Current Character Description - Dryden Rainweaver

Scars mark the body of Dryden as constant reminders of  the memories of past  battles. His toned shoulders, burdened by the tools of his trade, are covered in the markings of an ancient society. His tattoos flow over his body like an ocean, little of his  torso untouched.  He  looks unkempt, but collected, moving with purpose and clarity in everything he does.  His eyes, matching the color of the wood he calls home, speak of the  wonders that his voice will not.  Raised in the wild, he does not seem at ease in the confines of city walls.

Coming Clean

*A missive appears in your hands by magic, the handwriting is that of Sanria, and is an open letter to all of the Keepers.*

Keepers,

Greetings.  This missive is will be short, but its purpose is to keep you all abreast of developments that I and Vorcet have acted upon and will offer to you to discuss.

We have recently reached out to the Hoard and Radiant Heart in an effort to aid in the overturning of Vector's forces in Westbridge.  This was not done in an attempt to bring our clan into war, in fact, we have done this merely as a helping hand as our current place is not on the field of battle... our  family is much too small to truly be effective in that regard.

Dryden, a leader of the Hoard, has made it clear that they are waiting on Radiant Heart to make their invasion, but have accepted Vorcet's offer to aid in recognizance.  Vorcet has taken on this responsibility of his own choosing and with his own methods, for which I am grateful and respect his choice.

We still wait to hear from Radiant Heart, which seems to be where the Hoard also stands, as there has been inaction for quite some time.  I ask that if you wish to be involved or offer your assistance, that you speak with myself, Vorcet, or Kineada that we may reach out to Radiant Heart or the Hoard and make the offer.

As of this time, however, we wait patiently and hope that soon the pain being felt by Westbridgians is not too great.  With luck, we will be able to bring about balance and hopefully garner some support for our clan as well as new faces by having our name on a grand plan. With this, we hope to push for the truth in balance so that Westbridge never has to face such an occupation again.

Please be in touch if you wish,
Sanria

Waiting

Sanria scanned Dryden's reply slowly and laid the missive on her desk  with a sigh.  They didn't necessarily need any help, which was good, but he made mention that there had been a long silence, broken by  her proposal to help.  It struck her as odd.  Why had things been so quiet?  Even as she sat looking over the paper on her desk, her mind was wandering.  Why hadn't she heard anything from Radiant Heart?  At  least the Hoard  seemed  willing to use Vorcet's  help, but the silence from Radiant Heart troubled her. If  they were the remaining piece, the piece poised to enter the city and reclaim it... where were they?

Rolling the parchment, Sanria stuck it in her desk and sat back, thinking.  She knew at least that Dryden's reply would meet with Vorcet's eyes  without her  help, one  less thing for her to do. Her  job then was  to let the rest of the Keepers know  what was  going on and  if they wanted to lend their help to either of the forces - Hoard  or Radiant  Heart (provided they answered) - let them do so.  Anything to end the suffering once and for all.

Sanria pulled out her own parchment and quill and set about forming a letter, one to all the Keepers. It was short, and once she finished, she stood up and  called to Enmach.  The silvery woman appeared with Nioma, and Sanria took the baby from her arms. She hadn't been  back to  the cavern in a long while, and with Colin  gone, she knew Leandra and Askari were left on their own. Though she'd heard nothing, it would be good to look in on them.

Her note sent to the clan, Sanria uttered a few words and brought herself home.  It  was strange  walking into  the cavern without  anyone  there to greet her.  She  had kept herself from thinking about Colin by staying away, keeping busy in the castle, but now, in the cavern, the big man's absence was palpable.

Sanria straightened  her shoulders and took in a deep breath and called out to her daughter.

Future Operations

It is good to see a break in the silence about these actions. It has  been a long time since anything has been done. However, I would have  you know that the Hoard has not ceased operating within the walls of  Westbridge, as per our contract.

Since you appear to be attempting to replace Throm and the TriPower in regards to these operations, I will inform you of the role of myself and my brothers. We have a contract with the TriPower that we will honor, despite their disappearance, as they have already paid.

Our role is to provide information gathering and supply lines for the invading force. My understanding is that the invading force provided would be the Radiant Heart.

Thus, it is our purpose to provide supplies, and secure supply lines,  along with lending assistance via intelligence gathering and assistance  in gaining entrance to the city. Our network of operatives are already  in place throughout Westbridge, merely awaiting orders. And we have been  providing provisions to the citizens, bypassing the blockade and Vectorian  patrols. Additionally, we have a cache of arms and equipment, along with  provisions, for the invading force to help prevent them from being cut  off by potential Vectorian reenforcements.

We are more than willing to utilize Vorcet and his skills to benefit the operation. We are ready and waiting for word that the operation has begun. So once the Radiant Heart are prepared to mobilize, we will fulfill our contract. 

Dryden Rainweaver
Vox of the Hoard

diary of a mad man in prison pt.2

Then one day I saw a note the new clans were forming an alliance and HE was there my archrival I could never forget that face. The face of an ill beat bastard child of a half orc and an elf. Only to make an elf by some magic he was born just an elf not an orc how that was possible was beyond me. But I hated him so much the fear of the kill would not be the same till he lay slain in my arms as I take his soul as my own. I've taking many of lives but never this one. He would be my greatest feat. I knew he must die for me to remember whom I was it had to be certain he knew. But he was ranked high among the clergy of the radiant heart even higher then he was before. I had to stalk my enemy carefully follow his steps to Phils bar where he sat with Dryden drinking tea thinking they were safe. Watching as Serenity penciled away the notes from what was becoming of the new dawn. A dawn of no evil surely this isn't possible as long as the wizard with out a name is alive and kicking! He then followed Crovax to smugglers haven where the lonely human tried talking since to the bastard. Learning Crovax's every move was my main goal! He must be slain and now! The voices will never stop in my head until I know! I know! I must know who I am and I stand for! Arrrgggg!

[The Contract] Investigations

She sat there, in the hard backed chair, staring out the window in a daze. Clutching her robe around her naked shoulders, she barely noticed all of the soldiers wandering around her. 

'Hey! Whore! I asked you a fucking question!' She winced when the wooden plate hit her in the back of the head, breaking her trance. She turned slowly and looked at the soldiers that was yelling at her.

'What?' She muttered softly.

'I said who the fuck did this? It clearly wasn't your pathetic ass,' he was practically screaming at her. The body of their dead compatriot was stiffening in the bed next to her, the blood seeping into the very mattress. 

'I... don't know. I didn't see them,' she shrugged slightly, looking at the floor. 'They shushed me and then jumped out the window.'

A low growl escaped one of the soldiers throats.

'Which is it, you dumb bitch? Did you see the murderer or did you not?'

'Oh... um... well, I didn't see who it was. They were hidden. But they were in the window. And they jumped,' she nodded slowly to herself, motioning towards the open window.

'Jumped? JUMPED?! We are on the fifth fucking floor! You mean to tell me that some pathetic coward scaled five stories, slunk through a window, killed a veteran soldier and then jumped back out safely? What kind of a moron do you take me for?' He was getting angrier and angrier.

'This whole damn city is starting to go crazy. What the hell is going on?' One of the other guards muttered.

'The city is alive again. Alive and angry. And the streets have a hideous way of dealing with problems,' she said in a hoarse whisper, smiling slightly as she looked out the window.

Thing were changing. She could feel it. Hope was on the way.

[The Contract] Beginings Pt II

She woke up suddenly, disturbed. Something was different. The room was darker, the moon having drifted behind a wall of heavy clouds. It took her a minute to adapt to being awake before she realized what it was. There was no snoring. She still felt the weight of the Vectorian in the bed, but his normal heavy snoring was missing. She also felt something wet on her arm, the one she held defensively between herself and her captor. Trying not to move much, she slowly moved her other hand over and rubbed at her arm. Lifting her hand, she saw it was smeared in some dark liquid.

Slowly sitting up, she propped herself against the headboard and examined her hand. Blood. She realized that it was blood. But not hers. Looking over at the slumbering Vectorian soldier, she noticed that his throat bore a new wound from ear to ear. The bed was soaked in his life blood  And covering his eyes were two platinum coins: one showing a grinning skull, the other a ticking hourglass. Startled, she jumped slightly and tried to push herself away from hit body.
   
She sucked in her breath and was about to scream...

'Shhhhhhhhhhh'

The noise caught her off guard and she swallowed her scream. Turning towards the window, for the first time she noticed a figure perched on the window sill. Clad in dark leathers and a heavy cloak, the figure's face was almost completelyshrouded in darkness. However, one leather gloved hand was held up near the face, one finger extended over the mouth in the universal sign for silence. 

For some reason, she felt a need for modesty and she quickly pulled her robes up over her naked body. The figure in the window only chuckled softly, smiled, and jumped. Just as quickly as she had seen him or her, the figure was gone out the open window...

It was right about then that she remembered to scream.

[The Contract] Beginnings Pt I

The moon was cold and beautiful in the night sky, illuminating the streets of Westbridge on the other side of the window that acted as her only portal to the outside world. She had been here for so long she had lost Days? Weeks? Months? It was hard to tell anymore. The days blurred into nights and back into days. He wouldn't let her leave. Not that she was really living in squalor or anything like that. The accommodations were clean, and there were always meals provided. But nevertheless, she was a prisoner. A slave. His play thing. Ever since they had come, it had been like this. 

Standing before the window, she stared longingly at the city which was beyond her grasps. So engrossed in thoughts of freedom, she didn't even hear him approaching. When he touched her shoulder, she shuddered involuntarily. He leaned in uncomfortably close and kissed her neck. 

His rancid breath invaded her nostrils as he whispered in her ear, 'Don't fret precious, I'm here. Step away from the window. Let's go back to bed.' He ran his hand down her spine and lightly spanked her butt before walking back to the filthy bed against the far wall.

He threw himself into the bed and leaned backwards, presenting his naked body as if it held some sort of sex appeal. Swallowing the bile that creptup into her mouth, she lowered her head submissively and slowly walked towards him. Shrugging off her robe, she slipped into the bed beside him. Without even the slightest hint of tenderness, he flung his leg over her and prepared to mount her like a wild animal. All she could do was close her eyes and send her mind to a far away place, isolated from this room that had become her prison.

Within moments, he was done. He unceremoniously rolled off of her and quickly began snoring. Like every other night since she was taken, she wrapped the blanket tight around her body and quietly cried herself to sleep.

[The Contract] Signing

Crovax leaned back in his chair, raised his right arm, and motioned briefly to one of his guards. The soldier stepped forward and produced a fairly large leather pouch, clearly heavy with coin. The guard dropped the bag on the table with a loud thud, the unmistakable clinking of coins filling the air. Crovax slowly pushed the pouch across the table. Dryden leaned forward and casually glanced inside. 

'Consider this a deposit. Much and more will be provided should you follow through with the deal,' Crovax said as he watched Dryden counting the coin in his head.

'One final question. Do you have any requirements or restrictions about how we accomplish the mission?'

His eyes narrowed slightly in confusion, but Crovax shook his head. 'None. Do what you must.'

Dryden smirked slightly. 'Very well. Then all that is left is a little bit of paperwork...' Without breaking his gaze, Dryden motioned over his shoulder. A man clad in plain gray robes stepped out of the shadows with a parchment in hand. He laid it down before Dryden and handed him a quill. Dryden quickly signed his name along the bottom of the document and then slid it over towards Crovax. 

Crovax looked the document over, reading everything that had been discussed during the meeting. He looked up at the scribe still standing over Dryden's shoulder and chuckled. 'My, do you work quickly.'

The scribe smiled bashfully and nodded his thanks. Crovax then picked up the quill and scribbled his signature before sliding the document back to Dryden. Grabbing a small metal seal and a stick of blood red wax from the other side of the table, Dryden held the wax over one of the candles until it started to melt. He then quickly smeared it on the document, next to the signatures and firmly pressed the seal into the hot wax. Pulling the metal stamp away from the document, a grinning skull plastered in blood red wax finalized the document. Dryden handed the document back to the scribe who quickly slipped away.

'When shall we begin?'

[The Contract] Requests

'Please, have a seat,' he motioned to the vacant chairs across the table from him. Crovax stepped forward and took a seat, brushing his cloak over the back of the chair. Dryden made a subtle motion with his hand and a pair of guards clad entirely in black appeared as if from nowhere, flanking the Vox of the Hoard.
'Gentlemen, we would like a little bit of privacy to conduct some business. See to it, if you would.'

Nodding almost in unison, the two guards moved away from the table, quietly slipping through the crowd. As if their mere presence was message enough, the patrons of Smuggler's Haven seemed to disappear into the night. Within  moments, the bar was completely empty, save for the guards, the bartender, and the party gathered around the table in the corner.

'Can I offer you or your friends a drink? Some food perhaps?'

Shifting his chair forward slightly, Crovax rested his forearms on the table. 'I require the services of your brotherhood. I have been led to believe that you can help me with a unique situation.'

'Straight to the point, I can respect that,' Dryden chuckled softly. He leaned back in his chair, a slight smirk playing across his lips. 'And what can I do for you, Crovax?'

'We have a... how shall I say? A situation that is approaching. During this engagement, we need the assistance that you and your brotherhood specialize in. We require supplies. A steady stream of them, delivered to specific locations.'

Nodding slowly, Dryden idly flipped a platinum coin over his fingers. 'Seems simple enough, which of course means there is a catch. What supplies are needed? And how much of them?'

A slightly smile crept across Crovax's elven features. 'True enough, true enough. The supplies are fairly basic. We will need provisions - both food and drink, mounts, and basic armament for roughly one thousand men.'

Dryden's eyebrow raised slightly in curiosity and amusement. 'And the delivery locations?'

'Well, that is more likely to change over time. But for now, we will need initial deliveries to be on the Westbridge side of the Tripower Blockade.'

While his eyes seemed almost to be laughing in amusement, the rest of Dryden's face was an indiscernible mask. He watched Crovax without blinking for a few moments, before slowly nodding.

'That will cost you.'

[The Contract] Introductions

The ageless blond elf walked confidently into Smuggler's Haven, flanked on either side by Warriors of the Radiant Heart. The shady tavern in the depths of Makou was crowded at this time of night, just about every seat taken by some random denizen of the outlaw city. Stopping just inside the door, he started to peer around, searching the faces that surrounded him.

Almost immediately, a young boy slipped through the crowd beside the elf and his entourage. Clad in rough spun, nondescript clothing, he couldn't have been more than four and ten years old. Motioning to the trio, he turned his back on them and started to slowly push through the masses, cutting a path towards the back corner of the bar. The soldiers followed behind the boy, moving smoothly between the patrons until they reached a table against the back wall.

The massive wooden table, covered in half burned candles and scattered with parchment, was occupied by just a single person. His tattooed face bathed in the light of a cluster of candles, he seemed absorbed in the document resting in front of him.

'Sire, may I present sir Crovax Brightmantle of the Order of the Radiant Heart,' the young boy said, puffing up his chest and looking straight ahead.

Looking up slowly, his cold eyes seemed to take in every detail of the people in front of him. Finally looking at the boy, he nodded slowly.

'Thank you, Morigon. You may go,' he said as he slid a coin across the table. The boy scooped up the coin, beamed brightly, and quickly disappeared back into the crowd.

'Please, have a seat.'