DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Hall of Fame - Latest Top 10 completed games HWD: The Heartwood HWD: Introduction

Squire Conrad

He escorted Cameila and those in the first group back to the inn, walking with a frown on his face and his fist clenched on the hilt of his broadsword at his side.

Reaching the inn, he opened the door for the ladies and then went to the innkeeper to see about the use of a private room.

<Camelia>

"Thank you," she said quietly to the Squire. Once fully within the relative safety of the inn she could begin to drop the aped manners like an onion shedding its outer skin.

There was likely conversation and planning to go over then she could get out of the 'hang me high' attire and see to some other matters as well. She looked around, eyes bright and interested. destiny flowed with its own current but it didn't mean the undertow was fully hidden.

KAdri:

She looks over at Camellia for a moment, before saying, quietly;

"I hold no grudges. What is over with is over with. More important things ahead of us. . agreed?"

<Camelia in brief, quiet conversation with Kadri>

"Yes," she said, the barest hint of relief in her voice. "My words ran ahead of thoughts and sense."

Allies were needed now against the machinations not foes. Kadri did what she thought was best to protect someone; Camelia couldn't say what she might do in similar straits.

Celi

Celi hesitated, not wanting to put Mikal on the spot, however her response to the query might be taken.

So rather than jump ahead, she merely said, "Dayalan...?" then waited quizzically for MIkal to offer some response first.

Meanwhile she was scrounging through her memories for some clue...

Cesare

It is very nice having Daxia up close whilst she delivers her news, even if she seems unaware of their proximity. Still she does seem concerned for his saftey - well all three of them if he is truthful - and he supposes it is a start.

He is smiling as he turns back to Darian and Longtooth as Daxia and the remainder of their group head off in the direction of the inn. An afternoon outside in the fresh air, doing something interesting seems more enticing than an afternoon of talking.

"Where would you and Longtooth like to go first? I am happy to walk beside you both and be as useful as I can. And if there is a way I might make better acquaintance with Longtooth, I would like to do that. You both interest me."

He is quite direct as always but there is truth in his words.

OOC - do we need to move back to PM thread now?

Mikal

"Hmmm. Not easy question to answer, Daxia." He answers. Glancing at Celi when she asks her question, he turns back to Daxia and nods. "Yes. Celi is right. We were interrupted earlier in the day when you were going to explain about who and what 'Dayalan' is. What it means. I can't give my word to follow someone if I don't know anything about them and therefore can't feel comfortable about where they are going to lead me. You brandish the label 'Dayalan' like a shield, yet I know nothing of what it means."

Celi

Celi looked truly relieved not to be the lone ignorant one. "I have lived in the wild most of my life, so I am not conversant with ... such things."

Whatever a "Dayalan" was.

"But ... please, elaborate for us. Perhaps we call it by another name, or it might turn out to be something appealing."

Daxia
with most of the Gang at the Inn

She shook her head, "Not shield, Mikal. Just... who I am." She paused as they entered the Inn, and she flung her cloak off to wrap it snuggly around Bekkah. Nodding to the others who had already arrived, she settled her sister near the fire and sat down beside her. "Am Daxia, Dazi... sister, friend, student, teacher... Dayalan just one more way to say who Daxia is."

She nodded to Mikal and Celi. "Ok, I tell you of Dayalans. Easy answer be... Mikal is Jvrillian, Bekkah is Lady of Attera, Conrad is Squire of Rames, Daxia is Dayalan, yes? But most know Jvrill, Lady Attera, Lord Rames. Seem few outside Vale know Dayala's name, though all know Her. But I tell you tale way I learn it from teachers, ok? Not all my words yet... take parts from Verchovai Gillyflower, parts from Verchovai Kassia." She settled more comfortably, and began the story...

"Before Time began, there was only the Forest, where the Firstborn lived and played. Surrounding the Forest, though, was Chaos; endless night, dangerous and deadly. And the Chaos Lords hunted the Firstborn; so the Firstborn sent emissaries to Dayala, asking for Her help. Dayala came to their aid, and rose above the Forest; in doing so, She brought the day. When She retired to slumber, so was created the night, wherein her many children lit the Forest.

"By Her rising and slumbering, Dayala created Time, which was the first Law. The Chaos Lords saw the Law, and their anger was great. Who was She to diminish Chaos with Law? And so the Chaos Lords descended upon the Forest; they challenged Dayala and the Law; they challenged Her and the Light; they tried mightily to destroy that which Dayala had brought forth. These challenges are known now as the Shattering Wars, and in those wars The Heartwood was broken.

"Finally, She rose to defeat the Chaos Lords and banished them to Beyond. Time, day and night, continued. Humankind was born amidst the conflicts, and lived in the new world created from the shattering of the Forest. Years and more years passed as Yrick, king of the Bright Empire, brought peace and prosperity to the land. The Keeps were constructed during these years, and Yrick’s lands stretched from Caer Maeyin to the Port of Lys. Whispers and songs still speak of Dall Gwynn, a golden city founded during Yrick’s reign.

"No man lives forever, for that is a gift given only to the Firstborn and, as some say, to the gods themselves. The day came when King Yrick rose to watch from the sky, where we see him still. Yrick and those who came after him did not remember that humankind was not the only people born during the Shattering Wars. The Chaos Lords had given birth to their children, as well. This was a dire thing to have forgotten, for one evening the children of the Chaos Lords came pouring over the Black Mountains. These children were pale as the moons with hair as white as snow, and they possessed magicks never before seen. With them came their Lords of Destruction.

"And so began the first war of men, the Long War, which lasted a fullhand of fullhand years. City after city, keep after keep all fell before the Easterners. We will not forget the Battle at the Water’s Edge, where one hundred and twenty five Dayalans held off a horde of Easterners and the personal servants of the dire Lords. We will sing the songs that tell of our brave sisters who vanquished so many of the Easterners and the servants of the dire Lords. Dayala’s children stood against the Chaos, their blood staining the piers and causing the waters to run red, buying time."

Daxia paused, to look across at Cami. "We always only 'just buying time', yes?" She continued her storytelling.

"Eventually, the children of the other gods were able to drive the Easterners back beyond the Black Mountains, though too many children of Dayala joined their sisters in the night sky, and the remaining few were scattered far and wide.

The Second Age saw humankind, too, scattered across the land to become farmers. It was a time of simplicity, and relative peace. There was no need for the skills Dayala had taught her children. And so, when the East ran across the Heartwood for a second time, Dayalans again fought, again just buying time, until the Knights of Roth drove the Easterners to the Lowside of the Tarn, where the Easterners entered the Dirkwood, never to be seen again. Even fewer of Dayala’s children survived the second coming of the Easterners. We must never forget, though, the greatest tale of that desperate age… the Massacre at Jeminy's Hill. There, a handful of Dayalans were left to defend a group of Risha's followers. The Dayalans, under Verchovai Jeminy Kilkenna held out for two days, and held true to an oath they had made: that none of Risha's people would be touched before the last Dayalan, Kisa Allaine, died."

Daxia eyes had closed during the last part of the story, but she opened them again now, looking around at those who had listened to her tale.

"Like followers of Lord Rames, we stand and defend defenseless or weak. Sisters often left fighting for duty and beliefs, all alone.

"But we fight," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "And we fight until Dayala bring us all home to Her."

Kadri:

"Yes."

She nods and looks over at Daxia, as if about to say something more, but only studies her for another moment then repeats;

"Yes."

And whatever it was she was thinking remains unsaid. But she looks rather thoughtful.

Stories have meaning.

<Camelia in the inn>

She looked up, wide-eyed as Daxia and the others entered and Daxia nearly immediately launched into a story. She leaned forward as she listened to the tale and nodded slowly at Daxia's comment and the story's conclusion.

Mother...Mother isn't one. And neither am I, she thought at the end of tale... no history. We may do some similar, and Mother certainly cared about what they do, but we're not. She was her mother's child yes, and what she taught was important and needful, but she was not Dayalan. She blushed briefly as she thought of her words the other day.

"Thank you, Daxia," she said in a steady tone. "Thank you for the sharing..." she trailed off her mind whirling.

Celi

It sounded to Celi like Dayala was nothing more than the Sun, which was an integral part of Celi's cosmos. It misspoke Her place in the order of things, however, ignoring the core concept of "Nature," which did not rule existence -- rather, Nature *was* existence.

But Celi knew better than to espouse her beliefs in public. She settled for blinking, nodding slowly, and then waiting for Mikal to say something so she wouldn't put her foot in her mouth.

Bekkah

She accepted the cloak and felt it's warmth surround her. She hadn't realized how chilled she had felt. She rubbed the cloak against her cheek smiling. It was finer than anything she owned.

Then she listened to her baby sister.

*Oh how you've grown little one. Kassia would be proud to hear you now.* she thought as she reached out and squeezed Dazi's hand as she finished.

"Perhaps, others explain how you all came to be together? I've traveled a lot and never seen a group such as this."

Daxia
with most of the Gang at the Inn

Daxia smiled and squeezed Bekkah's hand in return upon finishing the story; then met Kadri's eyes when she spoke, returning the other woman's gaze. A nod was the only response necessary; perhaps an acknowledgement, perhaps a confirmation. When Camelia spoke, Daxia regarded her gravely for a handful, then two handful of heartbeats. "You are welcome, Camelia. Hope now you understand me, Verchovai Dandelion better, yes?" Then she smiled. "Just a little, maybe?"

<'lia>

"A little," she said with an almost shy smile "and.. 'lia please. After the recent events, changing out of these and altering other things a bit might be best." Her smile changed briefly to pure mischief, "but I've found I'm a younger sister recently, so I think I won't be fully letting her know I understand her."

With a brief look of apology at the others she'd dash off to change. "I'll be back soon as I can." She wanted out of the 'hang 'em high' clothing.

Mikal

"It is much as I have heard it, though without the references to Dayala or her followers. The Ballad of Jeminy's Hill, as I have heard it sung, also has no reference to a Kisa Allaine. Instead the young hero who stands with Captain Jeminy was named Mikal Allinna. Still, to be as you say is honorable. Some might call it foolhardy, but one can see the honor in defending the weak."

He smiles ruefully as indeed he himself has been called foolhardy on several occasions for taking contracts that paid less than some others simply because of who the employer was and their need.

"Let us share the information we have each gathered, and then I will answer the question you put to me, Daxia."

"So, to begin, I have a question. Do you believe Allaine money to be behind purchasing the contract of the Dark Mark and bringing them here to Cragside?"

Daxia
with most of the Gang at the Inn

"Depend on their purpose for being in Cragside, Mikal. If to protect shipment in warehouse, man killed last night, girl missing today... then small possibility. But if so, why is man dead and girl missing? Mark is not so inept as this, are they?" Daxia looked puzzled over that. "Also..." Her brow furrowed, eyes darting around the room at any of the Hordesmen who might be gathered, finally settling on the doorway to the stables and training yard beyond. "...also think Mark not most likely group for Khorall Linnell... or Lord Kisa... to choose for such job." She continued to stare at the doorway for several heartbeats, before shaking her head and looking at the others gathered. "Kadri and I find warehouse easy enough. Belong to her employer. We enter, think to look in crates loaded in wagons to see what worth killing for, yes?" She sighed. "But as I untie knots, suddenly Patterns become clear, very clear. So we hurry very quick to Kadri's employer to find who is rightful owner of key.

"Unless cargo already have buyer, and dead man with daughter are delivering only, key and cargo belong to missing girl. What is cargo?" Daxia shuddered as she looked at the small part of a much greater Pattern. "Is three wagons, filled with last shipment of iron ore and steel from Dawnview Vale before Khorall Linnell Allaine stop all shipments west." She looked at Kadri. "Employer say probably not enough time to find buyer, yes? So every thief in Thieves Guild, every merchant in Merchant Guild want cargo." She looked back at Mikal. "You see why? You understand? Politics very ugly thing." She sighed again as she looked at her sister. "Maybe this what Lord Kisa warn me about five years ago. Not surprising," she said softly as she patted Bekkah's hand. "You read letters, then we talk about that."

Looking back at Mikal, she asked, "What you learn from your Guild?"

Mikal

"The scuttlebutt is that the Dark Mark is here at the bidding of either Allaine money or Montague money. Only those have enough coin to buy out their long term contract at Bordertown."

"Also, the Mark is not recruiting, meaning they do not expect to be in a pitched fight any time soon. I can tell you the Guild is on edge. No one likes them being here."

"I have also made it known I am looking for work for Celi. Will give us an excuse for wandering about town poking into places."

He sits back and looks around to make sure none are listening in, then says softly. "And I passed a message to the Merchant who tried to hire me to get the key. Hopefully it will give the rest of you a few days without interference to get done what needs to be done. If he believes me he should be watching me closely, and if we're lucky he'll stop the others." He shrugs. "If not. It probably didn't make anything any worse."

"So. Is it as simple as the Merchants and Rogues trying to corner the market on the last bit of iron ore available to try to make a killing of a profit? Seems a bit of overkill, doesn't it?"

Looking closer at Daxia he adds, "I must admit the politics of it are a bit beyond me. We never cared much for politics on the farm."

<'lia - just a bit ago Camelia>

She returned quietly, dressed in more subdued clothing with her hair in a serviceable braid. Her appearance is vastly different from the flashy Lady of before. What skills can be used to draw attention to and heighten the impact of attributes and appearance can also be used to subtly downplay them.

'lia nodded to the others and set back down listening intently.

Kadri:

"We have a problem more immediate. . do you remember the threat to harm the girl unless the key was placed at a specific warehouse? Well, if they have her, that deadline is approaching."

Daxia
with most of the Gang at the Inn

She shook her head forcefully. "No, no... not overkill. And Darian search with Longtooth and Cesare for girl right now. They come back, say where she is, or bring with, maybe." She planted elbows on knees, propped her chin in her palms and rubbed her forehead. "Ah, how to explain?" she muttered. For a fullhand of heartbeats she sat there, just rubbing her forehead, then looked up wearily at the others. "Ok. Simple politics." She held up one hand, fingers extended. "Korie." She held up the other hand in the same way. "Montague." She interlaced the fingers of both hands. "They like this." Separating her hands, she held one up in a fist. "Korie and Montague." The held up the other hand in a fist. "Allaine." She slammed the fists together, and held them that way. "Like this. Korie and Allaine like this since before Bankerpool first come to mainland. Since Imperials come..." She moved her fists apart, about two handspan. "...Korie and Allaine like this.

"But Pax Imperium falling apart, no Viceroy come to mainland in many generations; Lord Kisa see this five, maybe more, years ago. Korie want to be most powerful now." She started to move the fists closer together again. "Korie making weapons. Need iron, need steel. Khorall Linnell not go Midsummer Council, send -- I think -- certain Verchovai instead. Korie stop grain to Dawnview." Her fists perhaps two fingerwidths apart. "Allaine stop shipment of iron and steel after Midsummer Council." Now her fists were barely far enough apart to slide a dagger. "Korie and Montague want iron and steel in wagons." She looked at her fists, then looked around at her comrades.

"WE in the middle."

The Heartwood
Mid-afternoon, the Town of Cragside
Restday The Last Day of the Month of Raven, 2623

Conrad, Camelia, Mikal, Bekkah, Daxia, Kadri and Celi

"A private room?"

The innkeeper just waved his hand across his commons; full of both mercenaries and the townsfolk with better taste.

"I suspect the hayloft is going to be about the best you can ask until the spring thaw, mi'Lord. Unless you ... command someone out of their room and all, which I guess is your right."

The commoner did not seem at all happy with that later alternative, however, casting a worried eye across his more martial patrons.

"But the lass there ..."

He nods to Kadri.

"She has a room all her own all ready. It's not big, but it is private ... and you seem like a friendly bunch, aye?

"And Her Ladyship, well, she is up in The Captain's room as far as I be knowing; now that room, it does have a deent size; second floor, right up against the far chimney, so its warm too. But I suspect that would be between Her Ladyship and The Captain, being .. they right truly and properly are sisters, right?"

For the others, it was a place in the mid-afternoon crowd that they found themselves. They garnered a few looks upon entering; curious townsfolk noting newcomers ... members of the Horde noting the return of prodigal sister, her entourage and their Captain's temple-siser. A table would be offered, perhaps to share so they wouldn't have to stand. After, however, that initial curiosity like most countryside taverns folks returned to their own conversations. From the kitchen came the telltale scent of cooking meat; the evening's dinner preparations already begun. The sound of chopping and slicing could also be heard. From the kitchen too there was an interesting procession; three of the barmaids made a couple trips to the upstairs, each carrying a bucketfull of slightly steamy water.

"The Mark?"

A Horder with dusty hair and an easy lope walked by, carrying a plate of meat and a small bucket of gravy towards his own table.

"You hire the Mark when you got a dirty job no other sellsword will do."

Mikal

He nods to Daxia. "So, Montague hired the Mark to escort the wagons of ore back to their base. Don't know many other Troops that would take a contract with Montauge. But the ore belongs to the girls father, and now that he is dead belongs to the girl. I'd guess there is no way into the warehouse without the key, else why not just break in and take it? If they're not averse to killing, the theft should be no roadblock, so it must be protected by the magic in the Darksteel somehow. So, all they are waiting for is the key and they take the wagons and leave."

He pauses, and looks at Daxia. "Does that sound right, or is there more?"

When Kadri mentions the risk to the girl, and Daxia talks about Darian and Cesare tracking her, he adds, "I hope I might have bought a little bit of time for her in the message I sent to one of our merchant enemies."

Daxia
with most of the Gang at the Inn

She dropped her hands to her lap when Mikal began speaking. "Sound right." She paused, and shrugged lightly. "One other thing, only important to me, maybe. Dayala require Her children to stand against Chaos Lords; I see shadow of Chaos in alliance of Korie and Montague. I see to end of Path if Montague get ore... end in destruction we not see since before Imperials come to mainland." Daxia closed her eyes; they moved rapidly beneath her lids as if she was scanning something. Then shook her head and opened her eyes. "Even if stand alone, am required by Oath to Dayala to not allow such thing. Still only see one Path to certain destruction... only Lord Kisa see far enough to know where others end.

"But maybe you not want to follow where I lead, Mikal," she said sadly. "I not walk safest Path."