Starter Quest Moon, The Mysterious Treasure
Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 3:45 am
Cylus, 2nd Trial, 717 Arc
Moon found himself in an mostly unexplored part of the sea where he lived, the waters here were murkier than Moon was accustomed to. Hardly any bright coral, and more jagged rocks and shadows for things to lurk in. The schools of fish that were easy catches or edible plant life that grew in abundance were scarce but weren't what moon was looking for. Today moon wished to practice magic, he needed to feel his power blossom.
Moon kicked his legs and pushed with his arms to move through the waters as he surveyed the shadows below with his spear at the ready. He was unlikely to find any threats or prey but it was always wise to be prepared for anything in the depths of the unforgiving sea. Moon swam to a high rock cliff and sat on the smoothest surface he could find, resting his spear on his lap. Once settled, Moon closed his eyes and calmed his mind. He breathed in, filling his lungs with air until they were nice and full then slowly let it escape. He focused his mind on his webbed feet, tensed the muscles and let them go, then moved up his legs tensing and releasing his muscles as he went. He finished by focusing on the unison beating of his twin hearts until they formed a steady harmony.
With his mind at ease, it was time to focus on the pockets of space were ether could be projected. Moon could feel the ebb and flow of space around him, and sent a faint bit of his ether out to form a pocket. Moon was about to latch on, when he felt something else. He felt the unique aura of his former mentor Azure and it broke his concentration.
Moon sat on the rock silent for a moment with a pinched brow as he tried to discern what he had just felt. Azure was sure to have died with the rest of the adults from the shore lurkers, but Moon still felt his presence from time to time like a ghost. Moon tried to dismiss it but the part of him that still clung to hope urged him to investigate further. He swam over the cliffs and through the dark sea towards the haunting echo.
Following the feeling, he looked down to see a mysterious chest sitting inside a wide crevasse of rock on a small cliff a few feet down. Moon was about to swim towards it, when he spotted two eels peeking out from holes in the rock, their open maws full of putrid teeth. Moon was weary until he realized an important fact about eels that many don’t know. Despite their fearsome appearance, Eels were cowardly creatures that only went after small prey. If Moon hadn’t already eaten his fill of fish in the morning he might desire the taste of eel meat, and start a fight with them. At this time however, he had no business getting into a quarrel with the eels.
Moon outstretched his tentacle hair to give him more imposing mass. Despite not knowing if Eels could even comprend telepathy, Moon projected the simple intention to retrieve the box and not attack. The Eels thankfully retreated into their holes to avoid the Mer’s arrival, as Moon carefully lifted the chest and held it under his free arm using mostly his strong legs to propel himself out into the open sea.
Nearby Moon was able to examine the chest, it was man made but worn and rusted from time underwater. What drew Moons attention was the letter “A” etched into the top that made Moon immediately think of Azure. The older Mer’s face entering Moons mind vividly but there was still no idea what was in the box.
Moon tired to bash his spear against the lock of the chest but it was unnaturally strong, possibly unforced by some kind of magic. Moon didn’t want to deal with other Mer tribes, but the surface world would likely have the tools to open the lock. The city of Rymere wasn’t too far away, but it had been a long time since he had been in the city of human nobles. Even at the Rymer bank, Moon was kept below the surface, counting money and doing menial labor.
——
Cylus, 3rd Trial, 717 Arc
An Arc later, Moon arrived at the shore where the Andaris caves reside. Moon was clutched the shaft of his spear tightly as he pulled himself out of the shore as a way to calm his growing nerves. This was a place frequented by Avriel, both mer and humans went missing assumed to have lost their lives to the blood thirsty vultures lurking in the caves. Due to his surreal appearance, Moon stood out on land and his sea legs made his movements awkward as they adjusted to the shift in gravity. Moon moved slowly and hid behind the many rocks in the area. He heard a putrid squawk nearby that startled him, he practically dove behind a large rock until the entity was gone. One of his tentacles slithered out into the open to taste the air, since his eyesight was unreliable in the light of the surface. His hearts beated rapidly as he felt the clattering of metal to wood from the lock hitting against the chest, Moon was sure it would attract unwanted attention. Moon sighted in relief as he sensed the creature had moved on. Moon sprinted silently to the end of shore as quickly as his rubber legs would take him but stopped for a moment as he felt chilled grass and snow on his bare feet. He went into the snow, and stumbled at the sudden encumberment but cared little for the chill. Moon wasn’t wearing much but his thick skin protected him from the harsh elements more then they would a human, though he was still glad it wasn't too frigid.
Everything on land seemed hollow and empty without water to keep it all together, his weak eyes made everything past a few feet seem foggy. Without the long tentacles that sprouted from his head and extended down to his calves, the Mer would be lost since they could sense the environment through sound and feel. The sound of a squirrel running along the trees painted a fairly clear picture as its tiny claws spurred along from branch to branch making them pop into existence as they shook. Thankfully the squirrel and other harmless wild life was all he ran into, Moon would have a difficult time dealing with much else.
Moon continued towards the city, nearly tripping again as his feet fell onto the worn dirt road that led to the city. It wasn’t until he got to the front gates with the Guards, that Moon was forced to halt.
Moon looked up at the two stern solders with his alien pupils and projected his intention to enter the city and find a method of opening his lock. Images of the chest entered their mind as well and where he found it in the dark waters. There was no mistaking what Moon desired, his feelings were an open book. The soldiers however, didn’t care to understand the illusions they had just seen and frowned at the Mer with distrust.
“Leave us Mer, go ta krome we don’t need a freak like yah messing with things. Unless yews from the bank or a slave you’ll just give people the shakes.” The other knight shared the sentiment with a grim nod.
“Though if you found treasure... its likely belongs to one of the shipwrecks ya bloody pests of the sea caused, like them two mer in Endor that murdered everyone on that luxury ship, still haven’t gotten that bounty..” they looked at the Moon with hateful grins.
“yah think he’s the one?”
Moon didn’t understand common very well and looked at them warily as the discussed, sensing hostility but not knowing the full extent of what was at stake. His tenticles weaved about like flowing hair under the sea giving him a dream like quality as he stood before the brutish men ready to thrust his spear at them if things turned hostile.
There was an awkward silence for a few ticks, then the two knights looked at Moon, then back at one another. Suddenly they burst out laughing.
“Were just josslin’ yah mate, the mer in Endor were legendary killing machines if I didn’t know any better I’d think ya were a lass.” One of them piped up trying to explain between chuckles.
“Look he can barely walk and hold his spear! he’ll be on the slave market in less than an Ark I bet ya.”
Moon tilted his head with a frown of confusion, he had no idea why they would possibly be laughing at a time like this. He progected an image of his chest again into there minds.
“Oh geez not again! Krome! go to Krome” The frustrated knight shouted “this city isn’t safe for a Mer until ya can prove yur strength, Slavers will eat an exotic creature like yah for a midArc snack and won’t nobody open that bloody chest of yours in this city, yah could talk t’the what er there names…oh right the Rymer.”
Moon winched at the name of his former tribe.
“Oy not a fan eh?”
Moon simply nodded his head.
“Well wat yah doing then go ta KROME! geez.” The rude knight shooed the Mer away.
Moon walked away feeling confused and empty, but he knew that the region of Krome was his next destination. It was a city to the north, not to much farther away but the city was father from the sea. It was strange that they were more welcoming of Mer while still being far from a large body of water.
Moon made his way back to the Andaris caves, arriving as the sun began to set leaving more shadows then before. Things seemed more quiet which Moon was thankful for but it still made him uneasy for some reason. Moon could almost sense eyes on him but he figured it was just paranoia. He walked quietly as he could to the safety of the water, his skin and lungs were practically aching for the comfort the water brought. Moon was so close to feeling its embrace, when out of the skies it came.
“Skraaak!” The Avriel cried as it lunged from Moon with its jagged sword. Moon stumbled forward in time to avoid a killing blow instead reviving a gash along his shoulder blade. Moon cried in agony as he stumbled forward, his face and arms landing in the waters but was still far from safe. Another frighting squawk came announcing another attack, this time Moon was ready. He tumbled onto his back as the sword hit the sand, Moon thrust his spear out with his right hand. It was an awkward attack but it managed to graze the side of the Avriels arm, creating enough distraction for moon to escape. The bird man screamed and clutched his sword hand as moon grabbed the chest and ran into the water. As soon as the water was deep enough, Moon dove in. He hadn’t discovered the secret of his chest but the mer hoped to the Leviathans that he would have more luck in Krome. If not he wouldn’t no where else to turn.
Moon found himself in an mostly unexplored part of the sea where he lived, the waters here were murkier than Moon was accustomed to. Hardly any bright coral, and more jagged rocks and shadows for things to lurk in. The schools of fish that were easy catches or edible plant life that grew in abundance were scarce but weren't what moon was looking for. Today moon wished to practice magic, he needed to feel his power blossom.
Moon kicked his legs and pushed with his arms to move through the waters as he surveyed the shadows below with his spear at the ready. He was unlikely to find any threats or prey but it was always wise to be prepared for anything in the depths of the unforgiving sea. Moon swam to a high rock cliff and sat on the smoothest surface he could find, resting his spear on his lap. Once settled, Moon closed his eyes and calmed his mind. He breathed in, filling his lungs with air until they were nice and full then slowly let it escape. He focused his mind on his webbed feet, tensed the muscles and let them go, then moved up his legs tensing and releasing his muscles as he went. He finished by focusing on the unison beating of his twin hearts until they formed a steady harmony.
With his mind at ease, it was time to focus on the pockets of space were ether could be projected. Moon could feel the ebb and flow of space around him, and sent a faint bit of his ether out to form a pocket. Moon was about to latch on, when he felt something else. He felt the unique aura of his former mentor Azure and it broke his concentration.
Moon sat on the rock silent for a moment with a pinched brow as he tried to discern what he had just felt. Azure was sure to have died with the rest of the adults from the shore lurkers, but Moon still felt his presence from time to time like a ghost. Moon tried to dismiss it but the part of him that still clung to hope urged him to investigate further. He swam over the cliffs and through the dark sea towards the haunting echo.
Following the feeling, he looked down to see a mysterious chest sitting inside a wide crevasse of rock on a small cliff a few feet down. Moon was about to swim towards it, when he spotted two eels peeking out from holes in the rock, their open maws full of putrid teeth. Moon was weary until he realized an important fact about eels that many don’t know. Despite their fearsome appearance, Eels were cowardly creatures that only went after small prey. If Moon hadn’t already eaten his fill of fish in the morning he might desire the taste of eel meat, and start a fight with them. At this time however, he had no business getting into a quarrel with the eels.
Moon outstretched his tentacle hair to give him more imposing mass. Despite not knowing if Eels could even comprend telepathy, Moon projected the simple intention to retrieve the box and not attack. The Eels thankfully retreated into their holes to avoid the Mer’s arrival, as Moon carefully lifted the chest and held it under his free arm using mostly his strong legs to propel himself out into the open sea.
Nearby Moon was able to examine the chest, it was man made but worn and rusted from time underwater. What drew Moons attention was the letter “A” etched into the top that made Moon immediately think of Azure. The older Mer’s face entering Moons mind vividly but there was still no idea what was in the box.
Moon tired to bash his spear against the lock of the chest but it was unnaturally strong, possibly unforced by some kind of magic. Moon didn’t want to deal with other Mer tribes, but the surface world would likely have the tools to open the lock. The city of Rymere wasn’t too far away, but it had been a long time since he had been in the city of human nobles. Even at the Rymer bank, Moon was kept below the surface, counting money and doing menial labor.
——
Cylus, 3rd Trial, 717 Arc
An Arc later, Moon arrived at the shore where the Andaris caves reside. Moon was clutched the shaft of his spear tightly as he pulled himself out of the shore as a way to calm his growing nerves. This was a place frequented by Avriel, both mer and humans went missing assumed to have lost their lives to the blood thirsty vultures lurking in the caves. Due to his surreal appearance, Moon stood out on land and his sea legs made his movements awkward as they adjusted to the shift in gravity. Moon moved slowly and hid behind the many rocks in the area. He heard a putrid squawk nearby that startled him, he practically dove behind a large rock until the entity was gone. One of his tentacles slithered out into the open to taste the air, since his eyesight was unreliable in the light of the surface. His hearts beated rapidly as he felt the clattering of metal to wood from the lock hitting against the chest, Moon was sure it would attract unwanted attention. Moon sighted in relief as he sensed the creature had moved on. Moon sprinted silently to the end of shore as quickly as his rubber legs would take him but stopped for a moment as he felt chilled grass and snow on his bare feet. He went into the snow, and stumbled at the sudden encumberment but cared little for the chill. Moon wasn’t wearing much but his thick skin protected him from the harsh elements more then they would a human, though he was still glad it wasn't too frigid.
Everything on land seemed hollow and empty without water to keep it all together, his weak eyes made everything past a few feet seem foggy. Without the long tentacles that sprouted from his head and extended down to his calves, the Mer would be lost since they could sense the environment through sound and feel. The sound of a squirrel running along the trees painted a fairly clear picture as its tiny claws spurred along from branch to branch making them pop into existence as they shook. Thankfully the squirrel and other harmless wild life was all he ran into, Moon would have a difficult time dealing with much else.
Moon continued towards the city, nearly tripping again as his feet fell onto the worn dirt road that led to the city. It wasn’t until he got to the front gates with the Guards, that Moon was forced to halt.
Moon looked up at the two stern solders with his alien pupils and projected his intention to enter the city and find a method of opening his lock. Images of the chest entered their mind as well and where he found it in the dark waters. There was no mistaking what Moon desired, his feelings were an open book. The soldiers however, didn’t care to understand the illusions they had just seen and frowned at the Mer with distrust.
“Leave us Mer, go ta krome we don’t need a freak like yah messing with things. Unless yews from the bank or a slave you’ll just give people the shakes.” The other knight shared the sentiment with a grim nod.
“Though if you found treasure... its likely belongs to one of the shipwrecks ya bloody pests of the sea caused, like them two mer in Endor that murdered everyone on that luxury ship, still haven’t gotten that bounty..” they looked at the Moon with hateful grins.
“yah think he’s the one?”
Moon didn’t understand common very well and looked at them warily as the discussed, sensing hostility but not knowing the full extent of what was at stake. His tenticles weaved about like flowing hair under the sea giving him a dream like quality as he stood before the brutish men ready to thrust his spear at them if things turned hostile.
There was an awkward silence for a few ticks, then the two knights looked at Moon, then back at one another. Suddenly they burst out laughing.
“Were just josslin’ yah mate, the mer in Endor were legendary killing machines if I didn’t know any better I’d think ya were a lass.” One of them piped up trying to explain between chuckles.
“Look he can barely walk and hold his spear! he’ll be on the slave market in less than an Ark I bet ya.”
Moon tilted his head with a frown of confusion, he had no idea why they would possibly be laughing at a time like this. He progected an image of his chest again into there minds.
“Oh geez not again! Krome! go to Krome” The frustrated knight shouted “this city isn’t safe for a Mer until ya can prove yur strength, Slavers will eat an exotic creature like yah for a midArc snack and won’t nobody open that bloody chest of yours in this city, yah could talk t’the what er there names…oh right the Rymer.”
Moon winched at the name of his former tribe.
“Oy not a fan eh?”
Moon simply nodded his head.
“Well wat yah doing then go ta KROME! geez.” The rude knight shooed the Mer away.
Moon walked away feeling confused and empty, but he knew that the region of Krome was his next destination. It was a city to the north, not to much farther away but the city was father from the sea. It was strange that they were more welcoming of Mer while still being far from a large body of water.
Moon made his way back to the Andaris caves, arriving as the sun began to set leaving more shadows then before. Things seemed more quiet which Moon was thankful for but it still made him uneasy for some reason. Moon could almost sense eyes on him but he figured it was just paranoia. He walked quietly as he could to the safety of the water, his skin and lungs were practically aching for the comfort the water brought. Moon was so close to feeling its embrace, when out of the skies it came.
“Skraaak!” The Avriel cried as it lunged from Moon with its jagged sword. Moon stumbled forward in time to avoid a killing blow instead reviving a gash along his shoulder blade. Moon cried in agony as he stumbled forward, his face and arms landing in the waters but was still far from safe. Another frighting squawk came announcing another attack, this time Moon was ready. He tumbled onto his back as the sword hit the sand, Moon thrust his spear out with his right hand. It was an awkward attack but it managed to graze the side of the Avriels arm, creating enough distraction for moon to escape. The bird man screamed and clutched his sword hand as moon grabbed the chest and ran into the water. As soon as the water was deep enough, Moon dove in. He hadn’t discovered the secret of his chest but the mer hoped to the Leviathans that he would have more luck in Krome. If not he wouldn’t no where else to turn.