Posts made by Malyvern

"She put a lot of faith in us," says Malyvern, shaking his head at the sleeping Erwydra, "and we've already gotten her into danger once today. I suppose she'll be okay here while we check out the town hall."

"Don't worry boss," says Ixuo to Glim, "I'll stay here and keep an eye on the young one."

Malyvern is relieved, though it would have been good to have Ixuo with them when they visit the town.

Malyvern turns to Glim, and glances at the Nheedra's drawing, "pretty good," says the mage with a smile, "I like how you've really brought out the colour in that demon." He chuckles and motions at the new Udoadra, asking silently with a look, "who's this?"

Ixuo stands a little taller and with crossed arms maintains a watchful eye on the newcomer.

Welcome, Retias. Great to see another RP-focused guild in our midst. Best of luck with the Pack.

We are currently running an open roleplay in the off-topic section called The Arcanist's Mill, and we would certainly welcome an Udoadra to travel with us

@whoatethecat Haha, I think I'd woken up very similarly to Malyvern in that post! It's a great name. Maisy's a rescue and one of the best behaved dogs I've ever met.

Just kidding.

Meet Maisy.

Interesting.

He heard himself say the word, but it didn't feel right.

“Humans have never been particularly known for their inclusiveness and tolerance,” says Malyvern, “even long before the fracture humans have quarreled with each other. Don’t take it to heart, young one, they treat their own kind no better than beast-kin.”

They, he thinks. He. The mage is guilty of his own prejudices and he isn’t a shining example of humanity.

“I have spent many years myself on Arboreus and it’s honestly refreshing to see a civilization so at harmony with its habitat,” he continues, hardly allowing Mimi to reply, “can’t say I didn’t find myself itching for the comfort of the chaos of Syndesia, though. Which begs the question. Why did you come here? To this place?”

(It's late here in the UK and I'm pretty tired, I'll edit this post with a response in the morning )

The men are visibly shaken by the beast-kin’s display of strength and decide between themselves to take their business elsewhere.

“Took the words right outta my mouth, boss." Ixuo says, “scared the birds away though.”

Alexander returns to his song and even manages to work the incident into his lyrics,
“Oh the beastmen say
Keep out their way
Hopefully there’ll be no blood shed this day…”

His song catches on and some of the patrons sing along.

Malyvern lifts a mug of cider and remembering Glim’s words, he decides to keep his hood down.
“To the beast-kin, may cooler heads always prevail," he says to a cheer, "looks like they left their drinks too."

The mage takes the remaining drinks and sits back with the Erwydra and the twins. He passes a cider to each of them with a smile, but there is sadness in his eyes. Bigotry towards beastmen has never really gone away.

The men surrounding Ixuo appear to back down with Glim’s threat. These merchants may be brave enough to tussle with a single Chadra, but are smart enough to know that this is a fight they aren’t likely to win,
“Filthy beastmen,” one of them men mutters to himself, “trudging their mud through here.”
“Think they own the place,” says another.

“Hey now,” says Malyvern. He steps forward towards the bar, placing himself between the beast-kin and the merchants, “we’re all friends here, I wouldn’t have made it through the forest without these beast-kin.” He smiles, and produces his coin pouch. It’s not clear how the mage came to be with more coin, though as always with Malyvern, he seems to find a way.
“This rounds on me,” says the mage, and he pulls down his hood to reveal his face. The men appear to recognise him. “A round of cloudy cider,” he says to the bartender.

Ixuo however looks ready to boil, and looks to Glim as if to say, “are we going to take this?”

Malyvern smiles at Glim with admiration, “then let’s drink, my friend,” he says, “to our scars.” He looks across the tavern and motions towards Ixuo, “and before your men finish the barrel,” he says with a chuckle.

Ixuo slams another finished pint down onto the bar, and pushes a man who had been getting too close. Two axes stained with red hang at the pale Chadra's sides. He wears the face of a mercenary.

“These humans don’t seem to like me, boss,” Ixuo says, “do I need to bash a few heads?”

Malyvern smiles at the fendyr, it’s rare to see one so young. It’s nestled in comfortably with the companions and appears to be enjoying the attention it’s receiving. The tavern is awash with pleasant vibes and the arrival of the bard Alexander lifts the spirits of the mage.

Ixuo looks uncomfortable amongst so many humans, but he too is enjoying the attention of a couple of the local human women as he embarasses the local merchants with his ability to finish pints with otherworldly speed.

With the tavern otherwise preoccupied, Malyvern turns to Glim. “That tower was once the Academy of the Arcane, though folks call it ‘The Old Academy’ nowadays,” he sighs, “for generations we trained the most gifted mages in the land.” He motions to a portrait on the wall that looks very much like a younger version of himself. There he is unscarred, wearing a genuine smile, the kind the companions have yet to see and accompanied by a woman he has yet to mention. He looks almost uneasy as he gazes upon it before pointing to the portrait of another mage similar to the one Malyvern had conjured in the Singing Grotto.

“Olgier,” he growls, “a promising student but ultimately the cause of the cataclysm that saw the end of the Academy," Malyvern says and pulls his sleeve up once more to reveal the scars.

As the otherwise serious conversation takes place, Alexander busts into one of his most famous jigs, whilst Ixuo continues to fend off jealous human merchants.

New thread can be found here: The Arcanist's Mill.

Thank you all for bringing such great writing and characters to the story I look forward to seeing what else we can come up with!

Malyvern bids a happy smile to the bartender and beckons a band of beast-kin companions inside who have joined him from the Singing Grotto. Having traversed the Somber forest at the base of the mountain on which Kuasrine sits, he is eager to quench his thirst with a pint of the Mill’s famous cloudy cider

Purchasing a drink, Malyvern finds an empty, round table large enough to accomodate his companions.

[Malyvern is wearing a dark blue hooded robe, with what appears to be a myriad of leather belts and bandoliers across his chest and legs. There are potions and maybe some bombs, but these are concealed. His hood remains over his head and as he speaks, it is generally only the lower half of his face that can be seen which is mostly covered by his greying beard. What skin does show appears to be burnt, though a keen eye might deduce that the scarring is lightning induced rather than flame. He has no other visible weapons, only a dusty, brown tome with worn pages which rests within his inner left pocket. On his hands are rings of various sizes and colours.]

Following the success of the Singing Grotto community roleplay, we welcome you to The Arcanist’s Mill. The previous thread reached over fifty posts which to a newcomer might seem daunting. As the characters moved from the Singing Grotto to the Arcanist's Mill in the last thread they will return, though this new location presents opportunity for others to join in the fun.

You can read the previous roleplay here at The Singing Grotto.

There are no rules to a tavern roleplay, and you don’t need experience to join in. Simply pull up a chair, order a drink and let your imagination rule the night. We are very welcoming to roleplayers of all abilities.

If you are looking to get involved but aren't sure how, join our discord channel here: https://discord.gg/Wh6s5hF or message myself, Mimi or WhoAteTheCat

Useful links:

Races in Fractured
Universe, Planets and Travels
Skills & Spells

Situated in the town of Kuasrine, The Arcanist’s Mill has been a favoured haunt for mages from the nearby Academy and surrounding lands for decades. There are maybe nicer taverns, though the prices here are more reasonable.

From the outside it looks enchanting, pleasant and cheerful. Clay and marble pillars make up most of the building's outer structure.
It's hard to see through the high windows, but the laughter and cheering from within can be felt outside.

As you enter the tavern through the heavily used, wooden door, you're welcomed by a pleasant atmosphere and aromas of roasted meats.
The bartender is handling some customers, but still manages to welcome you with a wink.

It's as alluring inside as it is on the outside. Tree logs support the upper floor and the ambient lights attached to them. The walls are swarming with photographs of various mages from the old Academy of Kuasrine.

The tavern itself is packed. Merchants seem to be the primary clientele here, which could be seen as the best sign you can get. Several long tables are occupied by, what looks like couples, lone travellers and anybody else who enjoys great company. The other, smaller tables are also occupied by people who seem to be close with the owner, though they happily welcome others among their midst.

Malyvern continues to puff on his pipe, and looks weary eyed at the mountain on which Kuasrine sits. It shouldn’t be a long journey, and he beckons his companions to join him. It’s a town he has spent a long time in, though tends to visit rarely. Too many ghosts for the old mage.

The companions make their way towards Kuasrine.

As the companions approach Kuasrine, it’s impossible not to be awed by the sight of the town flanked by waterfalls either side, and the tower of the old Academy which sits above it. They can rest their mares at the stables, though the cobbled streets would likely be harsh on the Eyrwdr’s hooves. The people of Kuasrine are generally welcome of outsiders, but the sight of so many beast-kin might alarm a few. In recent years, the town has earned its name as a viable merchant’s venue for the surrounding villages and pilgrims regularly visit the Academy, bringing trade along with them. There are a number of taverns and inns to accommodate the commerce though today the market happens to be surprisingly busy.

“We should make our way to the Arcanist’s Mill once we arrive, you won’t find a finer cider this far from Avermore,” says Malyvern, and he turns to the Eywdra, “and I bet you’ve been looking for an opportunity to use that harp you’ve been hiding in your cloak,” he smiles.

(I will be opening the new thread soon, and will link to it from here.)

With Glim’s strike the beast begins to flail around, now thoroughly overcome by the mercenaries. Malyvern has run for cover, back with the Erwydra. Ixuo, meanwhile, has broken free of the arachnid’s grip. The Chadra leaps atop the beast with a lion’s roar and sends a thundering hack with his axe into its skull.

As the beast falls, it manages one last strike at Glim and Ixuo topples to the ground heavily with a heavy thump.

The Arachnid now lies dead. And with it, the light from the forest appears to return. As the source of the darkness has been dealt with, the forest glistenes once again. The road to Kuasrine is clear, revealing a myriad of webs and the arachnid's grisly trophies. From here, the companions should reach Kuasrine fairly soon.

“I’m going to need a drink, I think,” says Malyvern, “and it’s not even noon yet.”

"Hmph," says Ixuo as he wipes green ichor from his fur, “and a bath wouldn’t hurt.”

(If everyone agrees my current thinking is that once we arrive at the town, we will create a new thread with a new tavern (The Arcanist's Mill). We will continue our characters/stories and play around more with the tavern setting, saving the adventures for a planned story in the future.)

(You’re a more than capable writer, Phargought, feel free to jump in)

With deadly precision the four beast-kin pick the arachnid apart, covering all sides while it slashes with its pincers. Ixuo slides underneath the beast and hacks at its stomach with his axes spraying an awful, green goo all over him. The beast responds by grabbing hold of the Chadra and he howls in horror as he held up and squeezed. He continues to jab at it with his axe.

Malyvern, being the erratic mage that is he is, had seemingly disappeared, only to reappear directly infront of the arachnid with his grimoire in hand.

The mage begins to chant an incantation, and almost immediately the forest lights up in blaze of dazzling lights that confuses and disorients the beast allowing Glim’s men an opportunity to strike.

(I agree! This is the perfect time for someone to join. We won't spend much time on this and will make our way to the town soon )

Out from the underbrush, the tree falls suddenly with a loud crash, alarming the horses. Birds scurry out from the leaves as their wings patter in all directions. A few moments pass and it seems as though the group is safe until the tree begins to move again, revealing that it is something else entirely. A giant, hulking spider.

Malyvern’s horse begins to panic. He manages to conjure a stone wall to block the path between the beast and the group, but it won’t hold for long.

Ixuo grips onto the handles of his axes, and moves to protect the smaller beast-kin who are at the back, he briefly catches Glim’s eye and motions that he is ready to act.

Welcome to Fractured, Verteron! What interests you most about the game?

Welcome to Fractured! I think part of the appeal for many people is the huge array of racial choices on offer, many you wouldn't see elsewhere.

(OOC Seems good! Let me know if I move too quickly, I'm conscious that we don't want to be sitting around.)

The companions set off from the Singing Grotto and make their south towards Kuasrine.

Couldn’t have found myself better company, Malyvern thinks and bids a farewell nod to the innkeep. They might not show it, but they’re glad whenever the mage turns up. Malyvern’s horse seems like it has seen better days, but the mage smooths its head like an old friend.

The journey isn’t a long one by horseback but thick woodlands force the companions to slow, as the mercenaries are large and the wagon of supplies is in tow. Birds flitter above and insects drone incessantly as they travel further into the forest. The path eventually gives way to a small trail, until there is no path at all.

“Surely there’d be a better way through to the town,” says Ixuo, “what’s the inn doing so far out from there?”

“The inn provides shelter to those who would make pilgrimage to the old academy," Malyvern says, "Although it’s not been in use for a long time, and there are only a few professors left. World’s changed. Steam powered machines rule the day now, and our magic is feared." He turns to Glim, “once upon a time I was a professor of the academy. It still stands, barely, but has become something of a tourist attraction in recent years. I spoke last night of a job that might be interesting enough for you and your men, I'll explain more when we get to the town.”

“Damn,” Malyvern says. A quiet rustling in the underbrush draws the attention of the group and as they move deeper into the forest and the light gives way to darkness. Malyvern feels the rumble of fear.

A tree catches the mage’s eye as it seems to move unnaturally. The plants alongside them appear mangled as though a recent struggle occured.