Dominions: The Middle Ages [Harambe]

[Deleted]

(The original thread for those interested.)

The young man looked about the group, wary at their intentions yet relieved to see a living- truly alive face. "I am Alatus, son of Adric."



With much reluctance, he answered the second question honestly. "I'm heading to Man," he told them, trying to hide his growing anxiety.



When questioned on his abilities, Alatus was again hesitant. Eventually, he just told them, "Evocation." Then, he set his pack in front of him and showed them the hand-and-a-half sword at his hip. Within the bag was nothing more than food and a small pouch of Pythian coin. He knew it'd been smart to exchange his native Scelerian change.



Alatus felt his paranoia fade with the blind boy, whom he looked upon with pity. "I'm rather tall; always have been, speakin' in terms of age. With that, I carry a long frame, my arms reaching longer than most, and though you could call me lanky, I've done enough work to have some meat to me. My hair is longer than I'd like it to be, and black as night; my eyes are blue, 'like a clear late morning sky' as I've been told. I keep myself clean-shaven normally, but my face has gotten a bit scruffy lately."



Then, when he'd just felt really at ease, they asked him his goal. Should he tell them? Could he? Alatus was certain the people of Sceleria weren't respected, seen as unclean and like to be dead.



"Knowledge," he lied. Or was it a lie? "I seek to learn things that may save my family." In this case, his family was the entire realm of Sceleria, and possibly the rest of Ermor- he hoped, perhaps, that the magic of Avalon could unlock the secrets of the energy that flowed through his veins.


their questions asked and answered, the mercenaries return to their conversations and discussions. It isn't long before you come to the realization that you're not quite in the fold as of now, as you aren't brought into any of the conversations. This doesn't bother you too much, however, as the conversations would likely just trigger your paranoia. This doesn't mean no one makes an effort to talk to you, of course. The blind boy, along with a gruff, older looking man in raged leather clothes, come over and try to strike up a conversation with you. The older man is mostly silent, joining in on occasion with a bit of small talk, but it's namely the blind boy that asks you questions, some of which are a bit too personal for your taste. 

Later on, the mage would make an effort to converse with you, but it was far less endearing and innocent than the boy. No, he simply came up to you and started ranting about Man, and how he and his Fir Bolg brethren once lived in Avalon, which the "accursed men" reportedly stole from them. You find the conversation is largely one-sided, and you can't find many opportunities to interject. 

[forced meme (harambe)]

Alatus, though paranoid, did his best to offer conversation to both of his new companions, especially the blind boy. He'd been blinded once, when he'd come down with a strange breathing disease which made running and fighting and even moving hell on his lungs, and his body had stopped healing- until his mother had taken care of him. Something about her ability sparked with and inspired life, and when she returned from the Pythian Crusade she simply sent it through his chest, and his eyes saw once again the day after.

As for him, Alatus still hadn't enough of a grasp to save anyone... but perhaps, if he tried, he could free the boy of his lifelong darkness. As for the questions, Alatus simply danced around them, offering a quip or a question in return if it was one he would rather not answer. And, as guilty as he felt to admit it, the less personal conversation of the older man was preferable enough to where he could even engage in small talk.

He could understand the mage's position, and so he listened. "Were you alive when your people were driven from Avalon?" he asked.

[Deleted]

"No," replied the mage "I'm a Fir Bolg. Our people only live a couple centuries, and this all happened about five hundred years ago. My master though, Sir Siegin, witnessed it. He's told me all about it. How the Men came and slaughtered the native Fir Bolg, and the Sidhe, and the Tuatha and took our forest from us. Us natives of Avalon are rare now-a-days, thanks to that damn slaughter and those damn men. Course, I can't give you the most accurate recantation of events, seeing as I never witnessed the event, but if you ever find yourself in Eriu, see if you can track down my master, or any of the other still living Tuatha. They'll tell you the tail far better then I could."

[forced meme (harambe)]

"Eriu?" Alatus asked, his interest piqued. "Where is that, pray tell? I haven't spent much time outside Er- err... Pythia." He laughed nervously in an obvious attempt to play it off as casual forgetfulness. "Almost forgot me own homeland, damn it." A moment's silence and he looked up again. "Aye, not much time. It also interests me to ask- what is the magic of Avalon? Is the forest itself magic, or were the natives magic, or both? Did each contribute to the other?"

[Deleted]

(Just as an update, your post will be coming, but I need to finally create a map of the world first, so it might be a bit.)
(Sorry for making you wait.)

[forced meme (harambe)]

(( That's fine, take as long as you need. ))

[Deleted]

(Sorry for the long wait.)

"Just a moment, and I'll pull out a map to show you."

The mage pulls his backpack around to his front and begins rummaging through it.

"You ever seen a magic map?" the mage asks

[forced meme (harambe)]

Alatus turned his head to say he hadn't, then spoke it: "I have not."

[Deleted]

(A fair warning that the map isn't fantastic, as I can only really draw a maps outline, rather than anything more artistic, but it should suffice. Let me know if you have trouble reading anything.)

SPOILER: Click to show

The mage rummages through his bag for just a bit longer, and eventually succeeds in finding and pulling out an old looking piece of papyrus paper, which is done up like a scroll. He unravels the paper, and shows you the contents within, which turns out to be a map of the known world. It exudes magical power.

"This is the magic of Avalon, my friend. Within those forests are made maps of this sort, that may detail the whole world in just a single roll of paper." 

The mage whispers some kind of incantation, and presses his finger against a part of the map, near the border between Man and Ulm, and suddenly you can see the road you're traversing, as well as the surrounding area. You may spot some hills, and a couple of border towns not too far from your current position, but there isn't much else. 

"Every road, every river, every 'village, every city. It can all be seen from this map."

[forced meme (harambe)]

Alatus marveled at the unraveled map, mouth and eyes agape with wonder, which filled him momentarily just before being washed out with a deepening sense of disappointment. Was this it? Truly, this map from Avalon was impressive, practical, and peculiar all at once; but a map would not save his family or bring his father back from the other side of death. Dreading the road of thought he was on, Alatus tried to hide his growing impatience and anticlimax, and chose his next words carefully.

"Truly, this map of the world is beyond useful, but is this the extent of Avalon's magic, or is it merely a by-product? Why did those who rule Man now drive out your people? Surely a map can not be so valuable."

[Deleted]

"Not nearly, my curious companion. This map is just one artifact that the old mages of Avalon were able to produce, and one of the more simplistic ones, I might add. Tell me, have you ever encounter any weapons on your travels? Ones imbued with incredible powers? Those were forged from the magical anvils of Avalon. That forest holds unimaginable power for those that know how to control it, and men flock to power. That is why Men sought to purge us from that forest and take control of it."

[forced meme (harambe)]

Hearing his fears dissuaded, Alatus felt his fear and disappointment melt away and even felt at ease by this point. "Ah, so they are craftsmen, but I assume it is a bit more complicated than that."

Why Adricsson was so careful about revealing his blessing, even he didn't know, but he was vaguely aware of his own tone, which he knew had such a tension to it as to suggest some motivation behind his questions, and he had to make a decision- continue looking suspicious, change the subject, or be up-front. The former was obviously not the best choice; the second option would end up just being the first, without a level of conversational aptitude that Alatus knew he didn't possess; the latter would have to do. He couldn't think of any real reason for being secretive besides the queer paranoia which had beset him like a plague not long after the Scourge had done the same to Sceleria.

In the end, he put his mind to easing into the subject. "The dead... Do they ever walk in Avalon?"

[Deleted]

The mage looks upon you with surprise for asking such a question, but doesn't seem too hesitant about answering you.

"Necromancy was forbidden by the Tuatha. It is seen as evil and vile, and the highest form of disrespect to those who have passed on. However, it is said that in the time before Man conquered the forest, just after the fall of the old Ermor empire, there were many who came from Ermor and Scelaria who sought healing from the curse brought upon them by the priests. Even some of the priests themselves came. They hoped the magic of Avalon would help them. For some, there came healing, for others, there was none. The process by which they were chosen or not chosen is a mystery, even to the most ancient of Tuatha."

The mage pauses for a moment to catch his breath after all that explaining, then follows up.

"That story was told to me by my master, which was told to him by his elders. He didn't witness it first hand, so it's hard to say if the story he was passed down was accurate, and if it is, those who dwell in the forest now might not allow such things to happen. However, if you seek to cure someone of the affliction of undeath, Avalon would by and far be your best bet."

[forced meme (harambe)]

Before saying anything in response, Alatus looked around for a tree with a low-hanging branch.

[Deleted]

There are trees in abundance near the path you walk, and it doesn't take you long to spot a tree with the low hanging branch you seek.

[forced meme (harambe)]

"It's a secret, but..." Alatus didn't finish. At least, not in word; he approached the tree and placed a hand on it.

Taking a deep breath, head said only: "Watch."

As his hand gripped the tree, vines spread from his contact area, and numerous flowers blossomed such that the branch looked like a centrifuged garden. As all this transpired, he looked to his magic acquaintance expectantly.

[Deleted]

It's unlikely that you were showing the mage anything he hadn't already seen before, but he still certainly looked impressed.

[forced meme (harambe)]

Satisfied, Alatus released the branch and stepped back toward the line to fall in step with the mage. "I seek to learn more about that ability," he told his companion, "and I wonder, Sir, will I find what I need in Avalon?"

[Deleted]

"If you seek to enhance and mater your powers of rejuvenation, your best bet would be to find a powerful druid. Avalon will certainly enhance your powers, but mastering them is another thing entirely. A powerful druid would be your best bet at accomplishing the latter, and I can't claim to know if Man has any such people among them, but I'll strike a deal with you, my friend. There's a flower that grows in Avalon by the name of the aster. It is a powerful plant, used in many spells. Avalon enhances the power of the flower ten fold. Make it into the forest, find an aster, and bring it back to me, and I can use it to give you the name and location of such a druid that you need. Does that sound like a good deal to you?"

[forced meme (harambe)]

Alatus felt a bit of his old spirits rejuvenated for the first time in months. It had been as he had hoped. "Aye," he declared, "it will be done. What does the flower look like?" Then, as an afterthought, "and will it enhance my abilities?"

[Deleted]

The mage chuckles. "Not familiar with alchemy, eh? Asters are common components of all kinds of potions. They have innate magic power, not seen in most kinds of flowers. Stories say that they were the first flower the old god ever created, which lead to it having such potent magic properties. Asters are also used in preparation of a scrying spell, which when done with an aster enchanted with the magic of Avalon, should prove incredibly potent. As for what they look like, they're small, purple plants with a yellow center. I don't have a book of alchemy on me, or I'd show you a picture."

[forced meme (harambe)]

Alatus took mental notes at all the mage said, then eyed the map again. "I can take this with me? I'd rather not lose the party," he added quickly as he gestured to it, not intending to come off ungrateful or beggardly.

[Deleted]

"Go right ahead. I know my way around the city outside Avalon pretty well without it."

The mage holds the map out for you to take.

[forced meme (harambe)]

Alatus gladly took it, and found that he was so enthusiastic he almost set off right then before realizing that this was still in Ulm, and he'd lose his travelling party if he left them now. There was no telling if he'd find a mage so friendly and open again, judging from the stories he'd heard as a boy.

"Do they grow here, in the borderlands?" he asked, "if so, will I be able to find you lot again with this map?"

[Deleted]

"Well, assuming you don't leave for the forest the second you get to Man, you'll likely be joining us at whatever tavern we stay in, at least for a little while. We tend to take our sweet time resting and finding work, so unless it takes you quite a long time, you should be able to find us at the tavern again. If you don't return before we depart, I'll be sure to leave you a note with the tavern keeper. You should be able to find us that way. Though, to answer your first question, asters are rare here in Ulm. You'd have better luck finding another one somewhere around the capital, as they tend to spring up not too far from the forest, and should I forget to leave you a note, any of the alchemists in town should be able to help you use it perform a scrying spell. Just make sure you have this."

The mage pulls a dagger from his cloak, and cuts off a piece of his sleeve, then hands it to you.

"Scrying for specific people requires that you have something of theirs to add to the potion."