welcome to goldvale . intro post #1

[powergamer]

It begins with a flash of blinding light.

No matter what they’re doing, the light is so stunning that they pause to shield their eyes. Logically, it seems like such a bright light would hurt their eyes, and yet somehow, it’s not painful at all. It’s strange, but stranger still, a moment later, the ground underneath them is gone. They’re falling, and it feels like they’re falling for a long time as their eyes adjust after that light.

Yet, it’s not long at all—they’re only falling five feet or so. But as they, and others, appear in the air, there’s a shriek of alarm.

“Beryl—Go!!”

A man’s voice shouts after the scream, and as their eyes adjust, they’ll see two blurry figures, the woman running away while the man briefly stands his ground with a dagger raised before he takes advantage of the confusion to flee as well and cover her. You, and all of the other disoriented strangers, have been left alone. There might be a few bruises from the fall, but otherwise, there are no new injuries. It’s a strange lobby, but nothing about it seems helpful to reveal where you are. Following the two figures is fruitless too, since the door at the end of that hallway is sealed shut with magic—no one will be able to pass through.

So, just where are you?

JUMP TO
arrival . announcement . into the city
DISTRICTS
ironwall . tinwick . steelmount
nickelhollow . platmoor . silverbourne

Comments

DISTRICT: Nickelhollow

[powergamer]

GUILDS: Death's Toll (Thieves), The Ugly Jackal (Fighter)

The largest and roughest district, containing the slums and lower class options. Full of bustling marketplaces where you can find more unusual offerings, but pickpockets and crime are common.

NOTE: The Thieves Guild is not one that characters can simply waltz into. You are free to handwave them being recruited by an NPC, however.

OTA

[orderispeace]

Haytham moved through the marketplace for the moment unaware that he was being stalked. He was new and clearly looked the part. Clothing like his, the colonial style jacket and tricorne hat, did draw attention especially since there was no crowd out to mingle with today. The light rain had driven most honest citizens indoors. Those that were left were either in serious need of fixings for dinner, a new arrival, or up to no good.

The Grand Master became aware of the three men who were tailing him when he stepped around the corner of a booth and caught the reflection of one of their number clearly looking in his direction and sneering in one of the tin pots the owner of the booth was displaying for sale. Really, it was not the most subtle approach. These men were the clumsiest thieves he had ever seen. Still maybe they could be useful for something.

A few more twists and turns saw Haytham exit the market area. He walked slowly yet deliberately towards what he had noticed earlier as a small deserted back lot, casually checking occasionally to make certain he had not lost his tail. If those men were to make their move this deserted location would give them the perfect opportunity.

"Hold it right there! We'll be taking those weapons from you!"

Just as expected, these men were predicable. Haytham turned towards the three thieves and inclined his head to one side as he answered their challenge.

"So that's what this is about, you want the weapons I arrived with?"

The gentle hiss of steel leaving its sheath was followed by several swishes as the air around the blade was swept aside during its dance through the space between him and the would-be thieves. A warm up exercise as so far no blood had been spilled.

"You should be careful what you ask for."

After showing those fellows how dangerous it was to attempt to steal from a highly skilled and battle tested Templar would be when he heard the slow clap from some where behind him. A higher up in the thieves guild looking to add some able recruits to his ranks.

[OOC: Feel free to hop in when he is at the marketplace or during the fight too. Anytime you want.]

Open, feel free to bother him!

[totallysane]

[This boy should not be in this area of town. It's probably pretty obvious, by the way he walks, the way his wide eyes look around him just a little too innocently.

Yet, here he is.

He's wearing several bandages and obviously not in the best shape, and he's walking back and forth down the street as if he's trying to decide something, though whether it's talking himself into or out of being here isn't quite as obvious.]

[orderispeace]

[Haytham was a bit out of place here himself but this boy practically had a target sign painted on his back. Unless he had some hidden skills or was not as badly injured as he appeared he could be in for some trouble.
At least these were the concerns Haytham had that inspired him to cross the distance between them and address the young man.]

Feeling a bit out of your element?

[totallysane]

[Mikado jumps a little, then flushes and tries to settle himself again.]

Ah... just a little. This place is very different from my home.

[That's true enough, at least.]

[orderispeace]

You should take more care. I've already had a run in with some from the local thieves guild. I understand they operate a great deal here.

[Haytham indicated the young man's bandages. ]

You're injured?

[totallysane]

It happened at home.

[Mikado offers a smile, trying to show he isn't concerned.]

You had a run-in? Did everything turn out okay?

[kilimanjaro]

[Kili's been wandering Goldvale, pacing back and forth between the guilds and trying to determine what's going to work best for it. He needs to find a place soon; while he's bound up his injury to the best of his ability, he needs somewhere to rest and eat.

Fighter's guild sounds perfect. Unfortunately, at a whopping 4 feet 8 inches, Kili is laughed out of the place. Sulking a little, he retreats, nursing his wounded pride.]

[assiduous]

[ and at a whopping six feet two inches, it's almost comical when some other, unaffiliated jerkbender knocks into mako and almost knocks him over kili. mako's a coordinated professional athlete though. it's okay. he avoids disaster. more or less. more being almost tripping kili in the process, less being him flipping the local in question the bird and call him something rude, before focusing on the... shor...t... guy.

okay, not a kid like he thought he was, just one of the short ones... (things are weird here, things are weird here, mako lives in a building cleaned by a bunch of walking stiffs, weird is normal here) brushing dirt off his threadbare coat from the collision, he offers kili a hand if he needs it, ]

Sorry 'bout that, man. You alright?

[kilimanjaro]

[Whoops, that's...unexpected. Such force knocking against the dwarf sends him sprawling onto the ground and aggravating the wound. He lets out a sharp hiss of pain at that.

He takes the offered hand and gets to his feet, wincing a bit. It's not a bad injury, but the longer he goes without resting makes it a bit worse. He presses a hand to his side but gives the Man a sheepish smile.]

It happens.

[assiduous]

[ he glances up the street at the retreating back of the original offender, but still fast enough to catch kili pressing a hand to his side, ]

Yeah, they're bigger assholes than they wanna let o— you sure you're okay?

[kilimanjaro]

[Kili glances down at his side and lets his hand drop. The bleeding has stopped, luckily, though his hand is discolored with dried blood.]

It's just a scratch.

[totallysane]

Excuse me.

[He's approached by a teenager, wearing several (neatly done) bandages himself. Mikado's pretty short himself - 5'5" - and very slender, so he certainly doesn't look like someone who has any business near the fighter's guild.]

Is there anything I can do to help?

[kilimanjaro]

[5'5" may be short for humans, but Kili still has to look up to see Mikado's face. He takes a few instinctive steps back, both his pride and his side injured now and there is one of those Tall Folk approaching him.]

Help? [His voice is heavy with suspicion. The hand not pressed against the wound curls around the hilt of the sword buckled at his hip.]

[totallysane]

[The smile doesn't drop, even with the threat of the sword. The fact that there's something different about this person's appearance doesn't really phase Mikado either, not after Ikebukuro.

He just keeps smiling calmly, and nods.]

You look like you might need some. Are you okay?

[kilimanjaro]

[Okay? Oh no. No, no. Kili is anything but okay. That dam of frustration in his chest explodes.]

No, No, I am not okay! Thorin could be dead, I don't know where I am, I've been attacked by bloody stone giants and goblins and wargs and I'm hurt and Fili's not here, and--

[He breaks off abruptly, glaring down at the ground. His hands curl into fists and he trembles.]

so of all people, he's stuck here with you. great :|

[experting]

[ Bilbo isn't having fun. Mistakenly taken as a thief, then recruited to be a thief and now here, back to wandering the streets with an exceedingly filled mind and empty direction. What is he meant to do? Sidestepping out of the way of a woman and ducking his head lower when she directs a nasty glance down at him, he frowns after her once her back is to him; why he never... – hmph, unfortunate woman, that's what she is. Huffing, he straightens up and tugs at the dirty, fraying ends of his coat, trying to straighten some respectability back into his appearance but...

A lost cause; hm. No sense in tidying up what can't be tidied. A good washing would help and if he could get his hands on some buttons and thread, why, he'd look like his old self again. Maybe. Well, partly. The dirt is caked on pretty heavily after all; he's beginning to think it's becoming a part of himself and that he'll never be quite clean again. On that thought, he swipes a dirty cuff against his equally dirty cheek and... there, his gaze flickers to movement and beyond the shuffle of a small cluster of people, he notices a someone he finally, thankfully, at last knows.

He thinks, at least.

It's only a glimpse and that's all it takes for Bilbo to forget his respectability all over again in favor of breaking into a run. The short stature, the leather garb, the weaponry— ] Wait! [ Weaving around a few people, down the street and around a corner— ] Kili? Kili!

wow kili loves you too jerk

[kilimanjaro]

[Kili has since joined up a guild and gotten somewhat taken care of. His side is bandaged but he hasn't yet gotten a hold of clean clothes. He likes what he has and he'll just have to find a chance to wash them when he feels a little less like he's about to be attacked.

So far, though, he hasn't gotten into too much trouble. He's done what Fili would have and kept his head down.

Shouts in this district don't seem too unusual, so Kili doesn't turn right away. But then he hears someone call his name and his head swings to the side, eyes searching for the source.]

Bilbo! [He smiles more broadly than he has since he arrived here when he finally spots the hobbit. He instinctively wraps his arms around the halfling once he's close enough, giving him a tight hug.]

he still hasn't forgiven you for the trolls. that's why.

[experting]

[ Ah. High on relief, he doesn't put up a fuss and easily returns the hug with a quick wrap of his arms and a latch that has his fingers clutching tight into leather. He breathes out and then he's laughing, quick and light, all his nerves seemingly leaving him in a rush... only to slowly come back and build upon each other, one at a time, with the inhale; Kili's only one piece of the puzzle and comforting as it is to find him, the empty spaces where the rest of the company are meant to be are hard to ignore. He'd expected, originally, to find all his dwarves together, because they are meant to be together. One big company. One solid unit. Even so, drawing back, his gaze swivels this way, that, looking, for two brief moments, to find at the very least, a familiar sight of blonde, but there's no one and he leaves it be, keeping his smile as his gaze find Kili's.

No Fili then? Somehow, that troubles him more than before; from what he's seen, the two are inseparable, and yet now... –

Not yet, he reminds himself, and instead focuses on getting through a— ] I was beginning to lose hope that I would find any of you. It's... a relief. [ Pause. A knit of his brows and a squint of his eyes; wait. ] Not that this is where I want you to be. [ Away from Erebor, the company, Fili. ] But I mean... [ Pause. Holds his breath for a moment and then exhales with a heavy sigh, a small quirk to his mouth. ] You know what it is I mean.

you made it out just fine, didn't you?

[kilimanjaro]

[Kili hates being apart from his brother. It's the hardest part of being here: no Fili.

He lets go of Bilbo after a few moments. It's good to see the hobbit again. He's glad that someone's here that he can really trust. Bilbo's a good friend, one that Kili's been pleased to get to know during the quest.

And he's just been so lonely! Knowing that someone's here with him that knows him and is from the same place as him is a relief.]

No, I understand. I'm...so glad you're here. You haven't seen anyone else?

OTA.

[dogtag]

[ he never thought he'd miss worick this much. which isn't saying much, since he really never misses his partner at all. even now, the main reason (or, the only reason) he wishes worick was around is that he hates talking, hates the weird looks he gets for the way his voice sounds.

well, screw that. he isn't going to bother. so, you might see a grumpy-looking, short asian man...

a), gesticulating sharply at a scowling merchant selling wicked looking knives, apparently bartering with minimal talking. after a long while, he buys a short dagger. as he walks around the merchant to the next stall, though, an attentive person might see him lift something from another native as he walks by. call him out? or...

b), messing with a communicator in the form of a bracelet inside or around the ugly jackal. he's not actually saying anything into it, so maybe he doesn't know how to use it? or...

c), your choice! he's also got an eye-catching sword at his waist, an impressively long katana that is most definitely real, even if he hasn't pulled it out.]

★open

[lovesmash]

( see that pretty lady stomping on a nameless pickpocket in the middle of the street? that's iva. whether he tried to rob you or was just looking at her funny, she will not allow such indecency to go unpunished! it's a little unusual to see a jewel-covered woman administering justice like this, but it's her job, and lord knows any semblance of home is appreciated in this situation.

ladies, feel free to approach. gentleman, approach with caution! )

[tophat]

[ hell yeah he sees that pretty lady. he recognizes that pretty lady, would recognize her from a mile away, which is why he's completely discarding the demure act for the time being and just approacher her like lmao hi baby. ]

Still working hard, are we?

[lovesmash]

( hi baby indeed. iva slams her deliciously pointed heel into her victim's back and digs it in there to prevent his escape before turning to face hirato with a bright smile. )

Oi, Hirato! Of course I am! What kind of lieutenant would I be if I let a little kidnapping throw me off?

[tophat]

[ hay gurl haaaay. what a poor little robber or whatever he is, but they should really know better than to fuck with iva. so he'll just smile at her like it's nothing. ]

I'm glad you seem to be in good shape. [ dang, that looks painful. ] But, Iva...

[ this is an indication that he wants to Talk, okay. ]

Not to belittle your accomplishment, but I think he's learned his lesson for now. Haven't you? [ hi pickpocket-chan do you want his heavy boot in your face ]