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Geoffrey Ivorygate

"No good ever comes out of violence--let us strive to find a peaceful solution to this... distasteful situation..."

0 · 416 views · located in The Badlands

a character in “The Fall of Xamos”, as played by BlackIceRocker

Description

Image

Name: Ambassador Geoffrey Ivorygate

Age: 52

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Appearance
An older man who looks as if he has seen too much in this lifetime, Geoffrey is a thin man who keeps himself looking as best as he can despite his age. Short, sleek silver hair atop his head with a black goatee and chinstrap beard adorn his face, paired with dark blue eyes that seem to study everything and anyone they see with a calm intensity. His diplomatic attire consists of black robes with darksteel pauldrons and a glimmering silver chestpieceā€”the Holdā€™s greatest diplomat does not want to be taken off-guard, especially when dealing with hostile vyldkin. He also likes to wear crimson or scarlet, the color of the Holdā€™s flag; he is more than aware of the irony that he is attempting to prevent violence while wearing blood-colored clothing.

Personality
Most of the time, Geoffrey comes off as cold and aloof. Business is always on his mind, and sometimes it is the only thing on his mind. Geoffrey is sympathetic of other races and is very interested in meeting and interacting with new people, although he may not always show it. The life of a diplomat is arduous and filled with a bit more peril than one might think, which may also make Geoffrey appear ragged and tired at times as well. However, he really is a caring person when one is able to infiltrate the exterior. As he grew up in a more affluent part of the Hold, he explored the arts and holds an extremely high appreciation for them.

Allegiance
As a diplomat, Geoffreyā€™s allegiance lies with the prospect of peace. He sympathizes with the plight of the vyldkin, although frowns upon their methods of ā€œexpressing their displeasure with regards to their situationā€. If, however, the two races are unable to come together to work out some sort of agreement, he will still attempt to achieve peace in some manner, despite being untrained in combat. His political allegiance, however, still lies with the Ivory Hold and the well-being of humans, and he will (unfortunately) side with them if push comes to shove.

Skills/Abilities
Geoffrey is a natural speaker and was interested in politics and diplomacy from a young age. His experience with the other races of Xamos has helped to make humans seem less impulsive and greedy, although that reputation may have been tarnished with the most recent accusations against his species. In addition, Geoffrey has a very keen mind and a sharp wit, making him dangerous to deal with on an intellectual level.

Weaknesses
Geoffrey has never had any formal training with weaponry or swordsmanship, nor has he ever been comfortable with violence. He is next to useless in combat and relies on guards to fight for him if the need arises. In addition, he has no magical ability to speak of (despite knowing a bit about the research behind it) and is slightly envious of those that have magical capabilities despite the dangers that accompany such knowledge.

Bio
Born to an upper-class family in the Ivory Hold, Geoffrey showed the makings of a quick mind from an early age. To his familyā€™s disappointment, however, he chose a liking toward politics instead of the arts, which greatly upset his father more than anything. One fateful encounter with a dwarf merchant changed the young Geoffreyā€™s life and steered him toward the idea of interacting with the other races of Xamos.

In his thirty years of service to the throne, Geoffrey has proved himself a valuable resource to the Ivory Hold. He is routinely called upon to help settle disputes between members of the Holdā€™s government, and his preference to dealing with other races sometimes calls for him to work with interracial disputes. Now, with the prospect of war looming on the horizon, Geoffrey is determined to do what he can in order to prevent a calamitous disaster from befalling Xamosā€¦

So begins...

Geoffrey Ivorygate's Story

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A small pack of horses rode out of the Ivory Hold, heading out toward the northeastern badlands. They had decided that it might be best to leave during the rising sun so that their path would be lit brightly across the plains of Xamos. The leader, a knight clad in silver armor, charged ahead on a galloping steed as another half-dozen guards fell into a formation behind him. An eighth rider, this one not quite as armor-clad, fit his horse in the middle of this formation, keeping up pace as to remain with the group. While this last figure wore a breastplate, he wore little other armor, preferring to let the wind run through his silver hair.

"How long of a ride do we have until we reach the badlands again?" one of the armor-clad guardsmen asked over the pounding of hooves against the ground.

"A few hours if we're quick and the horses aren't spooked," the leader of the guardsmen replied, slightly turning his head to the side to acknowledge the question. "These horses haven't ever seen a vyldkin before, so depending on how hostile they are and if we meet any along the way, you may have to keep a handle on your mounts."

Another guard turned his gaze toward the man in the center of their group, somewhat impressed by the golden embroidery glinting against his black clothing. He noticed that this man in black and gold was feeling slightly uneasy with his current situation, although he tried to mask it--and would otherwise be doing a good job of it if not for the jerkiness with which he moved.

"Ambassador Ivorygate, are you ill?"

The silver-haired man looked toward the guard who had questioned him, giving him a slight nod of reassurance and gripping the reins a bit tighter. "Not at all, son--riding was... never my strong point..." This was true; even as a boy, he never quite got the hang of riding on a horse and was one thing that he had always tried to improve upon but never found the time to do so. Work always came before pleasure, which, unfortunately for him, was now almost all-consuming with the advent of war on the horizon. Perhaps if he were to help bring back the peace... It was only a dream, and he knew it. This fact weighed heavily on his mind, but he was determined to try to work out a plan for peace by whatever means necessary.

The knights rode on, taking the landscape into consideration. The further they ventured from the sight of the Hold, the more barren the land seemed to become--fields of wheat and other grains began to deteriorate into mere grasses; trees began to disappear from the landscape, giving everything a haunting flattened look to the horizon. After about an hour or so of riding, the leader of the guard took a minute to slow down, the others managing to calm their steeds and pulling off to the side for an opportunity to eat something and stretch their legs out.

"S-sir?" one of the knights, one that the black-clothed man had never seen before, approached, voice wavering slightly. "You've dealt with the vyldkin before... They... I-I've got children at home..."

The ambassador placed a hand on the young knight's shoulder. "Just out of training?" he asked, scanning the young man with his eyes. He did not appear to be too old--thirty-one, thirty-two years old probably, relatively new to the whole 'armed forces' gambit from the way he asked the question. "They may not be willing to attempt to talk, and if they do, it will only be grudingly so. That being said, the rumors are true--the vyldkin are extremely volatile and they love nothing more than a good fight. One must always be careful when trying to negotiate with creatures that tap into more of a... bestial side to their personalities than we do. Be on your guard when talking with any of them, especially if they have anything in their hands that can be used as a weapon."

The frightened guard shot a quick glance toward his captain before turning his attention back to the diplomat. "I was under the impression that they have razor-sharp claws--"

"They have those as well, son--and razor-sharp teeth. They can be rather xenophobic, so we must approach them with respect and attack the matter at hand delicately."

Another guard, overhearing the conversation, looked up while taking a bite from an apple. "So why go at all? If they're just going to attack us on sight--"

"They shouldn't, Private Melzuchar," the ambassador's tone grew cold and stern. "It is your job to keep the peace should things begin to deteriorate, but it is my job to make sure that we can maintain a peace to make it safer for all of you... all of us." He then took a seat on a nearby log, biting into a large piece of dried meat and chewing on it while he mulled over possible outcomes of this meeting in his mind. What if the vyldkin were unwilling to talk after all? What if they were killed, their heads sent back in a sack to the Hold? The ambassador closed his eyes and shook his head--he knew better than to doubt these negative thoughts, especially having dealt with the vyldkin in the past.

Still, the stakes had never been higher for him as they were now...

Setting

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Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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Jura kicked at another clump of grass as she walked through the expansive grass plains. The plains that never seemed to end. Ever. The young woman looked to the left and then right. Yep, these fields were never ending. For ever and ever. She plucked a thick wad of wavy grass from her side and threw in behind her.

Think Hansel and Gretel. Now think Hansel and Gretel who really don't want to remember where they where. Because Jura already had a rather good idea of where she had been since she had been wandering around that area for a good while now. She knew how she had gotten here too as she had walked with her siblings along a dusty path some hundred metres back. The dusty path had faded into grasslands. Dodger, as curious as she was, managed to get distracted by something over a hill, went to check it out and got split up from her family.

Now, she was a bit bored.

See, the fear of being in the middle of nowhere where all those nasty vyldkins could get you got old after about an hour. Thus, the young woman had gotten past that stage and was now hoping for some hulking beasty to jump out from a grass bank just to liven things up a bit. No such luck. Didn't seem there would be any furry attacks in the near future.

Jura let out a tired sigh before ripping another clump of grass up, roots and all, and chucking it over her shoulder. The hollow thump behind her was rather satisfying, she couldn't lie. After getting this bored, even the malicious destruction of plants was fun. But even that was getting very old very fast.

Dodger decided to figure out just how much she was screwed over. First things first. Money. The young woman patted her pockets but this told her nothing as to her financial situation. All the other stuff in her pockets was in the way. She hummed quietly before shaking her hips quickly. She was rewarded with the jingle of coins in the bottom of her pocket. So, not too bad there. Second priority, food. Jura shook her head at her own stupidity. She never put food in her pockets as she had had a horrible experience with food making friends with pieces of flint.

Never good.

Jura let out a heavy sigh and sat on the grass. Getting lost sucked. Especially as her brothers were going to never let this one go. Jamesy was going to take this as evidence why she shouldn't get to do the better chores. Damn James. Although, her father had said that it was likely that she would go missing on this trip. Jura had claimed that she wouldn't go missing and still managed to get lost. Ah fate.

The farm hand sighed before picking herself up off the ground. She couldn't just sit around all day, she'd get killed by something or die of hunger. Which reminded her, she was getting really hungry. The young woman sighed and carried on her hjourney through the grass lands. Before long, she spotted a few pinpricks on the horizon. After a while, these pinpricks became a little bigger. And then the little blobs on the horizon grew to resemble people.

Dodger let out a relieved sigh of finally find people again. She missed talking to actual people instead to grumbling to herself.

"Hey!"

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Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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Geoffrey Ivorygate




"Hey!"

A cry broke the silence that had built up in the ambassador's mind--something of a mental bulwark that he used to block out distractions from the outside world so he could focus on the tasks at hand. It was that of a young woman; even without looking, he could tell just by how shrill it sounded. A few nearby birds took flight at the outcry, possibly feeling the same things that he and the guardsmen were thinking at this moment.

"Ambassador, do you know that girl?" one of the guardsmen asked the diplomat. "What is she doing all the way out here?"

Taking a quick glance toward the approaching girl, he noticed a few striking features: white hair flecked with splotches of dirt, ragged clothing torn up from possibly a fight, boots that seemed almost too large for her feet. What was most unusual, however, was the fact that she carried with her a slender sword, still in a scabbard and sort of dangling from her side. He shook his head, the wind running through his silver hair and sending a slight shiver down his spine.

"Do we have any extra food, captain? That young woman looks too worse for wear."

"Ambassador, I implore you, we need to get moving so we can--"

"Captain, I understand the gravity of the situation, but this girl looks close to collapsing in the middle of nowhere. We cannot just abandon her out here like this." His voice was uncharacteristically cold toward the guardsmen. "Bring her over--the least we can do before moving on is get her something to eat."

"...you heard the ambassador, men. Bring the young girl forth." With a hasty salute, one of the guards wandered out toward the woman and began to escort her toward the group.

"I believe you're making a mistake, ambassador... You know the vyldkin aren't going to be very keen to the idea of not only us coming to talk with them, but now you want to bring this vagabond with us?" The captain was keeping his voice down to a relative sizzle, but the diplomat could hear the frustration in his voice.

"I never said anything about bringing her with, did I?" Ivorygate quipped as the guard brought back the young woman. Up close, she looked more ragged than before.

"Captain, get this young woman something to eat," the ambassador nodded, taking note of how pale she appeared. He turned toward the newcomer after one of the guardsmen placed a large apple in her hands. "Now, ma'am, what are you doing all by--"

"Ambassador, I do not mean to interrupt, but while I was escorting the girl back, I caught a glimpse of someone else... just watching..." a guard piped up.

"Oh? Of what kin was she?"

"I think it was a drow, sir, although it was sort of hard to tell..."

The diplomat closed his eyes and inhaled. "Keep your weapons ready, men--I would appreciate caution in case this figure attempts to follow us. In the meantime," the older man turned back toward the newcomer. "As I was saying, what are you doing here by yourself in the middle of nowhere?"

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Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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Jura almost collasped in relief as the young guard like fellow came over to her. She gave the poor bloke a thankful smile and focused on walking in a straight line. Not so easy when the heat has been bearing down on you all day. She was taken up to a group of people who looked much too smart for her town. Or what was her town. She was sat down and a large apple was placed in her hands. She quickly gave the guardsman a quick smile and a wink before taking a big bite out of the sweet fruit. She almost cried as the sweet feeling of food hit her stomach. She was never starving on the farm, but she was always hungry. She had missed the last meal her family had had before the move and couldn't physically remember the last time she had eaten.


She supposed that was a rather large issue. But she shrugged it off as the man in the super clean suit turned to talk to her. Dodger lowered the apple from her face, ignoring the flicker of protest her stomach gave. She gave the man in front of her a tentative look. She realised she knew nothing about these people. Nothing. Well, that was incorrect. She knew that this one guy had a buttload of guards around him. So he must be super important. Jura squirmed a little at this. If he was important, then she better not annoy him too much...


"As I was saying, what are you doing here by yourself in the middle of nowhere?" The man asked. She sighed a little and rubbed her temples. She felt the headache of dehydration burning behind her skin. She coughed to clear her throat before rasping out her question.


"Uh, I'll tell you in a sec but could I get some water first, please? My throat is all dried out..." She trailed off, coughing again as her throat tickled at the dryness. Maybe not so great on the water front so far. Great. Add that to the list of things that Dodger doesn't have going for her.


The man--it looked as if he was the leader of this group--nodded and soon a waterskin was placed in the girl's free hand. Jura nodded quickly before drinking the water in huge gulps. She brushed her mouth with the back of her hand before sighing.


"Well, I was moving with my family and, well, I got lost...Again...But what are you guys doing here? You don't exactly strike me as nomads or anything."


The man in black chuckled. "You would be correct, young lady. Unfortunately, we are not staying for long, nor are we heading in any direction suitable for... well, young women such as yourself." He was attempting to be as courteous and respectful as possible to the newcomer as he could without directly telling her anything.


If Jura had still been drinking water, she would have choked from laughing. Young lady?! no one had ever called her that before and she had been called a lot of things. Dodger set her shoulders and tried to portray a responsible and independant young...person.


Which is pretty hard when you are not so tall. Or strong looking.


"Hey, considering I just spent a couple hours lost in a place that would be rather unsuitable for anyone, I think I will be fine in any direction. So where are you going?" She asked, curious now. If these guys were going to do something interesting, she was all for it. Her family wouldn't mind that much. To be honest, they probably hadn't noticed she was missing yet.


Oh, the joys of a massive farming family.

Setting

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Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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The ambassador watched as the newcomer wolfed down the apple and took large gulps from the waterskin she had been handed. He scanned her ragged clothing over and over again, trying to analyze what had caused her these massive tears and rips in her shirt and her pantā€”had she been in a fight? Had something attacked her? But there was no blood, just the tearing of the fabric. Most interesting, however, was the sword that she carried with her into the camp; in all of his years in the hold, he had never seen something quite like that blade before, and even his men seemed a little put-off by the shape of it and the fact that this young woman carried it with her.

ā€œSo where are you going?" The young womanā€™s forwardness caught the diplomat off-guardā€”why did she want to know so badly where they were going? Had she no concern to where her family had wandered off without her? He had no idea why she suddenly so interested in what they were doing and where they were going, but he felt that this woman was in no place to know about what he was off to accomplish.

The ambassador took a few steps toward the guardsmen behind the girl, wanting to say something but not necessarily finding the words to do so. ā€œWellā€¦ Young ladyā€¦ Weā€™reā€¦ I understand that you may be curious, but donā€™t you believe thatā€”ā€œ

ā€œAmbassador, I was right!ā€ one of the guardsmen interrupted, pointing to something off in the distance. ā€œI told you I had seen a drow!ā€ He pulled out his sword in preparation. ā€œShall Iā€”ā€œ

ā€œAt ease, soldier,ā€ the diplomat sighed, putting a hand on the guardsmanā€™s pauldron to calm him. ā€œSheathe the weapon, guard the girl here. Captain, you come with me,ā€ he motioned to the most veteran of the guards. ā€œWe will discuss this with the drow. Protect the girl.ā€

ā€œSir, I assure you that you are wasting time byā€”ā€œ

ā€œIf this drow is of the intent to harm this girl for any reason, I feel it my duty to negotiateā€”after all, it is my line of work, captainā€¦ā€ the diplomat shot back. ā€œIf this latest newcomer decides it necessary to attack, then I will allow you to perform your duties. This one does not seem ready to attack, howeverā€¦ā€ He walked out toward the figure with the captain grudgingly following him.

ā€œHail, traveler,ā€ the ambassador bowed his head toward the dark elf, now noticing for the first time that it was, in fact, a she. ā€œDonā€™t see many dwehga on the surface, especially those that wander around the middle of nowhere. What business do you have here?ā€

Setting

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Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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Protect the girl. Protect the girl?! Jura growled a little before reminding herself that this guy had not met her before and must be given a little leeway. He obviously didn't know that Dodger Darling could take care of herself very well, thank you very much. Despite the whole going missing, getting hopelessly lost and falling into custody more than a few times. But apart from that stuff, she was great at looking after herself. In her own opinion...

At the protest of a few of the guards, she slipped underneath the barrier of people in front of her. As one guard tried to catch her, she dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way. She then got to her feet and gave the offending guard a wink. Guards, they think they must always guard people. Pfft. Jura casually stepped around the scene around her, taking a large bite from her apple.

She observed the two brand new "most interesting people of the group" talk to each other. After all, guards, as fun as it was to annoy them, weren't all that interesting most of the time. The suit seemed very much the leader of the guards and seemed more of a talker than a fighter. He was good with words and used this to his advantage. He reminded her of her father who always tried to resolve the arguements. Funnily enough, Jura was more like her mother's side with the hot temper and "action before words" mind set.

The newest addition seemed more mysterious. The suit had called her a dwehga, whatever that was. Sounded cool what ever it was. The young woman wondered if this woman had magic or anything cool like that. She'd never actually met anyone with magic. Jura finished off her apple before actually paying attention to what was being said. That whole attention thing was always a problem for her sometimes.

"I am merely a traveler and your group aroused my curiosity. I have seen few representatives from the Ivory Hold in this region, much less armored knights." The young woman giggled at this and stepped into the fray.

"Yeah, me and you too, love! Boy, was I surprised to see a couple of guards and a suit to be wandering around out here! Well, honestly, I was surprised to see anyone..." Jura trailed off, thinking of her few hours of adventure through the empty grasslands. Jura folded her legs before falling to the ground elegantly. She sat cross-legged on the dusty ground, her long sword lying by her side. She lifted the weapon gently, unsheathing the glimmering and well cared for blade. She hid the blade from plain sight again before looking up at the two in front of her.

"Although, I am well surprised to see you here too. Seriously, did this place become a metropolis for travellers when I wasn't looking?" Jura laughed again before spring back up to her feet.

"Silly me! I forgot to introduce myself. Well, that's manners thrown out the window, huh? I am Miss Jura Darling but call me The Fantabulous and Ever So Amazing Dodger. Or just Dodger for short." The young woman gave them both a playful wink, conveying the joke.

Even though it would be quite fun to be called The Fantabulous and Ever So Amazing Dodger.

"But yeah, what's your name? And I never quite caught your name either, Mr Suit." Jura let out a quick giggle before regarding the two people in front of her eagerly.

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Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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Geoffrey Ivorygate




The ambassador was rather surprised at the amiable drow standing in front of him. From his previous experiences with the race, most had been wary of him at best and downright hostile at worst. It was unusual that the woman had not greeted him with a death threat, which from what he had gathered was the norm for the more xenophobic clans that lived underneath the surface. This one, however...

"I am merely a traveler and your group aroused my curiosity. I have seen few representatives from the Ivory Hold in this region, much less armored knights." The drow's voice was soft but carried with it an inner strength that the diplomat recognized to be almost characteristic of her race.

The silver-haired man cleared his throat. "Well, seasoned travel--"

"Yeah, me and you too, love! Boy, was I surprised to see a couple of guards and a suit to be wandering around out here! Well, honestly, I was surprised to see anyone..." The ambassador was shocked to find the young girl his guard had brought to their little picnic had escaped their watch, still munching on the apple she had been given. She smiled playfully, taking a seat on the ground and playing with her sword. "Although, I am well surprised to see you here too. Seriously, did this place become a metropolis for travellers when I wasn't looking?"

"Um, young lady, what exactly are you doing away from my guard?" the black-clothed man asked in a rather neutral tone. He was attempting to come across as non-threatening as possible, although it might not matter as much if the woman with the sword was acting as overtly playful and outgoing as possible anyway.

"Silly me! I forgot to introduce myself. Well, that's manners thrown out the window, huh? I am Miss Jura Darling but call me The Fantabulous and Ever-So-Amazing Dodger. Or just Dodger for short." The girl had enthusiasm, he had to admit. The name, though... He could not do anything with that imaginary title. "But yeah, what's your name? And I never quite caught your name either, Mr Suit."

This young girl... She did not quite understand the concept of silence and discretion, it seemed. The diplomat exhaled quickly through his nose, darting his eyes back and forth between the drow and the newcomer with the blade. She was right, at least--he had not given his name...

He bowed twice, once toward the drow and then once toward the girl. "Geoffrey Ivorygate, ambassador to the Ivory Hold and for humankind. A pleasure to make your acquaintence, Lady Darling..." his voice trailed off as he had not been properly introduced to the drow at this point in time. "As to why we have such armored men, well... They are my personal elite guard, tasked to accompany me whenever I ride out anywhere business-related. I will be continuing on my way with them as soon as we can. Miss Darling, one of my guards will be more than happy to escort you back to the Hold if you so wish, or perhaps they will be able to take you home..."

He turned back toward the dark elf, bowing slightly once again. "I do not believe I caught your name, miss...?" he extended a hand toward her, a small half-smile threatening to betray his professionalism. He enjoyed interacting with other races, the dwehga being no exception.

Setting

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Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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Jura smiled as the two introduced themselves. She always liked to put names to faces, made them easier to remember. And easier to blackmail. But that was not something the young woman really wanted to get into at the moment. Blackmail was always tricky to plan. The suit...Geoffrey had mentioned something about one of the guards taking her home. Well, she was going to have to hit that on the head sharpish as there was the slight problem of Dodger not really knowing where home was at the moment. She knew where the farm was...but that would be razed to the ground by now...well, at least that's what her parents were saying. Jura didn't really believe that the vyldkin would burn down their farm. That whole story was just a few people getting on their high horses. She hoped.

Jura felt she should inform Geoffrey of her slight home problem. Right after the drow...Talael had finished talking to Ivorygate. Well, she was going to tell him when she caught sight of Talael's appearance.

"Oh my gosh. You're blue! That is so freaking awesome! I wish I was blue but I'm more of a pasty white. I bet you don't get nasty sunburn, huh? I would give anything to not have to deal with sunburn. It sucks cos I always seem to look like a tomato and then it goes all..." Dodger trailed off as she realised she was babbling and with these more mature and responsible looking people, rambling probably wasn't going to fly. The young woman gave the two people in front of her a blinding smile before falling silent once again.

That didn't last too long.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to say. Geoffrey, about that whole "one of my guards will be more than happy to escort you back home" thingy ain't really going to work since...um...I don't really know where home is right now. We were moving and then I got lost and then...well, I never really asked where we were moving to..." Jura finished off, blushing a little. Her inability to have everything under control was really getting rather frustrating. And when she said frustrationg, she meant it was getting widely out of control and was starting to have not so fantastic consequences.

Dodger gave a soft laugh before blushing a little. So maybe she didn't know where she was going...but these people did. Thus, if she stayed with them...she would have a heading and would probably find her family eventually. She usually did in the end.

"But, if I stick around with you, I'm sure I'll find my family at some point. And I could help you on your journey and stuff. I mean, I'm pretty good with a sword!" Jura exclaimed, her fingertips brushing her prized sword. Another thought occured to her before she joined the quest with no intention of leaving until it was complete.

No one can say Dodger isn't anything but committed to adventuring. Especially when it involved guards. Annoying as they were, they usually indicated exciting stuff.

She turned to face Geoffrey head on, her deep green eyes seeking out the older man's dark blue orbs.

"So where are you guys going anyways? I mean, we need a direction to head in, right?"

Setting

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Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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Geoffrey Ivorygate




"It is an honor, ambassador. I am Talael Tamira. I suppose I should be thanking you for your amicability." The drow removed her hood, revealing the normal features that one of her race would display--inky-blue skin, pointed ears, bright crimson eyes, stark-white hair. "You must be on important business, so far from the Hold and with such protection."

"How observant of you to note, Miss Tamira," the ambassador bowed his head once more, internally cursing as his inability to remember how to respectfully address female drow. "This is in fact my--"

"Oh my gosh. You're blue! That is so freaking awesome!" The girl--Jura, she had called herself; Ivorygate did not remember the ridiculous title she had given herself, nor did he care to call her that, mostly due to the professionalism he wished to maintain--interrupted his train of thought. Perhaps she had never met any of the other races before, he mused; it was most likely the logical explanation as to why the girl with the sword was so excited about meeting the drow for the first time. He waited until Jura had slowed her excited speaking, letting it taper off to nothing before clearing his throat again.

"As I was trying to say..." the diplomat focused his attention on the drow in front of him. "Those are my own personal guards, who accompany me--"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to say. Geoffrey, about that whole 'one of my guards will be more than happy to escort you back home' thingy ain't really going to work since..." Had this girl no sense of manners? He had only known this young woman for a total of five minutes and already she thought herself to be on a first-name basis with him! Perhaps she was a farmgirl--the twinge of her accent really spoke volumes to the diplomat--and did not know any better; perhaps she just did not care, especially since she had met him outside the hold. The girl had mentioned something about not knowing where her home was--surely she could not have gotten this lost on accident?

"But, if I stick around with you, I'm sure I'll find my family at some point. And I could help you on your journey and stuff. I mean, I'm pretty good with a sword!" The ambassador finally took a good look at the sword the girl carried with her--she seemed to take rather good care of it, that was for sure. As to how well she could wield the blade, well, it was up to her to display the talent. However, despite how gifted she claimed to be, she was no diplomatic guard, who had not only had ten years of training in the regular military track but also spent an additional four years training to spot any potential subtle threats that could endanger the ambassador's life. These men had been training for about as long as this girl had been alive--there was no way that she could help him as efficiently as his guardsmen could... but there was that enthusiasm...

"Young lady, I do not doubt your skills with a blade and I undoubtedly sense your enthusiasm..." the man chuckled, simultaneously amused and put-off by the girl's talkative nature. "I do, however--"

"So where are you guys going anyways? I mean, we need a direction to head in, right?" The girl's eyes seemed to widen as she interrupted the diplomat yet again.

"I do, however, fear for your safety--it's not the safest place out here for someone of your age and experience--"

"Ambassador!" The captain of the guard had finally made his way over toward the group. Ye gods, how many people must interrupt him today? "Sir, we must keep moving now--we are losing valuable daylight, and you know that the vyldkin don't like to be waited upon..."

The older man sighed, hoping to keep the mission a secret from the excitable girl and perhaps even the drow--despite the rather amicable feelings he received from her, he could never tell when the species as a whole spoke genuinely about their feelings or were merely masquerading them as to not display what they truly planned. Better safe than sorry, he figured--best to play along now...

"As my captain just said," the ambassador took a quick glance in the armored man's direction. "We are meeting with a tribe of vyldkin in an attempt to help negotiate peace; barring that, we seek neutrality from their tribe. If a war is to indeed break out between them and us, it is in our best interests to keep the opposing numbers as low as possible. What I was trying to explain to Lady Darling here, captain, was that despite her supposed skills with her blade, you and at least three of the guards in our small contingent have been training in combat for longer than she has been alive--I assume, at least, you're no older than twenty-five?" He turned his attention back toward the girl. "One of my guards can house you in the barracks in the Hold until my return, at which point we can attempt to locate your family and reunite you with them."

"And now, my dear dwehga," the silver-haired man focused back on the drow. "If you may forgive my forwardness, what brings you to the surface? As I had said before, we humans do not often see your kind often unless you happen to be on business; and your kind, from what I understand of your culture, lacks the wanderlust that you seem to possess. Anyone can travel, but you, m'lady, to use a human phrase, stick out like a sore thumb." He eyed her carefully, trying to analyze how the dark-skinned woman would respond, if at all. If he suspected anything, he would merely leave her to her travels, but he and his captain had already said too much--

...Perhaps she could help out after all...

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Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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Talael opened her mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by the flurry of chatter coming from the excitable little girl. She watched the exasperated ambassador try to deal with the interruptions of the constantly curious girl and his own worried guard. Her eyebrow twitched as Jura pointed out the foreignness of her blue skin, but she kept up her polite smile. While she did not need any reminder of how out of place she was, there was no need for the others to see her discomfort. She wore her hood up in most places for a reason, after all. Gawking children tended to draw as much attention as her skin did.

"Ah, a man of peace. Some days I fear they are a dying breed in this world." Talael commented when the chatter finally lulled out. "Hence I worry that the vyldkin will be unable to see such reason. Though, I supposed you worry that as well." She paused, glanced to the armored knights, then meeting Geoffrey's scrutinizing gaze with a wry smirk. "You need not worry about myself, dear ambassador, I am a rarity among my people, and my wanderlust is quite insatiable. And I am quite aware of my appearance, but I find that most reservations fade after an honest conversation such as this, wouldn't you agree?"

Her gaze then briefly flicked to Jura. "Perhaps you should listen to the good ambassador, child. The road can be far more dangerous then the bards will have told a young girl at the tavern. They have a dreadful habit of embellishing away the rigors and tarnishes of the wanderer's life."

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Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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Jura placed her hand on her hips as the ambassador attempted to ship her off with one of the guards. Eh, no. Oh no. Oh heck no. The young woman had never played particularly well with others, especially not guards. Especially not the fancy guards. They were always the ones who were the most annoying. They were also the people who were under the impression that Dodger could not care for herself and were usually the ones on the receiving end of a hefty kick. But that was just her own personal opinion.

Dodger pulled a face when she remembered about the barracks. That would mean even more guards which would equal even more trouble. And honestly? The less trouble the better as far as Jura was concerned. Her parents were already going to have a field day over this nonsense as it was. No point throwing even more material at them. The young woman sighed heavily and frowned as the other woman of the group threw her opinion in as well.

"Perhaps you should listen to the good ambassador, child. The road can be far more dangerous then the bards will have told a young girl at the tavern. They have a dreadful habit of embellishing away the rigors and tarnishes of the wanderer's life." Jura pasued a little before replying. She didn't want to insult this traveller as she seemed to have "magic user" across her forehead and Dodger sort of wanted to avoid being a donkey or something.

That and she thought that Talael was hella cool and wanted to stay in her good books as much as possible Why? Because drow, dude, were freaking awesome. Even if they called her "child".

"Now, I don't mean any offence, Miss Tamira but I'm not a newbie to this traveling lark. Born into the school of tough nuts, I was." Jura gave the woman a beaming grin. Then she turned to Geoffrey.

"Now, Geoffrey, Mister Ivorygate, Ambassador Dude, whatever you want to be known as, you ain't got to worry about my safety. I can definitely look after myself, even around a whole lot of vyldkin who, by the way, are the reason I am lost in the first place. Well, actually, no." Jura paused for a second, her eyes narrowing as she thought.

"They are the reason I had to move in the first place. Cos a few of their groups were getting a bit too near my farm. And my dad, being my dad, flew off the handle and moved us all out. Even my sister Canna who is way too pregnant for any of that moving lark. Her husband Mark was freaking out about it..." The young woman bit her lip and turned away, suddenly feeling a bit more empty inside. She had no idea if Canna and the baby were alright. She didn't know Georgie's baby Ceit was alright. A lot could happen in a few hours. Her family could be...Dodger inwardly cursed herself.

She couldn't afford to be thinking like that. They would be fine, they had to be. She was just scaring herself. Jura shook her head a little before turning on the spot. She gave Geoffrey a cheeky grin.

"Besides, they can't hurt me, if they can't catch me. And I haven't met many people who can catch me." Jura winked before letting her fingers brush against her sword again. She wished she could show them all that Jura Darling with a sword was not someone who wanted to cross. But, she couldn't. Not with all the people, she could hurt someone. And definitely not with horses about. Scaring people was fine but not animals. That was just cruel. And Jura had always been taught never to mess around with the livestock because if a horse or cow decided to kick at you for freaking them out, they would break your leg easy.

And besides, the horses never did anything to her. So instead Dodger faced the ambassador head on, her eyes clearing of previous mirth.

"So, even though you're probably just going to send me to the Hold with one of your guards -which is a really bad idea if you ask me-, just remember that if you need someone sneaky and hard to catch," the young girl grinned mischeiviously. "I'm your girl. As great as it would be to find my family, I'm not too sure they've noticed I'm gone yet. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I do something to help the whole of Xamos while I've gone walkabout. Again." Dodger grinned and let out a giggle.

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Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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Geoffrey Ivorygate




"Ah, a man of peace. Some days I fear they are a dying breed in this world. Hence I worry that the vyldkin will be unable to see such reason. Though, I suppose you worry that as well."" The drow nodded, impressed to find a human that did not necessarily wish ill on the species that would potentially be attempting to kill his race. "You need not worry about myself, dear ambassador, I am a rarity among my people, and my wanderlust is quite insatiable. And I am quite aware of my appearance, but I find that most reservations fade after an honest conversation such as this, wouldn't you agree?" Tamira quipped immediately afterwards, almost as if she was trying to prove something to him--Ivorygate, of course, was still slightly cautious about drow away from their homeland. At least under the ground, the drow were rather vocal about where their allegiances were; above, it could be anyone's guess--she could be an assassin for all he knew, but there was still something about her...

"Perhaps you should listen to the good ambassador, child. The road can be far more dangerous then the bards will have told a young girl at the tavern. They have a dreadful habit of embellishing away the rigors and tarnishes of the wanderer's life." Ivorygate knew that the drow had a more logical way of looking at the world, most likely due to the harsh conditions they put themselves through in their never-ending search for power. Thank the fates that this logic continued to aid him--the more he talked with this woman, the more the ambassador realized that the dwehga, in fact, could be a potential ally for his cause.

"Young Jura, please understand that it is for your safety than anything else--you will be safer in the Hold than out here, I assure you that. Where my men and I are heading, well, is not the most friendly of places... The guards--" He noticed that the youngest among them scowled slightly whenever he mentioned the guards; why did she think them so untrustworthy yet attempt to converse with the diplomat as if they were good friends? Did she not hear him before when he had said that they were his personal guard under his command?

"Now, I don't mean any offence, Miss Tamira but I'm not a newbie to this traveling lark. Born into the school of tough nuts, I was." The young girl interrupted his thoughts once again--this sort of thing was beginning to become a nuisance to him. Of course, he would be as patient as he could possibly be given the situation, but this sort of thing had to be kept under control...

And now she continued to explain her current situation with moving out of her home and having to deal with potential vyldkin problems--seems as if everyone must deal with the aftermath of that travesty now, especially those that live farther away from the Hold. From the sounds of what she had been talking about, though, it appeared that Jura came from a larger family, especially larger for a farming family. As she continued speaking, there seemed to be a more distant look in the young girl's eyes, almost as if she did not want to reveal anything to the ambassador about something that might have happened... but as quickly as this sight had come, it left her face, once again displaying the rather optimistic side of the young woman.

"So, even though you're probably just going to send me to the Hold with one of your guards -which is a really bad idea if you ask me-, just remember that if you need someone sneaky and hard to catch, I'm your girl." Jura flashed a mischievous smile toward the ambassador before standing up and playing with her sword once more. "As great as it would be to find my family, I'm not too sure they've noticed I'm gone yet. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I do something to help the whole of Xamos while I've gone walkabout. Again."

"...This has happened before?" the ambassador muttered, bringing a hand up to his forehead and massaging his temple. "I understand your enthusiasm, but I also know that the city can be a somewhat... well, intimidating place, especially for someone that might not come from a very large hamlet. If you must stay away from the city--"

"Ambassador, think about what you are saying!" The captain interjected, his eyes growing wide.

"Please, captain, allow me to finish my thought..." Ivorygate's voice seemed to catch a bit of an edge to it, mostly because he was quite tired of being interrupted by the other two humans in the vicinity. "As I was saying, if you must stay away from the cities, my men and I can escort either of you to your destination, so long as you are heading in the same direction as us. It will be dangerous the further out we go, especially as we near vyldkin territory, and we may not have quite as much food as we would have without two extra travellers... Lady Jura, if you must stay with me, you will not interfere with any diplomatic proceedings that will come to pass. Lady Tamira, I do not know what direction you are headed, but you are more than welcome to accompany my men and I if you wish..."

"Are you mad, ambassador!? You know we can't--"

"Captain, if you are so inclined, you may head back to the Hold. Otherwise, you will assign two men to keep an eye on the young one to make sure she does not interrupt anything that may be helpful to the survival of our species..." With that, the diplomat bowed toward the two women and made his way back to the waiting guards, wondering whether the others would be interested in his offer...

Ye gods, I hope this works...

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Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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Setting

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Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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Talael remained silent, the hint of an amused smile still on her face as she watched the ambassador, the captain, and the girl chatter and bicker. This was certainly one of the more interesting, albeit a tad odd, group of humans she had encountered. It was certainly enough to pique her curiosity further.

"I find that the most rewarding journeys are the ones where the direction is not so narrowly defined, Sir Ivorygate." Talael said in response to his offer. And certainly an interesting offer to her. She had no interest in seeing the vyldkin ravage the countryside and had even less inclination of waiting until the tensions erupted into warfare. Such detestable conditions would make her travels far more difficult. "Therefore I would be honored to have such fine company, so long as you wish it. And you need not worry about my well being, I have my own supplies." She gestured to the pack slung across her shoulder.

She then looked to Jura. "I would suggest you pay heed to the ambassador as well, child. There are times when stubborn will and cheery disposition are of little aid in the wilderness. You would be best to have some small amount of caution." Fortunately there was plenty of burly guards to look after the girl, Talael considered, while perhaps she and Geoffrey could find a solution to the threat of the vyldkin.

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Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling
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Jura furrowed her eyebrows after she grasped what Georffrey was saying. She wouldn't have to go with the guards? She could adventure with them too?! She let out a little squeal before jumping up. Her sword brushed her side and hit a nearby guard on the shin as she leapt. She didn't really care since guards could look after themselves surely. They were so uptight about guarding others that they just might be good at guarding themselves a little. Perhaps. Hopefully.

"Oh, that's awesome! I love to adventure, even if it is with a bunch of guards!" She exclaimed gleefully. Dodger turned to Geoffrey, giving him a thankful look. She knew that this guy wasn't doing this for his own benefit and she appreciated that. Even though she would be helpful to have along. All those guards looked very burly and would be no good at sneaking around and getting into small spaces. The ambassador obviously had not thought of that. Dodger raised her eyebrows as she looked over the the guards. They didn't even look like good liars. Lying was always important when you had to talk to people. Well, that is what she had found after years of sibling "negotiations".

Jura let out a giggle before grinning widely. She turned to the ambassador, her green eyes glinting with excitement.

"So! What's our heading?" She called over to Geoffrey, her hands on her hips and her mind racing. The sooner they went on this adventure, the better!

The setting changes from Xamos to The Badlands

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling Character Portrait: Feral Bloodrazor Character Portrait: Aransandorian Dwin'shadr Character Portrait: Ahn Surestrike
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The ambassador was relieved to hear that the drow at least had some extra provisions for herself, but the girl was going to be slightly problematic. At the rate that they were adding people, they might not have enough supplies to feed everyone for the rest of the day--or at least, make sure they had somewhat full stomachs in order to feel comfortable. Still, Ivorygate was not about to leave someone out in the middle of the plains who required help; that would be too cold and cruel, even for the vyldkin. The guard, as correct as he was in his assertion that they could not sustain many more mouths especially with their already-limited supplies, did not seem to realize that being cold-hearted was making them more and more like the war-faring beasts that they did not want to emulate.

Geoffrey smiled as he heard the dwehga tell the young girl about the dangers of travelling on the road. At least someone else was trying to bring a bit of logic into the girl's mind, even if Jura was not going to pay attention to the sage words of wisdom that were being imparted by two elders. There was, however, something to her enthusiasm that Geoffrey enjoyed... Perhaps he did take his job a bit too seriously at times... But with the fate of the world at stake, there was no time to shirk off in his duties to the Hold.

He led the others back to the circle of horses, nodding to the guards. "Men, this is Lady Jura Darling and Lady Talael Tamira. They are travellers who I have offered protection to for the time being. Men, you are to treat these two women with respect and dignity at all times, understand?" The guards saluted in response, although Ivorygate could see a bit of apprehension in the mens' eyes.

"Find a guard to sit with, ladies--if they give you any trouble, feel free to call out their attention to me," Geoffrey nodded before climbing up onto his horse. "Men, we ride to the Bloodrazor Grounds." With that, the captain led the way to the east, heading out toward the Badlands.

An hour passed. The group found themselves in an area with quite a bit of overgrowth. It was not long before the travelers came across another group of people--these were rather poor-looking fellows that seemed to be gathered around a slender man...

"Bandits!" Geoffrey exclaimed to no one in particular. "Men, you know what to do." With that, he stopped his horse and dismounted, walking toward the group before watching the bandits suddenly collapse onto the ground as a tremor shook through the immediate area.

"What was that!?" one of the guards exclaimed as the not-bandit of the group seemed to get back up without so much as a scratch on him.

"...must be some sort of magic, I believe..." Ivorygate's voice seemed slightly distant. "Men, make sure this man is able to fend off the rabblerousers. When you've finished, I'd like to speak with the mage."

"...Sir, with all due respect..." the captain muttered through gritted teeth. "We are already behind schedule and overburdened with extra people. Do you really need to talk with this man?"

Ivorygate turned to the cynical captain, a glint in his eye. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I'd like to. It is your job to guard those that require protection, no? If he attacks you, feel free to arrest him in self-defense."

A few of the guards nodded in compliance and ran out to assist the young man with his battle. Geoffrey, in the meantime, watched from the sidelines, giving an occasional glance back to the newcomers. After a few minutes of fighting, the attackers scattered back into the woods, rather infuriated that they could not get their money or goods or whatever they were looking for. Satisfied, the ambassador approached the remaining figure, who he realized upon closer inspection was an elf much like Talael except for the lack of dark-blue skin.

He bowed his head in respect toward the stranger. "Andaran atish'an, fheyga'mal", he greeted, using the proper greeting toward males of this particular race. In the limited time he had spend living and observing the elves, he had picked up snippets of their language. "Are you alright? Who were those men that attacked you just now?"



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The vyldkin on the ground looked up toward her compatriot, catching his smirk out of the corner of her eye. While the first two choices sounded legitimately plausible, the third she knew was a joke--it had to be! How could Ahn say something as ridiculous about her as that? After she had talked up such a big game, too?

"You imply you even had a chance in the first place," she growled back to the silver-furred vyldkin beside her, more of a joke than anything else. Feral knew that she had a tendency to come across as a bit aggressive at times, and she figured that Ahn would have enough common sense to understand that. She had, after all, noticed him watching her when she had sparred with other vyldkin and he had conversed with her in the past. Besides, he was a blade-brother--how could she not joke about this sort of thing with him, despite the fact that it was more than a joke to her?

"Of course I have a chance, battle-sister," he grinned a her, "I have to make it hard for you, otherwise it would not be challenging. Besides, you wouldn't have it any other way, would you?" He asked her as he strode next to her. He looked down at her, his grin reflected in his silver eyes. How he couldn't wait to see her in action once again. It was always entertaining to watch her during her sparring matches.

"Please--you have strength, I give you that much," Feral shot back without missing a beat. "I, on the other hand, can rely on more than my blade. A true hunter must be stealthy, agile, and ruthless. With a huge blade like that, you can be none of those things. If, however, you relish the thought of hunting through instinct and natural prowess alone, well... that is the embodiment of the hunt. It's how our ancestors would want us to hunt--besides, it's more satisfying this way." She managed to keep her pace consistent with the others despite being on all fours. For whatever reason, some vyldkin were more naturally adept in this particular posture; Feral just happened to be one of these hunters.

"You do not think that I am capable of stealth? Or agility? My blade is all that I need, dear Feral. I'm willing to bet that I am much quieter than you," he teased. However she had one thing right: he wasn't agile at all without his weapon and became a lumbering mess of muscle without the blade. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to learn a few things from her in the future, but until then, he would be just fine with his sword. "Our ancestors run deep in us all. I think a bit deeper in you," he suggested, referring to her tendency to be overly excited when hunting. He tried to hold back the chuckle that threatened to ruin the mood, but it slipped out just a bit before he caught it.

Feral crossed in front of Ahn, a bit of a smirk creeping across her face as she listened to Ahn's counter-argument. "I never said you lacked those capabilities, but rather are hindered by your reliance on that blade. You need to become... versatile if you want to catch your prey off-guard. If you're disarmed and rely only on your blade, what then?" She looked back up at Ahn, presenting vicious-looking teeth toward him. "This is where your true strength and inner fire comes to the front, Ahn. It's in this moment where you feel most alive. The ancestors know it and bless us with their prowess."

Ahn watched her as she shifted to walk in front of him, moving her body backwards and yet still keeping pace, a wonderful trait if he said so himself, "Versatile, hu? I can show you versatile," he said with a laugh. Unhooking his blade, he let the weaon drop and fell forward, tackling her suddenly in a playful manner. Ahn growled at her and nipped at her as he rolled forward, trying to bring her down.

"Really... you want to do that now?" Ahn heard Gnash comment from the front of their party. Ahn ignored him and kept up his play.

Feral was, admittedly, caught off-guard as Ahn slammed into her side, causing her to shift off-balance and nearly fall to the ground. She felt the silver vyldkin biting at her skin in almost a playful manner. Without hesitating, Feral scratched at Ahn's chest with one claw as she threw her other arm around his shoulder, slightly digging into his flesh and possibly drawing a bit of blood. She mustered a powerful kick with both of her legs as she found her opponent's other shoulder and bit into it, letting her teeth bite down on his skin without drawing any blood this time. With a grunt and a growl, she attempted to flip him onto his back, where she knew she would have the advantage.

"Save it for the beasts, you two!" Bane growled, turning around to attempt to settle their mock fight. "If you really need to do this now, head back to the clan--we have no need for distractions like this on the last hunt before the exodus. You both know how serious this is--are you two even listening to me!?"

Ahn grunted as Feral was quick to retaliate against him. He felt her claws digging into his back as she attempted to roll him to get on top. Only there would she have the advantage. Her jaw locked over his other shoulder opposite to where she was gripping him, but she did not bite down hard enough to break the skin. Ahn grinned as he let her kick roll them. If she thought that he would allow her to take top, she was very much mistaken and he used the roll to continue across the grass until he pinned her, and leaned up with a broad smile.

"Heard, yes. Listening, no," Ahn answered Bane who had yelled at them.

Feral was not one to take this pin lying down. In his moment of distraction, she placed both of her hind limbs square on his chest and kicked him hard enough to break his grip on her arms. She quickly got back onto all fours and smirked.

"You know I am not the largest prize of this hunt, Ahn..." she growled through a bit of a grin. "We have bigger prey to find..." With that, she followed behind Gnash and Bane, eager to get the hunt underway once more. "They're right, though--we'll settle it later at the camp if you would like..."

Ahn fell backwards, knocked off of her completely and the wind taken from his lungs as he hit the ground. With a cough, he regained the air needed into his chest and rolled over to his stomach to pick himself back up. Growling lightly, Ahn picked up his weapon and followed after her, "You may not be the largest, but you're a prize to hunt," he commented, "If you think you can handle it, I would be pleased to finish back at camp."

"If you two are done, we have a herd to find..." Bane muttered once again, turning his attention toward the the north. The four wandered for another fifteen minutes or so before coming across a herd of gray-skinned beasts, each with four horns curling from atop their heads. They contented themselves with feasting from the grasses that grew sparsely across the badlands. A few of the larger beasts, however, decided to display their strength to the others of the herd by charging at one another and locking horns in combat.

Feral smirked as she felt a glimmer in her eye. She looked back toward Ahn, displaying a bit of her jagged teeth. "The big one's mine..."

The setting changes from The Badlands to Xamos

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Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Aransandorian Dwin'shadr
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Talael smiled to the guard as she climbed up onto the saddle behind him, quite aware of his discomfort but choosing to ignore it. She was quite glad for the human propensity to follow the orders of their elders, despite their own foolish misgivings.

She relaxed into the saddle as the ride progressed, glancing around her surroundings somewhere between contentment and boredom, when she perked up as soon as she heard Geoffrey's exclamation.

Following Geoffrey's gaze, Talael saw the bandits, but made no move from the saddle. There was a plenty of well armed guards to deal with petty thieves, and she had no intention of revealing her magical abilities on a trivial matter that they could easily dealt with.

Of course, even that was not necessary. Talael sensed the hint of magic a half second before the ground swallowed up the bandits. She tensed, wary at the impressive display of power. She peered at the figure, watching from the saddle as the guard directing the horse stayed with Geoffrey.

It was an elf, she realized and she promptly pulled up her hood, tugging it as far as it would conceal her face and more importantly her dark skin. Talael shifted a bit in the saddle, letting the guard and his bulky armor hide her from view. She had little interest in bantering with a Fheyga over outdated petty conflicts and animosities, and was content to let Geoffrey deal with him.

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Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling Character Portrait: Aransandorian Dwin'shadr
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#, as written by Ion
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The black blade blossomed from the back of a bandit, but Aransandorian did not linger long enough for the fool highwayman to collapse upon him and weigh him down, tearing the shortsword from the manā€™s rent flesh and pivoting neatly one foot, bringing it up to parry the next downward strike from a bastardsword, ducking under the simultaneous hammer-strike with uncommon fleetness. Lighting a palm-sized flame in one hand with a thought, the elf shot this over the bar of his sword-arm, unceasing in motion and not bothering to watch as it smote a third man, dropping him to the earth below.

Snaking upwards from his crouch, the lithe man twisted, contorting in such a fashion as to come up under the guard of the swordsman heā€™d parried, swiveling his dagger so that he had a backhanded grip upon it and thrusting it into the side of the banditā€™s abdomen, in between the gaps in his leather armor. Rotating his own torso, he brought the fellow in front of the next hammer blow, which crushed his skull like an overripe fruit. A swift clenching motion of the fist as he again withdrew the darkened blade from the body of a dead man, and a small buckle appeared in the ground, tripping the hammer-wielder and sending him backwards into another throng of his comrades.

Aransandorian straightened, using this brief moment of respite to take stock of his situation. The entirety of events had taken no more than a minuteā€”combat was quick like that. As he did, though, he felt the passing of many footsteps through the earth, and his mismatched eyes flickered in the direction of their arrival, to see a number of guards approaching, apparently intent on helping him with his little problem.

Well, if they wished to throw themselves into the fray, he was not going to stop them. It didnā€™t take much longer to make short work of what bandits remained, and a few with more intelligence than their comrades fled into the distance beyond. None of his business, as long as they did not think to enter his forest. Surely even they would not be so stupid as to disturb the sacred places of the elves.

On the heels of the guards came othersā€”more dressed like them, two women, one with a hood over her face, and the other quite small, and a man wearing some armor and clothing with insignias of what Aransandorian could only presume to be rank. He was probably in charge, then, and thus responsible for ordering the other humans to aid him. To his surprise, the man spoke to him in elvish, albeit the tongue of the fringe-dwellers rather than the deep ones. It was still more than heā€™d expected.

ā€œAlaquenta, istyar,ā€ he replied in his own dialect, ā€œfor one who speaks the tongue of the thin-bloods.ā€ The words themselves did not seem particularly kind, but he infused them with no malice, and indeed the language itself (high elven, a nearly dead version of the tongue) was of such a nature as to be almost musical in its cadence, and difficult to speak inelegantly, though he had no doubt a human could butcher it if given half the chance. ā€œI am unhurt, though the same may not be said for all of those who sought to try me.ā€ He glanced askance at the dead bandits. ā€œThine assistance was unneeded against simple rogues, but it does not go disregarded. I am called Aransandorian Dwinā€™shadr, by those who have cause to use a name of that kind.ā€

He assumed there would be more questions yet forthcoming, but he would not answer them until they were asked.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling Character Portrait: Aransandorian Dwin'shadr
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Jura was sat behind a lump of muscle on a poor horse that was trying to transport them both. The young woman would gladly walk if the ambassador wasn't so focused on get to this "Bloodrazor" place super quick. So walking was out of the question. She settled for petting the poor animal as it trotted along. She was amusing herself by following the pattern on her belt when a sudden stop caught her attention. Well, jeez. What was that for?!

At the cry of "Bandits!", Dodger's hand flew to her sword and she held the blade firmly in her hand. Fighting always was a strong point for the young woman. The hulk of muscle leapt off the horse and Jura was able to see properly. A group of people surrounded another man and they were getting their asses handed to them. Jura let out a whistle as the guy offed one of his attackers. The group of guards took off to help him out and Jura let out a huff, sheathing her blade. Didn't look as if she was needed here at the moment. Her green eyes moved quickly to see that Talael and Geoffrey were still on the horses. She watched as Geoffrey moved forward to do his whole negotiator thing. Jura herself vaulted off her horse elegantly, landing on the ground with a soft thump. She slowly made her way over to the newcomer, her eyes wide. New people were always so freaking awesome, especially ones that could kick ass. Dodger slowly hopped over to the ambassador, a soft grin upon her face. She felt she should make a good impression. But this was Dodger and good impressions weren't something she excelled in. She listened into the conversation quietly, sitting crossed legged upon the ground. Sitting was always her favourite position, no matter where she was. Didn't want to get tired legs or anything! She dipped her head as the man spoke, his voice sounding pretty to her ears. He even used funny words like "thine". That was adorable. She giggled and leant forward. She liked this guy so far.

However the name...the name would be a problem.

"Aransandori-what?!" She blurted out loudly, scratching her head. She then realised she had spoken out loud and blushed. "Not that there's anything wrong with being named Aransaiandorian...um...yeah. It's just where I'm from we have names like "James" and "Hannah"..." The young woman once again, realised she was rambling. "I'll be quiet now." She almost whispered, directing her words more at Geoffrey. She didn't mean to intrude but this guy was interesting. That and it really felt good to sit on something that wasn't constantly moving. Horses were fine and all but the ground was a lot more comfortable. Jura raised her eyes and sighed.

"I suppose I best introduce myself then so I'm not just "the girl who interrupts and rambles." Jura Darling, at your service. But call me Dodger. That goes for everyone, by the way." She turned to gesture at the guards. "Even you, Mister Ambassador, dear. No more of this "Lady Jura" stuff. I am as much as lady as my horse is." With a quick grin, she turned to the new guy.

"By the way, you kicked ass back there. It was pretty awesome." She flashed another wide grin before looking back at Geoffrey. She wasn't quite sure what this guy felt about her and wasn't too sure if he was going to shout at her or just plain ignore her.

Well, Jura was never one for simply wondering and this was as good a situation as anyone to find out.

She just hoped that if Geoffrey was going to leave her in the middle of nowhere, a guard would draw her a map of some sort.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Talael Tamira Character Portrait: Geoffrey Ivorygate Character Portrait: Jura "Dodger" Darling Character Portrait: Aransandorian Dwin'shadr
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"Alaquenta, istyar, for one who speaks the tongue of the thin-bloods," was the reply that the ambassador received from the elf. Strange that it was in a dialect that he had never heard before--possibly something archaic, considering none of the elves he had ever spoken with had used language that sounded like this before. ā€œI am unhurt, though the same may not be said for all of those who sought to try me. Thine assistance was unneeded against simple rogues, but it does not go disregarded. I am called Aransandorian Dwinā€™shadr, by those who have cause to use a name of that kind.ā€

The diplomat bowed his head in respect. "The honor is mine, fheyga'hahren. I am called Geoffrey Ivorygate, Ambassador of the Ivory Hold. Do you dwell in this forest? If so--"

"Aransandori-what?!" A shrill voice interrupted the conversation as Jura attempted to wrap her head around the elf's name. "Not that there's anything wrong with being named Aransaiandorian...um...yeah. It's just where I'm from, we have names like 'James' and 'Hannah'..." The ambassador shot the girl a stone cold glare, unamused by the interruption.

"...I'll be quiet now..." she whispered sheepishly to Geoffrey, her face turning a bright crimson in the process.

The ambassador merely brought a hand to his face and rubbed his temple, shaking his head slowly. "Abelas... The young one cannot control her... impulses..." Another look toward the girl before he cleared his throat, addressing the elf. "As I had asked before, do you dwell in this forest and protect it?"

The elf had been about to respond to the diplomat, inclining his head in a return of the respectful gesture, when he was interrupted by a disproportionately-loud feminine voice. At first, he did his best to assume that the interruption was a misplaced but well-intended one, and was intending to supply the proper last syllable to his name. It seemed, however, that his input was not at all required, as she continued to speak, cutting both himself and the human called Ivorygate off from the possibility of further communication.

Well.

If she was going to be uncouth enough to do that, he was going to ignore her, as was the expected response when one was irrelevantly interrupted. On no interpretation of her words could he assign them much consideration or courtesy, though he did note the name, as it was polite to do so. As soon as he was certain she was done, he turned back to the diplomat, who apparently felt the need to make her excuses. To this, Aransandorian merely elevated a single eyebrow, choosing to put it from his mind altogether and answer the meaningful question addressed to him.

"I do, though the center of mine realm is quite a fair distance from this place. I approach the edge that I might depart my ancestors' home for the first time in a century. I would inquire of you, and your purpose here." He was not going to assume that they were here to interfere, and they were close enough to the fringes that he would allow them to travel without confrontation, but that did not diminish his natural protectiveness of this place. He was not its guardian for nothing.

"You are fair to ask," the ambassador replied, bowing slightly once again. "My guardmen and I are currently seeking an audience with a nearby vyldkin tribe, and we must first pass through this forest in order to arrive in the quickest manner possible... Of course, this has been after a few detours..." he looked toward the girl sitting on the ground once again. "As you may have no doubt heard, the relations between humans and vyldkin are... rather uncomfortable at this time..."

Ah. This was logical. "I see." He took a moment to cast his eyes once again over the members of the group."This is a most interesting piece of wyrd, then, for I seek something of a similar kind. I am sure you understand that, given its location, my forest is bound to become the site of much bloodletting and outside interference if such a conflict were ever to rear its despicable head. I seek to avert this course, whatever the cost." There was a pause, and he allowed a moment for his implications to make themselves obvious.

"If you seek the most efficient way through my home, I will guide thee. Take nothing from it, and it will take nothing from you." He left out the part where he was the instrument of such retribution-- the point spoke clearly enough for itself.

A slight smile came over the ambassador's face at the good fortune. "Ma serannas," he nodded once more before turning toward the rest of the group. "Men, you heard the elf--do not disturb the forest as he guides us through toward the vyldkin clan. We do not need people doing things they should not be..." he more or less directed this statement at Jura, who sat off to the side of the group. "Now then, Aransandorian, do we continue on foot or on horseback?"

The elf considered this for a moment. "It would benefit you to keep seat upon thine mounts," he decided at last. They were not, after all, aiming for silence. "Though I do not advise straying far from the path I shall take, lest they turn their feet." Bringing his middle finger and thumb to his mouth, Aran whistled, the sharp sound infused with an almost-mirthful trill.

From the trees emerged a creature slightly larger in stature than the average horse, though it appeared to be some species of ibex or elk. Its fur was a tawny color, dappled in white, such that the outline of it seemed to blur against the trees. He'd sent her away when he felt the humans approaching, but there seemed little need to hide her now, and he swung astride her bare back with the ease of familiarity.

"It is best to continue now," he advised, "the journey will consume the better part of the day, even mounted, and it is ill-advised for the unfamiliar to linger in the forest at night."

Ivorygate nodded as he turned toward the others, noting that the drow had taken the time to cover her features as to avoid an unnecessary stigma between the two elves. "Back on the mounts, men--we follow Aransandorian'hahren and he will lead us to the tribe we seek." The ambassador mounted his steed, making sure to stay near the elven guide. "You say you are about to leave this place for the first time in a century. Perhaps you might share your wisdom of your sanctuary with one that seeks to better understand the ways of your people."