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Post by Rane Scarper on Apr 9, 2017 2:12:11 GMT
As Davianadyte continued, Greven’s expression grew sourer and sourer until both planeswalkers could swear that the shadows on her face were rusted areas and that the airy glow that enveloped her had dimmed a little. "You’re not being interrogated yet. Please try to calm yourself before we begin. I’d like for you to be comfortable...as comfortable as possible." Her voice had darkened, too.
"Please leave the room, if you would, Elzaphana," she said flatly, clasping both hands loosely before her. "I appreciate your help in this matter, but I think now it would serve us better for you to rest. Retire to the Parapet, prepare your mind and your spells. When it becomes time, the captain will inform you of the tactical plans." Bowing fully, she said nothing more. Whether that was because Davianadyte was present or simply because she had nothing left to say, Elzaphana found it difficult to tell. Metallic faces showed very little emotion.
A guard fell in behind the wind mage once she departed, accompanying her back to her host skyship. Its deck had already become considerably busier than when she had left it, though the activity there could not compare to the ant-like swarming of bodies over its surface during the recent attack. From there she could move to her cabin or to a quiet corner of the deck to meditate or she could speak with a soldier or sailor, many of whom she could see just from the skiff as it came alongside the Parapet. But the air hadn’t warmed much -- even some of the armoured soldiers shivered from time to time.
The moment the door closed behind Elzaphana, Greven began to pace, seemingly more anxious than the man who was about to be "interrogated", whatever that would indeed entail. Her gentle glow was a flickering candle, now; her metallic form gently creaking. "I thank you for being willing and co-operative with us. You’ll have finished before you know it. Please relax yourself. Take deep breaths. You must be asleep or very restful for this to work at such great distances, and I am sorry that I mustn’t leave the room." She sat in the chair across from him, her form making nearly no noise as it settled down. "You’ll have finished before you know it," she repeated, and Davianadyte realised that her voice had dropped to a whisper long ago.
Something golden flickered in the corners of his eyes, but a quick glance in any direction would reveal that nothing was there. Perhaps it was simple an aberration of Greven’s light when the vedalken’s eyes were half-closed.
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Post by Suzume Nakashinkoku on Apr 13, 2017 1:57:36 GMT
"As you wish, Greven," the wind mage said, before stepping from the room.
Of the soldier she followed over to the other ship, she inquired a few things. Mostly about the plane itself; how had it come to be made of little more than air? How were the skyships powered? Were they available for purchase? She was entertaining the idea of buying one, and exploring the plane with a small crew, though, not until it was deemed safer. She didn't really want to end up on some rogue moonlet, captured by rebels... Maybe the skyship could wait. Instead, she settled on sitting down near the head of the ship, taking in a deep, cold breath and sighing it out. As her mind cleared, fresh wind arcing around her, her thoughts turned to the Queen. It was a curious ruler, one that spoke only through dreams, and who sought unity.
Most of the ones she had run across had been deeply corrupt. She hoped that wasn't the case here.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2017 8:01:58 GMT
Davianadyte realized there would probably be a type of sleep magic, he closed his eyes, yet at the same time casting a subtle mind spell, locking her out of any personal memories or any memories involving his intimate past. if she was to prob his mind, she would only be able to see his time on eador, his home in fiora, his work, his job, some other details but nothing before his time on fiora. he closed his eyes, relaxing back and easily submitting to potential of a mind search and mental interrogation. safe in knowing his extremely personal and racy details would be hidden away, only showing the professional surface, that he wanted everyone to see.
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Post by Rane Scarper on Aug 9, 2017 1:38:01 GMT
"I see you have returned, madam."
It was the captain. With one finger he flicked a curl of hair from each side of his head. Elzaphana could see now the longer ears of what could only be an elf. This, no doubt, drew her attention to his uncharacteristically sharp, pointed teeth as he gave a small smile. "Please forgive me if I am interrupting anything. I would not deign to ask of the details of your meeting, but I would like to offer my assistance again. It should not be long now that we approach our destination, so now is the best time to ask my crew or myself any yet-unanswered...questions."
Once again twisting Davianadyte's expectations on end, no enchanted sleep came. It appeared that the woman of bronze expected him to fall asleep all on his own.
And she was incredibly patient. For moments of utter stillness the vedalken could almost swear that she had been an animated construct the entire time whose magic had just now faded, only for the woman's lip to twitch or her clasped hands to shift as she rotated her wrists a sliver. She moved not to harm or even to affect Davianadyte, but her posture (as well of that of the guards outside the door) made it clear as the air all about that he did not have permission to leave.
Whether he was satisfied by his mental wards or opted to construct a mightier defence, the planeswalker likely saw nothing else to do but to comply and let himself slip below consciousness.
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Post by Suzume Nakashinkoku on Aug 9, 2017 1:52:38 GMT
"These airships, and crews to fly them-- would I be able to charter one, do you think? I'd love to explore these places, the tinier of the lands, and the larger islands..." There was almost a sparkle in her eyes, a smile in her voice. Her eyes roved over the sky, drinking in the sights before she turned back to him, just then noting the strange pointed teeth. But she thought little of it; planes had had stranger elves than that... Lorwyn sprung to mind all too readily.
"And, for that matter, what powers these skyships? Is it much akin to normal ships, but with air instead of water? Or is it something else?" Now, she retrieved a few of her gems from the bag, letting them absorb something from the air, their glow increasing until she seemed to be satisfied, returning them to her bag.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2017 2:08:52 GMT
Davianadyte just sat there, almost equally motionless, his legs crossed, his eyes glanced about in the room, he waited, expecting something to happen, yet nothing happened. he kept waiting, confused by the events, but seeing the peoples expressions he didn't question it. assuming this was some kind of torture, designed to break weaker willed men who couldn't resist boredom, and would rather willingly let themselves fall unconscious or break down and confess then face the idleness of this detainment, davianadyte simply worked busily in his mind, making a mental notes of the events that had happened beforehand and attempting to explain the events of this strange plane, and it's peculiar people. on the outside, it would see that daviandayte was just sitting their, content to just sit and do absolutely nothing, occasionally shifting his legs, crossing them one way, then another every ten or so minutes. it would be clear that, he wasn't going to fall asleep any time soon.
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Post by Rane Scarper on Aug 9, 2017 2:39:13 GMT
The captain laughed, something of which Elzaphana had seen little since arriving on the plane. "Madam, if you have the silver, you can buy a ship and crew if you wish. The Palace pays soldiers well and I'm sure if you asked any higher-up for that amount of compensation after our run here in the wild skies, they'd be more than happy to grant your wish. What you won't have enough of, however, is time. This world is vast, and even a dragon couldn't properly experience all of it in its entire lifespan. It took the Old Imperials hundreds of years to fully chart Sydris -- that's where I call home -- and then there's Marthion, Kailea, wherever you fancy. I'd recommend staying far from untamed moonlets if you don't want trouble, though."
He slapped both hands on the railing that crested the bow as if patting it on the head. "As for how they're powered? Just wind in the sails, madam. But we're kept aloft by balloons full of lighter-than-air gas. Parapet has hers nestled in the hold. They're safer that way. But some ships keep them above if there's a need for extra room." A wide gesture indicated a set of ships near the centre of the fleet. Each hung from massive balloons by what appeared to be delicate thread at this distance rather than the more probable hardy rope or chain.
Greven's words nearly startled the stubborn diplomat. "I suppose you have things you'd like to do, sir. I will wait, but may I suggest that it will save both of us time if you would fall asleep before you've gone days without rest?" She almost smirked at the thought. "Relax. This is just the most convenient way to have an audience with someone more capable in this regard than I."
Those outside the room heard the interior fall silent.
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Post by Suzume Nakashinkoku on Sept 20, 2017 3:14:10 GMT
The wind mage nodded, filing the information away in her mind. She would have to ask the Queen later, or whenever she had a chance...
"Well, I imagine that I'll find plenty of interesting places to sift through." A light smile graced her lips, peaceful, at ease. For now, though they were a war party, there was little worry in Elzaphana's mind, even with the prospect fast approaching of violence. But, Greven's words came back to her now, bidding her to rest, to prepare for the battle to come. "Please do come find me if you need any aid. For now, I shall retire."
With a simple, polite bow, she turned and walked down to her room, undoing her hooded cloak first and hanging it over the back of a chair. Then, she settled down on the edge of the bed, humming a children's lullaby to herself as she undid wristguards and pulled gems from them.
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Post by Rane Scarper on Sept 20, 2017 23:30:22 GMT
For the remainder of the day, whether Elzaphana interacted with others during further outdoor meditation or whether the only voices carried to her were those that came through walls, of passers-by outside her quarters, no one said much about what had happened to the other planeswalker. Even among the disciplined military men and women, rumours sailed faster than the skyships. That Davianadyte had departed seemed to be the consensus, even if that name was not how a given crewmember identified the "mysterious traveller". None on the ship who lacked further information on the topic knew who might possess that information, which stirred the crew into agitation for a time before they collectively opted to continue with their duties alone around noon.
As the hours until sunset passed, so too did fields of asteroids, moonlets no larger than houses or hamlets upon which grew nothing but patches of a species of bloated vine. Their average sized increased marginally with time, but their density -- at noon there were visible no more than a few distant rocks; at sundown the fleet slowed to safely navigate the larger systems. Unfortunately, the only moonlets movable by strong winds were the ones small enough to easily avoid, meaning the task of keeping the fleet safe was left to people other than Elzaphana. But it was more than relaxing to watch the pilots' work, either from deck or through a porthole.
Sleep came after a thick vegetable stew, and dreams after that. But the Lady inhabited none of them.
Light rainstorms during the night had propelled the fleet faster than had been predicted. Even as she awoke, the wind mage could sense that Parapet had stopped. As she came above, Elzaphana could see that even at a distance outside of the enemy scouts' range, land spread out before the fleet with no end in sight on either side.
They could be no more than an hour's flight from the cliffside that abruptly heralded land, but the plane's leylines pulsed with more vitality than they had anywhere else on her journey. The vigour in the land surely was due to the simple fact that there was more of it. As she had departed Sydris, the moonlet which housed the city in which she'd arrived, the irregular curving of the cliffs away from her had been visible, if only a little. The scale of this moonlet, Darin, she supposed, gave no notion of radius even as far as the empire's ships were above it.
Frenzy took the Imperials. The fleet had formed a spearhead of ballista-wielding ships in the front and troop-laden ones behind, upon which stood anxiously columns of armoured soldiers. Greven was nowhere to be found, but Qidur's hulking silhouette stood against the rising sun before the largest contingent of infantry. Some held halberds and expertly-donned full plate, others in lighter protective garments but resting longbows against their shoulders. And, with a chorus of boneshaking shrieks, eight large dragons and their riders positioned themselves on mooring asteroids. As the dragons stretched their wings to absorb the warming rays of light all about, Elzaphana likely could not help but wonder where such large beasts could have been housed.
The captain of the Parapet came alongside her, his face suddenly that of a soldier's. "Morning." She could tell he had intentionally let the word "good" remain unsaid.
"You're to accompany the second regiment," he gestured to the soldiers on the ship just further landward than Qidur's, "who are the most individually valuable. Strategically, that is. The second has several swordsmen and archers, but it's where the bulk of our wizards are. The ballistae are only to spiral other ships downward; these soldiers are the real artillery. Seeing as you've come along, the defensive specialist have been allocated to different groups. From whatever range you are able, you take these soldiers' lives into your hands. But you're capable enough; I saw it with those pirates. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if you and the second returned to Shard with no casualties."
He blinked. "A craft to bring you to the second should be coming over shortly. Anything else you need from me before this all begins?"
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Post by Suzume Nakashinkoku on Sept 21, 2017 0:07:30 GMT
As Elzaphana slept, she dreamt of fire.
Fire on her tiny home plane was a long lost secret, an ancient hidden magic, and, indeed, was what had thrust her into the Eternities. And so, she dreamt of fire, and of change, as thoughts of battle filled her mind. War had brought fire, long ago, on her home, when she was only a few years old. Her sleep was far from restful, and she awoke early, dressing quickly and adorning each of her pieces of clothing with a gem. There was little rocking of the ship as she awoke, and she stretched, tucking the pouch of gems into an interior pocket of her cloak.
Inhale, exhale. Her gems were glowing, now, vibrantly, absorbing mana from the nearby moonlet. Elzaphana, now, made her way atop the ship's deck, shutting her eyes and letting the wind speak to her. It brought magic with it, and it brought what felt like soft kisses to her skin. As the captain approached, she opened her eyes, and bowed. "Morning," she replied, biting off the word good rather awkwardly. "The second regiment?" A nod, and she tucked her hair into her hood as she pulled it up.
"As you wish. I shall do my best to guard your soldiers' lives. May the winds guide you."
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Post by Rane Scarper on Sept 21, 2017 3:03:50 GMT
He looked out across the throngs of shifting warriors and Elzaphana almost saw a smile break the pre-battle stoicism. "May the winds guide you just as well." Perze, by her more ceremonial outfit clearly the woman in command of the army's second regiment, tersely introduced herself as soon as Elzaphana approached. A short woman with a bit fairer skin than the rest of the Eadoran humans the planeswalker had seen, Perze held herself how a woman who'd survived more than a few battles might, resting motionlessly against the landing craft's railing while the rest of her team fidgeted in their armour. "We're ready, madam. Never emotionally, but other than that, we're ready." Her gaze turned toward the constellation of artillery ships and exhorted Elzaphana's to follow. Halfway between the waiting soldiers and what could only be called shore, three ragged rebel ships engaged the seven Imperial ones. "The sky combat never takes long; the savages rarely have more than a few functional ships. But we've got to send in our own because they'd spiral us right off the cliff if we didn't." Horns blew, and the warriors in the back pushed off from the asteroid toward Darin. Silence followed the craft for a while before the soldiers recognised that they needed something to keep their mind away from thoughts of death. One elf in particular, little more than a girl, bowed spryly before Elzaphana. "I'm Relynn Neskythyll, madam. Here to help those you can't protect. But I hope you know what you're doing." A sharp-toothed smile drifted across her face, prompting the planeswalker for some conversation before things became too hectic.
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Post by Suzume Nakashinkoku on Oct 10, 2017 19:49:15 GMT
"Elzaphana Ciro is my full name, but it's such a mouthful. Call me Elza," the wind mage replied, rolling a gem between her fingers. A breath, in, and out, mana swirling around the very air she exhaled. There was tension in her muscles, an almost electric excitement. It had been so long since she had been able to truly cast, to feel the threads of magic in the air. The intricacies of war now, were swept from her mind, like leaves in a gale. Was the Lady justified? Were the rebels merely trying to eke out a living? Elzaphana found that she cared little. Eador had quickly grown on her, and the people that she rode with were as deserving as life as she was. Whether these rebels had cause or not, she spread her arms, and soft winds shrouded the ships as they came to shore. Now, her eyes came to rest upon the medic once more. "Tell me, if you wouldn't mind, of these rebels? From what I've seen, Her Ladyship is quite capable, and this world is a gentle, beautiful one." A frown furrowed her face, a storm brewing on the horizon. "It seems strange that these people would resist so much."
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Post by Rane Scarper on Oct 11, 2017 0:47:35 GMT
Relynn's gaze wandered her expression, trying as best as the girl could to read Elzaphana. Yet for Relynn, if not for all Eadorans, that tome seemed to be in a different language, no matter how open the planeswalker placed it. The elven girl slid a finger into the collar of her hauberk for want of comfort, however brief. "I wouldn't say the world's gentle, Elza. But it responds well to taming, I think." She giggled at a joke Elzaphana didn't believe was there before she continued. "The rebels are...a lot of things. There are traitors that flee from civilised places to the Rogue Moonlets and, I imagine, some of them live their lives as normally as one can. But more are schemers, anarchists, savages, blood witches. Even if the Lady were content to let treason go unpunished, the rest of the rebellion is actually a threat. And that's mainly why we're here. That's why I'm here."
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Post by Suzume Nakashinkoku on Oct 11, 2017 4:55:50 GMT
"There are bloodwitches on my home too, Relynn," Elzaphana said, quiet anger in her voice. "Such people-- monsters-- cannot be allowed to harm anyone else."
Traitors and anarchists? Savages? Murderers? It twisted her face into a scowl, for a brief moment, before she composed herself again. "Regardless. Let us finish this quickly, but-- if we find any children, do we bring them back? They've committed no crimes..." That much about war did trouble her. To victimize those that had done no wrong, and were mere victims of fate... But for now, there was only time for that brief thought. Excitement thrummed in the air, and the sky battle, from what little Elzaphana could see, seemed entirely one sided.
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Post by Rane Scarper on Oct 12, 2017 23:57:01 GMT
Continued conversation regarding their respective worlds (mostly of Eador -- at times Relynn's thoughts seemed to be elsewhere, but their hideaway likely existed on the approaching shores of Darin rather than on the plane of Setsi) drowned out the creaks of distant timber. Attention swiveled once to the aerial duel with a collection of startled gasps as the predatory course of a white-sailed imperial galleon dropped, followed a second after by the explosive rupturing crack of its main balloon. But when the ship managed to limp away from the fight toward a host of improvised rescue craft and its companions continued to press the attack, there were left fewer eyes on the engagement than even before. When Relynn wasn't talking about their rebellious foes or about "the commander" (not once did she say a name, but her eyes flickered to Perze at the bow of the ship each time she said it), she offered stories and visions of her home moonlet. The forested isle of Kailea, the ancestral grounds of her elven brethren, seemed almost to gift her eyes with an emerald sparkle at its mention. "Close to the moonlet's eyeward side is Sestyrrellen. There, streets of cobbled stone and streets of high-arcing tree root weave together harmoniously, connecting silver towers that sprout from the edge. Everywhere I've been on the moonlet, and even some places on Sydris, is just...beautiful. But my city most of all." A misty smile came across her face at the memory. "You were speaking about the beauty of the -- this world earlier. Are you planning on going exploring when this is all over?" "Land! Fifteen minutes!" bellowed Perze. Relynn's expression fell. "If we ever leave, that is."
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