Well, at least she had a name. Galib. It didn't appear that the townsfolk were too concerned about goblins, though...and why should they be? The last attack hadn't done much except scorch a few buildings toward the exterior of the village.
Zalara then remembered something that Jack had said - the missing student sometimes had his friends come into town to bring him supplies. Perhaps she could track down one of them. She took a seat near the militiamen and pretended to sip her lukewarm gruel, while opening her mind to the presence of red magic in the area.
The noise of the tavern was quickly drowned out as Zalara sensed a great well of red mana cutting through the village like a line drawn on a map. Scattered about this line were thousands of tiny blips of red mana, all drawn to this ley line.
Zalara rose from her seat and glanced in the direction of the flamelike blip. It was the master pyromancer who had sent out this bounty, after all...but she had known elementals, and a few mischievous apprentices as well, to use their magic to play tricks on people. Since she was already here, it wouldn't hurt to question the town guard. See if they knew of any suspicious comings and goings.
She loosened her focus on the ley line, dimming its pulse to a faint thrum in the back of her mind, and the tavern grew noisy again. A brief lull occurred as the revelers finished another song, and a militiaman called to the harried bartender for another round. Zalara rose quickly and tapped the shoulder of the man with the finest looking armor. "Excuse me, sir...would you happen to be the captain of the guard?"
Zalara gave the man's hand a stern whack with her staff.
"I'm afraid you are mistaken, sir. I am no serving-girl, nor a loose woman of the evening. I am..." She dared not say the words "bounty hunter" here, in case the pupil or his friends were watching. "...on business with the pyromancer, Galib. You may claim you defend this village, but by all appearances it is your mage who does most of the work. He shall be certain to hear of this incident. You would be mindful to treat others with more respect. Fare well and good day." She left the tavern without another word.
Drunks. More trouble than they're worth. She would rather deal with an angered elemental any day.
Once outside the tavern, Zalara focused in on the ley line again and continued to follow it through the town.
There, sitting in meditation on a miniature stone shaped like a mountain plateau , was a gray haired skinny man. His skin was wrinkled and tanned. His motions slow and deliberate as he breathed in deeply. He wore all orange cloths folded around his body to make a robe. He seemed focused on the mountains surrounding the village...
Zalara approached the man's meditative platform from his right side, then knelt respectfully. "Forgive me for disturbing you, Master...but might you be Galib, the one who posted the bounty at Jack's?"
An old and tired voice came from the man who remained in his meditative stance saying, "I see that Jack has come through then. What progress have you made in tracking down my apprentice?"
"Not much, I'm afraid," answered Zalara. "I only arrived in town today. I found you by following the red ley line, but I was unable to sense any other strong emanations of red mana.
"I may have a clue, however," she continued, taking the Inferno Elemental's crystal from her satchel and holding it up to the elder, confident he would be able to sense its energies. "Before I came here, I spent a good few days tracking down this one and forming a spiritual bond with it. Upon my arrival into the village, I saw a cave with a large burn trail emerging from it, presumably the place where the ill-fated summoning ritual occurred. It doesn't appear that anyone - human or goblin - has been near that place ever since. Perhaps he left something of his behind, or any resident spirits drawn to that place may know something of his movements around the area."
She paused, as if waiting for the elder's reply, then suddenly remembered something. "It seems to me the goblins are growing bolder around the village. I saw one lurking in a bush, just out of sight of the guards at the town's entrance. It ran for the trees as soon as it realized I had noticed it. Be wary."
EDIT:
Going out of town for the weekend, won't be back until the 5th
"I leave the investigation and capture of my apprentice in your hands. As for the goblins, they've picked up on the fact that the village cannot always defend itself with fire." Galib said with a tired sigh. "Fortunately they are slow with their thoughts. They still haven't figured out I'm the one holding them back."
Galib's entire aura seemed drained of energy, His very presence seemed to permeate exhaustion and fatigue.
"If you can convince the fool to return to make amends and continue his training, then do so." Galib let out a tired sigh saying, "If he continues to act as a fool and lash out leaving you no choice but to end his life, then do so."
"As you request." Zalara took her leave of the shaman. She remained just outside the village's borders as she circled back, keeping her senses attuned to the pulse of the red leyline and watching for any flare-ups of red mana.
Upon returning to the village gate, she waved to the militia men who had let her in earlier. Indicating the burn trail leading from the Elemental's cave, she said in a hushed whisper, "That's a very unusual sight. Does a fire-mage live there?"
The militia men spat on the ground towards the cave saying, "Not anymore. The idiot, Galib's apprentice that is, fled from there after nearly destroying himself and the town."
Zalara sighed. "That's a pity. I've come into possession of, shall we say, a certain magical artifact, and I've been tasked to make contact with him. Say," she said, suddenly lighting up with a smile, "you fine men wouldn't happen to know where the apprentice lives, would you? It would mean so much to me if you could help me return this to Mr...what was his name, again?"
The militia just shake their heads "If we knew that bit of information don't you think we would have tracked him down by now ourselves. As for the darn fools name its Sid."
OOC: Perception please.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Originally commissioned through High~Light Studios
You don't see it but one of the other guards suddenly gives a shout at something trying to move unnoticed behind you and the guards. "Hey you there hold up where do you think your going at this time of day".
Private Mod Note
():
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Originally commissioned through High~Light Studios
"Who's there?" Zalara turns and tries to catch sight of the figure. Anyone lurking in the shadows just outside of town couldn't be up to any good. She tightens her grip on her magical staff, just in case it's goblins.
The figure you see is a young looking vashino carrying what looks to be a rather large bag of something. He stops dead in his tracks as you all turn to face him especially as he seems to sense your sudden tension.
I'm um going for a walk. Yes that exactly what i'm doing. I'm going for a walk.
You can hear the uncertainty in his voice as he speaks. Almost certainly he is lying.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Originally commissioned through High~Light Studios
"Oh, my apologies," said Zalara, smiling. "I had no idea you were a friend of Sid's. Would it be possible for you to take me to him? I've come into possession of a certain magical artifact that I believe he'd be very interested in seeing." She patted her satchel for emphasis.
As she spoke, she again tuned her mind to the red leyline pulsing beneath the mountain range, in an attempt to gauge the viashino's pyromantic prowess.
Zalara then remembered something that Jack had said - the missing student sometimes had his friends come into town to bring him supplies. Perhaps she could track down one of them. She took a seat near the militiamen and pretended to sip her lukewarm gruel, while opening her mind to the presence of red magic in the area.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
She loosened her focus on the ley line, dimming its pulse to a faint thrum in the back of her mind, and the tavern grew noisy again. A brief lull occurred as the revelers finished another song, and a militiaman called to the harried bartender for another round. Zalara rose quickly and tapped the shoulder of the man with the finest looking armor. "Excuse me, sir...would you happen to be the captain of the guard?"
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
He gave her a swift smack on the bum saying, "Hurry now!"
The rest of the militia men quickly burst into laughter and looked like they were about to start another song...
"I'm afraid you are mistaken, sir. I am no serving-girl, nor a loose woman of the evening. I am..." She dared not say the words "bounty hunter" here, in case the pupil or his friends were watching. "...on business with the pyromancer, Galib. You may claim you defend this village, but by all appearances it is your mage who does most of the work. He shall be certain to hear of this incident. You would be mindful to treat others with more respect. Fare well and good day." She left the tavern without another word.
Drunks. More trouble than they're worth. She would rather deal with an angered elemental any day.
Once outside the tavern, Zalara focused in on the ley line again and continued to follow it through the town.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
"I may have a clue, however," she continued, taking the Inferno Elemental's crystal from her satchel and holding it up to the elder, confident he would be able to sense its energies. "Before I came here, I spent a good few days tracking down this one and forming a spiritual bond with it. Upon my arrival into the village, I saw a cave with a large burn trail emerging from it, presumably the place where the ill-fated summoning ritual occurred. It doesn't appear that anyone - human or goblin - has been near that place ever since. Perhaps he left something of his behind, or any resident spirits drawn to that place may know something of his movements around the area."
She paused, as if waiting for the elder's reply, then suddenly remembered something. "It seems to me the goblins are growing bolder around the village. I saw one lurking in a bush, just out of sight of the guards at the town's entrance. It ran for the trees as soon as it realized I had noticed it. Be wary."
EDIT:
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
Galib's entire aura seemed drained of energy, His very presence seemed to permeate exhaustion and fatigue.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
Upon returning to the village gate, she waved to the militia men who had let her in earlier. Indicating the burn trail leading from the Elemental's cave, she said in a hushed whisper, "That's a very unusual sight. Does a fire-mage live there?"
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
OOC: Perception please.
Rolling for Perception:
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
I'm um going for a walk. Yes that exactly what i'm doing. I'm going for a walk.
You can hear the uncertainty in his voice as he speaks. Almost certainly he is lying.
She turned to the guards, keeping one eye on the viashino. "Is he the pyromancer I'm looking for, or one of his cronies?"
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!
Its none of your business. And also, You'd better not talk to me like that 'cause if Sid hears about this he will burn you to a crisp.
As she spoke, she again tuned her mind to the red leyline pulsing beneath the mountain range, in an attempt to gauge the viashino's pyromantic prowess.
Avatar by Numotflame96 of Maelstrom Graphics
Sig banner thanks to DarkNightCavalier of Heroes of the Plane Studios!