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Debts Unpaid (Rhi-Rhi)

Started by Whim, December 28, 2015, 07:34:59 PM

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Whim

Fifteen minutes ago Ellis had been fleeced by a cut-purse and a small fortune in gold snatched away. Getting back to Serendipity would be very difficult without it. Naturally, the mage changed part-way into a great cat to pursue the little thief; it seemed a good idea at the time. The hulking catman was quicker, but the thief knew Essryn's maze of alley ways. The chase ended when Ellis crashed into a pair of tiny shacks, once homes to slaves on some estate. That's when the guards came.

Clad in torn fingery Ellis stood backed into an alley way by three guardsmen guardsmen. Their cowled leader of had been a mage of some kind (likely dispatched to deal with the supernatural occurance) as he dispelled Ellis' shapeshift in the blink of an eye. "I am sorry. I was chasing a mugger," the mage held up his hands angrily in protest; he'd fight his way out if he had to.

"Five hundred, just for wasting our time. Not including the damage." The lead guard turned and barked for one of the spearmen to fetch the owner of the slave-quarters for an accounting of the damage.

Ellis cringed. As a foreigner in Essryn he didn't have much recourse to pay what was asked; of course there was one problem with that. He tried to stay calm. "I can gather more than enough to repair these shacks, and compensate your time of course. I don't have it on me. It will need to be sent."

"Can't pay but will. Heard that before."

"You're quite right. I will," Ellis tugged absently at his remaining sleeve, looking for something to use as a bribe.

"Last thing Essryn needs is mageling's run amuck. Solution's easy," the cowled man dipped his hand into a robe, producing a silver rod. Before Ellis could react the rod pressed into his shoulder, leaving a star-shaped brand.

The young man yelped in pain, drawing looks from several nearby slaves, filthy and shirtless as concessions to the heat, loading a wagon with textiles.

Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Rhindeer

Qismat was going over his ledgers when a breathless spearman came calling--with the news that, apparently, someone had completely destroyed the homes of several of his slaves in an unrelated altercation. Immediately, Qismat jerked up from his work, the first question out of his mouth being, "Is anyone hurt?" and, when it was confirmed that there were no injuries...

Sigh. Time to go survey the damage.

It was a short walk away, though Qismat wasn't really dressed for the day. He wore just a simple, comfortable kilt and sandals and hadn't even bothered to line his eyes with kohl or don his usual jewellery, the sorts of things that would mark him as a merchant prince, as he had planned on spending a quiet day indoors. But, alas, peace and quiet was hard to come by when you were important!

When he saw the wreckage, he winced and rubbed at his temples. How on earth...? And when his eyes fell on the little man currently cornered by the guards, a fresh mark gleaming in his shoulder.

A mark Qismat instantly recognized.

They intended to sell the foreigner off at market.

He had no idea how that man had managed to cause so much damage--he was pocket-sized--but he knew that damage or not, a small guy like him would be eaten alive at the slave market. His red hair and pale skin instantly marked him as a foreigner, as a curiosity, and if he wasn't sold to fight and die for laughs in the Colosseum, chances were he'd wind up someone's pet.

Stepping up to the group, the guards quickly recognized him and stood down, though they kept close to Ellis in case he decided to try anything funny.

"You're the one who caused this mess?" Qismat said, shooting a look over the havoc. "How on earth did you manage such a thing?"
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Whim

Ellis hissed in pain. He drew back, murmuring an arcane phrase to retaliate - surely even a Serenian apprentice could fell three guards in this backwards place - but the spell fizzled with a puff of purple smoke. He staggered back wide-eyed as the guards advanced on him. Where-ever they meant to take him wasn't good.

The action halted when the merchant prince arrived.

"I'm sorry! I'd been mugged! I turned into a lion to defend myself! It'd- it got out of control! I've got plenty of gold; I can pay for the shacks!" he sputtered out, eager to reverse his fortune.

"Hasn't a penny on him; Sahib. The auction cut shall be yours."

"My name is Ellis Hargrove. I can send for it. I can reimburse you; they're just slave quarters," he tried to regain his composure so it sounded believable enough to be true."

Of course it wasn't meager bunkhouses that were destroyed. It was homes, and several slaves were already gathering to look over the ruins. One of the structures, housing children, had been beautifully painted and adorned with windchimes and colorful chalk murals. The other was a large bunkhouse and probably for the men: the interior was spacious and carpeted, with an old rug, but nonetheless adorned with creature comforts.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Rhindeer

"Just slave quarters?" Qismat repeated, and the look he flashed Ellis made it clear that he done fucked up.

Squaring his shoulders, he took a step closer to the mage, then another, then leaned in until their faces were mere inches apart. For a moment there, he had felt sympathetic; it had just been a tragic accident, and for that he was willing to forgive and let him off the hook, pay for his release and leave it at that. But those few simple words had changed the course of that foreigner's fate just like that, for they had stoked a deep, burning anger within Qismat.

Yet his voice was cool and calm as he spoke, looking the man dead in the eye. "Just slave quarters, you say? Well, of course. That's true. They are just slave quarters. And of course the life of a slave is of no consequence. Easily replaceable, correct?" And he smiled at Ellis.
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

Whim

"I suppose any man can be replaceable if there're thousands like him. But I'll remind you know one's dead," Ellis said, with a cocky smirk he later regretted.

The young man continued, trying to stay calm. The brand was worrisome as mauling his way out was no longer an option. And surely the greedy slaveholders of this place thought with their purses. "If you want me to remain in the city as collateral till the gold comes, I think its only... fair."
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Rhindeer

"Easily replaceable when there's thousands like him. Indeed," Qismat said with a nod, still chillingly calm in a way anyone who knew him recognized meant trouble.

With a smile that didn't reach his eyes, he clapped a hand on Ellis's shoulder and looked to the guards standing about, watching him and waiting on his decision. The boy seemed to think he got a say in this matter--and Qismat knew too well that he didn't. He was a foreigner, and foreigners were often punished harder than natives. He would be hauled off to the slave blocks for such wanton destruction even if Qismat pardoned him, because that much power, uncontrolled like that, was an obvious danger.

That, and it would have caught the attention of other vying princes, princes who might want to throw him to the fighting pits and see how he fared, how much money he could make them. Letting him out of his sight now was dangerous--and no one would notice that an undocumented foreigner was missing.

"I think that's a fine idea, kid. In fact, I can do you one better. You'll remain in the city as collateral--under my ownership."
Adamaris // Aderyn // Aki // Alexander // Angel // Axieva // Beatrid // Briar // Cadmus // Corryn // Einin/Owl // Emery // Fang // Faolán // Faris // Frost // Hayate // Ife // Jayari // Jirou // Juniper // Katxiel // Khaiya // Kota // Kyran // Liam // Makani // Max // Maya // Mei // Nakato // Naovi // Nasrin // Niaaki // Niamh // Noor // Pepper // Qiana // Qismat // Quinn // Raxta // Riyarin // Rook // Sachi // Sahar // Siobhan // Simonea // Sita // Song // Summer // Valor // Yasmin // Yiroa

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