To save a soul [Seasonal Event: Hot 722]

[Pegasus]

30th Saun, 722

Over the last few trials, people in Yvithia's Fortress, the Fortress City of Viden, had been enjoying the chance to go outside. Of course, that was because of the second sun and, of course, that meant that the frozen tundra of Viden was now only as cold as most other places are in the depths of a freezing winter. But this is Viden and, for all that the people live in the warmth of the Fortress, they have grown up surrounded by that tundra. The schools had celebrated by running trips and excursions; usually these were carefully planned and focused on the safety of the children first.

This one had been no different.

Yet, one of the children had gone missing. A call had gone out for volunteers and so, on the 30th Saun 722, they met in one of the large rooms used by the guards, just off from the entrance to the Fortress. Those who gathered there were told to wait and then, after a moment or two, a man came in to view. Recognisable to any who had been in Viden for any length of time, Lord Verity Talius was known as the right-hand of the Máthisi. The eidisi man looked around and lifted his hand for quiet.

"What we know is this. They went out in a class of ten children, two teachers and three parent helpers." Verity paused, just a moment, to let that sink in. They were working on a 2 child-per-adult ratio, and somehow this still happened. "They were exploring ice formations and collecting interesting items on the outskirts of the White Pine Forest. The adults were watching, alert and aware, and this still happened." Black eyes swept around the room. "We have found no tracks and have no idea in which direction she went. Which means two things. It means that the child was literally gone in the blink of an eye and that we don't know exactly when it happened. We have a ten bit window before they realised she was gone."

It didn't look good, and they all knew it. "The girl in question, Dana, is seven arcs old. She's human, with dark brown hair. We are asking for volunteers to work with the rangers and cover as much ground as possible. Groups will be formed, each one with a ranger in charge. If you are willing to help, go through that door, and give your name at the desk. You will be assigned a group. We have coats and shoes and cold-weather gear for anyone who needs it. Time is of the essence, so please hurry."

That said, he lowered his head in an almost-bow and he turned and walked away.

The door he had gestured to did indeed open into a room with a desk. There, there was a biqaj woman who asked three questions. "What is your name?", then "What skills, abilities or so on do you have which may be useful?" and, finally, "Do you have any medical conditions or weaknesses which we need to know about?". Then, she handed out a small piece of parchment. "Please put down contact details for who we should inform in the event of your death. Supplies are over there if you need them. Once you have everything you need, please go through to the waiting area.".


And, indeed, another door led to a waiting area. There were hot drinks and the chance to mingle in the few moments before they left.

OOC Stuffies!

Welcome to the seasonal event for the Hot Cycle 722!

It's intro post time, so please make sure that you:
- answer the questions asked of you, IC!
- tell me if you're taking any equipment from the registration room. You're able to access any (sensible) cold weather gear and you will be expected to take only sufficient for yourself.
- get yourself to the point of being in the Waiting Area. You may mingle here, and if you want to make up a random NPC to chat to, that's fine. Chatting to other PCs is fine too!
- lets have some fun!

Next Post From Me: Monday 20th June.

!	Message from: Peg
	Please use the "skill" tags in your post to identify the skills you are using. Please also identify up to three knowledge in your post using the "knowledge" tag. Not sure what that is? look here!

[Virikai Talius]

This wasn’t the first time Virikai has done something good for Viden. His whole life had been dedicated to the betterment of the city state he called home. His work in the now-defunct Facility for Retrospective Analysis, his attendance at various formal functions, his time spent in the Infirmary… you name it, Kai had probably done it in Yvithia’s name.

Most of it was at the behest of his father, Verity Talius. Virikai was to uphold the family name, to be the poster child for what it was to be Videnese. Alongside all the knowledge and learning, there was the expectation to do good deeds. When he had woken up that morning, Virikai already knew what the day had in store for him. He had been briefed in full already by his father the night before, and it was the expectation that a member of the aristocracy would show face and help out in finding the lost child.

He was prepared for a cold and miserable day. He wasn’t looking forward to it in the slightest. But he would do what he must, it was his duty after all.

One of the first to arrive, Kai took a moment to mill about, looking in feigned interest at the artwork on the walls. Having only ever left the city of Viden proper once or twice in his entire life, Kai was not one to have experienced the icy nature of the frozen tundra. He had little in the way of survival skills or knowledge. He could barely read a map. And he could not even begin to imagine the tracking of the lost child. He was not the best fit for this particular expedition (or any expedition for that matter). But he was here to do his bit all the same.

Looking up, Kai watched in silence as his father entered the room. Clasping his hands behind his back, he stood at parade rest. Stood towards the back of the crowd, Kai was taller than the average human so had a good enough view, but his mind drifted as Verity spoke. He already knew what was about to be said. Tuning in to the end of his father’s little speech, Kai waited for others to step forwards first. He watched Verity leaving before the volunteers even made their way into the next room. Shame, he had had a witty (if a little biting) comment to pass on to his father.

Following others through, he waited until it was his turn to register with the clerk waiting to sign them up. He answered the questions quietly and succinctly: “Virikai Talius. Favoured of Yvithia, with medicinal skills. If the girl is found, she will undoubtedly require medical care and I will be able to help there. No medical conditions or weaknesses that I know of.” Receiving the piece of paper, Kai barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he stepped away and filled in the parchment. He put down ‘Lord Verity Talius’. His father could deal with the fallout of facing his mother’s ire at putting her favourite child in mortal danger. Also it didn’t hurt to let the clerk know exactly who he was… Kai was not above receiving special treatment because of who he was. When the opportunity presented itself, of course.

With the parchment returned to the clerk, he turned to examine the equipment. He wasn’t sure what he would need, truth be told. He was loathe to select one of the warm fur coats, having no idea where they came from or who they had been worn by before. But it would be the height of foolishness not to dress warmly, so he selected one and, after a moment’s hesitation, he picked up a pair of clearly second-hand snow boots. Having no skill in wilderness survival, he decided against selecting rope and ice picks and whatever else equipment that he couldn’t name… the rabble could select them. They would be no use in his hands anyway.

He had brought with him a small satchel filled with medical supplies anyway, and that would be enough for him. That was why he was here, after all. Well no, it wasn’t why he was here - there were better trained physicians that could be here, but no, the lordling was obligated, so he would offer what skills he had, and no more.

With that done, Kai left the room, heading into heat another room beyond this one to wait to be told what to do. Pushed to be here, he wasn’t in the mood for chit chat, but if anyone approached, he would put on his best welcoming face and engage in whatever small talk was forced upon him.

[Rorom]

Despite the relatively ‘balmy’ weather of late Saun in Viden, Rorom was dressed appropriately, in a very warm outfit. He wore a high-necked, knit sweater of woolen fabric, dyed an attractive pale dark blue color. The sweater was very thick, and made him seem even bulkier than he did ordinarily. For trousers, he wore dark buckskin trousers, lined with sea-wolf fur. His boots were similarly made of furs, wrapped in tough twine to keep them secure on his feet. Over it all, he wore his grand cloak, a large hooded cape of sea-wolf fur, taken from the hide of Breachfang in Harvardr in Scalvoris. Rorom understood he had become something of a folk hero in Havardr since leaving, no doubt in large part due to his partner in that venture, both Jundland and Darius Baer of the Libertalia.

In his hands, he held a large quarterstaff. He’d heard rumors of a girl going missing in no less than ten bits, and heeded the call for people to come and aid in the search. He thought it was a good opportunity to make himself useful and ingratiate himself to the locals. Plus it was a chance to do some good in the world.

Rorom wasn’t much of one for tracking prey over land, but it couldn’t be any harder than tracking them in the water. The principles were similar, and perhaps even easier depending on the nature of their quarry.

He stepped into the guardroom where the high-ranking official-looking Eidisi was stood, explaining the situation. Rorom kept his head down, and his hood down as he entered the threshold.

The quarterstaff was as much for balance in walking on the icy and snowy, slushy ground, as it was for protection in the case of any animals or people who got too ‘friendly’ with him. He could’ve brought one of the spears from the Onyx Cascade’s armory, but thought better of rocking up on a search and rescue operation with a weapon of war.

When the time came for them to introduce themselves to the clerk, Rorom smiled at the woman, greeting her in Rakahi, “Hello. Rorom Nji’Ihai. I’m a grand master hunter and fisher, and I’ve tracked many a beast over the waters. I’ve less experience on land, but then it can’t be much harder than searching through the water for schools of fish, where tracks are left, and signs against every tree.”

Rorom tapped his staff lightly against the floor once, and thought to himself about his other skills. “I can also set a camp, and help with that part of things. I know how to sail if you need to traverse waterways, and I’m a decent leader.”

“As for who to contact, I’m a member of Isonomia…” He pointed toward the silver phoenix pin on the lapel of his sea-wolf cloak. “I’ll be wanting you to contact Faith Augustin about my death, should I not come back. She’ll know where to contact my next of kin, Noille and Eairok in Rharne.”

This said, he gathered what supplies he could from the table. Mostly some mittens and gloves, and a fur face-mask to keep the cold from biting off his nose. Also goggles were important, in case the weather kicked up snow.

Rations were less of a concern, but still small enough to carry that Rorom couldn’t pass them up.

Rorom took himself through the next threshold, into a warm and heated room. There, he took gratefully the cup of cocoa, and sipped it as allowed by time. Chocolate was a rare treat for the biqaj, and one he didn’t get enough chances to indulge in. He could get used to Viden, if they had more chocolate where that came from.

Hell, they could pay him in the stuff.

He noted the location of another man, an eidisi nearby, and nodded to him. “Rorom Nji’Ihai, master hunter.” He said, by way of greeting, and left it at that unless the other man wished to have a conversation. He looked like the standoffish type, however, so Rorom didn’t want to assume.

[Pegasus]

30th Saun, 722

Lord Verity Talius watched as his son exited the room. The merest ghost of a smile almost crossed his lips, but it was so brief that it was there, and gone, in a moment.

The people there were able to gather resources, make sure that they had what they needed and so on. Kai chose very little, and Rorom was also careful about what he carried. Of the two of them, of course, Rorom was making much more informed decisions, in terms of his skill and the two of them drifted together as Rorom introduced himself to Kai.

A few moments went by as the people there were put in to groups. As luckI know right!? would have it Rorom and Kai were put in a group together. The man in charge of that group was one of the Rangers and he stood tall for a human, maybe six and a half foot. He had long dark hair and dark brown eyes, and he was dressed like someone who lived in the wilds. His large frame was wrapped in furs and his footsteps were loud.

Other than the Ranger, they were assigned to a group of eight - so nine of them in total. "Alright, pay attention," he said, gesturing for the eight of them to come over to him. "We've been assigned an area to search. At first, we'll go out in a large sled, two groups of nine. We'll get to where we're searching first, and we'll disembark there. My name is Travis, and I'm proud to say I'm one of Viden's Rangers. That means I'm used to surviving out there in the winter." He gestured to "out there."


"Even though it's summer, it'll kill you quick enough. Therefore, I'm going to suggest that everyone brings furs. Make sure that your feet and hands and head are covered, and layer up. I also need to ask you to do what I say, when I say it. If you can't do that, that's fair enough. But if you know you can't now, then best you stay here. If you find you can't when we're out there, know that if you don't do as I've instructed, we won't be coming to find you." That there'd be no point because they'd be dead was implied.

"So pick up any additional bits you might need, and on the way there, we'll get to know each other."

Once they had collected any additional equipmentlast chance!, they'd be led out to where there were, indeed, sleds. These were large sleds where up to 20 people were pulled by teams of dogs. Two groups of nine went on this one, Travis ushered his team to sit all on the left hand side, while the other Ranger did the same, but on the right. On the way there, Travis handed out whistles to them, explaining that should they get lost, they were to use these.

They travelled for three breaks. During that time they could chat, prepare, or whatever they wanted Please ensure that you describe what you're going to do in your next post During that time Travis made his way through and spoke to each of them in his team. He was happy to answer any questionseither have him answer them in your post, if you know them, or ask them and leave them for me if you'd rather! He spoke to them, discussing their skills and experience.

Eventually, they got to where they were heading. It was a clearing with a roaring fire pit in the middle of it; there was another Ranger there and he waved to Travis. Travis led them over, urging them to grab a warm drink from the kettle on the fire, and the two men spoke.

"Alright," Travis said after a few moments. We're going to split you up into four teams of two."[/b] Rorom and Kai were placed together. "I'm staying here to co ordinate and my companion here is being picked up by the sled on its way back. We have four areas to search, you've each been assigned one."


Rorom and Kai were searching some very thickly grownspooooooky woods. Having spoken to them both, Travis gave Rorom the map and compass, and nodded. "Travel for a break, then come back. Made notes of anything you see on the way and keep calling out for Dana when you deem it safe to do so."

And that, it seemed, was that.

Assuming that they went forward into the woods, it was dark, it was cold and it was very spooky. Shadows seemed to move strangely and there was a ghost just out of the corner of their eyes, it seemed.

OOC Stuffies!

Welcome to the seasonal event for the Hot Cycle 722!

Okie dokie!

Objectives for you to meet!
1. describe something interesting that you spot on the sled - ride
2. be clear what (if any) extra equipment you're taking
3. let me know what you do / who you chat with on the way - bonus points if you make up an interesting NPC (you don't need to dev them - just use them here)
4. In the woods - rorom you spot some unusual tracks. Please describe them. kai you spot an ancient abandoned firepit. It has an item there - not from the girl, it's aaaages old. Describe what you find.
5. Let me know how you organise yourselves.

Next Post From Me: Tuesday 28th June.

!	Message from: Peg
	Please use the "skill" tags in your post to identify the skills you are using. Please also identify up to three knowledge in your post using the "knowledge" tag. Not sure what that is? look here! . Rorom - that means you too! <3

[Virikai Talius]

A man approached, introducing himself as ‘Rorom Nji’Ihai’. Kai was good at names and faces and committed this particular man’s to memory. “Virikai Talius,” the lordling offered his hand to shake. It didn’t bother him if the man did or did not recognise him for who he was, but they were serving a common goal and Kai was nothing if not the height of polite when it came to meeting new people he might some day reply upon. “Medic, I suppose…” he answered, feeling less sure of himself than he outwardly showed to the man. As they waited, the Talius scion silently cursed his father for forcing him to attend. He definitely was not suited to this particular kind of adventure.

“Desmond Brethel. I’m a hunter and tracker by trade,” another man joined their small party, introducing himself and sticking his hand out to Virikai first (who shook it) and then to Rorom. Virikai nodded along as the man spoke about all his experience in hunting and tracking. He had quite the extensive career, being a human of elder years, with grey flecks in his otherwise dark hair. But Virikai was only half listening. He was beginning to wonder about his own qualifications to be on such an expedition. He couldn’t pull out now, that would look… well at best flakey, and at worst weak.

For his part, Kai did not participate further in the conversation, listening in silence as he looked around at the assortment of volunteers waiting for further instructions. He looked at their backpacks, brimming with equipment, and decided that he was severely under equipped.

Drawn out of his reverie by someone organising men (and women) into smaller groups of eight plus a ranger. As it turned out, Kai was huddled into the same group as his two newest friends. The ranger introduced himself as Travis and as he looked around the group and met each person’s eyes, Kai attempted a small smile when it was his turn. Then Travis spoke to them and this was all new information to Virikai so he listened carefully to what was said, every second hating more and more that he was here.

Then the ranger offered them the chance to pick up more equipment. Virikai already had the clothing down: furs, boots, hat, gloves. Despite being created in the icy tundra much like the ellune, the eídisi were not impervious to the cold weather and Kai wasn’t taking any chances. He liked his fingers where they were, thank you very much. Virikai spent a little bit of time examining the other members of his tracking group, looking to see what additional equipment they were picking up. Almost everyone had rope, so Kai snatched a coil of it for himself. He also picked up a backpack, which he began to fill liberally with supplies. He picked up what looked like long-lasting snacks to keep up one’s energy. He picked up a small kindling set. He picked up a small blanket. He selected a number of tools, ice pick being foremost among them.

Feeling a little better about his preparation, he slung the backpack onto his back and headed out to the sled. With many breaks to fill, the only thing for it was to either sit in miserable silence, or to sit in companionable misery. Both sounded awful to the medic, but one was certainly better than the other. So he made polite conversation. “Are you from Viden, Rorom?” He asked, borderline shouting to be heard as they travelled through the snow away from his precious city.

Conversation lulled a bit as Travis approached, and Kai shook his head, then hesitated, then opened his mouth. “Are you expecting to find the child alive?” He asked the blunt question. It was a harsh reality but Kai couldn’t think of any other outcome to this particular situation.

Finally arriving at… wherever they were in the wilderness, Kai exited the sled and did as bid to take something hot to drink. He graciously poured one out for Rorom and Desmond before pouring his own. Sipping it slowly, Kai enjoyed the warmth travel down his throat and heat up his stomach. Then Travis split the group further into pairs. Virikai found himself with Rorom. Any other day he would disapprove, but it seemed serendipitous for the totally inexperienced academic to end up paired with the master hunter. It boded well for his survival.

The pair, after receiving instructions from Travis, turned and headed in the direction he pointed. Turning to Rorom, Kai asked, “Do you know which direction we are heading in? I imagine, assuming there are no obstacles in our way, we will walk straight and just head back after the break is up?”

Assuming Rorom kept his eyes on the map, they should both be fine. Walking for a while, Kai thought about topics of conversation. In any other situation (namely a situation where he was around like-minded people in an academic or political setting), Kai would have flourished in small talk. But with this stranger, brought and ready, he had no idea what to say.

“Look!” Kai announced, stopping in his tracks. Whether Rorom stopped too was not something that even occurred to Virikai - he was used to people following his orders and veered right without waiting for his companion to follow. There, stark against the white snow, was a small fire pit, blackened with charred wood. There hadn’t been any recent snowfall to cover it. It looked old, ancient even, with weathered stone blocks marking it in the ground. Upon approach, Virikai noticed that some of the wood was still smouldering - it had been recently used, which was probably why he had spotted it.

Kai doubted the girl would have used it, so a small part of his brain told him to move on. But he was interested nonetheless. Kai knelt down, hand reaching out to stoke the embers with a protruding stick of wood. “This looks to be recently used,” he stated the obvious for his companion (who he still assumed had followed him). “How many ten year old girls do you know who can haul this wood, set a fire and then extinguish it safely before moving on?” The answer was ‘not many’, Kai assumed, and it was a rhetorical question. Standing up, his milky orbs scanned the area immediately around the fire pit. There was a strangely lumped mound of snow, in amongst land that would otherwise be considered flat.

He approached and kicked at the snow, moving it aside until his got met something solid. Crouching down again, Kai winced reflexively as his knees clicked, and leaned forward, removing a glove to push the remainder of the snow away. Picking up the object, he turned it in his hand, and noted the intricate carvings on yet another cylindrical block of wood. Much like the stones around the fire pit, the wood was weathered, and the design was hard to make out, but the ink that the wood had been impregnated with gave him a good idea of what it once might have looked like. Still, he had no idea what it was for or even what it could be. “Fascinating…” he murmured, more to himself than to his associate. Standing again, Kai squinted as he looked at the totem (as he had decided to call it), before removing his satchel and carefully placing it inside. If nothing else, then chances are one of his colleagues studying the arts might know what it was.

Finally turning his attention back to Rorom (who he still assumed would be waiting patiently for Kai to be ready to move on), he returned his glove to his hand and trudged through the snow back over to the other man. “The girl hasn’t been here, I would hazard a guess, and we don’t have long before the break is up and we have to head back. Where to?”