From the healer's last comment, Vorin began to assume that they had not been out for very long, but he felt very recharged, as if he had just had a long night of sleep. He began to sit up, and as he began moving he once again became aware of the injury to his head. After being attended to, it was no more than a minor irritable throbbing pain, but he couldn't seem to simply forget about it.
Vorin was anxious to get back into the desert, as if he wanted revenge on the desert. He failed the first time, and he wanted to prove that he could conquer the desert this time. But at the same time, he felt guilty. He had not even thought of repaying the people who helped to heal him, but they had done the two of them a great favor. He was also curious to see the place they were in, he hadn't been paying much attention on their way in. As someone who had lived in a forest his entire life, Vorin had no idea why anyone would choose to live in the desert.
"We're in the middle of the desert though. I imagine that both water and shelter can be scarce, and that oasis is extremely far away, so you can't really visit there much, can you? We're mages, there must be something we can do to pay you back, especially if we are about to go into the desert again."
The woman shook her head sweetly. "No, but as for making your way across the desert again, we can certain-" She was cut off by a loud noise and a scream outside. "What in..?!"
Hoping that this wasn't somehow their fault, Vorin was quick to get up. He nodded to Kassim, while he got up and stood in front of the healer they had been speaking with, ready to protect her. When he stopped moving, he felt a sudden pulse where he had been injured and cringed a little bit.
He readied himself to conjure some mana, but he didn't want to act to quickly, and he certainly didn't want to risk any unnecessary exertion, but would certainly do whatever it took to protect these people.
OOC: Your PCs! Trouble magnets! You can't so much as walk into an idyllic field with deer prancing about without some eldritch abomination raining catastrophe on it as you watch.
As Kassim looked, he saw riders on horseback, thundering through the alleys, wreaking havoc on the town.
OOC: I'm not saying I didn't see it coming, but sometimes it's nice to just chill in a town for a while...
It was like he was brainwashed. At heart, Vorin didn't believe what he was thinking, but it's the way he grew up.
Why? He thought to himself These people chose to live her, they need to prove that their strong enough. Repaying the healers for the kindness they did us is fine and honorable, but defending the entire villiage? If these humans are so weak that they can't survive a simple raid like this, do they even deserve to exist? Is this how these people survive from the elves for so long? They live where there are no trees? My brethren would murder these people in their sleep. They are inferior...
Acting just seemed wrong and dishonorable.
Somehow he found a way to justify gathering mana. Vorin saw Kassim summoning mana, and chose not to sit idly by. He would protect himself, to live, Kassim, to prove himself again, and the healers, as he was indebted. As for everyone else, it was time for these humans to prove themselves in the same way he had to.
He began summoning mana, after the short pause, still not completely sure of what he was doing. As he summoned the mana, his head began to feel woozy. "Kassim, I can't summon mana in here. My mana is extremely chaotic, and with this bruise to my head, I might not be able to control it and I dont want to burn this house down. I'll step outside and try to avoid detection. Stay here and summon as much mana as you can, I'll yell for you when you should come out."
Vorin ran out of that room but walked nonchalantly out into the street. He saw the raiders, but he was trying to look as subtle as he could (not remembering that he stood out like a sore thumb as an elf). He was there to observe the scene, though he was legitimately afraid of starting a fire. He wanted to observe the raiders and how the townspeople would respond. He did gather some mana, causing a small spark to light in his hand, but he concealed it well. He waited to use his mana, to see how this unfolded.
Meanwhile, he pulsed the mana he had gathered through his body and shot out a short concentrated bolt of electricity at the rider charging him in an attempt to stop him. He then gathered more mana and summoned a pair of goblins to his side in an attempt to protect himself, and maybe the house.
OOC: Hey. Sorry for the delay. I'll return to normal posting speed next week.
Vorin shook the hand he had shot the blast out of. It was still pulsing with red energy and he felt a sharp pain in that hand. Vorin continued to stand guard. He was ready to defend himself, but was clearly not about to go on the offensive. They had protected the healer, and since the burning flesh of their attacker didn't draw the attention of more bandits, that battle seemed to be won. Vorin's debt was repaid, and he felt content letting the settlers fight the rest of their own battle.
He didn't really know what to say to Kassim, who seemed to sure that helping the villagers was the right move.
"Kassim, we are on a mission. We have repaid our debt to this healer by protecting her from this raider, and I will do all I can to keep her safe. She saved us from certain death out there, but we came here on a mission. These people have to face these raids frequently; they live in the middle of a desert riddled with bandits. I'm certain they can protect themselves" From the tone of his voice, Vorin did not seem as certain as he proclaimed.
He kept his mana up, but he withdrew the goblin spells.
As the ethical dilemma plagued Vorin's mind, the throbbing pain from the injury he sustain earlier to his head began to return, which didn't make this any easier.
"I..."
Kassim's logic was sound, and he really didn't have a counterpoint. It just felt unnatural. It felt incorrect. The strong should be the ones to survive in the world. Who needs pity. If these people are doomed to a massacre then, who was Vorin to interfere---Vorin quickly looked down at his hand-he stopped muttering quietly and became completely silent. His hand was still scarred from the burns he sustained. Memories returned. No one spared him from the massacre. But he survived. Because he was strong enough. But if he was aided? What then? Where would he be know? Still a ruthless elf, no better than these bandits? But beautiful....powerful....
"I..."
Vorin moved his singed hand through his hair and he grabbed on slightly to the horn on his head. It seemed as if he had to decide-Was he an elf? Or was he embracing his mana, becoming a simple flamekin nomad.
"Fine." He said hesitantly. "Let's split up. Like you said earlier. I'm not leaving this village without you. Send up a flare of mana into the air if you need my help. As for this battle, I can't make any promises..."
Vorin nodded, and turned and began walking in one direction towards the settlement. He began walking alongside buildings slowly. He was paying very little attention to how noticeable he was, but he wasn't knowingly walking towards trouble. As he tried to sort out the dilemma in his mind, he kept coming up blank. He knew there was no reason to help them, but he somehow admired Kassim's noble desire to help. He stopped, looked up, looked around, and continue walking, assuming that he would just let his instincts take over if he encountered trouble.
OOC: I exit the house and walk left. I am going to assume that that is north, given that the house is probably at west, because west isn't an option, so it's facing east, so leaving and going left is then north. So, North.
He kept walking. If felt weird choosing his own path. It seemed like this whole time he had been following Kassim. It was slightly empowering, but a little lonelier.
As he saw the riders approaching, he subtly moved in towards a building and began to walk beside it, extremely closely to it. Vorin had a good knowledge of mounted combat. He hoped that the riders would not be skilled enough to ride so close to the building without startling the cervin-like creature or risking crashing into the building. Also, he thought it would make it harder for both the riders to hit him simultaneously. Even if they were skilled, he hoped it would be foolish for them to both battle so closely to the building. He did all this while avoiding eye contact with the riders. He did not acknowledge their existence, hoping they would ride right by.
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
Vorin was anxious to get back into the desert, as if he wanted revenge on the desert. He failed the first time, and he wanted to prove that he could conquer the desert this time. But at the same time, he felt guilty. He had not even thought of repaying the people who helped to heal him, but they had done the two of them a great favor. He was also curious to see the place they were in, he hadn't been paying much attention on their way in. As someone who had lived in a forest his entire life, Vorin had no idea why anyone would choose to live in the desert.
"We're in the middle of the desert though. I imagine that both water and shelter can be scarce, and that oasis is extremely far away, so you can't really visit there much, can you? We're mages, there must be something we can do to pay you back, especially if we are about to go into the desert again."
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
Hoping that this wasn't somehow their fault, Vorin was quick to get up. He nodded to Kassim, while he got up and stood in front of the healer they had been speaking with, ready to protect her. When he stopped moving, he felt a sudden pulse where he had been injured and cringed a little bit.
He readied himself to conjure some mana, but he didn't want to act to quickly, and he certainly didn't want to risk any unnecessary exertion, but would certainly do whatever it took to protect these people.
He patiently waited for word from Kassim.
As Kassim looked, he saw riders on horseback, thundering through the alleys, wreaking havoc on the town.
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
It was like he was brainwashed. At heart, Vorin didn't believe what he was thinking, but it's the way he grew up.
Why? He thought to himself These people chose to live her, they need to prove that their strong enough. Repaying the healers for the kindness they did us is fine and honorable, but defending the entire villiage? If these humans are so weak that they can't survive a simple raid like this, do they even deserve to exist? Is this how these people survive from the elves for so long? They live where there are no trees? My brethren would murder these people in their sleep. They are inferior...
Acting just seemed wrong and dishonorable.
Somehow he found a way to justify gathering mana. Vorin saw Kassim summoning mana, and chose not to sit idly by. He would protect himself, to live, Kassim, to prove himself again, and the healers, as he was indebted. As for everyone else, it was time for these humans to prove themselves in the same way he had to.
He began summoning mana, after the short pause, still not completely sure of what he was doing. As he summoned the mana, his head began to feel woozy. "Kassim, I can't summon mana in here. My mana is extremely chaotic, and with this bruise to my head, I might not be able to control it and I dont want to burn this house down. I'll step outside and try to avoid detection. Stay here and summon as much mana as you can, I'll yell for you when you should come out."
Vorin ran out of that room but walked nonchalantly out into the street. He saw the raiders, but he was trying to look as subtle as he could (not remembering that he stood out like a sore thumb as an elf). He was there to observe the scene, though he was legitimately afraid of starting a fire. He wanted to observe the raiders and how the townspeople would respond. He did gather some mana, causing a small spark to light in his hand, but he concealed it well. He waited to use his mana, to see how this unfolded.
The healer looked to Kassim. "Uh...not really, no. We're more focused on trying to get by here."
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
Meanwhile, he pulsed the mana he had gathered through his body and shot out a short concentrated bolt of electricity at the rider charging him in an attempt to stop him. He then gathered more mana and summoned a pair of goblins to his side in an attempt to protect himself, and maybe the house.
2 Mountain (T)
2 Raging Goblin
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
Vorin shook the hand he had shot the blast out of. It was still pulsing with red energy and he felt a sharp pain in that hand. Vorin continued to stand guard. He was ready to defend himself, but was clearly not about to go on the offensive. They had protected the healer, and since the burning flesh of their attacker didn't draw the attention of more bandits, that battle seemed to be won. Vorin's debt was repaid, and he felt content letting the settlers fight the rest of their own battle.
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
He didn't really know what to say to Kassim, who seemed to sure that helping the villagers was the right move.
"Kassim, we are on a mission. We have repaid our debt to this healer by protecting her from this raider, and I will do all I can to keep her safe. She saved us from certain death out there, but we came here on a mission. These people have to face these raids frequently; they live in the middle of a desert riddled with bandits. I'm certain they can protect themselves" From the tone of his voice, Vorin did not seem as certain as he proclaimed.
He kept his mana up, but he withdrew the goblin spells.
In play: 2 Mountain
Graveyard: Shock
"I..."
Kassim's logic was sound, and he really didn't have a counterpoint. It just felt unnatural. It felt incorrect. The strong should be the ones to survive in the world. Who needs pity. If these people are doomed to a massacre then, who was Vorin to interfere---Vorin quickly looked down at his hand-he stopped muttering quietly and became completely silent. His hand was still scarred from the burns he sustained. Memories returned. No one spared him from the massacre. But he survived. Because he was strong enough. But if he was aided? What then? Where would he be know? Still a ruthless elf, no better than these bandits? But beautiful....powerful....
"I..."
Vorin moved his singed hand through his hair and he grabbed on slightly to the horn on his head. It seemed as if he had to decide-Was he an elf? Or was he embracing his mana, becoming a simple flamekin nomad.
"Fine." He said hesitantly. "Let's split up. Like you said earlier. I'm not leaving this village without you. Send up a flare of mana into the air if you need my help. As for this battle, I can't make any promises..."
Vorin needed a minute alone to figure this out.
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!
As he saw the riders approaching, he subtly moved in towards a building and began to walk beside it, extremely closely to it. Vorin had a good knowledge of mounted combat. He hoped that the riders would not be skilled enough to ride so close to the building without startling the cervin-like creature or risking crashing into the building. Also, he thought it would make it harder for both the riders to hit him simultaneously. Even if they were skilled, he hoped it would be foolish for them to both battle so closely to the building. He did all this while avoiding eye contact with the riders. He did not acknowledge their existence, hoping they would ride right by.
The creator of Maro's Magic 8-Ball!