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Felinekin
Why dont we put on a show for them?
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Post by aki on Apr 7, 2023 10:42:20 GMT -5
Aki whistled to herself, strolling along the streets of Zeinav City. The sun was blazing in the sky, wafting heat onto the place. Although she didn't look like it, she was searching for someone. She had been hired to help with a case of vandalisms, and she figured it was a good way to increase her reputation and get some money. But now, she needed to find some help, she never cared for this sort of stuff to begin with. Her tune was coming to a close, out of things to whistle. So, to everyone who was around her annoyances, she start mimicking bird calls. To be honest, she was doing a good job. But sadly, no one was a fan of hearing twitters and squeaks coming from her.
She directed her attention to stalls coming into view as she walked, realizing she had found her way to the marketplace. A good spot to look for some friends that could help her, but she should shut up with the bird calls. So she did, and quickened her pace into the starting of the bustling market place.
The sounds and smells coming from the market hit her like a truck as she walked in, giving her the start of a headache and a grin. She slowly wandered the market, getting adjusted to the calls and yells coming from the canopied booths. Her pace slowed until it came to a halt, finding herself in the center of the market. Now to look for some help to hire.
Quest info
Quest Name: Painting on the wall
Participants: Two or more
Location: Zeinav City
Post Requirements: 4 post per person, 200 words per post
Reward: +1 Renown
Description: A series of vandalisms have taken place across the city, notably targeting important businesses and politicians homes. Different foreboding messages have been written in blood across the fronts of these buildings, as well as many of their windows and doors having been smashed in. We believe the Scorched Ones are responsible, but as of yet have no proof to implicate them, and have yet to identify the source of the blood used in the attacks. Venture to one of these locations, investigate the scene and find any clues to who may be behind this. (Clues can lead to the Scorched Ones as they are responsible)
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Mage's Guild
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Crescent Isles
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 7, 2023 16:07:35 GMT -5
Zeinav City was a far departure from what Taki was used to on the Crescent Isles. It's sandy, gritty terrain and earthen tones on most surfaces made the area tough to navigate at first. She understood how much she stood out amongst the residents, her bright blue scales, and spring patterned clothing made most residents stop and stare. A few of the men had even tried harassing the serpent woman about 'indecency' and how she should be more 'chaste' in accordance with their way of life. This was one of many reasons the shaman didn't belong in cities, the opinions of cranky, pompous people rolled off her scales as quickly as the desert breeze, but the frustration they presented was worse than the sand and grit it carried along.
Having spent more time side stepping groups of stubborn, old coots who were too deep into their religions and cups had gotten Taki turned around. She wound up in the main market, a noisy and crowded place full of staring eyes and judging hearts. A place where the spirits were not respected, and their disdain for the ways of the townsfolk was like a plague. It was no wonder this place seemed so awful to the shaman, for it held some of the harshest treatment of natural resources she'd experienced so far. Animals were kept in tiny cages with barely anything to drink or eat, stalls trampled over once lustrous and vibrant gardens, and even the sand was seen as little more than a litter box to most of the residents.
She didn't know why the spirits had guided her here, but something needed to be done about this place... and about the creeping feeling underlying it all... a shadowed whisper amongst the cries of agony, a sinister presence that was unbalancing and upsetting an already disturbed land. Taki steeled her resolve, she was a shaman and would soothe the spirits of this place.... just as soon as she got away from the crowd that had gathered around her once more, shouting obscenities and acting like spoiled hatchlings... Sighing heavily, she just stared back at them, her deep crimson eyes focused the loudest of the men down. She walked forward, standing at the edge of his reach.
"You may all shout as much as you like, that only proves how blatantly pathetic and uncultured your society and religion have become... This is the so called "Great" city of Zeinav... the only thing great here is your capacity for whining and bothering others like senseless children... leave my presence and be about your day." Taki's words dripped with disdain and just a hint of venom, for these folk reminded her of the scheming, cowardly members of her own tribe... so much like a herd of livestock, all bleating and calling out in the field for someone to feed them, when food was right at their own feet.
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Adventurer
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Felinekin
Why dont we put on a show for them?
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Post by aki on Apr 7, 2023 23:49:37 GMT -5
She started to hearing jeering and shouting, noticing a group that was gathering. She grinned, satisfied with this find. Whoever was in the center of the crowd must be worth notice, and thats exactly who she was looking for. She strode over, shoving through the crowd just as the serpent lady that had everyones attention started telling some people off. This was the best find she'd made in a while.
Aki put on a more friendly smile, deciding quickly that her grin made it look more like she had won some sort of prize. Her eyes looked over the stranger for a single moment, before she started walking over quickly. "Hey, you look qualified to do stuff, you wanna help me with something?" She asked, doing a great job at accidentally leaving pretty much everything out.
"I mean, you can easily deal with these wackos, you could probably help me." She blinked, realizing manners still existed. "Ah! I'm getting ahead of myself, I'm Aki." She gave a mock bow to the serpent lady, replacing her friendly smile with her usual grin.
She stood back upwards, holding a hand out to shake. "So~ what do you say, my oh so lovely friend?"
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 8, 2023 3:55:42 GMT -5
The crowd around her began to disperse upon the arrival of the strange feline. Taki watched, listened to their words, her gaze a mix of curiosity and seething, still annoyed by the crowd. When they reached out their hand, the shaman returned the gesture.
"If your task gets me away from this infernal place, you have my help. I am Shitakibo, Taki if that's easier on your tongue. You've enlisted my help so long as we don't need to come back here..." She tried to keep the exasperation of the situation from her voice but failed somewhat. Some days the spirits would beckon her to venture to places that made little sense in the moment, testing her resolve. Would this journey prove fruitful? A detriment? Taki had no way of knowing so she chose to wander the city with Aki instead of blundering her way about like a lost pup.
As the pair traveled, she tried to figure out the layout of the city buried in sand. No matter how she tried, the sameness of the streets, buildings, it seemed twisted to her reckoning. Lacking expressiveness, each home and business, along with the maze of streets and public works was effective at confusing Taki. After a while, she tried not to think about it, following her guide and keeping an eye out for any threats.
"What is this task you are trying to accomplish Aki? Aside from more gossip than one group should partake of, the city seems to be full of the most mundane of issues... and some underlying, hidden threat... is that our goal?" Questioned the shaman after some time, her focus shifting about. While not the most imposing figure, Taki still garnered an exhausting amount of attention from this place. She did her best to ignore the angry and ignorant ones, and educate the younglings, sating their curiosities. It gave a bit of hope, that the kids hadn't had their wills stripped from them, she would nurture this curiosity and healthy mindset no matter the place.
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Felinekin
Why dont we put on a show for them?
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Post by aki on Apr 9, 2023 9:20:32 GMT -5
Aki nodded. "We'll be out of the market, at least!" She grinned, listening to Taki keep talking. She waved a hand in the air, dismissing the question and confusion with a laugh. "Pshh, naw, theres some vandalisms going on but I'm not a great detective. But you look like you can figure stuff out, so if you're helping me then we don't gotta worry about a thing." She replied
Her instincts probably should have been to be a little more tolerable, but she was curious if her new serpent lady friend was actually so desperate to not deal with the people here that she'd agree anyway. Her curiosity would be the doom of her one day, but until that day came she'd just keep going.
She reached her hand out and grabbed Taki's, starting to stroll out of the market place and setting off to one of the places that had been vandalized. "So~" She purred, drawing out the word. "Theres something thats a big threat here, huh? Sounds fun, maybe that'd be a good adventure to do." Aki was having too much fun with this and was also acting like she could have just had something hard to drink
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 9, 2023 22:54:52 GMT -5
"Perhaps I will be able to help you find those you're seeking, that will depend on the inclination of spirits when we arrive. Am I to presume you've not done any searching of your own?" Taki inquired, following the feline through the winding city streets. Spirits stirred at her passing, slowly but surely their soft glow grew around the shaman's peripheral. Each had it's own business, yet all tried speaking over the others. What was happening in this place to create such turmoil?
Following Aki into the depths of the city, it wasn't long until the crowd thinned and the cacophony of people's voices quieted. She watched the streets, though remained confused about their navigation. After a few minutes, she switched her focus to the voices of the spirits that swirled and gathered like a flowing river. It took a great deal of her concentration to hear their words, listen to an individual voice in the rushing tide of their gathering.
"Hold a moment, if you please, Aki." She stated, stopping and taking a seat for a moment on an upturned crate. Gathering focus, the shaman's eyes closed, her breathing slowed as she interlaced her fingers. Taki listened to the rush of spirits for a few moments, until a pattern began to emerge from the various impressions and overlap. Drawing a deep breath, her own voice whispered the words, trying to commit them to memory. "Paint... Zealot... Plan... Score.... no... Scorch... Shatter..." Taki recited between long breaths.
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Felinekin
Why dont we put on a show for them?
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Post by aki on Apr 11, 2023 10:56:49 GMT -5
She shot finger guns at Taki. "Yep! I literally just got hired an hour ago." She cackled, then stopped at Taki's request. She stayed silent, listening to the serpent lady start talking. Well this was a development. She waited until Taki finished, a confused look on her face. "So uh, does that happen... often?" She questioned, blinking.
While waiting for a response, she also plopped down and pulled out some water for them both. Wouldn't be any good if the person she had just gotten a 'yes' to help from collapsed from dehydration. She also pulled out a chocolate bar that was pretty melted and soft, eating it quickly. Melted chocolate and water, a 'lovely' mix for a 'lovely' cat person.
Aki looked at Taki, squinting at them. "I'm going to assume you don't like this place." She stated, brushing her hands on her pants and putting the wrapper of the chocolate bar into her bag to toss away later. Look, she might not be the best person but she wouldn't litter.
Then she cackled. "I sure wonder why, with how lovely the heat is and all our friends who live here." She said jokingly, obvious to the fact that it wasn't perfect here.
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Post by Shitakibo on Apr 11, 2023 16:18:21 GMT -5
Another few moments and Taki stood up once more, having hardly registered the feline's line of questions. She took in a long, deep breath and let it out slowly, recalling her words during that brief moment.
"Not often does such a thing happen, spirits seem to seek such strong communication when there are important matters at hand. Whatever their message is supposed to mean, it will shape our progress in some way." She replied. Not sure how to respond to the second set of statements, Taki drank a bit of the offered water and made ready. As they continued towards the site, the shaman pondered the string of words and ideas presented to her. Some sort of group or cult was involved, possibly with more than just this singular occurrence.
Following Aki seemed to take Taki's mind off of the city little by little, giving her something to focus on other than the large crowds and tightly packed buildings. The place, Zeinav City, wasn't what bothered Taki. So much life packed into a tiny area, so many things all squeezed in, meant there were numerous spirits packed into a small area. Unfortunately for said spirits, it seemed there were very few who could hear their voices and know their presence. They were restless, disquieted by events happening that Taki did not understand as of yet...
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Felinekin
Why dont we put on a show for them?
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Post by aki on May 7, 2023 17:32:42 GMT -5
Aki nodded, continuing to lead the way through Zeinav. She was enjoying herself as she walked, whistling a cheery little tune and occasionally turning her head to make sure Taki was following. Moving at a slow pace through the streets, she was also looking around often, checking for anyone else that looked cool enough to join them. Sadly, no one was fitting her criteria.
Slowing to a halt, she made a grand sweep of her arm to a vandalized building. "Here we are! Place we were sent to investigate." She said, a small hint of boredom in her voice. Now they actually had to get some work done here. Tracing her eyes across the side of the building, she searched for any clues.
Nothing stood out to her though, making her frown. She knew what she signed up for, but she probably shouldn't have agreed to help. Turning to Taki after a pause, she questioned about the little spirit interaction from before. "Any of your spirit friends give you any hints?" She asked, sounding more serious than she had for this entire time. Might as well try to ask, at least. Especially since she was lost on what to do exactly.
She tilted her head to the left as she looked back. Almost looked like a symbol of some sort, painted on the wall. "Huh"
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Post by Shitakibo on May 7, 2023 18:04:01 GMT -5
Careful not to touch anything and perturb it's value as evidence, Taki took the scene in. Nothing immediately stood out to her, though it was notable that there were many artworks ruined. Paintings torn and burned, broken ceramics and glassware of exquisite quality, and even a heavy sculpture that had been defaced littered the once lovely room. She took a deep breath, trying to process the area both in detail and as a whole. Stepping back, she shifted her perspective.
Taki picked up a stick, then made a few notes in the sand: First, they targeted only artworks, not the displays they rested on or the ticket counter in any way. Second, each destroyed piece showed signs of the use of flame either during or after their initial defacing/destruction. Lastly, a scrawling series of burn marks that meandered between them and reminded her of some of the historical linguistics she'd read about while studying Charon's past. While this writing wasn't in use anymore, there were still sparse scholars and historians whom enjoyed the writing and practice. She whispered an arcane word, casting Fluency.
Scorched are these wasteful works, burned as a warning to the decadent rulers. Our leaders reject your modern ways, and will see the great Conflagration to it's fruition once more. Zeinav will know the purity of the Flaming Eye, as the Scorched Ones bring our righteous flame to all who depart from the ancient ways.
Tapping the stick against the notes, she pondered their meaning. It sounded like some kind of cultists' ramblings, someone taking their absurdly fundamental views and twisting them into a zealous frenzy... Definitely something that needed to be reported and prepared for.
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Post by aki on May 29, 2023 11:22:01 GMT -5
Aki looked around, then to the notes. Looking back and forth from the notes to the room, she realized they were incredibly correct. "Hm. Should we, uh, report this all to someone else and let them handle it?" She asked, frowning and narrowing her eyes slightly. "Seems much more important than some random vandalism. Like, a lot more important." She commented, frowning deeper.
She looked at Taki for a moment. "Thanks for the help, I'd probably make this worse if I did it!" She laughed, then quieted down after a moment. "Anyways, anything else you'd like to do here? Otherwise we should skedaddle and go report this whole thing." Aki said, looking to a broken and burnt pot. She couldn't think of anything else to do, besides see if there were anymore places in the building to check out. But this right here was enough evidence to show something was being plotted against the city. Aki looked around for a moment longer, then turned and walked to the front door, stopping right before it and leaning against a wall. "Let me know when you wanna go if you need something from me." Aki said, looking down at the floor tiredly.
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Post by Shitakibo on May 29, 2023 17:49:48 GMT -5
Taki nodded, unsure what else they could do without more concrete evidence. She took another glance about the chamber, and headed for the door.
"Let's turn this in to the guards, I scribbled the translation down on the back. Hopefully whoever these poor Scorched Ones are can be thwarted before they set the city ablaze and destroy many innocent lives. You're most welcome for the help Aki, and thank you for getting me away from that annoying mass of people... Some day, maybe people won't be such empty minds and bitter hearts." She replied, softly sighing at the situation and making her way outside into the baking heat and sandy dust of Zeinav.
She wondered why the note had been written in such an old language if it was meant to be a declaration of intent, but figured it was some kind of statement. Something like 'I used this old language to express my even older and misguided zealotry, haha fools.' She shook her head as they made their way to the nearby guardpost and turned over the note. It took a few minutes to go through the captian's questions and make an official report, after which the pair were given their fee and the task was marked complete.
"If you're ever near the Crescent Isles, feel free to visit. I'm usually home, unless there's some other adventure needing doing. Safe travels and pleasant days to you Aki, until we meet again." Taki concluded, bowing her head gently as thanks before she headed out of town and started the long journey home.
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