haired woman being to speak rather loudly. It made him uneasy, but he did not show it. Ruins like this were a great place for an ambush. For all he knew their were crossbowmen hiding up on the ramparts. Still, he did not say anything. He only chose to make himself less conspicuous. <br><br>He stalked westward and looked for tracks in the earth. It was no large leap in logic to think that these ruins, which were visible from the sea could be a beacon not only for their group, but those to come before and after. He moved cautiously wary for old traps. This place looked as though it might have seen a siege or two if it was as old as he guessed it was. He kept the rest of the party within his peripheral vision. He was no elf, but he was a pretty damned good tracker. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>30-06-2013, 23:06:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/4/4a/NathanInto.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Nathaniel Carter<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> Ruins<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Open Tag<br><br><hr><br>Carter stared wide-eyed at the ruins as he finally entered their vicinity. "The History..." He murmurs, the only member of the party not looking out for danger. "I wonder how old this place is." He too places a hand on one of the stones as he twirls around, drawing it all in. "The people who built it, the people who lived in it, the people who destroyed it...I do hope there are some parchments to be found!" He seemed enthralled at the discovery and soon found himself in the cleared central area of the ruins, rubble and half-walls and buildings all around him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>30-06-2013, 23:14:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/b/bf/Ragnar.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Ragnar<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> Ruins<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Open to All<br><br><hr><br>Ragnar let the others enter the ruins first. He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword - an old habit and one that bespoke of his awareness. But other then their tracks he had noticed no other disturbances on the ground either. Nor were they greeted by a hail of arrows. The place was long deserted and while it certainly had a history, it wasn't anything that concerned them. He strode up some rubble that led to the top of the only (mostly) intact wall that looked out over the bay. They had a clear view of the ship and the small natural harbor on the south wall, while looking over his shoulder just revealed more uninhabited coastline. <br><br>He could also see the rest of the ruins from here - the central Keep was a small tower, the top half caved in, but looked suitable for a dry place to sleep at night. The walls were still in place, though you couldn't walk a circuit on them as they were far too broken. What appeared to have once been a stable was now a collapsed building with a rotting wood frame still maintaining its shape. <br><br>"Alright, everyone. Listen up." He called out, voice rising to be heard by everyone. "I need two volunteers to go hunting - I think we could all use some fresh food. Then I need a group to clear the rest of the ruins and another group to clear that tower. It looks like the best place to set up camp but I don't want to find a bear or something already inside."<br><br><hr><hr><br>GROUP A - The Hunters - 2 Volunteers need to assemble at the Gates.<br>GROUP B - Clearing the Ruins - Need to assembled next to Ragnar<br>GROUP C&nbsp; - Exploring the Tower - Need to assemble at the doorway to the crumbling tower
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Lady Lunarius</strong> on <strong>01-07-2013, 01:36:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii89/CowGoil08/169b039e-7691-4763-9a92-871c4cc19454.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Natalia Amorie<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Ruins/Tower<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Ragnar/Open<br><br><hr><br>As they approached the remains of the old Castle, Natalia found herself fantasizing about the riches that could be long forgotten within. Her eyes roamed over the companions and she thought on who would be easiest to take out, but quickly shook the thought from her mind. Where would she run to with the riches. Glancing over at Nathaniel she sighed. <strong>"I would like to check the tower, better vantage point for scouting over head, if you'd like..."</strong> she said her eyes still on Nathaniel, <strong>"I'm sure there's a possibility of some parchments left behind."</strong> <br><br>Looking to Ragnar as if asking if this were acceptable she made her way there her foot steps deliberate as she kept an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Her gaze fell upon the tower, once more wonder over taking her, but even so she stayed silent for now. Waiting to see who else would accompany her, making sure they would not come up on her with her back turned. Old habits. <br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Inkidu</strong> on <strong>01-07-2013, 02:10:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/5/5c/Dantius.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Dantius "Ghost" Adelhiem<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> Ruins =&gt; heading out to the surrounding woodlands to hunt<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Ragnar<br><br><hr><br>Dantius' keen eyes scanned the woodlands when Ragnar decided to split up the group for tasks. He didn't necessarily want to go hunting, but he was probably one of the few people who could bring back the required meat before it became too dark. You learned to track humans by track more guileful creatures. He took up his shortbow and turned to the expedition leader, "I'll bring back something, sir." he said in his stoic way. <br><br>He waited briefly for conformation and the possibility of a companion for the hunt. Dantius could hunt and trap, so he was certain if there was game in those woods he would bring back something. Judging by the climate perhaps deer or elk, if not rabbit. He used this prep time to make sure he had all of his possessions in order. The tracker quietly checked his dagger and handaxe while he waited. <br><br>&nbsp;
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Etherealdreamer</strong> on <strong>01-07-2013, 03:31:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/9/94/Lili.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Lilliana McClae<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Ruins/Stable Ruins<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Natalia/Nathaniel/Ragnar/Gori/OPEN <br><br><hr><br>"Nat's righ', Nate. Keep yer' sense abou'cha'. There'll be plent'y o' t'ime t' go gatherin' all the must'y bit's o' hist'ory ya' like." Pet names, wanted or no, she'd mentally assigned to the lot of her company. If one didn't want them, they'd have to throttle the woman to within an inch of her life, for she had a second nature sort of disposition toward them. Natalia was too long, so to <em>Nat</em> her name had turned. Nathaniel was also too long, and it was awfully darn close to Natalia, so the mental informal she'd adopted was <em>Nate</em>. It made sense in her head anyway.<br><br>"Ragnar, I'mma keep clearin' the ruins if tha's all righ'. Then mee' ya' back a' the t'ower. St'ill wanna' romp around lil' man?" This to Gori. Clucking her tongue playfully at the dwarf, the gypsy grinned a wide, sweet grin as she thrust up her chin onward into the ruins. She eyed the dilapidated stable and the crumbling crooks around it, contemplating the dark haven they might provide for unwanted additions to their party. Lilliana didn't wait for confirmation, she simply crunched on quietly. Fingering the blade that bounced against her hip, she relaxed her eyes as a new level of darkness flooded them from the surrounding emptiness created by the crumbling structure. Feeling the damp and the chill nag at her extremities, she suppressed the reflex of a shiver, calling to something deeper than one's inner resolve to ward away the cold.<br><br><em>"Goddess bless thy servant's steadfast heart. Make it flicker, make it glow. Warm the flesh as you do the soul."</em> The rush of it was slow, but real. The sensation of a heat source rose up and bubbled outward from the inside, trickling down from the peak of her curly brow like a stream down a dry, rounded bed. Those sensitive to magic may feel it, but those within an arm's length would feel it better. An unnatural warmth that radiated softly about her already soft person. Caught up in the minor moment of concentration her task had taken, Lilli released a shuddering breath, the kind you'd hear from a person pulling on a woolen mantle left to hang and warm by a roaring hearth. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedEve</strong> on <strong>01-07-2013, 08:39:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/2/2c/Vanairiel.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Vanairiel Undolithe<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> the ruins -&gt; the forest<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Dantius, Open<br><br>It was something of a relief when the ruins were revealed to be just that. No traps, nor hidden force that attacked them. Just a series of walls in several stages of decay, and a couple of half collapsed buildings. She wasn’t much in the mood for a day of cleaning out an old tower, so when Dantius volunteered to go out and hunt, she fell in besides him. <strong>“I’ll go with you, we don’t know what’s out there, best not to go out alone.”</strong> It would also excuse her of the responsibility of helping with the clean-up of their new base of operations, which suited her just fine. She fell in behind the human and followed him as he lead them out of the ruins and into the green forests. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>05-07-2013, 22:20:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/c/c9/Gori.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Gori<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> The Ruins<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Lilliana, Open<br><br><hr><br>Gori was greatly disappointed that nothing with sharp, pointy sticks jumped out at him. His tense stance visibly relaxed, but he still kept his Ax drawn. It could be useful in clearing the area, and you were never really sure what you might run into when you began poking around in the ruins. After examining some of the more intact walls, Gori turned at Ragnar's voice. The man was making sound decisions so far - splitting the group as he was ensured things would get done, faster and more efficiently then if everyone went off on their own. <br><br>Gori was not much of a hunter, so he passed up on that. When he heard Lilliana speak, he decided he'd lend her a helping hand. He didn't fancy being in an enclosed area quite so soon after coming off the ship and he was much more interested in the ruins then poking about in some unstable tower. Besides, the human was easy on the eyes compared to the rest of the party and Gori found himself drawn to her in a more affectionate way. He certainly liked her curves.<br><br>"I'll go with the girl." He calls out. "Never know what we'll find in these ruins." <em>Though damned be I if I can understand half her words! She's probably calling me a frog half the time!</em> He added silently, slipping his Ax back through its belt-loop before shuffling over to stand closer to her, even as the two Hunters volunteered themselves. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>05-07-2013, 22:26:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/4/4a/NathanInto.jpg)</div><br><strong>Name:</strong> Nathaniel Carter<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> Ruins<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Natalia, Open<br><br><hr><br><br>Carter was certainly excited by the prospect of finding old tomes and whatever other parchments he could lay his hands on. He hoped that the dialect would be something he could read, otherwise he may well discover a new language previously unknown. The possibilities were endless. He quickly separated himself from what he considered the two more adventurous groups - he'd never gone hunting before, and walking around the ruins didn't seem nearly as fun as discovering something new - so he soon found himself Natalia, a woman who seemed to know her way around danger. She immediately made Carter nervous, just like the proximity of anyone member of the fairer sex.<br><br>"I, uh, yeah, will go and check out the tower too." He says, to no one in particular, craining his neck so he could look up at the tower and its caved in roof. Hopefully any parchments weren't kept on the top floor. He thunked his staff on the ground, the only weapon he openly carried. "Ready when you are."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MagicalPen</strong> on <strong>05-07-2013, 22:52:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111224023358/creativethoughts/images/f/fa/Cloaked_figure.gif)</div><br>Ragnar was glad to see that the land-party was amiable and naturally split into three groups. He shared last words with the two hunters, telling them to be careful - there was really no telling what lay out there but their need for fresh food was indeed great.<br><br>He kept an eye on the second group as they began to explore the ruins while he himself kept a watchful eye over the bulwarks and into the lands surrounding them.<br><br>He also murmured good luck to those about to head into the tower, reminding them that if things looked unstable, they should turn back.<br><br><hr><br>GROUP A: The Hunters - Story continues HERE. (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=178797.0)<br>GROUP B: Exploring the Ruins - Story continues here HERE. (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=178798.0)<br>GROUP C: The Tower - Story continues here HERE. (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=178800.0)
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Into Darkness We Venture (Main Game Thread)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Vassus</strong> on <strong>08-07-2013, 02:41:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				(Not sure why, but the image posted was much to big for me to use as posted. I can't figure out what's wrong, and I apologise for that)<br><br><strong>Name:</strong> Caniogth<br><br><strong>Location:</strong> Beach -&gt; Ruins/Tower<br><br><strong>Attention:</strong> Natalia, Open<br><br><hr> Caniogth tread towards the rest of the group, catching up after almost getting sick sailing along with the longboat. She looked around at this new land, and didn't see much to be impressed by, besides the notion that this was new. The orc woman caught whiff of some animal scent, fading as it was, and it picked her spirits up a bit. The thought of fresh meat was a comfort to her, and she shook her head so as to focus as she saw the groups splitting up. Making a quick decision, she wanted to see the lay of the land.<br><br>&nbsp;She fell in behind Natalia, making a grunt to signal herself to those already at the tower door. She would have gone into the tower by herself if needed, but she supposed it was good to have others...
			</dd>
		</dl>
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