Ghosts of Bara Magna

[Toru Nui]

IC: Lutenus (Outskirts of Atero, Training Ground) - Eye See You

The Glatorian’s head snaps to gaze down on Mard and Ahmoa, cyber-eye looming over them, as if looking straight through them. His smile said ‘OK, I believe you,’ but his eye said ‘you ####ing liars’. “Kind of you to say, but there’s no need for…”

But then, his voice trails off, and his smile fades, replaced by tiredness and confusion. “For… for… for…” The eye loses focus on the two Agori and the aperture begins opening and closing rapidly while making noises it probably shouldn’t be making. “For your ah, ‘pity bet’, as it were.” He finishes, and suddenly its as if nothing strange happened at all, and he begins to walk away. But then…

“Well, we should be going - oh!” As he pretends to only now suddenly remember, he stops and turns back to the training ground proprietors. “I never asked. Who was that Iron Glatorian you were with, earlier? I believe I vaguely remember them from somewhere…” He did not, of course, but moving his gaze towards the horizon while holding his chin in his left hand in thought may convince them he did.

@Techn0geist @oncertainty

 

IC: Vraek (Tajun Arena, Hotel Reception) - No Reservations About a Reservation

Though she had briefly entertained notions of letting Jeizmel stay with her at her lodgings in Tajun, Vraek knew this couldn’t be so. Her room at the arena’s hotel would be a one-Glatorian sized room - if Metus knew what was good for him that was, as bookings for people who weren’t named Strakk or Gelu were under his jurisdiction. Or at least, Strakk was. Gelu had quit and taken up a disreputable mercenary profession. Which left the position of Iconox’s Second Glatorian open… not that Vraek cared about that sort of thing. She didn’t. Didn’t at all.

Catching a brief glance of what she assumed was just a sleeping vagrant and not the recently murdered body of Tajun’s Atero councilor, she enters the arena building.

Vraek walks up the counter and dings the bell. Reserved or not, she refused to spend the night in Scarabax’s Delight. Again.

@a goose

 

IC: Taldrix (Bone Hunter Stronghold, the Tower) - Be Aware of His Stinger Tail!

She was beginning to doubt that the Ghost respected anything, much less his own people-

Wait… four eyes… were… could the Zesk… the Sand Tribe… what?!

Taldrix wants to look to see if there was a stinger tail or a scar where a tail would be on the Ghost’s waist, but there’s no way for her to do that without looking like she was checking out his-

“No sir, I believe that’s everything. I’ll continue to monitor the Aula Agoria and report on her condition.”

@a goose

 

IC: Xyde (Iron Canyon, Cave) - Bat Cave

“I’ll take third.” Xyde trudges into the cave alongside the others. It didn’t seem any more inviting than the valley itself, but it was a shelter - in the same vein that a dagger was a scalpel.

They imagine that this is the sort of place that Ash Agori were expected to live in and swap stories about any recently ‘defiled’ graves. What was it with people demanding that their belongings be buried alongside them? They were DEAD. Did they think they’d be able to take their prized possessions with them into that undiscovered country, from which no traveler returns?

Hopefully, the people of Ferrum hadn’t been summoned to that place just yet…

@Nato G @~Xemnas~ @a goose @oncertainty @Burnmad

Edited April 27, 2024 by Toru Nui

[Burnmad]

IC: Selamat - Iron Canyon Cave

Selamat nodded as Tueris spoke. "I can take the first watch as well," he said. Better now than later; he was already on-edge with adrenaline, and when that subsided would come the crash.

OOC: @a goose

[Mel]

Content Warning: internalized victim blaming, allusions to sexual assault
a slave | bone hunter stronghold

You stare.
 

 

It is not the disgust in her face, or the faces of the other Skralll.  you expect this—you understand it.  you are disgusting.

it must be a trick of the light, some new malfunction that turns teal to an impossible red.   and yet, she does not walk hooded, does not carry herself like someone whose very thoughts have power.  She is beautiful, yes, and those less experienced than you mistake beauty for that power.   But you have seen the beauty of the warrior women of the south, held in their well-worn weapons and sand-carved scars.  It is not the beauty of a Sister.  You, of all people, know this. And yet this women is Skrall.   You ears tell you, if not your eyes.  Skrall and not a Sister.   Skrall can be women and not Sisters.  Then—

what was it all for.

You cannot hold yourself up and slump against the wall, twisting as the harsh notes of your breath return, different this time. Anger is a foreign beast to you, you have not allowed it for so long, and it burns behind your eyelids even as you close them, praying for the strength to once again look out that window and see that vision not there.

you are in that room again, before they took you away.  you know you are not-skrall.  you are un-skrall, a mistake necessary for the future of the legion.   you must be.  Unless they lied, unless she lied.

The anger crawls out of your throat in dry ragged sobs.  You are disgusting, worth nothing, not even to the future of the legion.

A legion that lies, a desperate thought assures you, does not deserve a future.

OOC: @Vezok's Friend @a goose @oncertainty @Burnmad @Toru Nui @Nato G

Edited May 6, 2024 by Mel

[oncertainty]

IC: Escus - The Cave, the Valley of Death

"Hrm," Escus grunted, and set down the axe in the sand. It was only a moment before he lowered himself to the ground as well. "I'll take the next watch, then. The second. The one where I get to sleep before and after."

He chuckled, a hollow and humourless sound. He laid in repose, propped against the cave wall. With one hand he shifted his helmet forewards, covering his eyes. Even in the darkness of the cave, he needed more to have a chance at sleep. The heat troubled him.

OOC: @Burnmad @a goose @Nato G @~Xemnas~ @Toru Nui

 

IC: Lorqua - Training Ground, Outskirts of Atero

Lorqua couldn't help but smile. She turned away from the others, Lutenus and the Agori both, and looked towards the horizon. She shouldn't have doubted the Glatorian, nor that whirring sparking thing he had grafted into his head. Not for a second. Lutenus was sharp, at least.

"Lutenus here knows a lot of people," she says, nodding, her back still turned. "Lot of friends, more acquaintances. In fact, that's the only reason I'm doing this tournament business at all. Not usually my scene. If you want to bet on me, well, thank him."

OOC: @Toru Nui @Techn0geist

[a goose]

IC: Tueris (Staff NPC; Valley of Death)

Tueris nodded. “Looks like you’re on third, Ferrum.”

As the others settled in to rest, he found a spot near the cave mouth where he could sit semi-comfortably with his back against the wall, and turned his eye to the canyon.

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Burnmad

[Burnmad]

IC: Selamat - Iron Canyon Cave (First Watch)

Selamat stepped over to the spot where Tueris had sat himself, and lowered himself to a cross-legged position a short distance away. There he sat, watching the outside, which was dead still but for the occasional stream of sand blown over the lip of the canyon by the winds which raged across the desert above. His spear lay in front of him, easy to reach in case a threat should appear. His hands, free of its weight for the first time in some hours, now rested in his lap. His back was straight, body almost in a meditative posture, if not for the fact that meditation would be rather difficult with the amount of cortisol still flowing through his veins.

He did not speak to his watch partner. Not yet, anyhow. He wasn't sure how to start a conversation with someone like Tueris. In a way, he had the elder Glatorian at somewhat of a disadvantage. He had seen Tueris' fights when he was a youth, followed his career in the arena long before Selamat had ever stepped onto those sands himself. Tueris, on the other hand, had likely only ever seem him once or twice as anything other than a member of the mass of onlookers in the arena stands, and then only in passing. He wondered if Tueris even knew he was an arena hopeful-- perhaps, he thought, the Second Glatorian would be more optimistic about this expedition through the Iron Canyon if he knew how many hours Selamat had spent practicing? Something told him: Probably not. But, perhaps he might at least get enough of a sense of his younger Glatorian's dedication to Vulcanus that he wouldn't conceal any more information from him.

That was the main thing Selamat wanted to discuss, and the primary reason he'd chosen this watch: Was there anything else Tueris hadn't told them yet? But his having such a topic in mind only made initiating all the more difficult, for a number of reasons. So he remained silent for the time being, waiting at least until the cadence of their companions' breaths shifted to one which suggested they were asleep.

OOC: @a goose

[a goose]

IC: The Ghost (The Tower)

“Very good,” he said with a curt nod. If he had any awareness of Taldrix's renewed suspicion, he hid it well. “If you would be so kind, please close the door on your way out.”

It was not a request.

OOC: @Toru Nui

IC: Tueris (Staff NPC; Killing Time)

“Say whatever it is you want to say, boy, and put us both out of your misery.” Even as he spoke, the veteran Glatorian’s eye didn't so much as glance away from the cave opening.

OOC: @Burnmad

IC: Portia (NPC; Arena Hotel, Tajun)

As the bell's chime echoed on, Vraek was left waiting. It took almost a minute before a door opened behind the reception desk, and a bright, ruffled young Agori stepped out, smiling so widely this could only be her first customer service job.

"Welcome to the Arena Hotel!" She announced, with ear-piercing cheer. "How can I help you this evening?"

OOC: @Toru Nui

[Techn0geist]

IC: Mard & Ahmoa - Training Ground, outskirts of Atero

On 4/27/2024 at 3:17 AM, Toru Nui said:

“I never asked. Who was that Iron Glatorian you were with, earlier? I believe I vaguely remember them from somewhere…”

Mard suppressed a shudder; just when he thought they were out of the woods. He became acutely aware of their abandoned guardsman spears, leaning a short distance away against the ring fence. He sorely missed the collection of javelins he'd just stashed away. He glanced at his partner, happy to let him take the lead.

Ahmoa returned only his warm smile, the focal point of his entire world the blunt training axe under his hands. He hefted it up onto his shoulder, casual-like. In his hands, it could do little more than bruise shins.

In full focus again, both Agori experienced the crescendo of their creeping realisation; something looming, much bigger than the guardsmen, the Glatorian, Atero and the Grand Tournament. The mystery of Ferrum. The mystery of—

"Del." Ahmoa stated curtly, offering nothing more than what the cyborg had asked. He would not lie, but obfuscation was certainly in his arsenal. "That was the name they gave us."

On 5/7/2024 at 4:06 PM, oncertainty said:

"In fact, that's the only reason I'm doing this tournament business at all. Not usually my scene."

If Lorqua was to be believed, then Lutenus seemed to make a habit of casual manipulation. Mard took another angle; deflection, trying to draw at least Lorqua away from the line of inquiry. "Uhhh, what is your scene then? You've got some fighting talent, you a guard like us maybe?" A pitiable attempt at rapport-building.

 

OOC: @Toru Nui @oncertainty

[Vezok's Friend]

IC/ Skrall/ Bonehunter Stronghold/ Markets/

The wretch still stares. Longing for what once was? Their presence here - a painful reminder.

No…not them. He does not stare at them. He stares at her.

And she finds herself staring back. No choice. 

This is what it takes.

She can feel the hands on her shoulder and neck again - forcing her to watch, to learn.

Do not look away.

Could this one actually see her for what she was? Or what she was not? Much as she tried to fight the feeling, she couldn’t help it: There was a kinship here.

Broken things, cast aside. No longer what they were meant to be. And that was perhaps the most disgusting part of it all, the part that etched the scowl onto her features as she approached the window. She knew she shouldn’t. No choice. Watch and learn.

But she was still skrall. This thing was not. Even if it saw her, the others couldn’t. They wouldn’t.

“Has it been so long that you can’t even stand the sight?” she sneered, peering into the gloom beyond the bars. 
 

OOC: @Mel @skrall

[Mel]

Content Warning: internalized victim blaming, allusions to sexual assault


a slave | bone hunter stronghold

the retort jolts you out of the numbness. sharp with disgust, but familiar. has it been so long?  you do not know, time has little meaning here. there is only Before and After. to long, not long enough…they seem like the same thing.

you look back outside. She is still there.  She is still red. you are still a failure.  but you still remember how this game is played.  you played it with a Sister, a far more sophisticated opponent.

“You are not a Sister.”

when was the last time you spoke? you hardly recognize your own voice caught between a question you already know the answer to and an accusation that goes far beyond her. soft, ragged from your sobs, but still clear.

She has heard it.  it is Her turn now.

OOC: @Vezok's Friend @skrall

[Vezok's Friend]

IC/ Skrall/ Bonehunter Stronghold/ Markets/

The other’s eyes still looked as if scanning for any sign of teal. Not a sister. Skrall. He got that right. 

That a once-skrall voice could ever sound like this though…it was chilling to hear. But, there was a glimmer of resistance in the words. So, not entirely broken then after all. The expression of disgust softened imperceptibly. 

“Sisters don’t see you once they’re done with you.”

The implication was clear.

You should pray He keep it that way.
 

OOC: @Mel @skrall

[Toru Nui]

IC: Lutenus (Outskirts of Atero, Training Ground) - Whispers

Del.

“Ah yes, that was the name. Del.” Lutenus repeated, feigning recognition.  “Del.” He repeats again. “Del.” And again, seemingly staring off into space, both of his eyes seeming cold and dead, some sort of buzzing clicking sound being faintly heard before he snapped back to life.

“I’ll have to speak with Del when we arrive in Tajun. I’ve heard whispers of something terrible happening in Ferrum - you haven’t heard anything yourselves, have you?”

@Techn0geist @oncertainty

 

IC: Vraek (Tajun Arena, Hotel Reception) - Frosty Reception

Oh no. She couldn’t be mean to this one.

The Glatorian sighed wearily. “There is a remote possibility that I may be booked. Under ‘Vraek’. Glatorian for Iconox.”

@a goose

 

IC: Skrall (Bone Hunter Stronghold, Marketplace) - A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Lose

Skrall was very confused about the conversation his brother was having with the once-Skrall. Apparently, the once-Skrall did not feel comfortable seeing former brothers, which was understandable - less so was his brother’s need to mock him for it.

It was also odd that the once-Skrall felt the need to state that the one before him was not a Sister, which should have been obvious. Had his mind been so damaged by… whatever it was the Sisters did to him in order to conjure infant Skrall, that he had mistaken him for one of them?

He looked to the rest of his brothers, to see if they understood what was happening here.

@Vezok's Friend @Mel @Burnmad @a goose @BULiK @oncertainty @Nato G

 

IC: Taldrix (Bone Hunter Stronghold, the Tower) - The Tower (XVI)

“Of course, sir.”

Taldrix left, being sure to close the door, as ‘requested’. She resisted the urge to take off the device the Ghost had ordered her to place behind her ear and stomp it into little pieces.

Making her way downstairs, she considered how much of it she was to relay back to the Aula Agoria. That was the deal, of course - info about the plague for info about the Ghost - but deals could only ever end mutually beneficial if both sides had leverage. Stuck in a cell with a fatal disease, the princess didn’t really have much in the form of leverage. Not to mention the monitoring device would pick up-

Oh no.

She had to continue monitoring Somnii in order to verify the stages of the plague for the Ghost. But then her insolent tongue would undoubtedly give away their arrangement. Make it seem like she was consorting with the product for personal gain, which was true.

Rubbing her eyes with her fingers as she came to the bottom of the staircase, she wondered how exactly she was going to wriggle out of this one…

@a goose

[a goose]

IC: The Ghost (XXI - The World)

Heremus sighed, finally alone once again. From one of his drawers, he produced a list – name after name after name, some crossed out, some circled, some left untouched. Taldrix's was among the spared.

He took his stylus in hand, and he smiled as he underlined it. Taldrix had been as repellent as she was intelligent, a rather singular combination; finding her was a great relief. Best of all, she knew how smart she was. He was all too familiar with that particular breed of hubris.

Still, he found that he was oddly disappointed in this outcome. Perhaps it was in Taldrix herself; it was no coincidence, that evil and ignorance so often came hand-in-hand. But here was a woman who had experienced the world's injustices firsthand, who had left the life she had known to choose for herself a new one… and the life she had chosen was so very small. A life of evil and pettiness and greed. She was intelligent, she had freed herself from the Skrall – Taldrix could have been anything at all, and still she chose to be a Bone Hunter. Some part of him had heard her story, and hoped to experience some manner of kinship. After all, hadn't he, too, dragged himself out from under the dirt? Hadn't he chosen his own destiny, against the will of the world? Hadn't he, too, found himself here, in this very compound?

But then, perhaps he gave her too much credit. She lacked vision. Just like everyone else, she saw only the world that she expected to see.

He walked, as he so often did while in the midst of such thoughts, to the north-west window. It was a peculiar kind of blindness – so many people looked, but they didn't see. So many truths seemed to be hidden in plain sight. Perhaps his clarity was simply a benefit of having that extra pair of eyes; then again, Crucius saw. Not all of it, but enough. Enough to start questioning.

Expectation was a singularly powerful force. It could make people look at a man, and see a beast; look at a stranger, and see a friend; look upon a wasteland, and see the work of the Gods.

It could make them look at a Zesk, and see a Great Being.

Or vice-versa.

Heremus stared, and as he stared he fixed his eyes upon Skull Mountain, and the eyes of the mountain stared back at him. For a moment, he wondered if he, too, could fall prey to that power – what mysteries might escape him, if he saw only that which he expected?
 

[Mel]

Content Warning: internalized victim blaming, allusions to sexual assault
a slave | bone hunter stronghold

you do no need her to tell you this.

“She cried, yes.   She said she was sorry.  But She did not look.”

the others are watching.  you find yourself wary of their gazes in way you once remembered.  you are garbage, you should not need to care.  but you do.  and you care that they notice Her.

“Please…go.”

you wish you could say what you want. but you do not know, it is not the domain of a skrall or a slave.

OOC: @Vezok's Friend

[a goose]

IC: Portia (NPC; Arena Hotel, Tajun)

“Hmm…” She opened up an actual, honest-to-Lords book of bookings. “Let's see… Vastus, Viola, Virmius… Oh no.”

She looked up at Vraek with an expression so absurdly distraught that, on anyone else, it could only possibly have been condescension. The young receptionist genuinely looked like she might tear up.

“I'm so sorry, but we don't have a reservation under that name.”

OOC: @Toru Nui

Edited July 12, 2024 by a goose

[Vezok's Friend]

IC/ Skrall/ Bonehunter Stronghold/ Markets/

Her visage shifted into something akin to uncomfortable, although it’d be hard to distinguish that from the prior disgust at her compatriot’s distance. 

She still remembered the feeling of the cloak around her, stuck in the shadows. The others beside her. Watching - and being watched. It doesn’t take psychic powers to feel the presence right behind them. 

Do not look away.

See the chosen enter. Nervous, but determined. Not backing down from a challenge.

Do your duty.

Learn what is expected of you.

They’ll know if you look away.

And then they leave again. Whatever strength they had…taken. To be given to the next generation. Or so the priestesses claimed.

The husks were escorted out. No sister would ever see them again. By design, a tiny thought in the back of her mind kept insisting. Her expression remained grim, but it was no longer aimed at the one behind bars, merely at bitter memories that weren’t as long gone as she would have liked. 

“Then she wasn’t lying.”

And then, honoring the request, she actually turned to leave, pausing just long enough to quietly make a request of her own that only he could hear: “Take care of the other when you see him.”
 

OOC: @Mel

[Nato G]

IC: Gayle – Iron Canyon Cave

Gayle’s decision to take second watch had been a calculated one.

If any creatures in the canyon had the group’s scent, they would catch up sooner rather than later – during the first watch. If any creatures regularly used this cave as a shelter from the midday heat, they would be arriving soon – during the first watch. And if any member of the group was going to suddenly snap and turn on their companions, it would be while everyone was tense and tired – during the first watch.

There was another reason, something simpler and more selfish: Gayle really didn’t want to spend a whole watch with Tueris’ stern, single-eyed stare as her only companion. The gruff Glatorian seemed less-than-enthused by his travelling companions, the Agori most of all. And though Gayle had faced a great many fearsome foes in her journeys across Bara Magna, she yet to find a method or weapon capable of defeating a persistent, disapproving glare.

Mercifully, Gayle didn’t awaken to the sound of screaming, nor the sensation of being stabbed in her sleep. The first watch passed without incident, and she took her place at the mouth of the cave, hoping her own watch would be as uneventful.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IC: Somok – Hall Of The Honoured

It had been many months since Somok had last visited the Hall Of The Honoured.

Though the cavern wasn’t very deep underground, the stairs were old and uneven, and made all the more precarious by the lack of lighting in the entrance tunnel. For the past decade, Somok had only visited the cavern once a year, on his birthday, to reminisce and remember among the remains of his ancestors. Today, however, he felt a greater need than usual for their guidance.

It took Somok several minutes to descend the stairs, using his staff to brace and steady himself as he made each careful stride across the weathered stones. The entire cavern had been carved out of the bleak black rock of the mountainside generations ago, though the floor of the central chamber had been covered with sand to soften its surface. Somok relaxed somewhat as he took another downward step and felt that sand underfoot, moving more confidently now that he was on firmer ground.

A single flame burned in the centre of the chamber, the blackened brazier bearing the symbol of the Fire Tribe, the smoke filtering out through the small grille embedded in the ceiling overhead. The brazier was one of the few artefacts that still remained intact from the founding of Precipere, a fiery reminder of the Ash Tribe’s past. An attendant was tasked with ensuring the flame was lit anew each morning, ensuring that the light remained alive for any who visited the Hall.

The chamber was a perfect circle, with open archways set around the wall at regular intervals, leading into the crypts – one each for all of the Ash Tribe’s founding families. Few of the crypts contained bodies, however. For the most part, they were filled with arms and armour, the metal and bone of those long gone. The footprints in the sand made it all too clear that several of the crypts had gone without visitors for a long time. More than a few of the founding bloodlines had come to an end over the years, through death, or in a few rare cases, reintegration into the Fire Tribe.

Somok’s own line would be the next to end.  

His one sibling had died young and childless, and Somok had long ago dedicated himself to a solitary life of leadership. He’d known what that would mean, for his line, his family’s legend. But it had been worth it. He’d presided over fifty years of peace for his people. Other bloodlines had been broken with far lesser legacies.

His shadow stretched before him as he hobbled towards the entrance of his family’s crypt. His own face stared back at him from the far end of the chamber, a bust he’d commissioned decades ago. What he’d intended to be a monument to immortalise his youth now felt like more taunt than tribute, silently laughing at him from the shadows. Further effigies joined in the mute mockery as he entered the chamber, lining the walls to his left and right. Weapons, armour and tools were stacked like tributes at the base of each statue, made from or belonging to the figure each statue represented.

Somok stopped in the centre of the chamber, head bowed, eyes closed. There had been times, long ago, alone in the dark, where he’d believed he could still hear the voices of his family. This was where their presence was strongest. This was the only place where he could still remember their faces. They were in the sand beneath his feet. They were in the air he breathed. He wanted to hear them now. He needed to hear them.

Their legacy was under threat. The mysterious death of Precipere’s previous prime Glatorian, tension between the other tribes, and now reports of pestilence in Ferrum… the Ash Tribe was more vulnerable now than it had been in generations.

He didn’t know what to do next.

He needed their guidance.

But he heard nothing.

[Burnmad]

IC: Selamat - Iron Canyon Cave (First Watch)

The young Glatorian did not start, even though he'd been read about as clearly as a smoke signal heralding an oncoming storm. Still, his breath caught in his throat, and his older counterpart might have seen his expression of shock where his eyes not fixed so intently on the cave mouth. It threw him off guard before he'd even screwed himself up to the point of speaking. The feeling triggered his fight or flight response, that primal desire to match and outmatch perceived aggression kicking in with a shot of adrenaline. He had planned to broach the subject tactfully before; now he was blunt.

"You concealed information about our mission. Why? Were you afraid we wouldn't come along if we knew there was a chance this whole plague business was just a Bone Hunter trap?" The words tumbled out of him in greater numbers than he'd expected, not even giving Tueris a chance to respond. "You've already said with everything but words that you think we're all going to die on this expedition, I don't see how that knowledge could have been anything but helpful." He took a breath, and willed his mouth to stay shut afterwards. There was no reason to unload into the man any more than he already had-- at least, not until he'd gotten a word in edgewise.

OOC: @a goose

[a goose]

IC: Tueris (Staff NPC; Valley of Death)

Tueris fixed a stern eye on the young Glatorian. “I told you what I could: that we were going to Ferrum, and that it's not a mission you should expect to come back from. It was my responsibility to equip you with the information as best I could, and give you all a chance to walk away. But that's not my only responsibility.”

His voice, though still gravelly, was uncharacteristically soft – almost wistful. Perhaps even mournful.

“Raanu has done more for me than you could ever understand – so when he gives me an order, I follow it. The fact is, Bone Hunters shouldn't be wiping out entire Tribes, or setting traps on this scale. If word of that got out, people would panic even more than they are already. I told you that up-front, any one of you could’ve walked away, and all of a sudden it's public knowledge.”

He looked back to the cave opening, but his focus was years away. “Trust me, son. Once people have an idea in their heads – especially a scary one – then the truth is irrelevant. We could find all of Ferrum alive and well, and it wouldn't matter a denarius.”

OOC: @Burnmad

Edited August 11, 2024 by a goose

[BULiK]

On 11/3/2023 at 11:14 PM, BULiK said:

IC: (Bone Hunter Stronghold)

“I’ll need a fighter to escort the slave with me for the negotiations,” Atakus sneered, refusing to pick his bodyguard specifically. They were interchangeable anyways. Without skipping a beat, he began to march to the inner wall, where Fero waited in the shade.

On 11/4/2023 at 2:37 AM, Nato G said:

IC: Skrall – Bone Hunter Stronghold

Skrall stepped up behind the prisoner and gave him a firm, forceful nudge with the blunt end of his spear, in the direction Atakus was going. “Move.”

IC: Skrall - Bone Hunter Stronghold

There was no choice. Skrall submitted to the riptide of his fate. He hoped it was his last march.

IC: (Bone Hunter Stronghold Inner Wall)

Fero lead the Skrall inside the inner wall of the compound - although for any of the Skrall to consider it a 'building' would give too much credit to Bone Hunter ingenuity. The mesa that the bone hunters build their encampment around had existed long before they furnished it. The only surfaces that were smoothly finished were the lumpy hallways and rooms that were formed by lava flows millennia ago. Many of the chambers were cut into these caves, and each wall bore the scars of labels and directions from many past owners. Every part of this structure had changed hands so many times that any sense of order was lost; every scratch and stain blended into a homogeneous coating of graffiti.

It was, however, refreshingly cool under the permanent shade of the granite.

Atakus was glad he ordered a Skrall to escort the prisoner. Many of the bone hunters sitting against the bulbous walls of the stronghold chambers did not give kind looks. If anything went awry about this 'deal', at least he would have a bodyguard to keep them busy long enough for him to escape. This maze of hallways made Tirveus's envoy feel like he was becoming the prisoner. Leaving camp was always a mess.

Finally, Fero's path reached an empty room that, unlike many in the stronghold's tunnels, had a door. If privacy was a concept to the Bone Hunters, this was perhaps one of the few places it existed in this encampment. In the room, a fallen granite pillar was clearly used as Fero's desk. There was even a chair on either side to sit at (if one considered a flat rock to be a chair). The two Agori both sat down, leaving the warrior Skrall to stand at the door. The slave fell to his knees.

"What 'business' do you think requires my time? Let us finish this quickly - my Imperator has given me charge of a mission and I must be on my way shortly."

OOC: @Nato G @a goose my biannual post!

Edited August 12, 2024 by BULiK
correction: not at the tower but the inner wall

[a goose]

IC: Fero (Bone Hunter Stronghold, Inner Wall office)

Fero steepled his hands on Crucius’ desk. Despite the presence of two separate Skrall, his confidence was unwavering.

“To Tajun, I'd wager? Going south in numbers, at this time of year – you're travelling for the exhibition matches, aren't you?”

OOC: @BULiK @Nato G

Edited August 11, 2024 by a goose

[Nato G]

IC: Skrall – Stronghold Office

In Skrall’s (admittedly limited) experience, there was a fine line between a simple life and a primitive one, and the Bone Hunters walked it well. They knew what they needed, and seemed willing to accept the bare minimum when it was sufficient to serve their purposes.

Shade was shade. Walls were walls. And a fallen pillar was technically a desk.

As Fero and Atakus spoke, Skrall took up guard by the door. Though he was certainly listening in on the conversation of his companions (it would be near-impossible for him not to), he was also listening for any sounds outside the makeshift office. The door was good for privacy, but that worked both ways. If Fero, for whatever reason, intended to betray the Skrall, he would likely have allies taking up position somewhere in the corridor outside, poised to ambush them on their way out.

As he considered that fact, it occurred to Skrall that of all his companions, he had perhaps been the poorest choice to serve as bodyguard in this specific situation. While he was comfortably confident in his ability to best a desert-dwelling scavenger half his size in a straight fight, the Bone Hunters had numbers. Against multiple opponents, in the confines of the corridors, Skrall’s spear was going to be of limited use.

Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.

[BULiK]

3 hours ago, a goose said:

IC: Fero (Bone Hunter Stronghold, Inner Wall office)

Fero steepled his hands on Crucius’ desk. Despite the presence of two separate Skrall, his confidence was unwavering.

“To Tajun, I'd wager? Going south in numbers, at this time of year – you're travelling for the exhibition matches, aren't you?”

OOC: @BULiK @Nato G

IC: Atakus [Bone Hunter Stronghold, Inner Wall office]

"I'm not going to confirm or deny my orders or intentions. There are many reasons I could have for passing through this territory, some more plausible than others."

The Agori's eyes narrowed. Otherwise, his body language was casual, almost bored by Fero's scheming.

"What difference does it make to you where we are going?" Atakus asked. His expression morphed into a smug grin. "Are you sending a champion to fight in the games? Does he need an escort?"

Edited August 12, 2024 by BULiK

[a goose]

IC: Fero (Bone Hunters Stronghold)

Fero laughed. “We’re Gatherers. We don't do champions.”

He let the condescension linger in the air, then leaned forward conspiratorially. “We have… a standing order, you might say. A customer in Tajun, who will pay well for a Skrall slave in mint condition. If you were willing to take the item with you to the Water Tribe village, we would provide you with the requisite extra supplies for its upkeep and see to it that you receive additional compensation upon arrival.”

OOC: @BULiK @Nato G

Edited August 12, 2024 by a goose

[Nato G]

IC: Skrall - Stronghold Office 

"We have… a standing order, you might say. A customer in Tajun, who will pay well for a Skrall slave in mint condition."

Several seconds passed before Skrall realised that he'd stopped breathing, so stunned was he by the audacity of the Gatherer's request. It took all of the self control he could muster not to to make his eavesdropping obvious by snapping around to stare at Fero. 

Skrall cared little for his disgraced kin, but this was crossing a line. Trading nameless failures to the Gatherers was one thing. They were kin, of a kind. But to surrender one of their own to the Southerners? It wasn't just sacrilegious, it was strategically stupid so close to Tirveus' intended conquest of the South. Atakus had to realise that, surely? He wouldn't even consider Fero's request, would he? 

[Toru Nui]

IC: Vraek (Tajun Arena, Hotel Reception) - Alone on a Friday Night? Me Too

“It’s fine.” It was not fine, but nevertheless, Vraek steeled herself and then searched herself for her own personal funds. “How much for one bed, for one night?”

@a goose

 

IC: Taldrix (Bone Hunter Stronghold, Taldrix’s Chambers) - Meanwhile, at My House - Oh, No, Sorry, It Just Looks Like It

Taldrix returned to her chambers. There was some important information she had to put to papyrus.

Scattered pieces of parchment lay across the floor - crumpled up failed drafts, neglected self-reminders, to-do lists, transaction receipts, item data, memos, frenzied spice-induced scribblings, and Element Lords knew what else. Small sacks of spice were kept here and there, and combined together they formed a miasma of temptation that Taldrix resisted bitterly. After all, she needed full cognizance for what she was going to do next. She’d have to do it silently - and thus, slowly.

She began writing various messages in large letters on broad sheets. Of course, this would be for naught if the little princess couldn’t keep her mouth shut…

@a goose

[Mel]

On 7/14/2024 at 3:08 PM, Vezok's Friend said:

“Take care of the other when you see him.”

a slave | bone hunter stronghold

another. so there is another not-skrall.  you do not know how you will “take care” of them.  you cannot imagine they will hate you any less than the others.

they will probably hate you more.

there is nothing to do but curl up and wait.

[Alex Mason]

IC: Karak - Arena Hotel

This land and its warriors. I try not to look too close to any of them. A glimmer of metal in foreign places is enough to remind me that even the most blood christened among these people bear more resemblance to the butchers from the North than to my own ilk.

Through confusing and frustrating exchange of words I had discerned this place to be one to lay my head for the night. A few of the locals appear to be talking at the desk, I ignore them, walking straight to the hallway nearby.

OOC: @a goose@Toru Nui

[a goose]

IC: Portia (NPC; Arena Hotel, Tajun)

“Well, that would depend on-” Suddenly, she took notice of the stranger walking through the lobby.

“Excuse me!” she said urgently, standing on her tippy-toes as if that somehow would make a difference. “Excuse me sir, you have to check in!”

OOC: @Toru Nui @Jesse Pinkman

Edited August 15, 2024 by a goose

[Emzee]

On 12/28/2023 at 4:08 AM, Nato G said:

IC: Avinus - Streets Of Tajun

Heroics? Avinus found herself staring at the younger Glatorian for a moment, her expression one of dumbstruck surprise. Fortunately, his attention seemed focused more on the other Glatorian in the crowd than the one at his side, leaving Avinus hopeful that he hadn't noticed. 

When she'd been around his age all she'd thought about was the fame and the glory that came with a career in the arena. Inspiring people, helping the Agori... that had all come after. It had been incidental, part of the package, and a small part at that. If young Luka had chosen this career out of a desire to help others, then he was simultaneously wiser and more naïve than Avinus had been.

She doubted such a worldview would survive the tournament, but there was no need to say as much to Luka's face.

Innocence was such a rare thing in this world. She didn't want to be the one to kill it. 

"That's a nice way of thinkin' about it," she finally replied. "You should hold onto it. A lotta folks in this line of world are more... cynical. All they care about is winnin' their fight and takin' home their prize." 

I should know... I'm one of 'em.

@Emzee

IC: Luka - Streets of Tajun

"I'll try to," Luka said with a smile. He looked away from the Fire Glatorian and back to Avinus. "In my earliest memories, I didn't have much. Neither did anyone else. Only way we survived was to be there for each other."

He was about to say more, but stopped himself. He didn't want to potentially burden his newfound friend with stories of the Raid that shook him to his core. That was something he needed to shield away from other Glatorian if he wanted to be taken seriously.

It may have been a long time ago, but to Luka, it still felt like there were voids in his soul--scooped out by those Bone Hunters all those years ago.

"Too many people on Bara Magna only care about enriching themselves," Luka said. He was trying to sound casual and probably sounding more serious than he intended. "And I know I'm far from the only one who's been on the rough end of that worldview. But I'm not going to just take from others in the hopes it'll replace what others have taken from me."

Luka shrugged, "Or maybe that makes me an idiot".

OOC: @Nato G

[Nato G]

IC: Avinus - Streets of Tajun

"There's some who'll argue that anyone in this career is an idiot," Avinus replied, after weighing her words for a moment. "The way I see it, if you're an idiot, at least you're a kind one. Which makes you a better brand of moron than most of those you'll be meetin' in the arena."

@Emzee

Edited August 18, 2024 by Nato G

[Emzee]

IC: Luka - Streets of Tajun

"Well, at least I'll have that going me," Luka said, before laughing.

"Here's hoping the arena doesn't change me too much."

OOC: @Nato G

[Nato G]

IC: Avinus - Streets of Tajun

"That's a good thing to hope for," she said, nodding. "Speakin' of which, were you plannin' to get in the ring for one of the exhibition matches?" 

@Emzee

[Emzee]

IC: Luka - Streets of Tajun

"Yes, I hope I can get in," Luka replied, "I've been training for so long and want to--need to test what I've practiced at some point."

Luka paused for a beat, as if there a reservoir of confidence he was trying to pull from.

"I know I'd do well," Luka said, with a bit more conviction, "And being a formidable fighter in the Grand Tournament is a lifelong goal of mine"

OOC: @Nato G

[Nato G]

IC: Avinus - Streets of Tajun

"A word of advice, then. Don't show 'em everythin' you've got in your first fight," Avinus said, lowering her voice a little as another group of Glatorian passed the other way. "The smart ones don't really come to the exhibition matches to fight. They come to watch, to learn what they're up against. So I'm not sayin' not to try... but at the end of the day, there's no shame in losin' an exhibition match if it means savin' somethin' for the real fight." 

@Emzee

[BULiK]

On 8/12/2024 at 2:20 AM, a goose said:

IC: Fero (Bone Hunters Stronghold)

“We have… a standing order, you might say. A customer in Tajun, who will pay well for a Skrall slave in mint condition. If you were willing to take the item with you to the Water Tribe village, we would provide you with the requisite extra supplies for its upkeep and see to it that you receive additional compensation upon arrival.”

IC: Atakus [Bone Hunter Stronghold, Inner Wall office]

Atakus became less visibly suspicious of Fero as the mongrel revealed his plan. This was an interesting opportunity. Keeping his poker face, Atakus was silent for a moment to plan his response.

"As Tirveus's voice in the south during this expedition, I will not deviate from his expectations."

"This one," Atakus said, pausing to spit towards the crumpled Skrall, "Will be your slave to do with as you see fit." The diplomat leaned forwards. "However, we can still profit from your other arrangement. My convoy is going to Tajun, yes, but this is not the only Skrall who was never going to return to the legion after the tournaments. There is still one, in better condition, that I can deliver to your client."

"That way," the rock Agori said, counting his fingers to emphasize each upside of his counter offer. "No extra supplies are needed for the journey south, this weakling won't slow us down, my boss will be happy, your customer will get exactly what he wants, and my bodyguard here will compensated appropriately for the overtime he puts in to make this happen."

The only thing missing was his own angle - Atakus was conducting diplomacy, not charity.

"That, and you keep the rest of your profits for yourself. I don't need money or augments - I deal in power. If I do this for you, you will owe me the assurance that I can call upon the Gatherers for a personal favor if the need arises."

Edited August 21, 2024 by BULiK

[Nato G]

IC: Skrall – Stronghold Office

His back still turned to the pair, Skrall’s brow furrowed. Evidently, there was much he didn’t understand about Tirveus’ true plans, and the objective of this mission.

"My convoy is going to Tajun, yes, but this is not the only Skrall who was never going to return to the legion after the tournaments. There is still one, in better condition, that I can deliver to your client."

For a scarce second, Skrall feared that Atakus was referring to him. He knew he wasn’t as physically strong as some of the other Skrall, but he’d worked hard to overcome that. Surely he wasn’t such a disappointment that Tirveus would- No!  The answer was obvious. The Special Forces Skrall with the unsettling sympathetic streak was the only member of the party (aside from Atakus and the disgraced Skrall) who’d been assigned to the group. The rest had all been volunteers. It had to be him.

"That way no extra supplies are needed for the journey south, this weakling won't slow us down, my boss will be happy, your customer will get exactly what he wants, and my bodyguard here will compensated appropriately for the overtime he puts in to make this happen."

Skrall’s frown deepened. He wasn’t one for shrewdness or subtleties, but he understood the implications of the last part of Atakus’ statement. Whatever was going to happen to the group’s guide, Skrall was now expected to help make it happen. It was a troubling situation… but Atakus was the voice of Tirveus in these matters, and Skrall wasn’t fool enough to question their leader’s orders. Not aloud, at least.

Skrall relaxed slightly as the conversation continued. Given the request Fero was making, the prospect of him betraying the Skrall seemed less and less likely.  

Edited August 21, 2024 by Nato G

[a goose]

IC: Fero (Bone Hunters Stronghold)

“Shall we shake on it, then?” As he offered his hand, the Gatherer was grinning. There was greed in that sharp, toothy smile, and malice too, but above all there was ambition. Fero was eager to do business, and Atakus’ terms only seemed to excite him all the more. He had no doubts, no reservations – just a singular, ravenous hunger, growling and insatiable. To a man like Fero, all the world was meat, and he watched Atakus with eyes like a Spikit.

OOC: @BULiK @Nato G

Edited August 21, 2024 by a goose

[BULiK]

IC: Atakus [Bone Hunter Stronghold, Inner Wall office]

"Absolutely," Atakus agreed with a kind smile. He gingerly shook Fero's hand. For a Skrall, his manners were impeccable, even when dealing with barbarians. In Atakus's eyes though, there was an eager flame that Fero could recognize. A desire to expand in influence from the opportunity before him. As ambitious subordinates, they had too much in common. In that sense, there was an uncharacteristic sense of respect on Atakus's face. Few ever saw that on a Skrall without besting them in combat.

"Now, for the details - how can I find your customer in Tajun?"

Edited August 21, 2024 by BULiK

[Burnmad]

IC: Selamat - Iron Canyon Cave (First Watch)

Selamat was silent for several moments as he processed Tueris' words. He hadn't been expecting the man to speak so evenly-- not after he'd called Selamat out and prompted him to speak the way he had. He thought about the idea Tueris had mentioned, of Vulcanus' people in a frenzy with fear, whether that fear was warranted or not. Maybe he had a point, Selamat thought. But he'd started so aggressively, he wasn't sure how to back down all of a sudden. So, as people who are angry often do, he changed the subject to something else he could continue to be angry about. 

"Then, what's the point of all this anyway? If we're not supposed to expect to return, what does this achieve? Vulcanus gains nothing, learns nothing, loses two Glatorian, and sours its relationship with the other tribes losing people on this expedition? The only scenario where we accomplish anything is the one where we show up just to find that there was nothing wrong to start with. It doesn't make sense."

OOC: @a goose

Edited August 21, 2024 by Burnmad