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oncertainty

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  1. oncertainty
    IC: Skrall - Caravan "That, I cannot answer. As I understand it, all the tournament means is influence. He has to mean to do something with it." Skrall was speculating, but he had to infer that what they were doing meant something. Here again, he was an outrider. On the marches you could lose yourself, if you didn't believe in what your were doing. Even in the march south, this had been true. He had seen outriders, like himself, sitting down to willingly die from exposure. They could not imagine the future anymore, or how they would contribute to it. "I cannot say for sure. But, you sound skeptical." OOC: @Nato G
  2. oncertainty
    IC: Skrall - Caravan Skrall's eyes flicked to his companion's face. For a moment he studied it carefully, one brow raised. Then he looked back to the horizon. Clearly, he was not the only one feeling far from home. "You may be right," Skrall said. He stayed neutral for now, though in truth he admired the willingness to criticize the Black Legion's strategy. "The question, as I take it, is this: can we escalate quickly enough from this that it doesn't matter. Knowing how to fight the warriors will help them, yes, but not enough to save them if they don't know how to fight a war. It begins with these games, but I do not think it will end there." OOC: @Nato G
  3. oncertainty
    IC: Skrall - Caravan Skrall was silent for a moment. He hadn't considered it fully, he supposed. It was a hurdle that had to be crossed. He hadn't seen fit to evaluate the Southerners' practices, such as they were. An oversight. "A strange practice, if you fight for resources, I think," he said, nodding slowly. "Why show those who you will fight again your capabilities? Why let them gain more experience with your tactics? However, for us, this may be a boon. If I might speculate on his strategy, it seems that Tirveus wants shock and awe. Showing the Southerners how we fight will strike fear into their hearts, and we will not give them time to grow used to it." OOC: @Nato G
  4. oncertainty
    IC: Skrall - Caravan "It is lucky for them," Skrall offered. "That we are not so savage as they are. We have spent a long time playing their games, fighting in their arenas. I do not think they would do us the same courtesy." OOC: @Nato G
  5. oncertainty
    IC: Skrall - Caravan Skrall chuckled. "That it does. Hence why those of us here, we first into the breach, have to keep our spirits up. We are entering a strange land, from what I have heard." He sighed, and cast his gaze to the horizon. Soon, he knew, they would be among the Bone Hunters. A curious folk, but not un-Skrall-like in their way. The Southerners, on the other hand, found the Bone Hunters barbaric. What would they make of Skrall was a question, yes. But Skrall wondered what he would make of life in the south. His bravado was for his own benefit as well. He knew that keeping their mettle, now, was essential. Just as when riding a Rock Steed down a narrow mountain path, he needed to courage to keep calm, if he hoped to survive. OOC: @Nato G
  6. oncertainty
    IC: Skrall - Caravan Skrall put one hand to his chin. He shared his companion's anxiety, after a fashion. There were some, even among Skrall, who he could not stand to have win the tournament. Some whose prowess did not make them worthy of being named. To see one of them given that honour would be disappointing, to say the least. Skrall did not wish to see his people squander their opportunity, under poor leadership. "True, only one of us can win. And a name is," he shook his head. "The greatest prize. But there is still more opportunity for us, here. The Southerners have much, and I do not think they know what it is like to have to fight to keep it." OOC: @Nato G
  7. oncertainty
    IC: Gonrae - Onu-Koro Gonrae's frown deepened as they walked. He fancied he knew something about Nuparu. The Akiri was an engineer, albeit one who had pawned that into political office, an accomplishment that made him wilier than Gonrae for sure. All the same, he was an engineer. He was straightforward, that much was clear from the speech. Happy to say something that not a lot of people were willing to say. Admirable, certainly. And yet: he seemed to see things as problems, and tools to solve them. The speech itself was one of those tools, lifting spirts and assuaging fears. But Gonrae had too much of the artist in him. And, perhaps, too much memory. The word, the name, still stirred too much of the dark times in him. Makuta It was a hard thing to hear spoken aloud. Even if anyone could feel it, feel that something had changed, feel that a cloud hung over the Island in a way it had not for some time. He still was not ready to hear that name again. And Toa were arriving on their shores, again. Of course. He sighed, looked to his companion, and tried to muster a smile. "Aye, it may be that. But you ought to understand..." he trailed off for a moment. "Well, I won't tell you ghost stories, but that it is a very old, very bad thing we're talking about. I had hoped to never hear those words aloud." OOC: @That Matoran with a Vahi apologies for the wait, it's been a very busy month for me
  8. oncertainty
    IC: Skrall - Caravan Skrall smiled. He could not conjure the wolfish smile he had seen on the face of some Skrall, often those of higher ranks than him. He did not have the face for it. "That is what we will have to do, then." OOC: @Nato G
  9. oncertainty
    IC: Skrall - Caravan Skrall frowned. His companion was nothing if not dour, it seemed. "We did as we were ordered, he did not. And we retreat into a land of opportunity. For the Skrall, yes, but for each Skrall himself, too. We are the living proof of that." OOC: @Nato G
  10. oncertainty
    IC: Skrall - Caravan He nodded along with Skrall's words, though to him the explanation seemed inadequate. On the faces of the Skrall in the first chariot he could read such attention, mixed with such doubt, that it had to be of some significance. "Perhaps. Although, would Tirveus cast him to the Bone Hunters for something so—" he searched for the word, "—Arbitrary, that Skrall need to learn what it was? He abandoned his watch. Warriors such as we would not. Something more may be at work here, I wonder." In the Imperator's presence, Skrall could not have spoken his name so easily. But already he felt far away from Roxtus, and found his tongue had loosened. OOC: @Nato G @ skrall
  11. oncertainty
    IC: Lorqua - Training Ground, Rattling Our Swords in Service of Some Faded Foreign (Element) Lord As the rules were laid out, Lorqua realized she was glad for the refresher. She had been away from the arena for a long while, and fighting in the desert was a different beast. What skill she had as a caravan guard was due to knowing how to use whatever she had at her disposal. Exactly what all the rules were meant to avoid. With a sigh, she stepped into the arena. She held one javelin in her hand, her shield in the other, and kept the rest of the javelins strapped to her back. "Lorqua, of the Jungle Tribe!" She raised the haft of the javelin to her face, giving Lutenus a loose salute. OOC: @Toru Nui @Techn0geist you guys have good taste IC: Skrall - Caravan In the second chariot, Skrall could catch only brief snatches of what the group in the first chariot were talking about. He could see, however, that the prisoner was the centre of attention. Inclining his head towards another Skrall in the second chariot, he gestured forward towards the first. "What do you think they're talking about?" OOC: @Nato G @ skrall IC: Escus - Precipere The Glatorian of Water, feeling about as far from home as he ever had, took in the spartan vista of Precipere. He found it wanting. "It's a wonder anyone would choose to live out here," he said, frowning. OOC: @a goose @Nato G @~Xemnas~ @Burnmad @Geardirector @Toru Nui
  12. oncertainty
    IC: Lorqua - Training Ground, outskirts of Atero Lorqua continued her stretching as Lutenus spoke to the Agori. The proprietors, apparently, of the training ground. Lutenus, perceptive as he was, had to have noticed who they were. Good things really did come to who waited apparently, with a captive audience to any questions they might have dropped into their lap. With this kind of opportunity, even she could wait a little longer. "I could use a couple of blunted javelins," She offered with a wry smile. "I think we'll be wanting one of you to referee as well, seems we're wanting a proper tournament-style bout today." With a sound of metal sliding against metal, Lorqua extended her forearm behind her head, in a stretch not quite possible for anyone else. "I won't be needing any Thornax, but, Lutenus?" She inclined her head towards her companion, letting the question hang in the air. OOC: @Toru Nui @Techn0geist IC: Skrall - Roxtus Seeing the pile of supplies to be loaded had dwindled down to almost nothing, Skrall placed his own last crate on the cart. Then, he climbed up and on-board. He sat somewhere that would offer a good view of the desert as it panned past, and gave an unbecomingly-excited smile to any of his fellows who were watching. OOC: @ skrall
  13. oncertainty
    IC: Escus - Vulcanus Arena He slung the haft of his axe across one shoulder, and rubbed a hand across his chin. "Your appraisal of our chances of success—I take it we're worried about more than just a plague here," Escus' eyes narrowed, and he expelled air through his nose. "But that makes little difference. I have no questions." OOC: @a goose @Nato G @~Xemnas~ @Burnmad
  14. oncertainty
    IC: Qorl - The Rift The Skakdi turned to walk in parallel with him, and Qorl took advantage of the relative privacy, allowing his brow to briefly furrow. He almost asked why he already knew a place that it was safe for Lesterin to go near Irnakk's tooth, but thought better of it. This was all turning out to be better luck than he had had in ages, and he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that. Of course, the Skakdi had an angle here too: information, from what Qorl could gather. Fine then, he could give him that gladly. Qorl eyed the Skakdi for a moment, estimating his honesty, then sighed, "Alright, I can accept that. A hostel will do." He still had to be careful, of course, but as long as the Skakdi was trying to keep him docile it meant he wanted him alive. Better than everyone who was looking for him. He reached a hand out towards the Skakdi, offering the canteen back. He said nothing. Qorl could see that they were both playing the same game right now. For their own reasons, they each needed to keep the other around. He was trying to keep Qorl calm, but Qorl had to do something like the same. His move. OOC: @Perp
  15. oncertainty
    IC: Lorqua - Streets of Atero, Training Grounds Lorqua peered into the training grounds. Little more than a round dusty field, a small bunkhouse, and a couple of worn wooden training dummies. A sign reading 'BACK IN AN HOUR' hung above the gate. Lorqua shrugged, walked in, and started pacing the edge of the training field. She dropped her travelling bag next to the gate, but took her shield and spear with her. She stretched, raising both arms above her head. "Might as well just go in, it seems to me. Can't imagine they'd mind." She looked to Lutenus, one brow raised. "Glad to see you'll actually fight, for a moment there I thought you were just going around, getting other people to go into the arena, not planning on doing anything yourself." OOC: @Toru Nui @Techn0geist
  16. oncertainty
    IC: Escus - Arena Vulcanus Escus gave a light chuckle at the Agori's response, which grew into a deeper laugh as the fire Glatorian said his piece. Taking hold of his axe, he rose to his feet alongside him. "Aye, I believe you. I believe that all that's true. But the Agori has the right of it. It's an occupational hazard, a risk we accept if the reward is right. And me, well, I believe in the rewards." Even as he said that, his expression didn't follow his words. His brow was furrowed, and his gaze had the dull quality of someone who was focusing more on what they could imagine than what they could see. OOC: @a goose @Nato G @~Xemnas~ @Burnmad
  17. oncertainty
    IC: Escus - Arena Vulcanus Escus turned his head toward the Glatorian of fire, whom he had only moments ago assumed to be sleeping. It was a harsh way of putting it, and Escus was glad he didn’t have to say it himself. All the same, it was hard to disagree. They couldn’t take a liability, if this was going to be as dangerous as it seemed. The Agori looked like she knew her way around the desert, but then again they already had a Ferrumite who could act as guide. He looked to the Agori, shrugged, and grimaced apologetically. But he said nothing. OOC: writing this on my phone in a lecture break so hoping the formatting doesn’t come out weird @a goose @Nato G @~Xemnas~ @Burnmad
  18. oncertainty
    IC: Lorqua - Streets of Atero Out into the streets, warmer still than inside the Red Star. Cool enough yet that there were still people on the streets, streets that would deaden as they reached the warmest part of the day. Walking alongside Lutenus, she considered the offer. She could use the practice, she supposed. She was going through with it now, and the fact that she was actually going to be expected to fight hadn't quite sunken in. Lutenus, not to mention everyone else, would definitely frown on it if she just surrendered. "Yeah, alright. Let's do it. You probably know better than me: where's the nearest arena?" OOC: @Toru Nui
  19. oncertainty
    IC: Lorqua - Red Star Inn As Lutenus turned his back to her and walked towards the door, Lorqua stood for a moment, and shook her head. She sighed, and then she jogged forward to catch up. "Yeah. Not that, uh, I think I'll make much difference for Tesara. I'm a decent fighter in the desert, decent enough to make a living at least, but it's a different beast to fight in the Arena. It's been a while. Suppose that means I've strayed, as far as you're concerned. I get it, a lot of people see it that way." She rubbed the back of her neck, just as the two of them reached the threshold of the Inn. "But I will do it. I've got two reasons to be in Tajun now. Seeing as it might be the second best place after Ferrum, to figure out something about what's going on in Ferrum." Lutenus wanted to know that too. Lorqua could tell. OOC: @Toru Nui IC: Skrall - Outside Roxtus Stables Skrall nodded along with both sides of the dispute. Both sides agreed on the one thing that Skrall was interested in, which was getting out of Roxtus. Sooner, rather than later. At the older one's words, he resumed loading the carriages with supplies. "Being on our way works for me." He looked about himself, to any of his fellows who were listening. "Not that my opinion matters. Nor should it." He spoke without malice. He was happy enough to be in motion, for now. OOC: @a goose @BULiK @Burnmad @Nato G @Toru Nui @Vezok's Friend IC: Escus - Arena Vulcanus Escus gave a slight nod to the next to arrive, a hooded and quiet Glatorian of Vulcanus. He turned back towards the voice, set his jaw, and raised his brows as the Ferrumite spoke. "That's the impression I'm getting, from what little I've heard. My sympathies." He spun his axe around and placed it on the ground, then lowered himself to sit cross-legged on the floor of the arena. He breathed in deeply, and then regretted it. All he could smell was sulfurous vapours, and the heat made the inside of his nose itch. The corners of his mouth turned up in a hint of a grimace. "All the same, who ever likes to go home anyway?" OOC: @Burnmad @~Xemnas~ @a goose
  20. oncertainty
    IC: Lorqua - Red Star Inn She gave Lutenus a slight smile. "Don't take this the wrong way, but, I'm only now starting to appreciate your thoroughness. Let's see them again." She breathed in and rubbed her chin with one hand. "I'm happy to leave immediately, everything I need I can carry. If we can find a driver leaving presently I wouldn't complain, we'd only need a few more blades and I'd be willing to take our chances with the desert. Is there anything keeping you here any longer?" OOC: @Toru Nui IC: Skrall - Outside Roxtus Stables Skrall rushed forward, sheathing his own khopesh and taking the now-imprisoned-again-prisoner's blade and shield from him. Having done so, he stood and gave the one with the strange physique a single firm nod. Skrall had shown good thinking, using the grappling hook like that. Then Skrall looked bashfully about himself, and spoke to no one in particular. "I apologize about the supplies in that box. I hope they weren't fragile." He held the prisoner's equipment in both hands before him, not sure what exactly to do with it. OOC: @BULiK @Vezok's Friend @Nato G @Toru Nui @Burnmad @a goose
  21. oncertainty
    IC: Qorl - The Rift With the Skakdi's gesture, Qorl began to walk. Not meeting his watching gaze, Qorl instead looked forward and past his shoulder, tracing the path of the Rift as it twisted and curved upwards to the surface. He set his jaw. Irnakk's Tooth was what they called it now, but Qorl had heard that it belonged to his people once. At least, that was what the Skakdi said. As always, they took pride in standing on the bones of the Lesterin, so whether it really ever was Kvere was a question Qorl was in no position to answer. Still, they said there was Lesterin architecture there. How would he react, when he saw that again? What styles did his ancient forefathers favour, and what did their handiwork look like now after so many generations of Skakdi rule? It was a tempting proposition, in a way. If, of course, he could ignore the obvious. "None of my people go free in Irnakk's Tooth, to my knowledge. How do you propose to bring me inside?" He looked the Skakdi in the eyes now, the corners of his mouth turning downwards inadvertently. He spoke with a certain malice, though not directed towards the Skakdi himself in specific. "I'll go nowhere in chains." OOC: @Perp
  22. oncertainty
    IC: Lorqua - Red Star Inn Lutenus stepped back from the chase more easily than she might have thought. Fine then. This wasn't—couldn't be, had not to be—the end of it. She turned to Lutenus and shrugged. "Looks like you're stuck with me, for now. Can't be so hard to find someone else heading Tajun-way soon." OOC: @Toru Nui IC: Escus - Outside the Arena Vulcanus Escus' eyes were wide in the still-before-sunrise darkness of the village of fire. Tajun was one of the cool and dark places of Bara Magna, Vulcanus was far from it. Heat seemed to rise from everything, charged as it all was by the village's famous lava flow. But the street still lay in deep shadow, innumerable darkened windows, doors hanging ponderously ajar. He had rested little from travel. The heat slipped beneath the door of the two-bit rooming house, so unfamiliar to one so used to Tajun's shade. He had tossed and turned in bed until he simply rose and went out, though it wasn't yet light outside. The Agori sleeping at the desk had awoken as he passed, but said nothing. Escus was the only patron, so far as he could see. Most everyone was going in the other direction. He forged out into the empty streets, towards the Arena Vulcanus. There he would meet his fellow travellers. And then on to Ferrum, the cresting sun at the horizon of his imagination. Beyond that, he could suppose nothing. "Another step in my rise," he heard spoken as if aloud in his own head. Entering into the threshold of the great Arena Vulcanus was like stepping through a wall of heat. As he knew, it was built above the lava flow itself, an engineering marvel essentially unrivaled among all the villages. He had fought there before, more times than he cared to try and count, but the heat still surprised him. Inside, he noticed an orange Ferrumite Glatorian sitting silently, seemingly tending to his equipment. Not so far away, another Glatorian lay. The one from Vulcanus was dozing, as far as Escus could tell. They must be the guides. Escus leaned on the haft of his axe. "Morning, gentlemen. I presume you're the ones I'm here to see. You—" he inclined his head slightly toward the sitting Glatorian, "—must be going home." OOC: @~Xemnas~ @a goose
  23. oncertainty
    IC: Lorqua - Red Star Inn Something was going on, something that Lorqua and Lutenus were clearly not privy to. Lorqua felt like she had an itch. An itch that she just couldn't scratch, because it was inside her skull. Still, it was important to be polite, wasn't it? She cast a quick glance at Lutenus, her unlikely ally in this case. It was clear he wanted to know too, perhaps just as badly as she did. She'd follow his lead. For now, at least. He had to right, that they could speak later. Everyone was going to Tajun. Even Lorqua, to the surprise of herself from mere minutes ago. But this was getting interesting, perhaps interesting enough to make it all worth it. "Hey uh, if you all need to leave pressingly that is what it is; but don't do it on Lutenus' and my account, we're not here to mess with anyone." She certainly wasn't, Lorqua just couldn't help herself from wanting to know. Lutenus, well, she couldn't say for sure. OOC: @Toru Nui @Morgan Yu @Snelly @Techn0geist IC: Skrall - Outside Roxtus Stables Having drawn his weapon, Skrall circled. The not-quite-still-a-prisoner just couldn't be fighting in every direction at once. If they really wanted to solve the issue they could all just pile on; it would solve the problem. But Skrall knew Skrall, and knew that that kind of thing seemed entirely undignified. Skrall preferred to fight in formation, not just like a brutal mob. Leave that to Bone Hunters and Southerners. Skrall with the grappling hook seemed to have the right idea, so he poised himself ready to spring. The erstwhile prisoner would be off-balance from the grappling hook, if it didn't take him down completely. OOC: @Vezok's Friend @BULiK @Burnmad @Nato G @Toru Nui @a goose IC: Escus - Vulcanus Streets Escus had found his way east from Tajun, despite the games about to start. He was drawn as if by a need, a compulsion. He told himself it was a chance to work his way upwards, and he believed it well enough. A keen observer though, if they spoke to Escus for a long time, drew out those things that he didn't say even to himself, would have been left with the impression that he would have travelled to Vulcanus, put his name on that list, no matter what he told himself. No such observer walked with Escus today, though. He had left Tajun without a word to anyone. Not that he thought he was doing anything that he didn't have a right to do: it would be wrong to stop him. It was just that, at the bottom of things, he had to do it.
  24. oncertainty
    IC: Dolbren - Clinging to the side of the Second Passenger Car Dolbren, now in the realm of raging winds, apprehended what he could of the voice that rushed past him. ". . . ey! . . . ou al . . . ight?" He looked towards the source of the noise, craning his neck in the direction that would be downwards, were he standing on level ground. As it was, he was clinging closely to the side of the train, stretched out almost parallel to the ground. The yeller was the Vortixx; somehow she had ended up outside the train too. That did go some way to explaining the rush to the windows in the first passenger car. And yet, she lived yet. Tougher than she looked. Or, perhaps, you had to be tough to look like that for long. The real question, of course, was what was she doing now? If the concern was genuine, it was almost touching. He had seen such attempts to reach out by people in difficult situations many times. They hoped it would protect them, if they appealed to the better nature of their foes. Dolbren did his job: empathy was nice, but he had to do what he had to do. Not like he was actively menacing the Vortixx, though. His job right now had nothing to do with hurting anyone, and she had no reason to believe otherwise. The other option was that she was working with the Sentinel(s?). She wasn't the one who threw the dagger, too far away for that. But, if he could hear what she had said, they could too. That meant he had seconds to react before they knew exactly where he was. Still, no need to be rude. He shook his head slightly back and forth; then he stuck one hand out, palm towards the ground, and rotated it at the wrist. Universal gesture of 'could be better.' It was the truth. Still light enough to raise himself up by one arm, he swung his legs out beneath him. His momentum carrying him towards the back of the train, he let go. Once again he thanked his Calix, as flew in a short arc and caught on to the front edge of the first cargo car. Then, he began to raise himself onto the roof. OOC: @Vezok's Friend @Krayzikk @Void Emissary
  25. oncertainty
    IC: Skrall - Roxtus Stables Skrall's brows raised. The prisoner had some fight in him yet. He was in the middle of carrying a crate of supplies to the carriage when the prisoner pulled the blade, but he hadn't moved in the scant moments since. He held the crate before him, suddenly conscious that his own blade was sheathed at his side, whereas his Thornax hurler was slung across his back and thus relatively inaccessible. He watched warily. The wiry one was speaking to the prisoner. Why was that? What was the use? Skrall could infer. The wiry one was Skrall, he knew how to fight in a group. If he was talking to a foe, it was to buy time for his comrades. Skrall had to make that time count. He drew in a breath, and then launched the crate in his hands towards the erstwhile prisoner with as much force and accuracy as he could muster. The moment the crate left his fingers, his hand was at his hip. He drew his khopesh, and set his feet in a fighting stance. OOC: @BULiK @Skrall
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