Descendants of the Light- Fantasy RP with Ravenshadow17

[PhoenixaSpark]

Waiting. Why did it have to have waiting?

Brim didn’t know how long it had been since she had entered the manor, and it seemed as if ages had passed since the first person had entered the study. The first to go in, the elf, seemed to have taken no time at all, but all of the others seemed to go on for ages before another was called in. No one who had entered had left through the study door, so Brim assumed that there must be some sort of side exit in the study. They conjured a small sphere of magic, and began to toss it back and forth between each hand in an attempt to pass the time. They were tempted to leave then and there, but Brim knew that they were beginning to run out of money, and would need a way to get some coins sooner or later. True, other jobs were available, but most involved idle farm work and didn’t pay enough in the short term. Besides, one doesn't become a world famous adventurer for shoveling dirt around. They sighed to themselves, and continued to toss the sphere to themself.

At long last, when Brim was the last in the room, and the Leov butler came out to retrieve them.

“Finally!” they exclaimed before the butler could call to her. Jumping from their seat, they sprinted across the room and nearly slammed into the butler as she tried to stop at the study door. The butler gave them a look of exasperation, before releasing an exhausted sigh and wordlessly opening the door for them. Ensuring that they monitored their momentum this time, they quickly slid into the room. The butler, with app candidates having passed through the door, left the room, shutting the door behind him.

The study itself was an odd place, to say the least. A variety of objects had been strewn about the room; some were placed I proper display cases, while others were haphazardly stacked on top of one another. Just from a glance, Brim could pick out an assortment of shields, weapons of varying sizes, a plethora of miniature statues, and several large rocks that had been fixed to ornate pedestals. The two adjacent walls each possessed a similar set of doors as the ones they had just walked through, and the far wall was made up of a large window that overlooked the very body of water that gave Roselake its name.

“You must be the last one then, eh?” rang a voice from across the room. Brim turned to face the direction of its origin, and was greeted by a yellow Cril not much taller than themself. They seemed to be in their older days, and bore a number of scars across their arms and legs.

“Yeah,” Brim replied snarkily. “Sure took long enough, though.”

“And for that, I do sincerely apologize.” He replied sincerely. “However, it is my belief that anyone who is willing to wait for such a long time, for a quest that they might not even be chosen for, is most certainly worth my time.” They turned and began to walk toward Brim. “In fact, most of the candidates before you were even more impatient than you seem to be. One of them even tried to jump me when I turned him down!”

“And then what happened?” Brim asked.

“Suffice to say, he is now buried under that pile of chairs under there.” They replied as they gestured to the newly created pile in the corner of the room.

“Wow. I didn’t even know it was possible to own that many chairs.” Brim said, shocked.

“Anyway, shenanigans aside, we have important matters to discuss.” They paused, and took a moment to dust off their vest. “Although you may have assumed my name as of now, proper introductions are in order. I am Urien, owner of this fine manor and Lord-Mayor of Roselake. To whom, might I ask, am I making my acquaintance at this moment?”

“The name’s Brim.” They replied. “Adventurer, traveler, and now, hand-for-hire! With an affinity for the magical arts, if I do say so myself.”

“Ah! Yes! A mage!” Urien chortled excitedly. “Might you be from Brilla?”

“Yes!” Brim responded proudly. “Born and raised, and proud of it!”

Urien let out a nostalgic sigh. “Ah yes, I grew up there myself, learned all of my best skills there! I haven’t been able to visit lately, being Lord-Mayor and all, but I do hope to visit once I retire.” They gazed off for a few moments, as if they had begun to remember a fond memory from their youth. Snapping back to the present, he turned back towards Brim.

“Ah, dear, I’m terribly sorry for getting us so side-tracked. It’s quite easy to get lost upon the exploits of one’s younger years. No matter, we have business to attend to.” He walked towards the desk in the center of the room, and Brim followed. “Above all else, I must ask you one thing: will you be able to complete this task to the best of your ability, no matter who is selected to accompany you?”

Brim shuffled their feet where they stood “Yeah, of course. The messenger-guy at the tavern said that this would be a two-person job, so I wouldn’t have come if I couldn’t handle working with someone else. Besides, I’m sure it’ll still be a great story to tell either way.”

The elder Cril took a moment to think, pulling out his pocket watch and opening it for a spell to check the time. Finally, with a confirmative nod, he turned back to Brim.

“Congratulations, my friend! Considering all others that have passed through my study today, you seem to be the best for the job!” Urien told them excitedly.

“Really?” Brim asked, slightly disappointed. “I don’t have to prove my skills or anything? No displays of force or grandeur or any of that stuff?”

“Heavens, no!” they replied reassuringly. “To be quite honest, I’ve already seen enough of that sort of thing today. In fact, you won’t even need to wait to meet your compatriot! They are already waiting in the room just over there.” They gestured towards the set of doors to the left of the room. “Right this way!”

Brim followed, both confused at the quickness of their meeting and saddened that they didn’t get the chance to show off their magic to Urien. They followed them towards the study door, and stood behind them as they poked their head into the room.
“Splendid news, miss! I do believe I have found an excellent partner for this endeavor!” They opened the door wider, and Brim stepped into the room, where they found themselves face-to-face…

… with the elf.

[Ravenshadow17]

Onyx was pacing in the room and although Alavara was annoyed, she couldn’t blame him. Neither of them had been indoor for such a long period of time in, well, a long time. Onyx suddenly stopped pacing and swung his head towards the door. Alavara perked up as the door began to open. She quickly thought back to the other candidates and was curious as to who had been chosen. Onyx perked up as the lone pink Cril from earlier walked in.  She eyed her new companion. A good choice in her opinion. Cril were well known endurance and magic power, typically up close fighters as well. A good combination to balance Alavara’s own mid-distance style of combat. This one though seemed to be radiating with energy. Alavara raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Hello. I am  Alavara Elcaryn. It is a pleasure to meet you.” She stated curtly, nodding her head in acknowledgment.

[PhoenixaSpark]

Now that Brim was just a few feet away from the elf, who had introduced herself as Alavara, they were able to get a better look at her and her wolfane, who had moved to stand between them. The look that the wolfane was giving them, although not hostile, still set Brim on edge, so they turned their attention towards Alavara herself. Being an elf, she was certainly on the tall side, probably a foot or so taller than themself. Her hair and clothes were rather unkempt, and it was likely she hadn’t seen a good bed in some time. Reaching her senses out briefly, they could detect the swirling magic of several daggers, hidden in various places of her attire. From her introductory statement, as well as the analytical look she was giving in their direction, she definitely seemed more of the logical, calculating type. Brim tried to think of other things that elves tended to be good at, but they had never really asked anyone about elven abilities before.

“The name’s Brim,” they replied, extending their hand in greeting.

[Ravenshadow17]

Alavara glanced down at her hand for a second before shaking it firmly. A strong grip. Good. They seem to be confident as well. She noted to herself. It was obvious to her that the Cril had confirmed she was armed and was analyzing her as well. All in all Alavara was pleased. This companion seemed to have a good head on their shoulders. Onyx came up and sniffed Brim curiously. The wolfane was tall and his head came up to her chest. He peered into their eyes, tilted his head to the side for a second and then gave a wolfy grin. He glanced at Alura and gave a slight bark. I like them! Alavara raised an eyebrow. It was rare for Onyx to take to someone so quick.

[PhoenixaSpark]

Brim was relieved when Alavara extended her hand to complete the handshake. They had never been an expert in etiquette, especially of the elven type, and had been unsure whether or not their gesture would be well-received by their new companion. The wolfane let out a small bork, causing them to jump slightly, but resigned themself to stay where they stood.

Seeing that first introductions had gone smoothly, Urien stepped forward to face their two new hires.

“Well, now that we’re all acquainted with one another,” they interjected. “I suppose you two must be wondering what sort of task I have in mind?”

“Well, duh,” Brim replied. “What’s so special about this job that requires us to be kept in the dark about the details until we actually said yes?”

“Well,” They began, “I might as well start off with a story: Long ago, there used to be a fortress on the island in the middle of the Rose Lake that is said to have guarded a powerful artifact. Although its abilities have been long forgotten, I believe it would be a valuable addition to my collection.”

“Okay…” Brim replied skeptically. “But what’s the catch?”

“The thing is, no one has been to that island for a thousand years!” Urien exclaimed. “Some say that, all those years ago, the fortress was brought into ruin by a rogue sorcerer in search of the power of the artifact, yet apparently no one left the island after the incident. The only reason we even know something happened is due to the sorcerer’s visit to Roselake before the incident.”

“Hmm…” Brim thought on the fact. “Unknown artifact… mysterious island… possible sorcerer… sounds like an adventure to me!”

“Good to hear it!” Urien replied, retrieving two sacks of coins from his belt and handing one to each of them. “These hold 500 coins apiece. It should be plenty to stock up on supplies, as well as give you a cozy room at the inn for the night. And be assured, a greater reward shall be given once the artifact is retrieved. I will have a boat ready for you two just after sunrise at the manor docks.” They began to walk towards the study door. “I’ll meet you there if you have any other questions, but I’m afraid that I have other duties to attend to until then, so I must be off.” They opened the door, and stepped into the study

“See you tomorrow, then!” Urien called back, closing the door behind him.

[Ravenshadow17]

Alavara was unsure of this. Something about the request seemed off. The information too vague, and the secretiveness of the reward. She frowned but couldn't put her finger on it. She looked towards he companion. The Cril had not seemed to sense anything amiss so Alavara figured she was overanalyzing and sighed. "Shall we see to getting accommodations for the night?" She asked after a pause.

[PhoenixaSpark]

“I s’pose,” Brim replied. “And we might as well pick up some supplies while we’re at it. No use in raiding an ancient fortress if you don’t have the right gear. I think I remember seeing a Smithy and an Arcanum on the way into town, and there should be a general store around here somewhere; most towns seem to have one.”

A moment of silence passed between the two. Despite Brim’s attempt at starting a conversation with her new companions, the air around them was still filled with the awkwardness of a first meeting.

“So… do you want to stick together, or would you rather split up?”

[Ravenshadow17]

Alavara contemplated a response. After a pause she answered. "Let's go together." It would be a good idea to shop together to help decide necessities, plus if they went weapons shopping or to a specialty shop it would allow them to get a better idea of each other's skills. Plus they may as well get more aquatinted. Who knows how long the trip would be anyway?
Meaning Alavara would have to be... social.

"So, what would you say your strengths and weaknesses are?" She asked her companion as they made their way out of the shop. "It would be a good idea to begin planning strategies should we meet an adversary." She added, feeling she should explain reasoning behind her sudden interrogation .

[PhoenixaSpark]

Brim took a moment to contemplate Alavara’s question. They had never really taken the time to consider her strengths from a strategic view, at least beyond the basic functions of combat. They supposed that, now she was working with a partner, it would be good to think about them for the journey ahead.

“Well,” Brim began, “I’m more of an up-close-and-personal fighter. I normally use my magic, but I could probably use a dagger or a short sword if it came down to it. I’m pretty strong, even for a Cril, and pretty quick too. Not very agile, though. I guess that makes me . . . a brute force mage? Tank wizard? Sorcerer of Slam? I’ve never really bothered with classes or titles, to be honest; too many technicalities and definitions to memorize. How about you? Got any super-secret strengths you’ve just been dying to tell someone about?”

[Ravenshadow17]

Alavara felt her lips curl in amusement. Chuckling slightly, she responded. "I'm highly proficient with daggers and throwing knives as well as hand to hand combat. So I'm more of a mid-range fighter. As an Elf and beast tamer I can speak to many creatures, and I also have water magic. I have expanded my mastery to include ice however through extreme training."

Finishing, she began to formulate a plan. "My magic is more of long distance, while my fighting style is mid range to close combat. You are a close range fighter, so a solid strategy would be having you engage the enemy, while I attack either beside you, or from a distance, depending on the enemies' strengths and weakness. For example, if we are dealing with a mage, they are best at long distance attacks, so I will stick to my daggers and fight alongside you. If we are dealing with a sword master, you will engage and I will attack them from a distance using my magic, as a means of weakening them. Is that a solid plan? Regardless of which tactic we use, Onyx will always be at the front of the fight." Alavara explained, sending a nod toward Onyx at the end, who gave a mischievous smile in response.