An Empire's Demise.

[Byrony]

The priestess walked along the forest edge close to the river. Her long flowing gowns where white, symbolizing purity. She had come from the empire, her home being of her highest ranking. She felt to move on. And with reason...

It was late in the night when the dream came to her. There she lay safely hidden in the walls of the Blackstarr Empire.  She layed upon her soft bed, curled up the window was open and a soft breaze lightly flowed through on top of her body. It was a refreshing wind, not the kind that gave you goosebumps, or the kind in which you pulled the covers to your chin. Her hair cascaded in curly ringlettes across the silken pillow and her long lashed had fallen to her cheek, her eyes very much closed. She was in a peaceful dreaming sleep.

Upon the witching hour, a darkness entered her candle lit room.  The darkened corners grew darker, and the peaceful sleep became restless. An unsuspecting Byrony now lay tossing and turning in her bed. Suddenly Byrony sat straight up and her eyes opened. She could feel the presence of another. It came to her and sat upon the foot of her bed. The word's spoke softly "Byrony, my child, you must leave this place it will fall. The God's seek their revenge, and will soon demolish the entire Empire. Flee Child flee. You must leave tonight..." She stumbled upon her words and knew what he said to be true. "I must warn the other's, I must run to wake my queen." The creature cut her off and spoke again. "You have naught the time, go now while you can.." She looked worried and stood to her feet. She turned to grab her cloak to wrap herself. When she turned back around the creature was gone.  That was the night she left. The only thing she had left behind was a single parchment paper with these words written. "Dearest Queen, I ask now that you would go to the God's and ask forgivness for whatever sin the Empire has done unto them. For they seek their revenge. I will be back when the God's so choose to tell me to return. Love Always your daughter, Byrony." That night the Empire was attacked, and everyone including the Queen was killed. News reached Byrony and she from then on took to a vow of silence.
 
Now today she walked along the forest's edge unsure of what she was to do, or if she made the right decision. She no longer had a home, nor did she wish to make one with other's again. She knew not of when she would see the creature again. She wondered if it were from the Devil himself or a messenger from the Gods. Byrony sat upon a large boulder under a large oak tree and took off her slippers. She dipped her feet in the cool river water in thought. That seemed to be all she did lately, sit and think....

((open to anyone))

[Andimia]

Brandy let out a giggle as she ran. She knew the guards would never catch her even with the heavy, jewel-encrusted goblet in her pack. Now was a good time to lay low. The guards shouted behind her as they shoved roughly through the crowds. Brandy easily snaked her way among their feet.  
"STOP THAT HALFLING!!" another bellowed over the crowded streets but nobody paid attention to them. Nearing the edge of town as the forest came into view, Brandy decided to make her move; She ducked around the corner of the building and pulled a brown blanket from it's rolled position under her pack, draping it over herself and part of a crate as she wedged herself behind it, hoping to look like nothing more then a piece of trash in the alley.  
She held incredibly still as she listened for the guards to pass. Only one of them came down the alley as the others ran on through the street. She could hear his heavy boots upon the hard dirt along with the clanking of his armor and his heavy breath. She also heard four soft footprints behind her, along with a purring. Here eyes widened. A cat, it was definitely sniffing her blanket. She put her hand on her dagger, barely moving. Through the weaving of the blanket she watched the guard.  
 
He scanned the alley, seeing  nothing out of place, The guard then spotted the cat. Curious, he bent down to pull a woolen cloth from behind a broken crate, the cat seemed interested in. As he tugged something sharp caught him in the hand
 
Brandy thrusted her dagger at the guard, putting a hole in her blanket. She grabbed a corner of it as she jumped towards him, the guard still in shock of having his hand wounded, and caught him in the belly and ran off down the alley dragging her blanket behind her.  
 
She entered the inn and quickly crept up to her room to gather her things. A male halfling was still sleeping off his ale in the bed. Brandy grinned to herself as she grabbed her bow and quiver, along with her various packs and daggers. She stopped at the dingy mirror to make sure every brown hair was still tied back. She then scribbled a quick note and left it next to the other halfling and gave him a kiss on the forehead. It read: I left some coppers on the table for the bluffer ((innkeeper.)) I'm sorry I had to rub out so quickly, but I may have used up ((killed)) a guard this morning. Last night was fun, I hope to see you again. -Brandy  
 
She climbed out the window and down a tree, and ran until she was in the cover of the forest. She began to whilstle as she walked through the underbrush, skipping once she found the path. The forest gave way to a clearing and Brandy grinned when she heard the sound of a cool river. Then she saw a woman dressed all in white. Brandy immediately checked her hands and rubbed off every bit of dried blood that she could find. Then she trotted up to the stream near the woman and layed down on the riverbank, cooling her thirst as she cupped water into her mouth. She looked over to the woman whom she realized had her feet in the water. Coughing she squealed.
"That's gross! I just drank foot water!" She spit into the grass a few times and giggled. "Just kidding, I've had worse." and then held out her little hand. "My name is Brandy, Brandy Barrelbuster," she grinned "but you can call me Brandy for short." She giggled again.

[Redwick]

Redwick Undersoor, half-dwarf explorer, hadn't have an enjoyable day. I fact, most of the week had been quite unpleasant. First he had gone through the ruins of what must once have been a splendorous city, wich was always depressing. Especially since there was no Inn to rest at.

The next day he had found another ruined city, and the day after that yet another. That's when he realised that this was probably some ancient empire, ruined by invading armies, plagues or something else. That usually meant that there might be some secret treasures around, and the thought cheered him up a bit.

Then he reached the forest. On his map it didn't look all that big, but he spent the rest of the week tripping over roots, hitting his head in branches and having to eat nothing but small berries and not very tastefull leaves to survive. This day he had used up the last of his beer, and things seemed very grim indeed.

That's why he looked dirty, angry and tired when he finally emerged from the forest. He saw a woman and a halfling standing on the other side of the river.

"OI!" he yelled. "Is there any place where one can rest around here?"

[POG]

Baldwin nudged Rory with an elbow and pointed into the gloom at the huddled figures stealing thru the brush at the river’s edge.  He held up a four fingers.  Four enemies:  orcs, sneaking thru the bushes attempting to sneak up on the three at the river.  These orcs had caused a great deal of mayhem in the forest and it had taken a bit of tracking on Baldwin’s part to keep up.  Normally he’d have no problem keeping up, but Rory changed all that.  Baldwin swore that the only reason he didn’t tie Rory to a tree and leave him was the fact that Rory could cast a useful spell or two, an attribute that had helped the two get of a tight situation or two in the past couple of months.  Rory knew his brother was bluffing and told him so.  

They had both sworn to be a part of the Emerald Brotherhood and protect the forest and its denizens.  However Baldwin realized he wasn’t cut out for the regimented lifestyle of the Brotherhood.  Something about the way the leader of the squad reprimanded his brother for showing up drunk for patrol rubbed him the wrong way.  Looking back on things Baldwin was sure he could’ve worked it out without getting physical with the man but…

They couldn’t concentrate on the fact that the Emerald Brotherhood was after them.  It was an accident anyway.  How was he to know that one punch would kill the man?  They wouldn’t even let him explain.  Anyway, a more pressing problem was stopping those orcs from ambushing those three by the river.  Hopefully Rory was sober enough to cast a spell…

[Redwick]

Redwick suddenly looked around.

"Hmmh... I smell Urki...but where?"

[POG]

Baldwin looked at his brother and motioned toward the orcs with his chin and melted into the bushes.  Rory had seen him do it before but it was always unnerving.  Baldwin crept toward the orcs, who crept toward the other three.  The dwarf turned as if sensing something.  Baldwin removed a long knife from its scabbard without sound.  His breath was calm as the afternoon breeze caressed his cheek.  He gained half the distance to the orcs, the smell off stale sweat and the foul reek of greasy hair wafted to his nose from the nearest.  If only there was a way to warn the others without alerting the orcs of his position.  He held his dagger low and charged forward...

[Callista Miala Moonshade]

Morgana moved swiftly through the tree's, the wind blowing her long red hair out behind her, she stopped just above an orc but didn't notice it at first she looked around and there was another orc just to the side of her being ambushed by a young man and at the river side was a halfling a girl in white and another figure, she looked down as she heared a twig snap as the clumsy urki stalked towards them, she smiled slightly and before she made her attack she noticed the other two urki also making there way towards the three, she leapt down silently to a lower branch pulled out a small dagger swang herself down and sliced the urki's throat it made a soft gurgling noise as blood seeped through the wound, she swang herself back up and waited to see if she was needed further.

[POG]

Rory fell into the ruby depths of the gem.  Every thing in the clearing came into sharp focus.  He saw his brother sneak up behind an orc and grasp the bottom part of the beast’s face, plunging his foot long knife between seams in the crude armor.  The wound was fatal and the beast went down, but not before he warned his fellows letting forth a grunt that not even Baldwin’s hand could muffle.  The two remaining orcs spun towards Baldwin, growling fiercely.   He responded by drawing his longsword with a steely rasp and launching his body forward.  Rory stepped from his body and moved upward, gravity and trees having no bearing on his non-corporeal form.  

He moved to the tree branch and observed the one who called herself Morgana.  He put his head close to her’s in an intimate way, their foreheads nearly touching, mind probing, sensing, carefully so it wouldn’t alert her.  Morgana’s bushed at her forehead as if a fly landed on her.  How could she feel that?  Hmm, he mused.  There’s more to her than meets the eye.  Nice hair though.  He’d have to try to run his fingers thru it later.   But as fascinated as he was he was distracted by something else.  

Shades!
More orcs! At least a dozen! Coming this way…

[Callista Miala Moonshade]

Morgana looked straight into the spectral man's face "if you don't mind could you move your blocking my sight?" she moved along the branch a bit more, she didn't understand how could she see him, he wasn't solid like her or the others by the bank but still she could see quite clearly that he was there "what do you see?" she asked him again scanning the forest.

[POG]

OCC:  Callista,  I'm gonna wait a couple of days to see if the folks that started this thread want to participate before I respond.

Pog

[Andimia]

OOC: hey, do you guys want to keep this going, I don't know if Byrony is commming back so if somebody wants to hijack the plot i'll continue posting

Brandy waved to the dwarf, "Hullo there sir!" she smiled but then paused mid-grin when she heard a twig snap in the forest behind her. Springing to her feet, Brandy drew her sword. She waited and listened. Then came the bellow of an ork. "By Yondalla's great cornucopia!!" She jumped off the rock and sprinted into the forest in the direction of the noise.

[Callista Miala Moonshade]

OOC: i wouldn't mind carrying on, it could be like a extra as well as The Last War. Party on 

IC: Morgana watched as the halfling ran into the forest towards the orki. "for goodness sake that Halfling is going to get herself killed" She looked back at the spectral man and smiled "back in a jiffy" she said polietly, with a hint of a flirt. Morgana wore a long black cloak which flowed out behind her. Underneath that she wore tight black trousers and a tight black top letting her blend into the darkness. The only thing that gave her away was her brilliant red hair. Her hair was straight and soft as velvet. Morgana dropped delicatly down onto the ground and shiffted silently through the tree's towards the orki which the halfling was running to. The orki had roared to show that he was angry her had obviously just relized that two of his companions were dead. Morgana stuck to the shadows of the tree watching the ork tentively. By this time Morgana had also recieved her sword and was holding it in tightly in her hands. She watched and waited to see how the halfling got on.

[Andimia]

Brandy came upon the orcs and noticed that they were distracted with another person and one orc already lay dead on the ground. Sheathing her sword she drew her shortbow, taking her time to aim for one orc's neck she let an arrow fly then ducked behind a tree. She didn't know if she had killed the beast, only that she had hit it. The halfling held her breath as she listened for the thud of a lifeless orc or clash of steel. She only hoped that she haden't been spotted.

[Callista Miala Moonshade]

Morgana decided that enough was enough. She moved forward slowly and sliced vertically at the orc with an arrow in it's neck. The blade found home down the front of the orc. It grunted as it fell backwards with a large thump on the floor. The other orc turned and roared loudly as it watched it's company fall to the floor.

[POG]

OOC:  Hey guys.  Rory and Baldwin are otherwise engaged in the Last War.  I'm gonna have to bow out of this thread gracefully.  Good luck.  Andimia I'm sure I'll play with you later...

POG

[Redwick]

OOC: Yeah, sorry, I've got way too much other stuff to do, which means I'm outta this tread. But keep up the roleplaying!

[Andimia]

upon hearing the "thump" Brandy grinned and peeked around the tree to check her prey only to see that a tallwoman had taken her kill.
"Hey!" she began to protest as she shot the other through an opening in the ork's armor, right under it's arm.

[mvcr4]

Elindor was walking through the trees when he heard the grunts that only an ork could make. Silently drawing his longsword, Gradenhow, he ran towards the noises. Upon hearing the whistle of an arrow piercing the air, followed by a thud, he leapt through the bushes, seeing a halfling and a tall woman with brilliantly red hair standing over an ork. Seeing shadows appearing in the undergrowth behind the group sorrounded by ork corpses, he ran straight at a boulder sticking out of the ground, stood on it and jumped right over the party and slashed at the bushes. He heard a squeal of pain from an orc and continued hack-and-slashing.