A clear blue sky hangs high overhead as Vail’s footfalls are dampened by the soft grass. Both of these sensations are exceedingly strange to the ashlander; at least experiencing them this close to a formerly active volcano.
The pale man walks along the base of the former Mount Drakolt, having awoken in a small patch of flowers, and finding the world around him seemingly transformed. His first sight was of an island just off the north coast, one that he had never seen before despite venturing up the dreaded volcano multiple times throughout his life. Stranger still was the lone cabin he had found on the island, its furniture neatly arranged and supplies fully stocked, as if its residents had just vanished into thin air; not to mention the chest in the backroom, whose lock wouldn’t yield to him despite his decades of experience lockpicking. Finding more questions than answers, Vail returned to the mainland and began venturing back to Darkveil, hoping that civilization would offer him some semblance of normalcy.

The city was in an even worse state than Vail remembered. The earthquakes that ravaged the city during his previous visit paled in comparison to whatever had eliminated Drakolt, and its effects had seemingly reached the city. At the very least, the city seemed more active than his last visit. The streets were filled with an assortment of people, the vast majority of which were doing various tasks to help clean the city, from debris clearing and the patching of roofs, to offering food and drink to those who had lost their homes. It did little to help Vail’s sense of normalcy, as such acts of charity were far from common in the city he had grown up in.

The ash lander pauses as he arrives at a toppled structure. The building was supposedly a former tavern long before he was born, while he had always known it as a gathering place for squatters during his childhood.
The ash lander climbs into the rubble, digging through the debris as he attempts to find something only he and a few others would know of. In his search, he finds an assortment of things; a broken pocket watch, a discarded sealed letter, rusted lockpicking tools, many of which he pockets in hopes they will be returned to their rightful owners via Layla in the Dancer’s Den; or be useful to himself at the very least.
Vail’s eyes finally catch a hint of what he is looking for, a slight discoloration of the wooden floor. The spot is covered by a destroyed bed frame, with a large stone ironically resting upon it. The unwieldy rock is going to be a pain to move, even for someone as physically adept as him. With a sigh, the pale man looks back to the street and calls out to the first figure he sees passing by.
“You there, do mind giving me a hand with this?”

SPOILER: Click to show

Quest Name: Putting it Back Together
Participants: Two or more
Location: Ashlands (Darkveil)
Post Requirements: 4 posts per person, 200 words per post
Reward: +1 Renown
Description: Darkveil was hit the hardest during the events of Vulcadreaus, with many of its inhabitants having fled the destruction. Now that things have calmed, people are moving back, only to find their city is in shambles. An effort has been put in place by locals, with help from those who remain of the Ashen Father gangs, to fix the city up. Assistance is being requested, with a long list of things to be done. Buildings are toppled, chunks of them missing, the ground has been split and ripped apart, with the streets filled with displaced and homeless. Whatever you can do to help, it will be accepted. Help rebuild the city, or offer food and water to the displaced. Clean the streets or help bring supplies in from other cities. No task is too small.

Darkveil City, a place that once stood as a busy and bustling town that he’d known for its classy and put-together exterior looked the opposite right now. Buildings caved in ruined streets torn upside down, lamp posts bent and broken. The primordial god’s havoc had truly done its worst here. They’d even lost an important landmark, Mount Drakolt, which had been destroyed entirely. However, as Raoul walked through the crowd of people they all seemed to have a chipper and cheery attitude all the same. Everyone was doing their best to revive their destroyed town. Truly it touched the dhampir’s cold dead heart to see so many people work together in harmony for the greater good. He was used to seeing the ugly truth in people, ravaging to fend for themselves but not here in Darkveil. Part of him was thinking of setting up shop here someday but that was a thought he’d ponder over later.



He walked towards a ruined building looking over at it and noticing some fellow digging through the rubble. Poor lad must’ve lost something during the earthquakes, he thinks. Before he could turn around and carry on with his day exploring Darkveil in its state he hears a voice all out for him.



“Who? Me?”, he questions before walking towards the fellow and preparing himself ready to help lift the rock with his measly strength”.

As the figure draws closer, it’s obvious that they were a foreigner simply based on how well they were dressed. The astralblood’s clean dress clothes would normally make him a prime target for a mugging, but the current state of the city likely even the shadiest of folk on their best behavior. This is probably for the best; I would rather not speak with some local with a photographic memory. The last thing I need is more rumors floating about.

Once the stranger is in position Vail lifts in the hunk of rock in tandem with him, noting a considerable majority of the weight pushing against him. The boulder weight isn't enough to do him in however, as he heaves the rock to the border of the former room. He looks back to the foreigner’s labored breathing and simply gives him a smirk. “That was easy enough. Now let's see what awaits us.”

Vail moves the crushed bedframe aside with a swift kick, unveiling a trap door made of far sturdier wood than the surrounding floor. There is no lock on the door, seeing as it was hidden and likely well-guarded before the rumbling struck the land. The ash lander throws open the door, revealing a staircase descending into pure darkness. The sides of the staircase are made of stone, leading up to a ceiling of stone, likely the reason why the floor didn’t give out despite the rest of the building giving way. Vail begins descending the stairs, unfettered by the darkness^[1], when he suddenly stops, remembering that this foreigner is likely not as adept when it comes to sneaking through the shadows. He looks up at the well-dressed man with an unsure expression. “Uhh… you got a light?”

---

[1] Shadow Sight

The dhampir gives it all he’s got and lifts the boulder as much as he possibly can, but noting that it was Vail doing most of the work. He helps toss the boulder to the side and immediately starts breathing heavily and crouches a bit trying to catch his breath. The man was not used to such heavy lifting relying on his mind rather than his might in his profession. Raoul gives the odd man a slight smile as he recovers, lifting his eyebrow curious at what the man is talking about. He stands up and walks over to the man just in time to see him kick the bed frame.



“Woah there buddy calm down that bedframe didn’t hurt you did it?”, he says jokingly but still confused.

It wasn’t until the fellow opens the trapdoor and reveals the staircase underneath that he looks at it with wonder. Raoul immediately follows Vail into the darkness not being able to see at all but such problems haven’t stopped him from being curious before and won't now.



He chuckles at the man’s question responding, “Sure do”, before snapping his fingers with his right hand.



It’s then that around his waist a small ring of fire (1) appears giving him barely enough light to see the man in front of him.



“That’s all I got really to be honest but I’m sure it’ll be fine, oh but I guess I forgot to introduce myself properly. Name’s Ardelean, Raoul O. Ardelean, it’s good to meet you there”, he holds his hand out for a shake, “What’s your name and where exactly are we going?”.

---

1. Flame Hoop

Vail responds to Raoul’s joke with the rise of an eyebrow, wondering whether the aasmir’s carefree demeanor came from his ego or his ignorance; either one would no doubt get him into trouble in a city like this. The ash lander further reserves his comments as Raoul summons a small ring of fire around himself. It seems there is no escaping his constant encounters with flame, especially not in this city. He had only himself to blame this time, but at the very least, the fire wasn't being launched at him for once.

What bewildered Vail more was the timing of Raoul’s introduction. You would think he’d ask for the handshake before he put the fire around himself, but perhaps the aasmir is more oblivious than his initial appearance lets on. Nevertheless, the ash lander accepts the handshake, awkwardly angling his hand upwards to meet the dhampir’s on the stair above. “The name’s Vail, although I wouldn't say it openly around here. Might attract the wrong kind of crowd. As for where we are going, let's just say it’s a place where only a few have ventured.”

With their introduction finished, the ash lander cautiously proceeds down into the darkness, listening for Raoul’s footsteps behind him. “This building used to be a tavern, before the business owners crossed the wrong person. With the owners missing, as well as their wages, the rest of the staff soon left as well, leaving the place abandoned. It didn't stay empty for long however, as it quickly gained a reputation as a squatters' den. What the majority of the public didn't know though, was the secret that lay underneath it. This city is packed with tunnels, one of which runs right under this building. The tavern used it as a storeroom and once it was gone, one of the families claimed it as a hideout shelter. Rather than own the building itself, the family thought it would be cheaper and more discreet to simply compensate the squatters as if they were guards. It was an easy win-win for both sides; the squatters get paid to sit around, while no one expects a hideout to be underneath society's dregs.”

The pair reach the landing of the stairs and turn to find a well-furnished room, along with ample supplies lying about. Several beds sat in the corner, allowing several people to live here for months without issue. Vail steps into the room with a satisfied smile. “Just I thought.”

Raoul had decided to test the man in front of him considering they had just met and the city he was in he couldn’t help but be cautious still. Having that small hoop of flames around him although cumbersome and awkward, especially for the handshake was a good way to gauge the other.



“Nice to meetcha Vail, and oh?”, he says, curious about this fellow even more, “I’ll keep that in mind, and great means this will be interesting”.



The dhampir followed the man listening to him intently and keeping the information in his mind. Interestingly the owner and staff of this place were missing, whoever this was they must've been some sort of powerful and mysterious person to get all this built under the tavern. His mind was blown, tunnels? All over the city? A family owning one of them and acting as guards. An interesting deal was struck up between the two that benefited each other greatly. This made him all the more curious about the tavern owner as well as his new buddy Vail.



He continued following Vail until they made it to a room with supplies, “Huh you weren’t kidding huh, this place is probably the only thing in Darkveil that’s still intact. So what’re you here for exactly? Some sort of family heirloom? Take the supplies here and use them to help above ground?”.

Vail makes his way across the dark room as Raoul asks his questions. The ash lander pauses as he looks upon a wine rack, pondering the selection as he replies to the aasmir. “Eh, you would be surprised, some of the places around here are far sturdier than they appear on the outside. Assuming you have enough solars for some unconventional structural enhancements.”

The pale man grabs his choice of wine from the rack and walks over to a round table tucked in the corner of the room. He pulls out a chair with a slight scraping sound, settling in as he tilts the chair back, sitting down with his boots propped up on the table. “Me? I’m just here for a drink. Things have been rather rough around here if you haven’t noticed.”
Vail takes a swig straight from the bottle before pointing the head of the bottle towards the fire encircling Raoul’s chest. “I’d offer you a drink but well… tossing you a bottle might be a bad idea at the moment.”

The ash lander idly rocks back and forth as he looks to Raoul, not particularly concerned about any threat the aasmir may pose. “You’re free to take anything from here that you wish, the only thing I ask is that you say you found this place by chance. If anyone asks, say that you found the floor smashed open by the boulder and you just found this place as is, otherwise the owner may catch word of you sniffing around their little hideout.” Vail drops his feet to the ground with a heavy thud, scotting forward as he rests his elbow on the table, laying his head in his palm. “In exchange, I just want some information; my first question being, what happened up there? With Drakolt, I mean. What story have you heard?”

The dhampir can only see the faint outline of the room around him as he stands glancing at the man in front of him.



“Is that so? I guess some of my assumptions about Dark Veil City were incorrect then. If this is anything to go off of it just makes me wonder what other types of ‘structural ‘enhancements’ some other Ash Landers have”, he ponders out loud.



Raoul then follows Vail and stands a few feet in front of the round table, the man was certainly odd. Among all this chaos and unease this fellow didn’t seem to have a care in the world.



“Hmm, the world almost ends and the first thing you do is have a drink to relax”, he chuckles, “I would do the same, my friend”.



He waves his hand, “Yeah that’s a good idea even if it pains me to say so considering how much of the good stuff you got in here. Can’t see without this thing, and considering where we are you can say I’m still cautious”.



“Really? Anything” Raoul questions glancing around the room, “Well then don’t mind if I do before”, he says before waving the man off.



“Don’t have to worry about me spilling the beans about this place, I’ll keep my mouth shut. I’d rather not have the owner of this establishment upset with me so I’ll follow your suggestion to the tee. As for information exchange, sure it’s the least I can do for your graciousness and Ash Lander hospitality”.



He relaxes and begins to go over what he knows and investigates after Vulcadreus’s rise and fall, “Well from the information I’ve gathered and come across a few things are known about what happened that day. Some sort of Earth God was summoned by the Scorched Ones at Mount Drakolt. It destroyed the mountain and it took the collective effort of Charon’s strongest fighters to take it down. Many legendary feats were accomplished and Charon was saved for another day. My humble opinion is there’s gotta be more after all how did this thing come to be? In my review of texts about gods, I’ve never come across as being named Vulcadreus. Where did it come from? How were the Scorched Ones able to bring such a creature of mass destruction to life? Is Vulcadreus the last of his kind or is this just the beginning of the end? Many questions to go over with this. I mean your guy’s entire mountain was obliterated in an instant and is simply gone as if it never even existed”.

“The keyword in your sentence is ‘almost’; the world ‘almost' ended, and thus it's time to celebrate our continued survival.” Vail exclaims as he lifts his bottle upwards, simulating the actions of a partygoer who would be far more enthused than he currently is.

Vail takes another swig straight from the bottle as he locks eyes with the aasmir. In truth, the wine is more to dull whatever feelings may arise from Raoul’s answers, rather than a form of celebration. At the very least, he was lucky to find someone so willing to talk, although that makes the ash lander wonder just how sound his promise of tight lips was.

The ash lander sits in silence as he listens intently, only commenting after Raoul is finished laying out the facts as well as his theories. "I can’t imagine there being many more creatures like that If it was big enough to level Drakolt; or at the very least, not in Charon. This land would no doubt be little more than craters if that was the case. Also, I would double check your sources in regard to the Scorched Ones, last time I checked they operated in Zeinav. I’m afraid the cause of the recent chaos around here came from a far more malicious party than them.”

Sitting up straight, Vail interlays his fingers together as presents another question to Raoul, looking towards him with an unreadably neutral expression. “One more question, what is your purpose for visiting this city?”

“Yeah, I guess you're right, wallowing in the ‘almost’ extermination of your world isn’t exactly the most productive thing huh? Plus Charon has its heroes, heroes who stood up in front of doom and despair with bravery and strength enough to bring Vulcadreus to its end. I’m sure if there’s ever another Vulcadreus-level threat that comes around it won’t stand a chance against the heart and spirit of the people”, although the dhampir wasn’t there for the fight he already knew that there were some really strong adventurers out there that were more than enough to take down any calamity that came by.



“I sure hope that you’re right about it being the only incident of its kind because dealing with another climatic threat certainly isn’t on my to-do list. I see though my information was wrong on who was in charge of the summoning of Vulcadreus. Some other sort of cultist with an obsession of bringing a destructive deity to exterminate Charon?”, Raoul would question what type of people were behind such a colossal threat’s rise.



He chuckles as Vail poses his question, “Uhhh well a couple of reasons, came to check out if I could find anything more of the Vulcadreus stuff since it’s been the most pressing recent matter as of yet. Also came here to just scope out the place you can say, I come from Moonglade originally but usually travel all across Charon for my job. But recently I’ve been wanting to settle down and set up shop somewhere. I heard that Dark Veil City would be a pretty good place to start so I decided to see if it’d be a good fit. And considering that the first day wandering around the city I’m suddenly in a secret tunnel under a building is giving me a good feeling already”.

Vail takes the bottle in hand once more, tilting his chair backwards as he throws back yet another long swig. While his expression is out of sight, he gives the wall behind him an exaggerated eye roll.
Jeez, this guy is optimistic; you can tell he hasn’t been here for long. There is little heart to be found in this city, force on the other hand, we have that in droves.

Raoul’s speculation as to who summoned Vulcadreus elicits a grimace from Vail. His memories from within the heart of the volcano are still hazy, but the smugness of the so-called ‘Ashen Father’ was hard to forget. The ash lander leans forward, causing the legs of the chair to collide with the wooden floor of the cellar with a heavy thud as he locks eyes with aasmir. “If you ask me, it was just another wretch who thought they were above everyone. You’ll find them everywhere around here, people who imagine themselves superior to others, and are thus willing to use and sacrifice them without an ounce of remorse.” The pale man leans forward on the table, interlocking his fingers as he is barely visible in Raoul's light. “But he was right about one thing; the world is changing. People like him are being dragged out into the light and are reaping what they have sown.” There is a slight pause as he withdraws back into the shadows, realizing he may have said more than he had intended. “That is my opinion… at the very least.”


Vail’s serious mood is suddenly shattered as he chuckles at Raoul’s positivity, inferring to himself that it was born from simple naivety. “Don’t take this personally, but I would have serious doubts towards anyone who would recommend this city of all places. Unless there is a hidden side of you that is far less polite.”

“Hmmm I see”, Raoul would say looking back at the other man’s piercing gaze, “You do have a point there, simplest solution would be the best. Charon has no shortage of selfish devious evil people running around trying to place themselves into power. Trust me, in my line of work I’m running around trying to catch those types of people and bring them to justice. Those people are truly a blight on society and cause its downfall but hopefully, we’ll have those same heroes to clean up evil’s messes before they destroy Charon”.



His ideals and belief were the strongest thing about the aasmir dhampir oftentimes the only things he could trust and believe in. His expression turned into one of a wide grin listening to the man’s words pleased with his answer.



“I would hope your opinion is the case, Charon’s creating more and more adventurers by the day. And with them lies the power of change and justice, the ability to change this world is a powerful one”.



Raoul would then chuckle, “No offense taken, as for a hidden less nice side that’d depend on who you’re asking. To my friends I’m a decent fellow to my enemies I’m a restless monster who will stop at nothing to bring them to justice”.

Vail rises to his feet as he throws back one last swig, finishing off the bottle of wine which he promptly places down on the table with a hollow thud. “Well, best of luck to you. I can tell you first-hand that justice isn’t exactly the most profitable venture in this city, unless your form of justice is more along the lines of retribution or revenge. Whatever morals you hold in such high regard will be tested, and it will only be a matter of time until someone comes knocking on your door looking for something other than justice, from either someone innocent, or worse, you.”

The ash lander walks back across the room, placing his hand on the wall leading to the stairs. He looks to the wooden stairs before pausing momentarily and turning to face Raoul.

“Regardless, a clean slate isn’t all bad. Who knows, I might even hire you once you have your shop set up. I have need of someone who can do some digging without causing an unnecessary ruckus in the underworld. You never know what words might leak to the wrong ears in this place.”

The pale man gestures towards the various supplies strewn about the room, seemingly not caring if the Aasmir can even see his movements. “I’d best get moving, it’s not good for me to stay in one place too long in this city. As I said before, you are free to do what you want with all of this. A little compassion will surely help the streetfolks’ opinion of you and may even help get you some informants.”

Vail begins his ascent back to the surface, offering one last statement before he departs.
“I suppose I’ll see you around, for better or worse. Take care of yourself.”

“Thanks, I wish you the same good luck though I’m sure you won’t need it considering how capable you seem to be. Well even if justice isn’t profitable I’ll still follow it bringing down those who need to be brought down. There’ll always be something going wrong and people needing help wherever you go. Plus settling down in the bustling city life will be far more exciting than walking around from place to place looking for cases to handle. Sure I got a few scores of myself to settle someday but that’s unrelated. It’s fine if my virtues and justice are challenged, my ideals will stay steadfast. They kept me in check and control during my darkest times. I didn't falter then and I’m sure I won't falter now. People can come and try me but I swear they won't find that very easy, I may not look like much but I’ve seen my way around the world and know how to take care of myself”, the dhampir would say with a confident look on his face the faint flames on his midsection lighting up this expression.





He glances over to the man as he speaks, a grin appearing on his face, “Well if that ever happens I can assure you that you’d be hiring the future best in the business. Espionage and information gathering are my expertise so if you need some information without stirring anyone I’d be your guy. I’ll have a shop set up soon. I just have to bury a few loose ends and the last couple of contracts".


Although Raoul had a faint hope he’d be able to snatch some of the stuff around here hearing the man’s words of advice he sighs, “Yeah that’s right, I’ll take your word for it. In the investigator business, your word and name matter the most so it would be good to set a name for myself with the streetfolk. I’ll see you around Vail. It was a pleasure to talk to you. I look forward to the next time we meet”.



He waves the other man off with a smile, waiting a few minutes before swiping some small things ever the greedy man and leaving Darkveil headed back to finish his business elsewhere.