OOC: This is a long intro, I know, but I want to set the stage properly for the story.
As for genre, this is a Fantasy RP, with a focus upon Character development. Combat will be a common medium, but I do not intend the RP to be a hack'n'slash.
IC:
Chamerreumpton - The Town of Travelers
The largest building in the town is the cathedral, dedicated to Saint Ivalice. Every year, the natives go through elaborate ceremonies to honor the one who saved them. The week-long Festival of Seasons is famous throughout the known world. During the times of ceremonies and festivals, most traveling caravans will stop to visit the cathedral and hear the tale.
The village elders tell the story, using the murals on the walls. 100 years ago, barbarians were making their way through the pass to make war upon the other side of the continent. Thinking that holding the only town in the only pass through the mountains would make their conquest easier, they waited until night before striking. A rain was falling that night, and there were only three townsfolk awake at that time. The two guards were dead before they knew it. The third person was Beatrice, a village elder. She had been tending to a damaged part of the wall of a house, and looked up in time to see the barbarians axe the guards. The advance force saw her, and hurried to silence her before she could sound any alarm. It was at this moment that The Saint appeared. A giant clad in silver armor blocked the blows of the barbarians, and tossed them aside with a huge hand. The towering figure turned to Beatrice, and asked her if she was alright. So stunned by his sudden kindness, she could only nod. He smiled, then turned and routed the barbarians in one rapid attack. He returned to find Beatrice mourning the dead guards. Looking at her tear-stained face, his heart was moved. His first words were never recorded, but he stretched forth his hand, and the life of the guards was returned to them. The Saint had shown forth one miracle after another. Knowing that there would be others who would try to control the pass, a very strategic military spot, he offered his protection to the town. So long as they would perform specific ceremonies and have festivals in his honor, he would protect them from harm.
For the 100 years since then, peace has reigned in the pass. No invading army has been able to make it to the town. Travelers are allowed through unharmed, and frequently merchant caravans make their way through for prosperous trading. All nations have benefitted from Ivalice, the Saint. Every year, without fail, the townsfolk performed the rituals and ceremonies that Ivalice had shown them. With his blessing, the harvest is always good, and no one lacks anything they need. Cham, the Traveler's Town, is truly a paradise.
Sean, an energetic 8-year old, was running circles around his older sister, Jam. Both were spotted foxes. "Aww, sis, do ya have to go?"
She was finishing her last adjustments to her ceremonial outfit. When she was done, she cast a fond look down at him. "The Ceremony of Sacrifice is very important." Seeing him stop running and look dejectedly down at the ground, she knelt down and kissed his forehead. "C'mon, chin up bro! I'll miss you, you know."
"Really?"
"Really." They embraced for a moment. Then, Jam stood up and said, "if you want to, you can come watch the Ceremonial Caravan leave."
"Really?!"
He followed her, running circles around her again, as she left their small house. They went down the main road, meeting up with the wagon and the two Ceremonial Guards as they finished their last preparations. Sitting on the edge of the well, Sean watched them go. Jam entered the comfortable inside of the wagon, and the two Ceremonial Guards picked up the front and pulled it along, taking the path up the mountain. As they rounded the first corner and vanished from sight, Sean had a mischievous thought. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then ran to tail the wagon. Keeping himself hidden because he knew no one was supposed to go with the caravan besides those chosen, he followed them up the mountain.
About halfway up, a battlecry rang out, and a person clad entirely in black armor charged out of the trees, two swords in hand! The Ceremonial Guards quickly but gently set down the wagon, and drew their ornately-decorated ceremonial swords. This Black Knight attacked with a fury that didn't seem earthly! Metal clashed as the guards blocked, staggering back from the might of the blow. He focused his attacks on one of them, and rapidly slammed him hard with the flat edge of one of his swords. The guard collapsed, and the Black Knight turned in time to block the other guard's attack. Using his two swords, he pinned the guard's sword, and then swung a leg up to kick the guard soundly.
As quickly as the fight began, it ended, with the guards knocked out. Jam let out a gasp as he turned to her. She tried to jump out of the wagon to run, but he moved quickly, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her out of the wagon! Sean had seen enough. Recovering from his shock, he grabbed a stick and ran forward. Jam struggled, shouting, "let me go!"
The Black Knight said, "what an annoying girl," immediately before punching her hard beneath her rib cage! She passed out, slumping over, and he lifted her up to over his shoulder.
The Black Knight turned to head back into the forest, but his path was barred by Sean. "Let my sister go!"
That was his battlecry as he rushed forward, stick held high! The Black Knight swung out with a hand, snapping the twig, and then he shoved Sean over. Sean stopped trying to get back up when the Black Knight held his sword only millimeters away from Sean's neck! "Don't throw your life away for something you don't understand. I could kill you right now, but I'm going to show you mercy this one time." Taking the sword and thrusting it into a boulder, the Black Knight offered this challenge: "When you are able to draw this sword from this stone, come find me for your vengeance. If you fight me before then, you will die."
With that, the Black Knight left, hurrying off into the mists of the morning. Sean stared at the sword for a long moment. His desire to get his sister back burned in his heart, and he tried with all his might to pull the sword out. After a time, he gave up and hurried back to wake up the guards, helping them recover.
More Guards were sent with the next caravan, with a different girl from the town. The Black Knight did not appear again. Sean told the story to the village elders, and the guards were able to back up his story. Sean was punished for breaking the rules of the Ceremony, as many of the elders blamed that one detail as to the cause of why his sister was taken and the Ceremony interrupted, but the punishment was light, as they showed him mercy for his plight.
Not a day went by when Sean didn't think about his sister. At every opportunity, he made his way up the mountain trail and tried to pull the sword out of the stone. He would do extra work around town, anything to help him get stronger.
Sean paused for a moment, staring at the boulder. For years, he had tugged and strained and yelled and begged. Now, finally, his hard work had come to fruition. The ornate sword was in his hand, and the boulder had broken into two neat halves. It was time.
***
It was time for the Summer Festival of Trade. Merchants from both East and West had come, and showed their merchandise with great flourish. The natives had prepared many activities and hand-crafted wares. There was a lot of activity as people traveled around, looking for the next thing to do.
As bandits were frequent upon trails, most merchant caravans carried weapons and hired guards. Because Cham was a peaceful place, they stored all of the weapons in a warehouse until the merchants were ready to depart.
It was during this busy time that Sean entered the city gates, sword in hand.
As it happened, three of the village elders were near the city gate at that time. Upon seeing Sean, they were suprised to find the sword in hand. One of them drawled sarcastically, "well, I never thought you'd actually get that thing out of that rock!"
Ignoring the sentiment towards him that was common among the older villagers, Sean bowed and held out the sword. "I, Sean of Chamerreumpton, request permission to leave the town on a matter of honor."
The elders cast glances at each other. "You are 16, the decreed age of choice. If that is your wish, then you may go."
Before Sean could make a reply, a cry rang out from the forest nearby! People all around turned to see what made the commotion. A volley of arrows shot out of the trees, and people scattered in a panic! The arrows were all lit with fire, and they struck the weapon warehouse, setting it ablaze! Ceremonial Guards and merchants alike ran to contain the blaze. One last arrow, this one not on fire, landed in front of Sean's feet, a piece of paper wrapped around it. The cries of the attackers faded as they ran deeper into the forest. Sean reached down, and picked up the arrow. The elders looked at him expectantly. "Well?"
After a moment, Sean handed them the paper, snapping the arrow in half in anger. "This was a challenge; the Black Knight is taunting me!"
A village elder read aloud a portion of it. "'We, the Bandits of Northwood, declare this attack to be a reminder of the challenge that The Black Knight gave eight years ago.'"
Another elder commented, "Good gravy! First he interrupted the Ceremony, and now this! You're nothing but trouble, boy!"
"All the more reason why I need to confront the Black Knight! Send the Guard with me, and we shall stop this blight once and for all!"
"No, Sean. The Saint will protect us. We have no need to go on the offensive. This happened because you broke the rules."
"As I said before, if you choose to go, you may."
Sean was barely containing his anger. He had put up with this nonsense of it being his fault for long enough. "Then that's what I shall do! I'll prepare today for travel, then head out first thing tomorrow morning, with or without help!"
One of the village elders, who had remained quiet for most of this, raised a hand and beckoned Sean to not go just yet. "Listen, Sean. We can't force anyone to go help you fight them, you know that. But going there by yourself against who knows how many bandits is suicide. I shall spread the word, and by this evening the entire town will know that we were attacked by bandits and that you are going to go fight them. I shall ask for volunteers to meet you here tomorrow. This is a matter of personal honor, I understand that; there are those who respect honor, and would be more than happy to aid you, for whatever reason. This is an important matter, so you shall not be alone, that I promise."
Sean nodded slowly. "Very well then. Thank you."
And with that, he walked off to his family's house to prepare.
The elders glanced at each other. The fire had been put out, and now many merchants were sending some of their men over to see how many of their weapons had been damaged. Travelers and traders from all over were expressing concerns and complaints, and the Ceremonial Guard were doing what they could to control the situation. "Aye, this has been one crazy day..."
***
OOC:
Guideline/Rules: Standard fare: no powerplaying, be polite, have fun.
This is what I would consider an open-style RP. We will begin with a focused plot, but from there, what you do and what happens is more up to you. And here's where the main difference comes in: you choose your path, whether good, evil, or neutral (for yourself or what you think is best). Do you want to head East or West? Learn the secrets of the past and The Saint or accept history as you learned it?
Geography: Think of the world as being a giant H. The left line is the West, and right line is the East, and the center line is the mountain pass, and near the middle of the pass is the village where this takes place, Cham. The gaps above and below the H represent the impassable mountain range, and surrounding the entire continent is, as you might expect, ocean. The continent has no name; it is divided into simply 'East' and 'West', or called 'the land' or 'the world'. No one is aware of there being any other continents.
People: The world is largely inhabited by two types of people: humans and furries (if you don't know what either of them are, I'll describe them upon request). Furries primarily originate from the East, humans from the West. Cham is a mixed bag of all species. As this is a fantasy world, there are many other species, such as giants and so forth, so you aren't limited.
Character: You can make your character as detailed as you want. In the section above, I set the basic species. I would like it if most characters were natives to Cham, but that doesn't have to be the case. As described in the text, you must be at least 16, because anyone younger is not allowed to leave the village, except in special cases (like if you're not a native). Everyone should have very little, if any, experience with real combat.
"Curses!"
The thin figure stood cradling what remained of her long hunting bow. The shaft had snapped, and was blackened and charred, and the strings had burned clean away! Her quivver hadn't fared any better, the brightly patterned material black and scorched, and the arrows inside burned to embers!
She dropped the remains to the floor with a crunch. She was an unusual figure...her race was refared to by the others as Vulpitaurs. Her body was seperated into two sections, lower and upper. Her lower body was similar to an average forest vixen, although much larger: Four legs, with a large, bushy tail. Where the head of a vixen would be, though, was instead a humanoid torso, complete with arms, hands, and vulpine head!
Her silky fur was a bright blue color, with a hint of lilac, fading to dark blue/purple by her paws and on the tips of her ears, and a broad blue-white stripe ran from her muzzle, all the way down her front to her tail. Her tail also sported the familiar fox-like white tip. Her large, clear eyes were a bold, vibrant blue, her hair was a violet purple, and on her upper body she wore a small, sleeveless green vest, woven from large leaves in the forest, that served to cover the few distinguishing traits she did share with Human females. All told, she stood around five and a half feet tall.
She moved across the floor to where the other weapons were kept. At least her staff had survived! She picked it up from the floor, a long, thin, strong pole, supprisingly light for it's 6 foot plus length! She used both weapons regularly hunting in the forest for her tribe. When she came here she hadn't expected to lose them though!
Her tribe lived in the forests to the south, and they had been trading with the citizens of Cham for years. They lived a simple, tribal life, still living in tents and hunting for their food, but it was that way of life that opened up the oppertunity for trade. They were able to easily gather things from the forest, nuts, food animals, wood for construction, things that the citizens of the village would be very greatful for. Vulpitaur leaf-weaving was in especially high demand, and the clothes they produced were highly prized! In return, the village gave them baked bread and metal items, things that they were unable to produce themselves.
She sighed as she looked again at her ruined arrows. She would have to fashion plenty more when they got home.
The thing that troubled her was why? Cham was a peaceful village...the very fact that weapons weren't allowed proved that! Why would anyone attack here?
There was no time to worry about that now...the others were waiting for her. She left the warehouse, her back feeling uncomfortably bare without her quivver, and headed across the town square towards the four other members of her race. As she walked, she overheard some people talking nearby...
"...going to strike back at them...make them pay for attacking us!"
"You serious??? These youth nowadays...honestly! They'll get no blessings from Saint Ivallice if they carry on!"
"I just can't believe the Elders are allowing it! They say he's asking for voulenteers to help him too!"
Her pointed ears pricked up at this. Now that was a noble cause! She had always wondered about the village's insistance on peace...granted it was a noble ideal, but to support it so rigedly simply risked the possibillity of attacks like this one! But if someone was finally going to do something about it...
...then it was up to her to help them! Her tribe and the village had been allies for some time, so it was only fair that she should go along on this mission too, to assist them! She had never fought other people before...only ever food animals in the forest, but surely this couldn't be much different!
She quickly stepped over to the others and explained her intentions, telling them to inform the tribe Chieftain. They were supprised, but accepted and moved off down the road towards the forest. She watched them go for a moment. Her father, the Dhief, would be worried, but he would understand.
She turned back to the village, looking round at all the figures in the square. It was time to ask some questions to locate this hero who was going to strike back at the bandits!
(OOC: Two small details that aren't mentioned above:
NAME: Taiya Avran
AGE: 24 )
The figure let the wind whip around his cloak as he walked. He kept the veil tightly clasped to the hood's interior as he stepped up to the town. "Hrmph. Looks like I got here right on time. Or not. Never been too sure about those things."
He paused as he walked up to the burning building, and turned. He held out one hand, which seemed to have strange, scalelike markings, and, in an instant, a blast of powdered ice flew straight into the flames...
Name: Radge Scithr
Age: 20
Race: Human Half-Copper Dragon
Appearance: Usually wears an all-concealing cloak. When the cloak is off, he has two massive, copper-colored wings and his skin is laced with coppery scales. He wears a light leather vest and regular pants while not wearing his cloak; his draconic skin grants him armor aplenty.
Abilities: Radge is a sorceror, so magic is his speciality. He also carries a small dagger for in case things get melee. In addition, his hands are clawed like a dragon's and he has a breath weapon in the form of a lightning bolt.
History: Radge was born in a village where humans and dragons coexisted in peace. However, his young ears eventually heard of unrest in the rest of the world, and he was filled with a desire to leave...wanderlust, if you will. Taking only his spells, his dagger and his clothes, he set out to see the world...
(OOC: Sorry for not posting sooner. I was kinda waiting for others to join, and also I haven't had much time on my hands lately. So, in the next day or so I will get this thing moving! Nothing IC right now, though.)
The fire slowly began to die down, aided by the cloaked figure's ice magic. Blitz watched in silence, hand resting on her rescued weapon, now hanging on her hip. Drawing it, she observed the curved blade carefully, running a finger over the faint inscription and letting the lightning crackle around her thin fingers.
"A storm is brewing," she murmured, observing the milling crowds and their hushed conversations. "Perhaps I should investigate. I've hidden from the nature of this world for far too long. And after all, storms are my speciality..." Sheathing the weapon, she started to walk towards one group of people, hoping to gain more information about the quest of honor this all seemed to stem from...
Name: Blitz Stormbrewer
Age: 19
Race: Lightning Elemental
Appearance: Tall and thin, with large purple eyes that vary shades with mood. Greyish-purple hair hangs to her waist, and her skin is very pale, almost a grey. Sometimes she will sprout wings of purple feathers that look like they're made of stained glass, and gains the ability of flight in that way. Usually she just wears a long violet gown, with silver borders around the neckline and hems.
Abilities: Blitz's main weapon is her lightning-enchanted sword Lysetta. She can also summon lightning, which can then be directed at various enemies from the sky.
History: Thrown out of the Elemental Realm for loving a human mage, she travelled around the human-dominated West with him as he went on various quests for knowledge. But they were captured, the mage's blood needed to enchant a greedy lord's weapon, and Blitz was locked up with him, forced to watch him suffer as all his blood was spilt.
With his dying breath, the mage boy cast a spell on the weapon in question, making it so only Blitz could touch it. Escaping with the sword, she named it for the Element's word for love, then travelled to the peaceful village of Cham in an attempt to avoid any more pain and suffering...
OOC: This looks like loads of fun. ^^ Hope you don't mind me joining last minute.
(OOC: As of DEC 14/15 2005, I will be unable to make regular visits here, for an undetermined (and probably large) length of time. As such, my involvement in this RP must stop. I apologize for any inconveniences this may cause, but I have no choice in this matter.
This RP isn't really in a good position to continue without me, but I'll give you the freedom to do whatever you want with this RP. I'm just sorry for the bad timing of my departure.)
(OOC: Downer Way ; ; Hope you get back soon bud.
As to the RP, I'd be up for continuing it if everyone else is...what's the general consensus?)
OOC: Sure, why not? I'll be on holiday soon, so it's fine with me. ^^
(OOC: No word from Cy...wonder if he's interested in carrying this on too.
If we were to do so, how should we do it? I don't really have too many ideas atm, but given time I may be able to come up with something. Would we be doing it where we each just added anything we thought of, or have someone take over where Way left off as leader of the RP?)
OOC: been busy. Yeah, I'm interested in continuing.
(OOC: Back! Terribly sorry to leave everything hanging like that. I'm still learning to cope with the unusual and sometimes random changes of the holiday season.
I don't know how much control I want over this RP, so I'll take us through the Black Knight opening, and see what happens.
Anyone interested in continuing or joining, please feel free! I'd love to see where this could still go.)
IC: One of the village elders saw Taiya approaching. He broke of from his conversation with another villager to speak to her. "Ah, young one, I would recognize that fire in anyone's eyes! You wish to learn more so you can help?"
Taiya the Vulpitaur nodded, and bowed with respect. "Yes, elder."
This village elder was aware of several other individuals nearby, with curiosity or interest in their eyes, so he deliberately raised his voice so that all could hear. "We have in our town a young man, who wishes to set out upon the morrow at first light to do battle with his enemy. He lives by himself in his family's house, a large building considering our humble circumstances. His name is Sean, and you can find him in his house, making his last preparations. He will be able to explain the history of this unfortunate event, and will also be able to gather supplies for those brave and honorable ones who would be his companions. As he plans on leaving at the next dawn, take your time to enjoy our hospitality. Sean will be most pleased to have guests in his home tonight. I can give you directions to his home..."
The elder continued on. The directions were simple and easy to follow.
The young man sighed to himself as he opened up his backpack. He really didn't need many supplies at all, just for himself, and he felt kind of silly preparing it to haul such a small load for his journey. However, his sigh was not because of his feeling silly; rather, it was because he had spent many a day, long ago, watching his sister pack his backpack with lunch and supplies for him before he went to school. "I'll find you, sister. I promise."
He stood up and looked at the chair next to him. While he didn't have the original scabbard for the sword, nor the skills to fashion a new one in such a short time, he had tied the sword to a sash, and this was resting upon the chair. He picked it up and fastened the sash to his waist, hoping he would rapidly get accustomed to the feel of it.
He decided to check up on the guest rooms. He always kept his sister's room clean and warm, as though awaiting her return at any time. The several other bedrooms were also kept clean, with homemade quilts and pillows his sister had made with other villager women. He cared for the place at least once a week, and more often if possible, as it was sometimes used to house guests from caravans. At this time, however, there was no one here.
Sean took a deep breath, held it for some time, and let it out slowly. Was he really ready for this?
OOC: Silly me! I never put in a character profile of Sean!
Name: Sean
Age: 16
Species: Spotted Fox, Furry (humanoid animal)
Appearance: Brown and red fur covers his body like a painter's messy apron, broken up only by the black spots that dot his body. His long, fluffy tail has a dozen violet bands evenly spaced along it, to remind him of his sister, as they belonged to her. He is of average height and weight, though is in good physical condition from working so hard for so long.
(OOC: Welcome back Way^^ I wanted to continue this, but it never really happened, but I'm definitely still in now^^)
IC:
It took mere minutes for Taiya to find the home. It was indeed large compared to the rest of the village, and very nice looking too.
Boldly she strode up to the large wooden door, her staff in her hand like a walking pole, and tapped the end of it on the thick wood with a sharp RAP-RAP-RAP. As she waited for a response, she wondered what this "Sean" would be like. Wanting to go after the bandits...? Probably a tall figure, with wide shoulders and thick, powerful arms, maybe with a thick beard too. Anyone crazy enough to go after the foes like that would have to be pretty powerful and sure of themselves.
The Elder had said that Sean would be able to inform her of the history behind the attack too...there was a history? The village hadn't been attacked in all the time she had been coming here...so what was all that about?
This Sean character should be interesting to meet.
Radge looked over at the elder, then at the large house. He walked towards it. Whoever this kid was would need some help. In addition...whoever attacked a village such as this in such a cowardly fashion needed retribution in tenfold.
RAP-RAP-RAP.
Someone at the door?
Sean had mixed feelings about this, for it might mean the villagers had finally gotten sick of having him around, and came to throw him out. And they probably hadn't broken down the doors and windows because his parents' house was a fine house. Still, if that was what they wanted, what could he do about it?
As at other times, however, it could simply be a guest, coming to spend the night before departing with a caravan. His duty as host came first, so he walked to the door, making sure his clothes were neat.
(OOC: I forgot to describe clothing articles for him, mostly because I couldn't decide what he would wear. Here we go!
On his feet, he wears sandals. His legs, he wears a baggy white pair of pants, similar to those of Arabian nomads and such. Above a plain blue tunic, he wears a vest. Now, he also has a sash ajoined to his waist, with the ornately-decorated Black Knight sword.
Now that that's done, on with the show!)
He opened the door, and stared for a moment, stunned to see the Vulpitaur at his door! He had never heard of them sleeping inside Cham buildings before! Quickly realizing his mistake, he bowed deeply and held the door open for her. "Pardon my rudeness, I had not expected a guest tonight. Please, come in and make yourself at home."
Sean didn't look much like a warrior, and the sword looked as out of place as it felt. Though he looked a bit unusual to be a peasant, he certainly didn't look like the butler or host he was acting like!
(OOC: Cy, I'm not ignoring you, I'm just placing you far enough away that Sean won't have seen you. This way you can do your own introduction, though timing would perhaps be better after Wraith posts Taiya's reaction and action.
Wraith, if I'm mistaken on that bit of culture above, that the Vulpitaur generally sleep outside in tents if they stay for more than a day, please correct me.)
(OOC: Hadn't really thought about it actually. Thinking about Taiya's personallity, I think she'd be more likely to look for a room at the inn, seeing it as a kind of adventure or something, but I can imagine there would be others in the tribe who would refuse. Plus there'd be the added problem that not all beds would fit their kind...if they were on their side they'd have to curl up somewhat, and if they lay on their back they'd be off the end of the bed!
Yeah I think Taiya would want to, but without consensus from the others and with that problem, she wouldn't bother, so it works^^)
IC:
A look of supprise flashed across Taiya's vulpine features, before she caught herself and smiles warmly. "Thank you." she replied as she stepped her long body through the door. "I'm looking for a Sir Sean...I was told I could find him here?"
Sean raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's me."
Taiya looked up and down him for a moment, her face froze in a slightly bemused smile. "You're going after the bandits that attacked the village?" she asked a little warily.
"Yeah."
She swallowed. What had she let herself in for? This boy didn't stand a chance, surely! Just some crazy teen who had got hold of a weapon and was trying to play hero! This quest suddenly got a whole lot more dangerous!
Still, she couldn't think of a way to back out now. Surely he would have guessed why she was there. Plus Vulpitaurs had a naturally strong sence of family, and right now her maternal instincts were playing up, like a voice in the back of her head as she looked at him, repeating over and over: "Protect him, protect him."
She felt a small chill run down her spine as she replied: "I'd like to join you if that's okay. My name is Taiya Avran of the Vulpitaur tribe. We've been allies to this village for some time, and it's only right we should offer our assistance."
So the Elders had found somebody to help him, after all. He hadn't been optimistic, and was delighted to see himself proven wrong.
"Well, I've got to admit I didn't expect to see anyone. Your help is very much appreciated, Taiya."
He closed the door and stepped into the room, motioning for her to follow. As he climbed up a short flight of steps, Taiya gazed about the room. The wallpaper, the paintings, and other decorations everywhere were of the quality of a mansion! Who was his family, and why weren't they here?
From the top of the stairs, Sean led her down a broad hallway, with several doors on each side. Stopping at the third one on the right, he opened it and motioned for her to look. It was a big bedroom, big because it seemed built for a giant! The bed was larger than any other in the village! Taiya glanced back into the hall, and her eyes told her that a giant could fit in through the large front door, up the broad steps, and through the wide hall.
Sean said. "This will be your room while you are here, if you want it. None of the others can really accommodate such an exotic shape. If you don't like the bed, I can move it and set up a pile of pillows that might fit your tastes better." He felt the need to explain further. "As you probably were told, I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning, so the least I can do is extend my hospitality while I can." He began to head back for the steps. "Oh, and, do you have any requests for dinner?"
(OOC: Understood. Introing now.)
IC: The smell of ozone lay heavily on the air around Radge as he stepped up to the door. Looks like someone else had volunteered to help as well. Placing up a large, gloved hand, he knocked on the door.
"Nothing in particular." Taiya replied, stepping into the doorway of the room. "Thanks for..."
At this point another loud knocking came from downstairs, and Sean looked round curiously.
"I'll let you get that." smiled Taiya, folding her arms and leaning against the doorpost.
Sean headed downstairs to the door, and the Vulpitaur turned and wondered back into the room, making for the large, lavishly decorated bed. She hopped up on top of the blankets and lay her rear body down, sighing as she felt the soft sheets and comfortable, yealding matress. Well, Sean may be young, but he sure knew how to make his guests comfortable!
She thought for a moment as she looked around the room, taking in the darkwood panneling, thick, luxurious cream carpet and ornately decorated furnature. Despite his age, Sean seemed very level headed and thoughtful, not what she had expected at all! But, if he was so intelligent, why was he intent on risking almost certain death going after the bandits? What was his stake in it all? She would have to ask him about it...maybe over dinner.
For the moment, at least, she would enjoy herself! She rolled over, streaching herself full length on the bed and resting her head back on the thick pillows, her arms spread wide across the matress and her forelegs crossed atop her lower chest. Some of her tribe would look down on her for accepting a bed indoors, off the floor, so unlike their ancestors, but she wasn't concerned. If the option was there, why not accept it? Surely the ancestors wouldn't mind.
She sighed again in comfort, as lazily she swiveled her pointed ears, listening with her sensitive hearing to the noises floating up the stairs from the hallway...
(OOC: I don't know if I mentioned the time of day earlier, and even though I recall (possibly incorrectly) mentioning that Sean entered the village in the morning, I would like to place the time now as afternoon, moving into evening. I want to do this so that it won't take so long to get to the next day and move on.)
It was a busy time! After more than a week of not having any guests, Sean had two in a short time. As he stepped to the door, his tail puffed with pride at the thought, Sister, I hope you would be proud.
He remembered that she used to do this same thing often, greet guests and bring them in. She had told him that it was what their parents had done. Being as good a host as his sister was had become something he aspired to, a goal in his mind.
While it took a moment longer than he would have liked, he reached the door in a short time, and pulled it open. The cloaked figure that was outside was an ominous sight. Still, he bowed politely and gestured him in. "Welcome to this humble home. Come in, come in and make yourself at home!"
Radge spoke. "Thank you." He stepped inside. "Please pardon my not removing my hood...my face can be a bit...frightening...to some."
Sean closed the door behind Radge. "I see. You're not the only guest here, just to let you know. Did you also come here to help with the bandits?"
As Radge looked around, he nodded.
"I see. I'm Sean. Whom do I have the honor of addressing?"
"My name is Radge. Radge Scithr. I'm a sorceror."
Some people would have been alarmed, or at least tensed reflexively, at the mention of the chaotic forces of magic. Sean was not one of those people. His friendly smile almost seemed more relaxed than before! "A pleasure, Radge."
Sean gestured for him to follow as he headed for the stairs. "Let me show you your room. It will be a place you can set down your pack and rest until tomorrow."
Radge followed, and Sean opened the first door on the left, holding it open for Radge. It was a nice bedroom, with still more of the elegant design that was all over this house. "If you don't find it satisfactory, feel free to look around and find another, or request different accomodations."
Sean let Radge look more closely into the room, and stepped back, starting to head back down the hall. Almost as an afterthought, he called back, "oh, and do you have any requests for dinner?"
Taiya heard the figures come up the stairs. She had heard Radge state his name and profession...this trip was getting more interesting by the minute!
She rolled off the bed again and stood up. She didn't want to be in the way or anything, but she would be interested in seeing the newcomer, plus she wanted to explore the rest of the house as well. She leasurely wondered across the room and opened the door, stepping out onto the landing...
Radge shook his head. "Nope. I can smell it. Whatever's cooking now smells good."
