Under the White Hawk

[PippinTook]

New rpg! Created by Akaimai and myself, we spent hours over this thing, so it should be good. It is based on an island off the southern coast of Middle-Earth. So no worries about Middle-Earth-links, right mods? Here is a intro/history thing

When Dai Sheri (DIE, share-EYE) was created, the Creator gave the people many trees. But two trees were unlike the others. The Fendara were said to hold the life and time of the world. One the Creator planted in the mountain city of Ci’tinai(SEE-tin-eye). The other, on the high mountain of Daeternya(dye-TER-nee-ah). In those two places, he put the High King, Cainarith, and the Creator’s servant, Denarah’tar(dehn-ARE-ah-TAR). The different races were scattered on Dai Sheri, and everything was peaceful. But, Denarah’tar wanted to rule the world for himself. He rebeled against the Creator and kept to himself for many years in Mount Daeternya.

One hundred years ago, the world was fouled by the evil, Denarah’tar. He sat with his foul followers in the middle of the island. His fortress was held at Mount Daeternya. He had among him, Tai’rithkahin(tai-REETH-kah-heen) the cloaked, eyeless searchers. And the Enrathiyon(ehn-ROTH-ee-yon), squabbling, half-human souless monsters. With this grotesque army, he won again and again.
All the races fought for their own. The Ciraelyn fought gallantly by their mountains. The Sankorya protected their beloved forest. The Aiekanad stood their ground in their barren lands. The Ki'taeghan fought from their ships. But the Dark Lord threw them down.
In the Last Battle, the High King of the Ciraelyn called all races to him. Every man and woman of every race charged into battle under the White Hawk banner of Ci’tinai. Denarah’tar’s army was throw down. The Tai’rithkahin fled over the sea, and all the Enrathiyon fled and were never seen again. Denarah’tar was sealed in his mountain, for the end of time. Then there were prophecies, of the Fendara dying, and Denarah’tar coming back. It is said that a second War would come, and again, the High Blood of Ci’tinai would lead the races under the White Hawk to victory. But all these things were long forgotten.

Now, the land is being plaugued. The High King’s Blood is gone, and his magnificent story forgotten, and nothing but myth. The Dark Lord, for his true name is never to be mentioned after he was sealed away in Mount Daeternya, is nothing but a tool used to scare children into their beds. The Fendara, which is in Ci’tinai, is withering. Whispers of the High Blood coming back, spread around the world. The Dark Lord’s prison is weakening. The races must join together again. United as one, to save the Tree, and ride again under the White Hawk, to victory. One last time.

okay, please check the discussion thread before posting. Post charactar there. The races and map will be in the other thread. For now, only one person per race. Thats 4 people. After that, another 2 can join, but thats it, sorry guys.
-pip

[PippinTook]

The north wind swirled the Silver Tree banners of the Ciraelini city Ci'tinai. They were not the White Hawk banners of old. They were long since gone. A girl stood on one of the many high stone walls. She was not tall, and the wind played with her light blue dress and long locks of brown hair. She looked down across the dry plains. No crops came from farms. No green grass covered the hills this year.
"Airayne? Airayne! Come down off that confounded wall, child! You could fall off and get yourself killed!" came a sharp voice from below.
The girl rolled her eyes and climbed down the ladder, almost getting her feet twisted in her skirt.
"Airayne, that wind could blow you right over the wall, and then where would I be? I need your help." said her mother, half scolding, half amused. "Lady Tessa's skirts need hemming still."
Airayne nodded, "Yes, mum." she said, backing into the taylor shop, trying to hide the rip in her skirt. She had a habit of tearing her skirts on the city walls. Her parents were taylors in the city. She didn't leave the city walls often. There was really no reason to. Plenty of food was shipped in from other parts of Dai Sheri, and her family and friends were here. She was as happy as she could be, but sometimes she thought about traveling to the sea. She sat down to hem the skirts, dreaming of huge ships and raging sea storms.

[Akamai Deredal]

A massive ship was sent soaring over the crest of a wave, only to come crashing back down into the ocean, spraying salt-water over the crew. It made no difference though, all of them were already soaked to the bone by the torrential downpour. Wind howled through the storm-darkened sky, thrashing at the canvas sails mercilessly, threatening to tear them from the masts entirely.
The vessel rocked violently, sending the less sure-footed crewmembers slipping across the slick decks while others quickly latched onto something to keep them in place.
"Everyone that hasn't got a job to do, get below decks! I can't have any man overboard!"
The voice belonged to that of a young woman, who appeared to be as commanding as she sounded. Piercings spotted her face, and tattoos ran down her entire right arm. In more ways than one, she resembled the pirates depicted within childhood horror stories, but she was entirely different at the same time.
Men and women alike scrambled for the hatch in the decks, swiftly disappearing beneath. The young woman watched, her gray eyes glowing more intensely with each lightning streak that scored across the midnight black sky.
"Jaelyn, which way are we headed?" The woman shouted again, throwing all her weight into the helm, trying to keep the ship from going any further off course.
A young man, who hung on tightly to a rope that fastened down several cargo crates, peered up into the sky, squinting his eyes as the rain beat down on him. After a moment he returned his blue eyes to his captain and gave his head a small shake, "I'd say due northeast, Jen'airah. We're considerably off course. Our target has been overshot by at least six leagues."
"Six leagues?" Jen'airah shouted, astonished. "What kind of a storm is this?" She murmured, more to herself than to her companion.
Jaelyn seemed to know he was not meant to hear her, and simply hunkered down beside the crates in a vain attempt to shelter him from the rain.
With a short string of shouted commands and warnings, the captain threw all her weight into turning the helm the other way, straining every muscle in her young form against the forces of the enraged mother nature. Slowly, the wheel turned, inch by inch, and the groan of the rudder could be heard.
Jen'airah was determined to deliver her goods on time, and not even a storm of this calibur could stop her. The pirate blood that flowed in her veins would not settle for failure.

OOC: whoopsies... sorry... *hides before she gets yelled at*

[Fimbrethil]

OOC: Wh ywould we yell Akai?

IC:
Nätalya sat on her horse in the middle of the woods, "We shoudl really go back now. It'll be dark soon. Still...I wish I didn't have to came back empty handed." She said to her horse as they turned and headed home.

"Talya! Where have you been child! I've been worried...and you come back empty handed?" Talya's mother said to her.

"I know. I'm sorry I made you worry. The animals are all hiding though, a storm from off the coast is coming, though it should have blown itself out by the time it reaches us." Talya said half heartedly trying to get rid of her mother, she could a little over bearing at times. "I'd best get the horses in." With that she turned into the barn and hoped no one else would come to bother her, hse had been in a pensive mood all day long and was not in the mood for company other than horses at that moment.

[PippinTook]

*giggles madly* Akai, thats loverly. Okay, keeping ooc's to a low.

ic; Airayne was running. Her feet were bare and her skirts were torn. The sun was bearing down on her, like a thick piece of cloth trying to suffocate her. Why was she running? Suddenly, she felt like someone was watching her. Her skin prickled. She didn't look back. She strained her eyes and looked ahead. A mountain. It seemed to reach up and pierce the sky. No clouds. Only the sun. Her throat was a desert. The ground was rough, stones tripped her soft feet. She fell on her face. She felt her chaser behind her. It was coming closer. Airayne scrambled up to her feet and ran on towards the mountain. It was looming high above her. Black and menacing. She didn't want to know what that mounatin was, but she didn't want to know what was following her. Suddenly, she felt a hot, rancid breath on her neck. She was forced to the ground. A sickly, grating voice was in her ear.
"You can't run from me. You can't run from him. I can see you everywhere. I am his eyes. The Dark Lord knows you. The Dark Lord knows what you are." Airayne turned her head enough to see what was holding her down. He was cloaked in black. She could not see his face, but she did not want to. His breath was like rotting flesh. She choked as he forced her head into the rough ground. "He marks you, tailor." He raised a black dagger, bringing toward her chest. She closed her eyes, bracing herself. Then the menace raised a shriek that seared through her ears. She almost thought that he had driven that jagged dagger through her ears. She saw a white bird swoop down out of the sky and peck at where Airayne imagined where it's eyes should have been. The dagger slipped and caught her cheek. She screamed out in pain. That was no ordinary dagger.

Airayne woke with a start. A dream. She sighed, it was only a dream. Yes, it was very realistic, but it was only a dream. Even so, her hand went to her cheek. What she felt made her gasp aloud. A thin scar ran from the outer corner of her eye to her nose. A dream. Just a dream.

[Akamai Deredal]

The streets were empty and abandoned, save for the occasional rat scurrying out from beneath Jen’airah’s feet. Looking around, the young woman shuddered. Shadows practically oozed out of the alleys, so thick that she felt as if she could touch them, if she were willing to get that close. Her cloak was torn from her shoulders by a violent gust of wind, and she watched its path, almost in a trance, until her eyes landed upon Dae’ternya.

Another shiver, not caused by the wind which gradually picked up speed, swirling around Jen’airah in violent circles, nearly knocking her off her feet more than once. Within the howls of the gusts, the sea warrior could hear two things. A low, feral growling, though it seemed to be only within her thoughts, and a foul whisper, bringing with it threats and torturous promises.

“The Dark Lord has eyes watching you. I am one of them. You can never run, we see you everywhere. The Dark Lord knows you, he knows you for what you are.”

Without a second thought, Jen’airah tore down the streets, her silvery-blue blouse shining eerily within the slow fog pouring into the nightmare city. The growling had grown into a full-throated snarl, and the whispers were now screeched screams, instilling a haze of terror in the young woman’s mind. Turning the corner, blinded by fear and deafened by the wails and howling, she did not expect what happened.

Her head hit the cobblestones first as she stumbled backward from what she had collided into, losing her footing completely. The groan that escaped her lips was soon transformed into a scream of pure terror when a clammy hand gripped her throat.
Her eyes widened with terror. A horrible stench rolled over her, making her gag and cough, and the creature--for that was the only word that came to her mind to describe something so horrid and monstrous--held her jaw open.

“The Dark Lord knows what you are…” The creature hissed, removing a small canteen from the depths of its robes and removing the cap. A sickly sweet smell drifted from it, masking the rotten reek of decaying flesh.

Tipping her head back, the creature lowered the canteen to her mouth. Jen’airah screamed again; she knew that whatever was in the canteen, it was not in her best interest to taste it. The constant howling within her thoughts suddenly shattered free, giving voice to a more tangible sound, the deep, throaty growl of an angry canine.

The wolf leapt out of the shadows, its presence having been before unnoticed, teeth bared and hackles raised. The creature screeched, its voice enough to shatter stone, as the massive animal latched onto its arm, forcing it and the canteen away from Jen’airah’s mouth.

Jen’airah woke up with a horrified scream, her hand instantly flying to her face. It felt as if a fire poker had been hurled into her eye and left to smolder. Slowly the pain faded, and with it, so did her fear. Her shaky breath slowly evened out and her limbs had ceased their trembling. With a weary sigh, the young woman hauled herself from her bunk and crossed over to the mirror hanging on the wall, secured tightly. Lighting a lantern, she hung it above her head and peered into the mirror to see what had irritated her eye so badly. She screamed again, this time the sound was not hindered, and many curses left her mouth. Her eye was red, as deep as the color of blood itself…

[Arcala]

Sakaiye sighed. He and Aralia had been riding for a while now, and understandably they were tired. Still, in the hot desert there was never anywhere with shade. Aralia whuffed and pawed at the soft, sandy ground. From long experience with her, Sakaiye knew she wanted a break. Well, where was the harm in that? Not like they had anywhere to go anyway. He sat down, and let Aralia do what she wanted for a while. He was beginning to regret not going to the city like his friend Tokir had wanted him to. Smiling, he sank back into the sand’s embrace, half-dreaming, half-thinking.

“C’mon, ‘Kaiye, if you’d just give me an actual reason…” Tokir had said. Sakaiye had sighed. “Tokir, I already told you I don’t like cities. They’re just so…confining.”
Tokir had argued, “Well, what do you know? You’ve never been in one.”
“Yeah,” said Sakaiye, “but still…I mean, cities have walls. How can walls not be confining?”
Tokir had set his mouth into a stubborn line and said, “Tents have walls, and you don’t mind tents.”
Sakaiye had simply sighed. Sometimes his friend didn’t get anything.
“Well, if you’re sure, ‘Kaiye…” Tokir’s voice drifted off.

The dream twisted…

The Dark Lord arose, cloaked in shadowed glory. His menacing eyes seemed to bore right into Sakaiye’s soul. He could not bring himself to look away.
“Know that I see you, Desert’s Chosen…” The Dark Lord’s voice came from all directions.

Snap!

A sound like a whip lash, and he was falling, falling into a bottomless chasm, leaving the world, and the light, and all that was good, behind.

Sakaiye woke up with a jolt of terror. What? For a moment, he couldn’t remember where he was. In his mind, he was still falling.

The sun had risen high in the air by the time Sakaiye had managed to get up. Shows me what I get for sleeping at the wrong time, he thought ruefully to himself. He cupped his hands and called, “Aralia!” Only then did he notice that across the back of his left hand, there was a painful welt. He stared at it, unbelieving. Aralia had ridden up by then. As he mounted her, he thought, It was nothing. Just a sun-dream. I probably scratched it on a rock somewhere. Still, as they rode off, his mind was full of troubles.

ooc: Legoles, you won't mind if I called Sakaiye "Desert's Chosen", would you? If you do, I'll edit it.

[Fimbrethil]

Nätalya soon grew tired of grooming horses and she sank down in Brèla's stall and drifted into a peaceful sleep, where a dream soon overtook her.
A dark figure stood infront of her...overbearing and frightening in a way, but Talya knew it was just a dream...no matter how real.
"Know this forest chosen, I know you. I can see into your very thoughts and desires. You want to leave don't you? I'll help you leave!" With that he took out a rather large dager and pinned Talya with one hand.
"STOP! What are you doing! HELP! Someone help ME!" The last word came out choked and shrill because the knife sliced into the soft fleshy part of her stomach and would have gone all the way in had a snowy white fox not bit the creatures hand.
Shreaking and cursing the black figure rose and ran out of the stall, leaving Talya lieing there with a bloody cut on her stomach. Looking up after some of the pain had subsided she saw a fox. Not just any fox, but a fox so white it seemed to blind her even when the sun was masked by a coming storm.
"Oh no! The storm! I don't have all the horses in!" Talya said outloud.

Jerking awake Talya looked around tring to peice together what had happend. Getting up to shake off her nap she felt a sharp pain on her stomach. Looking down she saw a long white scare streaching horizontilly across her lower stomach. She dropped her tunic and looked around quickly for anything out of the ordinary. Noticing nothing Talya went to get the horses before the storm hit...still on guard.

[Legoles]

OOC: Hey Arcala, how about we are both the desert's chosen?

Ic: Reia strode down a hall of the palace in the city of Arkeinanied.
"Lady Reia? Prince Seiya wishes for audience in his chambers."
"Tell him I'll be there momentarily." I said drowsily. I sat and talked with my brother and then went to bed.

I walked down a path in the brightest part of day, enjoying the leaves, and the flowers. Suddenly I felt a presence, and it wasn't a pretty one. I started running away from it, but I didn't sem to be going any farther. Suddenly I was picked up and thrown against a tree. A voice with a rotten stench hissed in my ear "The Dark Lord can see you. He knows where you are Princess."
"GO AWAY!"
"How about not." Hissed the voice again. The things hand drew out a long black handled knife. All I knew was, I really didn't want that knife anywhere near me. The thing, for that was all it was, drew its hand up and then, thank the lord, a white animal attacked it. The distraction was all I needed. I took it's knife and ran away.
"That was a nasty dream." I said aloud. I felt something in my hand and looked at it. I gaspedi n fear as I looked upon the same black knife I was nearly stabbed with.

[Arcala]

ooc: Sounds good to me! Although Sakaiye is very confused and has no idea that he is one of Desert's Chosen, right now.
Hey, how 'bout Reia and Sakaiye meet, then they can travel to Ci'tinai together!

[PippinTook]

very good everyone! this is turning out great!

ic; Airayne slipped into a worn dress and into the kitchen. She grabbed an apple and a slice of bread and ran out the back door before anyone could notice. She kept her eyes down and tried to hide the scar she knew was there. She slipped down a back alley, taking a bite of her apple. She needed to find her friend. He lived not far from her, and she knew she could trust him. Cærdic was someone she needed. She banged on a door, looking around to make sure no one saw her.

[Gulio, Strength of Many]

Cærdic was carefully cleaning his sword when he was startled by a loud knock on the door. He started, and cut his finger. He cursed quietly on the way to answer the door.

Airayne rushed inside, nearly knocking Cærdic over. "Woah there, child! What's gotten into you?"

Sheesh, kids these days, he thought, Always rushing everywhere, no patience at all. Pity.

[Fimbrethil]

Talya had brought all the horses but not before being drenched by the rain. She sat in her room, dry now, just lstening to it thiking about her dream. She didn't want to go back to sleep, but the rain was so soothing..and there people right down the hall, and her eyes slowly closed.

She was in the forest this time. Standing there she looked around and saw the white fox. It took off very quickly and Talya was...told?...to run after it. Reaching a clearing she saw that the fox had stopped so Talya did also. Crouching down beside it she listened. There in the clearing was the dark shadow! "NO my lord." it said. "She is not dead. The protector found her before it could be done and now I cannot get close enough to her to get the job done." There was a silence and then, "A good plan my lord. I will do what you ask. Justing wondering my lord but...what would happen if she were to escape to Ci'tinai?" Another silence and then, "I udnerstand," It's voice was laced with fear. The dream shifted and Talya was in a meadow beside a hole in the ground and the white fox. "This is not a hole!" A voice said in her head. "Listen it's not often I can do this and there isn't enough time for you to ask questions. Go to Hïgera's house. All will explained there.
Talya woke. She was confused and dazed and very ver curious.

OOC: I don't have time to go back to the OOC thread but the whole mind talk thing cna be changed if you guys don't like it. But I was just going with what ever my hands typed. Anyways I can always edit.

[Legoles]

<I have to get OUT of here> Reia thought franticly. I grabbed the knife, stuck it into a sheath, and put the seath into a satchel. I equipped my scythe blades and pinned up my hair. I put a veil over my head, as if I was a maid, then ran out my door and into the stables. My horse whickered softly as I fed watered and mounted the firey-blodded stallion. The palace slowly drifted out of sight as Fiyera and I galloped away. The hot sands embraced my feet and encouraged them to go faster. Eventually I grew tired and collapsed in a heap of exausted ex-princess. I heard a crackling sound on the other side of the sand dune, and I got up to examine it. A man and a horse sat at the bottom of a hollow, the horse tearing off hunks of dry grass and the man staring into the fire.
"Hello?" I asked tenatively. "Tiyake."[making up a languadge is FUN!(Tiyake is a formal greeting between strangers basicly... Hi who're u?")

[Fimbrethil]

Talya walked slowly to Higera's house. He was, in a word, mad. Everyone in the village said that about him, though he was their best story teller, and Talya was a very close friend of his. Knocking on the door she heard Higera's soft voice say, "Enter." It was amazing how someone so old could still have such a soft and soothing voice.
"Higera, I must talk with about...this." Talya pulled her shirt up only far enough to show the thin scar.
"Hmm...well that is unfortunate, I didn't hear anything about you being hurt while you were hunting the other day." Higera replied in an off hand tone.
"That's because I wasn't. Higera...a man appeared to me in a dream...he knew that I wanted to leave, to see cities and other sites, then he tried to kill me and that is how I got this scar." Talya said very slowly finding now that it was almost hard to remember the dream.
"Talya you must me everything before and after the dream." Higera said sudenly all ears. Talya told him and sat there for a moment thinking.
"You must listen closly Talya, there isn't much time and the fate us all may just depend on you....and others. No interuptions now!" He told her about everything, everything he remembered about the "Eyes" and the king and the city she had to get to. Talya had always wanted more than this little village though in her heart she knew she could never leave, she loved her home to much and she loved this forest with all her heart.
"I must leave?" Talya asked tentavly(sp?).
"Yes, and as quickly as you can! You will leave in the daytime, take with you only what you will die without, and you will travel at night if you must rest sleep with one eye open! Tell no one of this. Pack what you will and bring it to me before the day ends today. Tomorrow pretend to go hunting, leave early. I will meet you where the creek bends with your things. I know this will be hard for you and all of this information must have come as a shock but times are changing now Talya you must learn to be harder on those who wrong you. No more talking. Go home, pack, bring me your things, and say your last goodbyes in whatever sly way you wish." Higera dismissed her then.
Talya walked slowly back to her grand house which contained within it's four walls everything she held dear. Packing Talya began to cry, her things barely filled one small bag. She brought them to Higera who took them and slamed the door in her face, for secracy she supposed. She went back home and spent the rest of that night with her family doing an excellent job of pretending nothing was was wrong.

[Arcala]

Sakaiye had been sitting by the fire, lost in his thoughts, when all of a sudden a person came out of nowhere and said, "Hello? Tiyake?" He jumped, startled. Then he thought, I'm not usually this jumpy. Hmm, maybe that dream has me more confused than I thought. To the stranger he said, "My name is Sakaiye, and my mare is called Aralia. Tiyake?"

[Fimbrethil]

Talya woke with a start wondering why she was up so early, remembering what she had to do Talya crawled out of bed and got the breakfast she had laid out for herself. Walking as quietly as possible Talya grabbed her bow and arrows, pausing out side her parents room, she wonder if she would see them again. :I have to leave...Pull it together." Talya said to herself. She walked out into the early morning air and was struck by the majesty of her forest..."It's not mine anymore...it never was." Talaya was thinking out loud agian. She walked into the forest, Higera had already come around collected Brèla.

[Legoles]

"My name's Reia. My stallion's called Fiyera." I said tenatively. "May I sit?"

[Arcala]

Sakaiye said, "Sure," a little distractedly. He'd never been in a city before and so he didn't recognize Reia. Still, he wasn't sure what she was doing here, so he asked her, "Just curious, but what are you doing here?" The fact the he wanted to get his mind off his dream might have also been a reason.

[Fimbrethil]

OOC: What city are you guys outside of?

Talya went to where she was instructed to meet Higera at and sure enough he was there, with her things and her horse.
"Talya, I am sorry this task has befallen you. It doesn't make sense as to why the powers that be chose, there are so many other races better suited..." Higera was cut off by Talya.
"You mean people who will jump quickly to anger and make rash unwise desions? Granted some of mine could have been better but I know how to think rashly and my mind was and still is unclouded by hate and anger. That is why I was chosen, not for my prowess or courage or fighting skills, for we both know I none, but because I am patient and almost never come back from a hunt empty handed. I except what has been given to me and I move on from what has been taken." Talya said surpirsed at her own words and the force behind them...not anger, but then what was it? Pride? Bravery? Or false front to both?
"I am proud to have helped you Talya." Talya was mounting Brèla as he said this and when Higera almost bowed in a respectful good-bye she stopped him.
"You are my friend, and the only one I could ever tell my deepest desires, you will not bow to me." At this Talya embraced him as a sister would a brother she loved very much. A twig snapped. Looking up first Higera saw a black figure take aim and shoot.
Pulling Talya to the side just in time he yelled, while pulling a hiden short sowrd from his belt, "Run Talya! And remember the words you have just spoken to me! They will give you courage." He was off fighting for her.
Talya kicked Brèla foward and they were off. After the bend in the creek, which was where Higera had been waiting, it was completely straight, which meant Talya had a clear veiw to the battle waging behind if she turned far enough.
She looked back only once, and that one time was a mistake. The monster had, by then, discarded his arrows for a sword. Lifting it in a false attack the blade flashed and was then lodeged in Higera's heaving side. He went to his knees, still fighting, becasue he knew what it would mean if even one of the chosen were not to fulfill thier destiny. The trees grew thicker and Talya was forced to turn and look at where she was headed. She did not see the monster mount his horse, she did not see him try in vain to catch her, and she did not see Higera, her best friend, take his last breath.