Chapter One - Signs of the Flesh
Zor, Second Week of Eyre, 998 YK
The first part will start with everyone separated, but everyone will soon come together.
Aiu's Story
[spoiler]For the most part, Aiu had enjoyed her stay in Sharn. Willing, even eager, to practice her skills and craftmanship, she found work with a blacksmith named Orin Silverwicket. Granted, the work isn't much, but it gave her the opportunity to hone her skills. Even if Aiu had found herself limited in Orin's smithy and wanted to broaden her horizons. It was easy enough to make a living in Sharn, so long as one kept one's head down.
So Aiu was surprised when she returned to her home to find the door unlocked. Curious, she opened the door and peered into the dimness inside. Before she could react, a sudden motion erupted from inside and the warforged felt something substantial collide with her lower half. Backing up hastily, Aiu looked down to see that the object entangling her legs was a little girl. A very familiar looking one - who seemed to be crying in terror.
"Cynthia?" Aiu asked after taking a moment to adjust to the unexpected sight.
"You have to stop it bear. He's going to die soon. The harmless old man who sees too far will be dead, and he'll kill the inhuman one who is trying to find the truth. And it will be my fault. You have to stop them." Suddenly, Cynthia runs off down the skywalk. Aiu hurries after the little girl, who is quite quick once she exits the alleyway into a crowded walkway. The warforged follows, bumping into people and apologizing hastily. After a minute, the warforged sees that Cynthia has halted at the edge of an open-air cafe, looking around rapidly.[/spoiler]
Thalin Leafclaw's Story
[spoiler]Thalin Leafclaw appreciated that the grounds of Morgrave University were faily open and untamed - at the very least, it was much better than the crush of humanity that the druid had left behind when he entered the well-known campus. Still, he would be glad to be gone from this city, with every facet of it's appearance which grated on his nerves. But he had to admit, the elders had probably been correct in sending him on this errand, instead of one of the others from their circle. Shaking his head in amusement at the imagined actions his brothers of nature would take in his place, Thalin descended down a side staircase to reach the faculty wing where his destination awaited.
Curious to see what would cause a researcher from Sharn to contact the druids of the Ashbound covenant and eager to complete his assignment, Thalin forgot the manners which humans were so used to as he opened the nicely carved door to Professor Dirvald's office before he noticed the slight scent in the air. The scent of death. Inside the office, sitting in his chair as if eager to begin his meeting with the druid, sat a middle-aged, overweight male human. Thalin recognized the man as Dirvald from his description, save for the fact that he was dead. Glancing around, Thalin was startled to see a male dwarf striding purposefully down the hall.
"Are you looking for Dirvald?" the dwarf asked. Before Thalin could reply, the dwarf got a good look into the room.[/spoiler]
Thordin Rockbeard's Story
[spoiler]Thordin Rockbeard smiled as he finally reached the gateway of Morgrave University. He still could not quite bring himself to believe that humans had built their city up to such incredible heights, and gazing up at the higher areas above him, he was glad that the university was not located higher still. Though he had heard that he would be going higher still in order to complete his assignment.
As a member of House Kundarak, Thordin had been giving the task of checking the office and laboratory of Professor Dirvald, a scholar at Morgrave who seemed to believe that his work areas had been broken into. Thordin was not sure if he put any stock in the man's claims - apparently his house did not, or at least had more important work to do with their other members.
Heading in the direction of the professor's office, Thordin continued through the grounds. He had to credit the human with giving excellent directions - which was fortunate as he had not seen anyone around once he reached the wing where the office was located. Thordin located the door to the office easily, right where the professor's directions had told him it would be.
The dwarf frowned as he saw an older man standing in front of the door. Thordin had an appointment for this time - he hoped that there would not be an issue. As the man suddenly looked around, Thordin recognized him as a shifter. And he seemed startled when he noticed Thordin.
"Are you looking for Dirvald?" Thordin asked. As he did so, he was able to look into the room to see Professor Dirvald sitting in a chair behind his desk, dead.[/spoiler]
Lledrith Ddracht's Story
[spoiler]Lledrith Ddracht slowly sipped his drink as he surveyed the crowd passing near to his table in the open-aired cafe. He was pondering the turns of fate that had brought him here, to a place he normally would never have gone. On the bright side, he doubted any of his former house members would care that he was here - at least, none who would fine him here. But he was still faced with the unexpected dilemma - how exactly does one become an adventurer? The bards made it seem that the doing of great deeds was easy enough, but the doers were already part of a group that was better than the sum of their part - much, the alchemist mused, the way his potions had a far greater effect than their ingredients. But where, he wondered, would he find such companions and how would he be sure that they were correct? For the most lowly ingredient could be the most vital if used properly...
These profound thoughts were disturbed by a sudden commotion from the crowd. Resuming his crowd watching, Lledrith saw a warforged pushing through the crowd, apparently pursuing a little girl of perhaps 10 who had just poked through the edge of the crowd and was looking frantically around the cafe as if trying to spot someone. He also spots an absolutely huge warforged towering over the crowd.
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Thralax's Story
[spoiler]Thralax was walking back from the office of the Sharn City Watch, where he had had to turn over a truly vile prisoner who had refused to moderate his ways. Which was a shame - the man was very talented at his line of work, though it was grisly indeed. And, truthfully, Thralax was unsure if he would have been able to get the man off after he had been caught and the details of his crimes became known.
It was this dilemma which, possibly, caused Thralax to not notice the young girl as she came up from behind him, bumping into him and rapidly moving a few strides away. His hand going to his side, the warforged initially thought she might have picked his pocket, but he quickly discovered otherwise. Feeling something by his foot, the immense warforged looked down to see a tiny, ivory necklace with a bear pendant. The cord appeared to have gotten caught and to have torn.
Hearing a series of voices raised in complaint, Thralax turned to see a smaller warforged pushing through the crowd, apparently pursuing the girl.
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Ansirus Avengart's Story
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Sir Ansirus Avengart glanced around the deserted walkway, wondering if he had taken the wrong left-turning skywalk to reach the Silver Flame shrine he had intended to visit for the noon lighting of the flame. Well, Ansirus figured that he was going to miss the ceremony if this was the wrong path, so he might as well see where it goes. At least he had been given leave to explore the city by his order - he had expected as much, but one could never be certain of these things.
Moving quickly, Ansirus could see why this section had been abandoned - there was a recently constructed platform higher up that blocked out the sun and set everything into shadows. It was quite chilly - the season had not yet warmed up enough for the shadows to be pleasant. At the far end, the hurrying templar could see an archway leading into a tower. Maybe that was the shrine? He quickened his step.
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Ansirus suddenly hears the voice that he has grown accustomed to - the voice of the Darkness in the Flame:
Go and light your Flame, if it would aid you.
But know that it will not.
Not even the Flame within can spare you should you fail.
The blood stretches on and on, and back again.
Secrets, kept in Siberys, upon Eberron, and in the depths of Khyber,
Spreading with secret dangers,
Awaiting a word, a sign, to return to past powers.
Find the marks that should not be, and find what makes them.
Halt these before the line that should be ended is rebegun.
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