Staking a claim

[Anonymous]

The wind was howling, blowing sand into the eyes of the many beings bustling inside the city, living out their daily lives. " Haven't seen a sand storm like this in quite a while." an older gentleman exclaims, hurrying inside the protection of his residence. He was one of the only ones. Most wer used to it, toughing out even this particularly nasty event. Sand was everywhere, and as it got to a proportion to where it was starting to block out rays of the sun, citizens became suspicious. It seemed the sand was only in the sky now. None was hitting them in the face, or flying through the streets. Crisp wind brushed across their faces in the darkness that had consumed the city. Then, from within that darkness, in the main city market, a more wholesome darkness emerged. It started the size of a pin, then grew to take up the entire street width wise, while staying unmeasurably thin, nonexistent from a side angle. From that darkness walked a single being. His skin was dark, his shoulder length hair whiter than death itself. He was adorned with very peculiar attire, bearing spiders and V emblems. It seemed every eye in the city was fixed on this single being at the moment. Finally, he broke the silence, raising his staff in the air before he decided to speak.

  " Good citizens of Essyrn!" he exclaimed loudly, in a very commanding tone that kept all eyes and ears fixed on him, and him alone. " Your city in now under the protection and guidance of his Greatness, Venorik Vharzyym S'liston Bor'vizmyyl."

 When he finished his sentence, a contingent of drow soldiers marched in ranks behind him from the portal. They counted to fifty drow soldiers, and five mages, all adorned with Vharzyym gear, not afraid to brandish their expertly crafted weapons. One man, from the market streets, walked in front of Balkin Vharzyym, the High Priest who had announced the protectorate that Essyrn was now under. ' This is madness!" he protested. Balkin could see from the mans clothing and weaponry tht he was a man of rank in the city. He muttered only one word, almost silently. " har'luth." The man winced considerably, then fell to the ground, expired. " Would anybody else like to protest the honor which i have bestowed upon you?" he yelled, and was answered with silence. " Good." the drow said. "the arrangements will be made. Merchants, it would be in your best interest to send representatives to Zantaric with your first payments. Good day." With that, Balkin left through the portal from which he had come, and took 25 soldiers and 3 mages with him. The others dispersed in the local, to make the arrangements with city leaders.

[Anonymous]

Malk hurried through the city streets, heading towards the outskirts. He wasn't sure what to make of these drow, but he felt in his gut that they were bad news. The grizzled warrior didn't like such a drastic change, and had called together those who could be trusted for an unofficial meeting.

The place he had chosen was a very old building on the outskirt of town. It had laid uninhabited since he was a child, and was rumoured to be haunted. There was certainly something strange about it- the architecture did not match the surrounding buildings at all, but Malk hardly believed the stories about voices and living furniture. The spot would make a discreet meeting spot in any case.

Approaching the entrance to the building, Malk peered into the darkness. He was the first one here. He entered, feeling vaguely like an intruder. This first room was large, and completely empty. Two high windows let in the light, or would if the dust had not been blocking out the sun. It would probably be better to go farther in, to keep prying eyes away from the meeting.

The next room was much the same as the first, but darker. There were several benches arranged around the room. They seemed to be made of stone or brick, and protruded directly from the floor. Malk took a seat, resting his weary legs. Hopefully the others would arrive soon, but for now it felt good to rest. His endurance wasn't what it used to be.

Several moments passed, and Malk began to hear a strange noise. It sounded like a voice, but one that was very weak. He couldn't distinguish any words or tell from which direction it came. Could it be that this place was actually haunted? No, the sound must be somehow reaching him from the street, distorted by stone and brick. Malk didn't hold with foolish superstitions. He wouldn't abandon this nearly perfect meeting spot because of a few muted whisperings.

((wasn't really sure where you wanted to go with this thread, but I thought this might be interesting, hopefully we'll get some more people in here as well.))

[Anonymous]

Ep Enor stood in the marketplace in disbelief. He watched as half of the strangers had disappeared, while the ones who remained dispersed throughout the city. Across the square, someone caught his eye, and then motioned with their head. Ep nodded his head ever so slightly in return, and made his way slowly around the perimeter of the crowd.

As he walked, Ep mulled over what had just happened. He didn't recognize who these... invaders were. To think that complete strangers to Essyrn would just proclaim a thing as ludicrous as "protection," and then kill in cold blood someone who voiced dissent. It was only one man. In a society such as Essyrn's, all important matters are discussed by the community. All decisions are made by consensus. If someone has a valid concern, it is taken seriously into consideration by the rest. And, what? A mere fifty think they can declare Essyrn, a city of thousands, their own?

Ep chuckled. Some people have the strangest ideas, he thought. Looks like they need a lesson in perspective. A corrective one.

Small groups of people were gathering, sharing the news of the marketplace to those who had not been present. Whispers floating from these groups carried the same disbelief that Ep had. He nodded reassuringly at those who looked at him with confusion in their eyes. Given the actions of that one invader, the following discussion will have to be done with more than words. The dissenting opinion of the one who was murdered definitely merits discussion.

He reached the old building after taking a circuitous route. Ep gripped the doorknob lightly. It felt... sharp? The feeling passed, leaving Ep wondering if he had felt an extreme coldness in his hand. Is that what "ice" feels like?

He opened the door and quickly entered the building.

[Anonymous]

Se'shitaiik had always known wetlanders to be fools. And now, they had proved it once again. This was not how you strike and take over one of the desert cities. These drow apparently really believed that, due to a lack of a set ruler, people would obey naturally.
They were in for a nasty surprise. The desert yields to no one.

It had been luck that she had been in Essyrn when the take-over happened. That meant she would witness the invader's impending doom firsthand. Which she was already looking forward to. The desert was ever hungry for the blood of the weak. Their bones were scattered through the sand in scores.

And these invaders were indeed foolish. They had done several mistakes already in the short time of their presence. The people were already whispering, exchanging messages. So far, nothing had been done about it. Not that it would have helped, but it revealed a tremendous ignorance about the people of Essyrn.
The other tribes, out in the desert, as well as the other desert cities, had also not been attacked. That Se'shitaiik knew, for she had, just a couple minutes ago, talked to a representative of another tribe - the desert snakes as they called themselves. These "drow" most likely did not even realize such communication was possible.
Even now, the others were watching. Several large birds - vultures and even a condor - were circling over the city - something that a stranger might see as normal, but which wasn't - they were either controlled by a warlock to spy, or part of a shaman, natural birds did not fly together like that out here in the desert.
A couple of crows had settled on the buildings around the killing spot, more watching eyes. And from one of the higher buildings, one could spot a lone dromedar barely in sight of the city - the watcher who had mounted  the animal earlier had, most likely, dug in, and was to report further movements. And that weren't even all the watchers.
Oh, it was not as if the enemy would be able to prevent that - there were many methods to watch the city. But they simply could not know, and ignorance was just another weakness.
Another mistake that could only happen to these with no idea what the desert was like. No wetlander could imagine the fury the desert was capable of.

Long ago, people in the desert had realized that taking over one tribe, or one city, was the concern of everyone - for the neighbouring tribes would be next, and then their neighbours, until all the desert was in the hand of outsiders.
The only reason the others were content watching at the moment was the number of the attackers. They were confident Essyrn would be able to deal with them alone, easily. For now.
Besides, the invaders were, even now, revealing what they were capable of. And they would have to to prolong escaping their inevitable demise. Thus, in further attacks the enemy might do with higher numbers, their strengths, and weaknesses, would be known. The warlocks were already spinning their web, learning how the attackers had done their movement in the first place. Se'shitaiik would not be surprised if the desert would swallow the next attempts whole. And if not, the tactical element of surprise was already gone.

And the final, biggest mistake. The murder. That would have to be repaid in kind. The people of the desert did not just obey to self-righteous authority. Only the capable who were able to discuss their point would be followed temporarily, depending on the general consensus. Murder to affect decisions, to quiet discontent? Unthinkable. Fifty ruling thousands? Laughable. That might work with wetlanders. But only with them.

Se'shitaiik finally arrived at her destination, after making enough turns though the city to lose anyone following her(although few would, anyway, as there was no apparent reason to).

It was a rather strange building, and it did not feel like the other ones. Older, in a way. The shamaness guessed that, long ago, someone had done a ritual here, maybe a summoning or binding. She could not tell - there did not seem to be any lingering spirits, after all. But all that did not matter, as this was the meeting point, and there did not seem to be an apparent danger. A fine choice, either way.

She entered, and quickly moved through the windowed room into the next.
"The desert does not yield" she proclaimed, upon entering,  nodding to the people already inside. That saying revealed to the people inside both her allegiance to her tribe(it was a proverb common among the Tribe of the Shifting Sands), as well as her allegiance to the cause.

[Anonymous]

Malk greeted each newcomer to the meeting as they entered the building. Among them were warriors, officials, priests, and even humble labourers. Anyone who had an interest in the future of the city. Malk was glad this place had been chosen. There was enough room for everyone, and it seemed unlikely they would be discovered.

Malk noticed several unfamiliar faces among the assorted gathering. He knew that they had been guided here by people of the city, therefore they would most likely be trustworthy. He wondered what help each could bring to them.

Finally the room was nearly filled. More people would likely trickle in later, but there was no use in delaying the meeting further. Malk raised his voice, cutting above the chatter throughout the chamber.

"Friends, comrades and newcomers!" as eyes turned towards him, Malk lowered his voice again. "I think it is obvious why this meeting has been organized. We must decide what to do about these invaders of our city."

"While I would not normally lead a council meeting, I feel that in these circumstances, one familiar with warfare is needed. You would be hard pressed to find one more experienced than I. Therefore, I will direct this meeting, unless there are any objections. Of course, all shall have their chance to speak."

[Anonymous]

High above the city of Essyrn a shape circled. All of a sudden the dark blur slopped moving, and began to grow rapidly bigger.

Scree tore through the sky, wings tucked back and body streamlined she shot like an arrow. Birds circled oddly in the air below. Scree noticed their behaviour and that thought was immediately transferred to Kerrigan, who was lying flat against her back. She plucked one of the birds from the air as she went, making the others scatter. She opened her wings, air billowing them out. They slowed and glided over the rooftops to the central market square. The soldiers were no where to be seen, probably off somewhere trying to secure the city by force. Fools. A city like this could not be taken by sheer force. A thousand people would call this place home, making it a city of moderate size. 27 men, no matter what race they were, could simply not control the numbers.

Scree set down atop a raised part of the square, such as one that would probably have borne a fountain in a city with more plentiful water supply. People scattered in fear as the great bird screeched at them. The people gathered around the base of the platform, afraid but still curious.

Kerrigan dismounted as scree began to tear apart the bird she had caught, dropping gracefully to the ground. He wore new clothes, courtesy of the Vharzyym tailor, a leather hauberk and matching braces all bearing the Vharzyym symbols. He had elected to keep his pants and boots, seeing as they happened to be desert wear anyway. The crossbow was slung over his back, along with the replacement bolts. The vials had been slipped into little holders on his new belt. He had been offered weapons, but had decided to stick with his little dagger, and his own skills. He gazed around at the crowd. No doubt the soldier would realise he was there and form up for inspection and orders. Word had been sent ahead of him telling the soldiers of their new commander.

Kerrigan cleared his throat loudly and began, “People of Essyrn, I am Kerrigan Vharzyym. I understand your concern for the recent turn of events. Firstly you are not being invaded. As you can tell by the number of troops present we have no wish to fight you. Understand that I am no fool I know that with a mere handful of men at my disposal I could not overthrow your city, so I have no intention to. I am here to assume control of this city, for the purposes of furthering its development. Your lives will be affected, but in exchange for a small amount of goods House Vharzyym will offer you several things. Firstly our protection from any dangers this city may face. Secondly we will provide expertise and materials needed for the expansion of your city. If you cooperate you will all become very rich, as the expanding city attracts more people. Those of you without jobs, or any young lads that want one, can talk to me or one of the soldiers and you will be given work in construction.� At this the crowd gave a murmur or agreement, “Also I am aware that amongst you there will be those who wish us to leave. I assure you that will not be happening, so you can either accept our presence and its benefits or try to fight us and cost innocent lives.� He paused for a moment to let that sink in. Well, he was also waiting for the soldiers to appear before he finished his speech.

[Anonymous]

The vharzyym mage had already been alerted via telepathy of the Kerrigan's arrival from Venorik himself. The supreme overlord held this man in obviously high esteem, having made him a supreme commander of the Vharzyym army. He had organized half the remaining troops to greet him.13 drow moved through the city, their path always clear. Obviously, though, Kerrigan's words had settled them down somewhat. Still, he was still concerned. He had done nothing but scry since he had come to the city, that was why Balkin had left the two mages. It was only assumed that there would be resistance forces, and he was to find them and shut them down before they caused an uprising beyond their control. He had heard whisperings throughout the city, which were confirmed by the other mage. Then they noticed a concentration of people slowly moving out of the city, alone, no posessions. He could tell that this was no pilgrimage. They were gathering juch too soon. A successful resistance can never hatch under an active, watchful eye.

  As they aproached Kerrigan, he swung his fist to his chest in a type of solute. " We have tracked movement that we believe to be a resistance already organizing. We're not sure exactly where, but we know the direction." He told the supreme commander. Flipping his smoked glass visor up, he meant to look Kerrigan in the eyes, but realized the man had none. He wanted blood, as any drow did, but he would follow Kerrigan's orders. He only added something he felt would give his superior more incentive to attack the rebels. " The Supreme Overlord wishes them...taken care of."

[Anonymous]

Kerrigan watched as the troops approached, it was not all of them, as he would have preferred, but this would do. He did not return the salute, but instead probed the man invasively. The mage brought up barriers as an automatic reflex, but Kerrigan brushed them aside like cobwebs. Satisfied he resumed his declaration to the crowd, but now speaking more directly to the warriors. “While under my command you will follow a few strict guidelines. You will not touch their women, under any circumstances. Do I make my self clear?� The guards responded with a ‘Yessir!’ and Kerrigan went on, “You will not pillage, you will not burn. You will not enter their homes unless they are suspected of a crime. You will not steal from them, you will not fight with them, except in self defence, and you shall not provoke them,� he paused then shouted, “Do I make myself clear!?� Again they responded with ‘Yessir’. “As for you mage, I do not care what the Supreme Overlord wishes, this city is under my command now. If Venorik desires something to be done he can take it up with me personally.� He tilted his head down at the little man for a moment, and then turned back to the crowd.

“I have said that I will not be ruling you, only directing the city. I wish to conduct regular meetings with city officials in order to maintain the current state of things as much as possible. They will all retain their posts and most of their powers. So now I would like anyone who wishes to comment on what I have said here, or anything else to speak now.� He waited for someone to speak up, but was met only with silence.

[Anonymous]

Ep was proud, and thankful, that so many had shown up in support of his city, even those not native to Essyrn. Essyrn matters to them, and to me, he thought.

Essyrn is a fragile jewel in the desert. Yes, they were blessed to be located upon natural springs surrounded by such a harsh environment, but it is only through careful planning, deliberation, cooperation and management that Essyrn can remain stable. The arrival of these invaders, with their unreasonable demands and barbaric behavior, threatened to upset the delicate balance.

Ep had some concerns to address to the crowd.

"I have no doubt that others are already keeping careful watch over our new... 'visitors' by now. It's unfortunate that their first impression is a despicable one, murdering one of the merchant masters. But how do we defend against one who can seemingly kill with a gesture? Do we have a way to counter or protect against it? And what manner of people are the soldiers? I have never seen their kind in Essyrn before. They seem highly unsuited for the climate. Perhaps our invaders are not well enough informed about Essyrn."

[Anonymous]

Malk nodded in response to Ep's words.

"I have not seen them before either. My worry is that they all have the same power that their apparent leader had. It is obvious that they are very confident in maintaining control of our city, and we need to know why. We need to be cautious and find both their strengths and weaknesses."

Malk paused to gather his thoughts. It seemed as though the whispering in his head had grown in intensity and volume. But... it seemed more welcoming and less disturbing than when he had first entered. More familiar perhaps. It must be just his imagination. He should focus on the meeting! This was important.

"A mere 30 men should not be enough to hold Essryn. They must either be very strong, or able to call reinforcements somehow. Perhaps a portal such as the one they appeared from. Therefore, if we mean to resist, a simple attack will probably not be our best option."

"It is interesting that they seem unnaclimated to the desert. Perhaps we can use that against them in some way. Does anyone else have any ideas?"

[Anonymous]

Chil ' orath cautiously raised the smoke-tinted glass visor fitted into his helmet to deal with the harsh light of the surface world.  Luckily, he was inside, and was safe from the great orb's rays.  He, along with two of his fellow soldiers, had stepped into a medium-sized building that appeared to be an inn of some sort, with some dozen tables spaced around the main room, with a bar and stools set up against the back wall.  A set of stairs on the right hand side led to the second story, presumably to several rooms for rent by travelers.  The day's excitement seemed good for business, for the place was packed with people discussing what had happened, as well as what they should do about it.  Apparantly the new supreme commander's little speech had already been retold to the denizens who had not been there at the time, because it seemed to be the subject of most of the discussions.  From what he had heard before stepping inside, Chil ' orath deduced that things seemed to be going quite well.  Roughly half of the people (mostly the older ones) congregated there were opposed to Vharzyym's occupation, saying that the drow had no business meddling in the affairs of Essyrn.  About half of the other bar denizens seemed to be undecided, not quite sure what to make of what was going on, and surprisingly, the quarter of the people that remained were beginning to say that Vharzyym's occupation maybe wasn't such a bad thing afterall.  Apparently Kerrigan's words about prosperity and protection were having their affect.  This group of people was the minority, but was growing continually larger as more of the nuetral people were swung to their point of view.  As Chil ' orath Vharzyym stepped forward passed the door's threshold, however, all conversation on the matter sudennly ceased.

"Citizens of Essyrn," he began, speaking in mildly accented common. (He had previously had dealings on the surface before being brought back to fight in Lith My'athar's civil war;  Which is why he had been one of the soldiers chosen to speak to the people of the city.)  "As I am sure you have already been informed, my people mean you know harm.  Quite the contrary.  We wish to forge a kind of alliance with your city, mutually benificial to all parties.  With our help, your city will enter a time of security and prosperity the likes have never been seen before.  Those of you striken with poverty will be risen above it, and those of you already above it will rise higher than you have ever thought possible."  He paused, letting his words sink in, hoping that they had an affect on some of the fence-sitters within the room.  "But.... there will always be those who are opposed to this security and prosperity.  Those who profit from your misfortune as well as those too ignorant and set in old, outdated ways will try to harm this arrangement;  will try to harm you.  It is for this reason that Vharzyym has been forced to create a military branch.  And it is for this reason that we are asking for your help funding this military with new taxes.  We must always be ready to defend safe and secure society."  Chil ' orath's eyes scanned the crowd, trying to read their reactions.  "For any of you fit and brave young lads who wish to defend the security of your friends and family, or want to help liberate other peoples from their pitiful, barbaric ways of life, Vharzyym is now happy to recruit new soldiers to serve justice.  You will be sharpened and molded into the finest fighting force in the world, and will grow not only physically, but mentally as well.  If any of you want to join or learn more about our fine army, speak to me.  I will be in the town square until a more permanant recruitement office can be readied."  He scanned the crowd again.  "Thank you for your time."

As Chil ' orath flipped his visor back down and stepped back into the sun, he saw several young men stand up and head toward the exit, following him.  Good.  This trip had already profen its worth.  Lord Venorik will be pleased.

[Rhindeer]

The blood-curdling scream that ripped through the air made Syrae jump in surprise, and when he jerked his head toward the source...he almost groaned.

A woman was staring wide-eyed at him, one hand raised to her throat in surprise. Er...actually...on second thought, she wasn't looking at him, nor was he looking at his draconic companion whose wrist he lightly gripped in his bloodied, goo-covered hand. She was looking beyond both he and his friend and at the rather mutilated creature that his other hand was pressed against, its fat, sandy-colored, oblong body curled up in a way that could have looked almost sad or pathetic...if it wasn't a twenty-five foot long sandworm that looked like it had been hacked to pieces. Or, almost hacked to pieces; it was still all technically in one piece, held together by whatever thin chunks of flesh hadn't been thoroughly severed, and even though it was very much dead and its death throes had long since passed, a nerve did still twitch here and there along its body. Yum. It was also creating quite a little mess on the ground beneath it, and probably stank pretty bad. Syrae imagined it did, he just couldn't smell it anymore.

And in addition to scaring the daylights out of the poor woman, he'd also managed to teleport them right on top of the lady's vending table...which she must have set up some time after he and Jaiha had left to go hunt, because it had not been there that morning! He knew it. He remembered. Because he'd been very careful about picking out and memorizing a spot for them to teleport back to, and he'd chosen that spot near the front of the city because, well...no one ever hung out there! Until now. Of course.

"Ack! Sorry about that!" Syrae called out as she turned to flee. "No! Wait! It's okay, I...I'll fix it for you, I promise! Sorry!" he yelled, both hands cupped around his mouth so she could hear him as she vanished into the crowd. Well...at least they hadn't landed on <I>her, he thought as he lowered his hands away from his face, leaving a streak of worm guts on his face and not noticing it...which was easy to do with it splattered here and there on his body, including his black hair, which was long and tied up in a sort of thin wrap that extended down his back, save for his currently platered bangs.

Oh well! So they'd scared one person and broken her wares...it was all good!

Because they'd killed a bloody sandworm!

Yay!

A grin suddenly broke out on Syrae's tanned face at the realization--it hadn't really sunk in until just now, because now he was no longer all pumped up with adrenaline and stuff--and without missing a beat, he turned to his friend and wrapped his arms around her, mindful of her wings, in a rather sloppy hug, given they were both quite covered in glop. "Jaiha! You know what? We just killed a sandworm. A sandworm!" he emphasized, giving her a squeeze and rocking with her from side to side in his excitement--and subconsciously hoping her tail wouldn't whip around accidentally and slice him...or smack him with the flat end, which also hurt like hell though it didn't run the risk of dismembering, at least. That'd suck.

...And it was also the reason why that sandworm was all neatly sliced. It was a weapon in its own right, and his own double-bladed staff had nothing on it.

Finally releasing her, he took a step back away from her and, still grinning, tugged at his bladed staff--which was firmly lodged deep in the sandworm's fleshy body. Pulling it free, he didn't even bother to clean the blades; he'd only just smear the stuff around more rather than clean it. Instead, he just propped it up against the inside of his elbow; it was a little taller than his six feet. "We gotta show the elders! But, uh...we'll just sort of not mention that we didn't bring back anything edible...they'll probably forget once they see this, anyway! And if not it doesn't matter anyway, because we just bloody killed a <I>sandworm!"

Yeah, yeah, they were supposed to have been out hunting, but...well...then this had kind of come up, and, well...they weren't supposed to pass up the chance of taking down something like this, were they? Come on, the elders--and his parents...but...he could forgive them--couldn't possibly treat them like a couple of clueless kids after this! He hoped. Because then that would just make him...mad. Because he definitely was not a child...he was eighteen. Jaiha, on the other hand...heh, they probably just referred to him as a kid too since he hung out with her.

In any case...he'd just...take them out into the desert later and then they could catch some real food as compensation. Not that he was worried! Because this was just...awesome. And he was more than ready for all the exclaimations and praise this was sure to--!

...Eh?

Turning away from Jaiha, still beaming, his smile soon faded into a look of annoyance when he saw that...no one was looking at them. What? But...but...they'd just...they'd just killed this! And it was big and fat and deadly and it had been one hell of an awesome fight and...and...why wasn't anyone paying them any attention, dammit?! This was kind of a big deal!

He felt his green eyes cross in irritation and, huffing a little, he glanced back toward Jaiha and frowned. Jeez...tough crowd. Unless...

It was then that he realize how oddly quiet the city was. At least, it was a lot quieter than usual. Turning away from Jaiha again, this time he really allowed himself to take in the city...and to look at its people. The city was quiet...but there were loud voices speaking somewhere beyond them, and the postures of the citizens were stiff. But they were not inactive. Hands discreetly formed cautious signals that would be easily overlooked by an outsider, for they looked perfectly natural, but easily identifiable for a citizen, and some people whispered in corridors. Others seemingly went about their business as though nothing were happening, feigning ignorance. But it was oddly empty here--erm...maybe some of that had to do with the stinky, bleeding creature they'd brought in--and the voices were coming from beyond--the direction of the square. Something was happening...that was certain.

What the...? They hadn't been gone that long, had they?

Syrae quickly felt his previous excitement turn to concern. This wasn't his birthplace, but this <I>was his home, and had been for most of his life. And he could feel the hair on the back of his neck raise with a chill. Nothing like this had actually ever happened in his lifetime...but like anyone that lived here, he'd been taught what the signs and signals meant. "Jaiha...c'mon..." he muttered, nodding his head toward the square.

[Anonymous]

Getting teleported had always been an odd feeling for the funny legged humanoid; she blinked a few times before noticing the woman’s horrified look as well. Though Jaiha probably clued into what she was staring at a while before Syrae, a quick look over her shoulder made her smile slightly at the woman and waved with the hand that was attached to the arm that wasn’t held by Mister Teleporter. Wincing slightly when she ran away, though almost everyone was used to what Jaiha looked like in Essyrn. It was than she noticed what they landed on. Oopsies! Moving the wrist that was grasped in Syraes gooey, she grasped his wrist and lightly stepped off the table, her odd three jointed leg stretching so she didn’t have to jump. The clawed ‘foot’ touched the sand and the other followed, and than she yanked Syrae down. Rude boy. Landing on the womans table of goods, than it more or less dawned on her too. A sandworm. Sure she’d been happy about it because she got to use her bladed tail, which was a rare thing for her since she tended to cut whatever she was chasing to ribbons.

Holy crap, they had killed a sandworm!

For once, she didn’t care that her nose was better than his, because the smell of worm guts was the best one so far! Yes! Killed a sandworm! Without any help! They were so great! And, Jaiha was mildly disappointed at the lack of attention, but people either paid her too much of it because of her scaly skin and wings and… hugs? Oh! Right! Syrae and being happy because of the dead sandworm. Hee hee! Wrapping her arms around Syrae and pressing her cheek to his gooey chest she made sure not to wave her tail around like she wanted to… She felt like a puppy! Jaiha wanted to pounce something and lick it! And the closest thing was Syrae… Ew. Maybe no licks, unless she wanted to taste worm guts for a month, which is what she would be smelling. Joy. Still! A SANDWORM!

Watching Syrae pull out his staff, which almost got eaten by the ugly blob of biting flesh, she wrinkled her nose and was tempted to scratch the scent out of it. This would be so horrible! But it was okay! Because them killing a sandworm made it all better! And the fact that Syrae was happy about it just made it all that much greater! Grinning, which probably made her look a little scary because of her fangs, she wanted to jump around and act like a goof, but couldn’t due to her oddly jointed legs.

 â€œI Know! They’ll be ssso Happy! And… Oh no… we didn’t get food… We can go out again later and get sssomthing and pretend we’d just forgotten about it!â€?

Looking down at herself, she noticed she was covered from head to foot in worm… Goo. Proof! hah hah! It was namely hanging off her tail though, stuck to the blade. Jaiha looked over her shoulder and waved it about, trying to get the pieces of loose worm flesh off while Syrae was looking around.

Finally a piece of the worm flew off her tail and onto the middle of the road. Meep. A quick shuffle and she was safely behind Syrae and any accusing eyes that went her way for… Worm guts in the middle of the ground. Of course Jaiha would have been nice and picked it up and thrown it onto the worm, but she didn’t have to touch the flesh more than once or twice, and she didn’t plan on it… Someone could... tan it or something and use it as a drum cover.

 Peeking from behind Syraes shoulder, she noticed almost no one around to give her an accusing glare, she did notice his frown, and she frowned too. What where they frowning at?  Oh right, the sandworm! Bah! No one was going ‘good job!’ and being happy! Why not? What was going on? Moving from behind Syrae, she didn’t think to look for the signals, but she noticed the voices too, and could even make some of them out “want to help liberate other peoples from their pitiful, barbaric ways of life, Vharzyym is now happy to recruit new soldiers to serve justiceâ€? Blinking slightly Jaiha shook her head, barbaric? And what was a Vharzyym? And why would the people here want to join an army for a bunch of… Thieves?

Essyrn was more important than a sandworm! Even if the sandworm was big and mean and ugly and something important and to be proud of because they’d killed it all on their own... And apparently they were going to leave the carcass there while they go and investigate! Nodding towards Syrae, Jaiha followed as closely behind Syrae as she could, wondering what could happen. She knew this wasn’t her birthplace either, but the people here took her in and raised them as their own, so she decided to protect it until her dying breath. Folding her wings to her back so they didn’t catch on wind and knock her over, she began to walk a little faster, wanting to catch the rest of this speech and see who was speaking it.

Like a little puppy, she followed Syrae to the square, hopefully the ‘bad guys’ as these unknown people have been named in her head, wouldn’t see her and just stop talking. Though the way the duo smelled and were covered in gook might draw more attention than was needed, but it was okay, right? Right. Just to make sure that she didn’t loose him, Jaiha grabbed the back of his shirt so she didn’t lose him if he decided to storm about. Looking around, a little intimidated, she decided to fool these unknowns and make herself out to be a big meanie! Yeah! That would work.

It was no fair! They’d killed a sandworm! She’d find out who took away their day and slap him… or her! A good one with claws and everything! And probably find a gook of sandworm guts and smear it all over them! There! Revenge is sweet, and apparently smelly.

[Anonymous]

Several people entered the building where a meeting of concerned citizens and visitors of Essyrn was taking place. Each reported on the current actions of the invaders.

"A strange being flew down from the sky, promising no harm will be done to those who cooperate."

"An armored man entered an inn, saying much the same thing, offering rewards to those who joined his cause. Some did rise and follow him out of the inn."

"We suspect that soldiers are closing in on this meeting. Their intentions are unknown."

Ep seethed at the offers of peace. "Camelshit! That first man ruthlessly slaughtered Master Amoun! How can cooperation be expected after that? Are they trying to screw with our minds?" He took a deep calming breath. "Hm. So who are the traitors who have joined these murderers?"

"Bashir, Gabal and Adib, and a couple of outsiders."

"I see," Ep said thoughtfully. "I'm all for drving these infidels out of the city. I heard there's a sandworm nearby who could... give them a little trouble." Ep grinned slyly. "Although I was hoping to go out and give the sandworm trouble later today. Ah, well. I suppose we should speak with the one in the square?"

[Anonymous]

Malk inwardly sighed at the news. He had hoped the meeting would continue on longer, there was still much to discuss. Still, if a spokesperson for the invaders had appeared, it would be a good idea to speak with them, and make it clear that they would not be so easily controlled.

And the fact that soldiers had been spotted approaching was worrying. How could it be they had been discovered so quickly? He had thought this to be a perfect spot. Yes, Ep had the right idea. It was time to leave.

Malk watched the impromptu council file back outside. They left in such a way to appear aloof from each other, but all the groups had the same destination in mind.

Malk was amongst the last to leave, but as he reached the threshold of the first room, the whispering he had been hearing since he arrive suddenly flared in his head. This time he could make out words... very faint, but still audible.

"Wait... don't go."

Suprised, Malk spun around, searching in vain for the origin of the voice. The few who were left inside the building were talking amongst each other, none gave any indication of having whispered to him. Malk called them over.

"There's someone in here."

Surely he couldn't be going mad could he? He knew with age some men grew senile, and had wild fantasies, including hearing strange voices that no one else could. But Malk wasn't that old, and he was still in good health. he had never experienced anything like this before. He looked to the others for an indication that they had heard the voice as well.

((OOC: The voice is Leader, another of my characters. There's a link in my signature. Just thought I should tell everyone so you know where I'm going with this. No one has visited him for quite a while, and he'll be eager to have some "residents" again. He might have contacted your characters, or not."))

[Anonymous]

Kerrigan gazed about. The crowd was murmuring about what had been said. He felt quite good about the little speech, it had had the desired effects. He had already seen the men running off to inform the resistance movement, as planned. He intended to pay them a visit sometime soon, but for now they were too far away for him to track without physically following them. He turned to the mage, “Disperse your men among the city, they can move in groups of five, but no less. We don’t want them being picked off without our knowing. I want nothing done to any resistance movements, pull back from your searching. We don’t want to alert them. I will find them in due time, but for now they are not your concern. I will require architects and construction crew as soon as possible, either hire them from the locals or bring in drow, I don’t care. Just be sure to pay them in full if you hire locals.�

He turned his attention back to the gathered crowd. Spreading his arms in a peaceful gesture he began to address them once more, “Good people of Essyrn, it seems that none of you have any questions for me. I am always approachable if you ever need anything. Now-“ He cut off. Something had distracted him from within the crowd, something very odd that had not been there when he last looked. He began to move towards this creature, the crowd parting before him. Scree had apparently finished her meal and decided to follow, occasionally snapping at a citizen who got to close.

Kerrigan's mind churned as he went. The thing he was approaching was some sort of winged creature, the likes of which he had never dreamed of. His mind began its usual thread. Being raised in Dunwey society Kerrigan had been programmed to asses any female he encountered in a specific way. First, she was young, too young to bear him any children. So that brought her down a mental notch. But then she was still an attractive specimen, claws and all. She was well formed and looked capable of child rearing, once she aged a bit. Her bladed tail, sharp claws and impressive wings made her a threat, against which Kerrigan was sure he would stand little chance. But most of all her skeleton was intriguing. He marvelled over the joints in her wings, and the way her legs bent backwards, and how her tail aligned so as to be able to support its bladed end. Her mind seemed less formed than the rest of her, still displaying signs of infancy. Beside her he noted a boy of no particular importance other than that he alone seemed willing to be close by her.

Once he reached them the crowd had turned to follow his movements. He bowed to the female and said, “Greetings lady dragon, I am Kerrigan.� He rose and smiled. He was so curious about this creature. She was something new and exciting to him, whether friend or foe he was sure that she would be an interesting thing to deal with. Something perhaps to break the monotony he was already starting to feel about this city. Scree had trotted up behind him and was now poking her head over his shoulder, inspecting the two. She looked first at the boy, then gave a little bird-grunt and turned to the female. She regarded her with mild curiosity, mixed with her usual spark of jealousy that arose whenever Kerrigan took any kind of interest in a female.

[Anonymous]

The mage, Jaenzyn, Merely bowed to the supreme commander. " Of course." He said, and pulling his visor down, lead the others away.  They moved a few blocks, then he stopped. The other drow all had the same looks on their face, though they were not about to openly defy superior orders. " Wait here." he told them, and they all nodded in understanding. Jaenzyn entered the nearest building, and walked into an empty room. Rubbing his house, he removed it and put it on the floor a few feet in front of himself. Only certain brooches had this enchantments, those who lead regiments and would need to contact other members quickly. "jous ultrin senger." He said loud enough to envoke the enchantment.

  Venorik moved through house Vharzyym. He had some spare time, and was going to find some..company. Suddenly his brooche started to glow with a faint red light. He knew it must be important. Removing it, he placed it on the ground a few feet in front of himself.  A life-sized, transparent 3d image of Jaenzyn appeared in the hallway above the brooche. He was bowed. " I am sorry to interrupt, Supreme Overlord." the drow mage explained

  Jaenzyn still felt nervous when speaking to Venorik. He had grown up around the weapons master's exploits. " As long as you have something useful to say, it is fine." the supreme overlord commented to his apology. " I just thought you should be informed that the supreme commander overseeing this project has no intention of confronting the resistance conspirators soon, as you had wished. He is trying to come to terms." He could tell, even through the three dimensional image, that the overlord was not too pleased with this information. " Do as he asks." He finally replied. " It will be dealt with as i see fit. Thank you for your report, Jaenzyn." The mage saluted, then the connection was cut. He replaced his brooche on his person, walked back out with the group, and worked on carrying out the orders that Kerrigan had given to him.

[Anonymous]

Ep paused in front of the building, turning back to look at Malk. He was anxious to see for himself more of what the invaders were doing, but if Malk heard something within...

Maybe their meeting was being spied on. That wouldn't do. Ep re-entered the structure, right hand on the hilt in his sash, intent on finding the supposed spy.

"Who's there? Did you see someone, Malk? Let's search the rooms thoroughly before leaving."


(Not sure where you're going with this, so it's short)

[Anonymous]

"I.. heard a voice." said Malk in response to Ep's question. "I can't tell where it's coming from, but it must be nearby. It was only a whisper."

With Ep's help, Malk began to systematically search the structure. He could tell from the amount of doors and branching hallways that it was much larger than it looked from the outside, probably with several basement floors.

It wasn't long before the voice returned. Malk signalled to his companion to stop, focusing on the whisperings. They seemed stronger this time.

"It has been a long time since anyone has remained inside these walls for any length of time... It was hard to decipher your thoughts after so long... And then longer to find my voice once again."

Malk had spotted something deep in the shadows of the room. It looked like a humanoid figure. Unmoving, it seemed to blend into the walls. A stealthy character indeed.

Signalling to Ep, Malk approached the figure inderectly. Hopefully it wouldn't realize that it had been spotted until Malk was close enough to capture whoever it was.

The voice droned on: "I have been trapped here for many, many years. I was blind to the world. But now that you are here you can help me. You will be the first of my new residents, and we shall find my civilization and once more!"

Malk ignored the nonsense, creeping towards the figure in the shadows. Finally, he was able to reach out and grab it, but felt only cold stone on his fingertips. A statue. Strangely it had no real face or features, it was simply a crude humanoid shape.

Looking in confusion at Ep, Malk tried to figure out what was going on. The voice continued it's nonsensical monologue.

((OOC: InuMisha, the voice is Leader, who is also the building. There's a link to his stat page in my signature. He's a little odd.))

[Anonymous]

The two finally found someone, but was it really a spy from the invading force? The things the figure was saying made little sense. But then, the ruthless actions of the invaders, and their following promises of peace suggested a warped way of thinking. Could this be a new part of some grand scheme to confuse the people of Essyrn?

Ep drew his hilt, but did not will the blade to form. He stood with his right side to the wall, ready to break through to the light of day if the need arose to further illuminate the room. He also stood closely enough to the figure that he could, with his sand-blade, answer any attack from the suspected spy. He was worried that Malk had positioned himself so closely to the person, yet slightly relieved that there had been no retaliation to the person being touched. So far.

This person could not be allowed to leave the room if he is a spy. "Look, now," Ep started in a carefully even tone. "Just tell us straight out who you are. None of this storytelling. We don't have time for this. Are you here to cause violence in Essyrn?"