Draven watched the guard captain run off before turning to the now named woman. "Well miss Katarin, it's nice to meet you, and I do hope to speak with you later on some important matters, but right now it sounds like there is quite a bit of excitement in The town. I don't know about you, but I have no intention of missing it." with that he gave a slight nod to the lampad, the closest thing to a bow he would ever be seen giving, and rushed after the captain.
Market
Now this he did not expect. A centaur, a woman as pale as the grave, a rock with eyes, a love child between an eagle And a man, and a ring of thorns. He also recognized the tingly smell of magical energy. "I don't mean to interrupt your swinging captain, but since I'm guessing it was magic that brought these plants into being, perhaps magic can take them out as well. anyone else agree with my assumption?"
edited 6th Feb '15 1:03:32 PM by Drake795
Airsoft pistol, $29.97; black spray paint, $1.99; seeing the guy who stole my lunch in Elementary School empty his bowels, priceless.Upon seeing Atheros cut through the briar, Cossolith decided to help. It smashed the plants and stepped out of the way, then gestured with an arm to the mostly unharmed Demarch. Cossolith nodded to the man he had not met before, assuming him to be a friend.
"Atheros," the golem said approvingly, "no more fighting. Demarcha is safe."
edited 8th Feb '15 1:05:03 PM by Crimsanotikku
grup we please"Or the rock can stomp on them. That works to. Now then, how's about we find a mead hall and settle this over food and drink?" Draven suggested to the very odd gathering before him Before glancing around. "This town does have a mead hall, right?"
Airsoft pistol, $29.97; black spray paint, $1.99; seeing the guy who stole my lunch in Elementary School empty his bowels, priceless."Calm yourself, Atheros," Zhycios said. "It is only a small fence intended to prevent further violence. Violence, I should point out, that was initiated by your esteemed Demarch when she took it upon herself to strike the face of the Champion beside me."
He pointed at Hermia just in case he didn't know who he meant. "I do not have time for the petty squabbles of self-righteous leaders who will hinder our defense of this city. Even a lowly beggar like Podramus was willing to redeem himself and commit himself to our righteous cause. That the woman who leads Nyreaum would not do likewise speaks ill of her dedication."
Draven stared at the centaur for a second, then turned to the Demarch, then the guard captain. "Hold on a second. Atheros, is what the centaur says true? This fragile, pampered woman is your jarl!? Hah! No wonder this town is in such poor condition. A weak ruler can only rule over the weak."
Draven then turned back to the centaur. "Now you, centaur, I like. We'll have to share a flagon of mead one of these days."
edited 6th Feb '15 12:53:49 PM by Drake795
Airsoft pistol, $29.97; black spray paint, $1.99; seeing the guy who stole my lunch in Elementary School empty his bowels, priceless.Glaukon was incensed at the centaur. He marched over to the scene, past Cossolith and Draven, and straight up to the Demarch.
"Milady Demarch. I truly apologize for the behavior of my companions," he sighed, shooting a look at Zhycios. "Let us start again from the beginning. I am Glaukon of Orichalpolis, and we have been summoned here as champions of Ares to defend your fair city from the Dysian incursion. Whether you believe our tale is irrelevant; we are here, and if you would accept our help then so be it." He frowned. "If you shall not, then we shall see how Nyreaum shall hold. I certainly hope that it holds better than Orichalpolis."
edited 6th Feb '15 6:53:52 PM by AllHailThrall
I can still hail the Horde even though the company has shamed us. Strength and Honor even if Blizzard has neither."Are these your champions, Atheros?" the Demarch asked indignantly as the guard captain put away his weapons and helped her up. "These brutes insult me, then offer me as sacrifice upon their thorned altar!"
"I'm sure that's not the whole story, Cybele. They've come to protect us; if they require an offering, then so be it. We will find something suitable." He spoke the rest loudly enough for the gathered townsfolk to clearly hear, "But their words are true - we're in no position to barter. The champions are our only hope. Do not question them; to do otherwise is to challenge the gods themselves."
Atheros gestured to the younger guard who had vaulted the briar ward, "Take her home."
The guard sheathed his sword and offered the Demarch his hand, but she shot him a cold glare. She gave one last look toward the champions, then headed off with the man close behind.
Atheros furiously turned around, scowling at the gathered townsfolk, the people now mostly silent. "Well? Does anyone else have a problem that needs my attention? Then begone! Disperse!"
He stood silently while they did, leaving market stands abandoned. The older guard remained, clutching at a nasty chest wound left by the briar thorns.
edited 8th Feb '15 6:26:26 PM by StygianEmperor
Flesh is a design flaw.Cossolith watched as the Demarch left with her entourage, and then as the rest of the townsfolk left. Now, they stood mostly alone and the golem turned back to Atheros. "What do we do now? How do we protect Nyreaum?"
And then its attention focused on the barbaric man. "Who are you?" it asked slowly. Cossolith then extended that very same arm that still held the apple and presented it to the man.
grup we please"My apologies, old man," Zhycios said to the old guard, slowly trotting up to him. He held out a hand and sent a wave of healing energy into the guard. "Still, better a few splinters than the alternative. Tell me, you began to move in on my friend here before the Demarch had even finished her first strike. How common are her outbursts that you already know what to expect?"
Draven looked to the apple in the golem's hand. "Don't mind if I do." He said as he snatched the apple, and immediately began taking massive bites. "Name's Draven," He said between mouthfuls. "what about you big guy? You got a name, or am I just calling you 'The Rock'?
Airsoft pistol, $29.97; black spray paint, $1.99; seeing the guy who stole my lunch in Elementary School empty his bowels, priceless.Katarin frowned in thought as she flew around the borders of the town. The defenses were... less than ideal, for defense. Hm.
She sighed and turned back to the marketplace, which she found deserted. She landed softly, looking around. "Hecate's hounds, what happened here?"
edited 8th Feb '15 7:13:03 PM by KarrinBlue
Exist, pursued by bear"The Demarch thought we were a fantasy and apparently doesn't fancy 'beastmen'. I corrected her former view and told her what I thought of the latter— and of her, for holding it. She took great offense, and started a fight she wasn't prepared to finish. She hit me, I hit back, then our apple-bestowing friend stepped in and things... escalated. The others showed up and tried to defuse the situation, and we managed to avoid any bloodshed, though I think the Demarch is more than a little shaken."
edited 9th Feb '15 11:43:26 AM by Dragon573
It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.The old guard removed his hand from his chest with a look of amazement as the wound sealed. He yet seemed distrustful of the centaur, backing away as he replied, "About as common as her being insulted to her face, lord. I've never seen her so angry, I'm just old enough to know what trouble looks like."
Atheros didn't deign to turn around, merely tilting his head somewhat before speaking, "Contrary to what you seem to have assumed, Demarcha has been good for Nyreaum, much as I wouldn't say so in front of her. She's the reason this town has been able to resist Pyrian influence for as long as it has, keeping up trade with the few others to make sure we had what we needed so the accursed missionaries wouldn't find us so easy to bribe; something I certainly have no talent for. We would have fallen years ago if not for her."
The guard captain sighed, "She was very young when the gods went quiet, and like most, doesn't place her trust in them. I had hoped to introduce you soon, on my terms, but now I fear her trust may be impossible to gain."
edited 9th Feb '15 8:42:25 PM by StygianEmperor
Flesh is a design flaw.Nyreaum - Market
"Well, aside from making sure she's never alone with the Demarcha again, there's not much we can do to change the future," Zhycios said to Atheros, agreeing.
"Still, for the short-term what matters most is defending the city, repairing what we can, and whipping its people into shape. Maybe after all of us" he glanced at Hermia, "have proven that we will protect Nyreaum and demonstrate our abilities, the Demarcha will warm up to us."
edited 9th Feb '15 8:56:25 PM by nman
"Well then we best get started." Draven said after swallowing the apple core, turning his attention to the centaur. "As I told the captain here, there's a group of Pyr's men camped out near a port-town not to far from here. When they'll actually arrive is hard to say, but the sooner we get this dump into proper working order, the better."
Airsoft pistol, $29.97; black spray paint, $1.99; seeing the guy who stole my lunch in Elementary School empty his bowels, priceless."What are you looking at me for? You're the one who threatened to sacrifice her. I just gave her back what she threw at me," Hermia objected indignantly. "I was told this was a place the Old Gods were still worshiped, not that this was a place where one man tended a temple to Ares, and the rest had given up hope... Wonder if that's all Anubis lied about," she gave a childish pout and folded her arms.
I'm having second thoughts about this...
It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve.Aesalon swooped in and touched down to check out the aftermath of the incident and landed just in time to hear Hermia's comment.
"Gods and people lie, or take liberties with the truth on a regular basis. Maybe your divine saw something that isn't immediately obvious in these people, or maybe you could make him right. There is no reason to give up hope so easily."
"I didn't say anything about hope. What I said was that I was called under false pretenses, and if the Old Gods aren't going to be straight with me, I have no reason to help them. I served Anubis because the Olympians were less than kind in their dealings with mortals, and if he's going to start going the same way, so help me..." her voice trailed off, fuming.
edited 10th Feb '15 11:58:08 AM by Dragon573
It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve."Well, I do see your point. I served under Horus in his forces and I do not wish to return to such barbaric acts a only gods can commit. But gods have certain responsibilities, even if they rarely keep them. And, with this power - "
Aesalon waved his clawed hand in a clockwise motion and swept a few leaves into the air with a gust of wind.
"- we have responsibilities too. We may be working as their champions but this doesn't have to be just about helping the old gods not be subsumed by these new ones, although there is virtue to that cause. We're meant to protect this place at all costs; we can help them."
As he said so, he swept his arm around, pointing to the rest of Nyreaum. He lowered his voice to a whisper afterwards and spoke with a softer tone.
"And if that doesn't tempt you, I'm sure you won't come out of this empty-handed."
Draven turned to the undead woman and bird-man, hiding his smirk at the last wispered words. "But if truth is what you want, pale lady, how about this? Pyr's worshipers are starting to hate non-humans almost as much as they hate the old gods. What they hate even more than non-humans are humans who gave up their humanity. people like you, Miss Undead, and People like me. They will hunt us as long as we live. If they can't kill you, they'll just tare you apart and hide the Pieces. That is the truth. If you won't fight for the gods, and I don't blame you, and you won't fight for the people, then do it for self-preservation."
Airsoft pistol, $29.97; black spray paint, $1.99; seeing the guy who stole my lunch in Elementary School empty his bowels, priceless."I care not for these people, who do such ill service to their gods, and money has no value for me. All this venture will gain me is the enmity of the New Gods, if Anubis should prove untrue."
At Draven's words, she hesitated.
"It is not the first time I have been hunted by fanatics."
edited 10th Feb '15 12:53:46 PM by Dragon573
It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve."It's not the first time for me either, and I have the scars to prove it."
He ran his thumb along the scar on his face to illustrate his point.
"But what can we do when the whole world follows the Devine Word 'Humans Only'? When everyone wants us gone for good, and no one and no thing will protect us? Fight now and we have a chance. If we run away, we will never be able to stop running."
edited 10th Feb '15 2:39:08 PM by Drake795
Airsoft pistol, $29.97; black spray paint, $1.99; seeing the guy who stole my lunch in Elementary School empty his bowels, priceless."Suits me. I never stop running, anyway."
She paused for a moment.
"..."
Her frown deepened.
"..."
Finally she sighed. "If you lead me astray, I will be revenged on the whole pack of you, I swear on the river Styx," she muttered. "Fine."
It's kind of funny. Sufficiently advanced stupidity is like sufficiently advanced science; eventually, you find something you can't solve."A fair point. People with such an attitude..."
Aesalon produced a bizarre noise somewhat resembling a cough as he purposefully cleared his throat.
"Well, have been a problem already, evidently. If we were all sent here by older gods, then surely this place at least could be turned back to more helpful beliefs."

Main Gates
"Fine, fine," the guard captain agreed, holding out a hand toward Draven. "Welcome to Nyreaum. You might have noticed the gods' favor is already upon us."
He gestured above, to the Lampad hovering on flaming wings, "You've met Lady Katarin, sent by Ares to -"
Several screams sounded from the direction of the market.
Atheros dropped his hands to his sides, "Gods, what now?"
Market
"Demarcha!" the guards yelled, drawing their swords.
The younger one leapt the briar wall as the older caught himself upon the stinging nettles. Cossolith's quick intervention was the only thing that kept the young man from taking a swing at the centaur or the lich, interposing himself between the parties.
The townsfolk were giving the scene a wide birth, some screaming while others stared in silent horror. A child's crying could be heard.
The Demarch herself was speechless, and had slowly backed away from Zhycios until she was pressed against the briar ward and could get no further, a look of shock and terror replacing her regal air.
Atheros arrived as Hermia was attempting to deescalate the situation, and upon seeing drawn weapons he pulled his own, looking between everyone with wide eyes, "What in Tartarus is going on? Demarcha?"
With the axe and sword, the guard captain began to frantically cut at the briar behind the woman.
edited 6th Feb '15 11:35:13 AM by StygianEmperor
Flesh is a design flaw.