Welcome to Gaia! ::

((Alright! Second character brought in!))

Sauda cocked her head to the side, thinking of other things she may know about this witch. "I learned through various rumors that she was allianced with Vahn Shadowbaine, the ruler of the land who is not particularily happy with the King right now," she said and clucked her tongue lightly. Her short brown hair was blown slightly as a small gust of wind blew through the group, causing her to shiver. "I would not be surprised in the least if she knew of our impending arrival."

"C'mon Tyr, we don't have time for this," Marlo spoke aloud to his familiar. "We need to catch up with the group that left already. If we hurry, we can catch up to them by tomorrow if they aren't riding. Tyr! Let's go!" He snapped his fingers viciously and a small gathering of smoke appeared before the young man. A low growl was issued from the mouth of a sleek, muscular, black panther.
"I know, I know. But we need to get going. Would you care to give me a lift?" Marlo asked sweetly, bearing his abnormally white teeth (it was a potion he created to be more charming). He jumped on his familiars back and began the heavy days ride towards the three that were gathered, talking about the powers of the witch.

((can i get what's going on right now?))

((Well, a little, like what we know and what has happened, otherwise; conflicts, latest what-not, etc))

((you know, Tally, the role-play is barely more than two pages long. I don't think it'd kill ya to read the whole thing. =) There's some great stuff in there, and you won't be able to join in properly unless you really know what's going on. It'll be a little shallow, y'know?

And, I hate to be a stick in the mud, but I might as well put it all in one post. I feel I have to challenge your Aruka character as she's presented in the profile for this RP. If I have this correctly, she's a delicate nymph Witch who is strong in all four elements (which Black Mages use), and she's also a trained assassin, what with all those knives everywhere. AND she made her own metal claw things. At 13. A 13-year-old delicate-nymph goddess of war. It's just, in my opinion, not very believable.... If she was a few centuries old, and had lived all her live among dwarven black mages, or something, then it would make a little more sense.

If I may make a suggestion... If a nymph were to fight, I think she'd be a monk. She wouldn't be able to sustain much damage, so she'd have to be very fast. She probably hasn't developed her nymph power if that's the case, though, which means she was probably raised with a different race. Maybe elves.
There, now I'm a NICE stick in the mud. =P

I want you to know, I would LOVE to have another nymph in, so I'm glad you want to join! =D It's just important to read the whole RP, because the world is kind-of being expanded upon as we go along. I imagine, every time you'd start this RP with different people, a whole different place comes to be. Pretty cool when you think about it. .........but I digress.

Oh right! feel free to PM me anything you want to say in Nymph! I'll be happy to translate. =D ))

((also, everyone, I know this sounds hypocritical, since my OOC post is the longest so far [sorry about that... I'm just long-winded sometimes...], but it would probably be less cluttered to either create an OOC thread or do these long OOCs via PM. =) ))

Dalzughrond and Meruzhengra were annoyed. Not at one another, but at the situation. They were going backwards. Leaving of the forest. Delay, delay, DELAY!
Even so, neither of them regretted trying to slay the witch together, on their own. Fewer people to split the reward with that way. But by now it was clear there was no way the witch was going to fall by brute physical force alone. They needed magic. Lots of magic. And they had no choice but to go back to the city and recruit someone.
Delay, delay, delay. Set-back, set-back, SET-BACK!

They dwarf couple was almost at the edge of the forest by now. Heedless of the wind and the cold, the pair made their way through the trees, grumbling lovingly to one another all the while.

* * *

Chälan's two new friends had been asleep for a little while now. The wind was picking up even further, so the nymph was especially grateful for the trees' shelter.

Nothing much happened for quite a stretch. But then Chälan sensed something and came to alert. A few moments later he heard voices. He couldn't make out words, but the language wasn't Human. If he had to guess, he thought it must be Dwarf. Chälan didn't know any Dwarf. He hoped they spoke Human.

Chälan was about to call out to them, but he hesitated. Maybe he shouldn't. He'd thought, only the decree could bring folk out in this forest at the dead of night, so they couldn't pose a harm. But, what if they didn't take kindly to competition? Were unkind dwarves very nice?

He looked at Sauda and Tania, content in their nightly dreams. Wake them? Don't wake them? What was he going to do?

"You there!" came a woman's voice.

Chälan was startled out of his indecision. He called on his power, just in case. "Hello? Chomme chloser," he answered.

There were sounds of leaves rustling and soft footsteps as the dwarves approached. It was so dark he could barely make out their shape. How had they seen him? He thought of dwarves living in mountain caves, and imagined they probably saw quite well in the dark.

The other dwarf muttered something. It was a male voice. All of a sudded Chälan saw a spark, and a torch came alive. The nymph flinched with a start.

"Oh, Dalin, he's a nymph," said the woman suddenly visible next to the flickering orange light. She was wearing a fur-lined leather battle-dress, and held a large sheathed sword by the hilt, propped across her shoulders. The man wore black armor and carried an enormous axe in one hand, holding high the torch in the other. "Oh dear; beg your pardon," he said, and stuffed the flame into the dirt by his boot.

"Terrible sorry about--oof!" said the male dwarf as the two came closer. He'd taken an elbow to the stomach for talking loudly in front of the nymph's sleeping friends. His voice came again, but in a much softer tone. "Terribly sorry about that, friend. Alright if we sit with you for a bit?"

Chälan, still wide-eyed and unsettled, had forgotten to wonder if they could see him or not, and only nodded. His guests sat down a few paces away from him.

After a moment of awkward silence, the woman's voice came again. "Um... Naei hindya enalei," she said, speaking a common nymph greeting with only a little accent. The phrase meant, basically, 'may blessing flow.'

That helped Chälan settle down. He returned the greeting, speaking it properly. "Naeí chindya ennalë. Thankh you."

"We met another nymph once, a while back," said the woman, by way of explanation.

"I am Dalin," said the man.

"And I am Merin."

They spoke human quite well. And they were nice. "Chälan Urdhuna," he said, hand on his chest and bowing slightly from his seated position.

Merin was happy to get on with conversation. "Well, Hollan--"

"Chälan," the nymph corrected.

"Häälan."

"Yes, but say it with your tongue backh a little more."

"Ch... Chälan?"

"Yes, that's it."

"Well done, Precious," said Dalin, smiling in the dark.

"Well, Chälan," Merin started again, "If you don't mind me asking...," and here she shared a conspiring look with Dalin, "I don't suppose you can do magic?"

So... adventurers in need of a more well-rounded party, eh? Little was lost on the nymph when he was focused. They were quite direct... but maybe that was what dwarves were like. "I'm sure I wouldn't mind the help... if you are askhing to join out ghroup. ...But I cannot speakh phor my phriends."

"I think what we're mainly concerned with is whether your or your friends are good with magic," said Dalin.

"Well yes, the power oph the nymphs is strong in my blood," said Chälan, echoing his words from before to Sauda.

Merin grinned, but the adorable sight was wasted on the night shadows. "Then, if your friends wouldn't mind, I think we would like to join your group. ...Or, uh, have your group join us?"

"Would it be alright to wake your friends so that we can decide?" Dalin said, before Chälan could respond to that last bit. "We're in sort-of a... well it's just better to get this witch while we're still on about all the whether-by's and hither-to's."

By way of explanation, Merin added, "All the strategy and lanes of thought, before it changes in our heads, you know?"

Chälan wasn't sure to wake his friends if they were asleep--or at least dreaming, in Sauda's case. Besides, he felt bad helping them sleep one moment, and waking them out of it only a couple hours later. They were probably awake already, though, with Sauda's trance-like half-sleep and Tania's good hearing. So, just in case, the nymph called out softly, "Sauda? Tania? I don't suppose you two are awakhe....?"

((if you two aren't awake, you can post me waking you up, if you want.))

The wind in the trees... the rain, making a soft, caressing sound as it fell all around... and then there were voices... gruff voices, and one that... sounded familiar. A strange dream, to contain such voices. And what were they talking about? Mmm... something about a witch, or... something... mmph. Annoying. If only she could reach further into sleep... but then... someone was calling...
"Sauda? Tania? I don't suppose you two are awake...?"
"Nyah...?" Tania mumbled. Her own voice brought her more into a state of awarness. Oh, right... that voice was Chälan's... her groggy head began to clear and she opened her bleary eyes. A yawn escaped her as she stretched out. Mmm... what she wouldn't give for a nice, warm sunspot right now... she looked up from her stretch to see that two new figures had joined their campsite. They were... awfully short. What could two children be doing out here...? But... as she looked closer... Dwarves!

Well, that explained it, then. What did they want? They looked dressed for battle. Did they intend to fight the witch, as well? This could create problems for her... more people to deceive in order to take the reward money for herself in the end. She was a thief, after all. Whoever heard of a thief splitting up bounty in a fair manner, hm? Well... have to make the best of it, she supposed. She put on a friendly grin.
"So, who're you guys?" She asked, relaxing into a sitting position.

((by the way, just so everyone knows, although Tania's original intentions are to steal away the bounty for herself once they acquire it, I thought that during the adventure, spending all this time with her new companions and everything, she would eventually end up not being able to do it, and perhaps become a better person throughout the journey by doing so. --Just so y'all know. wink ))

Aruka sighed. The rain seemed to dash away all her hopes, such minor dreams, yet so hopeful it almost seemed they would come true, if not for the rain caused by her mentor.

Aruka would have to eventually take over after her mentor had perished, but Aruka didn't wish to follow in the relentless footsteps of her mentor, she'd rather become an entertainer. Traveling to distant lands to bring smiles to the faces of young children, maybe even to the solemn adults of the time.

Sauda frowned slightly and furrowed her tan brow. She did not like how the dwarves were going to help them as long as they get most of the reward. Not that she needed it much anyways, she could just pickpocket, that wasn't hard. "I will give up half my quarter than to you two. So with that practically settled, share with us your information and prove your worth," Sauda and then smiled warmly. "No disrespect intended if taken."