Kidnapped! (Playground), RP Playground Options

[Uleni Athram]

Evil never dies. It simply evolves into another form of monstrosity. It's like a never ending tapeworm with one million faces that could transform into another million shapes, a repugnant and persistent predator that never stopped finding cracks to manifest itself. He always questioned himself how it could be done. How evil could finally be vanquished. The sheen of the wine glass, its shape made beautiful by the whispers of candlelight, gave him no answers for that, only a burning and shadowed reflection. He dug his eyes there, drinking deeply for visions as much as he did for relief an hour ago.

He let his eyes droop, and his calloused fingers massaged his wrinkling temple.

Times like these make him question whether he had the energy to lead. He was weary to the bone, and his world had no color anymore, only a distressing sepia of what ifs, could'ves and should'ves. When you run a marathon, and you see yourself run, run, run, there comes a time when you make a certain amount of distance.... when you make it further than you realized, you ask yourself if you could get a little bit of a breather. A little bit of a break.

He deserved it, didn't he? He survived the Crisis, didn't he? He fought against the baying hordes of Dagon and came out the triumphant one, didn't he?

The last thought broke all of his inhibitions and he roared a primal roar that bespoke of unending grief, inescapable confusion and unquenchable rage. With pitiable desperation he reached for the whole bottle instead of the glass, and gulped it all down, savoring the burning trail it made on his throat and chest.

He just turned 20 this morning and he already knew why men twice his age drank.

Damn the Crisis, damn the Daedra, damn the Dawn! Damn them all to a black, ancient void bereft of anything resembling hope! Damn them all!

With a surge of inner hatred and borrowed determination from the bottle, Aenius Gratian rose from his chair and stormed out of his tent-office hybrid, a gleam in his young but hardened eyes.
**

The Rebuilding of Kvatch, as was usual with anything associated with Imperial bureaucracy (particularly after a massive Crisis that left the Empire a bloody mess), was slow as a testudo formation on thin ice. The veterans, foremost among them the indomitable Savlian Matius, was busy in the Imperial City petitioning the Elder Council for real assistance, not promises that gets crucified the moment it leaves lips. The ones that were left for Kvatch's protection was mish-mash of hardened guardsmen and green horn recruits.

And they simply weren't enough to go around.

Thirty eight guardsmen tasked in the protection of several hundreds. It was head-bursting as much as it was laughable. It was fortunate that all of them were linked in this tragedy's aftermath and went beyond themselves to help each other; if it weren't, the guardsmen would simply be crushed under the pressure of protecting people several times their number. To help the beleaguered Watch, the civilians established an enclave of sorts, basing their headquarters in the collection of tents on the foot of Kvatch's hill. From his vantage point on the surrounding hills, the sun behind him, Acilius could see that there were several proper buildings erected there now, too. Probably halls of some kind where everyone would meet and gather around in.

Acilius memorized every detail and made notes.

He then joined the mass of humanity gathered there, on the lookout for the young Captain that was hiring mercenaries.

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OOC: Its been a while since I RP'ed, or wrote for that matter, and it shows. UGH! But anyway, let's do this!

[Darkness Eternal]

Supplies for the task would be ideal right now.

Cardius entered the Mages Guild facility where many guild members were housed. As an young-age Arcane University graduate, he didn't need to see the residents' expressions to know he was welcomed in their midst. Sigrid Firewalker appraised him with a fleeting look and a smile before she attended to the others. Cardius took a moment to look about his surroundings, and also took a moment to analyze himself, too, before he ventured any further.

The bunkroom was full of mages from all walks of life and practitioners from different schools. Alteration, Mysticism, Destruction, Illusion and all else. Cardius could tell a mage and his school by looking well at their clothes and even their demeanors.

He graduated as a very proficient spellcaster, particularly in the areas of destruction and illusion. He'd prefer not to confess to the others that he also had knowledge of ancient daedric powers seldom used in the world today. Knowing full-well the growing hatred for Daedra, and a righteous hatred, that is, he knew just how unwise it would be to reveal he had studied daedric spells and delved a bit into the forbidden arts.

Cardius did not know alchemy, however. Not to the degree that he would like, and so he relied on others to make some of his potions. Potions that would heal almost any injury was something he'd like. He could create these himself but there was no time to collect the necessary ingredients and procuring someone to do the searching was an ideal choice . . .especially since his manservant was occupied with keeping the castle in order.

"Lord Cardius," Sigrid said as he approached her. "I wasn't expecting you to be here so soon!"

"In these desperate times, my friend, we must move quickly and in haste lest the enemy get the better of us. How does the evening find you?"

"Very well," she said with a sigh. "We're managing. How about yourself?"

"Splendid," he said, taking his eyes to the counter stacked of potions behind her. "Do you have what I asked for?"

"Yes," Sigrid told him, and this brought a toothless smile to Cardius' face until she said, "the ingredients, I mean. The potions aren't yet ready."

He frowned. "That is unfortunate. I need them by early this morning. You couldn't hasten the production by then? I will pay you more than I should. Fair payment."

"Perhaps you'd like to clarify the need for such urgency?"

Cardius held his hands behind his back. "No."

She looked at him and held her hand beneath her chin. "I'll see what can be done."

Cardius nodded and bowed, "Gratitude."

The Imperial his way out, passing by the living areas of the Mages Guild.