My name is Ahelissa Harte, I hail from a land of perpetual ice and snow, raised during a time of war between man and dragon. I came to the Black Shroud to escape from the demons left in my head by these things, and I was rewarded. Though I am not a child of the Shroud, it is my home, I walk among the boughs blessed, able to converse with the guardian spirits of this sacred place. I am many things, Lady, Knight, Mage, but I am of the White first among them and I will guard the beauty and serenity of this place to the very last of my breaths.
A City of Heroes character of my dear friend @immortaleosian who keeps supporting me and brings interesting ideas with her commissions that she tasks me with. And that support⌠I really need at the moment.
@ylaziel knocks it out of the park again... sheâs such a wonderful artist, I recommend anyone looking for a commission hit her up, you wonât be disappointed! Thanks Yla!
Since things are finally nearing completion as far as setups go, we wish to make the company lively again and buzzing with RP. Our character sheet/combat system is soon ready to be implemented as well.
The Shadow Sanctuary welcomes RPers of all kinds:
Are you a craftsman who wishes to aid a secret order in itâs endeavours and make sure the members all well equipped and prepared? Are you an adventurer or a mercenary who isnât afraid to get their hands dirty now and then to aid others? Perhaps you wish to help out in the cover establishment, The Stray tavern & inn? Are you attracted by secrets and treasures and finding them, maybe work in espionage or simply want a new chance to redeem yourself, find a sanctuary from your past? We would be happy to have you!
We wish to build a nice, relaxed community with Rp, stories and content now and then, a helpful, creative place to enjoy together!
More info about the FC and itâs history here!
Housing:
The Stray (FC House) is found in the Shroud somewhere near the northern parts of the South Shroud IC (In game: Lavender Beds, W4 P27) and always open for the public as a tavern/inn. Menu.
The Mirage (Outpost) is found in the Goblet (W9 P36) is a Tea & Hookah house open for public use as well. Menu.
 To reach out you can find me in game with the name, Ylaziel Thelalqamar or reach out to me here on tumblr/ask for my discord!
Thank you for reading this and i hope we will pique some interest to make this place a good home for many!
Years ago (like more than I care to think about), I sat down and created a world known as Avenor. A High fantasy world full of Humans, Elves, Dwarfs, Dragons and floating citadels. For years after that, my friends and I fleshed this world out as we took turns Game Mastering out way though hours and hours of time on this one world. God knows I spent tons of time as Egorian the White, Mage of the order of Tyl - High Elf Wizard chasing power and fame in the wilds and ruins of Avenorâs past. Or as Glyn Wolfe, Cleric of the Everlight.
Life happens, people move on, have families, careers, get married and so on, but I always came back to Avenor, taking years to flesh out regions. Through stint in the Navy I played a 3 year long campaign for a group of 10 people, where they, ultimately failed to prevent a wizard (one that oddly matched the description of a certain mage in the order of Tyl) from taking over and assuming the throne of Elsea. Only barely escaping with their lives as the first of the floating citadels were raised from the ground.Â
Now, a new group of unlikely heroes begins to slowly come together on Avenor. Ylaziel Thel Al'Qamar theTiefling Fighter, Garrick LaMoyne the Half-elf Warlock, Horus Humbleward the Dwarven Cleric, Krexa the Tiefling Bard, Zevagarm the Half-Orc Paladin and Orion the Rogue to stop the machinations of a Dragon, Kagath the Untamed, to upset the plans of the ruthless spy organization the I'megil or potentially finally bring down the Mad King himself...
A commission from @immortaleosian of her beautiful character, Lissa. She is always so much fun to draw and certainly a challenge for me to get her features right. Thank you for your support!
A letter is found in the study, written in the loopy script of Ahelissaâs magic Quill:
My Friends -
The Spirits of the shroud call to me, singing in my ear of deeds that needs be done outside of the boarders of my home. Their melody echoes deep in my mind and soul, so I will go to them and be their hand as any other Hearer would do were they in my shoes. I will return, in time, hopefully better for it. Until then my friends, keep each other safe and help each other. Â
Ahelissa of the White.
Ahelissa opened her hand and let the wind take it. âI donât want to be afraid anymore.â she said quietly to Ylaziel as they watched the colored strip of fabric flutter away. As a journey began above, so did one for the ribbon as it danced on the wind, downward toward the sea shore.
It came to light at the feet of a simple man, whoâs name to the story is no more important than the ribbon now was to the woman above as it settled to the soft sand. Â What mattered was that this simple man, was a good man, and, as all good people do; heâd reach down and pluck the fabric from the ground. Â Admiring how finely it had been made, he would look about, with a mind to return it to its owner, whom after some searching, he could not find. Now this good man, happened to be a fisher who, for all his mastery of his craft had just broken his pole against the railings of one of the largest fish he had ever caught. Â This pole, his only pole, was also is only means to support his family; so with a bit of a shrug and a thanks to the twelve he used that colorful ribbon to patch that pole so that he could finish out his day fishing and take those fish to market. Â That big fish he caught? It, and the rest of the fish he caught that day net him enough Gil to replace that pole and buy his family their dinner. Â This nameless good man discarded of the old pole, ribbon and all, soon after in the shop owners refuse pile, as all good people would do. And, his livelihood spared, and family to be fed would fade into the memories of this tale.
Spared the fate of jetsam in the Rhotano Sea, the pretty ribbon sat wrapped around that old fishing pole in a refuse pile on at a shop in the Golden Bazaar. Â But, itâs journey was far from over. Â For you see, this particular shop owner had a good eye on him for noticing things of great value, and lo, there sat wrapped around a broken old fishing pole a small treasure. Â Carefully he undid the knots the fisher had tied, and even still more carefully did he wash the wrinkled fabric, ridding it of its days labour. And, just as soon as this strip of cloth was dry he ever so meticulously used it as a bow to finish the wrapping on a nameday present that had been ordered some time ago.
This nameday present that was so carefully wrapped was stowed in a pack and delivered to a young lady in the great oasis of Ulâdah. Â Who this little girl was has since been lost to time, as has the colorful strip of fabric been. Â Whatâs more important is that the nameday present was well received and the little wooden doll the ribbon had held the wrapping on would be passed on for generations and generations to come, a item of affection for many little ones before it would find its way to a collectorâs shelf. Â But the ribbon, oh the ribbon. Â Such a pretty thing it was, that self-same little girl kept it and used it to tie her hair back on hot days, of which there were plenty in the lands of Ulâdah. It kept his little girl company, for many a trip through the streets of the golden city with her friends. Â
Now, one of this young maidâs friends would eventually be set to move with her family, as is wont to do and, on the day of these two friends tearful parting the hair tie became the gift between the two girls. Â And, through a twist of fates it found itself wrapped and bowed around the neck of a young lady, who not this day, but in days to come that was bound for greatness as an Archanist in Limsa Lominsa. So, the ribbon found itself under the sun on the docks and in the passageways of the pirate nation itself. And here it would stay for many a year until that young woman found herself waving to her beloved from the piers of that great nation. Â The ribbon, now faded from time, but no less beautiful, found itself wrapped around another wrist. Â But this time, it didnât serve as a reminder of a time of terror and pain, but of good, loving memories. Â It had become a unknown symbol of hope that tied so many unlikely stories together. This time, as the young man looked at the favour wrapped around his wrist, he wasnât afraid instead, it gave him hope.
The Haillenarte banner fluttered to the ground amongst the litter of charred siege weapons and menâs bodies as the Dragon slammed down, landing atop the parapet. The smoke swirled around his wings following the downdraft of wind, pushing it into the group of injured knights below. Only one stood against him, she choked on the smoke as it washed over her. It would be easy, to scorch them from on high and listen to their screams as they boiled in their metal shells. There was no sport in that however - no chance to revel in the kill he thought to himself.
He jumped down from the wall to the ground, the courtyard shaking under his weight. He bellowed a call to his brood mates as he approached the huddled mass of Elezen soldiers and their Hyur defender. She screamed back at him from behind her metal mask, beat her sword on her shield, cursed him in the name of their foul patroness Halone. Anything to get him to turn away from her injured comrades, typical shortsighted man-thing, heâd fought in ten-fold more battles than summers sheâd lived, sheâd be dead in seconds and her charges would follow her to the Silvertear soon after.
He lunged at her, his jaw clamping down on air with a vicious snap as she twisted to the side, her blade swung wide as she moved, clipping his outstretched neck. He bellowed in pain and twisted his neck and head about to snap at her again, she beat his jaw with her shield, falling back under the force of the impact, her blade skittering out of her hand, now he had her. His claw swung down, falling to empty ground as she rolled away from him. Enough was enough, he inhaled, bringing the cold Coerthan air into his lungs.
She knew the signs, she rolled to one knee and braced herself behind her shield as the world exploded around her. The fire licked at her from around the edges of the shield, singeing hair and superheating her armor. She screamed in pain as her left arm broiled in her armor under the weight of the attack. As soon as the explosion of light faded she moved, throwing the spent shield to the side, the beast swung its tail at her as she doubled back on her path, she rolled under it, landing heavy on her already blistering arm.
She didnât have time to let the pain subside, all she could do was move â she wouldnât let this beast have these soldiers, as she came to her feet she ran, scanning the ground for anything. The beast was after her, roaring it snapped after her, narrowly missing her as she slid to a âstopâ behind a column to wait out another gout of fire. Close to her, she could see a spear lying on the ground. She needed to get to it, so she drew her dagger and waited. She could feel the beast circling to her right, it was coming between the twin pillars that supported the outcrop of the keep above. Uttering a prayer to Halone she slowed her pace around the pillar and exposed just enough of herself to tempt the beast to strike. And strike it did. Infuriated by her ability to survive the Dragon had flown into a fury, it lunged, snapping at the already injured arm sheâd exposed. The Dragonâs aim was true, his maw closed on her, piercing her armor and cutting deep into her flesh.
He had her, he could taste her lifeblood now, could hear her scream in pain. He reveled in the sound, but if only for a moment. In a flash of bright light the dagger bit deep, in shock he howled in pain, clawing at the socket that once held his eye to remove the blade sheâd thrust into it. He turned his fury on the world around him. A torrent of flame baking the carved stone around him as his tale smashed the pillar she had hid behind. Then,another bite of pain, this time in his chest. Heâd underestimated this little she-demon, sheâd bought herself time to find another weapon and spent it wisely.
He snapped at her again, barely able to focus with but a single eye. She moved to the side, his jaw failing to find purchase again on her fragile form. He exhaled and swung his head the way she had moved, bathing the area in fire. The crimson of his fire was the last thing he saw. In an instant his world went black. Blind he howled for his brood mates to come for him, he thrashed about in vain trying to find the mortal that had taken his sight. The sting of another stab bit at him, he reacted and swung.
Ahelissa sat up in bed, the sound of the Keep collapsing still echoing in her ears. She rubbed her arm, the scars would ache sometimes after a nightmare.
We are a chaotic good free company on Mateus, a secret organization working outside of the law and the Alliance. We are not criminals though, but welcoming to all who whish to do good despite their troubled pasts. What you want to do in the present and the future is what matters. I rather not spoil more of our story.
Our main focus is retrieving information, knowledge, relics and artifacts to dispense later for the betterment of mankind, also adventuring and treasure hunts to line our coffers for the missions to come.
We are a story driven, inclusive regarding our arcs and also welcoming of ideas from our members. We are mostly mature, sometimes dark but we also do slice of life and all genres of RP, really depending on how the players drive the events. Most of us are heavy RP and despite still lacking the numbers and sometimes schedules not meshing, Â we try our best and up for RP 90% of the time.
PvE is there too casually, clearing content, help with advancing in MSQ, clears and also⌠Maps!
We schedule events on Fridays/Saturdays most of the time around 6-8 EST and try to conclude them in 3-4 hours tops.
We have the FC house and another house as IC safehouses and RP hubs:
The Seeker Headquarters: The Lavender Beds, Ward 4, Plot 27.
The Mirage: The Goblet, Ward 9, Plot 36.
Characters of varied professions are welcome. Scholars, aetherical experts, fighters, adventurers, scientists, soldiers, spies, anyone who can help us in our cause.
We are using our own battle system/character sheets so everyone has a unique character with unique abilities, loosely based on Pathfinder.
If you are interested in our Free Company i have a few questions for you:
Where are you from?
Tell me about your character?
What are you looking for in a FC?
How do you see yourself and your character fitting into everything?
If you have any questions you can find me in game with the name Ylaziel Thelalqamar or contact me through tumblr/message me for Discord and i will try to answer the best i can.
Ahelissa sat at the base of a tree just east of Bentbranch Meadows. The waters of the shallow river rushing off in the distance mixed with the calls of birds and songs of the crickets brought a smile to her face. She stopped to listen for a moment, closing her eyes, forgetting about the uneaten apple sheâd pulled from her pack. It wasnât long before the presence of the elementals sung to her conscious as they always did when she ventured alone into the Shroud. The wind carried a whispered call from the waters downriver from where she was. She chuckled as she stood, âSo much for a relaxing lunch.â Walking slowly in the direction she was being pulled, she absentmindedly ate the apple, more focused on the elements and their will than the food she was eating. When she finished it she stopped, dug a hole, and buried the remains. âThere, Iâll see you in a few summersâ she smiled at the freshly disturbed ground and then continued on her way.
It wasnât long before she found herself at a bend in the river, where the silt and muck had piled up from upstream. The bank was high, soft dirt the flow had cut into over the course of time. As she approached, the bend a deep,sad, moan echoed through the trees around her. Pausing for a moment at the sound she crept forward a few more yalms before she could make out the full bend in the river. There, standing amidst the silt and muck trees pulled down around it, was a Goobbue moaning to the heavens above as it thrashed about, unable to wrest itself from the gunk the river had collected. Goobbue were not known for their breadth of intelligence. They were however, known for being relentless predators that would use their long arms to snatch up nearly anything foolish enough to get close and deliver it to their giant liberally toothed maws. This one, stuck in the river as it was had torn down a myriad of trees causing it only to become trapped more. If it died there, its body would contaminate the river downstream. If the trees it had torn down were left, theyâd potentially block the river and muck up the flow of the water. Ahelissa tilted her head in contemplation as she exhaled an airy whisper, âHow to help you?â
She approached the beast slowly, for the better part of an hour she worked her way across the bank and through the trees until she was close enough to see what was causing the beatskinâs stubby legs to be stuck so fast in the riverbed. She cooed at it softly as she neared it, not that she thought that would help it, but it seemed like the right thing to do. âWeâll get you out of thereâ she sang to it, down came another tree, hurled at nothing in particular, âsssssh, easy boyâ, she whispered to it as she moved. As she got closer she could see the beastâs legs and waist had been completely covered by silt â not enough to keep it trapped, but as it moved the condition of its legs became clear. In falling down the bank it had broken them. Unable to stand full upright it sat thrashing about with its long arms hoping to pull itself up the bank. Something that the soft ground, wet from the nearby river couldnât support. The trees came up root ball and all, as it pulled at them, adding to the beastâs ever growing primal frustration. âOh you poor thingâ she spoke to it again continuing to get closer to it.
It quickly became apparent that sheâd have to get into the water to get close enough to heal the beast. Not wanting to get pinned between the bank and the flailing arms of her âpatientâ she moved out of cover and to the lowest point on the bank and slid down to the water. As though the timing was set by the Twelve themselves, she hit the water with a splash at the precise second the Goobbue had chosen to stop thrashing. The forest fell silent as the two stared at each other for a second that seemed to stretch on forever. Then, as quickly as the silence fell, chaos ensued. Before she could get her defensive magicks weaved into a protection barrier the beast roared and lashed out, it batted at her with its long reach. The impact caught her midriff rocketing her backward, skipping her across the water like a stone until she came to rest several yalms further upstream from where she had started. âOwâ she managed after a few minutes of lying there in shock, pain and trying catching her breath. She was mostly unharmed, save for her pride, soaked and sore. She blew a lock of her black hair out of her sight and sat in the river staring at the Goobbue, pondering her next move.
Amidst the silent contemplation of where the female had gone wrong and the preposterous position the Gobbue had gotten itself into further downstream, there was a burst of aether. It flashed into reality with dazzling brilliance and for some odd, unknown reason left behind two things. A resounding "BONG!" like a large bell being struck by a very drunken sod......and a man in a brown suit that barely fit the culture. His hair was a deep blue, streaks of lighter discoloration perhaps marking some advanced age save for there were darker streaks as well that were nearly black, mostly along the sides of the swept back but unruly mess. Upon his nose sat a pair of thick-rimmed glasses, which strands of blue were lazily brushing at and behind said glasses were two lavender colored orbs that appeared thusly unfocused. Rightly so, as the man appeared to be in the middle of a lecture and therefore needed not pay attention to his surroundings to speak. "...which is why when someone gives you a gift, you thank them even if you don't want it. For example, remember the last plane we visited? That prince who offered me his sister to marry? I had no designs on that and yet, openly refusing the poor woman would insult both her and the prince. Where would we be then, eh? Stockades.....and...."
His words slurred, arms that were animately circling about with his diatribe dropped to his sides. "....and...." His head began to turn, this way, that way, up and down. He hopped twice, checked under his white shoes (Gods only know why he wore them with a brown suit) then stopped and stared to the west awhile. One hand, the left, ungloved and unadorned, lifted to scratch at the porcupine-like wild hair at the back of his head. "I suppose.....Black Shroud......" He inhaled loudly, then stuck out his tongue for a moment and thusly retracted it like a snake. "Mhm. Black Shroud....huh. Guess she was done listening." His hand lowered, both tucking into pockets in brown trousers (whoever heard of such things). "OI! Next time, just say SHUT IT! Manipulating reality out of spite is just......well, rude! Exactly what I was talking about!"
It was about then that the magical man turned around to locate due north and after a full circle realized there was a girl sitting in the river nearby. So he did another turn until she panned into view again and a bright, cheerful smile lit up his face and lavender eyes. There was youth to him, despite the strange hair and shading but still he would be considered of a seasoned maturity by Eorzean standards. "Oh Hiiiiiiii!" He called out, grinning from ear to ear. "Black Shroud, yeah? Southward from Gridania would be my guess." Jaunty steps, almost like he was enjoying himself in the predicament he found himself in; mystickally transported into the forest and all.
Those jaunty steps ceased at the riverside, staying on the dry earth in favor of rocking on the large heels of his weird, white footwear. "What're you sitting in the river for? Good way to catch something and I don't mean fish. Catch fish with nets, see. Catch illness the way you're doing it. And in your current progression of development, a simple sniffle might put you lot in a casket. Terrible. You've a civic duty not to catch cold and spread it amongst your people, I see. Come on." His head jerked, beckoning to the female in the water. "Out you go."
She blinked her deep green eyes and pulled them away from the Goobbue at the sound of the manâs voice, turning her head in time to see him happily stroll to the bank of the river.  As he chatted, she distractedly turned and took in the site again then back to the man, now offering her a hand. âY-yes, Gridania lies to the north,â she said nodding in the direction of the city as she took the proffered hand; she pulled herself up to her full 6 fulm height wincing at the sore ribs.  Her traditional blue-grey hearer robes were several shades darker as woll gets when soaked through.  She leaned down, still steadying herself with his hand, and picked up her pointed, wide brimmed hat.  As she pulled herself to the bank with his assistance, âThank you,â she said smiling a somewhat embarrassed smile at the oddly dressed stranger, âI was..well, pondering him,â she pointed back up the river from where sheâd been catapulted. As if on cue, the Goobbue moaned another long deep moan as yet another tree came crashing down âI⌠have to get him of there.â Ahelissa turned her hat to let the water out back into the river, along with a plethora of dirt, leaves and even a small bluegill that had been swept up in the confusion.  Emptied of its contents, she put the hat on her head only to have it deflate and drape over her head, the point dangling in front of her face, she shot it an incredulous look before  slowly pushing it off to the side, âAnd, I seem to be having a time of it.â
Never one not to give a hand where a hand was needed, though he preferred to loan them really; Galen Aubrey pulled when the woman worked up to her feet then provided leverage necessary to not fall down again. "You can do that just as easily on dry land, you know." With his hand now free, he turned to peer upstream toward the thrashing Gobbue. "That's nature for you, survival of the fittest." A rather cynical view for someone so full of smiles. Still, his now free hand dipped into the suit jacket and retrieved a wand with crystal affixed to the head which took the shape of Nophica's sigil with Thaliak's scroll backing it. The wand was waved lazily in the direction of the Gobbue and briefly emitted a green glow, then it was lifted up to his face. ".......Stuck in the silt, tree root I assume. Also, it's going to rain....." Galen mentioned. "Why?" He asked suddenly, turning his pale gaze away from the wand and crystal to the waterlogged woman.
She pointed to the river, "It flows through several small hamlets and by more than one farm. If the beastskin dies there it will contaminate the river downstream."
"Possible outcome, yes. Perhaps it was meant to happen." He mentioned while a brow perked upward over the rim of the glasses in front of his eyes. "Would you deny the gods their whims?" Asked as the wand was tucked back inside his suit jacket.
"Of course not... one moment," she shook at her robes, a small crawfish tumbled to the ground, as she bent to carefully pick it up and deposit it back into the water she continued, her native Ishgardian accent becoming heavier as she concentrated on the little crustacean, "Not would I deny the elements their wishes. And since they called me here I will do my utmost to uphold their bidding." Crawfish successfully deposited, Ahelissa turned back to the man pulling the droopy hat off her head She wrung it out, hoping to rid herself of some of the water trickling down the back of her neck. "That is what hearers do."
"Hearers. I thought you said Healers....." He murmured, watching the Gobbue deal with being stuck for a few moments before his eyes lit up and both eyebrows jumped higher. "Ohhhhh. Are you Padjali? My favorite race.....oh no, sorry. No head protrusions that I saw. So you're either natural born hearer or one of -those- people, smug conjurists who figured out the key in which your corner of the universe sings its song." Galen's expression soured visible. "I don't like those much." His head shook, then he set his jaw and stared upstream toward the beastkin again. "But if you're not......well.....then the Green wants you to fix this, I suppose. So you should fix it. -I-, however, can't hear what you hear and can't say for certain you're not lying. That's the trouble with psychotics and psychics...."
"I-I...don't think I'm smug," she said thoughtfully, her brow furrowing in thought as she stared at the thrashing beast, "and I know little in the ways of the universe - but I do know that I'm supposed to help him. And I know that I want to help him. Even though he did give my pride a good thrashing." She paused, "Why would I lie?" She looked truly confused as the question crossed her lips.
"Oh. Well, that's fortunate." Galen replied, smiling as he glanced back toward her. "I'm far less moral than you then, so I wouldn't help if you were." A pause, wondering if she caught the undertone of his words. It didn't last long. "RIGHT! Come on then." Surging forward, his hands slipped back into those pockets and he began to saunter downstream. "How's your mastery of water based aether?"
She marvelled after the man for the briefest of moments before quickly sloshing after him, "I-it fine" she stammered trying to keep up with him as he walked toward the beast. "What's your plan?" She stopped, "You do have a plan...don't you?"
"Talk to it!" He called out, striding onward with a cheerful bounce to his steps. "I suppose we could remove the trapped limb, but I thought perhaps giving it the benefit of the doubt might suffice. I've found Gobbue to be small of mind, but not utterly unreasonable."
She had to quicken her pace to keep up with him. "Talk to it!? H-how by the Twelve do you talk to a goobbue!?" She pleaded as she caught up to the man.
"Generally, using my mouth. I haven't had much luck with dancing, that only works with the Sylph. Speaking of which, the Sylph cultivate relations with these beings so we'll start there." He replied, approaching the angry beastkin. "Telman....Telman." He said, pulling his hands from his pockets to hold them out in front of him. "....Best be ready to run, just in case." Galen mentioned with a glance back toward the female, his attentions returning to the Goobbue. "...Ermmm, Ona....uh...walking ones da....Telman. Ulman. Ulman. Ona da....." Briefly confused about his own syntax, Galen frowned then motioned to the river's edge. "....Onaman?" He offered the critter an apologetic smile, butchering the old Syphic tongue as he tried to explain that they meant no harm.
Ahelissa listens to the man speak to the goobbue, as she does her head tilts the further on into the broken statement he gets. She half whispers, "W-what was that?" here eyes dart back and forth between the man and the beastkin, "nevermind... did it work?"
"Sylphic....I think. It's a bit rusty, I'm afraid. Either I told it we meant it no harm or I asked it out to a nice dinner. Hard to say." Galen mentioned offhandedly, just in case. He watched the trapped Goobbue curiously, to see if it recognized the language of the forestborn and if luck would have it, knew enough to calm down and let them help. "Let's just take it slow, approach.....sloooowly."
As she inched forward slowly she had a thought that stopped her, "Wait, wait, wait." she put her hand on his arm to stop him, "What if... What if we're the nice dinner?"
"Naaaaah. I'm pretty sure I said 'no harm', you're fine. Just go easy, it's upset." Galen replied carelessly, smiling like there was no possible way this could go horribly wrong. None at all.
Ahelissa exhaled, giving the man an incredulous look as she stepped forward ever so slowly, "If I get eaten because you told him that we're harmless and would make a nice dinner... I'll haunt you." They were still some fulms out of the creature's reach, so if things turned out badly they could still make a run for it. The goobbue had stopped thrashing it's breath coming in great huffs as it watched the two curious little things slowly moving toward it.
"You wouldn't be the first...." He muttered under his breath and took cue from the hearer to move forward. Again, he repeated the words. The exact same string in the exact same order, though his gaze was more aimed at the water than the Goobbue itself; trying to ascertain what it was caught in.
From what could be seen beneath the swirling muddied surface of the water, the creature was waist deep in silt and disturbed muck. Now that it had stilled they could make out a tiny little leg twisted underneath it at an odd angle, no doubt broken by the tumble down the bank behind it that had been the focus of it's fury.
"Wouldn't it be easier to just put it to sleep? I have just the spell..." She muttered as they inches ever closer to the beast. It's stare was locked on them, "HHHGAH..EEEEEPHFF" it finally bellowed, huffing with effort to shape the words.
"Well.....I suppose." Galen said, reaching up to scratch at the back of his windswept head while he watched the beastkin try to communicate. "Might as well give it a try but, I'm not certain we can carry it once unconscious.....not to mention it could break the limb when it falls." He glanced over at the woman through his glasses. "If you're afraid to get close, I'll do it. You've got the healing magics to make certain I'm not killed, I trust? There's a lovely woman who'd be right disappointed in me if I left this mortal coil after all we've lived through, on account of a frustrated Goobbue."
"Afraid?" Her eyebrow arched at the utterance of the word, "I'll have you know, I'm being cautious." She stepped forward, more determined now than before, "um... what were the words for no harm again?" She asked with a little less gusto than her previous statement.
"Telman, essentially means "not harm". Come on then, let's get on with it." He waved her onward, smirking openly. People could be so silly sometimes. "Just move slowly, give it time to react." He too was moving closer, stepping a foot into the water carefully.
"Telman...right..." she cleared her throat and said, "Telman..." to it as she stepped into the water, "give IT time to react....", it seemed to react pretty quickly the first time they came face to face. Every time it moved, even a little she braced for another quick trip downstream. Every so often she'd whisper "Telman..Telman" badly mangling the pronunciation. The creature turned it's bulk slowly to focus on the only civilized one of the two walking ones and huffed out "getuua gehmaaan telman". Which in turn brought out another fit of whispered "telman" from Ahelissa as she crept ever closer to the creature's injured leg.
"Well, seems its grasp of Old Sylphic is better than mine." Galen mentioned with a chuckle, sliding into the water very carefully so he could slosh gently toward the Goobbue. "Walking one-da eima." He put a hand against his chest, offering an apologetic smile while moving closer. His other hand pointed to the Goobbue's trapped leg. "Onama meniman?" Hoping he got the point across. "Walking ones ona telman, Goobbue onama meniman."
The goobbue emitted a long low honking whine ending in a grunt, "Meniman onama onaman" it's eyes flicked back and forth between Galen and Ahelissa, not quite sure what to make of the creeping one as it moved away from the civilized one ever closer to it's already sore leg.
Galen waited until the Goobbue looked toward him, then motioned to himself and Ahelissa before reaching down into the water to mime digging around his one leg then animately pretended to pull his leg up. "Onama Meniman." He repeated the motions, then motioned to the Goobbue and over to the shoreline while starting forward once more.
While it was distracted, Ahelissa spun her magick, the warm white glow of the healing spell traced the line of the goobbue's leg down into the muck, knitting bone and tissue as it went. The effect was immediate, as the glow subsided the goobbue, with great effort, dislodged it's leg and stood to it's full height. The shifting riverbed and rough water pulling Ahelissa's feet out from underneath her. With a high pitched hoot she was dunked again, she rtied herself to a sitting position, her black locks covering her eyes. A deep 'hork,hork,hork' sounded from the mouth of the creature now standing over them.
"Bloody hells!" Galen wasn't expecting that! He noticed the glow of healing but expected the two to help free the leg from the muck at riverbottom. Then again, this was a Goobbue and he ended up losing balance amongst the shifting silt as well, pinwheeling his arms wildly to try to keep from being thrown by uneven ground. When it seemed like all was lost and the water was about to get a great big hug, he chose to leap back toward the edge and managed to get half soaked instead. Hands hit the soft but not silted earth, arms pushing up to keep him above water and he clamored splashingly up onto dry ground. Wiping at his soaked trousers, Galen laughed with the Goobbue. "Congratulations, big one! You're free. Would you mind, terribly?" He asked, waving a hand lazily toward the completely drenched woman then motioning to the dry ground near him.
With surprisingly deft hands it reached about and plucked Ahelissa from the water, who at this point issued only the tiniest of "eeps" before embarking on a rather splendid imitation of a kitten being touted by it's mother. It set her down near where Galen had motioned and turned to him, "Otch, rrragar" it grumbled then turned and shambled across the river to the bank where it clamored up and off into the shroud. Ahelissa blew a strand of hair out of her eye as she watched it walk away, she turned to Galen with a thoughtful look, "Did...did it laugh at me?"
"Cheers." Galen said distractedly, shaking out the legs of his pants while Ahelissa was deposited nearby. Friendly transaction, no need to make it bigger than it was. "Look at my trousers, would you? Soaked." He huffed, then glanced at the completely waterlogged woman from a position of extreme neck-craning which made him look a bit like a hyuran Ziz. He did a double take, then his eyes widened briefly before contracting again. "Right. Nevermind. Yes, it laughed at you. It also helped you out of the river so you're both square now. Even. Balance restored." He eyed her, glancing down at the water dripping off her garments. "You might want to find a towel...." A weak smile.
She tried to keep the chuckle in, but, as chuckles often do it escaped, and before long became a laugh as she sloshed over to the bank and offered him a hand, "Here, let me help, can I offer you a drink at the Canopy as a way to say thanks?" She managed between fits of laughter.
"Something warm would be lovely." He replied, grasping the hand briefly enough to get oriented before releasing it. "A brisk walk should dry us well enough."
"Right, tea at the Canopy then." She motioned in the direction of New Gridania proper, "after you ... Mr... I'm sorry, in all the excitement I never got your name."
"That's to be expected, really. I did literally appear out of thin air. Galen Aubrey. Hullo." He gave a dopey smile and half-hearted wave, still preoccupied with his wet pants. Not an enjoyable sensation.
"Ahelissa Harte, at your service." She said with a slight bow of her head that caused the tip of her hat to lazily swing around, a trail of water following it. She snatched it off her head, and wrung it out, "after you, Mr. Aubrey."
"Doubt I'll need service, but suppose the offer is valid." He smiled, offering a single, brief nod before starting onward to the north toward Gridania proper. "Nice to meet you, Ahelissa Harte." Instinctively, he went to tuck his hands into his trouser pockets but the grimace that came next from sticking hands into soggy pockets reminded him that he was wet still and so he left them swinging awkwardly alongside his hips.
- Thanks to Galen for help with the story.
Guardian of the Shroud - Ahelissa Harte @immortaleosian - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
