RP: The Silent Horizon [SHOISHUGGO] Chapter I - Find My Way

[Andrew]

Daelan​

Daelan didn't know what to make of what they had just witnessed, "We should probably keep the money together, it might be good to buy supplies if we can find a place," he said as he moved back into the shanty and changed into the set of clothing that had been acquired. It was simple clothing, black legging with a hooded tunic, they had obviously been hand sewn and appeared almost delicate in their design. Thankfully his boots were still in good shape. "Your turn, "he said toward the other male as he returned from within the shanty in his new attire. He had done as the female had requested and had put the necklace with the symbol under the tunic so it was more out of sight. It's presence on the letter was something else he felt like he wanted to answer, yet he had no idea where to start.

"You should probably split up the haul," he said to the female, he still didn't know his name or his. When she had sat in his lap when the soldier came to hide the symbol he was wearing, he could not help but to wonder about who she actually was. Was she a mate to him or the other the man? He figured he should leave that alone, she could of been his sister for all he knew. "We might want to consider making up names for ourselves, until we can figure out who we are..."

[GM NPC]​

The female archer that had disappeared into the tree line returned. Her bow strapped to her back along with it's quiver. It seemed a lot bigger as she got closer to them. She approached slowly with her hands slightly raise from her sides to show that she was no longer armed. "Hello there," she said in clear tone, "Are you three alright?" she asked as she looked down at the now stripped soldier, and figured out that the three of them appeared to be quite resourceful. "I'm sorry if I startled you, it really is not safe out here. There are a lot more of him, and if they catch you - you will end up in a labor camp. I am Kendra by the way," She didn't want to give them too much information at once. This was not the first group of her kind that she had found on this beach. She wondered if they even knew their own names, the others certainly had not.

 

[GingerGlitch]

Taesi​

"I don't even know my own name," she said unamused as she mulled over what she found. Though Seojun's curiosity caused her to look up towards him from where she had knelt. "If I had to guess, I think there are things going on here far beyond our comprehension," she stood brushing the sand of her knees. "There is some more gold currency that matches what we found earlier. These pictures make no sense to me, but given that he had them I would venture they bear a significance of some kind. Though if its something he was looking for, or that of personal importance I cannot ascertain based off the facts at hand. There are a couple more samples of writing, but again not in a language I can understand. Which makes me think that a portion of the populace here might utilize a language other than that which we use to communicate. Whether or not our guest here knew it, remains unknown. As for the gun, its symbol is similar to that which our companion bears on his necklace. Though it is different enough to warrant questioning." she paused for a moment.

Gesturing towards the full suit of armor she had removed from the corpse that now lay next to it. "This armor seems to have a certain quality that I would assume is higher tier. Though I cannot for the life of me figure out why. There was some sort of device under it that looks to be crushed," she said as her gesture finished when her hand reached where the smashed device lay next to the armor that had been laid out. "Though with certainty I can tell you one thing, that armor will be of no use to me." she as both of her hands gestured over the curvature of her feminine form. "These right here would prevent the armor from fitting," she said very analytically as she gestured to her bosom. "So you or the other male can have a go at it."

As she finished that bit of commentary she looked towards the sound of Daelan's voice. Seeing that he had covered the necklace for the time being she gave a silent nod of thanks. "How do you want it split up? That armor is practically useless to me, because of these," she replicated the same gesture to her bosom region. With that she grabbed a set of the female clothing and walked back to him, "Here hold these for me? We should chat while I get dressed" she asked as she put the tunic, and bag into his hands.

While she shimmied into the pants she began speaking, "That weapon has a symbol similar to the one on your necklace. Though it is interestingly different." she finished pulling up her pants with a little hop. Reaching out she grabbed the tunic putting it on while she left a moment of silence between them. When her top was on she reached for the bag, she began to speak as she looked for something on her clothing to fasten the bag. When she spoke she gave Daelan the same run down that Seojun had received. "Names? Um, Blaunr//Blank//. Unless you have a better idea," she said while still holding the pouch in her hands.

Taesi watched as the female archer approached, recalling how the woman had apparently saved them earlier. The woman's hands being slightly raised offered little comfort. She remained curiously quiet as she listened to every word, computing the implications of what the woman had to say. Hesitantly she spoke, "Thanks to you we are alive," she said while thinking "for now" in her own thoughts. She looked between her companions knowing that she would follow what they chose. Seperating from the group was decidedly a worse idea than facing whatever came together. Taesi took an unknown venture, reaching out to the woman through vesper as the woman had reached out to them earlier. "What are you willing to tell us about what is going on here? How do you know these things?" Taesi asked through vesper while mentally preparing to gather their things.

 

[iaincarter]

Togi Beach, Shoishuggo​

He nodded along as the female companion outlined her summations. Much as anticipated, she held little answers to his queries. There was barely enough points of data to make any kind of predicative hypothesis on any of the subjects under question, so it would seem that the order of the day was to keep an open eye and an open mind. It felt like it would be a waste of time to idly speculate - there was simply too much they didn't know to know what they did or didn't know. Which was a curious turn of phrase, but somehow still felt right to him.

Under other circumstances he might choose to admire the feminine form she so readily referenced, but that too felt like something to be considered when you weren't in an unknown place, with unknown people, with groups of unknown people possibly hunting you and you couldn't even remember your own name. None of which affected the entirely salient point she was making that the armour was fitted for a male torso and thus mostly useless to her. Not sure how easily he'd be able to move once burdened by the armour, he chose instead to retrieve a set of clothing for himself.

As he dressed in the dark blue breeches and off-white tunic, he considered what nom-de-guerre he might adopt for the foreseeable future. "Hmm, Morrir (Mirror) works for me. Ziok (Void), could work in a pinch, too, if one of you wants it. Or we use it as a family name, maybe?" After donning socks, he put his boots back on. They weren't in the best of shape, but were at least serviceable for the time being. Just another thing to add to the ever-growing list of things to keep in mind as they went about solving their shared dilemma. He tightened up the belt, until it was comfortably secure.

"My head is pounding and there's a whole lot of nothing where my memories should be, but other than that I could be worse - see Exhibit A over here." He indicated towards the dead soldier. "Do you think we should take the armour with us or would it be too noticeable or dangerous?" While he could imagine looking like a soldier might have its uses, it could also be a liability if they used codeword challenges and liked to shoot-first-and-ask-why-you-couldn't-answer-later. He tentatively placed the woman in the friendly category as she had approached with open hands whereas the soldier had gone straight for his weapon. On the other hand, she had also gone out of their line-of-sight and could just be trying to use kindness to draw them into a trap for her waiting friends.

While waiting for an answer, or for his companions to ask any further questions, he set about collecting up the items he had discovered earlier. Aside from the journal and letters which were with the female of their group, he loaded everything onto his sheet and turned it back into a makeshift pole-carried sack which he set down by the suitcase.

 

[Andrew]

Daelan​

Daelan took a quick look down at the body of the soldier now that Taesi had taken the armor off it, he looked at the armor and then at the body. "Hmm.." he hummed as he looked at the woman, "One second," he moved down the stairs of the shanty and got closer to the man then looked back at the armor Taesi had so eloquently explained didn't fit over her breasts. "I don't think it was his armor either, it did so much damage when he fell. Any proper armor would of been weighted properly especially armor that nice. The rub on his elbows kind of agrees with that theory." He then looked at the woman as he answered the other male, "You two worry about the names," he said, although it frustrated him, he figured they would pick something appropriate.

[GM]​

"You don't know what is going on? I take it you also are unaware of who you are as well?" Kendra asked as she adjusted her footing a little, she kept her hands in that same docile position. "The three of you seem rather resourceful, you've plucked clean places that already have been plucked clean several times. At least judging by the items you have there on the steps." She looked them over and really wondered how much of the truth they could handle. She answered the other question the girl had as well, "I know these things because I've been here for a while. Your friend there is right, that armor belongs to someone I used to know. They beat him, killed him and stole it. Put that Imperial logo on it to insult us...You get it, no need for me to go on. We really shouldn't stay here, there is a lot more of him and a beach is a bad place to be. If they trap you between them and the water, you'll be caught. I know a safe place, will you follow?"

 

[GingerGlitch]

Togi Beach, Shoishuggo​

Given that none of them remembered who they were or what led them to being here, she saw the whole ceremony of names as an annoyance. A necessary annoyance nonetheless. Afterall it would make communicating amongst each other much easier. At least until they figured out who they actually were. She shook off the thought for a moment, as Seojun went to his next line of questioning. "It is hard to weigh the pros and cons of that. While I deeply wish to take it with us, we have a finite capacity for what we can carry with us at the moment. It is definitely noticeable, but dangerous? In the fact a man wearing it attacked us, I would not be inclined to assume it was safe. Not until we know more about it, if we ever do."

Daelan's comment made Taesi look at the armor once more. He had several points that made sense to her, yet revealed a whole new set of questions. If this was not the man's armor, why did he have it? Who did he get it from? There were a few other things that swirled in her mind, all interrupted by this name debacle again. She wrinkled her nose a bit perturbed. "If you wish to assign a family name, then do so." she said calmly, it did not really matter to her either way. For all she knew they very well could be family. "As for your name, you can be Ziok (Void) for now," she said with a gesture towards Daelan. Her mind was itching to solve the puzzle that was their current situation.

As Taesi slowly moved to begin gathering her things she took a brief moment to ponder a response to Kendra's questions. How much was she willing to tell this woman? This woman had saved their lives and the questions seemed innocent enough. Though Taesi would remain slightly cautious, "I have no idea what's going on, outside of the observations made since coming to on the beach. There is no memory of who I am, or what happened before that led to arriving where we are now. Thank you for what you did for us." she said. There may be unknown factors at play, but the woman deserved thanks at the very least. While other facts might come to light later to change that, that was a future problem and not a present one.

After re-bundling the dagger, she set to gathering the porch items of herself along with those of her companions. At least the ones that had not already been collected. She even picked up the dented tool box, if it became a burden later she would deal with it then. "If they follow, so will I," she spoke aloud while thanking the woman through vesper.

 

[iaincarter]

Togi Beach, Shoishuggo​

He shrugged, having little to add to his female companion's verbal offerings to the stranger. "For now, we have Blaunr (Blank) Zussul (Vessel)" he pointed to the woman busying herself with packing up," and her cousins Ziok (Void)" he pointed at his male companion. "and myself, Morrir (Mirror), both of us of the Zussul (Vessel) family as well. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss...?" Morrir drew out the questioning pause, hoping that she would take the hint and offer her own name.

After a quick visual scan to make sure nothing wanted had been left unpacked, Morrir hung the coil of rope over a shoulder and hefted his sack-laden pole over the other shoulder. He looked at his two companions. "So, if we are leaving his armour behind, which of you two is taking the soldier's weapon?"

He picked up the suitcase of clothing with his free hand and turned back to the archer. "So, lead the way dear lady and let's be off!"

 

[Andrew]

Daelan (Ziok Zussul)​

Daelan didn't much care about a name for the time being, thankfully the female and Morrir had taken care of that for him. It registered with him, that the woman made it sound as if there had been others that had a very similar experience to their own. He put the stuff he had collected into his bag and swung it over his shoulder. It was not like they had a lot of choices, stay out there and wait for more of the now deceased soldier's friends to arrive or follow the woman that had identified herself as Kendra. For some reason he felt as if he should know that name, but like everything else - he couldn't recall. He then walked slowly behind the woman, with Morrir and their other friend in tow. Ziok Zussul, he repeated it in his mind, trying to memorize the name that he would go by, at least for now.

"Leave it, we don't know if it is tagged for tracking," Daelan said as he followed the woman to the tree line.

GM-Kendra​

Kendra waited for the trio, and then led them into the trees near where they had first seen her. The forest was thick, dried leaves covered the ground, and the canopy above nearly blocked the sun out completely. They once again could not see the sky, with the planet's diamond-like rings glistening above them. When Kendra walked, she stepped carefully, she didn't break a twig and her steps seemed almost like a dance, although she knew her new friends didn't have the skills she had she certainly hoped they would not be followed.

After a short distance Kendra stopped, she said quietly, "When we get to where we are going, let me do the talking at first. Rivaen can be a bit of a hard ass, Just follow my lead and everything will be fine." She then pointed through the trees, old run down cabin awaited them. It's roof covered in moss, pieces of it's timbers had fallen off and rotted, it looked as if it had been abandoned for years. "Alright?" she asked, as that she needed to make sure they would follow her lead.

 

[GingerGlitch]

Taesi (Blaunr Zussul)

Taesi's eyebrow raised when Seojun made an assertive move calling them all a family, cousins even. Her gaze fell from Ziok to Morrir, a satisfied wave flew through her. She was simply to have that issue finally dealt with and out of the way. Taesi made sure to grab the guard schedule, poetry, castle picture, door picture, and added the eight coins to their gathered currency. In her mind she had already resided to leaving the gun and armor behind. It wasn't something she could use and agreed with Ziok, it was likely tagged for tracking.

She followed with their group into the trees. Laden with goods it was hard to step quietly, but she tried to mimic Kendra's steps as closely as she could. There was no sun shine here as the trees blocked out almost all the sun's rays. When the woman leading them stopped she halted, looking around to see if something was amiss. "Rivaen? Who's Rivaen?" she thought. Taesi looked between her cousins, then back to Kendra. She nodded affirmatively, it gave her more energy to devote towards observations anyhow. Her eyes looked around to take in as much information about their environment as she could.

 

[Andrew]

[GM to Taesi]​

"My grandson," the older woman began, her tone carrying a sense of pride tempered by wariness, "he’s in charge of our unit here." Her gaze flicked toward the path ahead, scanning the dense forest as though expecting trouble at any moment. "You’re lucky I came along when I did. That beach you landed on? It’s usually closely watched. Seems to be where everyone starts off these days," she added, her words carrying an odd, unsettling weight as though hinting at something unspoken.

She adjusted the strap of the rifle slung over her shoulder and motioned toward the shadows of the trees. "Before we head inside, we’ll need to make sure no one’s trailing us. When we do go in, step exactly where I step. There are traps ~ nothing too fancy, but they’ll do their job well enough if someone’s not paying attention."

As Taesi followed her lead, her sharp eyes took in the forest around them. The moss-covered trees loomed like silent sentinels, their bark slick with moisture. High above, tree frogs croaked softly from hidden nests nestled among the branches, their calls blending with the rustling of leaves. The forest floor was a patchwork of decay, the smell of damp earth mingling with the faint tang of something metallic, something unnatural. Nearby, small rodent-like creatures scurried through the undergrowth, their quick movements barely audible over the gentle creak of swaying limbs.

It was just a forest ~ unremarkable and yet heavy with an air of latent tension. The only break in the monotony was the cabin that lay ahead, half-hidden by the overgrowth. Its weathered planks and sagging roof spoke of long abandonment, but there was something about it ~ a quiet, foreboding presence.

 

[iaincarter]

Morrir Zussul

Doing his best to follow after Kendra, Morrir knew his passage through the woods wasn't accomplished with anything close to a similar degree of grace nor stealth. He could only do his best to try and avoid leaving a trail - which mostly consisted of literally trying to follow in the other's footsteps and moving around brush instead of going through it. Maybe it was a vain attempt to disguise the size of the group and the direction of their travel, but Morrir couldn't see how it could harm the prospect of getting safely away from any potential pursuit.

The run-down cabin that Kendra had brought them to would certainly not be winning any cleanliness or upkeep awards and Morrir didn't see how it would ever turn up in a must-see tourist guidebook. Admittedly, that actually worked in their favour right now so perhaps he wouldn't think too poorly of the choice. The mention of traps caught his attention as it implied that this location was used often enough so as to be worth trapping. Kendra was also giving them a hint of the size of the organisation she was a member of, albeit with no useful names or limits mentioned. Then again Morrir could claim to be part of the Third Army, even if he was it's only member, and that wouldn't make the First, Second or rest of the Third real.

He found his mind going back over Kendra's words. She had previously mentioned others like the three of them. Her words implied that many of them had been appearing at that beach, but also that before that people would appear elsewhere too. So why the change? The blonde had also said it was where people start off. Which suggested whatever this was involved some kind of process, that began with finding yourself washed up with nothing and ended... somewhere. More data was required. Much more data.

"And are you all so good with bow and arrow? And at moving so stealthily through the forest?" he asked the blonde woman, trying to decide if it was more likely that her unit was made of spectacular individuals, or individuals with spectacular training. Or maybe she was an outlier. Once again, Morrir resisted the urge to groan at the lack of information.

 

[Andrew]

[GM]​

Kendra smiled faintly at Morrir's (Seojun's) curiosity about her bow. “Not all of us are sharpshooters,” she admitted with a touch of humor. “Everyone brings something different to the table. I'd love it if we were all stealthy, but unfortunately, that’s not how it works.”

Before she could elaborate, movement from the cabin caught her attention. A very short man emerged from inside, his red curly hair wild and his long beard tucked neatly into a pair of worn overalls. Kendra straightened as the man stepped out, shaking her head in mild exasperation.

“Well, there goes my lesson on sneaking in,” she said with a raised voice. “Guess that’s not happening today, Hornbeard!” She stepped forward, approaching the small man with a confident stride.

Hornbeard ~ or Dalodmed, as most knew him ~ huffed, waving a hand dismissively as he stepped out onto the porch. “Tut! I needed some air. You know, not all of us wander the forest all day, bringing back...” His words trailed off as he cast a scrutinizing gaze at the group Kendra had brought with her. “…strays. I hope the boss doesn’t have your head for this. Last time Padum brought outsiders here, it didn’t end well for anyone.”

Kendra breezed past him without slowing, prompting Dalodmed to sidestep and mutter something under his breath. He glanced at her bottom as she passed, his eyes briefly flicking to Morrir before addressing him directly. “And you ~ you looked too, so... shhh! Inside, quick!” He waved a hand to usher the group in, grumbling as he gave them all a once-over.

Inside, the cabin appeared bare and unremarkable, save for a trapdoor in the center of the floor, held open by a weathered stick. Without hesitation, Kendra descended the stairs, her steps sure and deliberate.

The group followed her into an entirely unexpected sight. At the bottom of the stairs, the world opened into a vast underground village, illuminated by bioluminescent plants and enchanted crystals embedded in the cavern walls. Rows of market stalls lined the space, bustling with life as Norians, elves, and gnomes bartered for goods and shared conversation. Soldiers moved in disciplined patrols through the wide, winding streets, their armor glinting faintly in the dim light.

Despite the somber implications of a civilization forced underground, the cavern thrived with vitality. Children’s laughter echoed faintly as they played near a brightly colored stall. It was a hidden world, thriving in the shadow of the surface, a testament to resilience and adaptation. Kendra turned briefly to the group, her tone calm but firm. “Welcome to the Hollow,” she said, gesturing to the scene before them. “

[Daelan]​

Daelan hung back, letting Seojun and Taesi take the lead as they followed Kendra into the cabin. His gaze wandered as they moved, but something on the trap door caught his eye—a symbol carved into the wood, faintly glowing in the dim light. He touched the pendant at his neck reflexively, the realization hitting him. The design was identical. "Look at that," he murmured, leaning closer to Taesi and gesturing subtly toward the symbol. He considered saying more but decided against it, his instincts warning him to stay quiet for now. Answers, if there were any to be had, could wait until they were in a safer, more private place. For now, it was better to observe.

Descending into the cavern below, Daelan couldn’t help but pause for a moment at the last step. The sight before him was nothing short of astonishing. The underground village was alive with activity ~ market stalls bustling with elves, norians, and gnomes; soldiers weaving through the crowds; and the laughter of children echoing through the space. It was a world hidden from the surface, yet vibrant and thriving.

"How do you think a place like this came to be?" he asked, his voice low but filled with genuine curiosity as he glanced between Taesi and Seojun. There was something about the warmth and community here that resonated with him, a stark contrast to the chaotic journey that had brought them to this moment. For the first time in a long while, Daelan felt a flicker of hope~ perhaps they had stumbled into something more than just a safe haven.

 

[GingerGlitch]

Taesi (Blaunr Zussul)

Quietly she followed in Kendra's footsteps, all seeming well until a disturbance made her ears twitch angrily. Taesi resisted whipping her head back to give "Morrir" a glare that would rip his soul out of his body. When Kendra responded Taesi evened out a bit, sensing it was not as big of an issue as she thought it might have been. As she listened to their conversation her attentions were drawn to a very short man that stepped out of the shelter onto the porch. She watched curiously as Kendra's reaction with "Hornbeard" unfolded, noting all the details trying to compute any relevant implications. When the man mentioned Padum her interest was piqued, though outwardly she showed no sign of interest in the matter.

Then she caught Hornbeard glancing at Kendra's bottom, she blinked a couple times. "Interesting," she thought. Sure the two men who were her companions on this venture were what many would consider attractive, she simply found no time for such considerations at this point. There was a puzzle in front of her and there was no distracting her from it, no matter how good that distraction might look. Taesi followed Hornbeard's direction, resisting the temptation to name him Hornybeard in her head.

She let Seojun "Morrir" go first, hanging back to get an extra few seconds looking things over. Taesi noted the symbol that matched Daelan's necklace, thinking "Please dear goodness don't say anything stupidly obvious." Then she heard him speak as he leaned closer to her. "Shit," she thought as she instinctively reacted to cover up any outside inferences that one might make to what he had said. Taesi leaned into him, her hips shifting to block his gesture towards the symbol with her backside when she noted his arm moving. "Hmmm?" she hummed while simultaneously vespering him, "We don't know what anything means yet. We should keep observations quiet, until such time as its safe to chat." She ended the vesper and walked a few steps forward as if nothing happened.

Once inside the unexpected sight caught her off guard, causing her to look about at all that lay before them. A whole village underground, how could this be? The why was self explanatory to her after what they had experienced earlier. Taesi looked back after taking a few steps to see if they were coming. She looked over Daelan curiously, wondering what made him act the way he did. Her head tilted as she mulled over his question in silence, clearly he had posed yet another puzzle for her to solve. For now this was a survival puzzle to her. There was no flicker of hope, no happiness, no relaxing of her analytical nature as she responded. "Not here." she said in a very quiet matter of fact tone that she tried to mask as gentle before turning to follow Kendra further.

This place seemed like a sanctuary, but only gave Taesi more questions. One thing was for certain, she was keeping close to the companions she had arrived with. They had arrived together and for all intensive purposes were her partners in whatever the hell was going on. Every step, every action, every inhabitant and their behavior analyzed as if it would give her clues getting one inch closer to figuring things out.

 

[GingerGlitch]

[Morrir Zussul]

The underground vista that greeted the group was of sufficiently breathtaking impact to completely drive from Morrir's mind that Hornbeard had called him out for his appreciative glance towards their guide's posterior. In all fairness, even without access to his lost memories, Morrir had a difficult time imagining that he had seen many such sights throughout his life.

"Okay, the creepy dilapidated shack really undersold your organisation, but seeing this, I take back every unkind thought I didn't have the time to think!" he spoke to Kendra in an awed whisper. He really hadn't been able to conceive of such a place being hidden below that shack and reminded himself of the danger of making assumptions in this unknown place.


[Daelan]

Taesi's reaction to him pointing out the symbol made it look like he had been pointing out her backside, even worse than Hornbeard's comment at Morrir. Daelan's cheeks flushed red as he descended the stairs and into "The Hollow" as it had been introduced. The more he thought about it, the more Taesi's reaction made sense - they didn't know anything about this place or the people that occupied it.

He was tense, almost jumpy as his frazzled nerves showed even with his lack of memory - probably proving that personality was the result of more than just one's mind. Morrir seemed to be enjoying himself, so Daelan put on a smile, whether or not it was genuine was yet to be seen.

[GM]

Kendra followed up her introduction to the Hollow with a quieter, less formal phrase, "This is our home. It has been ever since the Empire invaded. Everything above ground is dangerous, especially at night." She paused for a moment as she could see there was a shift in behavior of the people; merchants and children both had their attention drawn away from the newcomers and towards a man with blue hair and frosted white tips approaching with two guards that wore armor like the one that the solider had worn at the shanty. Kendra had said it had been stolen, obviously now she had told the truth.

Rivaen made his slow approach, he would stop and talk to shop owners, and give confections to the children. The people seemed drawn to him, they obviously revered him. Some even crossed their hand across their chest in a ceremonial salute.

"At night, there have been new creatures appearing. They're vicious. Before we found this place we lost tens, sometimes hundreds of people a night. The Empire was the least of our concerns" Kendra told them.She took the bow off her back, and set it down against the wall, her quiver bag as well.


[Taesi]

It took all of the restraint in Taesi's body not to reel back at Morrir's commentary. That didn't stop from her throwing a side eye his way. She turned her attention back to Kendra, listening calmly to her continued briefing on "the Hollow." When Kendra paused Taesi's gaze followed the shift in behavior towards a man with blue hair and frosted white tips. There were a million thoughts and computations running through her head as he approached.

She took note of the man's behavior. Not only his, but that of his guards as well. How the people interacted with him, how he interacted with them. Each nuance in body language that was visible to her was taken as a mental note for later. As Kendra continued speaking Taesi kept her eyes on the man flanked by two guards.


[Morrir Zussul]

He noted Kendra's words with interest. She had earlier mentioned that not everyone was a skilled hunter or stealthy. From the losses they had suffered, it seemingly reinforced the idea that a large proportion of the Hollow were non-combatants. The appearance of those wearing the same design of armour as the soldier on the beach would seem to verify Kendra's words on the subject, so for the moment Morrir was willing to take a 'trust, but verify' approach for the time being.

It seemed like Ziok was taking a reserved, cautious approach to interacting with these people and Blaunr had thus far leaned more towards the pessimistic side. Perhaps if he maintained an upbeat optimism, they could see how the important players reacted to each of them and compare notes later, see if that gave any useful clues they could explot to their own advantage. Regardless, Morrir would keep forefront in his mind that just because the locals appeared friendly, it didn't mean they necessarily were.

"And do these creatures bother the Empire or are their predations reserved exclusively for your people?" he asked Kendra, wondering if the uptick in violence was due to enemy action or merely happenstance.

[Daelan]

Like his comrades, he too looked on as the man approached. He remembered what Kendra had said earlier - he figured the man must have been the Rivaen she spoke of. The way the people reacted to him brought him a sense of comfort despite his frazzled nerves. It was obvious the man was just not a military leader. Some kind of royalty, Daelan thought to himself. He was still listening to the conversation between Morrir and Kendra. The mention of creatures for some reason made him wonder about what kind of creatures she was speaking. It didn't sound like mere beasts - hundreds dead,,, He was right back to how he had felt moments before, as he glanced toward Taesi as the conversation went on. He didn't say anything, at least not out loud or through vesper. His eyes did the speaking.

[GM]

"Here comes Prince Rivaen, now," she said, almost as if she was coaching them on an introduction. Kendra adjusted her posture slightly as she took a moment to consider Morrir's question. She had also noticed the silence of the other two, it appeared as if they were perhaps hesitant - it was probably a bad idea to have mentioned the creatures that roamed at night, yet if she didn't and something had happened to them. "No one has ever lived to find out," she answered honestly, and knew that she was just making it worse. The lack of upset on Rivaen's face as he approached though, that wa the real surprise.

Rivaen and his guards stopped before the group and he smiled and lowered his head slightly and said, "Grandmother I am glad you are back safe." His attention quickly fell on the three newcomers. "Ah, the three new people that came from the beach," he stated making it obvious that he had them at a disadvantage, he knew something about them. "Welcome to the Hollow, probably one of the few refuges on this continent. Would you like to join me for dinner?" he asked as he noticed the raggedy clothing and makeshift bags. Rivaen knew all about the beach, after all it was how he had arrived in Shoishuggo himself.

[Taesi]

Taesi looked towards Kendra, looking for any reaction to what Morrir had asked. She cast a side glance towards Daelan, catching that look in his eyes. No sooner had she looked at Daelan then Kendra spoke up. Prince? Who was this Prince? Taesi watched him inquisitively, almost as if she was tactically planning the best strategic response if one became necessary.

As Kendra continued her conversation, answering Morrir's question she listened intently. It seemed like there was a lack in the information chain as to who exactly these things targeted. It made things neither better or worse, just another piece missing from the puzzle. When Rivaen stopped before them, his obvious attempt left Taesi rather unfazed. Though it did make her more intrigued about the man and how his mind worked. When he proposed an invitation for dinner she knew it would be stupid to turn it down.

"If my companions join, I would be happy to," she said sweetly with a smile on her face. She knew that Daelan and Morrir likely were hungry. Though she might be skeptical about the food, they needed something in their bellies.


[Morrir Zussul]

He really didn't like the sound of these creatures. If they had the prescience to ensure that they left no survivors, then Morrir doubted that they were unthinking beasts. Hopefully the trio wouldn't get the chance to find out directly for themselves anytime soon, but given the day they were having he wouldn't place a bet on things not going sideways sooner rather than later.

Morrir tilted his head as the Prince joined the conversation. "Hmm, food does sound pretty good right about now..." he paused for a moment. "Do we call you your highness, or do you prefer a different title?" Now that might give them a chance to learn something about Rivaen. To be fair, Morrir was fairly certain he hadn't arranged for the showing of popular support they had witnessed during his approach.


[Daelan]

There was something about the man in front of them, something Daelan really could not identify. It was familiar, but not in a bad way. "Dinner sounds great!" he said, he was after all still hungry, he had not exactly been looking forward to the food that they had rummaged up in the shanties. It would seem that Taesi had made decisions with that same mentality a few times now, that she would do what he and the other male decided. It was an interesting fact that he could not help but to wonder about? Her mind seemed complex, but then again women always were just that - complex.

[GM]

Kendra remained quiet as Rivaen addressed the trio. She didn't know how he knew either, it was something she was going to find out though. She would follow along after the group as they walked with Rivaen.

Rivaen gave a smile and turned around with his guards. They could talk and walk, he made a gesture for them to follow close behind. "You can call me Rivaen, I'm not particular on the title, just my ability to help these people survive another day." He continued to talk as they walked, "Many here were those who were in situations where evacuation would have possibly been too much for them; the aged, the young, the sick. It has been just me, my grandmother and a group of soldiers." He further explained the hollow revealing more about it, "Thankfully we have been able to get messenger falcons. Technology seems to work improperly here, unless it is made here." In the distance ahead of them, a bell rang and the smell of food drifted into the air. There were massive long tables, it was obvious that all these people ate in one place for their mid-day meal.

Spoiler: OOC

A JP by Andrew, Iain and GingerGlitch

 

[Andrew]

[Taesi]

The unanimous agreement surrounding acceptance of Rivaen's dinner invitation made things a little easier to deal with. For now at least Taesi did not have to worry about trying to convince them to stay together as a group. While she personally was starving, there was a lingering thought in the back of her mind, a hesitancy to trust. Thankfully Rivaen carried on with the conversation so there had been little time for awkward silences.

Taesi noted that the Prince had given them permission to call him Rivaen. Now if Kendra had called him Prince Rivaen and he gave them permission to do so otherwise, what possibilities did that indicate? Her mind pondered the question as they continued to walk. Her ears twitched as she multi-tasked to take in as much information from what she saw and what she heard around her. The smell of food nearly distracted her from it all, which told her just how hungry she had been. She looked around to Morrir and Daelan to try and get a read on what her companions were feeling.

[Morrir Zussul]

It was, so far, difficult to form a judgement on Rivaen. On the one hand, he seemed like a humble, likeable leader. On the other hand, that would be the go-to disguise for a truly manipulative individual with a penchant for megalomania. Morrir was really hoping it was the former. At least until after they had eaten. It was hard to make sensible decisions when it felt like your digestive fluids were attempting to eat you from the inside out.

"Well Rivaen, given those restrictions, you've excelled with creating this community." He took a moment to look around. "Although I'm guessing you're going to need to expand your military force, what with the threat of these new beasts that Kendra described to us." Morrir looked at the Prince, curious to see how the leader reacted.

[Rivaen]

Rivaen responded back to Seojun as they reached the end of the middle table and he gestured for them to have a seat as other members of the community filed in. In response to Morrir, he said in brief, "No community is perfect, but it was a collective effort." The answer regarding military was a little more complex, and these were things he intended to give them information on as time went on. He added, "It is not -my- military force, the military and I both serve the true Emperor and Empress, but I will tell you more about them later. Let's worry about some food first." After he ushered them to their seats he continued to the front of the room and stood in front of the same central table he had them sit at. "Attention! People of the Hollow. We have some special guests for this mid-day meal, like Kendra and I they arrived at the beach. Please, as we share this meal ensure our guests are made to feel welcome." he announced.

As Rivaen spoke, members of the community began to set out the feast on the table. It was the typical Norian fare; breads, fruits and vegetables both raw and stewed. He then sat down and joined them at the table.

[Kendra]

Kendra sat down at the table with the trio, she had overheard what Rivaen had said to Morrir and decided she would say something more, "Our home is far away, the usurper Emperor and his armies have cut us off from reaching there. This place was made due to nessesssity, not by choice."

[Daelan]

Daelan sat down at the table with the others, he was still cautious and quiet as he watched and listened to everything that happened around him.

[Taesi]

It was a welcome relief that Morrir had been asking the questions that he had. Such questioning left her free to pay more attention to other things as she did not have to divert efforts. As Rivaen motioned for them to have a seat she followed Daelan, taking a seat next to him. She kept an eye out for what seating choice Morrir would make as she stayed tuned in to Rivaen's continued conversation. For a few moments she pondered who the true Emperor and Empress was that he referred to.

She intended to figure out more about them, taking a mental note for later if Rivaen did not hold up his promise. Her eyes flitted around as members of the community began to set out the food. When Kendra sat, Taesi's eyes were drawn back over to her. Home? Usurper Emperor? All of these issues that were discussed seemed far greater than the trio not knowing their identities. Like Daelan, she observed the goings on silently as things were set out.

[Morrir Zussul]

"Huh. And here I was thinking that waking up on a beach in an unknown place with unknown peolpe and knowing nothing about yourself was a rough situation." Morrir shrugged. "It sounds like you've made the best of a bad situation." He looked around with interest at the community sitting down to the midday meal.

Morrir inspected the various dishes with great interest. From where he sat he couldn't spot any obvious meat-based dishes which implied a vegetarian diet. Then again, maybe animal husbandry was a challenge here so meat was kept for special occasions? If it was as it seemed, was the restricted diet a biological imperative? Or a social more, perhaps? "It certainly smells fantastic, although that may be the hunger talking..." Morrir smiled wanly. "If I remember who left us on that beach, I'm going to have strong words for them about not leaving us basic supplies..."

[Daelan]

He filled his plate almost immediately after the food was set in front of them. "It smells better than fantastic!" he said to Morrir as he began to stuff his face. He ate rather quickly, almost as if he had been starved for days. He didn't contribute anything else to the conversation, but his hunger definately attracted a few glances.

[Kendra]

Kendra placed a few peices of fruit on her plate, then dipped the ladel in the large pot of omat, filling it about half way before she dropped the ladel back into the pot. She looked at Daelan as he spoke, and also heard the comments Morrior made. She could not help but laugh quietly as she watched Daelan shovel food into his mouth as if it was going to run away, "Don't eat so fast! I know you're hungry but you don't want to get yourself sick," she said in a motherly tone. Her attention then turned to Taesi and commented, "Must be fun traveling with these two boys."

[Rivaen]

Rivaen placed a peice of bread and a couple of small pieces of fruit onto his plate. He watched his guests with interest. It was interesting now their little social bubble interacted so naturally. He couldn't help but to be amused in his thoughts, as he concluded that there was some kind of relation between them all, either Ysi or romantic. - Or both. It was not like he could comment on such things, either way they were lucky. It made him miss the one he had left behind when they had come back south. The trio still made out better than he did, his own arrival on Shoishuggo had been terrifying. Just the memory of waking up to that creature standing over him made him shiver.

The community passed food and talked of the things that probably seemed mundane to their visitors; foraging, crops, things that had be found and were now being sold in the market. For them, they had adjusted to their life. Some discussed the visitors, but it was in a positive light, it was just their natural way of doing things. The entire table to the left of the central one where the group had been set was occupied by the short 'little people' like Hornbeard. They were definately the source of most of the noise, mugs clinking as they seemed to present toast after toast to one another, laughing and sharing their adventures.

[Taesi]

She watched as her companions reacted to the spread before them. "Hmm," Taesi thought as her eyes caught Daelan scarfing down a full plate. She side eyed him with a slightly raised eye brow very briefly before looking back to the assortment to decide what to eat for herself. Carefully she chose a few of the items that Daelan had put on his plate, noting that if he had not immediately died from ingesting them she likely would not either.

As she cautiously savored that first bite Taesi heard Kendra say something about fun traveling with the boys. Instantly she choked on her food, coughing to try and clear her throat. Taesi tried to compute what Kendra meant by, "fun". Unless Kendra's idea of survival torture adventures in a group was fun, Taesi had no clue what she could be talking about. Once more Taesi cleared her throat, "Fun?" she asked as she eyed Kendra curiously.

[Morrir Zussul]

Something told him not to over-indulge, so Morrir selected a variety of small portions of the food on offer. Eating slowly and taking care to chew and savour each bite, he looked around the communal eating area. It was interesting seeing that Hornbeard's people gathered together, but then they seemed to share a boisterous nature that he could easily imagine would become overbearing very quickly.

Judging from the way everyone was interacting, Morrir suspected that mealtimes were the primary socialisation opportunity for much of the community. Which tracked, because if you were spending most of your day working hard, you probably wouludn't have a lot of energy left at the end of day to go out and enjoy yourself.

Morrir decided against involving himself in the conversation between the women. As much as he might like to joke about Blaunr not knowing how to have fun, hence why she was in charge, he couldn't say he knew her well enough to know how such a jest would be received. It would probably not be a smart move to annoy one of the few people he knew this early in their relationship, or however else you would best categorise whatever their trio was.

[GM]

Trinaea carried the jug of ale around the tables refiling mugs of those that indicated they wanted some as they ate their meal. She headed toward the middle table, intending to fill Rivaen's cup. She was about five steps away when she noticed Seojun at the table. She let out a shriek and dropped the clay jug to the floor. It smashed and the ale splashed everywhere as she stood there, pale and in shock. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the words. Everyone briefly looked toward her then went back to their conversations and meals. She turned around and ran toward the kitchens, tears running down her cheeks.

[Kendra] "Yeah, some of my favorite memories as a young woman was my travels with boys, they can be so immature sometimes, yet they always seemed fun to be around," she had just finished speaking to Taesi as she heard the clay jug hit the floor. She watched as Trinaea ran toward the kitchen. "Excuse me," she said and put down her fork and got up from the table and headed after her.

[Rivaen]

Rivaen watched as the girl reacted. He almost immediately knew what had happened, yet he kept it to himself. That unfortunately solved one mystery. He placed another piece of fruit into his mouth as he looked toward Seojun as he chewed it slowly. That just left the other two. "Those jugs get a little slippery sometimes," he said excusing the incident. He knew that it was likely that Kendra was about to know too. He remembered the day they recovered Haeun on the beach and his own reaction to the sight of her. He could of said soemthing there and then, now that he knew who the one that called him self Morrir was. Yet he figured that now probably would be up to Trinaea.

[Taesi]

Taesi's eyes flitted up briefly, catching Trinaea carrying the jug towards the middle table. She was about to go back to her meal when she noted that Trinaea had looked their way. Then the jug dropped. It smashed on the ground sending contents splashing about a mere moment after the woman had shrieked. Taesi shifted protectively to position herself so that she could easily move to deflect anything that came towards the two men. Her eyes watched with rapt attention to detail as there was no approach towards them, but simply a woman who ran off in an apparent state of shock.

With an expressionless face, Taesi's gaze followed the path that Trinaea took. Thankfully whatever it was, had changed the subject from boy fun as Kendra followed after the woman that had ran off. Taesi's gaze turned towards Rivaen, his cool demeanor about things made her think that he knew more than he let on about what happened. The jugs being slippery did not add up to Trinaea's reaction. Taesi's attention lingered on Rivaen a bit longer before she turned back to her meal, slowly eating as she pondered the implications of what had just happened.

[Morrir Zussul]

Shrugging at how casually Rivaen ignored the incident, Morrir returned his attention back to his food. "Yeah, pretty sure slippery jugs have been responsible for many messes over the years." He popped a berry into his mouth and chewed on the tart goodness. "I feel sorry for the lass though. Must be going through something bad if simply dropping a jug sends her to pieces like that..."

He took a moment to enjoy a sip of some kind of fruit juice he'd found to fill his cup with. "So going by how quickly she ran after her, I'm guessing Kendra is a bit of a mother figure to the community?"

[Kendra-Trinaea]

"I...I..How is he here?" Trinaea asked as she tried to control herself and stop crying.

Kendra laid her hand on the girl's shoulder and said, "The same way we are, which one is it you recognized?" she questioned as she grabbed a cloth to wipe the young woman's eyes.

"Seojun..." she said as she opened the door to the kitchen a little and pointed out towards him.

Kendra nodded and wiped away the girl's tears. "Who was he to you?"

Trinaea shook her head and then huffed a deep breath. She vespered her reply to Kendra, uncertain after if she should have.

The eyes of the motherly woman widened as Trinaea told her who the young man had been to her. She hesitated for a moment in consideration, she then handed the girl the cloth she had been using to wipe away her tears. "Wait here, I will help you with this." Kendra emerged from the kitchen back into the massive cavern that served as the dining hall and headed back towards the table. As she did, she vespered Rivaen, //"Im sorry, but this can't wait."//

[Rivaen]

Rivaen chuckled as Morrir made the comment about slippery jugs. It wasn't just funny because of what he said, but who he was saying it. He took another bite of fruit and chewed it slowly, he awknowledged Kendra's vesper with just a simple response, "//Yeah, I know."// He then wiped his mouth with the napkin and got up from the table. "Morrir, you said it was?" he asked as he looked at Seojun. "Could you come with Kendra and I? We think we may know who you are, and I don't want to stir up the community." he said as he motioned toward the kitchen.

[Daelan]

Daelan stopped eating when he heard what Rivaen said, did it mean they knew who he and Taesi were as well? He quickly swallowed the food he had stuffed in his face and tapped Taesi's arm, "Did you hear that?"

[Taesi]

Morrir's commentary nearly made Taesi choke on her food again. "I am sure they are just as messy to handle as any other kind of jug," she quipped, blissfully unaware of any other conotations that may be derived. The only measure of control she was able to regain over preventing choking on her food was a distraction as she spotted the kitchen door opening. Her head tilted to the side slightly as she could not quite make out what was happening through the slit of an opening.

Taesi's ears twitched a bit when she heard Rivaen speak to Morrir. She looked to Morrir, then to Daelan right as he tapped her arm. Taesi looked into Daelan's eyes, "We're going with him, right?" she asked through vesper as she outwardly nodded in the affirmative to his question.

[Morrir Zussul]

He shrugged in response to Rivaen's request. "Lacking any clue as to our real names upon waking at the beach, we chose something to use to seem less suspicious to anyone we ran across. 'Mirror Vessel' seemed like an apt description of my situation so I ran with it." Morrir looked at his two companions for a moment before turning back to the Prince.

"Sure, I can come with you. I mean, this isn't some subtle attempt to separate our little group and neutralise us one after another, right?" Morrir tilted his head and sighed. "But, given the timing and that you asked me to join yourself and Kendra, then she has spoken to you about this. Given she ran after the woman who dropped the jug, I'm guessing that means said woman thinks she knows who I am and Kendra at least thinks there's some validity to the idea?" He shrugged again before standing. "Eh, why not. No risk, no reward as they like to say."

[Rivaen]

"Separate you? Neutralise you?" Rivaen blinked as he looked at Seojun. "Look around you a minute. These people are not here to hurt you, neither am I." He scratched the back of his head and said, "Your friends can come too, just all I ask is that they do not interfere." He didn't wait for an answer, if the man wanted to know he was, he would follow. Otherwise, things were not going to be very easy. //"I hope this has a good outcome, grandmother. I really do, and not for my own sake."// It was a little disheartening to hear those assumptions and words, yet in their position he likely would of said the same. He stepped into the kitchen and looked at Trinaea and said quietly, "He's hopefully going to come back, just remember that Kendra and I are here if you need us," His mind was still caught in the thoughts of looking back, he could only hope that it took his brother less strife to understand his place in this world.

[Kendra]

Kendra followed Rivaen into the kitchen, she looked at the girl and just nodded after Rivaen spoke. She figured it was probably best she didn't speak for the moment, as that the inward emotion she felt was a little insensitive and inappropriate to the situation. She just walked over and leaned against one of the counters.

[Daelan]

"We're definately going with him." he stood up right after Seojun and said, "We're coming with you."

[Taesi]

When Morrir outright asked about seperating them, Taesi not so gently whacked his thigh. She cast him a fiery glare as if she were attempting to burn a hole through whatever soul he might have. Taesi then watched as Rivaen walked to the kitchen, standing just after Daelan had. She grabbed Morrir's hand and tugged him along with her, not giving him much choice in the matter.

[Morrir Zussul]

Well, there went any illusion of free agency he thought he might have had. Honestly, he had been mostly joking when he told Kendra back on the beach that Blaunr was in charge, although her actions were providing a kind of veracity to his joke that he hadn't counted on. Still, he had intended on going after Rivaen, so there was little point in raising a fuss when he was being hauled where he wanted to go.

"For crying out loud, Blaunr. I think you're more keen for answers about my identity than I am." He grumbled, good-naturedly at his female companion. "You know, even if it turns out we're not related, I'll still think fondly of you as a cousin. And we'll always have the joy of shared memories of beach-shack scavenging!" He snorted. "Also, you have some real good grip-strength there, you know that?" And no, Morrir was most assuredly not covering up a sudden nervousness with a babble of inane commentary, thank you very much. Answers would be good, after all. But what if they weren't good? What if he was secretly some right evil so-and-so, responsible for killing that woman's whole village during a raid that he couldn't remember because it was 'just another Tuesday' for him?

[Rivaen]

Rivaen looked briefly at his grandmother and said in vesper, //"I'm sorry."// Although he didn't know what she was feeling he was pretty sure he knew. It was the same agony he too had once felt after waking up on that cursed beach. It still led to more questions. Who was bringing them all back? How did they get their IDE backups? He didn't even understand the point of it all. Yet he understood why he needed to not be the one to say a word here. This may of been a blessing in disguise, at least when it came to Seojun.

[Kendra]

She was not surprised they all followed. She vespered Rivaen back, //"Yeah, so am I. It is very obvious though and rules all three of them out. There is no reason to feel sorry to me. Maybe whatever is behind all of this has a purpose for him too? I can't be selfish like that."// Somehow although she had already came to the conclusion that none of them was Adrin, somehow Rivaen saying it made it real.

[Daelan]

"It could be worse..." he said to Taesi, "He could of said he would remember you as a kissing cousin." He smirked as he tried to make good of an uncertain situation. Somehow he as not entirely surprised Rivaen had the reaction he did, perhaps their caution and paranoia was unwarranted. He stepped into the kitchen behind Taesi and Seojun and stood quietly behind them.

[Trinaea]

She wiped her face again with the towel and stood up as the three entered the kitchen. She walked towards Seojun and searched those familiar features. "I know you, I know who you are. You may not yet, but you will." She was being brave as she stood there. It would of been easier for her to run and forget about it all. Easier but something that she would look back on and wish she had done as she was doing.

She reached up and placed her thumb against his chin, moving his head from left to right. "Do you remember anything about yourself? Anything at all?" Those features to her were familiar, any question of who he was that remained faded from her mind as she waited for his answers.

[Taesi]

Taesi turned her head back to look towards Morrir as they walked. "Ah yes, all the sandy crevices we searched. Be glad your hand is the only thing I'm gripping." she smirked, finding his words a pleasant distraction from her own musings. When Daelan spoke up with his own commentary a fiery glint cast in her eyes as she whipped her head to look at him. "Oh? I guess this means I better give you both a big ol kiss," she clearly joked rolling her eyes as she went silent before stepping into the kitchen and released Morrir's hand.

For a moment she looked around at everyone in the kitchen before slipping next to Morrir. Though she quickly regretted that choice as Trinaea reached up to place her thumb against Morrir's chin. Quietly in one smooth motion she stepped back next to Daelan, trying not to bump into him as she did not really bother looking behind her. The situation that unfolded fascinated her as the woman looked over Morrir's facial features, who was he to this woman?

[Morrir Zussul]

He kept still as this stranger moved his face from side to side, wondering if she truly knew him. "All I know is what has occurred since I awoke on the beach - so surely you know more of me than I do myself." He raised an eyebrow. "Tell me though, dear lady, Is the making-people-drop-jugs a new thing though, or is it a skill I have always had? Because that sounds like it would get expensive whenever I went somewhere to eat. Hmm, hopefully I'm rich enough to pay for all that damage. Or hold shares in a company that produces safety cutlery and crockery." He blinked, realising just how badly his thoughts were starting to spiral. "Okay, I think I'm going to shut up now."

[Trinaea]

Trinaea pulled her hand back from his face and said, "It is a skill you've always had, and I don't think someone in your Ysi has ever worried about money." She then reached for her own neck and tugged at the silver chain and pulled it over her head. "This, is a Jyso chrystal. It has different effects depending on who touches it." The large quartz-like crystal glistened as it caught the light. She then held it out in front of herself and gave a nod, the occasional tear still escaped her eyes. "Touch the crystal, Seojun. That is your name, Seojun."

[Taesi]

Our Ysi? Taesi listened intently, keeping her face as expressionless as possible. She watched with great intrigue as Trinaea tugged at the necklace, pulling it over her head. What wizardry magical crystal business was going on here? Why was the woman tearing up over it? Taesi stood there watching, hopelessly puzzled.

[Seojun (formerly Morrir Zussul)]

He looked around at the surrounding people. "Different effects, huh? Well, if this somehow makes everyone's clothes disappear, then sorry, I guess?" With a shrug, Seojun reached out and poked the crystal with his pointer finger. He wasn't quite sure why, but couldn't resist making a "Boop!" noise as he did so.

[Trinaea]

The crystal was not magic at all, it was biometric in it's function. The second Seojun touched it, a beam of dark purple light shone upwards from the crystal. "Mhmm..." Trinaea hummed briefly and with her other hand, she reached out and followed his lead, and even made the "boop" noise too just to amuse herself. The second she touched the crystal, the purple light stopped shining straight up, rather now it curled back and forth toward the ceiling. A second beam of gold colored light joined it in an opposite weaving pattern forming a helix of light.

"It is you..." she looked over toward Rivaen and Kendra and then back at Seojun. She was quiet for a moment as she just stared at him. "You gave me that crystal. It was a gift..." she said, her voice caught as she swallowed hard, ...on our wedding night." She was terrified of his reaction to what she had said. It was now obvious why she had such a scare when she had seen him.

[Rivaen]

Rivaen didn't say anything, he pondered what he was going to have to say to his brother. Unfortunately, Rivaen also knew the story between the two. The trajedy which separated them turned Seojun into a cruel and hateful man. It had often made him wonder, with all the reunited people, if whoever was bringing them back was trying to do good. It had been debated heavily if this person or person was good or evil. He folded his arms and waited to see what his brother said. The only thing he could think in his mind, was Seojun, don't fuck it up like I did.

[Kendra]

"Seojun Eitan. That makes you my grandson, and Rivaen's brother," she stated, knowing that Trin could barely speak.

[Taesi]

Taesi slowly blinked as Seojun just kept the comedic responses coming. She looked to Daelan briefly, then back at the awkard scene that unfolded in front of them. The magical light display was an intriguing marvel to behold, followed by a wallop of information. "Oh boy," Taesi thought to herself. Well it looks like their group might be changing up depending on how this interaction wrapped up. Turned out one of her companions was married.

Her otherwise emotionless face hid the brewing curiosities that were storming beneath. Taesi looked to Rivaen, then to Kendra as the woman spoke. Well at least Seojun knew who he was now. That still left her and Daelan in the dark as far as she was concerned.

[Seojun Eitan (formerly Morrir Zussul)]

"Huh." Was the most eloquent reply Seojun found himself capable of offering at that exact moment. He lifted the hand that wasn't touching the crystal to rub his chin as he rapidly unpacked that data dump. So, he was married to this lady, whose name he didn't know, so he should probably ask about that soon. Now he knew the name of his family and was related to both Kendra and Rivaen, them being a grandmother and brother respectively. So yeah, 'Huh.' was about right. Oh wait...

"Okay, so I need to apologise." He looked at the woman he had married in a life he couldn't remember. "I didn't know I was married, or related to her when I was checking out Kendra's backside earlier." He turned and looked at his grandmother. "Sorry, grandmother, for checking you out when I'm a married man." Finally he turned to look at Rivaen. "And I am sorry to you Brother, for my harsh and suspicious words that were spoken in ignorance." And if those heartfelt apologies also happened to buy Seojun a few more seconds to mentally grapple with the revealed information, then that was all for the better.

[Kendra]
Kendra watched as Trin told Seojun who he was and how they were connected. She still could not help feeling envy; she had hoped that Adrin would of appeared. She had been there for almost five years, and there had never been a sign of him. It was how she found the three of them on the beach that day, she had went to see if for some miracle he had arrived. She figured she might as well see what she could do to relieve a bit of the tension and said, "It could of been worse. You didn't sleep with your brother-in-law for three months..." she hestated for a second, a momentary burst of amusement and regret, she had said what she said.

[Daelan]

"Well..." Daelan said as he just stared at Seojun and the woman. She certainly was not bad looking, with black hair, green eyes and a fairly nice body. "Surprise!" He could not help himself but to just laugh, it was the only way he could cope with the situation. He just hoped that they would find out who he was, before he went crazy wondering how he had been related to the ass he had been checking out. Not that he planned on admitting it like Seojun had, he took up the rear of the group behind Taesi for a reason.When she backed up she almost bumped into him, he however took a step forward after the fact, just so she did bump into him.

[Rivaen]

He stopped just as he opened his mouth to speak, when he turned and looked at Kendra as she made that little confession. It was the first time he had heard that little nugget of information. "No need to apologise, Seojun. I almost killed our great grandfather shortly after I arrived..." he paused as Kendra cleared her throat and then added, "..rather he almost killed me." He looked at the floor briefly. "We all got here the same way, whatever that was - we don't know. All we know is members of our Ysi and others keep showing up there with no memories of who they are." He looked back up and gave a bit of a shrug, "Some of us have been here a lot longer than others. Our great grandfather and great grandmother have been here on Shoishuggo for decates. Long enough to build an entire nation. Well at least it was their nation."

[GM]

One of the guards entered the kitchen from a side door, he was out of breath and his face was covered in perspiration, "Commander..." he breathed, "Imperial troops in Togi, not just a few anymore," he tried to catch his breath, "An entire division at least. We seen them from the lookout." leaned over and clutched his knees as he was completely exhausted after running in armor all the way back.

Apparently the day was not done with surprises. It was not Kendra or Rivaen that answered the guard. Trinaea was the one to answer him, "Make sure our gathering parties all return to the hollow. We should keep a low profile until we know what they're here for. It is unusal for them to divert so many troops from the frontlines this far south." She turned back to Seojun.

The guard caught his breath and finally noticed Kendra and Rivaen, "My apologies tia Cel and tia Voli, I didn't notice you."

Spoiler: OOC

A JP with @Andrew @GingerGlitch and @iaincarter

 

[GingerGlitch]

Taesi

When Taesi had stepped back, thinking she had bumped into Daelan, she did not flinch one bit. Though she did not make any move to press closer to him either as his touch sent a rush of conflicting feelings through her. Taesi focused on the conversations taking place in front of her, trying to distract herself as she subtly bit her bottom lip. Thankfully, there was plenty going on, no one likely noticed what she did.

As Seojun then bluntly explained what had occurred before, Taesi slowly blinked. Without even thinking she shifted her hips, crossing her arms underneath her breasts as she dug her nails into one arm trying not to whack Seojun upside the head. Though as it would turn out, his commentary was acceptable and her pondered reaction unwarranted. This was due in part to Kendra's statement that followed about sleeping with her own brother-in-law.

When Daelan laughed it reminded her all over again just how close he was, causing her ears to twitch slightly. Though she still did not move as Rivaen continued the conversation, which was interrupted by one of the guards bursting in out of breath. Her gaze went from the guard to Trinaea as Seojun's wife was the one that ended up responding to the guard. Taesi looked from Trinaea to Kendra and Rivaen as the guard addressed them, wondering to herself what was to come next as they had just been informed of an unexpected surprise.

 

[iaincarter]

[Seojun Eitan (formerly Morrir Zussul)]

He still couldn't remember this woman he was supposed to be married to but, as Trinaea gave the guard orders, Seojun could feel something inside of him was deeply appreciative of the way she took charge of the situation so he gave her a tight smile when she turned back to look at him. Not that he found any appreciation of the reported situation as he was finding himself highly suspicious of the timing. He flicked his eyes over to Taesi and Daelan before looking at Kendra and Rivaen.

"So... I might just be being a touch paranoid here, but how close to the beach where you found us is this Togi?" Somehow, Seojun had a sneaking suspicion that Togi would turn out to be the name of the settlement they had been able to see from the beach and that this division of troops were present looking for the new arrivals. Because that sort of coincidence was entirely inline with how this day was turning out. Wake up in the morning after crashing on a beach with no memories. Then by midday find a family and wife you didn't know you had. At this rate, Seojun was wondering if they'd be installing Taesi and Daelan as the new Emperor and Empress by the end of the evening.