Adaptations and Inquiries [Open]

[Daemian Berazalle]

"In life, there are a multitude of struggles. The measure of a man is found in how he deals with these struggles, and who he surrounds himself with during those times." - Unknown



There was something about the feel of these folk. They made him want to know more. More about who they were, how they lived, who they loved, who they feared. Everything that made them tick, he found he wanted to know. Secrets, his life having been ruled by them, were a quiet topic. He'd not pry, but most secrets had a way of finding themselves out.

He had started his path here by first acclimating himself to the land. Constant, endless hours he had spent learning the layout of all the lands he could. A bit backwards in one of his philosophies: Self, Others, Terrain. All three being very important areas to have knowledge in when it came to survival, and for Dae, each dae was a new challenge in how to survive.

In just slightly over a month, he felt confident in his knowledge of each land, at least in the terrain features and key landmarks to travel by. Some places reminded him of his previous lives, although each drove home a valid set of problems which he now set about rectifying: Who were these people? Could he help them? How could he help them? Each question only had one way of learning the answers, and that was to learn about them.

He started off right where he started off. Maria. A valuable woman, the heart of the Heart. He'd arrived unannounced and been offered a home without second thought, so it was she he would turn to first in his quest to find out more about these folk, who they were, how he could fit in with them.

He didn't want to put it off any further, so he found a day where he had the time to devote to intelligent conversation. He chose a time when he knew she'd be around the Inne, striking up easy conversation with her.

"Good day, Maria. I was wondering if I might trouble you for some time to update me on things I've neglected speaking about.

"I've been meaning to ask in regards to a few things here, little details that are starting to nag and gnaw at my conscious thoughts. I'd like to start first with Runik.

"You've been helpful in the past with questions I've had about them, but some new questions have come to light. When was the first time they made themselves known? Looking back, was there anything taking place that could have masked their presence?"

He settled in, giving her time to process everything he'd spoken of while he waited for her to reply.

[Head Moderator]

She was busy wiping down the bar top, seemed she always had to be doing that to keep it nice and polished, and no stains from the cups and ale mug sat upon it. She gave Dae an easy smile as he approached, then leaned against the bar and listened to his inquiry.

"Runik? When did they make themselves known as in history over the whole land? I'd have to look that up. As far as when they started going after my members here... few months ago."

She tapped her cheek, trying to remember just when it was.

"Little before Yule I want to say. Just things here and there, talking to the members, trying to be intimidating. Then that drow tried to hurt Grayson, and we all know what happened after that, she's dead now. Miz'ri was her name I believe."

She paused, and took a sip of her whiskey.

"Masked their presence? I'm not sure. Suppose I could have been spied on for a while. Why do you ask?"

[Daemian Berazalle]

"I am sure knowing more about their complete origin would be most helpful, indeed, although I was only inquiring more to when their attacks began, which you did answer. Grayson?" He rubbed at his chin as he thought it over, not really able to recall having met someone with that name.

"I'm afraid you have me at a loss there. I don't recall meeting anyone by the name. That is something of which I am hinting at with my line of questioning. My nature insists that I look into the matter more . . . I am at worst a creature of pure curiosity." He paused a moment before continuing, wanting to broach the next part of the conversation carefully.

"More importantly, since I am on that topic, is there anyone else that I am unaware of? I'm going to attempt to do my best to keep tabs on things for you. They already have that sneak-thief of a shapechanger among them. To do so, I'd like to begin by asking you who else I have yet to meet, and if anyone isn't around that was a regular before my arrival here. It will help, at least for my own curiosity, with keeping track of anyone showing up that isn't expected to do so."

He leaned against the bar then, eagerly awaiting the information he'd be able to glean.

[Head Moderator]

"Grayson? Mmm...well the pirates have been doing their own thing, I don't see any of them much but Sadlin has been going on a few missions, he's a healer. Let's see...." she pulled out a sheet of paper and her ink pen and ink and began to write down a list of names....

"There's Grayson as I said before, and Captain Solanine Tyr'avin, the pirates. They should still be around town and they are the ones that took care of the one Runik drow."

"Fenris, now he's someone I haven't seen in a while, but last I heard he and Astrid were heading back to their own homeland of Alzorc to take care of personal business there. They've been gone a few months now, if a little shorter. Probably at or past the Ridgebacks by now."

"There's the gypsy Joelle, and Kyle. They wander quite a bit, I guess it's her gypsy blood and she takes Kyle with her. Kyle's a really good swordsman."

"Rohdle the elf.... haven't seen him in months." She furrowed her brow, worried a bit about him.

"Kevin's gone too now that I think about it."

"There's the Tesariks.... Ankar, Salrek, and Areek."

"Evangeline, now there's one to talk to. The drow in Runik killed her companion, an elderly woman, just shot her with the crossbow and left her to rot in an alleyway."

"Mira....wonder where she's gotten off to....."

"Haven't seen Falqun in a little while, she's a White Raven Healer. Also, as we just read in the Tribune our dear friend to OH, the Mourner Chantrea O'Shee is missing. I wouldn't put it past Runik to have done something to her."

"Little Velvet's missing, but she may just be wandering."

"And Ashton, my dear Ashton... and Talia.... " She sighed, but at least she'd made up with him after parting on bad terms. "Pretty sure Ashton can take care of himself but of anyone, he probably knows more about Runik than anyone else besides me."

[Daemian Berazalle]

He tore a few pages from the back of the journal he kept in the inne, marking down the names of those she mentioned as well as the locations she expected to be at. He tapped the tip of his chin with the rear of his inkpen, thinking over a few things as she finished speaking and adding his notes and thoughts to each name. Finally he looked up from his thoughts, nodding once to himself, then spoke to her.

"I'm going to need to visit with those that I don't know, get their scent familiar if nothing else. Once we obtain the next clue in Rumeria, I am going to make a run to the east, to try and catch up with these . . . " he paused a moment to consult the pages he'd copied of names. He tapped the page twice with his right index finger, looking back to Maria: " . . . Fenris and Astrid. Supply run . . . I think I'll go with that. Some potions, extra food and blankets, firewood, water. . . .

"Anything else you can think of that they might need? I can have things ready to take before we head to Red Shutters . . . at least, that is where I'm confident the next clue will be found. As for the rest of these names, I'll want to meet with each along the way. For now though, is there anything I should be aware of when speaking to Fenris and Astrid? I'd like my first encounter with them to be pleasant on both sides."

He thought it over carefully, his instincts were on high alert of late. Writing down a small list of food that would need to be packed, and a seperate list of items he could hunt for along the way. Turn one trip into a few.

[Deleted]

Logen had only caught that last bit that Daemian had asked whenever the Northman had showed up. He had come from upstairs in one of the rooms he shared with Violeta on occasion. Logen wasn't normally outspoken, but when it came to people he knew, he didn't mind letting his own opinion escape once and awhile.

"Don't get in their way." That was the advice he had? Daemian was asking how to approach them and Logen pretty much told him not to. "They're fierce, prideful people. Not unlike my own, but those two? Met'em once and I can tell you this, I haven't seen such ferocity. Ever."

Logen approached the two from the foot of the stairs with a slight swagger to his step. Once he stopped, his arms remained at his side exchanging glances between the two of them before continuing on. "They'll have no room for idle talk and if you want something from them, it'll probably end up costing you."

Then again, that was his opinion. Take it with a grain of salt.

[Head Moderator]

"Supply run? I would think they'd appreciate that. Bring 'em some Zorcan whiskey of some sort, that'll make friends. Maybe some real food, they've probably been living on hard tack and what they could catch for a while. Just approach them without trying to be sneaky I'd say, don't beat around the bush. They are...."

She nodded as Logen came up, they were definitely fierce barbarian types.

"...wild. Yeah. Don't sneak up on them or you're liable to be dead before you can say hello. I can find out exactly where they are if you give me 24 hours."

24 hours, that was the time frame that Blackfeathers could find just about anything or anyone in the known world in their network!

"Don't expect to be instant friends or to be trusted, though if you tell them you've come from me and have the drink, they may trust you a bit more. I've fashioned a kind of ...I don't know if I'd call it friendship...but something with them. Trust's building."

[Daemian Berazalle]

He took each piece of advice given to him under careful consideration. He could avoid them if need be, but that would defeat the purpose of truly visiting them. He had a lot of planning to do with very little time to do it, so thanking Logen and Maria, he set off from the inne to head to the marketplace. Already he knew what he wanted to pick up in the way of foodstuffs given what information Maria had told him.

Three months . . . quite a long time to go without even the basic essentials in the way of food. Some wayfarer's bread, cheese, biscuits, beans, rice as well as some smoked beef and venison and salted fish. All things that would travel well and not take up too much room as well as a few basic seasonings should they find it all too bland for their tastes. Altogether, with the space he knew would need to be left for other basic survival gear, he'd found enough supplies of food to last a fortnight then set about picking up empty skins for beverage, a tent, a tarp, two cloaks(fur-lined and treated to hold up to wet and cold temperatures better, complete with hoods), two bedrolls, meaning to pick up the blankets from the inne when he returned.

[Daemian Berazalle]

He began doing what he knew to do while he waited for Maria to find some answers. He'd spent the majority of his time traversing paths through the woods surrounding the city, looking for any game trails that he hadn't yet noticed. He made a point to check back at the inne daily to see if there was any news.

It was coming back from his last run that he'd seen the aftermaths of what had occurred in the inne. His first priority was checking on a few of the inhabitants; Kinneret, Hana and Maria chief among them. He made sure each was safe, no harm being done other than the hectic trauma that a fire can cause.

Pulling Maria aside, he inquired as to the matter he'd asked her to look into. "I know this is hardly the best time for me to ask, but every day that goes by is another where they might need the supplies I aim to get to them. Anything to go off of?" He paused until he'd hear her response, then give a nod and continue on.

"When I am confident they are well enough off with their destination and the supplies, I'll return to help put things right here. Oh, and I had Hana fill a few extra flasks of that whiskey. Should help warm them . . . at least to me. I won't be gone long . . . at least I hope not. Is there any means you have to get word to me while I'm gone? I know I'm not your strongest fighter here, but I'll do what I can to assist in anything that arises, Maria."

He looked to her a moment with a queer gaze. Something akin to an older relative looking on his younger kin. Nothing condescending in the look, just an overall sense of care and a want to protect in his gaze and his stance.

[Head Moderator]

She was pulled aside, and frowned. "The last my contacts could find them was the Ballari Ridgeback Mountains. But...they just disappeared and my contacts have not found them yet. They could have gone into the tunnels below, or anything really. Give me a little bit more time, I have eyes in the skies, and in the water, and on land. We will find them. As far as getting hold of you...." She paused, and tapped her cheek. "I will ask one of my mages to make something that will allow us to keep in touch before you leave."