04 - Elysion ("Ooh! I'm so jealous I could throw a fit!")
In which the stick up the Duke's chute is discussed, and the Athlum bartender discovers the truth about Rush and David.
Ah, also, a mysterious man appears, and disappears. Rush knows he has to find him but doesn't know why. And there's a woman in purple armour!
"As I'm sure you already know, the Academy is a worldwide organisation which officially oversees all Remnant-related research. If that Wagram character truly is connected to the Academy, he has very influencial backing. It will be no simple matter to go after him," said Pagus after the Celapeleian messenger left. It was stating the obvious a little since both of Rush's parents work at the Academy, and Pagus knew it. Torgal did, too, and when he spoke he chose his words with care:
"It is rumoured that there are segments of the Academy dedicated to more... illicit types of Remnant testing. Mayhap the mage in white is a part of that... Still, we do not yet have the evidence to confirm either way. We must learn more about these men before anything else."
Blocter, on the other hand, was thinking about other things. "Ugh, I can't stand those jerks in Celapaleis. They're always like 'Athlum, do this! Athlum, do that!" It really burns me up! Like, this time. Sure, it's good to know bad stuff's going on, but you don't gotta gloat when you tell it! Makes me just wanna - ugh!"
"Athlum is required to provide for Celapaleis's defense at all times. Their assumption that we'll always protect them is something that is far from popular within Athlum. Yet it is our duty as a territory. I know it, and understand it, but I certainly don't like it," said Emma, not minding that David was in the room. David, like everyone in Athlum, was pro-independence, after all.
When Rush walked up to David, though, David did not mention the topic of Celapaleis's control. "A girl matching Irina's description is seen in the clutches of the flying Remnant. So, this is the true face of the men slighting Athlum... I will find them and make them regret this!"
With no obvious next step, Rush went into town again. The word on the street was that a big, blond man who called himself Conqueror had been attacking the cities with his army and doing whatever he could to obtain a Remnant. Nobody knew much more than that, but it was enough for some to be worried.
On the other hand, some people had other things to talk about:
"The Duke of Celapaleis is like 10 or something, right? 'Cause he totally acts like some old guy with a stick up his chute. He needs to stop being a Duke for a sec and work on removing whatever's up in there."
After all that talk about Celapaleis's rule over Athlum, it was a surprise to hear the Duke being that young. Then again, David was young...
At the Town Square, David's admirer wanted Rush to know something since Rush was clearly "as interested in the Marquis" as he was: it was said that the Gae Bolg took away a bit of its owner's soul each time it was used, which was why the late Marquis died so young. Now that David had bound himself to the Remnant, it could only be hoped that peace would arrive quickly, so that David would stay unharmed.
Rush already noticed it earlier, there was a soldier standing at nearly every street corner. Finally one took a good look at him. "Huh? Yeah... that's the face, that's the clothes... You're Rush Sykes, right? I've got a message for you from Lord David. He says he's come up with a good start for information-gathering, and that you should come to the castle for details. Got it?"
Rush nodded. Just before going back to the castle, he popped into Warrior's Honor, just in case there were other news to pick up on. But there was nothing new. The bartender was groaning a bit.
"I can't believe it... a message from the beautiful Marquis - for you? Just what is the relationship between you two anyway!?" he asked, and Rush didn't reply. "Ooh! I'm so jealous I could throw a fit!"
Really nothing new there. Rush headed back to the castle.
Up to timestamp 4:41:
HQ version here
Just before they left Athlum, mysterious group set up base at the Robelia Castle ruins, and attacked many Athlumian soldiers. Emma and Rush heard about this when Emma was about to ask Rush for a favour, so they went to investigate, and defeated the men dressed in black robes who claimed that they were from the Third Committee and would invade Athlum.
Afterwards, Emma took Rush to the Town Square, right under the Valeria Heart. This place was special to her. A long time ago, she said, she saw off a traveller here, with the promise that they would meet again here when her travels were done. It was way too soon, but Emma still came here every now and then. But with the increasing amounts of incidents happening, she became more and more busy, and she was worried she couldn't meet the traveller upon her return. Emma asked Rush if he could do her a favour, and meet the traveller if she could not. There was no need to worry, Emma added. Rush would know her by sight, and he might as well look forward to it. They rejoined the main group after this.
Crossing the Ivory Peaks mountain range to the southeast, Rush arrived at Elysion with David's group. Home of the Congress, Elysion was generally considered as the heart of the continent. The place had no lord, and was run by the chairman of the Congress, a position rotated by the representatives of each land, although in reality, the man with the most power would have the job. Currently the position belonged to Lord Hermeien of Nagapur and it had been that way for several years. Rumour had it that he was using his authority to conduct weapon creation experiments at the Academy.
Up to timestamp 3:16:
HQ version here
Elysion, looking north. The Sacred Lands rest in the cloud spiralling in the sky. It used to be that when people talked about Elysion, they were referring to that, but now it was the name of this city.
According to legend, the Sacred Lands were to which the souls of the dead returned. A thousand years ago, there was a war that cost many lives. Marion Marshall prayed for the dead and her prayer enveloped the Sacred Lands with a celestial light. Since then, it had been an area for souls to rest.
The Sacred Lands were clearly visible from everywhere in Elysion. Passing through Tula Street - where shopping was cheaper, apparently - Rush got to the Genaade District, where historic temples lined the street. It was also where the Temple of Elysion stood. People had prayed to the old gods here for hundreds of years. All its buildings were of the old architecture, and it was an area even Elysion's own residents could easily get lost in.
It was at Genaade District that Rush ran into the warrior woman again. Remembering his past mistake, he cringed a bit.
"You don't look happy to see me," she said to him.
"Uh, n-no, that's not true! Say, ol-O beautiful young maid, what're you doing around here?" Rush said, showing his lack of skills in talking to ladies.
"Training. In my family, it's a rite of passage to travel the world."
"Huh... sounds pretty tough. Take care of yourself, okay?"
"Thank you. You're not as inconsiderate as I thought."
Leaving the warrior woman alone, Rush visited the Temple of Elysion. It seemed to be the thing to do. It was a temple dedicated to Marion Marshall. A statue of her, easily 15 feet tall, stood in the hall. Those who visited the temple seemed to believe that she really existed. They said that once Lady Marion connected with the Remnant, her soul travelled to the Sacred Lands, and that she still looked upon them from the heavens, praying for the souls of the dead to safely reach the heavens to join her side.
Outside of the temple, though, a girl was more into the romance between Lady Marion and the Imperator.
At Hendler, the market of Elysion, all sorts of things were available for sale. Prices were expensive but it was because of the quality, so the locals claimed. The streets were quite packed because of the upcoming Congress meeting. Turning south, up some stairs and past the guild, were the embassies of all the states. A Qsiti warned Rush not to act suspiciously or risk arrest.
At Hendler, looking east. To the right are stone steps leading to another store, the guild, and the embassies.
Finally, Rush's group arrived at the highest tier of Elysion - Assembly Plaza, where the Academy and assembly hall were. Some stairs next to the assembly hall led to the Ark, a big tourist attraction. The Remnant Ark was not something that one could ride, but looked like an indentation built into the ground. The Academy had the ability to use the Ark to send a select few to the Sacred Lands several times a year. The Remnant that Marion Marshall bound to herself was the Sacred Lands, the mass of rock above.
They shouldn't be wasting time. Rush headed straight for the Academy, telling the receptionist that he came to see Dr. Sykes.
"I'm sorry, but the doctors are in the middle of some extensive research and cannot be disturbed at this time. The Academy strives to make the world a better place by spreading the fruit of our labor to every corner of the world. We are never to inject our personal feelings into any matters here."
Not unexpected, somehow. But then a small-built woman came over. It was Haruko, the head of the Academy. It was said that she was great at research, but not so much at management, and her position was only temporary. People even assumed that John Sykes would be taking over her position soon.
"You're Rush Sykes? I'm so sorry I can't let you see your parents... I'm Haruko, director of the Academy," she said. "Don't tell anyone I told you... Doctors John and Marina Sykes are off in the Sacred Lands for a routine evaluation. It will be a while before anyone can get in touch with them, because you have to use the Remnant Ark to get up there. Unfortunately, once the Ark is used, you need to wait several months before you can use it again."
Back to wandering around Tula Street, since there were still no words of the Congress meeting starting. But then something very unexpected happened.
HQ version here
(Between the Conqueror's appearance and the court lady asking David to go with her, there is a little dialogue that the vidder had cut out:
"If Master David could come with me..."
At this point, Rush could choose to answer "He's ready to go!" or "No - you can't have him yet!" *cough* If you chose no, Rush can have fun with David go away for quests etc first, before coming back to the storyline.)
=to be continued=
New characters:
Wilfred Hermeien [Male Mitra, 34 years old]
The Duke of Nagapur is the current Chairman of the Congress that meets in Elysion, a gathering that includes delegation and heads of state from Ghor, Balterossa, Celapaleis, Royotia, Melphina, and Athlum. Part of Hermeien's role as Chairman is to oversee the work of the Academy - a role that he has taken on with great relish.
The Conqueror [?]
His origin shrouded in mystery, the man known only as the Conqueror suddenly emerges to seize Remnants throughout the lands. His bearing and speech hint that he is more than he seems. Something seems to connect him to Rush, but what could it be?
Roeas [?]
Enamored with the Conqueror, she has declared her eternal allegiance to him. She utilises her beautiful looks and voice, and acts as the ambassdor of Conqueror's Army. Her sadistic nature is revealed on battlefield, as she is prone to bouts of menacing behaviour. She often travels alongside Castanea.
Castanea [?]
Castanea originates from a large-bodied species with pronounced fighting abilities. A warrior of few (if any) words, it is hard to decipher his thoughts - although Roeas seems to understand him easily. Like Roeas, he is prone to bouts of menacing behaviour.
Random notes: Doesn't The Conqueror look like a wuxia master?
Ah, also, a mysterious man appears, and disappears. Rush knows he has to find him but doesn't know why. And there's a woman in purple armour!
"As I'm sure you already know, the Academy is a worldwide organisation which officially oversees all Remnant-related research. If that Wagram character truly is connected to the Academy, he has very influencial backing. It will be no simple matter to go after him," said Pagus after the Celapeleian messenger left. It was stating the obvious a little since both of Rush's parents work at the Academy, and Pagus knew it. Torgal did, too, and when he spoke he chose his words with care:
"It is rumoured that there are segments of the Academy dedicated to more... illicit types of Remnant testing. Mayhap the mage in white is a part of that... Still, we do not yet have the evidence to confirm either way. We must learn more about these men before anything else."
Blocter, on the other hand, was thinking about other things. "Ugh, I can't stand those jerks in Celapaleis. They're always like 'Athlum, do this! Athlum, do that!" It really burns me up! Like, this time. Sure, it's good to know bad stuff's going on, but you don't gotta gloat when you tell it! Makes me just wanna - ugh!"
"Athlum is required to provide for Celapaleis's defense at all times. Their assumption that we'll always protect them is something that is far from popular within Athlum. Yet it is our duty as a territory. I know it, and understand it, but I certainly don't like it," said Emma, not minding that David was in the room. David, like everyone in Athlum, was pro-independence, after all.
When Rush walked up to David, though, David did not mention the topic of Celapaleis's control. "A girl matching Irina's description is seen in the clutches of the flying Remnant. So, this is the true face of the men slighting Athlum... I will find them and make them regret this!"
With no obvious next step, Rush went into town again. The word on the street was that a big, blond man who called himself Conqueror had been attacking the cities with his army and doing whatever he could to obtain a Remnant. Nobody knew much more than that, but it was enough for some to be worried.
On the other hand, some people had other things to talk about:
"The Duke of Celapaleis is like 10 or something, right? 'Cause he totally acts like some old guy with a stick up his chute. He needs to stop being a Duke for a sec and work on removing whatever's up in there."
After all that talk about Celapaleis's rule over Athlum, it was a surprise to hear the Duke being that young. Then again, David was young...
At the Town Square, David's admirer wanted Rush to know something since Rush was clearly "as interested in the Marquis" as he was: it was said that the Gae Bolg took away a bit of its owner's soul each time it was used, which was why the late Marquis died so young. Now that David had bound himself to the Remnant, it could only be hoped that peace would arrive quickly, so that David would stay unharmed.
Rush already noticed it earlier, there was a soldier standing at nearly every street corner. Finally one took a good look at him. "Huh? Yeah... that's the face, that's the clothes... You're Rush Sykes, right? I've got a message for you from Lord David. He says he's come up with a good start for information-gathering, and that you should come to the castle for details. Got it?"
Rush nodded. Just before going back to the castle, he popped into Warrior's Honor, just in case there were other news to pick up on. But there was nothing new. The bartender was groaning a bit.
"I can't believe it... a message from the beautiful Marquis - for you? Just what is the relationship between you two anyway!?" he asked, and Rush didn't reply. "Ooh! I'm so jealous I could throw a fit!"
Really nothing new there. Rush headed back to the castle.
Up to timestamp 4:41:
Click to viewHQ version here
Just before they left Athlum, mysterious group set up base at the Robelia Castle ruins, and attacked many Athlumian soldiers. Emma and Rush heard about this when Emma was about to ask Rush for a favour, so they went to investigate, and defeated the men dressed in black robes who claimed that they were from the Third Committee and would invade Athlum.
Afterwards, Emma took Rush to the Town Square, right under the Valeria Heart. This place was special to her. A long time ago, she said, she saw off a traveller here, with the promise that they would meet again here when her travels were done. It was way too soon, but Emma still came here every now and then. But with the increasing amounts of incidents happening, she became more and more busy, and she was worried she couldn't meet the traveller upon her return. Emma asked Rush if he could do her a favour, and meet the traveller if she could not. There was no need to worry, Emma added. Rush would know her by sight, and he might as well look forward to it. They rejoined the main group after this.
Crossing the Ivory Peaks mountain range to the southeast, Rush arrived at Elysion with David's group. Home of the Congress, Elysion was generally considered as the heart of the continent. The place had no lord, and was run by the chairman of the Congress, a position rotated by the representatives of each land, although in reality, the man with the most power would have the job. Currently the position belonged to Lord Hermeien of Nagapur and it had been that way for several years. Rumour had it that he was using his authority to conduct weapon creation experiments at the Academy.
Up to timestamp 3:16:
HQ version here
Elysion, looking north. The Sacred Lands rest in the cloud spiralling in the sky. It used to be that when people talked about Elysion, they were referring to that, but now it was the name of this city.
According to legend, the Sacred Lands were to which the souls of the dead returned. A thousand years ago, there was a war that cost many lives. Marion Marshall prayed for the dead and her prayer enveloped the Sacred Lands with a celestial light. Since then, it had been an area for souls to rest.
The Sacred Lands were clearly visible from everywhere in Elysion. Passing through Tula Street - where shopping was cheaper, apparently - Rush got to the Genaade District, where historic temples lined the street. It was also where the Temple of Elysion stood. People had prayed to the old gods here for hundreds of years. All its buildings were of the old architecture, and it was an area even Elysion's own residents could easily get lost in.
It was at Genaade District that Rush ran into the warrior woman again. Remembering his past mistake, he cringed a bit.
"You don't look happy to see me," she said to him.
"Uh, n-no, that's not true! Say, ol-O beautiful young maid, what're you doing around here?" Rush said, showing his lack of skills in talking to ladies.
"Training. In my family, it's a rite of passage to travel the world."
"Huh... sounds pretty tough. Take care of yourself, okay?"
"Thank you. You're not as inconsiderate as I thought."
Leaving the warrior woman alone, Rush visited the Temple of Elysion. It seemed to be the thing to do. It was a temple dedicated to Marion Marshall. A statue of her, easily 15 feet tall, stood in the hall. Those who visited the temple seemed to believe that she really existed. They said that once Lady Marion connected with the Remnant, her soul travelled to the Sacred Lands, and that she still looked upon them from the heavens, praying for the souls of the dead to safely reach the heavens to join her side.
Outside of the temple, though, a girl was more into the romance between Lady Marion and the Imperator.
At Hendler, the market of Elysion, all sorts of things were available for sale. Prices were expensive but it was because of the quality, so the locals claimed. The streets were quite packed because of the upcoming Congress meeting. Turning south, up some stairs and past the guild, were the embassies of all the states. A Qsiti warned Rush not to act suspiciously or risk arrest.
At Hendler, looking east. To the right are stone steps leading to another store, the guild, and the embassies.
Finally, Rush's group arrived at the highest tier of Elysion - Assembly Plaza, where the Academy and assembly hall were. Some stairs next to the assembly hall led to the Ark, a big tourist attraction. The Remnant Ark was not something that one could ride, but looked like an indentation built into the ground. The Academy had the ability to use the Ark to send a select few to the Sacred Lands several times a year. The Remnant that Marion Marshall bound to herself was the Sacred Lands, the mass of rock above.
They shouldn't be wasting time. Rush headed straight for the Academy, telling the receptionist that he came to see Dr. Sykes.
"I'm sorry, but the doctors are in the middle of some extensive research and cannot be disturbed at this time. The Academy strives to make the world a better place by spreading the fruit of our labor to every corner of the world. We are never to inject our personal feelings into any matters here."
Not unexpected, somehow. But then a small-built woman came over. It was Haruko, the head of the Academy. It was said that she was great at research, but not so much at management, and her position was only temporary. People even assumed that John Sykes would be taking over her position soon.
"You're Rush Sykes? I'm so sorry I can't let you see your parents... I'm Haruko, director of the Academy," she said. "Don't tell anyone I told you... Doctors John and Marina Sykes are off in the Sacred Lands for a routine evaluation. It will be a while before anyone can get in touch with them, because you have to use the Remnant Ark to get up there. Unfortunately, once the Ark is used, you need to wait several months before you can use it again."
Back to wandering around Tula Street, since there were still no words of the Congress meeting starting. But then something very unexpected happened.
HQ version here
(Between the Conqueror's appearance and the court lady asking David to go with her, there is a little dialogue that the vidder had cut out:
"If Master David could come with me..."
At this point, Rush could choose to answer "He's ready to go!" or "No - you can't have him yet!" *cough* If you chose no, Rush can have fun with David go away for quests etc first, before coming back to the storyline.)
=to be continued=
New characters:
Wilfred Hermeien [Male Mitra, 34 years old]
The Duke of Nagapur is the current Chairman of the Congress that meets in Elysion, a gathering that includes delegation and heads of state from Ghor, Balterossa, Celapaleis, Royotia, Melphina, and Athlum. Part of Hermeien's role as Chairman is to oversee the work of the Academy - a role that he has taken on with great relish.
The Conqueror [?]
His origin shrouded in mystery, the man known only as the Conqueror suddenly emerges to seize Remnants throughout the lands. His bearing and speech hint that he is more than he seems. Something seems to connect him to Rush, but what could it be?
Roeas [?]
Enamored with the Conqueror, she has declared her eternal allegiance to him. She utilises her beautiful looks and voice, and acts as the ambassdor of Conqueror's Army. Her sadistic nature is revealed on battlefield, as she is prone to bouts of menacing behaviour. She often travels alongside Castanea.
Castanea [?]
Castanea originates from a large-bodied species with pronounced fighting abilities. A warrior of few (if any) words, it is hard to decipher his thoughts - although Roeas seems to understand him easily. Like Roeas, he is prone to bouts of menacing behaviour.
Random notes: Doesn't The Conqueror look like a wuxia master?