| The Land of Avalon is a freeform medieval/fantasy roleplaying site loosely based on Arthurian lore. Avalon is home to many friendly members, administrators, and position holders, most of whom are always willing to RP, no matter how new a person might be to the site. With a large shop system full of various spells, items, and equipment no two characters are the same. With character races ranging from elves and humans to dragons, chimeras, and demons Avalon welcomes a wide range of races and RP skill levels. From the Northern Lands holding word limits suited for beginners to the West for the more advanced, no one is too inexperienced to join in on the fun. With a variety of deities and elemental guardians, kings and nobility to pledge to (or oppose) there is no shortage of roleplaying opportunity. Avalon is full of great members and staff with a great sense of humor, friendly welcomes, and a love for roleplaying. Avalon invites you to experience the magic, today! |
| Pursuit of a Cultist; Open | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Jun 28 2009, 06:20 PM (196 Views) | |
| Pyronide | Jun 28 2009, 06:20 PM Post #1 |
Uncontrolled Firestorm
|
Traveling across the continent from the west was made swiftly for the demon hunter after the rough terrain had flattened, and Pyronide had successfully hid himself in the carriage of a traders wagon. If there were any greater way of hitched transportation, it was not free, but all traders knew that the quicker they can make arrival at a traders port where their profit was best made, the better. So being stealthy enough to hide in the back of a traders wagon, Pyronide had now found himself arriving at a new location unmet to his eyes. The bustling streets of Kingsport were alive with patrons, traders, and merchants, as was any day within the binds of such an active port city. Noises brewed throughout the various commercial centers and marketplaces, as swarms of people enjoyed their economic engagements throughout the day. Eyes peering out from the back of the wagon, Pyronide kept rather quiet, witnessing his surroundings intently. At a suggestible moment, he threw back the canvas covering the merchandise at the back of his wagon, and stepped-out in the middle of the wagons track down one of the busy streets. The driver had no notice of this of course, and those going about their day had to many things on their mind to give thought to the unusual emergence. Standing in the middle of the street, Pyronide quickly brushed off his vest and apparel. Of course, his purpose here was not to enjoy the various possessions on display at the various shops and stalls. He was much too busy for that. He was on the hunt for prey. ... Not a demon or a potential theft victim. ... A particular member of a rival organization. Except, Pyronide was no part of any organization, but his current enemies were. Navigating himself away from the traffic of wagons and horses, he ventured intently, knowing that the man had to have gotten off somewhere near by here. In a mass of busy individuals, it would be a challenge to seek him out, but at least he knew what tavern the man was travelling. There was only a matter of time before he would get what he rightfully deserved for being apart of the ambush that stole Pyronides equipment off of his very person. Despite having gone on countless missions and personal tasks before, this one dwelled on a personal level. A furious one! ... He was out to right the scorn of his unfortunate demotion in powers, and figure out where his equipment had disappeared to. Perhaps his job was harder that he had no cloak to hide his identity, no weapon to threaten or intimidate with, and no magicks currently functional (with reasons undiscovered),... Pyronide had plenty an imagination for dealing with conspiring fundamentalist like those of the Greater Path. You don't pick up creative methods of intimidation from various thief guilds for nothing. Unknowing in his direction for travel, he was compelled to ask some traders who seemed like they had known the area. Some of them gave him negative responses for distracting them from their business. A few of them pointed the way, and tried to swindle him on the by. Of course, Pyronide was not a person worth wasting the art of 'swindling' on, and especially in this current hunt for a lone cultist. In way of arriving the city block where the tavern was pointed out to be, Pyronide began focusing on his ability to blend into the crowd, as to prevent the possibility of the cultist to see him by accident. Although his red dreadlocks would likely give away his appearance, he needed all the cover from sight as he could afford at this point, while keeping his stature tall, and amplifying his search for the suspect individual. His sharpened thoughts estimated it was only a matter of time. ... and just like clockwork, the present reality aligned with his estimation perfectly, as across the busy street, he noticed a familiar set of attire walking out of a building, and onward down the street. Upon confirmation of the subject, Pyronide smirked, and quickly submerged within the population of the massive aggregate. He wove through an opposing stream of people consisting of a couple, a stoneworker, and a few small children, as he craftily caught the visual cover of a parked wagon. His eyes reached around the corner to confirm the figure moving down the street away from him, clueless to his existence just on the other side of the street. Without a flaw, he had found his target; distinctive tattoos, a cloak-like shawl with hood hiding facial features, trademark clothing of the cult, and a glimpse of the emblem on the shoulders of the shawl. In sight of this, Pyronides eyes narrowed; slits of ill intent seemingly conjuring up ideas and plans for retribution, but moreso, for his personal justice. Nobody had ever been so neglectful to step over the line of things not to do as this very cult member was, as the four others of whom he had not seen since the night they looted his unconscious body at Pirate Cove. ... "We come to send the regards of our master Mindosian" were their very words seconds before Pyronide was sent unconscious that night. One day, he would have to deal with Mindosian too, but today, his path of wrath was made for an ill-fated minion. ... Amiss the downtown streets of Kingsport, on a hot summers day during the mid-afternoon, with nothing but a street of people, darkness, and the very air between him and his target... The hunt was on. |
|
Profile | Inventory | Theme Song Active RPs: At Twilight First Dock (first topic) Pursuit of a Cultist Active PLOTs: - Plight of the Greater Path! Old RPs None | |
 |
 
|
| Xue Jian | Jun 29 2009, 05:22 PM Post #2 |
Sword Saint
|
The streets of Kingsport were busy, filled near to bursting with the usual throng of travelers passing through, shoppers browsing stalls, and merchants hawking their wares. Among them walked Xue Jian, who was on his way to meet with his next client, having just completed yet another long distance delivery. He'd recently started a small time courier service between the major cities of Avalon. Xue Jian's rather unique abilities enabled him to travel a great deal faster than the typical merchant's caravan, and he'd found a niche market in transporting small items back and forth between various places. It was relatively easy work and was far safer than bouncing for taverns or guarding caravans, but most importantly, it paid extremely well. It still amazed him what people were willing to offer to have things moved, even simple messages, when they needed it done as soon as possible. Of course, it helped that he didn't overcharge for his services. His prices were reasonable, and that had earned him a small, but loyal following of regular customers that was slowly growing larger and larger. He still hadn't reached the point where he could pick and choose his clients yet, but he didn't think it would take much longer. His next client, in fact, was an example of one he'd have preferred to avoid, given the choice. He was on his way to meet a man, representing an organization called the Greater Path, from whom he would receive a letter to deliver into the hands of another member in Trevena. His initial contact with them had been less than pleasant to say the least. They'd been pushy and secretive, and they'd clearly looked down upon a lowly courier like himself. Consequently, Xue Jian hadn't paid much attention to the finer details of their doctrine, which they'd been fairly eager to share. Business was business after all, and all he really needed was the item to be transported, an address to take it to, and an agreement on the price. The man in question appeared then, easily recognizable by his dark, hooded shawl marked with their insignia, so Xue Jian flagged him down and gestured to a nearby storefront. Apparently, the man had been told who to look for, as he nodded and made his way to the indicated place. Once there, Xue Jian gave him a slight bow and offered him the usual courtesies before getting down to business. "Greetings, good sir. My name is Xue Jian, the courier, and I understand you have a letter for me to deliver." Edited by Xue Jian, Jun 29 2009, 05:42 PM.
|
|
Description | Inventory | Journal | Theme Song Character List  Spoiler: click to toggle Spoiler: click to toggle
| |
|
|
|
| Pyronide | Jun 29 2009, 06:34 PM Post #3 |
|
Uncontrolled Firestorm
|
As the distance between the intentive stalker and his unknowing subject of interest stretched, Pyronide felt an elastic pull at his being to make closer proximity, as not to lose the cultist in the sea of traders and laymen. Leaving the visual cover of the wagon, Pyronide dared his chances of crossing the busy street, as to at least make sure him and his target were on the same side of the road. He felt an unspoken urgency in his heart rate, but ignored it, knowing that letting aggression take over the situation with quite definitely destroy his cover, and make the process quite harder. The man would stop suddenly, alerting Pyronide to push closer to the building, hiding the majority of his body behind an outward extension of the architectural stone-work. His eyes never lost sight of the man. ... As the cult member glanced in an unknown direction, as if being beckoned by something unseen at Pyronides angle, Pyronide quirked a brow lightly. Eyes focused intently, Pyronide persisted in curiosity, judging the new behavior of his subject as if solving a new puzzle. "What are you looking at?" whispers Pyronide in interest. "Is it a distraction? ... Is it a person? ... ?" As if watching with instinct, Pyronide saw the man change direction, toward a particular store it seemed. What was apparent now, however, was the presence of another man. Curiously emerging from cover again, he now turned the corner with regards of finding a closer vantage point. A row of stalls proved to be the most promising, as he wove through the crowd again to make station at a stall filled with fresh tomatos, and a suspended tapestry meant to keep the sun out of the crop. Here seemed inconspicuous enough for any person to overlook, given the tapestry was a similar shade of a deep, blood-like red. ... As the cultist approached the courier, his demeanor seemed to grow large with an intimidating superiority. Apparently this one had already not looked kindly to his courier. The shady man revealed a sealed envelope, red wax stamped with the insignia of the order. Keeping it low on his body, as if to keep it concealed by some means, the man silently and without expression offers the letter to Xue Jian. In the event of the courier taking the letter from him, the cultist would refuse to lessen grip, prompting the courier to perhaps gaze to the cultist in confusion. The cult member would speak in a quiet, yet unfriendly tone, ... "You will see payment once the letter is delivered. ... I would advise against misplacing, reading, or speaking about the letter. ... You wouldn't want to accidentally swallow that tongue of yours, now would you?" The man revealed a very small knife that was previously resting in the concealment of the hand he offered to exchange the letter, in order to emphasize his meaning. It was rather clear that this man did not play nice with many. ... From his new vantage, Pyronide was able to successfully witness what seemed to be an exchange of something small. And flat. ... An envelope perhaps? His eyes drifted to his new subject of interest. Oddly enough, Pyronide was debating which he should choose to follow in the event of their separation. On one hand, he really wanted to make sure that the cult member received a fair treatment of punishment for his transgressions. On the other hand, this new man, while holding the appearance of someone completely unrelated to the Greater Path, was in the possession of something that may be important. Perhaps the prize of this new event was greater than the relief of his aggression. ... Curious. He would have to wait for them to make their next move before confirming. |
|
Profile | Inventory | Theme Song Active RPs: At Twilight First Dock (first topic) Pursuit of a Cultist Active PLOTs: - Plight of the Greater Path! Old RPs None | |
|
|
|
| Xue Jian | Jul 2 2009, 07:01 AM Post #4 |
|
Sword Saint
|
As the man brought up his hand to present the letter, so too did Xue Jian reach out to accept it. But when his fingers touched the sealed parchment, the hooded man's grip held it fast, to which Xue Jian raised an eyebrow in inquiry. The cultist answered by rather rudely informing Xue Jian that payment would be remitted upon delivery. Furthermore, he warned against losing, reading, or speaking of the letter, and even went so far as to threaten Xue Jian with the loss of his tongue, turning his hand to show a small knife that had been hidden in his grasp. Insulted, Xue Jian frowned and withdrew his arm, giving up on his attempt to take the letter, partly out of disgust and partly for the sake of personal safety. There was no sense in leaving his hand in a position where it was at risk of being slashed, not that Xue Jian felt very concerned on that score. Only rank amateurs made threat displays in such a manner, and Xue Jian was not impressed in the slightest. If the hooded man actually tried to make good on his little threat, he would be in for a nasty surprise. In any case, Xue Jian disliked rudeness, and he disliked being threatened even more. In fact, he was so insulted that he decided right there to let this job go. While it would hurt him financially to lose the pay, accepting it under such circumstances would hurt his pride even more, not to mention his reputation. If this was how the Greater Path conducted its business, then he wanted nothing more to do with them. "First of all, you seem to have misunderstood our payment arrangement. It is customary to offer half pay up front and half upon delivery. Second, I've given you no call to make threats. I would advise you to check your own tongue in your future business dealings, since it just lost you this one. You'll have to pardon me for the inconvenience, but I will deliver nothing for you on this or any future day." With an almost uncharacteristic smirk, Xue Jian added, "I wish you good luck finding another courier. I'm sure if you hurry, you might be able to get your letter on the next merchant train out of town." |
|
Description | Inventory | Journal | Theme Song Character List Spoiler: click to toggle Spoiler: click to toggle
| |
|
|
|
| Pyronide | Jul 2 2009, 02:36 PM Post #5 |
|
Uncontrolled Firestorm
|
Pyronides secretive gaze observed the man in white. Surely he did not seem to be of any relation to the cult, and his demeanor spoke something of a more 'saintly' character, rather than the undertone of deviance the Greater Path was known for. Even the chemistry between the two seemed to gather strain as he watched the courier's reaction to the cultists unfriendly approach. It was especially at the moment that the other man realized that the cult member was threatening him with a knife, when his affinity toward the lone zealot of death went from 'business as usual' to 'dissent and denial'. The cultist, realizing a bit too late that his attempt at intimidation had nearly cost him the respect and service of the courier, felt a tad dumbfounded by the backfiring of his own brute, as he witnessed the couriers remain steadfast to his pride despite his attempt. Perhaps he trusted too much that the courier needed the money. Or perhaps, as the less brighter of the rest of his counterparts, had misunderstood his superiors reference of 'handle with prejudice' as a way of threatening, rather than preserving a hidden mistrust. Suddenly, after a prolonged period of silence, the cultist began to chuckle. It began as light as a raspy exhale, almost mistaken for a short cough. Then, it excelled into a hearty laughter, taking on the texture of a deep-chested wheeze. The change in attitude would seem a bit confusing from a standpoint outside of the cultists own well-being. After his laughing has quickly ceased, once again withdrawn into his natural overbearing demeanor, another odd period of silence would take the air before the man parted it with the sound of his voice. "I like you, courier. ..." he spoke in a confident tone. Rather than invoking the angry response that was almost expected on him, the sheer fact that the courier had turned him down so absolutely had mustered a tad of respect for the couriers fearlessness,... or at least the cultist made it appear that way. Stroking his chin, the man now began to ponder if there may be a way to undo the damage that he set forth with his first approach. At first, it seemed unlikely that the courier would reexamine his pride in the face of having been threatened. Yet, a proposal began to brew within thought. "I'll tell you what. ..." the black-clad figure began, holding the letter in both hands now, the knife only slightly visible. "I'll front you a portion of payment now, let you collect on the full payment later, and we can let this entire thing fall past us." As he resolved his proposal, the courier may notice the knife visually retreating back into his pocket, and away from sight. "May we still have a deal?" The pyromancer shifted uneasily as he witnessed the cult members change in gestures. Clearly now that the white-clad fellow's personal well-being was put on the line amiss the meeting, he would want little to do with the task put forth. While at his distance, he could not hear words or read lips, a persons gestures meant a lot to the watchful eye, and Pyronide could depict much of what was happening at this particular rendezvous. From his vantage, it seemed that the enemy had decided to take back their threat, and attempt to assess the damage. "Oh oh. ..." he managed to mutter aloud in his own presence. "I wouldn't take up his offer if I were you." Did Pyronide have some pre-emptive knowledge on the nature of this type of transaction? The only question remains: Will the courier find a change of mind to better the currency in his pocket, or will he stay fast to his pride and deny the rebuttal?[R4E]I decided to go back and fix my entry by removing the incidental 'powerplay' you brought up earlier Jian. Once again, I'm sorry for my arrogance. I'm not looking for any negative karma.[/R4E] Edited by Pyronide, Jul 4 2009, 08:04 AM.
|
|
Profile | Inventory | Theme Song Active RPs: At Twilight First Dock (first topic) Pursuit of a Cultist Active PLOTs: - Plight of the Greater Path! Old RPs None | |
|
|
|
| Xue Jian | Jul 6 2009, 12:11 PM Post #6 |
|
Sword Saint
|
Having said his peace, Xue Jian waited to see if his former client had anything to say for himself, but apparently the hooded man had been rendered speechless. At least, that's how it seemed until he started laughing. From Xue Jian's point of view, there wasn't anything particularly funny about losing a business deal, but the cultist continued to laugh heartily. When he finally stopped, he paused and went into a fairly obvious and rather poor attempt at damage control. Clearly, he didn't want to have to search for and hire another courier after all. "I like you courier ... I'll tell you what ... I'll front you a portion of payment now, let you collect on the full payment later, and we can let this entire thing fall past us." Xue Jian watched as the hooded man dropped his little knife back into his pocket before adding, "May we still have a deal?" "No." Xue Jian answered, taking virtually no time to respond. He'd already been half-looking for an excuse to get out of this job, and by threatening him, the cultist had given Xue Jian a legitimate reason to call it off. His mind was already made up, and there would be no changing it back now. Especially not for some half-baked attempt at renegotiation that a child could have done better. Xue Jian would end up being the laughing stock of all couriers if he accepted such a weak deal after such an insult. Word would eventually get around, and before he knew it, no one in the field would take Xue Jian seriously anymore. "You've offered me no apologies to make up for your rudeness. Furthermore, you thought to sweeten a dead deal with terms that should have been there in the first place, and you seem to have failed to realize that even if you were to offer me double the price up front, I would still say no. People would take their leave to harass and threaten me everywhere I go if I agreed to such a pathetic offer. No, I think you shall have to take your chances with the merchant trains. None of them can get your letter to Trevena as quickly as I can, but one of them might put up with your arrogance long enough to agree to deliver it for you." |
|
Description | Inventory | Journal | Theme Song Character List Spoiler: click to toggle Spoiler: click to toggle
| |
|
|
|
| Pyronide | Jul 9 2009, 07:31 AM Post #7 |
|
Uncontrolled Firestorm
|
Clearly the zealous mans attempt to recover against the mistake he had made earlier out of his prior misjudgement and misinterpretation of his masters was at a loss. There was little doubt in his mind that his superiors might take disciplinary action against him if the letter does not reach its destination by the specified time, and by surveying, this courier was the only one who could get it there in such short time. Although his superiors were not fools, perhaps their choice in carrier was not met with enough reason. The cultist could only stand there as the prideful courier continued to decline his offer. "You're not making this very easy, courier!" he spoke with a tone of hasty disgruntlement. Across the street, and into the stalls of traders and food vendors, Pyronide remained at his position, just out of sight of the two, but enough to keep his eyes in observance. Translating the new sequence of sign and body language from the two, Pyronide couldn't help but smirk knowing that his task might not be as difficult as he initially thought it was. While only a portion of the smirk held for respect of the couriers choice against delivering the letter, the pyromancer was overall just relieved that he would not have to focus on two targets simultaneously; one to inflict retribution upon, somewhere concealed from the public, and the other to 'acquire' the letter from. Now that the letter had not left the possession of his initial target, the task would not become complex for him. For an instance, it seemed that his spying was interrupted by a rumbling of hunger in his gut. He was usually well at ignoring these bodily warnings, but given the place of his concealment, his eyes managed to gaze downward for but a second to notice the stall before him was filled with apples. Providing a quick glance to the two in question to make sure they had not strayed from their position, his eyes now watched the vendor, who out of some abrupt rivalry with another nearby vendor, had gotten into an argument with him over some trivial matter. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Pyronide gazed downward, snatching an apple from the stall and withdrawing it into the pocket of his attire. If he still had his cloak, it would be a lot easier to steal. This did not prevent him from finding a place on his person to conceal and carry the apple, however. It was at that moment, while snatching the apple from its place, he noticed the shadow of someone approaching from the other end of the stall. Someone burly. ... His initial thought was that an officer of the local authorities might have seen him take the apple, but as he managed to glance toward the approached figure, the fact became much more urgent. In that fragment of a second, Pyronide had nearly failed to react quick enough as he dodged the swing of a mace aimed toward his head, as the heavy mace slammed into the wooden suspension of the nearby stall, causing a loud cracking noise audible from the other side of the street. Having just saved his own life, Pyronide moved away in time to notice the tarp from the stall had half-fallen just enough to cover the face of his attacker and blind him from sight for a few seconds, just long enough for him to scurry behind the base of another stall. He began to realize from an impulse memory that during his stalking of the first cultist, a counterpart of his target had noticed him from his own periphery, and decided to deal with the troublemaker accordingly. In the short amount of time that the second cultist was blinded from the tarp, he realized that his target had suddenly disappeared. Knowing that his target was not far, the second cultist growled angrily. "Where are you, hunter?!" ... It was apparent to Pyronide that at this point, rather than disposing him by some stealthy means, the Greater Path were growing tired of his insolence to the point of dealing with him abruptly in the middle of a public marketplace. Then again, the lowly 'marauders' of the order were not known for their stealth like the acolytes and assassins were. Pyronide felt a tad disadvantage in knowing that he neither possessed a weapon, or his fire-abilities to deal with the hostile man. He would have to play his surroundings accordingly for this one, and hopefully find some solid object to fend him off with. This would turn out to be quite the closed-quarters fight. ... On the other side of the street, just as the first cultist was about to return to his threats toward the courier, the sound of wood cracking caught him off-guard as he gazed in the direction of the noise just in time to notice one of his counterparts looking for someone amongst the vendor stalls. At the reference of 'hunter' spoken out of his counterparts mouth, he began to lose interest in the conversation almost immediately. Perhaps it was best for him to depart, knowing that 'he' was nearby,... perhaps even looking for him. Without a word or a hint of his plans, the cultist began to walk the other direction, away from the courier, with the intent of 'disappearing'. |
|
Profile | Inventory | Theme Song Active RPs: At Twilight First Dock (first topic) Pursuit of a Cultist Active PLOTs: - Plight of the Greater Path! Old RPs None | |
|
|
|
| Xue Jian | Jul 14 2009, 07:40 AM Post #8 |
|
Sword Saint
|
"You're not making this very easy, courier!" Xue Jian wanted to laugh in response to this, although he politely held it back. Of course he wasn't making it easy. Such was the natural result of the cultist's own actions, so Xue Jian felt no sympathy for him. Having had enough of the conversation, the spirit sage was about to take his leave when a commotion nearby drew his attention. Looking across the street, Xue Jian saw a large man openly wielding a mace ... a man wearing the cloth and insignia of the Greater Path. It was quite clear that the ruckus had been caused by him, given the wrecked fruit stand in his wake, and judging by the sound of things, whoever he'd been looking for had just given him the slip. "Where are you, hunter?!" If anything, seeing the incident only reaffirmed Xue Jian's resolution to never do business with the Greater Path again. His former client, however, found it reason enough to depart without a word, which suited Xue Jian just fine. He had nothing left to say to the cultist, so Xue Jian let him go on his way, instead opting to do something about the bigger one. The previous conversation had left Xue Jian in a sour mood, and he couldn't very well leave the man free to cause havoc. Walking across the street on an intercept course, Xue Jian weaved his way around the crowd of onlookers into the array of merchant stalls that lined the avenue. He passed right by a certain red-haired fellow on his way to the where the large cult member was still lumbering about and placed himself firmly in the big man's way. There was no fear in his voice, despite the fact that this cultist was openly wielding a weapon and was big enough to look down at Xue Jian like a child. "Excuse me, sir, but I am going to have to ask you to put your weapon away and leave this place in peace. Oh, and on your way out, please don't forget to compensate the owner of the stall you destroyed as well. I'm certain all the shopkeepers here would join me in expressing appreciation for your cooperation and discretion," Xue Jian said cordially. Several of the nearby shopkeepers shouted their agreement, but Xue Jian was not finished. In a markedly less friendly tone, he added, "Should you choose not to comply, I will be forced to take matters into my own hands, and I am afraid that would be most unpleasant ... for you." Edited by Xue Jian, Jul 24 2009, 06:12 PM.
|
|
Description | Inventory | Journal | Theme Song Character List Spoiler: click to toggle Spoiler: click to toggle
| |
|
|
|
| Pyronide | Jul 24 2009, 05:31 PM Post #9 |
|
Uncontrolled Firestorm
|
Relocating himself in a hasteful, yet stealthy fashion, Pyronide takes advantage of the growing crowd to navigate his way from his attacker. Pyronide was not one to slip away from a fight that was clearly his, but his current inability to combat the man with methods he preferred prompted him to disengage and find himself a route of escape. In the process of moving to another location behind another stall, he makes contact with a particular figure of whom he does not recognize at first. Only until he manages to glance, and then finds himself making a 'double-take' does he realize who he had bumped into. His first impression to this caused him to wonder,... 'What in the god's name is he doing?', clearly noticing his destination. He retreated further behind yet another stall to try and peer out between the mass of merchants, customers, and passerbys gathering. His vision was quickly hindered by the gathering crowd, however. Yet, in a moments time, he remembers an important piece of information which causes his eyes to narrow and sharpen in realization. If the courier just passed him, then where is the other cultist? He rises from his hiding spot just enough to gain visual of the storefront, where the courier and the cultist met. He was gone. Vanished. A surge of anger had nearly breached his demeanor, but it was quickly suppressed by the very last glimpse of a shadow withdrawing into a wide alley between storefronts. "Damnit!" he muttered. It was now evident that his target had discovered his presence. If he had any chance of confronting the cultist, he had to act fast. There was only one way he could think of to ensure the second cultist wouldn't see him. Meanwhile, the bumbling marauder, who had toppled a second stall by recklessness, was suddenly brought back to reality by the angered crowd. Breathing labored, he gazed around at the people, clearing annoyed by the amount of attention he had drawn to himself. "What are you looking at!!?" He shouts. The power behind his voice manages to scare some, but provoke others with a chain of negative replies. In all reality however, the spectators feel uneasiness and freight, preventing any of them from stepping forth and telling the man to leave. ... but then, amiss the mans rage, he was interrupted by the words of another man, standing behind him, with an almost self-righteous tone. ... Out of the entire crowd, a lone 'hero' arises. The man turns around slowly, his anger dwelling well within reach if he so chose to act upon his newfound pest. However, in the event of actually resting his eyes upon his challenger, a different emotion built within him. He could not help but chuckle with sadist delight at the little man who decided to stand up to him. The amusement was remedying, but short lived, for somewhere within the cultist brewed an annoyance to the claims and threats soaring from the mouth of the challenger; and he quite frankly had bigger fish to fry. A groan emitted from his lips. "I don't have time for this!", he growled in the direction of the man, beginning his trek away from the pointless challenge. Despite that he was very much to blame for the damage of the two stalls, he would rather mind his own than correct his own doings, and by the sight of things, the presence of the challenger registered to him as more of a joke than an actual fight. Then, without a glimpse of warning, a projectile manages to strike the overbearingly large cult member in the back of the head. A large red smear,... the guts of a ripened tomato begin dripping down from his shawl, as a very sour taste returns to the mouth of the marauder; the taste of scorn and rekindled rage. Stopped in his tracks, the cultist merely stands there in a long pause of silence, the crowd held in an eerie feeling, like the calm before a storm. Even Pyronide was silent, standing behind his cover,... wondering if his attempt at igniting the fight had worked. The quick execution of the throw may just cause the perfect distraction for him to move onward after the first cultist, as the second one was busy fighting the courier. While this was a very wretched move his behalf, with wretched intentions, he needed the distraction, and aside from that... the cardinal rule. Never threaten a seven foot tall monster with a large mace in hand unless you honestly intend to fight, and are very much aware the likeliness that your skull might take the shape of a caved-in jack-o-lantern by the time the fight is over. The marauder, without further ado, had now turned around, and began the charge, warcry sounding in the air and his mace well in hand, ready to send the first blow. He was not about to take any ridicule from a man half his size. Not waiting to see the first strike (or attempt) take place, Pyronide now hastily made his way out of his hiding, and behind the crowd. Closing his proximity toward the storefront, he was not about to let his prey get away! He only hoped that the second cultist doesn't notice him scurrying. (*gives Jian permission to control attacking NPC*) |
|
Profile | Inventory | Theme Song Active RPs: At Twilight First Dock (first topic) Pursuit of a Cultist Active PLOTs: - Plight of the Greater Path! Old RPs None | |
|
|
|
| Xue Jian | Jul 24 2009, 09:05 PM Post #10 |
|
Sword Saint
|
Despite what he'd said earlier, Xue Jian would have been quite happy if the extra large cult member had chosen to leave peacefully, even without paying for the damages. And so when the man loudly exclaimed his lack of time and turned to leave, Xue Jian thought things were going rather well ... until an overzealous onlooker decided to toss a tomato into the works. The strike to the back of the big man's head really only injured his pride, but it definitely served to spark up the fight in him. And since Xue Jian had been the one to step forward and say something, it was no surprise that he'd been picked to receive the big man's retribution, even if he hadn't been the one to cast the first overly-ripe red 'stone'. The cultist turned slowly, and Xue Jian set himself. He knew what would be coming next. The oversized man charged straight at Xue Jian, shouting a cry of rage and raising his weapon to crush his comparatively smaller opponent like an insect. This difference in size would have been cause for concern in most people, but in this case, Xue Jian was unphased. The spirit sage had fought greater opponents than this brutish man and survived to tell the tale, and he was prepared to do what was necessary to finish what he'd started. Xue Jian waited until the last possible moment before stepping forward and to the side, simultaneously evading the attack and moving out of his opponent's path. He was not foolish enough to try standing squarely in front of a larger man's charge. Xue Jian did, however, sweep kick the cultist's leading leg just as his weight began to settle onto it, sending him stumbling forward. Xue Jian had intended for him to fall straight away, but the cultist managed to retain enough balance to avoid planting his face on the cobblestone street. It would make no difference though. Xue Jian was never daunted if one plan happened to fail. He simply moved on to the next one. Just as the cultist was about to right himself, Xue Jian stepped behind him and pulled sharply on the back of the man's hood. This time the cultist was unable to compensate for the sudden reversal of direction and fell backwards, his feet flying up into the air as he landed hard on his shoulder blades with a nasty sounding crunch. Staying out of the cultist's immediate reach, Xue Jian looking down at his prone opponent and decided to give him one chance to avoid further injury. "Do you yield? If you give up now and agree to pay for the damages, I'll let you go peacefully. If you continue to try and fight, I will have no choice but to disable you. What will it be?" |
|
Description | Inventory | Journal | Theme Song Character List Spoiler: click to toggle Spoiler: click to toggle
| |
|
|
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · Kingsport · Next Topic » |
9:25 AM Mar 17
