The Golden Age; a time when Gods, Spirits, and Mortals all lived in harmony. For a time, peace was the order of the day and all races lived in happiness. But the mortal race known as Human became jealous as time went on. The Gods and Spirits were both immortal and possessed magic that could only be called upon by winning their favor. The other mortal races were all of some kin to the animals that roamed the land. In all of Valance, the Humans were the weakest of the races, and that caused them to despise their neighbors and friends. That bitterness only grew as the time marched forward. One day, Humanity could stand it no longer. A large sect cut itself off from the rest of the world and declared themselves a Godless Empire. They quickly drew in others who felt the same, and the superior numbered humans put their wits to work. They began to develop technology that could rival the Magic of the Spirits and went to war. The Gods wished to remain free of the fighting, but as their followers were killed off, their power began to drain was well. Soon, they were weak enough that the humans could destroy them as well. Time passed, and the Gods became few in number. Their followers were scattered to the corners of the world as the Empire grew stronger and stronger. Humanity reigned supreme. But hope wasn't lost. Though their powers had begun to wane, Gods such as the Wild God Tulris protected their followers and created glades where their people could live in peace. Tulris was well loved by his people, and his High Priestess acted as his messenger and the leader of his people. But time works even on one that is so closely connected with a God. High Priestess Clerina was growing old, and a replacement would soon be needed. Her adopted daughter, a faun named Aria, volunteered to make the dangerous pilgrimage to the six holy sites to take Clerina's place. Aria was popular among Tulris' followers and many volunteered to join her. But the choice of who went was with her. And she made some....intersting choices. Among these choices was Nathaniel, a powerful warrior that had protected the glade for years. His might was legendary among the followers and many suspected that he sought to become Aria's lover. Another was Liam, a mysterious man known for his shadow magic and his strange ways. Then there were the other guardians, each of whom had their own reasons for wanting to join the pilgrimage. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Night Before the Pilgrimage "What were you thinking with those choices? Some of those people are.... You don't know you can trust them!" "Calm yourself Nathaniel. It was my choice who I accept and I feel it is for the best. Some of them may seem odd, but it is those oddities that make them different than the other volunteers. So please, don't worry for my safety. I feel I can trust them." The big warrior banged a fist on Aria's table and shook his head. "I don't like it. Especially Liam. You know the rumors about him?" "I know them. And I'm still willing." Nathaniel looked over her admiring the young woman's beauty and determination. She wasn't weak by any means, but she looked so frail to him. Her flowing red hair that hung down to her cute little butt, her cream colored breasts that were hidden under the leather bindings she wore, and her deer-like hips with the sarong draping off one side. Her cloven feet had no need for shoes, and were quite powerful as he had found out one time when she had accidentally stepped on one of his feet. Atop her pretty head were a pair of small antlers that extended back. She was a beauty and even men of the Empire would lust for her if they captured her. If they learned her potential role as High Priestess, they would do anything to destroy her. "Aria, please listen to me!" "Enough Nathaniel. I know you mean well, but please." "Fine. Fine! We have an early start tomorrow, so get some rest." Nathaniel left, slamming the door behind him, but before Aria could find a moment to relax, the corner of her small one room home began to pulse with dark energy and then the spell faded. Liam stood there, covered in robes and his face shrouded. His eyes were dark and deep. She felt that if she stared into those eyes too long, she would lose herself in them. Over Liam's shoulder, a dark bat-like Spirit fluttered. "Nathan's an ass, Nathan's an ass! Got a cute one too! Wouldn't mind biting it!" Aria chuckled at the chittering of Helvast, Liam's familiar. Where her master was normally withdrawn and quiet, the female Spirit had no problem mouthing off and speaking her rather lewd mind. Helvast fluttered over and settled on Aria's shoulder and nuzzled her for a moment. "Wouldn't mind biting Aria's ass either!" "Well thank you Helvast, but perhaps another time?" "Fine, Fine!" Helvast said in a sing-song imitation of Nathaniel before flittering back to her master. "I take you heard all that?" Liam nodded in answer to her question. "What are your thoughts Liam?" "Don't trust anyone. Not without good reason." His voice was as deep and powerful as his eyes, but he said no more and turned to walk towards her door. His hand rested on the knob and he looked back over his shoulder at her. "That includes me. don't trust me either." With that, he was lost to the night. Aria was left wondering how her pilgrimage would go with two such interesting companions. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Pilgrimage Begins Aria stood in the glade's central clearing, looking at the group assembled before her. These were her guardians and they were tasked with keeping her safe on her pilgrimage. Liam and Nathaniel made a point of standing far from each other and didn't look at one another. Aria held back a chuckled and looked over her companions. "Welcome friends. Today we begin our journey, so why don't you each take a moment to introduce yourselves in case someone doesn't know the others?"
"Call me Alisha. " The woman in a grey cloak raised her hand to show that she has twisted sharp claws in place for her fingers "I know how to kill people with this and I am here to protect Aria not make friends. It is all you need to know"
"Greetings, everyone, my name is Glenn Falbrein," the light brown-haired mercenary bowed to his companions. "When I learned about Aria's pilgrimage, I couldn't help but to offer my assistance, as I'm sure there'll be many dangers ahead of us. Although, I see no reason why we can't enjoy the sights and learn more about our world as we go." He finished his introduction with a smile directed towards Aria, marvelling at the faun's beauty. He had always admired her from afar and hoped to get to know her better during their journey.
(OOC: Still waiting on two more, but decided to do an intro for the other NPCs in the group) Nathaniel gave his naginata a twirl before slamming the spear butt into the ground. "I'm Nathaniel Taler. I've been protecting the Followers for a while now. I've battled everything from monsters to orc raiders and even the Empire's soldiers. I'm here to protect Aria from any and all threats." His eyes had roamed over every member of the pilgrimage, but settled on Liam on the last word. The shrouded man gave a chuckle. Nathaniel hadn't missed Glenn's smile at Aria. He didn't blame the man for being interested in her. Many a man and woman were. But that didn't mean he had to like it. Liam was leaning against a tree during the introductions. The last two members of the group were not jumping to introduce themselves yet, probably waiting to be last. Liam didn't care. He could go ahead and make his own introduction in the meantime. He stepped away from the tree and gave a cough to get everyone's attention now that Nathaniel had shut his mouth. He was about to make his own introduction when all of a sudden Helvast formed on his shoulder. "I'm Helvast! Aren't I sexy? Step right up for a kiss and maybe we can enjoy a night together!" "Away you," Liam said, waving off the Spirit. Helvast flittered over to Aria and sat on her shoulder, nuzzling her neck. Nathaniel gave a strangled gasp and his knuckles went white from gripping his weapon. Liam gave an exasperated sigh and took another step forward. "I'm Liam. That's Helvast. We'll be joining you." With that, Liam backed up to his tree and got comfortable again, waving for Helvast to stop pestering Aria. The spirit gave an overly dramatic sigh and then flew back to him and disappeared into his chest.
From her spot under the shade of a tree Nea watched the others introduce themselves. The Taler guy reminded her a bit of farmer Jenkins. The old guy would do anything to protect those he cared about – even betray or kill his supposed friends. Nathaniel reminded her of a younger, better trained and thus more dangerous, version of him. She hoped she would not have to find out if he would turn on them to protect Aria. Liam was still a bit of an enigma but at least his Spirit could be quite entertaining. Alisha was not the friendliest person and she did not hide her demon taint. Nea liked her honesty about the latter and did not mind the former. Glenn seemed like a nice guy at first glance, though time would tell how nice. Nea noticed his smile directed at the faun. This will be interesting… She thought. From what she had seen Nathaniel had an interest in Aria, possibly romantic, Glenn seemed interested in the faun, and Liam… was still an enigma. Nea could not blame the guys for their interest in Aria – even if the faun was not her type she could not deny that the redhead was quite a beauty. Watching the guys fight over her affections could be quite entertaining… as long as it did not cause trouble for the rest of them, or at least for her. Guess it’s about time I introduce myself. Nea decided and moved from her spot under the tree. She had chosen to start the journey wearing a simple dark grey dress, though she had prepared other clothing, in case she needed it. "Hello, everyone," she greeted them politely. "My name is Nea, and this is Lyna." She pointed at her Spirit who was floating nearby and was keeping quiet for now. "I look forward to traveling with you and exploring the world." The raven-haired woman took a quick look at each of the other people present before returning to her spot under the tree’s shade.
"Hooo," Malcolm coughed. "Oh, sorry, excuse me. Talk about a stereotype!" Tucking his wings behind him, he ambled slightly forward. "I'm Malcolm Tyton of Strigine City. I'm a recent disciple of Tulris, and I thought that accompanying the new High Priestess on her pilgrimage would be a great introduction for me!" He bowed, wings splayed behind him. The light smeared over the waxen vanes of his feathers before blinking away as he snapped them once more around his back. His armless tunic pulled tight over his puffed chest, then flowed into his roomy pants that contained his hardened scales that ended in his taloned feet. They gripped the soil as he motioned in his bow, evoking a sense of sturdiness. As he rose however, his mouth twitched at Nathaniel and Glenn. Humans. Without accent. Weirdly, tainted ones like Alisha or those with familiars like Liam and Nea were more tolerable to his palate. Fear and pain complained raucously within his heart, but his brain scolded them into quiet rumblings. Neither were personally responsible for the ongoing destruction of his people, despite their heritage, and he needed to remember that. Revulsion is a human quality. Owls knew better. Putting on his brave face, he smiled then backed into the group.
(I'm the late bastard. Sue me. Also, after posting this, I will be unavailable for the rest of the night. Sorry, guys.) Darina surveyed the small group surrounding her, wondering yet again just how exactly she'd gotten herself roped into helping these religious nutjobs. Her gaze settled back on Alisha. Something about her was...unsettling. It was something she'd have to watch, more so than the rest of this mob. "Darina Hochenwald. I'm here to act as a guide to the, ah, holy sites closer to Imperial borders." Despite her best efforts, she couldn't keep all of the contempt from her voice. She leaned back against her tree again, quietly fingering one of the pistols on the belt crossing her torso, and was silent again.
With the last introduction made, Aria smiled at all of her companions. Her Guardians. "I welcome each of you. Some of you may seem like odd choices for my companions on this journey, but each of you will make this journey richer and help me to grow into the high priestess I hope to become. I'm placing my life and trust in all of you." Nathaniel gave an exasperated huff and spoke up. "The first holy site is nearby. Less than a week away. It is probably the safest of the six sites and the last place we will have a chance to relax for the rest of the trip. We are all prepared, so it is time to go. I'll take the lead with Darina and Alisha. Glenn on the left, Malcolm on the right. Liam and Nea will take the rear. We protect Aria with our lives and make sure she comes back to do Tulris' will." "Nathan's an ass!" chirped Helvast, causing Liam to chuckle and the big warrior to glare angrily. Aria gave a chuckle and headed off, not bothering to wait for Nathaniel to get his desired formation together. She wasn't planning to stand on ceremony and simply wanted the others with her on her journey. Liam began moving and soon had fallen in beside her, with Helvast trying to strike up a conversation with the Faun. Nathaniel waved to the others and headed after them.
Glenn glanced at Aria, nervous about striking a conversation with the faun. He looked her up and down, the antlers sprouting from her fiery mane of hair were very cute in his opinion. He always thought that his attraction towards her was unusual, since he usually found only female humans attractive. Shaking his head, he decided to approach her. Sidling up to the faun, Glenn cleared his throat. "So, Aria, lovely day, isn't it?" He inquired, before doing a mental facepalm at his lameness. "I mean, what sorts of interesting things do you think we'll find on this journey?"
Aria gave Glenn a warm smile as they walked. She seemed to be in high spirits. "It is a lovely day. A good day to set out on an adventure. I haven't been out of the glade before, so everything will be new to me. I've only heard legends of the six holy sites of Tulris, so I'm not really sure what will be there. I've heard the second site is situated at the base of a beautiful waterfall! Ooooh I can't wait to see it! Clerina, er I mean the current High Priestess, told me that it was at the base of the waterfall that shared her first kiss with a boy on a moon lit night. It sounds so romantic!" Helvast has moved from Liam's shoulder to Aria's during the conversation, trying to get her attention again. The bat-like Spirit gave a chittering little laugh. "I'll be your first kiss Aria! And your first bed mate if you ask nicely!" Nathaniel was a short distance behind Aria's little group and to the other companions around him, his anger was apparent. Was it because Aria had ignored his marching orders? Or maybe because Glenn had struck up a conversation before he could? Or was it Liam and his perverted little Spirit? Aria giggled at Helvast's proposition and stroked the Spirit's head gently. "Well, I am bisexual Helvast, so I suppose you have a chance. But I haven't decided who will be my first, kiss or "Bed mate" as you put it. I want to enjoy this journey to the fullest with everyone here. If romance begins to bloom, then that will just be another great aspect of this pilgrimage that I can enjoy." "You should enjoy yourself while you can. Things will only get harder for everyone as our journey moves forward. You have a target on your back as it is." It was the first time Liam had spoken since his short introduction, and he didn't say anything else. Aria smiled at the man and nodded, but didn't seem worried by what he had said.
Glenn nodded at what Aria said and smiled as she recounted the High Priestess' tale. Maybe he could be the one to have the honor of being the recipient of Aria's first kiss. "I'm looking forward to seeing that, it sounds amazing," he said, smiling at the faun. "I've never wandered too much far from the glade myself, bounty jobs are scarce these days." He was a bit annoyed at Helvast's suggestion of being Aria's first, even if he supposed the Spirit only said that in jest. He then decided to ask something he was wondering about ever since Helvast started making those kind of jokes. "Hey, Helvast, would you even be able to do something as being someone's 'bed mate'?"
For lack of a better phrase, Nathaniel's barking ruffled Malcolm's feathers. He already didn't feel endeared to him on the first place, and his rush-to-action attitude caused bad memories to surface. Swallowing his pride, he trundled into the group, far from his ordered place. Mild civil disobedience was definitely the Owl way of dealing with a frustrating colleague. Helvast's outburst elicited a suppressed snort of laughter. Thankfully, Nathaniel's attitude can be checked. His ultrasonic hearing picked up much of the conversation with Glenn, Liam, and Aria, and Liam couldn't be more correct. They all had targets on their backs, all the more reason Malcolm had to press on. The Owls could defend themselves for now against the humans, but it's only a matter for time before they -- and the rest of the wilderness -- succumb to their relentless advance if they did nothing. May Tulris help us all, he thought. He also slightly revised his opinion on Glenn. He seemed genuine, and his affection for Aria is clear. If he could see past her animal morph body, then their might be hope for him yet. Darina though... she has some chip on her shoulder. Tulris knows what, and he figured he would find out eventually. Malcolm remained quiet and reserved, idly picking at the ground with his talons. Conversation starting was never quite his strong suit, especially among new people, but he would be happy to continue one if approached.
Nea stayed at the back of the group and followed quietly for now as she observed her companions and listened to the conversations. "They are an amusing bunch, don’t you think?" She whispered to Lyna and took a quick look around. The last thing she wanted was for someone – or something – to surprise thrm from behind while everyone was busy talking.
Aria's eyes went big. "You're a bounty hunter?" There was wonder and excitement in her eyes. At Glenn's question to Helvast, the Spirit gave a cackle. "Silly human. I can do a lot!" Suddenly an orb of dark energy appeared in front of Helvast and the spirit manipulated it into a rather large penis. Helvast looked rather pleased with herself and said "Bet I can please Aria better than you!" Aria for her part was now blushing and trying not to look at the penis floating in front of her.
Lyna chuckled and looked down at Nea from where she was floating and gave her tail a flick. "Interesting indeed. And rather lewd." That last bit was aimed at Helvast and her floating penis.... "It is good that you are keeping your eyes open child. It appears that most of this group are too focused on enjoying themselves to really do so. Though... I believe that Liam fellow has something up his sleeve. I can sense something odd from him. I'm not sure what, but I am fairly certain he is at least as observant as you are being."
Okay, a suspended penis is definitely an icebreaker. "I didn't know this was a sausage party too!" Malcolm chuckled wryly to Helvast.
"Well, that’s… one way to use her powers, I suppose…" Nea said as she saw Helvast’s shadow cock. Then she raised an eyebrow as she heard the rest of Lyna’s words. "I see… thank you for telling me." Note to self: be careful around Liam.
Glenn chuckled as he glanced at Helvast's floating appendage. "You're on." He said in a joking tone before turning back to Aria. "Yes, I've become a bounty hunter a couple of years ago when my father and older brother died." His face took on a slightly sad expression. "I had to find a way to make some money to help my mother with her bakery."
Alisha approached Nathaniel as if his anger attracted her. "Are we the only two who care about safety? " She said without any attempt to sound friendly or nice "What the hell are they doing? Imperial ambush can hide behind any rock. Not speaking about all other possible dangers. It looks like I am escorting a bunch of silly... " She glanced at Glenn and his attempts to impress Aria" and horny kids. "
