ARESY, A humble healer from the South (Ysera Furyborn, Hell-Knight Signifer)
~11am, 26th of June, 5th Era 1486 RE (Day 14)
Courtyard, Ascentium; the Mountain Fort
After a morning filled with secret meetings and prophecies of the apocalypse, Ramos and Aresy make their way into the courtyard where they encounter a heavily armed, peculiar gentleman. He seems inquisitive, and wields multiple revolvers as well as a musketoon carbine (with what looks like a large brass silencer at the end of it's barrel). Gracing his weathered, bearded face sits a wide-brim cattleman's hat. The gentleman introduces himself as Mister Quinn.
"Well now, it seems we have arrived at a most fortuitous time. Wouldn't you agree?"
- Mister Quinn (to Ramos)
He tears the bounties off the board, claiming them for his own. He reveals his occupation as being a professional 'hired gun'/ freelance mercenary. A man who drifts from city to city with his gang, collecting bounties, and hunting criminals and fugitives. Unlike others in his profession, Mister Quinn has saddled up with the Order of Libertorius, and as such he does not interfere with their movements (which in the eyes of the Royalists are deemed rebellious and anti-authoritarian). He sympathizes with the cause, deeming it more honorable than most. He extends a friendly welcome to Ramos, and offers out his business card to him, but Ramos refuses it. He doesn't seem perturbed by this, instead he keeps his offer of service open to any time that Ramos should require it - for a price of course. He introduces his 'gang'. Two warrior women in tight leather armour - as attractive as they are deadly.
Cé, the 'Wasp'
Tallest of the two with long shining ebony hair. Although she is remarkably attractive, her eyes seem very cold and emotionless. Her two-handed katana has had the handguard removed, and the blade is forged of a gold-coloured steel.
QUINN: "Cé doesn't talk much. That's not to say she doesn't express herself though...that's what the dai-katana's for...she's somewhat of an artist."
Ren, the 'Hornet'
A young, fair faced girl with rosy cheeks. Long flowing hair the colour of vanilla flowers, and wielding a pair of wakizashis... the blades of which are forged of black steel.
QUINN: "Now Little Ren here may seem innocent enough...and at first greeting, she's as sweet as a lemon cake in summer, but don't let that fool you... she's a total psychopath. She'll peel your skin off with those blades of hers and she'll giggle all the while she's doing it."
Since Ramos has refused his services today, he hands Ramos a small marble-sized ball as well as a perplexing riddle. The 'marble' is a sort of translucent green colour, and Quinn says that should Ramos ever need him, he will need to keep that marble safe until the time comes.
"What's a caterpillar to do after he's eaten the Last Leaf on the tree?"
.................
"Keep his head down, recover his strength...wait until his wings grow. And then he flies far and wide, seeing places he never dreamed he'd see."
- Mister Quinn
With his mind set on the task ahead, Ramos looks to his Lord-Commander to guide him. John explains to both Ramos and Aresy that they will be stealing a Royal Airship from the Espire Airfield, and as transport to the airfield, he has readied Griffins for flight. Duncan accompanies them through the complex of tunnels and corridors leading into the very mountain itself. They pass living quarters, storerooms, larders and before the end of the corridor, they pass a huge reinforced door - with multiple locks keeping it firmly sealed shut. Even Ramos does not know what lies behind it.
"You'd better give that one a wide birth" (Referring to what lies behind the door)
"It has a tendency to smash itself against the door...."
- Lord-Commander John Geist
They progress all the way through to the end of the corridor where they finally reach a grated door, and behind it lies the Griffin Pen. Ramos saddles up on Silver, and Duncan saddles up on his own Griffin; Lucky. John readies his own Griffin, the largest and most powerful of the lot - Atlas. The saddle easily carries John's weight along with Aresy's. Before they depart, Aresy is met by Professor Glyph. Who seems somewhat dismayed that his apprentice / servant is leaving so soon. He realizes however that her mission is imperative, and he gives her his blessing and well wishes. He does stress to her that her Ancient Abyssal needs improvement, and that she should religiously study the Simplified Malefic Tongue Journal that he gave her the day before. The 'hangar' doors are lifted, and the three Griffins disembark southwest over the wildlands of Ylaskir. To Aresy's surprise, the Griffins depart from an opening in the side of the mountain itself, soaring out several hundred feet above ground level. The frightening experience quickly becomes awe-inspiring as she can see the beautiful landscape for miles around.
The flight to Espire takes the best part of the day, and the party passes over the wilderness as well as the Hell-Knight Bastion Zenith. They continue above a large mountain range until they can spot the township of Espire on the horizon. They land and leave the Griffins outside an adjacent forest and traverse the rest of the distance on foot. With the cover of night at their advantage, they proceed around the town and across a great landfill. John goes on to elaborate. It's a dumping ground for the rich citizens of Falcos Prime; on the Floating Isle. They note how much of the 'scrap' in this heap is perfectly suitable for use, and it becomes evident to Ramos and Aresy that the citizens of Falcos Prime live lives of luxury and have an abundance of material wealth and resources - so luxurious in fact, that they can afford to waste perfectly decent furniture and other items. They eventually reach the airfield and discover that it has been used primarily by the Royalists. Since the creation of airships, zeppelins and other vehicles with flight capability, the airfield has hosted many of these wonderful machines. However after the eruption of the Civil War, the dominant class of airship in Espire's hangars has been that of the military variety. The airfield is expansive and sectioned off on all sides by ten foot barbed-wire fencing. Within it, they spot a small scout-class Arcadeus Airship ripe for the taking. They climb over the fence without too much hassle and hide behind some cargo crates. The airship it seems is being loaded and there is minimal military presence. The party decides that the best way to tackle the ground crew is to distract them with one of Ramos' pipe bombs. Ramos throws one and explodes one of the Arcadeus sentries accidentally. It buys them enough time to sneak into the airship unnoticed, and even the hulking Arcadeus Phoenix-Knight is deceived by the distraction. Ramos and Aresy discreetly dispatch two Arcadeus soldiers within the airship's cargo hold and John scouts on deeper into the airship, incapacitating all resistance he finds along his way - using his akimbo engraved silver tonfas. Duncan follows in his brother's wake, putting sacks over the heads of all the writhing, unconscious guards, and binding their hands with rope. Eventually the airship is secured, and John holds the pilot and the cabin crew hostage. He orders them to disembark immediately, and they comply. To the horror of the Arcadeus ground crew and the Phoenix-Knight, they witness their airship taking off without them, but are unable to prevent the party from succeeding.
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| Arcadeus Scout Class PH-01 Airship (Prototype) |
Thinking back to the secret meeting they'd had in Ascentium about the Malefic Seven. It was revealed that in recent years, the Reach had become a "wasteland of emptiness, devoid of most life.", and when the party set food on the sparse, wilting grassland, it seemed that the region matched the description perfectly. For the duration they traveled across the countryside towards First Harvest, they did not see or hear any wildlife - except for one emaciated deer which seemed frail and languid as if in a dreamlike state. There was a noticeable absence of natural sounds and lifeforms within this region, it seemed eerily quiet, and even the grass and trees seemed lank and wispy - as if carrying the weight of an enchantment or spell. But what could do this to the trees and plants on an otherwise temperate summer's day? Someone...or something had to be behind it. The settlement of First Harvest was no surprise. Completely abandoned, as if everyone had packed up and left. The small village comprised of several wooden shacks, and each one seemed ransacked and untidy. Only one denizen remained. An elderly elven woman sat on a rocking chair outside of her house. She did not seem to notice Ramos, Aresy and Duncan. Nor did she seem to do anything. She was in a sort of comatose state. The lights were on, but no-one was home. Aresy asked Duncan to carry her inside the shack and onto the bed and after further examination, she was deceptively heavy, and they still could not rouse any sort of response from her. While this was happening, Ramos investigated the village for tracks of it's former inhabitants, he found them leading out of the village west towards the nearby lake. The tracks ended at the lakeside, and Ramos for all his efforts, could not recover them. He eventually led the others to the lake where they could make their own assessments. When they looked out over the large still lake they could make out something floating on the surface. While Ramos and Aresy were planning how to get out to it, Duncan stripped off his cloak and brigandine and tied a length of rope around his waist, he then proceeded to wade out into the water and eventually swam out towards it. When he reached the floating object. The others waited anxiously as he inspecting the object. He seemed to pause for a moment and then let out a shriek of horror. Ramos and Aresy looked on hopelessly as something pulled him under the surface. They reeled him in frantically using the rope he had tied himself to and managed to successfully drag him out of the water. Duncan was was missing. Whatever it was that grabbed him, it had taken his right foot clean off.
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