Zanthro's Escape (closed)

(personal reference, please disregard this.)

"Come on boys! Let's get a move on!" Zanthro yelled at the few remaining men he had left. 
He had to return to The East to get more. All mercenaries were so weak and useless it seemed. 
He looked out to the scorched section of the forest, and smiled. The natives here were stronger than he anticipated, but not strong enough it seemed. As much as they had to boast for, he had burned it to the ground. A job well done, if he did say so himself. 
"We can't wait here all day, and I'm sure some damn tribe men will be after us soon. Now move those boats!" He roared.
His small crew was struggling to push two of the transport boats they had taken back into the water, but were having some sever difficulty.
Zanthro didn't help, of course. Why would he? They were bound to die eventually. 

(NOTE: this topic will become locked after two days. If you do not post within that time, even if you received a notification, you will not be allowed to go on this adventure.)
(NOTE: this is an adventure topic, as mentioned above. Posting in this topic will lock you in the adventure, and you will be required to leave all other topics before continuing on this adventure in other topics, as it will require travel to other lands.)

During Cedric’s prolonged absence (his “business trip,” which of course Archea knew exactly what it really was), Archea had been left to see after Rowena and Psyre. But in all honestly, they could take care of themselves and didn’t really need Archea’s supervision. Most days they ran off to go do “battle” somewhere, and Archea would not see them for the entirety of the day. He was content to wandering around and getting lost in the Castle of the North’s various secret hallways and rooms.
 
Also during this lull in activity, Archea took it upon himself to find out more about this Zanthro character that had so horribly ruined Psyre’s life. In his search, news reached him of a suspicious fellow who had been making a bad impression on the people of the North. He was now supposedly at the River of Runes, readying a crew to sail to the East.
 
The East, his beloved home continent! Archea took this as a sign and summoning. He didn’t really think anything else through though, and instead gathered some clothes and provisions into a saddlebag, ordered a horse from the stables, and was set to be on his way… until he remembered the two young ones he was supposed to be looking after.
 
He was torn. Should he tell them where he was going? Who he was going after? Ask them to accompany him? No. It was still too fresh a memory to let Psyre know, let alone have him come with. And Archea knew if he let anything happen to Rowena, Cedric would kill him. Archea finally opted to write a letter, but a little lying had to happen for it to work.
 
Dear Rowena and Psyre,
I have received word that my father is terribly ill, and must return home at once. I know you two are very capable of staying out of trouble. I trust you to behave while I am gone. If Cedric returns, please let him know of the circumstances and apologize to him for my absence.
Much love,
Archea
 
He slipped it under the door to Rowena’s room and then was gone.
 
Quicker than usual because of his fast pace, Archea reached the Opening to the Ocean on the River of Runes. Not bothering to find a place of lodging, he immediately set out to look for the perpetrator. A few hours of no results went by, but then: “Master Zanthro, we're ready to go.”
 
Archea whipped frantically around trying to identify the voice. There! A crew loading crates onto a ship, and a single man ordering them about. Even from where Archea stood, the man looked strong, hardened, cruel. He was handsome, but in a dark, sinister, unattractive way. Archea disliked him immediately, which made the thought of revenge easier to stomach.
 
But now came the moment where Archea had to think of just how he was gonna do this. He hadn’t really thought of a plan when he left the Castle, or even as he traveled to the River. His shoe tapped the ground as he thought.
 
Sailing to the East. The East. Father is ill. The East … Archea’s head snapped up, his eyes wide and gleaming with excitement. Why hadn’t he thought of this earlier? Or, well, he had kinda, but then it had escaped him in the rush to get ready. Archea’s father was “ill” back home in the East. Archea needed a way to get back home to the East. Here was a ship going to the East!
 
Before Archea could stop and think about what he was doing, or if it would even work, he was frantically running over to the departing boats, hoping to catch them before they left. 

"Excuse me!" He feigned breathlessness. "I'm so sorry to halt your progress, but I am desperately looking for a ride to the East. My father is terribly ill, and on the verge of death! I ... I ...." Archea grew quieter and slightly more dramatic, "The last time we parted, it was not on good terms. I must make it up to him before he leaves this world ... " Then he looked pleadingly into Zanthro's cold, uncaring eyes. "I heard from the townspeople you were headed to the East and sincerely ask for your aid! I will help out on the boat if need be, and once back in the East, I can pay you grandly for your services!" 
 
Now Archea really was out of breath. He hoped the sob story had been enough. His hair and clothes had become a good deal disheveled during the fast ride over, adding nicely to his desperate demeanor. 

"Please, my name is Tsars Ivore; I mean no harm to your crew, and only seek a passage to the East!" Archea turned on the despairing puppy dog eyes (which he was pretty sure wouldn't work on Zanthro in the first place, but oh well) and got ready to grovel if he had to. 

((OOC: edited it ._. ))

It had been weeks of grueling planning.

After his first assassination that went a little... unexpectedly, he had caught word of someone he had been looking for.

Zanthro.

Cedric wasted no time. He had to become someone new, someone Zanthro would need.

First, he had to transform himself. He had no doubt Zanthro would have heard of him, in the past just as one of the best assassins around, now as the new Assassin King. Being himself was not an option, so he became someone else.

His hair well, he darkened it. A light brown, easy to get back to blonde when needed but he was no longer his almost-white-blonde. Along with that he changed his entire style.

Shopping was always fun, especially for a character this intricate. His clothes, well. Someone who would fit in with Zanthro, but not be Cedric. Suits were out of the question, as were ordinary clothes. He went with a plain, long one-sleeved shirt with black pants and a long jacket. He also through in a blood red scarf for flair, he couldn't help himself. He knew he'd stand out more that way, anyway.

He also had to gel back his hair, not wanting his curls to be seen, dying it a different shade wasn't going to be enough. 

Changing his look wasn't the hardest thing he's ever done, but this time it was really important so he had to get it right. Hell, he had even bought... what had the man called them? Cedric had forgotten, but they made his eyes look golden instead of the usual grey. 

It would have to be enough, he had to continue on his personality.

His accent? Something from the west. He drawled out his words more, and adapted his attitude to a serious, but slightly jokey at the right moments, clever man. He turned himself into an intelligent sociopath (a different variety from his usual), someone Zanthro would want. The perfect ally if he played his cards right.

Daniel Stanton, Cedric's new name (for now), worked his way up Zanthro's ladder. After doing a bunch of odd jobs for Zanthro and proving his worth, Cedric was now with him on the loading docks.

At a safe distance, of course.

It hadn't been too hard to get where he was now, currently apart of Zanthro's team. Cedric had done research on Zanthro, and one thing was for sure.

He trusted people less than anyone else Cedric had ever met. He only had disposable, keeping those who stayed alive.

He wasn't one of the mercenaries, after proving himself he was put in charge of a small group of them. He had to stay under the radar, for now.

Daniel (as Cedric had been referring to himself as, to not get confused) was saying something about mercenaries being complete idiots when he heard a familiar voice From a bit a ways off.

Oh Gods, Archea please don't do what I think you're about to.


"Excuse me!" Oh no. "I'm so sorry to halt your progress, but I am desperately looking for a ride to the East. My father is terribly ill, and on the verge of death! I ... I ...."


Daniel(Cedric sighed in his mind) turned to this man (Archea) and met him with a face devoid of joking, a face of suspicion as he watched the spectacle for a second.

Archea... He'd be fine. Zanthro was a violent man, but Archea was smart. He'd offer his services for free, or with money, something. He had to. Fast.

He made his eyes look cold and uncaring as he looked away, barking more orders to the men. 

 He wasn't sure Archea would know him when he saw him, maybe, but he couldn't let there be one sign of familiarity. He needed there to be no mishaps on his part, he needed to be perfect.

What an adventure this'll turn into.

He rolled his eyes at a man who asked him if he could go to the bathroom.

"Not unless you want to die, I suggest you get back to work." He narrowed his eyes. "NOW!"


Cedric put his face into a snarl as the man yelped and quickly went back to work.

"Idiot."

Avis pushed her way through a thicket of tough bristles, ignoring the stabbing thorns that pulled at her cloak and skin. Just as she was clear of the brush, her foot caught and twisted on an un-earthed root, sending her sprawling forward. Luckily, she saved herself from a dead-on face plant by catching the rough tree next to her. Panting and humiliated, Avis straightened to brush off her scrapped robes.
 
It was the stupidest thing. She was lost. Completely lost. And not proud of it. ‘Lost’ was not a state she often found herself in and not a state she’d ever be happy to be in. Who on earth managed to get lost simply leaving a freaking town? This was most definitely not one of her highest moments.
 
At the very least, there was less snow here and the air had lost some of its cold nip.
But that didn’t change the fact that she was lost…and hungry. Crap.
 
Avis turned on the spot contemplating which way she should head next. Maybe she’d just chose a random direction and see where it got her…hopefully not in the center of a bear’s den.
 
She was just about to step off towards the west (at least what she thought was the west) when she heard voices drifting through the trees.
 
"We can't wait here all day, and i'm sure some damn tribe will be after us soon. Now move those boats!"

 
What the…Avis furrowed her brow as she turned towards the source, all senses on high alert. Who would be mad enough to be out here?
 
Slowly, each step placed down cautiously, Avis weaved her way towards the voice. Nearing, she quickly took shelter behind a thick bush and tree, keeping her hood down as to hide her hair. 
 
The scene before her was strange. There was a group of fierce-looking men loading crates into a boat, which lapsed amply in the pulsing water. A strong, terrifying man stood by, glaring around with cold eyes. Just by looking at him, Avis knew this was not a man to mess with. 
 
 But that wasn't the strange part. Standing beside the large man was a smaller, elf-ier man who looked too much like…Cedric?
Yes. It was definitely Cedric. His hair appeared darker and he spoke with a strange accent, but there was no doubting: it was Cedric.
 
But what the hell was he doing here? Didn't he have a kingdom to run?
 
Then, just to make things stranger, another form burst from the trees, one who could only be Archea. He too seemed to have dawned a heavy accent. Avis was too startled by his appearance to hear all of what the man said. Some thick sob story about a sick retaliative. 

Avis was torn as of what to do. She could march out there and try to make up a sob story has Archea had done, but what was the point? Judging from the harsh faces of the men (and Cedric for that matter) if she moved a muscle, they'd have no problem with chopping off her head. The logical option was to turn away and leave before they noticed she was here.

But curiosity held her in place. Nothing changed the fact that she was still in fact lost. Plus, she wanted to see what was going on here. She was a safe distance away and hidden behind the undergrowth. She doubted they could see her and if she remained still no one would have a clue she was there (hopefully).

So she remained, well hidden and silent, to watch the scene that played out before her. 

[EDITED]
 
((OOC: Man, i am REALLY really sorry for messing everything up. sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry))

((OOC: Hey Jasper, I'm gonna join the thread, but I'm gonna wait until all posts that require editing have been edited. That way, we can hopefully avoid more confusion and ultimately get this sorted out. For the time being, let this serve as a placeholder for my entrance. I'll edit it once errors have been corrected.))

((OOC TO PLAYERS, PLEASE READ: Hey guys, I don't know if everyone has read all the rules on godmoding, but they are as follows:  Godmoding (control another person's character) is not acceptable, for even small actions, as it is very rude and prevents the characters creator from controlling their character, which is partially the reason behind everyone creating individual characters. For the intents and purposes of this rule, NPCs are to be considered characters owned by the administrator/moderator (depending on the instance), so dictating the actions of such an NPC isn't permitted. You have control over your character and your character only. Also, the timeline of this quest can't be manipulated. That is to say, the events of this quest begin with the admin's first post. "Time travelling" back to set up a plan doesn't work, as it would require both godmoding to an extreme degree and control of time. If everyone can be sure to go back and edit posts in order to ensure that they follow the guidelines outlined above, that would be great. Thank you.
TL;DR: Godmoding is bad, go fix posts so that they don't do it. Questions can be sent to mods and admins.
I don't want to seem rude, it's just rather vital for the smooth functioning of this style of game. Thank you all for your understanding.))

Ivan and Edgar were walking along an road which seemed to have been forgotten along time ago, Ivan asked Edgar one more time, "Are you sure this is the right way? It doesn't look like anyone has been here since my grandfather lived!", "this is the right way, i'm sure of it!" Edgar responded. Ivan threw is hands up in acceptance and they kept walking.

Then a voice drifted through the trees, "Come on boys! Let's get a move on!"   The voice sound harsh and for some reason caused Ivan to stop and listen then he silently motioned for Edgar to follow him, dipping in to the trees he quietly snuck until they began to thin, he and Edgar stopped and hid behind a fallen tree, from where they could see a crew loading up several boats and a man ordering them about. "Well" Ivan said in a whisper to Edgar, "Let's see where this leads!"

While Rowena had not expected things to be any less insane, she had hoped they would be a bit less so. The "business trip" Cedric had not returned from and Archea's sudden departure had signaled that she would not be getting her wish. Rowena, suspicions in head and supplies in hand, set off. She told Psyre that she was leaving to go find Cedric. and possibly Archea,  and had left it up to him whether or not to follow. 

She managed to trace Cedric, using his description, to a village by the sea, and there she had lost all traces of him. However, walking by the docks one day, she heard a voice that sounded somewhat familiar. Rowena decided the best way to see what was going on without getting caught was to charm her way onto a nearby ship and watch the proceedings from there, and she did just that. The familiar voice was Archeas, and Rowen also saw Cedric. Though he had changed his appearance and voice. Something big was happening, and Rowen planned to be a part of it.

(Alright everyone, sorry for the very long wait here. Sam is going to make his post tonight, meaning I'll be able to start the adventure sometime tomorrow.
And for you guys who had to edit your posts, no need to apologize or feel sorry, it's completely fine. It isn't that big of a deal in this topic, because we all know each other, it's just sort of a reminder for future topics. 
So, don't feel bad, just have fun.)

((OOC: I'm actually gonna leave the other post as is, so for the intents and purposes of turns, I'll be after Mr. Pendragon. And there's no need to feel bad about it guys, it's just to clear up any misunderstandings so that future character interactions with both NPCs and other players can run more smoothly. It's the first attempt at a large adventure, so it's certainly a learning experience. Also, please forgive how long it took me to post, I have been and will be much more prompt.))

Psyre was happily on his way back from the River of Runes, having completed his inscription of a new set of Runes, when he felt something...off. Without a moment's hesitation, he was running for cover. He didn't know how he knew the danger was so immediate, but after his trials in the forest, he could just sense it. Maybe it was something in the air, maybe it was a change in how the birds sounded. He didn't really care, he just liked the fact that he was so acutely aware of his surroundings. The disturbance was clearly from about 200 feet ahead of him, so he started walking that way, carefully, quietly, and safely sheltered by using trees, hills, and banks for cover. As he got closer to the shore, he could begin to make out some figures. He thought he recognized Archea. No, it was definitely Archea. Talking to... to... Zanthro. 

Psyre's blood ran cold. One of the first people he had trusted since the Incident was talking to his worst enemy. He had no words. He had no thoughts. After the initial shock, he was filled with a rage that threatened to make his head explode. Wait. Maybe there's a reasonable explanation. Maybe he's just looking for an opportunity to kill him. Probably not. But maybe. As Psyre got closer, he began to let himself believe that. There were several men, most of whom looked highly trained, doing something for Zanthro. And Archea looked almost terrified. Psyre got a bit closer yet and then almost screamed. Cedric was there too. The people that had made him believe in mankind once again were both there. Both talking to his enemy. And it looked like Cedric was working with him. Not Ced. Not Cheeky. No. He had lost those nicknames. He had lost respect. He had betrayed trust. If he had known that Zanthro would be there and weren't working for him, he would have told Psyre. 


In the space of about ten seconds, Psyre's entire world had once again fallen apart. This time, however, there was no sadness. There was no self-doubt. There was nothing but rage. His blood felt as though it were boiling, his muscles ready to tear themselves apart. He could tell people were talking, but over the blood pounding in his ears, he could hear nothing. Without even realizing that he was doing it, his hands were raised, prepared to loose blasts of energy at the people he had, however briefly, considered his friends. Then, a cold, calm voice spoke to him. It was his voice, but harsh and calculating. Emotionless. Empty. Don't be stupid. This will ruin your chance. Not only could Zanthro get away, but he's too strong for you right now. Stay hidden, gather information, train, and then, once the time is come, find Zanthro and kill him. If these traitors are there too, kill them as well. But don't waste this opportunity and your life. Psyre shook his head in an effort to clear it.

He was still angry. Beyond belief. But it was the much more intimidating kind of anger. The kind that is invisible. The inspired anger that lets one hide one's true feelings for as long as is necessary in order to complete a task. He wasn't about to let this get away. But he also wouldn't forget it. Now, his vision returned to normal from the red tunnels he hadn't even noticed and his hearing returned. No one was speaking now, but he could hear now. He was ready now. 

Psyre dropped to the ground, picked up his staff, and began a slow crawl, using whatever parts of the terrain could conceal him. He got as close as he could while maintaining covered and unnoticeable ((seeing as we're on a beach, I'm gonna guess at least 20 feet(possibly more), but if the admin has a particular distance he thinks to be appropriate, we'll use that)).

Remaining out of sight, Psyre focused on his breathing, keeping it calm and level. He knew that he would have to react to anything that might come up, so he released the staff with his left hand and prepared himself to use either Lesser Disruption or his Servant Wind. He also kept his spells in mind so that he could easily make himself faster and more agile. He was angry, but he was rational. He had prepared himself in many ways, and he was going to expand on this opportunity as much as he could. And his enemies would suffer, as they deserved. All three had betrayed him. One had killed everyone close to him. For Zanthro, death would be the only suitable end. For Archea and Cedric, he had not yet decided. But it would be brutal. They had earned as much.

(alrighty, before I get things going here, I'll just state the posting order, because Sam wasn't able to post till later. It goes Me(Zanthro), Archea, Cedric, Avis, Ivan, Psyre, and Rowena)

(also, for those of you sneaking up, this is an opening to the ocean, which means its on the beach. You're still safe, but just be careful about your next move, because there is about 30 feet between the tree line and the water.)

Ah, right after massacring around one hundred people, today was a good day to go sailing. Especially because if he stayed, he would most likely end up dead. He watched lazily as the last of the few belongings were being loaded onto the two small boats. He had seven men remaining, no, eight if he counted that strange man... who he never actually remembered hiring in the first place. Oh well, they would all die out sometime, and if they didn't, he would never see them again. He had what he came for, it was time to return home. 

Turning his head at a sound, Zanthro heard a strange noise, and saw a man running towards him. On instinct, his hand came to rest lightly on the pommel of his sword. The man, however, seemed no danger. He also looked to be from the east, the same homeland as himself. Strange. This fact, however, did not lower his readiness to kill the man if he saw danger. Though, what danger was there? He had seven men... no, eight. He seemed to keep forgetting about that strange eighth. Maybe he would have to kill that one, just to ease his mind. 

"Well, I'm sorry to hear the tragic story, my brother" Zanthro started, upon hearing the not so sad sob story. "But I'm afraid that each of these boats will only fit four people at most, and with my current crew, it seems that I am already one over that limit." His eyes would flick to the man who he didn't remember that well. Why not kill him? He would do it once they took off. No one would care. 
"But, you are an Easterner, like myself, so perhaps I can help in some way." At this, Zanthro reached inside the folds of his shirt, and picked a few coins out, and then threw them at the man. "There is a proper dockyard not too far from here. That should be more than plenty to hire yourself a speedy trip back home. Maybe some left over to come back to this hell if you want." ((+ 5 gold to Archea))

He hoped that would take care of the man. He did not have anymore time to spare. Some of those damned tribesmen had put up enough of a fight. He would hate to meet more here. One of his men asked to use the bathroom. Stupid pig. He could piss in the sea. 

There was that eighth again. Damn, something about that man set him on edge. He would most definitely tip him off the boat once they set sail. And then maybe shoot anyone who tried to save him, just for fun. 

At this moment, Zanthro swore he saw movement in the trees. In more than once place if his eyes weren't mistaken. Could some of the men from Wulfrin already caught up with him? Or perhaps it was simply his own paranoia disturbing his own mind. Either way, Zanthro though it felt much better to walk a ways, and stand just on the water's edge, facing towards the forest. Only a few more minutes and they would be able to leave. 

No, there was most certainly movement in the forest. 

"Hey, you two," Zanthro yelled out towards the man who had asked to go to the bathroom and that damn eighth. "Go to the forest edge and make sure we weren't followed!"

He glanced quickly back at the man who had asked for a ride, making sure he was on his way back. If he was not, Zanthro might have to do something about it. He hoped not. This man was not a filthy Northerner. He laughed at the thought that this land used to be a legend. The Empire was the only legend, and he planned to see it to be known. 

(Sorry about the wait everyone. This also might take sometime to finish, so feel free to make other topics while it's going on. I know I originally stated to leave your other topics, but that won't be necessary until this topic is coming to a close.)

As Archea waited for the most likely “no” response from Zanthro, a figure to the side caught his eye. The person was wearing all black, save for a blood red scarf wrapped around his neck. His hair was gelled back, and a bit darker for that matter – but his face was so elfish … and really probably anyone in the world could have an elfish face, but Archea’s intuition knew it was Cedric.
 
His friend, obviously in disguise (the different clothes that Normal Cedric would not wear, and his dyed hair), was ordering around some deckhands and it seemed like he had somehow mingled his way into Zanthro’s crew. Archea briefly wondered how Cedric had gotten there, but then he remembered how Elfy had not come back when he said he would, after his “business trip,” and so he must’ve been doing something else with his time. This was that something else.
 
Cedric (he probably wasn’t going by that name) barked out some harsh words to a crewmember asking to go to the bathroom, but before Archea could dwell further on how scary his friend had sounded, Zanthro’s answer reached his ears.
 
"I'm afraid that each of these boats will only fit four people at most, and with my current crew, it seems that I am already one over that limit."
 
The smile that Archea had plastered on his face earlier began to fade.
 
"But, you are an Easterner, like myself, so perhaps I can help in some way."
 
His hopes began to rise, only to plummet when Zanthro tossed some money at him. It was hard to hold back a frown. Archea did not need money, dammit, he needed a ride to the East.
 
Zanthro told him of a dockyard close by – to go get a ride from there. He also made a snide remark about the North, which Archea chose to ignore.
 
Archea was about to barter some more, when Zanthro’s attention went from him to over his shoulder, toward the edge of the forest. He shouted at Cedric and the other man Cedric was talking to, ordering them to check the forest. He must’ve seen movement there. Archea hoped that whoever is was would get out of there as fast as possible – he didn’t want to image what would happen if they were caught.  
 
As the two went off, Archea had another chance to talk to Zanthro, and he didn’t want to lose it.
 
“I thank you for the money, but I need a ride now. I don’t have time to wait for another ship,” Archea’s voice became more serious, but he still didn’t really have a plan further than trying to convince Zanthro to let him join them.
 
He had to think about the seating issue, because what Zanthro said about the boats being full were true. “I don’t mean to be controlling or demeaning of your crew members, however, I’m sure I can offer much greater advantages than …” he pointed to Bathroom Dude, “him. Just asking that question when it was widely known you were ready to embark is very disrespectful of him. It may be just this, now, but who knows, later on it could be even more serious disobedience.” Archea ‘tsk’d quietly as part of the act.
 
   
“I can help navigate, if that is any use to you? I am an explorer and know very well these oceans, as I have traversed them many a time.” Archea was getting slightly desperate. But he kept it under check. He had to succeed in this. For Psyre.

"Go to the forest edge and make sure we weren't followed!"

Cedric turned as he heard Zanthro speak, glancing at Archea. His ride being shut down should just be taken as a 'get out of here,' but how could Archea know that? Cedric turned to the man he had decided to be rude to.

"Follow behind, and for gods sake don't get lost." Cedric made a show of rolling his eyes before he quickly turned around and started walking towards the forest.

He noticed a few things, of course. The trees near the beach weren't quite as green as the ones further back, the snow around them would probably never melt, and, oh yeah, literally EVERYONE. WAS. HIDING. IN. THE. BUSHES.

Cedric's mind was basically screaming at all of them in unison before his mind caught up to him about three things.

1) He couldn't show any sign that he saw them.

2) EVERYONE S U C K E D at hiding and

3) Rowena and Psyre were hiding with everyone else.

Wait... Oh Gods no.

Cedric's mind was reeling as he made his way towards the forest, keeping his face calm and his strides even.

Psyre? Oh gods he.... What he must think! Cedric knew he'd want to kill him, maybe even... Oh for the love of the North. Archea was there too. This makes everything seem so suspicious. He doesn't even know what Cedric does for a living, so there would be no way of rationalizing all of this. He'd... have to deal with that. He must have really hurt him... Betrayed his trust.

Suddenly living seemed very... Unimportant. He held back a sigh as he kept on, finally reaching the tree line.

He realizes now Archea has been trying to reason with Zanthro...

Why did this get so complicated so fast?

Well. This narrowed down what he had to do.

"Let's check further back and work our way up," Cedric turned to the man behind him. "Don't slow us down... And I'm sorry for how harsh I'm being on you. Zanthro runs a tough ship, you know. My yelling is better than his sword."

"...Yeah." The man coughed.

"You're also an idiot. How you landed this job with your incompetence, I'll never know." Cedric sneered at the man. "Keep going."

When they reached a bit farther into the treeline, enough to where they couldn't be seen or heard from the shore, Cedric turned to the man. He had to keep Rowena safe, as well as Psyre. Everyone else, well. They should be fine, but Gods are they kind of idiots. His idiots, in a sense, but still. This is dangerous stuff.

"Listen, Pee-Man. We're far enough out that you can take your precious bathroom break," Cedric filled his look with disgust as he looked at the man. "But make it quick. He'll be expecting us back."

The man mumbled a quick thanks as he turned around to do his business.

Cedric slipped his dagger out of his sleeve, quietly sneaking up behind the man.

"You know... I really don't like you but you're a real pri-"

The rest of the man's sentence was cut off of Cedric's dagger plunging into his throat's side. Cedric felt the sure snap of the man's vocal cords, and proceeded to rip the dagger out of his throat by slashing it outward. Cedric watched a bit as the man struggled to stop the bleeding, always amazed by how much blood was actually in the human body. The life slowly drained out of the man's eyes, now Cedric had to move fast.

He approximated 20 minutes left in what Zanthro expected to be 'combing the forest', and he knew he must have an audience.

"Now," Cedric said, finally Cedric once again. "What. The. Bloody. HELL. were you all thinking." Cedric looked around him. "Don't play dumb you're all terrible at hiding. Also, lovely to see you all again. Hoped it would be under different circumstances, maybe a moon lit dinner, but hey. Who am I to be picky." Cedric suddenly remembered. He closed his eyes slowly.

"Please tell me Rowena didn't see that, and tell me where I can find Psyre." They must know, they couldn't all be here on coincidence... But then, how else would they all be here?

Cedric gave a quick, slightly panicked, sigh. 

Why were things so complicated?

((Psst, quick reminder about flow, you won't be able to get close enough to see everyone for sure without them getting a chance to move/ react. 30 feet away, under tree cover or on the ground, they're gonna hear the order the same time you do, so they'll have time to move, run, etc. before you'll be able to see them. Denying people their opportunity to act when they should have a chance to is essentially a lesser form of godmoding. It prevents the players from being able to play their characters in the given situation. The average person hiding behind trees won't be easily visible from 30 feet away. You're strength is under 60, so you can sprint at 18 feet/sec, so if you were to be running toward them as fast as is physically possible for you, they'd still have time to move before you got there. Also, "Bathroom Dude" should be considered the admin's character, so deciding his actions and controlling his death, etc. is also godmoding. Just a quick reminder, cuz otherwise it becomes kinda impossible for the game to function as intended. Just like how in Dungeons and Dragons, you can't tell the DM "The monster trips and falls on my sword" or "The monster turns around because it heard something, so I kill it." The control of admin/mod NPCs goes only to admins/mods. Sorry if this sounds rude or anything, it's definitely not meant to be, I'm kinda pressed for time on some stuff, so this was very hastily written.))

Avis nearly swore out loud as she heard the Mean-Face order Cedric and Pee-Man to check the forest for trespassers.  Luckily, she caught herself before the words slipped from her lips. 
Moving as little as she could, Avis burrowed further down in her hiding space. She knew it was weak attempt to stay hidden, but what else could she do? Running away did not seem like a great option as the motion would likely cause a great deal of noise and alert the men of her presence. Fighting as well was certainly not an option. Each one of these men looked capable of be-heading her with a signal stroke. 

Having sunk down in her hiding place, Avis was unable to track Cedric's and Pee-man's movement with her eyes. From what she could tell from listening, it sounded as if they had entered the forest farther down. She briefly considered making a break for it but then remembered she would probably trip over another hiding for if she did so. Yeah. She'd noticed that there seemed to be another billion others hiding in the trees around her. For instance, she could literally the top of a knight's head (the pissy one she meet in the lodge. What was his name? Issac? Ivis? Ivan? What?). Why the hell everyone had decided the best course of action had been to hide in bushes where they would likely die was quite beyond her...even though she was doing the same exact thing. Maybe this wasn't the best plan after all. 

It was then that she heard the sounds of a body falling to the ground, followed quickly by Cedric's annoyed voice: "Now, what the bloody hell were you all thinking? Don't play dumb, you're all terrible at hiding."

He had fair point, but what the hell was he doing? Was he working with Mean-Face who was obviously a criminal? Was this all a trick to draw them out and kill them? If not, wasn't he at least worried the Mean-Face would hear his voice? 

Avis was torn; one part of her wanted to to hiss at him to shut up, another wanted to step out and ask him what the hell he was doing, and yet another part wanted to hit him in the gut and run away. 
And who the hell was the guy he'd asked about? Psyre? Who the hell was that? 
To say the least, Avis was rather confused and quite stressed out.

Figuring she was probably dead no matter what she did,  Avis edged very slowly and cautiously out of her hiding space. She was careful to keep low and hopefully out of view of the beach. 
She slowly turned to face Cedric, offering a weary, stressed smile as she spoke. "Well. If it isn't his royal highness himself." 
Her voice was low, nervous, but had not lost any of its sarcastic nature. This was clearly a bad situation. she honestly did not know how to handle it. 




((OOC: sorry if this post makes no sense. i am tried as hell. so yeah. sorry. if its unreadable, tell me and i will edit it later))

Cedric started moving toward the trees at Zanthro's behest. Psyre didn't miss a beat. Even as Zanthro issued the command, Psyre was already running back into the forest. Sure, someone might be able to see some movement, but he would be safe in the dense forest. There, no one would be ale to see very far, but as in touch with the Wild as he was, Psyre didn't need to see to know if he was in danger. Nonetheless, this was an amazing opportunity and he didn't want to waste it. So, he ran, but not too far. He ran about twenty feet back into the forest ((rules on difficult terrain haven't been enumerated yet, but assuming the standard 1/2 speed prevalent in other games, this would take about 2 seconds. Admin input on what would be appropriate?)), trying to keep listening to anything that was happening on the shore. He probably wouldn't be able to hear anything, but it was safer to be alive without information than to trade his life for information on which he wouldn't be able to act. So, he ran. Once in the cover of the deeper trees, he turned back toward the shore and strained to hear what was going on. At the same time, he kept aware of his Wild Sense, ready to dart away from any nearing threat ((This will prevent some sort of chance encounter with Cedric as he circles around the group, as Psyre would be aware of Cedric long before either were visible)).

Here, Psyre hoped to catch some snippets of conversation and therefrom learn what was happening on the shore. He knew it was almost certainly futile, but he hoped nonetheless. Then, he heard a voice that made his blood run cold. It was muffled, as twenty feet of forest lay between himself and the speaker, but he heard Cedric all the same.

"What. The. Bloody. HELL. were you all thinking. Don't play dumb you're all terrible at hiding." Psyre was confused. Extremely. It sounded like Cedric wasn't reporting them? But if he was speaking loudly enough that Psyre could hear him, muffled though he was, wouldn't someone on the beach also be able to hear him? Psyre turned again, making as little sound as he could, and ran again, further away. And then froze. He couldn't abandon them. He crept back towards them, then, from his original position, which he hoped was close enough, he said "Guys, run. Right now. They heard that."  Then, without pausing to see if they heard and listened, he began running further back into the forest. His sanctuary. Here, he could sense threats and avoid them. Here, he could survive. He could always come for Zanthro another day.

Ivan and Edgar sat watching the crew. Ivan silently tried to decide what to do next. Who were these men and did they really need his attention right now?. Ivan was distracted from his thoughts when two members of the crew left and headed in to the forest about 20 ft. down from where he was hiding. One of them looked rather familiar, tall, elf like features... What the hell was Blondie doing here! Ivan thought to himself as he recognized the man, and why was he helping a band of what Ivan though were mercenaries? Ivan Decided that what Blondie did for fun was not his issue but was still intrigued as to why he was here. He turned his attention back to the beach.

After a while Ivan was startled when he Heard Cedric say, "What. The. Bloody. HELL. were you all thinking. Don't play dumb you're all terrible at hiding" Turning around Ivan was surprised at how idiotic Blondie was being, some one one the beach almost certainly heard him, and having all those mercenaries coming after him wouldn't be good. But on the up side, from the way that Blondie had stated that, there were others here in the woods too, maybe they could help turn the tides in a battle if need be. But then, Ivan thought, those Mercenaries had looked very big and very mean, so maybe it didn't matter.

From some where in the trees Ivan heard a voice, the voice of a young man that was he was unfamiliar with, "Guys, run. Right now. They heard that." the voice said, confirming Ivan's suspicions, Ivan wasn't one who liked to back away from a fight but he also really valued his life, so he grabbed Edgar by the shoulder and stood up, starting to run back through the forest, hoping that this was the way that they had came. He paused only to yell over his shoulder, "Thanks Blondie, If you get me killed I am totally going to beat you senseless in the after life!", Ivan was unsure what wold happen, he was only sure that if he stayed there he would probably end up dead.

Zanthro flicked his eyes over to the two men who were leaving. Maybe the northmen would kill them. 

Then, he heard the Easterner start talking again. Why? Had the answer "no" not been enough?
"Well if you need a ride now, then I'd suggest you better start hurrying to that dock," Zanthro said, upon hearing the first part of the man's reply, the smile fading from his face. 

"Maybe you don't know who I am, or maybe you do," Zanthro said after hearing the second part. "But I am not someone that you "ask" to ride with, and never so demandingly. I know my own ways back to where I belong. I don't need an "explorer", boy," he finished, his lip starting to curl. He had no idea what the man was thinking, but you don't demand to ride along with someone who had just killed half a tribe. And if you did, you should expect to have your throat slit. There was something strange about the man. 

It was at this moment that Zanthro heard muffled voices, one of which sounded distinctly like that damn eighth. 

He gazed at the spot where he had sent them, and then saw some bushes shuffle and move about. Slowly, Zanthro began to draw his short sword that lay at his side. 

"Now, I suggest you leave," Zantrho said to the man, not leaving it as a question, but a demand. 

Then, the bushes moved more, and he heard someone clearly yell out. Someone he knew to be neither the eighth or the other man either. 

Ripping the rest of the sword from it's sheath, Zanthro started forward, and pointed to the forest. 

"Alright, you heard that," he growled to the remaining six men. "There aren't that many, I can tell, but if they get away the whole tribe will know we are here. Let's get this over with quick and head back home."

A few of the bandits dropped what they were doing, and other's stood, slightly confused. 

"Come one!" Zanthro roared. He pointed at two, and flicked his hand forwards, and then beckoned to the other four another direction. "If you want to live another day, then go! I won't be the one to kill you, they will. You're stronger than a few of them, so go!"

At this, the men ran in their respective directions, two of the group of four pulling the short bows from their back, and the rest either taking out large hunting knives or short swords. 

All ran into the forest, except Zanthro who walked, and covered the short distance in two seconds before they hit the forest walls. Once in, the group of two broke into breakneck speed, and cut off to the left, trying to circle around the sound of running people (traveling at a measly speed of 18 ft/s because less than 60 str.), while the group of four ran (at 16 ft/s) and cut off to the right of the noise.

((hey just real quick to clarify, are the bandits running at 18 ft/s or are we(the characters), i was abit confused on the way that that was worded, also checking to see if i can say out of context stuff out of turn or if i have to wait.))

(Ooc comments are allowed out of turn, but don't spam. If you can send a pm instead, do that.
Also, just a clarification, everyone has 18 ft/s as their maximum movement speed, and that is how fast the bandits are moving. You (Ivan) are the only exception, although by grabbing your guard's shoulder while you run, that makes you run at the same speed as he does (as he cannot run faster, so you must run slower) making you also run at 18 ft/s
Sorry for the bad wording of that sentence. Currently, only the bandits, Ivan, and Psyre are running.)

Archea’s request had been shut down again. Part of his mind cursed at himself for not being competent, another part cursed at Zanthro for being … well, Zanthro, and yet another part of him said to get the hell out of there. There was no time to scold himself, and getting angry at Zanthro would only end in his death, so he had to go with the last option.
 
Once Zanthro told him to leave, the killer didn’t give him the time of day. His attention was now directed at the tree line, where some interesting things seemed to be going down. One, Cedric had said something, and though it had been muffled, they could still hear him. Archea could sense that Zanthro was very suspicious about his elfy friend, and maybe Cedric’s idea to stick out, as Zanthro’s right-hand-man, wasn’t best idea. God dammit, Cedric
 
Two, Cedric’s speaking had been answered by another person, and this person what were they thinking yelled a response. Yelled. For god’s sake, if Zanthro, the crewmen, and he could hear normal speaking from where they were, they were definitely able to hear yelling. And the yelling sounded a lot like the Knight (Archea never got to learn his name), which made him wonder what the heck he was doing here.
 
Dear god, they were all gonna die.
 
In Zanthro’s odering about of the crewmen, and their quick charge toward the forest, Archea took this as his exit. ((Not real exit, just moving away from where the boats are.)) He slowly, but cautiously, turned around, periodically checking to make sure no stray crewman had been ordered to watch him leave. He made his gait purposeful, as if he truly was off to find another ship to take him to the East, and that he didn’t care about what was going on in the woods.
 
He was going to have to think about what to do next. He contemplated just leaving it all to Cedric, who, even though was causing suspicion, had at least managed to infiltrate Zanthro’s crew. Cedric was a lot more capable of many things than Archea.
 
But also. If he left, he’d feel like he was letting people down – Psyre especially. Plus, if things continued the way they were going, with Cedric literally not thinking before speaking, his friend would need all the help he could get.
 
… Archea was not sure how much help he could give, but he would think about that later.
 
(And by now he was too muddled with what and what not to think about; we can just say when there’s a lot of stuff going on in his brain, he can get easily confused.)

Archea sighed, looking down at the sand. Then he drew in a deep breath, looked up, steeled himself, and inconspicuously began his way into the forest. ((He makes his entrance into the forest a couple of tens of feet away from where the main skirmish is.))

((OOC: I had no idea what to write so there's no dialogue or anything super exciting ... also it's like way shorter than my normal ? :B))

Everything seemed to catch up to Cedric at one moment. 

Dandelion came out and greeted him, nice to know she was here. He heard Psyre say they had heard them... This may not be a problem. He could just make her scream? Make sounds of a small fight. He knew ways to fake someone's death if it came to that.

And then the knight yelled.

Idiot idiot idiot idiot! Oh Gods. Okay. Fine. Whatever. We can do this, we're skilled individuals.


Cedric saw people running from the treeline, he had to go. They all did, but where was Rowena? He couldn't leave without her. Was she frozen in fear? Cedric quickly scanned the tree line as he heard the feet coming closer. Now was not the time to fight, he had to find Rowena and get her to safety. Cedric started to run, away from the treeline. He'd find her. He'd have to circle back, but he'd find her.

Once he was out of range from where he believed the main fight would happen, he ran over to the right, quietly. Hiding as he did so. He didn't see or hear anyone around him yet, so he kept going. Eventually he got close to where he thought he had first seen her, and he did their special call. It's a bird call, common to the North. He may be frantic but he'd have to be careful. He'd help the others soon enough, he just needed to save his daughter.

If she's looking for leaves again I might ground her. Not the place. Cedric paused his thoughts for a second. I'd still guild it and let her leave and do whatever, but oh, how she'd be grounded.


He kept looking for her, looking over his back and listening fir anyone who might need help if they couldn't stand their own ground.

Suddenly there was a rustling of bushed all around and people were running. A young boy popped out and made a dash back into the forest, saying something as he went. The pissy Knight appeared too and also made a dash for it, yelling. Yelling! What was he thinking?! Everyone would have heard that! And how many people were hiding in this goddamn forest?!

Screw this. Avis thought, casting a quick look back at the beach. The mean man must have heard all the commotion and they would likely all be dead soon. Now was as good of time as ever to get the hell out of this place. Without wasting another second, Avis twisted and ran into the forest, following the idiotic knight.

((OOC: sorry it took me so long to post!))

Behind him, Psyre could hear the others rustling leaves and breaking branches and twigs as they too began to run away. Psyre tried to think of a plan as he ran, but he couldn't come up with one that didn't involve everyone having a good chance of dying. They were in the forest, so the bows he had seen their pursuers carrying wouldn't be particularly effective in most of it, but there was also the fact that they had broken apart. There was a reason that when deer ran from wolves, they stayed together. But they had all broken apart in separate directions. If their adversaries acted as a cohesive unit, the ragged band would have no chance whatsoever against them. Their enemies would hunt them down and they would die. The only real hope the group had was to reunite and then try to fight their enemies in a place in which their advantage was lessened. 

Still unsure of how exactly his newfound ability worked, Psyre tried to feel around him and figure out if his allies (though, it now seemed, only temporary ones) were anywhere near him. He could tell that something was coming from behind, it felt like a lumbering colossus was moving to the forest and everything was terrified of it. That would be the bandits. Great. Psyre was set on the fact that he had to find the others somehow, so he turned slightly left (~ 40 degrees) and cotinued running. Now, however, as he ran, he called out to the others. It was soft, and as soon as he could feel the enemies within 40 feet of himself, he would stop, but until then, he ran on, trying to find the others. 

"Oi, Cedric? Rowenna? Archea? Other random people that I don't know?"

"Guys, if anyone can hear me, come over here. We'll get slaughtered alone. I can help us get away or set up for a more favorable fight."

"Hello?"

Psyre kept going, but slower, as he was using so much air to speak. He also tried to run more softly so that he would be able to hear any replies. It was a last-ditch effort, and there was a huge chance that it wouldn't work anyway, but Psyre didn't want them to picked off like sick elk.

As Ivan ran he could hear the others begin to run behind him and what might have been the Bandits giving chase. Ivan was furiously thinking of someway that this might turn out well. there little group of misfits was scattered and facing down a larger more trained more coordinated group of adversaries. In almost all of the scenarios that Ivan thought of they would either die or get very very lost. The only way he thought that they might have a chance was by grouping up but that would be close to impossible so Ivan kept running. Edgar not far behind.

Then through the woods Ivan heard a small voice almost to quite to hear, "Oi, Cedric? Rowenna? Archea? Other random people that I don't know?"

"Guys, if anyone can hear me, come over here. We'll get slaughtered alone. I can help us get away or set up for a more favorable fight."


It sounded like the same voice that had told them to run. This could very well be a trap, Ivan thought, but then again what the hell. Ivan angled him self toward the voice and continued to run slowing down so that he could state his reply and not lose all of his air. He called out, but quietly this time aware that maybe his vocalization might have made this situation worse, "Whoever you are you better not be tricking me, because i'm not in a good mood and really don't want to get killed, but your Idea seems to be the only logical thing to do at this moment. So..." Ivan Left that hanging, running slowly now, he wanted to be aware of any thing the other might say.