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| Vigil Training: And you thought the Legions were tough? |
I've included pictures from my travels across Tyria to help illustrate my story. They are more to give an impression of the characters I am writing about and do not necessarily go with the actual story. So here it is. :D
On the Road Again
Being born into the Road warband is indication of a rough upbringing, even for a charr. You must be able to move, adapt and being the runt of the group can also lead to humiliation if you're not already stomped over and left to die on the side of the road. They named the young warrior Kitty. He was a joke to all of them, expected to be left behind for the devourers and peckish moas. But that didn't stop him. Persistence was key on the road. Unfortunately, he was the last to go through a growth spurt. But a growth spurt it was. He outgrew and outweighed everyone in the warband the last two years of training. Now he goes by Roadkill. Kitty has never been too fond of his name, but he always took pride in how he overcame even when the odds were against him.
The Road warband is an expansionist organization. The original concept was to scout further into Tyria, way past the influence of the Legions and to take note of easily domitable lands. Things have changed with the High Legions and Krytan humans making peace. The new mission: to document as much as possible across the globe and note any possible causes for war. A charr can live a peaceful life, only if they are constantly looking over their shoulder.
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| Fresh and ready to see the world on his own. |
Five gold was given to the fierce youth. Eighteen years old and green, they sent him to the center of it all, Lion's Arch. Near the heart of Kryta, yet a world apart and not under the constant watch of old enemies. What a disgusting, primitive place is Lion's Arch to a charr raised on the open roads. Humans running amuck everywhere, mixing their scent with the other races.
A curious creature, one of the newest race in all of Tyria, the sylvari, makes eye contact with our protagonist. She introduced herself as Eithne and she explained how the Dream worked for her kind and said it was empty. Empty? She knew speech, habits of her people but other than that, she was empty, a walking void. Pushed out of the Grove Tree, their sacred Mother. She was not alone. This Tree must be spitting out an army. Something was wrong here. Although Kitty did not have much experience in the world, military strategy was something all charr children studied. He knew what to look for, the signs of war.
The Grove
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| Twig and Tree: A Family Portrait |
Walking back to where he entered Lion's Arch, Kitty realized how the races have become so trusting of each other. Dragons. Sure, tell someone Dragons are attacking and they'll believe you. I'll believe it when I see it, he thought. These Sylvari though, I don't trust them. Their homeland is alive and pushing them out in masses. And what a coincidence. Looking up at the asura gate to the Grove, he realized it was the highest most defensible gate of all the races in Lion's Arch. This can't be a coincidence. This Tree will consume us all.
If he thought L.A. was humid, the Grove was much, much damper and made Kitty's fur feel funny and sticky under his heavy armor. But the smell was much better. Too good and sweet. Taking in the sights and scenery, the horror that overwhelmed him when he realized that the city was the Tree! Not only was it pushing out an army but it was terraforming and creating a city out of an unlimited supply. With as much effort and resources the Iron Legions are putting into advancing the Charr, this "creature" just thinks and creates. This is dangerous. Sitting on a mound, looking up at the monstrous tree, two sylvari and an oddly dressed charr approach Kitty.
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| Delonix thought he was a cutie ;p |
"You there! What brings you to the Grove?" asks what is assumed to be a male sylvari in a friendly tone. His pale blue skin, the color of the noon sky, shimmered in the sunlight. His orange hair reminded Roadkill of a rooster's cockscomb which brought him some odd amusement. Strapped around his waist were explosives and pistols which caused Roadkill a slight bit of concern and a burst of adrenaline rushed through his veins.
Standing at attention, Roadkill replied in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, the same reason all travelers come to your 'city'. Take in the scenery and the smells." Flashing a dangerous set of teeth, a low grumble erupted from the charr's throat.
"That'll be enough of that! Blood Legion, I should have known," the female charr interjected.
"And you are?"
"I am Afasia Brokenmirror of the Ash Legion. Here on a special assignment. I highly doubt one of your Legion is here to pick pretty flowers. What is your name, soldier?"
Looking at the oddly dressed minx, Roadkill realized this was no ordinary Ash Legion. Dark pink, shades of lavender and dark royal blues with gold trimming decorated her from head to toe. Colors you never see in the Black Citadel or any area remotely near it. Something about her was unnatural, even for Ash Legion.
"I go by Roadkill. And that is all you need to know. Ash Legion," he spit.
The peach colored, sylvari woman, who had stayed quiet throughout the encounter, gave a sly smile. She leaned on her staff and stared at the charr with piercing, pitch black eyes. "He'll do," she finally spoke. Afasia turned quickly with surprise and eventually relaxed. "I guess you're right," she replied.
"What is this about?" asked Roadkill.
The blue sylvari smiled and extended his hand which Kitty reluctantly took and shook. "I am Twig, Twig Deschain. This is Delonix Regina." She nodded in acknowledgment. Twig continued, "We woke from the Dream not too long ago and have found work with your fellow...countrywoman? At any rate, we need someone of your expertise and training for a mission."
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| The beautiful and slightly insane, Afasia Brokenmirror. |
Roadkill raised a furry eyebrow with curiosity and responded, "What kind of mission?"
"We need a warrior with battle skills and strength. We cannot do it alone," said Afasia.
"Why should I help the likes of you, minx?"
Obviously perturbed with his remark, she replied, "As I told you before, my name is Afasia, not Minxx! I'm not some asura that you can bully around, sir! And furthermore, I can pay you handsomely for your service."
"I have gold aplenty. Still don't see what is in it for me."
Afasia nervously looked at her friends and a grin spread over her face as calmly as a breeze when realization hit her. Four reassuring words came out with ease, "The glory of battle."
Roadkill let out a loud, rumbling laugh. A sylvari walking nearby with a makeshift wagon, slipped and fell on his side after hearing a charr laugh for the first time. "You got me there. But I'll be wanting the payment with the glory," answered Kitty.
29:12
The following morning, the newly acquainted group of four met at the asura gate leading back to Lion's Arch.
"We're headed to Lion's Arch? I thought we were headed North?" asked Roadkill.
"Not exactly," said Twig. "Swagg! You there?" he whispered.
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| Swagg...nuff said. Don't hate! LoL |
A young asura came out from hiding behind bushes not too far away from the gate, shushing the young sylvari, "You bafoon! Don't speak my name en voz alta! Everyone from Rata Sum to Ebonhawke knows it!" He was dressed in bright yellow garbs which gave the illusion of gold. Two ravens, one white, the other black, perched on the bushes he appeared from, watching him intently. "Don't you know that the Dean of the Dynamics College would have me stripped of Honors and picking golem scrap metal for interacting, calibrating and re-configuring an asura gate without graduating?"
"Really?"
Swagg raised his right index finger in protest and opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out and he turned back to the asura gate. "Nevermind. Newborn sylvari," he grumbled. "Coming out more and more with less brains." He turned to Afasia and asked, "Still the same coordinates?" She nodded in agreement as Swagg began to work and lecture, "Inquest infested lands? I still say the opportunity cost does not equate and there are other methods that pragmatically..."
"Believe me, young asura, I'm exploring all options," interjected Afasia.
Roadkill looked on with boredom. The afternoon before, Afasia had explained their mission. To infiltrate an Inquest Inquiry Center in search of Charged Lodestones. Roadkill had never heard of these stones but he was told they were extremely expensive and she needed a whole stack of them.
Turning his attention now to the cocky asura, he wondered what was he getting himself into and why so many different types of races were getting involved.
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| A trip to Skrittsburg...Shiny! |
"Twenty-nine, twelve. Brisban Wildlands. Duskstruck Moors to be exact. Better you than me to go to that wretched place. Your target location is due west on arrival, the Thaumacore Inquiry Center. Mind you, there will be no signs posted," he said as he smirked. "However, I believe you are capable of recognizing Inquest architecture? Yes? If not, listen for the not so subtle bombilate, emanating from the hills."
"A what?" asked Roadkill.
"A loud humming noise!" yelled the asura throwing his arms up in exasperation. He immediately looked around in paranoia after remembering where he was. "And remember," he whispered. "You never saw me."
A Dirty Surprise
After stepping through the asura gate, the unlikely group of four made their way due West when they came to an open area. Before they could clear the forest, Delonix firmly states, "Stop. There is danger here." The party turned to her in confusion. "There," she said, pointing across the field. A herd of raptors were casually searching for prey.
"We can take them," said Roadkill.
"You Blood Legion. Always so quick to rush into battle. There are other methods, said Afasia as she closed her eyes. She raised the scepter from her belt above her head and whispered some arcane words, that in Roadkill's opinion, no charr should ever speak. In the blink of an eye, his party members disappeared.
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| Upgraded: Just missing the Monocle I got later that day. |
What Ash Legion ambush is this? They cowardly just left me exposed to the raptors to fend for myself? All these thoughts of betrayal and deceit were swimming through his mind when he glanced down and realized he could not see himself either.
"Quickly. Passed the clearing near those Mimosa trees," he heard Afasia whisper.
The raptors never even suspected them and nonchalantly went about their business. Reaching their destination, the party popped back into existence.
"Enough with these Ash Legion tricks without my consent," grumbled Roadkill.
"This was not some simple Ash Legion trick but an elite technique of the Mesmer profession," responded Afasia.
"A charr mesmer?" said Roadkill in disgust. "Do you pray to the human gods as well?"
"Will you both quiet down," interjected Delonix. "There is our target."
On the side of the mountain, strange columns decorated the entrance to the Inquest center. Roadkill could not recognize the stone material these columns were made of. Certainly nothing the charr used or let alone were aware of. He could also hear the humming noise the asura had mentioned.
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| Twig with his buddy QooQoo. |
Delonix placed a finger over her mouth and pointed left and right with the other hand. Roadkill rolled his eyes at all the subterfuge but was at least glad there was no magic involved. Afasia sunk down on all four and silently crawled into the Center. Not standard Blood Legion technique but he guessed it had its own merit.
Turning the corner, three Inquest members dropped down from a trap door in the ceiling. "Stop where you stand," yelled one pointing a pistol at them.
"I think not," said Twig while quickly removing a shield he wore as a backpiece. It began to glow a pale, bright blue, a shade or two lighter than his skin. The intensity of the light brightened and surrounded him and the party. The angry asura unloaded his weapon at the blue light and the bullets were immediately shot back at him, dropping him down and killing the assuming asura. The blue light was released and flung the other two asura back onto the floor. "En-Gee! Not Guard-EE!" roared Twig triumphantly.
"I am ice cold!" exclaimed Delonix as she held her staff with both hands. Frost surrounded the two asura and encapsulated them in ice. Roadkill was glad she used water and ice instead of fire and flame. Some magics are just intolerable. "Come," she uttered.
They reached the central chamber that was filled with light. Only two more asura stood in their way. "I thought they would take care of you bookahs. I guess not." At this point, Roadkill had enough and pulled his greatsword off his back. The asura panicked and turned to a screen and yelled, "Initiative S-Four!"
Two bulky golems came through a doorway on the other side of the room. Roadkill glanced at Afasia and she gave him a knowing nod. He gave the golems an evil grin and charged at them with his greatsword in tow. "For the Blood Legion!" Furious swipes at the golems left them in shreds and scraps.
"Not again," squeaked the asuras as they bolted out of the room.
"Quick, under the reactor, in the fusion box," said Afasia.
Twig ran over while putting on a pair of thick metal looking gloves. He began going through a trap door under the reactor core and stood up with a look of worry and announced disappointingly, "It's a bag of developmental material."
"Yes?" Afasia insisted.
"Only a bone chip and three copper," Twig said sadly. "Someone beat us to it. But who?"
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| Hmmm? Who is this mysterious woman at the Thaumacore Inquiry Center? |
