Votes:
[X] Thief. Your specialty is anything available. You pick random small villages by the coast and take as much as you can in the night. Usually you are gone before they even know what's missing.
[X] Sister
[X] Maria
Introduction:
It was a special evening for Adrian. It was the time of the month where the moonlight was weakest and the darkness was thickest. At nineteen years of age, Adrian had been a thief for more than 3 years. In that time, he had learned that caution and darkness were his only real allies. But for this night he would forsake one of them in return for an opportunity that was too tempting to pass up. Some large Norsca raiding party had plagued the coast for a month now, and the lord dispatched his personal fleet to destroy them. The operation had been a great success and the fleet returned the day before to dock in the port city of Hargendorf. That was Adrian's target. It might seem insane to try to steal from the very men he was always hiding from, but Adrian had grown confident in his craft. Whilst they were drunk and celebrating, he would be a wraith in the night.
Like a gleaming jewel over the dark water, the city came into view. The port was guarded by two guard posts at either side of the water way entrance but in this darkness, they could not see far. Adrian lightly guided his rudder and steered as far from the two posts as possible, sliding between them. Both were lit by torches, which ironically only aided Adrian, as the guards night vision was ruined by their own light. Noise was no issue either. The air was filled with the ambient sounds of shouting and laughter, carried from the many taverns and inns of the city. The entire fleet was no doubt celebrating their victory and safe return after weeks at sea. As he sailed deeper in, huge warships stood like dark leviathans in the port, quiet and lifeless. There would of course be guards at the gangplank of each ship, but the vessels themselves would be empty. He picked a medium sized ship, the furthest away from the town and guided his vessel as if it was part of his body. The Slider cut through the water until Adrian took down the sail and gently lowered a bag of rocks tied to a rope. He had positioned his boat just behind the big ship and with an effort of will, he calmed himself and began climbing its side. The side was wet and slippery, but a life at sea had made Adrian lean and strong for his age. He dug his fingers into the imperfections in the wood, built up over decades at sea. He slid over the railing on his stomach and slowly lowered himself onto the deck. The two guards standing by the gangplank were looking towards the city with obvious longing and noticed nothing, but Adrian could not be entirely sure they were the only ones aboard. He could see both of them rocking slightly side to side, and he guessed that they had been in the middle of celebrating before they were put on guard duty. That was a good sign. If they were drunk it likely meant there was no one sober available to take the job. Even so, he had learend to be cautious. Standing in perfect stillness, Adrain listened for an age before he reacted. When he was sure there was no one else moving about the deck, he moved towards the door that lead to the lower deck. The hinges of the door were poorly maintained and would creak loudly, but Adrian was prepared with a small pouch of oil, which he rubbed into the rust specked metal. Even so, the door slightly creaked as he slowly worked it open. He knew that noises like that sounded far louder to him than they actually were, but it still made a chill crawl up his spine. Looking back, the guards showed no reaction so he slid in.
The moment he closed the door, perfect darkness surrounded him. This was nothing unexpected but Adrian still had to slowly feel his way forward. At the end of the stairs he reached the crew's quarters, if the stench was any indication. Adrian carefully continued forward. He did not have the time to search through everything here, and he could hear at least a few of the sailors sleeping here. Those who drank more than they could handle, or worse, those responsible enough not to drink up months of salary in an evening. There was nothing he could do about that though. This was always going to be the riskiest part of the venture.
Past the lines of hammocks was another door. This was the one Adrian was looking for and he gently guided it open. The darkness was still absolute but before he had even fully entered the room, he knew it was not the storage room he expected. He closed his eyes and focused on his other senses. He heard faint, shallow breathing and knew there was at least one sleeper in the room. Frustration erupted in him but he kept his calm. Unwilling to leave with nothing, Adrian produced a flint and steel from his pocket. A single spark would be enough for him, but it was a risk. If the man woke, he could not stop him from crying out.
One quick strike brought a flash of light through the room. Instantly, Adrian became aware of what it was and cursed softly. Black bars had been clear in the flash. It was a prison. There would be no silver here. Making a decision quickly he grabbed a small barrel he had noticed out of the corner of his eye. It was probably just rations but certainly better than nothing. As he turned to leave he heard the sound of a sharp, indrawn breath and he froze.
The prisoner had woken up and if he saw or heard Adrian, he might shout out a question, shattering the silence he had so carefully protected. Adrian stood for a long time, motionless, waiting for the man's rhythmic breathing to continue, but instead Adrians fears came to pass.
"Who is out there?" the voice whispered.
Adrain did not respond, hoping the man would think it had been nothing.
"I know you are out there, boy. Show yourself our I raise my voice until you can hear me." the voice whispered a bit more loudly.
This time, Adrian gently lowered the barrel and whispered in answer.
"Please sir, don't mind me sir. I am merely here to fetch some food and drink for the guard duty."
The trick was to claim ignorance even if he was caught. To act and talk as though he was an errant boy and had lived there for years. It had saved his life before.
He heard the sound of the figure standing up.
"You are not here to get food for the men. They would sooner eat gutter rats than the swell they serve me." The rough voice sounded with a sense of surety.
Adrian fingered a small knife he drew from his belt. He had never killed a man before but there might not be a choice here. Maria needed him and if the prisoner called out, he was finished. He readied the blade in a grip with both hands, his father had taught him how to use it the day he gave the knife to him. Adrian swallowed silently, it would have to be a clean stab to the throat.
"Do not be alarmed young man." The voice said sounded almost a little eager "I believe you and I can help one another."
Closing the distance silently, Adrian answered whilst moving.
"I can't help you escape. I cannot pick the lock and I don't know where the key is."
"I know that" the voice answered with irritation. "But you should listen to me before you do something that will only get you killed"
He froze and despite the darkness, he though he saw yellow teeth smile in the cell.
"I want your knife." the voice said "if you give it to me, I will let you leave without making a sound."
"I don't have one." Adrian said firmly. It was the only thing he had left from his father, other than the ship of course. "What good will a knife do someone like you anyway?"
"Let me worry about that, boy" the voice responded in hushed anger. A moment passed before the voice spoke again, in an almost resigned manner. "You are a thief. You have a knife. If you give it to me, I will tell you something very valuable."
Adrian scuffed slightly at the news. He could not care less about the story. Desperate men will say anything to get free, but there was nothing he could do. The option of violence was clearly out of the window now. All it would take was a shout and Adrian would be hanged before the end of the week. So he let him continue.
The man certainly had a grand tale to tell. He said his name was Henrich and that he had been a captain in the company of Markus Wulfhart. In a monotone voice, he spoke about how him and his companions had stumbled upon an ancient ruin in Lustria by the coast. How they had found great riches in gold and relics. But instead of returning to Lord Wulfhart, where the lions share would surely be taken by their lord. They left instead, intent on buying a new life in the empire.
Disaster had struck and the ship was attacked by Norsca pirates. Only he had survived because the scum wanted to sell him back to his lord, not knowing he had already betrayed him. When the Nordland fleet freed him he thought he was rescued, but it didn't take long for them to figure out he was a deserter. The lord admiral of the fleet had imprisoned him to set an example for the rest of the men.
What he offered was the location of the ruins.
"Why would I care about some ruins on a distant continent infested by foul creatures?" All the wealth to his name had been taken but they couldn't take back what he had been taught during his education. He knew of Lustria and of the abominable creatures that lived there.
"Not just a thief but an idiot as well. Did you trip and fall on your head as a child? Is that why the only thing you are good for is sneaking around and depriving other people of their property?" The man snapped back.
Anger flared in Adrian and he had to bite back a retort. It would do no good to get into an argument here. No matter how much of a jerk this prisoner companion of his, was. In fact, the mans reponse had actually kindled Adrians curiosity. He recognizes the indignation of men used to authority when he heard it. Whoever this man was, he had been in command of something, Adrian was sure of it. He heard him take a deep breath and he whispered back in a more measured tone.
"Listen boy. Recognize this as the opportunity it is. If you have heard of Lustria then you have surely heard of the wealth found there as well. I give you the location of an unprotected treasure trove. This kind of chance only comes around once in a life."
Adrian sighed, but accepted, giving his fathers knife one last look before handing it over. After that, Adrian sat in the dark for almost an hour listening to an unbelievable tale from a desperate prisoner.
With a barrel under his arm he jumped over the side into the water, almost certainly alerting someone on the ship but it wouldn't matter. By the time the time the two guards had even finished arguing about what exactly they heard, Adrian was almost out of the port. His most ambitious job yet had given him a small barrel of rancid salted pork and a fairy tale.
Even so, it was better than nothing and he was relieved to be alive. He knew the story was almost certainly a lie, but for once in his life he had rations for a proper journey and it was the kind of adventure he had dreamed of all his life. Stories about the gold of Lustria were not uncommon, so he decided to set sail for the jungle continent. Maria would worry for him desperately but there was stuff of value enough in the house for a few months, if she sold some things. No matter what happened or what she heard, she would wait. That was the deal between them. Only after everything was gone, would she go to the orphanage.
The adventure was not at all like he had dreamed it. It had not taken long before the taste of salted pork had become so repulsive he sometimes waited for days without eating. But his troubles had really started when he ran out of fresh water. The wind had been excellent and he had honestly made great time, but as he drew closer to the continent, the sun went from hot to scorching. He thought he brought plenty of water but he greatly underestimated just how much he could drink in the sweltering heat. He was forced to ration his water early on, which had turned the trip from uncomfortable to torture. Even with rationing, he ran out three days before he finally sighted land. After weeks of sailing he could barely stand as he reached the shore. When he found a strange red fruit tree he would have wept like a child if he had any fluids left for tears. Its fruits were sweeter than anything he had ever tasted in his life and they gave him energy enough to keep going until he found a small, clear stream. In those first moments, he had thought Lustria a paradise. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Fruit trees of all kinds were everywhere and the shallow waters were teeming with fish and oysters. Then he encountered a swarm of mosquitoes the size of dragonflies and he quickly changed his mind. Those were just the beginning too. A leech the size of a small eel has latched onto his leg at a small stream and when he yanked it out, he bled so much he thought he might pass out. If that was all, he could live with it, but he had a very strong impression, that far more dangerous things stalked those jungles. He started only going to shore when needed, sticking to his boat but always keeping the land in sight. He spent his days, sailing along the shore, looking for the descriptions of mountains and landscape Henrich had told him to look for.
It was another two weeks before he found it. He had been doubted Henrich's story more than once on the journey but when the distinct rock formations he was looking for, finally came into view, his heart skipped a beat. Utter relief washed over him as he saw clear signs of a large ship having disembarked on the shore. Now came the real danger though. There was a clear trail leading into the jungle and he would have to follow it. His short sleeved brown shirt and shorts made from old corn sacks was the only clothes he had with him but he took down his sail and wrapped himself in it. It wasn't much, but hopefully it would give him some protection from the countless bloodsucking insects that were sure to be in there. With nothing but his bare hands, he fought the jungle. The roots and branches made his progress painfully slow even when walking on the path already cut by the others. Henrich had not lied. It was only a few miles before jungle abruptly disappeared and the ruins came into view. At first, Adrian thought he was looking at some oddly shaped mountain peaks. He had grown up in Neues Emskrank so large buildings was nothing new to him, but this was on a completely different scale. Enormous stone pyramids decorated the ancient city standing far large and taller than any human construction he had ever seen. All the buildings were made from the same cut stone, either stacked in massive slabs or tiny bricks. Carved images of the heads of great monsters were numerous and decorations of strange carved symbols and tusks where everywhere. For all its beauty, the city was a ruin. Buildings were damaged everywhere and great mounds of stones had spilled everywhere onto the streets or just buildings below. Completely overgrown it looked like it had been abandoned forever but it was an awe inspiring sight. Adrian did not stand on ceremony for long though. He felt the gaze of the jungle at the back of his neck and he wanted to be out of here as soon as possible. There was no issue getting into the city, the great walls were smashed in numerous places. He followed the path he could see Henrich's men had taken through the labyrinthine streets and entered the great pyramid in the center. Here he began searching.
It took more than five hours before the sun went down and he finally stopped. In that time, he had only found three tiny pieces of gold, no doubt overlooked as the greater prices were carried off. But Adrian was ecstatic nonetheless. This was months and months of work for him in normal times, and he had not even been there a day. The pyramid was a strange place though. Most of the rooms Adrian passed through, he had no idea what were for. Some where tiny others enormous. Some contained great dried out pools and others massive animal pens for Sigma only knows what. The night was a harrowing experience of buzzing insects and strange noises, but he managed to hide himself away in the corner of a small, empty room. The following morning, he began the search again at the first inkling of light but this time with less success, only finding a single small golden pin. He had worked his way all the way to the top of the pyramid. He cursed Henrich and his men for being so thorough but he should have expected it. So far, he had been secure in the knowledge that whatever traps or foul things that were hiding in this place, had most likely been dealt by the previous explorers. If he wanted to find something truly fortunate though, he would need to venture into uncharted territory. He exited the pyramid steeling himself to search through another, when he noticed something was wrong with the one he had just left. Excitement gripped him. He had never been to its peak. From inside, he had gone up as far as the connected rooms would allow him but it had not brought him to the top. He could see a large balcony up there and knew that would be where the lord of whatever this place was, dwelled. To reach it, he went as high as he could and climbed out of the window to scale the stone structure.
It was well he was a good climber. It had not been a fun experience to dangle over a sheer drop from the side of the balcony as made it the final few meters. Panting from exertion, he peeked his head through the door on the final floor. A bolt of adrenaline shot through him and he almost screamed but managed to control himself. A dried, weird looking corpse was sitting in a stone throne of sorts. Almost like a dehydrated frog, it looked as ancient as the ruins themselves. Despite his shock, the fright was quickly replaced with jubilation. The mummified corpse was covered in golden and jade jewelry. Around its neck hung the largest chunk of gold Adrian had ever seen. A perfect square decorated with jewels he had no clue what were. He almost shouted in joy. With that, he could file off shavings to sell for years. He could buy his own ship and crew. Him and his sister would never go hungry again. Adrian had no wish to go near the mummy but he reminded himself that it was clearly dead and he was too old for superstitions like ghosts and demons.
He walked up to the corpse and carefully reached for the necklace. He did feel a little bid bad. Whoever built this place clearly considered this thing sacred, but compared to his own needs, that had to be ignored.
"Sorry old timer. But the dead have no need for riches." He said, as he grabbed the priceless artifact.
The moment he touched it, the world went black.
Relic priest creation:
What is the name of the relic priest?
[] Write in
The great slann was one of the few to be taught by one of the old ones directly. He was the disciple of:
[] Chotec - Solar god. Therefore, he wields mastery over fire and gravity.
[] Itzl - God of beasts. Therefore, he wields mastery over beast magic and the great beasts of the jungle.
[] Quetzl - Warrior and protection god. Therefore, he wields mastery over protection magic and the saurus warriors.
[] Xokha - God of stone, strength and duty. Therefore, he wields mastery over construction and enhancement magic.
