[Hexville] Guild District
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Light =&gt; Light: Human Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: RedPhoenix on 04-09-2020, 04:54:54</h2>
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				Title: <strong>[Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedPhoenix</strong> on <strong>04-09-2020, 04:54:54</strong>
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				<div align="center"><span style="font-size: 24pt;" class="bbc_size"><span style="font-family: georgia;" class="bbc_font"><strong>THE GUILD DISTRICT</strong></span></span><br><strong>Currently in Control:</strong> Vorla Copperstrike<br><br>(https://i.imgur.com/MPaFzJe.jpg)</div><br>The center of Hexville's industry, the guild district contains everything from the high precision gemcutters to the mass produced lumber and everything in between! Boutiques that offer bespoke services and warehouses full of bulk produced goods all vie for the attention of the movers and shakers and window shoppers alike. <br><br>Things are very tense in the Guild District currently, with the de facto leader Vorla Copperstrike hoping someone else takes over so she can go back to doing what she loves. The lawlessness and lack of any real way to resolve disputes other than forcefully has made the guild district largely grind to halt however, and it won't be long before the economic sting is felt all over the kingdom! <br><br><hr><br><em>Special Rules:</em><br><br>There are no special rules currently in place for the Guild District. <br><br><hr><br><em>Aspirant Status:</em><br>- Mother Freya is ESTABLISHED <br>- Shanira Treyan is ESTABLISHED 
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				Title: <strong>[Hexville] Guild District - NPCs</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedPhoenix</strong> on <strong>04-09-2020, 04:55:45</strong>
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				<em>Important NPCs:</em><br><br><div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/fBTbuy7.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Vorla Copperstrike<br><br><strong>Role:</strong> In Control of the Guild District. Until someone else takes the job! <br><br><strong>Motivation:</strong> Civilization<br><br><strong>Brief Description:</strong> Vorla, a young but strong dwarf, makes no secret of the fact that she would rather be working. She looks forward to the day that she no longer needs to lead. She spends most of her time at her forge, making excellent items, both useful and beautiful. <br><br><strong>Background:</strong> Vorla was made the <em>de facto</em> leader of the guild district after the previous leader, a goblin named Sharptoes, mostly blew himself up trying to supercharge a watermill. She is puzzled by the fact that nobody has stepped up to take over since. <br><br><strong>Notes:</strong> <br>- Denounced by Valerian Turn 3 <br><br><br class="clear_left"><br><br><div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/rBqU8T3.jpg?1)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Selem Shal<br><br><strong>Role:</strong> Connected Man. He's got a lot of friends, does a lot of favors. You could use both, yeah?<br><br><strong>Motivation:</strong> Power<br><br><strong>Brief Description:</strong> Nominally the head of the Teamsters, Selem Shal is a smoke-shrouded tiefling who has a way of making everyone very comfortable while also sure he's up to something. It's a gift.&nbsp; <br><br><strong>Background:</strong> If you ask him, he's just a kid from the slums who made it big through hard work and hustle. If you ask the people who he stepped on along the way he's a nightmare in a slick suit. <br><br><br class="clear_left"><br><br><div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/YDGwO8s.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Jacques Steelclaw<br><br><strong>Role:</strong> Builder. Jacques leads a crew of hard working folks that are willing to build or landscape just about anything!<br><br><strong>Motivation:</strong> Freedom<br><br><strong>Brief Description:</strong> A young, handsome, hard-working half-orc with an excellent reputation. <br><br><strong>Background:</strong> Jacques is a war orphan who was raised in the Hexville slums. He bears no ill will towards the past, thinking mostly of the future. <br><br><br class="clear_left"><br><br><div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/uWxHoFs.jpg?1)</div><strong>Name:</strong> Bianca Jones<br><br><strong>Role:</strong> Inventor. She has so many ideas that will function just fine with a theoretical power source. <br><br><strong>Motivation:</strong> Progress<br><br><strong>Brief Description:</strong> Bianca is either completely nuts or a genius beyond compare depending on who you ask. She tends to talk above most folks but not be aware she is doing it. She finds mundane topics like "who should rule" and "are you going to eat today?" to be rather boring. <br><br><strong>Background:</strong> Kicked out of the University after one of her projects nearly took down the city walls, Bianca has been working freelance out of the Guild District ever since. <br><br><br class="clear_left">
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ontan</strong> on <strong>08-09-2020, 07:52:26</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/acfc487f628999a8d795fd4e0bac95b4/7144f155-86a7-460e-be3c-29249aa92920_rw_1920.jpg?h=751cf9fdab3ea959a3579c38026e854e)</div><strong>Name:</strong>&nbsp; &nbsp;Valerian Izyumov &nbsp;(http://url=https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=324631.msg15584949#msg15584949)<br><strong>OOC Timeline:</strong>&nbsp; Round one of actions<br><strong>Where:</strong>&nbsp; Guild District, Exhibition Hall<br><strong>Status:</strong>&nbsp; Part science, part exposé<br><strong>Tagging:</strong>&nbsp; Nil<br><hr><br><span style="font-family: courier;" class="bbc_font">Dear Sir / Madam / Gentleperson:<br><br>You are cordially invited to witness a <strong>scientific demonstration</strong> into the previously undocumented phenomenon of <strong>corporeal corruption induced by sustained magical exposure</strong>. Given the <strong>uncompromising and confrontational</strong> application of natural history that will take place, those of delicate constitution or disposition are advised not to attend.<br>&nbsp; <br>The main event will comprise of a <strong>full craniotomy</strong>, encompassing the posthumous participation of the late <strong>Lord Hirdash the Fourth</strong>, magical healer extraordinaire. Barber-surgeon duties will be performed by famed adventurer <strong>Valerian Izyumov</strong>. Attendees are encouraged to place <strong>hefty wagers</strong> on whether the latter’s hypothesis proves true. Canapes and cocktails will be provided. Details are as follow…<br></span><br><hr><br>“My unlikely friend…” Valerian murmured, turning the glass jar over in his hands. The stout dwarven head within swirled around, spinning peacefully through its briny fluid until the face came into view. It was strange to think how indebted his was to a disembodied head, even one that belonged to a spellcaster like Lord Hirdash. When Valerian first made his public announcement urging that magic be outlawed, the city’s elite had decided they didn’t like having their feathers ruffled, and had promptly set about striking his words from their records and memories. His political cause had come within an inch of being snuffed out before it had even started, and Valerian was all but packing his bags when his unexpected lifeline arrived: the body of a famous mage, preserved in a salt-filled coffin, and a detailed note indicating that the body was to be used for his ‘investigations’. Suddenly, he had a second chance.<br><br>Hefting the glass jar, Valerian took a breath, and steeled himself to leave the sanctuary of the antechamber. As he pushed open the heavy doors to the exhibition hall, a hundred eyes turned to regard him (and granted, a disproportionate amount belonged to multi-eyed Arachne, but it was still an imposing number). Valerian took up position at the head of the grand table that dominated the room. Everything had already been laid out: gleaming tools, rubber mats, and silver trays. With as much reverence as he could muster for his deceased patron, Valerian lifted the severed head from its jar, placed it upon a mat, and with the aid of a steel saw he began to cut along the scalp.<br><br>“Magic is wellspring of unknown provenance,” he called out, projecting his voice across the echoing hall, “gift with unseen strings attached, yes? We draw upon it endlessly, never really knowing where it comes from, or what long shadows it casts.”<br><br>Things had gone well so far. For starters, most of the invitees had deigned to attend. Valerian had not repeated his previous mistake of addressing the largest gathering possible… no, this time he had picked his audience carefully. Merchants and bankers. Artificers and physicians. Druids, landowners, investors. Pragmatists who viewed dire warnings as valuable information, not unwelcome intrusions. <br><br>“I say before that magic is evil, but words fell on deaf ears. Perhaps my fault. I speak too quickly, too hollow, without bringing proper evidence. I hope that account of a master wizard will prove more compelling.”<br><br>The audience regarded him in steely silence. They had been receptive enough during the preliminary reports earlier in the evening, but everyone knew those were merely warm-up acts. Having made grand claims that magic caused corruption, Valerian had staked everything on the autopsy he was now performing. He continued to saw, letting the grinding hum of the serrated blade fill the air between his words. <br><br>“As you all know, Lord Hirdash lived extraordinarily long life, even by the standard of dwarves. Magic played key part in this, but too late, he realised terrible truth: magic does not heal. Not really. It only cannibalises, borrows, move things around without ever creating. In the end, Lord Hirdash was poisoned by very remedy that was supposed to sustain him. His final request was that his body be autopsied before an audience of esteemed, influential citizens, so that the true consequence of magic could be known. Within his preserved remains, we will find proof.”<br><br>The cutting stopped. Valerian lifted away the scalp, and stared wordlessly at the deceased’s brain within its severed skull. <br><br>“Ladies, gentlemen,” he said at last, “esteemed guests… I present the brain of Lord Hirdash the Fourth.”<br><br>He tipped the severed head forward, exposing the contents to the audience’s inspection. As it turned out, all the lamps and magnifying lenses assembled on the table’s length were quite unnecessary. Even from the far end, there was no mistaking the blackened lumps and twisted webs of renegade arteries that despoiled the once-brilliant mind. <br><br>“Lesions of the brain,” Valerian shouted over the ensuing humdrum, “caused by the long years of magic!”<br><br>The audience were no longer containing themselves. Disbelief, triumph, fear, anger, satisfaction… raw emotions crashed together as multiple spectators tried to shout over one another.<br>“Outrageous! This is too much!”<br>“Good gods man, the proof is right there…”<br>“Let's not be hasty, now.”<br>“Awful, simply awful…”<br>“Anything could have caused those!”<br><br>The remaining chatter was cut short by the thunderous impact of a fist slamming the table. There was the scrape of an oversized chair being pushed back, and a wizened luxodon – the one who had agreed to host the event – rose to her feet. <br><br>“How do we know those lesions have anything to do with magic?” <br><br>It was equal parts question and demand. Valerian didn’t falter:<br><br>“Lord Hirdash was master of the healing arts," he replied, his tone level. “He could dispel illness and rejuvenate aging bones with pass of a hand, and yet he could not cure himself of this ailment. There is only one explanation: magic didn’t work on the lesions… because magic was the cause.” <br><br>The audience began murmuring among themselves again, but quieter. A ripple passed over the room. Expressions darkened, or otherwise grew calculating. It wasn’t conclusive proof, not even close… but it lent some credibility to Valerian's previously wild claims, and there was now cause for early concern. The future of magic suddenly had a faint spectre of uncertainty hanging over it.&nbsp; <br><br>“This is only tip of iceberg,” Valerian declared, “only one chip of the mountain beneath our feet. Take it from one who has seen true horror. In time, there will be more proof. Until then? No precaution is too much, not until we certain one way or other. We must. Take. Action.” <br><br>The were yet another wave of murmurs, but once again the mood had shifted subtly. Alarm, resignation, concern, the occasional fleck of opportunism. A current that would grow into a maelstrom, Valerian hoped. Embers that would grow into a cleaning firestorm. <br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedPhoenix</strong> on <strong>09-09-2020, 17:19:09</strong>
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				<strong><em>Week One</em></strong><br><br>The guilds continue their holding pattern, many sitting on their products for fear of getting much less than they are worth, some frantically unloading goods for fear they'll be worthless soon. Overall the atmosphere is tense, as folks of all races who complained about their jobs a few months ago are grateful to still have them today. <br><br>Valerian's exhibition is met with a few raised brows and some interest. It seems to have gone over the heads of the populace, but Valerian gets the impression he has been noticed. Whether this is a good or a bad thing remains to be seen...
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geeklet</strong> on <strong>13-09-2020, 04:26:35</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/oQoCM2D.jpg)</div> <strong>Morticia Scott</strong><br><br>She was smart. She knew books. Books were how she learned her own magic, afterall. The reputation of this missing grimoire was well known to her. Imagine all the cool things she could learn before turning it in!<br><br>She also knew that books like that didn't just up and disappear. Someone else probably wanted it, and had it stolen. And if it was stolen, perhaps the local black market knew something. Thankfully, Tish knew just the right back alleys that she could go to in order to ask some questions.<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ontan</strong> on <strong>13-09-2020, 10:48:06</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/acfc487f628999a8d795fd4e0bac95b4/7144f155-86a7-460e-be3c-29249aa92920_rw_1920.jpg?h=751cf9fdab3ea959a3579c38026e854e)</div><strong>Name:</strong>&nbsp; &nbsp;Valerian Izyumov &nbsp;(http://url=https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=324631.msg15584949#msg15584949)<br><strong>Timeline:</strong>&nbsp; Week two<br><strong>Where:</strong>&nbsp; Guild District, bustling streets<br><strong>Status:</strong>&nbsp; On the hunt<br><strong>Tagging:</strong>&nbsp; Nil<br><hr><br><div align="center"><span style="font-family: courier;" class="bbc_font"><strong>Public Demonstration Against Hexville’s Negligent Governance of Dark Magic</strong></span></div><br><span style="font-family: courier;" class="bbc_font">The bill comes due for Hexville’s dealings in the dark arts! The entire city has now been placed at risk, as a dangerous tome of <strong>dark magic goes missing</strong>. This malign artefact is now in the <strong>hands of renegades</strong> who stole it from the very palace itself, removing any fetter on the use of this foul and powerful sorcery. Why was such a thing even in the royal’s possession? Why must <strong>YOU</strong> bear the risk of living alongside dark magic, when even the palace itself has <strong>no secure way of governing it?</strong><br><br>It is time to let the Crown known what you think! Join a public demonstration against the use and stockpiling of dark magic, before another vile artefact falls into the wrong hands! This (peaceful) gathering will take place in the Guild District, and march along the main road leading to the palace district. Details are as follows... <br><br></span><br><hr><br>News had spread that one of the palace’s most dreadful artefacts was now missing, and unrest was beginning to stir even in the city’s more peaceful districts. Outraged by yet another act of the princess’s gross incompetence, protesters had gathered of their own accord, and by early morning the main road was already clogged with disgruntled citizenry. They were non-violent, much to the relief of the beleaguered city watch trying to keep things in check, but that was small consolation to the Guild masters and mistresses whose businesses were suffering. Standing on the steps of their establishments or glaring from elevated windows, they watched as workers and customers alike flocked to the grumbling, shambling mass of protesters. <br><br>Valerian should’ve been beside himself with glee (or as gleeful as his sombre disposition ever allowed). It wasn’t that he <em>liked</em> the idea of the grimoire going missing – that was appalling, obviously – but the timing was politically convenient to say the least. It provided fertile ground for his nascent crusade against the dangers of magic. He could’ve commandeered the protests, whipping them up into a frenzy whilst simultaneously throwing himself in the limelight. In fact, that would’ve set him up very nicely as an emerging political figure, and in case such things matter, it would’ve probably been the <em>smart</em> thing to do… but it was not to be. Alas, there were other factors – an archaic sense of honour, his battered dedication to duty, and the primeval thrill of the hunt – that compelled Valerian to hunt down whoever stole the Malignant Grimoire. With luck, he would secure the wretched artefact before someone did something irrevocably stupid, like try to use it. Unfortunately, his cadre of minions didn’t exactly agree with his reasoning.<br><br>“You’re throwing away a golden opportunity, Valerian. Without you, these protests are just a lot of noise with no figurehead...”<br><br>The complaints belonged to Vala, who acted as both the frontline warrior and learned legalist for his band of minions. Exasperated at their stubborn leader, she’d followed Valerian through the Guild District in the vain hopes of changing his mind, but the grim hunter merely shook his head. <br><br>“I vow to protect world from evils of magic, and that is what I do. Words are meaningless without action. So, I go hunting for Malignant Grimoire before it falls into wrong hands, before people get hurt.” Valerian sighed. “I am not politician. I am just man trying to make a difference.”<br>“Now, I’m going to write all that down, and you’re going to repeat those <em>exact words</em> at the head of the protests, the crowd will love it…”<br>“I am serious! Actual work more important than showboating.”<br><br>Threading their way up the street, they had to shove and weave their way through the tide of protesters heading towards the palace gates. <br><br>“The odds of you finding it before anyone else are… slim. The publicity would be a safer bet.”<br>“Slim is not zero. Besides, back home, we have saying: even nerve-eating jellyfish fight the current now and then.”<br>“Do you at least have a plan for finding it? The damned thing could be anywhere by now…”<br>“Easy. Grimoire is too dangerous to use. Thing is cursed, and will obviously backfire like genie’s bottle. But, thief can’t keep it either. Everyone is looking for it, and everyone know it stolen property. Practical death sentence if found with it! So you see, stolen artefact is just like white elephant.”<br>“… What?”<br>“Grimoire is like… is like albino battle-warg that keeps eating handlers. Too hard to keep, too valuable to get rid of. Only option is to sell it to next sucker.”<br>“Hmm. And you think the Guild district is a better bet than the marketplace?”<br>“Both are possible, very possible. But gut tells me it will be sold here. Creepy evil book is not some stolen necklace to flog at markets. No, this require very special buyer. Also one who will neither report seller to authorities, or stab seller and steal book for themselves. That rule out other districts, mostly.” <br><br>At last, the pair reached a lull in the surging crowd, and managed to slip down a side street for a moment’s peace. Valerian unslung a satchel from his shoulder and, kneeling down on the cobblestone footpath, began to retrieve several objects: a grappling hook, climbing spikes, and his prized spyglass. The latter included several different lenses, each designed to see through different kinds of glamours, invisibility magics, and so on. <br><br>“Last question. Supposing for one moment that the thief is even here, are you sure you can even spot them?”<br>“Your question wound me! Wound me deeply, Vala. You forget I am scout, I am sharpshooter. Very used to spotting people trying to sneak unnoticed. Very good at it, rest assured. You go join others; I get to rooftops, and start looking for creepy book.”<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedPhoenix</strong> on <strong>14-09-2020, 04:08:33</strong>
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				<em><strong>Week Two</strong></em><br><br>Things pick up slightly in the Guild District this week, although the quiet area of town remains that way. The search for the Grimoire leads multiple Aspirants to this area, but other than that there is almost no new traffic in and out. The stagnancy is starting to become a problem for the local industry. But these days in Hexville, problems, like inventory in the warehouses, are building up with no solution in sight! 
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ontan</strong> on <strong>17-09-2020, 00:40:47</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/acfc487f628999a8d795fd4e0bac95b4/7144f155-86a7-460e-be3c-29249aa92920_rw_1920.jpg?h=751cf9fdab3ea959a3579c38026e854e)</div><strong>Name:</strong>&nbsp; &nbsp;Valerian Izyumov &nbsp;(http://url=https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=324631.msg15584949#msg15584949)<br><strong>Timeline:</strong>&nbsp; Week three<br><strong>Where:</strong>&nbsp; Guild District, various locations<br><strong>Status:</strong>&nbsp; ((Placeholder post))<br><strong>Tagging:</strong>&nbsp; Nil<br><hr><br>Like freshly-bloomed mushrooms springing up in the dewy dawn, posters and pamphlets crop up overnight, stacked on tavern tables or glued to walls in the district’s busier streets. The theme of these publications is straightforward: they call for the replacement of Vorla Copperstrike. <br><br>The overall tone is more sympathetic than spiteful. After all, Vorla was only ever intended to be an interim administrator until the next leader was appointed, and the woman herself makes no secrets that she’d rather be back at the forge instead of wrangling with bureaucracy. The publications state that Vorla’s patience and goodwill should not be taken for granted, and that the time has come to appoint a more permanent leader… or at least consider candidates in earnest. For once, the message is more about finding a solution rather than drumming up fear: <em>get the Guild District squared away, and then work can begin on the rest of the city</em>, that’s the message.<br><br>There is, of course, no saying what Vorla will think of the pamphlets and posters. For all the politeness and restraint, the writing carries a sharp inference that Vorla’s situation isn’t so different to Princess Red’s – both were appointed by accident, and neither have any interest in governance. It’s also clear that whoever authorised the publications has an agenda of their own; a change in leadership might be to everyone’s advantage (including Vorla’s), but there’s still an ulterior motive. <br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedPhoenix</strong> on <strong>18-09-2020, 20:45:52</strong>
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				<strong>Week Three</strong><br><br>The Guild District remains strained, but quiet. Even the recent rebuke of Vorla seems to have gone largely unnoticed. Perhaps she simply does not care what wagging tongues have to say? Or perhaps she agrees and is just waiting for someone to topple her? A few weeks ago the Guild District felt like a powderkeg, but now the residents and workers wonder, is the fuse about to hit the powder, or has the powder gone wet? 
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedPhoenix</strong> on <strong>23-09-2020, 03:57:23</strong>
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				<em><strong>Week Four</strong></em><br><br>After putting in his time and work, Valerian is seeing it pay off in the Guild District. Where he goes folks seem to recognize him. His challenging of the de facto leader of this place without any reprisal seems to have helped, or maybe it was just that he's kept his head down and gone to work. People around here like that, no surprise there. Still, they aren't ready to hand over the keys to any of their warehouses, labs, or stalls just yet. While the rest of Hexville goes on with bangs and bursts, the Guild District puts their head down and goes back to work. Like always. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ontan</strong> on <strong>24-09-2020, 06:22:38</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/acfc487f628999a8d795fd4e0bac95b4/7144f155-86a7-460e-be3c-29249aa92920_rw_1920.jpg?h=751cf9fdab3ea959a3579c38026e854e)</div><strong>Name:</strong>&nbsp; &nbsp;Valerian Izyumov &nbsp;(http://url=https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=324631.msg15584949#msg15584949)<br><strong>Timeline:</strong>&nbsp; Week four to five<br><strong>Where:</strong>&nbsp; Guild District, various locations<br><strong>Status:</strong>&nbsp; Story post only<br><strong>Tagging:</strong>&nbsp; Nil / open<br><hr>Mayhem was, perhaps, a subjective term. After all, there were no burning banks or strange cults, no shrieking curse-screams of malevolent artefacts being destroyed. There was, however, a rather wearisome amount of <em>nuisance</em> plaguing the Guild District – a seemingly endless tide of headaches that were neither severe enough to justify cancelling work, not mild enough to simply get on with things. <br><br>A scarcity of intact footwear was one such issue. Workers needed stout boots, and professionals had to maintain smart appearances, yet every second or third pair of shoes in the district was sporting gaping holes. Alas, the Cobblers’ Guild was all but paralysed by the Crown-ordained backlog of blue shoes that needed making. There were similar issues with stationary and plaques, as citizens formerly known as Reginald still struggled with the fallout of Princess Red’s edicts; new letterheads needed to be printed, signs had to be amended, and tiny little name tag in sports uniforms had to be replaced. Even the non-Reginalds felt the effects, as delays and shortages frustrated their everyday business operations in odd little ways. Valerian couldn’t do much about those issues: after all, he was no politician. That had been made inescapably clear over the last month, after his printed pamphlets and occasional rantings against magic had failed to gain any traction whatsoever. <br><br>Still, it turned out there were things he <em>could</em> do, if only he was willing to put his little crusade against magic on hold. The last few weeks has seen a shift in his tactics. He was no politician... but he <em>was</em> a soldier, and a hunter. He’d decided that it was time to set aside loftier ambitions, and set himself to humbler tasks more befitting his station.<br><br>The Bakers’ Guild had been wracked by donut heists, with the masterwork treats being stolen in the hopes of earning the Princess’s favour (and outrageous financial rewards). No more! It’d taken weeks of investigations and a few lucky ambushes, but Valerian and his minions had caught the ring of confection catburglars. There were other victories, too. Many of the palace’s displaced gargoyles had been unceremoniously dumped in the Guild District… which was particularly problematic, because said ‘gargoyles’ included both inert statues, and the live, dangerous-when-startled creatures that flawlessly imitated their stone counterparts. They littered alleys and doorways, with most passers-by too nervous to move them for fear of losing a finger. There’d been no cleverness involved there: Valerian’s solution comprised of nothing more than heavily padded armour, a veteran’s familiarity with exotic monsters, and a <em>lot</em> of heavy lifting until the creatures were more amiably rehoused on rooftop gutters. <br><br>It was paying off though, albeit in the unexciting fashion that hard work always does. People were starting to notice Valerian-the-soldier, instead of ignoring Valerian-the-doomsayer. Murmurs were circulating. They said that having a few soldiers around was helping with the little things. They said that, given the ordeals in neighbouring districts, maybe having a few more wouldn’t be such a bad thig after all, just in case the district started having its share of big things too...<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ontan</strong> on <strong>24-09-2020, 06:32:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/acfc487f628999a8d795fd4e0bac95b4/7144f155-86a7-460e-be3c-29249aa92920_rw_1920.jpg?h=751cf9fdab3ea959a3579c38026e854e)</div><strong>Name:</strong>&nbsp; &nbsp;Valerian Izyumov &nbsp;(http://url=https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=324631.msg15584949#msg15584949)<br><strong>Timeline:</strong>&nbsp; Week three<br><strong>Where:</strong>&nbsp; Guild District, various locations<br><strong>Status:</strong>&nbsp; Round 5: New minions, praise / condemn actions. <br><strong>Tagging:</strong>&nbsp; Shanira Treyan, Mother Freya (mentioned)<br><hr>The lead gargoyle wasn’t the largest of its kind. It was, however, the most unsettling.<br><br>Valerian could almost forgive the palace staff for getting rid of it. Almost. The creature wasn’t particularly big, nor did it appear any older than its counterparts, but it exuded an uneasy air of frozen malice. The claws were as wicked as a razor’s edge, and yet even they lacked the menace of the creature’s fangs, exposed as they were in its unmoving snarl, the features locked in an expression of disfiguring contempt. It was repulsive and frightening. It was primordially sinister in the way of tropical spiders or desert scorpions - of any creature whose greatest defence and most ardent desire was simply to be left alone. <br><br>“I belong to regiment of irregulars,” Valerian began. “We are used to recruiting from, ah, unorthodox sources. I am authorised to make offer to you and your peers.”<br><br>The creature didn’t move. It didn’t have to: when Valerian had climbed onto the rooftop and inched along the masonry’s gutter to find the gargoyle, the thing had already been facing the right way, as if expecting him. There wasn’t room to sit on the lofty precipice, so Valerian merely folded his arms, and leaned back against the wall. It was nearing midnight, but the moon was bright, and Hexville was cosmopolitan enough that the distant lights provided an impressive vista at such an elevated vantage point.<br><br>”I will get to point, yes? This city needs more protectors. It needs a proper garrison. Gargoyles know this city better than anyone else. Also very gifted lookouts and sentries. Maybe even more so than me… but, ah, only maybe, heh. I want you to work for city. Or rather, I want you to <em>keep</em> working for city, only this time with pay and recognition. Gargoyles have always been guardians of building, but now, they can be guardians of all buildings.” <br><br>Gargoyles were patient creatures… but they were also wary. They spent much of their time being ignored, and more recently, they had been thrown aside like unwanted scrap. Nobody had stood up for them when the Princess’s whims had called for their eviction. Now, here was Valerian, asking for favours and pretending it was all some amazing offer. He couldn’t really blame the gargoyle for being unresponsive. <br><br>”I don’t pretend this is big favour for you. You need city to live in, yes, but the city need you more than you need city. The watch do their best, is true. They are trying hard, more than anyone else in Hexville… but, ah, we demand too much of them. While they are only ones trying to clean mess up, everyone else make things worse, because they see opportunity in chaos. I should know. I was same. Too late, I realise I need to save city before I can save world.” <br><br>The gargoyle didn’t respond. Even armed with every fact and logical certainty to the contrary, it was hard for Valerian to shake the feeling that he’d somehow got the wrong gargoyle - that the thing he was speaking to really was inanimate stone. It gave a false sense of being alone, up on the rooftop that night. Perhaps that was why he found himself speaking aloud, as his gaze drifted towards the slums. Even at such a distance, the newly-restored fountain gleamed in the moonlight.<br><br>”I worry about what is happening in slums. Untrained person can’t perform medicine, or build bridge, or sail ship. Nobody would expect them to. And yet, there is great perception that untrained person can fight - that they somehow <em>work it out</em> if there are big group of them. Ah, I’ve seen it. Mobs of peasants turned to offal on battlefield, and for what? To use up a few arrows? To tire out a few knights? It is… unfair use of life. I worry about slum mob… a little because of people they might hurt, and a lot because they are going to <em>get</em> hurt.” <br><br>The gargoyle stared impassively, motionless. <br><br>”Well, think on offer,” Valerian said, turning to leave. ”That is all …”<br><br><em>FANGS</em><br><br>It was a small miracle Valerian didn’t fall from his lofty perch, and even that was only achieved through a wild scrabble and windmilling arms. Silently, impossibly, a second gargoyle had taken up station right behind his head, hanging from the sloping stonework. He couldn’t begin to guess how long it had been there, perched just the slightest fraction beyond his field of view, waiting for him to turn around. It too was frozen mid-snarl, its face twisted in an expression of fury - or perhaps, merely warning. Its clawed hand gripped a slate tile, the surface bearing a statement etched by razor-sharp claws. <br><br><span style="font-family: courier;" class="bbc_font">Yes</span><br><br><hr><br><em>Overnight, etched murals appear on the outside of the palace walls, seamlessly worked into the curves and buttresses of the fortification as if they’d always been there. One depicts <strong>Shanira Treyan</strong>, the watch officer instantly recognisable by a shaded stripe running down her face. She stands at the head of a patrol, her comrades battered but straight-backed, as the unit marches down some nameless alleyway. Shadowy figures and sinister silhouettes cower and flee before their approach, while a sunburst rises behind the watch patrol. <br>Elsewhere, a second mural depicts <strong>Mother Freya</strong>. Dressed in a hooded robe, her features are half-hidden, but one can see that her face is turned towards the sky with an angular, cruel smile on her lips. Below her feet lie broken and bloodied bodies of the poor, feeble knives and clubs in hand, their shattered corpses heaped up into piles to make a conveniently elevated path. The grisly road leads to a bloodstained throne, or rather the wretched remains of one. <br><br>Given the location and skill involved, the murals were clearly created by master stoneworkers who could not only fly, but were also familiar intimately with the palace… which, frankly, doesn’t leave many suspects. It wouldn’t take long to connect the dots: it’s public knowledge that Valerian has recently recruited the palace’s displaced gargoyles to form a garrison, his point-blank refusal to condemn the artwork is, at the very least, outright complicity.</em><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedPhoenix</strong> on <strong>28-09-2020, 00:44:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em><strong>Week Five</strong></em><br><br>Things are very quiet in the guild district, other than a small group of those fleeing the chaos in the Slums who arrive seeking shelter here, the Guild District once more manages to escape the chaos and calamity that besets most of Hexville!
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedPhoenix</strong> on <strong>02-10-2020, 18:21:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em><strong>Week Six</strong></em><br><br>Have the aspirants forgotten about the guild district? The heartbeat of the city, where the working class earn their name and the merchant class acquire the products and the inventors too wild for the university wreck havoc and innovation? <br><br>It appears so. Vorla begins to despair that she will have to be in charge forever, always administering, never creating. She sighs as she stares longingly at her forge, then returns to the accounting tomes in front of her...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedPhoenix</strong> on <strong>06-10-2020, 23:58:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong><em>Week Seven</em></strong><br><br>As Vorla feared, the developments in the Slums are starting to spill over into her Guild District. Shouts from across the streets and the noise and din of new constructions are starting to be felt here, blocks away. Are there whispers too of new frequenters to the shops? Perhaps things were better when the Guild District was overlooked....
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>pdragon</strong> on <strong>07-10-2020, 09:27:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/elpEfLj.jpg?1)</div><br>Mother Freya gave a quaint smile to those she passed as she stepped out of the slums for the first time in a long time. She had made her home in the "Inner Sanctum" the gathering point of her great Healing Church. However things there had started to come to a standstill, two factions too big to over rule each other, and too peaceful to simply come to blows and war it out. So while she had no intention of abandoning her flock there, it was time to start spreading the message of Aros out further. After all the Lord's message would have to reach every ear in the city before they could look inwards towards the palace. Accompanied by the group of guards that had come under her service, giving her presence a more official air, Freya would find a nicely populated square from which to give her speech. <br><br>"Good people of Hexville, if you may bend your ears for but a moment. I am Mother Freya, of the Healing Church of Aros. Some of you may have heard of us and our work in what you all know to be the "slums" of the city. Though I imagine most of you have not yet heard the word of the God who stands above all Gods. For months now we have toiled in the streets, walked among the people, spreading Aros's mercy and generosity amongst the poorest and most vulnerable in our fair city. However it is not just the Sanctum that is hurting, for the disease that's plagued this city has spread far and wide. For too long the prosperity of this city has been left to the hands of those who wish to hoard it all for themselves. For too long have "good" Kings been given pass for their shortcomings. For too long has this city been governed by a system that would would put a mindless woman upon the throne and call her Queen. For too long have people put their faith in Gods who sit by and do nothing as their people wallow in squalor" she preached, her tone always remaining calm and agreeable no matter how damning her words were, "This city is in pieces, that much is undeniable. Pieces that are literally rising up and walking away. It is hard to even fathom, a place so rotten the very foundation wishes to have no part in it. But that is the world we find ourselves in, the world shaped by the Queen and the nobles who hold her up. However nothing can be so broken that it cannot be put back together. And that is what we of the Healing Church seek to do, to put back the pieces of this broken city, not to merely restore it to what it once was, but to make it better, to see it's people reach their true potential and gain true prosperity. We wish not for you to simply survive, but to thrive" <br><br>"But alas, this street is not a church, and this is not a sermon. I have come not to preach, but to offer a service. Bring me your wounds, your sickness, your aches and pains no matter how large or small, and by Aros's light I shall cleanse them. The gift of health and comfort, freely given to any who have need of it. There is no charge, no dealings, no oaths you must swear or prayers you must whisper. I demand no faith from you, the Healing Church is happy to provide to any and all regardless of their beliefs. I only ask that you please consider these words: The change our congregation wishes to bring cannot be accomplished alone. Aros is a just and loving God, but it is only through his believers that his work can be done in this world. It will take the focus of many minds, the love of many hearts, and the labor of many hands. And what better hands than those of the city's great craftsmen and artisans? You have dedicated your lives to your crafts, your labors, and never before have they been so needed. You need not make a decision now, take your time to think about what you truly desire from this life. And if that discovery draws you towards Aros's light, then you need only come and attend one of our sermons, so you may learn how we can all work together to fix this broken world..." she finished, a warm smile on her half-veiled face. Once she had finished Freya would spend the next couple hours providing healing to any who asked: closing cuts, banishing bruises, soothing sprains, healing headaches, and reinvigorating those left exhausted from long, hard hours of work. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedPhoenix</strong> on <strong>12-10-2020, 01:53:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong><em>Week Eight</em></strong><br><br>The quiet of the past weeks seems to indeed be gone. The presence of the Aspirants from both the Slums and the Manor District now stirs up the Guild District. Mother Freya has come to preach the way of Aros, and Shanira Treyan has been granted the good will earned by the departed Valerian. Both now are starting to have something of a say of what goes on around here! <br><br>Vorla seems, if anything, relieved by these developments. It appears the dwarf will welcome either Mother Freya or Shanira Treyan gaining the necessary sway to take control here. The other important figures aren't shy about making their opinions known either. Selem Shal is eager to see the Church of Aros spread and optimistic about its future. Bianca Jones notes a slight preference for the ways of Shanira. Jacques meanwhile seems disheartened at the idea of either taking control here. <br><br>Still, there is work to be done, and that giant turtle is far away. If discussion and debate is the worst the guild see, they will count their lucky stars. They pray it stays so calm. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>RedPhoenix</strong> on <strong>16-10-2020, 04:54:45</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<strong><em>Week Nine</em></strong><br><br>As befits the steady beat of the mills and the steady hands of the artisans, things steadily advance in the Guild District. Mother Freya and her new ally gain ground here, although they do not have the influence to control the district yet, they have established themselves in ways that most others haven't. <br><br>"So close..." Vorla mutters, eyeing her forge longingly. "So close..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Hexville] Guild District</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Geeklet</strong> on <strong>22-10-2020, 02:40:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/oQoCM2D.jpg)</div> <strong>Morticia Scott</strong><br><br>Sway Attempt: Bianca Jones<br><br>The young inventor received a sudden knock upon her laboratory door, and upon opening it, would see the white-haired witch, along with a happy skeletal dog, wagging its tailbones furiously. "Hey there, mind if we have a little chat?"<br><br>As she walked in, the dog jumped up into Morticia's arms, and she carried the little undead construct inside, petting the top of its skull as she did. "Tell me something. I'm sure you enjoy the freedom of working out here, but isn't it missing something? Wouldn't you like to get back into the University, and their archives of knowledge, which you could use to enhance your own? Now, I know what you are thinking. 'They don't just have sticks up their asses, they have whole fenceposts.' Girl, I agree. You think they'd like someone like me there? Spreading knowledge of what some consider to be a forbidden magic? But see, we both know we are smarter than them. We can show them how things SHOULD be done. We can show them how things can work when you have no limits."<br><br>"I don't want you to give up anything. Heavens no. Keep doing what you do! Show people the wonders of science, and ALL that it can accomplish! It can be one side of the coin, with my magic on the other. Your heads to my tails. Imagine the wonders we could create..."<br><br>
			</dd>
		</dl>
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