CLOSE PLEASE

[Fortune86]

Changelings ~ Escape From Faery Land

 

Everyone knows what Changelings are: Faerie infants left in the place of a stolen child. Fae grow stronger when raised in the mortal plane by human parents, so it is a common practise with the fair folk when they reproduce. Changelings are often cared for in ignorance, their human parents none the wiser about the trade, as often their true form is clouded by magic. Once they are of age, the Changelings will return to the Faery plane and take their rightful places amongst their own kind. It happens more than people realise, and they tend to forget about the other Changelings.

 

The human babes that have been taken and raised by the Faeries.

 

Many of these human Changelings tend to be sad, broken creatures raised in servitude and abused or neglected. A lucky few are sometimes left in the care of other human servants and therefore adapt better to this strange life.

 

Faeries cannot create anything of their own, leading them to steal everything they need or have a human servant do it for them. Humans who learn skills, such as flower arranging or singing, are considered to be more valuable by their Faery masters and treated as status symbols, their abilities adding to the respectability and importance of their master, which is everything to a Fae.

 

However, a servant that is a disappointment to their master, being considered useless or unskilled, will fall victim to their master's wrath. They may be abandoned and left to die in the Ash, a harsh wasteland where the more violent and animalistic Fae live, or killed and left to rot in the street. Most frightening of all, they might be sold as a toy to a Fae with more cruel intentions...

 

While human lives aren't valued too greatly by the Fae, it is considered rude to hurt or kill another Faerie's servant. In some cases the owner can appeal to the King or Queen for justice and the perpetrator will be punished as seen fit.

 

Not all of the human Changelings are content with this cruel life. There are those who remember their lives in the mortal plane and their human families. While most simply accept that they will never return to their true home, there is a small handful who are plotting to escape. While this dream might well cost them their lives, the hope that it might just be attainable keeps them going. All they need to do is find the way.

 

The capital city of Avalon is where the largest population of Seelie Court Fae reside. These Fae are considered the kind and beautiful ones by humans, even if they are in truth anything but. While they may aid a human in the mortal plane if needed, they are also just as likely to trick and hurt them. Like all Fae, they will do anything that pleases them the most at the time, even if it means causing harm to another. Nonetheless, these are the ones whose likenesses often appear in pictures and story books.

 

Unseelie Court Fae are without a doubt the monstrous ones. They are ugly and cruel, and while a small number reside in Avalon, most of them choose to live wild in the Ash or beyond. They are the most likely to hurt others, hunting and killing humans for sport. Even weaker Faeries may fall victim to their violent ways.

 

The King and Queen of Faery Land are also its creators. They forged this plane from pure magic and hid it from all the other worlds, making it a haven for their kind. They take their roles seriously and rule well, although they can be just as tricky and mischievous as the rest of their kind. The seat of their power is in the centre of Avalon itself, a giant underground spiralled Palace of ice, wood, bone and flowers. They employ several Unseelie Court as soldiers and enforcers while the more mundane tasks are tended to by their small army of human servants.

 

Many Fae are capable of a particular kind of magic or two which, just like their appearance, tends to vary from Faery to Faery. However, the greater the range of their magic the less powerful it tends to be, so those that specialise in only one kind tend to be far stronger than others. The only exceptions to this rule are the King and Queen, who are both capable of every kind of magic without penalty.

 

All Fae, regardless of species or power level, are vulnerable to iron, which some say can be found in the Ash. Close proximity to it causes a severe drain of magic and actual contact burns as though red hot. As a result, iron is outlawed throughout the entire Faery plane, and anyone caught with it is executed immediately.

 

Faeries age at the same rate as humans while in the mortal plane, but upon returning to the Faery world at eighteen, this no longer holds true. They can age at any rate they desire, if at all. While Fae can be killed normally or perish through sickness, they may also decide to end their lives at any point they desire, although this rarely ocurs.

 

Humans in Faery Land age like they would in their own world and possibly die of old age.

 

Important NPCS

 

King Oberon: As well as being one of the two most powerful Fae in the land, Oberon is also one of the tallest. He stands at eight feet tall and his antlers add another three. While he looks human from the waist up, save for the antlers, from the waist down, he is more faun-like, having furred deer legs and cloven hooves. His eyes are also a bright black, like a deer's, and his hands have claws instead of nails. The only clothing he wears is a green and golden cloak to keep his shoulders and back warm.

 

Queen Titania: As well as being smaller and daintier than her husband, Titania also looks more human, the only exception being the large dragonfly-like wings on her back. She has long silver-white hair that she tends to keep in a single braid and shimmering green eyes. She likes to wear long majestic dresses and has a new one made every day, although they all tend to be white, silver or black in colour.

 

Agapanthus: The largest Unseelie Court in King Oberon's employ and the leader of the Palace guard. He is over fifteen feet tall and has a horned dragon's skull for a head. The rest of his body is covered in a thick black carapace with glowing 'veins' running down his chest, back, arms and legs. He is very strong and it is a well known fact that Oberon and Titania let him devour anyone who displeases them.

 

Fomoire: Is the guardian of the Stones, a large stone circle within the Palace that acts as the official gateway between the mortal plane and the Faery one. Apart from the King and Queen, he is the only one capable of opening and closing the gate. He has a single eye, is covered in dark brown fur, and has short, stubby fingers.

While the Stones is the only gate that is supposed to be used, there are rumours that there are other places where one can slip between worlds.

 

Gemaga: A powerful Unseelie Court with the power of illusion. He uses his powers to make himself look like a handsome human, although his true form is so repulsive even other Faeries can't stand to look at him. He makes a living by tracking down criminals and run away servants.

 

The Potioneer: As small as a human child with dark brown skin and lavender eyes, the Potioneer is one of the most well respected Fae. Her human servants create a large variety of potions under her care (and act as guinea pigs) for sale to the rest of Avalon. Her most popular products are potions that reverse physical aging and heal wounds for those who cannot do so naturally.

 

Fyreflyes: Faeries so small that they can not be seen save for the faint glow they constantly emit. They only have a very basic level of intelligence and can be caught easily in traps of honey or mead. Other Faeries might use them in potions or as light sources.

 

Locations

 

Avalon: The capital city of Faery Land. The various dwellings and residences of its inhabitants are all as unique as their owners as each one will build and decorate to their own tastes. Some even go as far to manipulate the surrounding scenery with magic. In the very centre of Avalon is the Palace, home of King Oberon and Queen Titania.

 

The Palace: The largest structure in Avalon. It can not be seen from the outside as it is in fact built entirely underground, twisting several miles down into the earth. It is built from a variety of materials, mostly ice, wood and bone, and decorated with flowers. The royal couple's private rooms only take up the bottom nine floors, the rest being dedicated to other matters.

 

The Market: The Faery Market is located on the first three floors of the Palace, near the surface. Here all of the denizens of Avalon, Fae or human, may venture freely to do their shopping.

 

Scholar's Study: The Scholar's Study is next eight floors under the Market. Here, magic and Faery lore is studied and experimented on, partially out of curiosity, but mostly for entertainment. Humans must possess a permit to access these floors.

 

Palace Gardens: The gardens are the only part of the Palace that can be seen from the outside as they located at the top on the surface. They are expansive and many Fae like to spend an afternoon walking through them. The one walled section is where the Queen keeps her various pets.

 

The Stones: The Stones, the only official way to travel to and from the mortal plane, are located near the base of the Palace, above the Royal dwellings. No human is allowed on this floor, the penalty being death.

 

The Ash: A desolate wasteland of grey dust. Nothing can grow here so those that make this fearsome place their home must steal substance from elsewhere. The Ash surrounds Avalon entirely and is rumoured to be a result of a rare disagreement between the King and Queen.

 

Fauna and Flora

 

Piggles: Small pigs the size of cats with green and yellow butterfly wings. They are found commonly enough around the gardens of Avalon, although taming one is extremely difficult. Successfully making one a pet is considered another small mark of prestige.

 

Briar Hounds: A popular pet with all kinds of Fae. Shaped like large wolves or dogs, their bodies are actually formed from a thicket-forming thorny plant. They are greeny-grey in colour and often used in hunting or chasing down runaways. They dislike humans as a rule and may attack one with little or no provocation, which can result in keeping one in the same household as a human servant impossible.

 

Tartary Lambs: Sheep born of a plant that are grown and harvested as a food supply. The sheep are connected to the plant via an umbilical cord which when cut kills both plant and animal.

 

Crystal Fish: Crystalline fish that, instead of swimming in water, fly through the air. They come in a large variety of colours but are completely inedible. Considered very pretty because of how they sparkle when they catch the light.

 

Kelpies: Light grey ponies that live in water and can walk upon land. They eat raw flesh and are forever sneaking into the mortal world to find prey via what is believed to be an underwater gate too deep for most other Fae to reach. Sometimes used as steeds by the Faeries.

 

Weaver's Grass: Golden pink grass that is the most common flora in Faery Land. Mostly found in gardens and if allowed to grow to a proper length can be cut and treated to use in weaving.

 

Umdhlebi Tree: A large tree with two layers of bark, a dead outer layer, and a new living layer that grows beneath it, both with red and black fruit and brittle, glossy leaves. The tree itself is highly toxic to humans, so they are often planted in areas where no one wants humans to tread.

 

Whispers: A long, viney, climbing plant with a multitude of silvery blue flowers. Each flower is actually a partially sentient creature that can repeat back anything it is told. Used to send messages from one place to another as each flower will whisper the message to the next until it reaches its destination. Best not used for anything confidential.

 

Treants: Ancient trees that have obtained sentience. They take on the form of large cats with golden green hides and pinky yellow plumes of petals on the back of their necks. Although they have very sharp teeth and claws, they are exceptionally friendly and will often follow around Faeries and humans in search of companionship.

 

Baolydead: Rare skeletal Fae that live in the Ash. Their forearms are shaped like scythes which they use to pierce and slash the flesh of their prey. Once they have caused their victim to bleed they can drain the soul right out of them, killing then instantly.

 

Hujima: Bear-like Unseelie Court with coats of sharpened metal that live in the Ash. They are incredibly dangerous and breed quickly, leading to regular attacks on Faeries and humans alike. Popular targets for hunting parties.

 

Dragons: Gigantic fire breathing lizards with scales of red, yellow and orange. They are the most feared of all Faery creatures and will attack anything that approaches. Only the males can fly, the females being wingless. Dragons can be found nesting deep within the wastelands of the Ash, but only the bravest dare venture so close.

Dragon scales, bones, eggs and organs are all highly valuable, being useful ingredients in potions or prized decorations.

 

Unicorns: Shining silver creatures with a single horn in the middle of their foreheads. They are rumoured to live in the green forests far beyond the Ash, but the only one that has ever been seen is the Queen's pet, which can be found grazing in the Palace gardens.

 

Standard Rules

 

1) No God-modding or power playing.

2) No flaming, spamming, or advertising.

3) You may only kill another person's character if they allow you to.

4) Please be active. No really. If you go more than two weeks without posting your character may be removed or killed off.

5) Respect the other RPers.

6) Keep it PG-13, but romance is allowed.

7) Every post must be at least four sentences long.

8) OOC must be enclosed in brackets (( )).

9) PM me forms for approval. I'll ignore ones posted in the RP.

 

RP Specific Rules

 

1) Only two characters per person.

2) Only Faerys may use magic.

3) Faery characters may have two or three brands of magic, but will be weaker than those who specialise in only one.

4) No half-breed characters. They must either be pure Fae or pure human.

5) No brand of magic can turn your character or another's into a dragon.

6) Seelie Court Fae must be 'attractive' in true appearance. Unseelie Court must be 'monstrous' in true appearance.

7) Humans can only have one master, but a Fae can own several servants.

8) Faeries can only fly if they have wings.

9) Faeries may not physically injure a human servant who does not belong to them, although they may ask the owner to do so on their behalf.

10) I reserve the right to add more rules if/when needed.

11) Use the supplied form below to submit forms for approval. I won't approve unless it is formatted properly.

 

Forms

 

Human (Max of 10)

Username:

Character Name:

Age: (15-100)

Appearance: (Please link images)

Unique Skill: (Singing? Dress Making? Dancing? Cooking?)

Owner: (Either a self controlled NPC or another player. May start off with one and switch to another.)

History: (Two paragraphs)

 

Fae (Max of 5)

Username:

Character Name:

Kind: (Seelie or Unseelie)

Age: (18+)

Appearance: (Please link images)

Magic:

1)

2)

3)

Servant/s: (Either self controlled NPCs, other players or both. May start off with one and switch to another.)

Pet: (Piggle/Briar Hound/Treant/Kelpie only)

Residence: (Please link images)

History: (Two paragraphs)

Edited May 29, 2014 by Fortune86

[Fortune86]

Characters

 

Fae

1) Elrihm ~ Fortune86

2) Shaeeath ~ Tiga

3)

4)

5)

 

Human

1) Mia ~ DragonSpirit009

2) Tess ~ Chicogal

3) Shaun ~ Marcus Pheonix

4) Robin ~ Tiga

5)

6)

7)

8)

9)

10)

Edited April 15, 2014 by Fortune86

[Fortune86]

Approved Character Forms

 

~~~~~~~~~~Fae~~~~~~~~~~

 

Username: Fortune86

Character Name: Elrihm

Kind: Seelie Court

Age: 712

Appearance: Link

Magic:

1) Increased Strength: Physically stronger than humans and most other Fae.

2) Apparation: Can teleport instantaneously from one location to another.

Servant/s: Mia (DragonSpirit009)

Pet: Treant

Residence: Tower

History:

Elrihm was raised in Cornwall, England nearly seven hundred years ago. He was treated kindly enough by his human parents and continued to visit them as an adult, using his magic to ease their lives when he could. After their passing Elrihm ceased entering the mortal plane as it no longer held any interest for him.

It didn't take long for Elrihm to establish himself as an accomplished hunter, specialising in dragon slaying. He soon caught the interest of King Oberon and was named a favourite. While this favour grants him a level of protection from the Royal couple, it means he has to give them a tithe of his earnings. This in conjunction with how expensive it is to buy supplies and materials for his work means he lives by modester means than many other Fae. He occasionally saves himself time and money by using one of his servants as bait.

 

Username: Tiga

Character Name: Shaeeath, pronounced, Shay-ee-eth

Kind: Seelie

Age: 894

Appearance: She looks like this with these wings

Magic:

1) Ice/Frost: Shaeeath can control frost that can freeze over medium sized objects quickly. However, larger objects take longer, but Shaeeath has mastered the skill to trap her opponent is layers of ice and frost. She can use this on humans and other fae.

2) She also has wings that enable her to fly. Shaeeath uses it to get around and to retrieve objects. Combined with her ice power, the two powers can make a deadly combination attack.

Servant/s: NPC side servants, no player servants. Yet.

Pets: She has two brair hounds that are kept outside her residence. She uses them for protection or to hunt down runaway servants. They are chained to strong posts and they obey her command.

Shaeeath also has three unnamed piggles that randomly wander her house, usually hiding or seeking attention.

Residence: House. There is only a bridge to get into the house and once you pass it, there is a large covering where the two brair hounds guard. Once past, the whole place is a maze, with winding staircases and a lot of rooms. There is a sectioned off tower, accessible only by flying. Those are her private quarters.

History: Shaeeath had been swapped for a human on the mortal world. She always knew that she was a fae and soon she was taken back, her powers stronger since been raised by humans. Her frost power was strong, and yet, still needed work. So, Shaeeath decided to buy two humans. She had never thought of buying a human, the kind who had raised her when she was young. But, she still took them home. And experimented on them.

Shaeeath acts like she is kind and innocent, but in reality, she only wants the humans to be test subjects on. She usually uses the majority of the humans to practice her ice skills on and many don't survive. She also wanders the market daily, buying new servants once in a while or buying novelty items from the mortal world that she can still vaguely remember.

Although many humans go through the process of being sold to her then killed by a new trick that Shaeeath has thought of, some that have proven to be loyal and obedient become servants for her.

 

~~~~~~~~~~Humans~~~~~~~~~~

 

Username: Chicogal

Character Name: Tess Choptas

Age: 18

Appearance: Tess is tall and willowy, and is very fair. White-blonde hair hangs down her back, gentle waves falling through it. She has pale, wide, blue eyes, and resembles an elf in the smooth upward curve of her nose, elegant features, and slightly pointed ears. She wears beige trousers and a shirt, and brown boots when working. Bruises still show on her arms, and scars criss-cross her back from whippings.

Unique Skill: Singing

Owner: The Palace

History: Tess fell into cruel hands as a baby, and grew up being abused physically and mentally. During this time she learned to lock herself away, and became very reserved. Her talent for singing was only discovered by her masters shortly before her sale, and was the reason for her being sold.

Tall and elflike, the notes that poured out of her mouth like a river suited her perfectly. A faerie sent out to recruit new servants was taken in by her voice, and bought her without much negotiation. Since arriving at the palace, she has slowly - very slowly - become less reclusive, and recent bruises have started to fade. Her duties now include caring for the Queen's unicorn and singing for the Royals' entertainment whenever they call.

 

Username: DragonSpirit009

Character Name: Mia Folex

Age: 23

Appearance: Mia Folex

Unique Skill: Cooking

Owner: Elrihm (Fortune86)

History: Being switched at a young age with a fea, Mia had mostly lived her whole live in the Fae Plane. She can’t remember much of her past life nor who her parents were. During the time she had been a servant to several of the faes, each requesting a different task from her, like from cleaning houses or weaving baskets. The skill she exceeded the most was cooking mostly due to the fact that she had been a servant to a cook for quite a long time. In the end the cook got bored of her and traded Mia to Elrihm. For the last two years she had been serving the hunter acting as bait every now and then.

 

Username: Marcus Pheonix

Character Name: Shaun Atlas

Age: 20

Appearance: Shaun nearly always appears to be unkempt and rugged, his skin is frequently dirt and his face has dark stubble from his side burns to his chin. He is 6ft 4 and despite his appearance is well muscled beneath the torn grey shirt and long brown pants. He does not wear shoes or socks. His back his heavily scarred as well as his forearms and legs, but the most noticeable scar is a thin perfectly straight line that crosses his forehead with a smaller rougher scar crossing it diagonally down to his right eye. He has a bent nose and is also missing his left ring finger.

Unique Skill: Crafts work, though is primarily used for manual labour.

Owner: Beldam (Laura-Lana)

History: At birth Shaun had a medical defect where his skull was not properly formed and his frontal bone was incredibly weak. Undergoing surgery Shaun had a metal plate grafted to his head to keep his skull from caving in on itself. When Shaun was abducted by the Fae and taken in by a cruel and harsh master Shaun only wished to leave. He received several beatings, the harshest punishment cost Shaun his finger. When he was older Shaun finally had, had enough of his master and had tried to leave by force, but his masters magic had been too strong.

In punishment his master decided to remove one of Shauns eyes. When he cut down across Shauns forehead the thin layer of skin over the metal plate in Shauns head caused severe illness. Shauns master then sold him off as an apprentice to a craftsman. The craftsmen was kinder but was harsh and critical to Shaun with his work, when he backhanded Shaun, opening the scar the contact caused burns and Shaun was moved. While still sold for his physical strength, the brief time spent working for the craftsman has convinced Shaun that he can improve his work and would get him a better life.

 

Username: Tiga

Character Name: Robin Rayne

Age: 15

Appearance: Robin Rayne is a very petite 15 year old girl with vibrant red hair that she is named after. She has stormy silver eyes that dull to an ugly gray when sad or afraid. She has a number of freckles around her nose and cheeks. She has a stutter that is usually controlled but when she is nervous, she can barely get out a complete sentence. Robin has pale skin, dotted with an uncountable number of bruises form her previous owner. She is always quiet, trying to not speak other than speak. She is very obedient and will flinch at anyone's touch.

Unique Skill: Singing. Her voice is like a robin's song.

Owner: On sale

History: Robin had been taken away and had been waiting to be sold when she was eight. When she did, her previous owner was harsh and brutal, always giving her beatings for anything, even if she did something right. He would also laugh at her when she would stutter. Eventually, he go tired of her and sold her away. Robin has been beaten into obedience and submission.

She has had no other owner other than her brutal previous owner. Not many fae know that she can sing, as at first glance, she looks like a weak servant, so many turn her down before they know a out her ability.

Edited April 15, 2014 by Fortune86

[Fortune86]

((Reserved for possible future use))

Edited January 9, 2014 by Fortune86

[Fortune86]

It was a strange scent that wafted through the Market today. Several shoppers turned to sniff the air when they caught it, many wrinkling their noses as they tried to work out what it was. It wasn't unpleasant as such, but it could hardly be called enticing. Those with a more sensitive sense of smell began to look uncomfortable.

 

The tall pale Fae standing in the doorway of the Potioneer was one of the few who knew what the scent was. He had just sold her a dragon's egg, something she had been hankering after for a while, and it was being used in a new concoction she had dreamed up a few months ago. It was supposed to be new, stronger kind of Elixir, but it would probably take a few formula re-writes until it worked as it should, most likely killing a few servant girls in the process.

 

The pale Fae gave a sigh and rubbed his shoulder. It had been quite the battle to obtain the egg, clutching females always tended to be more vicious than usual, and he had sustained a number of injuries. A few drinks of potion had been enough to heal all his wounds, but the aches tended to take longer to fade.

 

With another sigh he stepped away from the doorway and into the throng of passersby. He needed to see Agapanthus next and then he could home and relax. He'd have Mia serve him some soup before taking to his bed for a while.

 

[DragonSpirit009]

With one last sweep of the broom the master’s room was clean and the young servant headed towards the kitchen. Mia had been cleaning the tower for the last two days now waiting on the return of her current fea master. He had gone hunting but this time he had left her at the tower. She wasn’t sure what he went to hunt but all she knew was that he was never gone longer than a week. So cleaning had been very important seeing that she could move more freely without bothering the master fae.

 

At that moment she was slicing several vegetables and preparing different dishes. She never knew what her master would be in the mood for thus she always made a little bit of everything. Continuing to work Mia occasionally kept her eye on the nearby resting Treant. That was the only way she knew if she knew when Elrihm had arrived. The creature always greets his master by the stair case which usually gives Mia enough time to greet her master by the door.

Edited January 16, 2014 by DragonSpirit009

[Laura-Lana]

Beldam wrinkled her nose as the strange smell out of the potioneers house reached her. It wasn't really a bad smell, but it wasn't what she considered good either. Some of the butterflies, who had been attracted to her because of her buddeleia scent, turned back the way she had come from. She tried flying a bit higher, but it actually got worse, it seemed to be something that was more likely to rise than stay on the ground.

 

With a resigned sigh she landed, carefully setting her bare feet on the sunwarmed stones. She had been right, the smell was less intense here.

 

As she looked up she saw Huntsmaster Elrihm looking into her general direction. She gave him a respectful nod, aknowledging his higher social status, keeping her face pleasant with some effort.

 

Once upon a time there had been few fae ranked higher than her, but the jealous fools infesting the faerie court hadn't seen the brilliance of her idea to actually adopt human children. To add insult to injury she had somehow aquired a reputation for not simply loving her children, but being fond of humans in general. As far from the truth as it was, she had given up fighting against that reputation a long time ago.

Once an idea had settled firmly into the head of a fae it was almost impossible to get it out there again, and she if she wanted to be fair her relationship with her humans was rather odd by fae standarts. Luckily for her selfesteem Beldam had never believed in being fair.

[Fortune86]

The pale Fae broke out of his internal reverie long enough to notice that his path was blocked by another Fae. Recognising them at once as the somewhat unusual Bel-Thys'ralathxp'dam he stopped and returned her acknowledgement with a nod and a slight bow of his own.

 

"Madam Beldam" he said in what was for him a respectful tone. Normally he spoke coolly with little hint of emotion. "It is pleasing to see you. It has been a while since we last met has it not?"

 

While officially he was of higher rank than her due to the King's favour, she was older than him by several centuries. An old habit he still retained from his days in the mortal plane was to be respectful to one's elders, no matter how eccentric they were.

 

[Laura-Lana]

"Very true." Highly satisfied with his respectful tone Beldam smiled at him. She should have remembered that Elrihm was one of the few faes, who minded their manners around their elders.

She firmly surpressed the urge to pat his head - she still remembered when he had been a wide-eyed youngster newly arrived in faerieland - and tried to think of a way to thank him. Beldam could hold a grudge with the best of them, but likewise she never forgot a favour or a kind word. Remembering he had added Mia Folex to his servants a while ago, she produced a bag of cocoa out of her pouch and offered it to him as a gift. It was one of the products that was far easier to steal from the human world than to produce directly in faerieland, but as far as she knew Elrihm rarely ventured there.

"I hear you've aquired the little cooking girl for your helpers. Maybe she can make something of this to reward you for your latest triumph. Does my nose betray me or did you actually manage to aquire a dragon egg for the Potioneer?"

 

((Ooc: Could you pm me a short description of Mia, DragonSpirit009? I've tried to open her link for five minutes now and it never gets over the grey border of the picture))

Edited January 16, 2014 by Laura-Lana

[Fortune86]

"Thank you" replied Elrihm with another slight bow as he took the pouch. He had no doubt that Mia would find some use for it. When Beldam inquired about the dragon's egg he nodded. He should have known that she would recognise the distinct smell.

 

"Yes, but regrettably just the one. There was a nest of six but the others were trampled during the battle. It is difficult to draw a mother far from her children."

 

Speaking of children Elrihm could not see any of the humans that Beldam kept as pets. He looked around a moment for them before addressing the older Fae again.

 

"And your...little ones? Do they still fair well?"

[Laura-Lana]

"Yes, but regrettably just the one. There was a nest of six but the others were trampled during the battle. It is difficult to draw a mother far from her children."

 

Beldam nodded. "As it ought to be, Elrihm. Children are a treasure beyond value."

"And your...little ones? Do they still fair well?"

 

"That they do, though they aren't as 'little' as they used to be anymore. My Oravil is already taller than I am and I think he hasn't stopped growing yet." she said with some pride. She considered mentioning that her boy was currently settling a score with one of the human servants working in the palace, who hadn't been respectful enough toward him, but decided against it.

"As for Firebrand, I am actually here to see if I can get some dragonoil for her. The clever girl seems to be able to set everything on fire using nothing but friction if necessary. I want to know what she can do if she has something that burns as hot and intensely as dragonoil."

Edited January 16, 2014 by Laura-Lana

[Fortune86]

Dragonoil. Elrihm was at that point very grateful that he lived some distance from Beldam's abode. While it would no doubt burn as intensely as Beldam hoped, it also had a habit of exploding. Even though many Fae had easily enough gold to spare to repair or replace anything that was damaged, he did not.

 

"I wish you and young Firebrand well in your experimentations. I have little doubt you will both enjoy yourselves immensely, but I must go. I have not yet returned to my home after my hunt and I grow weary."

 

[Laura-Lana]

"Then don't let me keep you from your well-deserved rest." Beldam said. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

 

With another respectful nod, she wandered of to purchase the dragonoil. Elrihm was a good boy and not nearly as arrogant as some of the other favourites of the king, she thought, though it probably was a bit inaccurate to think of a fae man of over 700 years, who had mastered the difficult art of dragon hunting, as a boy. There weren't many occupations that took as much skill and courage as his. Sure he could teleport away if he was in immediate danger, but that meant he had to know he was in danger before it was too late.

Edited January 16, 2014 by Laura-Lana

[Marcus Pheonix]

Shaun watched the exchange intrigued. That man was a dragon hunter? Quite the daring job, in his brief work in crafts Shaun had, had to carve several pieces out of dragon bone. Of course his master had been angry at the quality, but the buyer was still satisfied. Shaun sighed as he sat down in the cage, briefly rearranging the shreds that was his shirt, to hide the numerous scars on his back. Buyers didn't like to see scars on slaves, most of them anyway, it made them question whether they were buying a violent person who had constantly needed to be punished.

"Stand up! I need to sell you and I don't want you to appear lazy!" The harsh voice of the salesman cried. The man leaned forward and prodded Shaun with a large stick, Shaun wondered whether he prodded just to get satisfaction. Grunting, he stood up. The confined cage prevented him from moving too much, so the act of standing up was straining on his muscles.

"You know, you could just tell them what a wonderful worker I am, as opposed to simply glowering at all the shoppers," Shaun said casually, receiving a few more prods.

[Fortune86]

Elrihm stood aside to let Beldam pass and then started on his own way. He didn't get far before he remembered he still had to visit Agapanthus. He stopped and cursed to himself. The meeting with Beldam had thrown the Unseelie Court out of his mind.

 

He was tired and wanted to go home, but if did not go to Agapanthus then Agapanthus would come to him, probably knocking his door down when he arrived. Reluctantly Elrihm turned on his heel and started off towards the stairs.

 

As he walked back down the street he glanced at a heavily scarred human boy in a cage, being displayed for sale it seemed. Elrihm made a mental note to look in on his way back.

 

Agapanthus would hopefully be in the Scholar's Study, prowling through the various laboratories and libraries. It would be so much simpler to just apparate down there, but suddenly appearing in front of someone was considered rude. Best just to walk.

[Laura-Lana]

Beldam didn't hear the words Shaun exchanged with his seller. That he might become of interest to her later, she couldn't know yet.

 

"Mom!" shouted a delighted voice as she rounded a corner. She had just time to open her arms in welcome, before Oravil had swept her up in a hug.

 

She heard someone skittering to a stop behind him and as Oravil set her down she saw a young, human man in the livery of the palace, who watched them with fear and desperation in his eyes. He had obviously been trying to catch Oravil, but now didn't dare to come closer and risking her anger.

Reacognizing Eric, the boy Oravil had intended to teach a lesson, she looked at her son with a raised eyebrow. She had been prepared to go to the palace after purchasing the oil and offering monetary reparations, because she was pretty sure that Oravil had intended to kill or at least severly injure Eric. Luckily the servant wasn't important enough that anyone would miss him if she was willing to pay for a replacement.

 

Alas, except for the panic in his expression he didn't look the worse for wear.

 

"Please, my lady" Eric pleaded "The brush... I need the brush back."

 

"Brush?" Beldam fervently hoped her son hadn't stolen a brush from one of the lords or ladies in the palace. Killing a lowly servant was one thing, insulting someone who had enough favour to live there on the other hand..

 

Oravil shrugged and tried to look innocent, a task at which he failed misearbly. "It seems Eric has lost the brush of lady Talomiel. I haven't the slightest idea what could have happened to it. I certainly never saw it."

 

"Oh Talomiel." Beldam relaxed. Talomiel lived at the palace at the moment true, but that was because the chit still hadn't managed to aquire a home of her own. One of her very distant cousins was a lady in waiting to the queen and allowed her reluctantly to live with her. Beldam knew she wasn't fond of Talomiel at all. That never had stopped young Talomiel to act as if she was a favourite of the queen herself though and according to her sources she had actually had the nerve to laugh about Beldam with some of her friends. It was one thing to hear that by those who were socially superior, but a barely hundred year old girl, who was so useless even her own relatives didn't know what do with her anymore, had no buisness laughing about an ancient fae like Beldam. She owed Talomiel something and a stolen brush was the least of it.

 

"Please lady, if I don't return the brush.."

 

Beldam stared at Eric with icy, pityless eyes. "Didn't you hear my son? He hasn't seen your brush. Now go away, or do I need to submit a formal complaint about you harrassing my children instead of seeing to your duties?"

 

The boy swallowed, his eyes dark with dread as he retreated. Beldam didn't know what Talomiel was going to do to him if he couldn't find a dublicate for the brush before she missed it, but judging by his expression it wasn't going to be pretty.

 

Beldam waited until he was out of earshot, then turned back to Oravil, who was grinning from ear to ear.

 

"What was that?"

 

"Didn't you tell me to be more subtle, mom?"

 

He had her there. Though she certainly hadn't thought of that, when she critized him for being too obvious when he went after his goals.

 

"Give me the brush, son.", she demanded.

 

"Why?" Oravil whined, a tone which would have earned another human a whipping at the very least. He liked to keep trophys to remind him of past misbehaviours.

 

"Because I want to see if she left any hairs in the brush.", Beldam said patiently.

 

"Oh!" Oravil brightened and handed the brush over.

 

She absently patted his head, giving him a proud smile.

 

Edited January 16, 2014 by Laura-Lana

[Marcus Pheonix]

Shaun ran his hand down the bar, how many times had he been in situations like this. Whenever one of his masters had come into close proximity with his head they would fall ill, due to the sudden loss of their magical abilities. Of course none of them knew the reason why they fell ill. Shaun hadn't been stupid enough to tell the fae that he carried a chunk of iron in his forehead. If he had told them, he would have been cast out to the Ash, while he was fine with leaving the fae the Ash was not the direction he would prefer.

 

Shaun sighed and slid down again, ignoring the violent poking he received. If any of the various masters he'd had, had been kind he wouldn't have argued and wouldn't have been struck. He ran his hand down his arm, feeling the various scars he'd obtained. The main problem was his first master, even though Shaun had been young he had been brutally beaten simply for the amusement of the man. This had caused Shaun to form a hatred for the fae, and though he tried to be civil with those he was a slave for, he couldn't resist arguing. His physique didn't help either, Shaun was a smart person, but the fact that he was tall and muscular boosted his confidence too much, and he often forgot that the fae had magic on their side. He grinned placidly as he recalled one owner, the man had zero powers to hold Shaun back, and if it wasn't for the mans bodyguard Shaun could have overpowered him with one arm tied behind his back.

 

Shauns brow lowered as he felt the poker jab a particular nerve point in the small of his back. With sudden anger Shaun lashed out and pulled the poker from his captor, and broke it against the metal bars that contained him. "Do you know how irritating that is?" He asked harshly, not looking at his captor. There was a sharp crack and Shaun felt a searing pain on his shoulder as the whip broke the skin. "Get up!" The salesman said, teeth clenched. Clutching his shoulder, Shaun pulled himself up. There were a couple of fae grinning at him, happy to see another human get what he deserves for disobeying. Shaun scowled at them, his eyes scanning the faces. If he ever got away and grabbed some form of weapon, he would get these people back.

[Fortune86]

((Don't they use Titanium plates?))

 

It took some time for Elrihm to locate Agapanthus. The larger Unseelie was bullying some junior researcher in a dark corner and wasn't pleased when Elrihm interrupted. However he took the tithe of gold without saying much, and merely grunted when Elrohm bade him farewell.

 

With his shoulder still aching Elrihm decide to call it a day. While apparating into the Palace could cause problems, there was nothing to stop him from apparating out. With his business at the Palace concluded Elrihm drew his cloak around him and vanished.

 

He reappeared on the stone steps of his own humble lodgings. Opening the door he heard the chirping of the Treant he kept as a pet and moments later the excited creature appeared to greet him. He patted them on the head and then called out for his servant girl.

 

"Mia!"

 

((If Beldam decides not to purchase Shaun I'll have Elrihm send Mia to buy him.))

Edited January 17, 2014 by Fortune86

[Laura-Lana]

((Mine, mine, mine!!! ))

 

Oravil in tow, Beldam proceeded to purchase Dragonoil for her young human daughter.

 

While she waited for her purchase to be wrapped up (Fae were very, very careful about wrapping up something as dangerous as dragon oil), she overheard two other fae talking about some human named Shaun.

 

"I was just surprised. I thought he was a good worker."

 

Unwilling to admit how sick he felt every time Shaun came near, the other one replied "True, but he's a beast. He'd keep torturing the others so much their performance suffered from it. I punished him of course, but he wouldn't stop. Some of those humans just seem addicted to make their fellows suffer."

 

Beldam froze.

 

"But.. "

 

"Your dragonoil, my lady." the merchant said, making it impossible for her to hear the rest of the conversation.

 

But she had heard enough to be interested already. Her home seemed empty with only two children in it, but with Firebrand so new, she didn't want to leave her children long enough to search for a new addition in the mortal world. It hadn't really occured to her that she might find a human worthy of her right here in Faerieland.

 

She went over to the part of the market where humans were sold and asked to see 'Shaun'. She was taken over to a cage, which by itself said something already. Apparently this one wasn't tame enough to be trusted to stand with the others.

 

Brown-haired, tall, with more than his fair share of bruises there was something in his eyes. Beldam thought it might be hate which suited her just well.

She guessed humans might actually consider him grown up already, but even by their standarts he was still young and compared to her own age he could be no more than a baby. But was he young enough that she could turn him into one of her children?

 

"Mom! What are we doing here?" Oravil wasn't at all happy about the attention she gave to the other human. She had forgotten how charmingly jealous he could be.

 

She laughed quietly and decided to purchase the human if only to nettle Oravil. If memory served right jealousy made him even more vicious. And if Shaun proved disappointing as an additional son, she could always use him as a test for young Firebrand. The girl needed to get over her squeemisness and burning another human alive would do her good.

 

Beldam put an arm around Oravil. "It just occured to me that it would do you good to have a brother, love." she said.

 

Ignoring his protests, she went to the seller to purchase the human (at a surprisingly low price) and waited patiently as he opened the cage for her.

 

"There he is, madame Beldam. Remember what I said about beating him regularily if you want him to remember his place."

 

Beldam gave him an icy look. "I've never had any trouble with one of my sons and I certainly won't need your advice about how to raise my children now."

 

She held her hands out to Shawn. "Hello my dear! I am Bel-Thys'ralathxp'dam. But you can call me mother if you like."

 

She didn't have to see the face of the seller behind her to know he thought she was crazy and she didn't care in the least. Not now when fate had given her another child to call her own.

 

((Ooc: Here is the requested description of Oravil, I'll do Firebrand in a post when we actually meet her - He is 17, still growing and a bit taller than Beldam now - around 1,78, has black hair and half-moon shaped winterblue eyes. (Edit: Since winterblue doesn't seem to be clearly defined I did some research and I think Alice blue comes closest to what i had in mind). He is definitly a teenager not a man, but one who loves sports and always had enough to eat. Think of Eugene "Flash" Thompson of Spiderman in the high school phase, but with other hair and eyes))

Edited January 17, 2014 by Laura-Lana

[DragonSpirit009]

Gradually tasting all of the dishes making sure everything was decent Mia noticed the treant missing. This could only mean that her master had returned from his hunt. Quickly she dusted herself off and hurried through the corridors when she heard her name being called. Finally she reached the stair case and her master came to view.

 

“Welcome back sir.” Mia spoke as she bowed. “Did your hunt go well?”

[Fortune86]

"It went well enough."

 

Elrihm began to strip his armour off and drop it on the floor as he walked past Mia into the house, revealing a loose white shirt and black trousers underneath. Mia could pick it up and take it for cleaning and repairs. He then started to walk up the stairway up to the next floor, the Treant bounding along after him.

 

"I will take my dinner in my room. Speaking of which..."

 

He stopped on the landing and took out the pouch of cocoa Beldam had given him and tossed it over the bannister to Mia.

 

"Lady Beldam gave me this. Said you could probably find some use for it. I had better write her a note so bring me my writing set with my meal."

 

Elrihm leaned on the bannister as he thought.

 

"Have there been any messages while I was gone?"

[DragonSpirit009]

Catching the poach she looked puzzled on what might be in it but the smell quickly gave it away. “Thank you sir.” She spoke as she quickly tugged it in her apron pocket. She then nodded at his request on dinner and started picking up the armour the fae hunter dropped.

 

“There only came a letter. I placed it on your desk in the study sir. The servant who delivered it said it wasn’t too important but when you have time if you could see to it.” She spoke pausing her current work as she spoke to her master.

[Fortune86]

"I'll look at it later then" said Elrihm with disinterest. Anyone worth dealing worrying about would have insisted he read the letter straight away.

 

Drawing away from the bannister Elrihm walked down the hallway to his room. Opening the door he kicked his shoes into a corner and then laid straight down on his bed. By Oberon he was tired.

 

The Treant followed him into the room and jumped up onto the bed beside him. Elrihm reached out to scratch its neck and listened to it chirp in pleasure. He hoped Mia would not be too long about his dinner.

[Marcus Pheonix]

(( I didn't realise Shaun was so horrible. My next character will surely be a baby platypus))

 

Shaun sighed happily as he stepped out of the cage and rolled his arms. "Oh it's good to stretch, here's your stick back," Shaun said, holding out the two halves of the salesmans poker. He turned to the lady who had bought him, he was unsure of her age. But the way she acted indicated she was probably at least a couple of centuries above him.

"Mother? I assumed you'd be buying me for manual labour," Shaun looked down at the human boy next to the fae. "Are you one of those fae who cares for the humans they abduct? All the masters I've had have called you people very strange. Though frankly I'm just happy to be out of that cage. Short little Mistoa (( name of the salesman)) doesn't know what it feels to be over 6 foot and stuck in a confined space." Shaun glared at the salesmen with malice. If this lady was going to treat him like a son she might look the other way on some things. "If you don't mind I dot really want to call you mother, we've only just met and frankly my relations with other fae has not given me much appreciation for your kind," Shaun looked down at the boy and smiled. "So who's this? Hi my names Shaun Atlas... Or it was".

Edited January 17, 2014 by Marcus Pheonix

[DragonSpirit009]

Mia quickly returned to her duties, gathering the armour and heading towards the kitchen. Placing the armour down she assemble the tray with three different dishes, a bowl of vegetable soup with toast, a small meaty pie and a plate with a cupcake for dessert. Along with the food she readied the kettle for some tea and while she waited Mia retrieved the writing set and placed it on the tray as well. Once everything was ready they young woman made her way towards Elrihm room, knocking softly on the door.

 

“Sir. I brought you your dinner.”