< atton revisited > The information page for Atton has been fully revised and updated with the new map!
< updated calendar > The Fortuna calendar has been updated in the "Other" lore section! This includes a document which displays the calendar for you to see, making it much easier to understand.
< moving map > The first functional map has been released in the News section! This map is also interactive, allowing you to drag and drop between points in order to determine distances. This is the first iteration, and there's more and better to come!
< first annual awards > The results for the First Annual Fortuna Year-End Awards have been posted! Go and take a look at who the finalists were, and who took home the big prizes!
< new default skin > Our new skin has passed the beta test, and is now the new Default for the forums! If you have any issues with this skin, send a PM or Discord to Mellie.
< human lore update > Humans have been updated with TWENTY-FIVE subraces/subcultures which add numerous options, and a little extra lore and flavour.
< magic lore update > Magical Lore has been enhanced with the addition of a post on Magical Education. From Beginner to Expert, this is how you learn the spells.
< a change to member groups > Member groups are now based on storyline! You can change your displayed storyline by editing the settings in your profile.
Welcome to the world of Fortuna, a land of fantastic proportions. This is an original fantasy roleplay that takes place in a world developed over nearly a decade of work and collaboration. We aim to encourage all participants to have a hand in the stories of the characters here, and the world around them. Your choices are key - so make them with pride. You decide who wins the wars, you decide who becomes King, the world is ours, and together we will bring it to life!
Post by Ellis Danton on Nov 12, 2016 22:00:03 GMT -7
When Ellis returned to the god tree, he had expected to be met with brute force. He had expected that he would defend himself, that he would explain how useful Xanthe could be to the Aurcaeli plight in Atton. He had expected that they would listen - unhappy, but understanding... His expectations were firmly misplaced.
He approached the god tree with his crossbow unloaded, above his head. He showed that he was not a threat. He was not going to attack them. The two Aurcaeli warriors had moved up to the god tree, and light of their torch mixed with the blue light of the tree made them look more intimidating than they were.
One was bloodied - the one Ellis had accidentally shot, before he had known they were allies. This man was one Ellis recognised, but not by name. He had a young face with a bold chin, dimples, and blonde curls. He looked like the kind of man who was once a Steer for the Queen and her daughters before he reached his mid twenties. Now he was the kind of man who would go to a pub and charm the girl of his choice into his bed. Well, maybe not anymore. The bolt was lodged in his shoulder, making him look uneven. That man held his sword up in his undamaged arm, his crossbow slung on his back, and he stood in front of the uninjured man - Corporal Evard.
Corporal Evard was intimidating. We was even taller than Ellis, standing at about 6'6". He had been a steer thanks to his incredible physical and mental aptitude - but being an orc, he was never actually permitted to bed the Queen or her daughters. Instead, it was a political placement, with the powers that be knowing someday Evard would make an excellent leader. Excellent was not the word Ellis would use -- but he definitely got others to listen to his commands. Evard's status was marking with a deep purple cloak over his white uniform, and while his weapon wasn't visible, Ellis knew the man to be an excellent spellcaster.
"Scout Ellis Danton," Evard's voice was gruff, low, it sounded more like the bear Ellis had fought earlier than a man's voice, "If I heard correctly, you were reprimanded just yesterday for failure to complete your mission. Now you dare attack your fellow soldier, and a superior officer?"
"But-- with a-all... W-with all d-due respect sir--" Ellis' words were interrupted by Evard's companion: "Shut your traitorous mouth you little weasel!"
Evard cleared his throat to silence both soldiers. "You have committed an act of treason against your leader, the Great Pelagia Xista, against the crown of Queen Fabelle, and against the name of the One True God, Ayniea. You will come with us, and face Lord Xista's law, or else you shall fall in this field. Speak your truth, Danton."
Ellis remained silent. He realised that whatever he said, they would silence him. They didn't care... He would have to speak with Pelagia directly. She was the only person who could fix this.
"J-just know," Ellis spoke loudly, speaking for Xanthe, not for the other men, "N-next muh-muh-moon. T-tomorrow. Jaosi s'na..." He hoped she realised what he meant. He hoped that he could even keep the promise. He hoped that Pelagia would listen, and that tomorrow he would be back at the God Tree to see Xanthe again. With Aurcaele's support. If he did... This could be fixed. This could all be fixed.
"What in all willow's wind," The Corporal shook his head, "We thought you were smarter than this, kid. Tie his hands, soldier." The other man put his sword away and approached Ellis. He tossed the crossbow to the ground and kicked it away, and then pulled Ellis' hands in front of him, tying them together in a tight, harsh knot with scratchy hemp rope. "Oh you're gonna hang for this, Danton." Ellis stayed silent... Stealing just one glance over to where he left Xanthe.
Xanthe watched the men interact. The tall one was a race she had never seen before, and he looked like someone who knew he was intimidating and used it to his full advantage. She immediately disliked him. Well, she disliked all of the invaders but she knew immediately that she would dislike this one especially. She couldn't make out what they were saying, couldn't understand the words that were being gruffly spat towards Ellis but she could tell it wasn't going well. Every time Ellis tried to speak he was interrupted, and frankly that was just rude, and then the tall man spoke once more, commandingly, and Xanthe knew this was all going wrong.
Then Ellis spoke, and she didn't know what he was saying but at the end he said her words, jaosi s'na, and she thought she knew what he meant. She moved from her seated position into a crouch, looking between the men and the tree and the area around them. Working out the best escape. She watched as the man with the wounded shoulder tied Ellis's hands together and she could practically growl. When Ellis looked her way, she took it as her last opportunity to save him before these men took him away. She ran out of the trees and while running toward them called the magic from inside the jaosi sn'a to encircle the three men with crackling lightning. She ran through the lightning easily and tackled the man holding Ellis, putting herself bodily between him and the two attackers. "Stand down!" she commanded, her voice echoing impressively in the electrified air. "Peace."
Post by Ellis Danton on Nov 12, 2016 23:34:49 GMT -7
"Xanthe! N-no!" Those were the only words he could manage when Xanthe did the stupid kind of things that Ellis was usually known for. Stupid, brave things.
The electricity burst from the tree and created a circle around the three of them, and the two uniforms looked to Ellis, expecting he had cause it to happen once again. "Turn that damn thing off--" The soldier began, but was cut off by Xanthe coming in to tackle him. The man released the rope in the tackle and cried out in pain as his injured shoulder rolled on the ground and pressed the bolt deeper. Evard's hands glowed an intimidating red colour, but as Xanthe yelled, he stopped and held his ground.
"Xanthe!" Ellis tugged on her arm to get her to stand down, but it didn't seem like she would budge. "Don't-- st-stop-- you-- you j-just have t-to trust m-me."
"That's right, Danton. Calm your savage bitch," The man on the ground spat out. Ellis knew Xanthe likely couldn't understand those horrid words, but Ellis did. And the vitriol could be clear to anyone. He wanted to step past Xanthe and kick the man in his jewels, spit in his face. But he also knew that he wanted Queen Fabelle's forces to trust Xanthe and the Attonians. That wouldn't be the way. Instead, he just grasped Xanthe's arm with his tied hands to ensure she didn't react to him in the way she ought to. "T-trust me," He whispered to her as he did, "P-please."
"What in the willows do you think you're doing, soldier?" Evard questioned, his hands burning red with magic, but his stance seemingly nonthreatening. Him and Xanthe seemed to be facing off against one another, two magical equals seething with power. The man on the ground was weak and injured, full of nothing but piss. Ellis was tied up, had no weapon, but he realised that there was a thing he had: words. He wasn't good with them, no, but he needed to fix this situation quickly, or else he would likely hang - or at least be deported - and Xanthe would be boxed in with more violent savages. But she wasn't like them. She was special.
"I-i want... I ought to... I should... I need to sp-speak with Lord P-pelagia. When she r-returns to the F-fort, send w-word to m-me by sending up a r-red flare. T-tell her that we... That I... I... I have earned th-the trust of the... Of the s-savages. They c-can help us. It... It will b-be easier w-with their he-help. I p-promise, Evard... P-please."
She could tell Ellis hadn't wanted her to do what she was doing. She must have misinterpreted him, however she didn't regret what she did. She would not let these two strange men attack her and then kidnap Ellis and bring him who knew where. If he got taken away, how could she know if she would ever see him again? How could she know they weren't going to drag him away to be imprisoned, or killed? They tied his hands. He seemed to trust them enough that he hadn't fought them, but she wouldn't risk it.
Ellis grabbed her arm and spoke words to her and she wanted to turn to him and release him from his bindings and take him away from here but she saw the glow in the hands of the tall man. She saw him watching her, prepared to fight but not yet making a move for it. Waiting. It was clear that he was in charge, and it was because he was smart. The man on the ground, however, spat words at her and while she didn't understand what he said she did understand one word from it, savage, and the tone made it obvious it was an insult. It wasn't the first time someone had said something like that to her. She knew what the invaders thought of her people. She wanted to rip him limb from limb, because despite believing all lives were inherently sacred she also believed that the invaders were corrupt. Profane. Their souls weren't protected by the deity of storms so long as they desecrated her beautiful country. The storm protects, but it did not protect blasphemers and criminals.
She wanted to rip him limb from limb. Perhaps to shove his own dick down his throat and see how he felt about that. But, she didn't. When her fist tightened angrily Ellis grabbed her arm and whispered to her. Trust me, he said. Please. She let out a breath and released her fist. Despite not knowing the definitions of his words, she could understand the meaning of them. It wasn't the first time she had heard him say 'trust me'. And despite distrusting every other invader to the depth of her soul, she did trust him. She didn't, however, trust these other men.
The one on the ground knew well enough not to stand up and simply lay there like the scum he was, clutching at his wound. The man standing before her hadn't moved yet, and Xanthe wasn't sure what to do with him. He had heard her words and listened, but she didn't know how to tell him what she wanted to say. Luckily, it appeared she didn't need to speak. Ellis began speaking from behind her. He seemed to be making an impassioned plea to the commander, who listened stoically without taking his eyes off of Xanthe. When he finished, the commander seemed to think for a few more moments before the red faded from his hands and he turned his attention to Ellis. "You better know what you're doing, kid, because you're going to be in a mound of shit when Lord Pelagia returns."
Evard nodded once at Xanthe, begrudgingly dismissing the two of them, and went to help his piece of shit friend on the ground. Xanthe took the opportunity for what it was and picked Ellis's things up from nearby before grabbing Ellis around the waist and doing something she very rarely did. Or rather, something she rarely did around other people. She placed a hand on the jaosi s'na and the two of them disappeared.
----
When they reappeared it was next to an entirely different god tree, outside the broken temple where the peacekeepers were staying. Xanthe let Ellis go then and untied the rope around his wrists. She didn't know what to say, didn't know the words, but she wanted to say one thing for sure. "Me trust you. You trust me?"
Post by Ellis Danton on Nov 13, 2016 0:37:23 GMT -7
Ellis breathed a deep sigh of relief when Evard listened to reason. He hadn't been sure he would, and he didn't want Xanthe's first experience with Fort Fabelle to be in chains... Or for her to became Wanted among their people. Sure, if they killed these two there was a chance no one would find out -- but there was also a chance there was a third in the shadows, holding a bow at their heads, just waiting for a shot.
Ellis didn't want to take such serious risks.
He opened his mouth to thank Evard for understanding, he opened his mouth to promise Evard he wouldn't regret it -- but he didn't have a chance to say anything, because the next thing he knew, his body was tingling and his vision was distorted. Everything smelled of charcoal and freshly fallen rain, and Xanthe. He could barely see except for bright lights. He could barely feel except for the static tingling that reminded him of the god tree.
And then it was dark again, and his vision struggled to adjust. The area they were in was dimly lit by a god tree - different than the other, not in a clearing the way the other was. As his eyes adjusted he noticed some flames. Torches. Guards. He noticed the temple, and he had a moment of panic as he thought he might have been captured, knocked unconscious and brought here -- but then Xanthe came into focus. She untied the rope around his wrists and his hands felt a rush of blood. The rope left marks on his wrist and a soreness that would take a few minutes to depart, but it felt so much better than being contained.
Xanthe asked him if he trusted her, and he didn't hesitate in saying "Yes." It was shocking to him, to trust someone so quickly - and so deeply. But she had proven herself to be true. And there was an inherent goodness to her that she wore on her sleeve, and that Ellis simply couldn't ignore. But he was still confused about what happened, he felt as though he lost time or distance, and it unsettled him greatly.
Xanthe didn't know what to do now. She had just in a way abducted Ellis while trying to stop him from being abducted, and now she couldn't just leave him around here alone and go back to her people because what kind of person would that make her? She had three choices, she thought. She could turn him over to the peacekeepers and trust them to take care of him for the night, she could set up camp in the woods and spend the night here, or she could bring Ellis back to her own tribe. The third one was something she had never done with anyone who wasn't one of her people. To be fair, though, she had never done the first or second either as she had never gotten this close to an invader before.
Ellis spoke to her after she removed his bindings. He asked a question, she could tell, but didn't know what the question was. She furrowed her brow and shook her head uncomprehendingly. She motioned around where they were and said, "Safe."
Post by Ellis Danton on Nov 13, 2016 0:56:05 GMT -7
Ellis nodded. It was safe for her, here. But the flag of Aurcaele was on his chest and the Peacekeepers were there to keep people like him out -- they wouldn't take kindly to him. He had no way to explain this to Xanthe, so he just let it hang. Hopefully she didn't expect him to stay here overnight.
"Th-Thank you," He told her, smiling and doing what she had shown him before: He put his forehead on her's and smiled weakly. He was exhausted. He gave her arm a light, reassuring squeeze and then slung his rucksack over his shoulder as quietly as possible. He tried to think of ways he could describe camping to her, but it was more of a concept than just a word. "Yi n-need... Sleep," He yawned, and put two hands under his head with closed eyes. It seemed like the universal symbol for such a thing - but for all he knew it meant "sculpt something" to Xanthe's people.
Xanthe relaxed into the touch when Ellis placed his forehead against hers. She felt him grasp her arm slightly and watched as he shouldered his sack. He seemed not to want to go to the peacekeepers, as he turned away from them and toward the forest as he moved. He said sleep, then showed her the meaning, and while it was true her people did not use that particular movement to showcase the word she understood that eyes closed usually meant only one thing this late at night. She nodded. "Sleep. My word, t'dav." Not that he probably wanted to learn anything else right now.
She stood near the tree for a moment, biting her lip in thought for probably longer than was entirely acceptable but at the end she seemed to make a decision and she offered her hand to Ellis. When he took it, she nodded to the god tree to let him know what she was about to do (or maybe he wouldn't know, but he certainly would in a moment) and she placed her hand on the bark of the tree. Once again, the two of them disappeared.
This time, when they reappeared it was in the middle of what looked to be a shrine surrounding the god tree she had brought them to. It was located in the middle of a small, quiet at this time of night, collection of viking-style tents. Most were elaborately decorated even on the outside, fabrics dyed and covered in sparkling objects that caught the light of the glowing tree and sprayed beautiful colours around the small 'town square'. There were signs of life all over the village, shields leaning against tents and clothes hanging to dry under leather tarps. At this time of night, everyone was already asleep but the light from the tree and the trinkets reflecting it were enough to see by. Most of the tents were moderately sized, large enough for a large bed as well as all of someone's belongings, but one of them was larger than most and it stood at the north side of the camp. This tent was less elaborately decorated than the others, but beautiful nonetheless, and Xanthe pointed at it. "Xanthe." She motioned to the village around her and said, "Attonja. My Attonja." She looked at him expectantly, hoping she hadn't made a mistake in bringing him here.
Post by Ellis Danton on Nov 13, 2016 1:43:18 GMT -7
When she gestured to the tree, he had a guess what it might mean -- and he didn't think she was about to simply put his hair on end again. The trip was less jarring this time, but he still wasn't used to it. He wondered what kind of magic it was - if it could be classed as magic at all. Perhaps the trees were as godly as she implied. Perhaps it was really a deity helping her move. She wondered if the other savages were capable of such a feat. He wondered if any savage could be like Xanthe.
Well, now he would get to find out. As his eyes, and stomach readjusted, he was shocked. His mouth dropped a bit with awe, and he looked at her with something beyond gratitude. She trusted him this much? He was... Flattered? It felt stronger than flattery, however. Mixed with that however, were the nerves. He had been told much about savages that made them seem frightening. He had convinced himself that Xanthe was an exception - where did that leave him in this situation?
He followed her where she went, sticking close behind, and keeping his head down. He adjusted the strap of his bag to cover the flag -- but he knew that it was more than the flag that made him seem like a sore thumb. He was pale and splotchy, lacking the smooth honey skin of someone like Xanthe. His hair was short cut and bright red, Xanthe's was long, untamed wilds in dark hues. His crossbow didn't help things, it being an invention of more modern times.
"Xanthe," He whispered, looking nervously at the tents for anyone who might be awake - or who might have been woken - by their arrival. Any glint at the tents could be eyes in firelight, any rustling he heard could be the grabbing of weapons... But he had to trust her. She deserved that much.
When she brought him to her tent, he was both surprised and not. It was the biggest - which meant she was of high stature in this tribe. It was shocking to him because he thought that perhaps she was more his equal... But it seemed perhaps she was more Pelagia's. It wasn't surprising because he had seen what she was capable of, and it was nothing to scoff at. She spoke the name of the country in her own tongue, the first he'd heard it, and it was beautiful. He quietly tried it on for size: "Attonja..." This world was so different than what he had seen. It was structured, beautiful. Sure, there were no buildings of stone or steel, but...
"Xanthe... Th-thank you. I-... yi a-am honoured... B-but will..." He gestured to the other tents, "Attonja... fa... Er, A-attack?"
Xanthe heard Ellis say her name, quietly as though afraid of attracting attention, and she looked back at him, squeezing his arm like he had done earlier for her. She approached the tent but stopped when Ellis spoke again. At his concern, she frowned and shook her head, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Attonja trust me. Me trust you. Attonja stand down. Attonja peace." She opened the flap of her tent and waved for Ellis to enter. Once inside, she lit the torches with magic. Lightning might be her speciality, but fire was an easy step down.
In the light, it could be seen that the floor of her tent was covered with furs of various kinds and a large bed was located against the wall farthest from the entrance. On either side of the bed were large chests which appeared to be for weapons, and leaning against one of the chests were two shields, one smaller and more suitable as a buckler and the other larger, a full-body shield. On the left side of the tent was a desk with parchment scattered about, and the other side had another shrine very similar to the one around the god tree, with hanging gems and sparkling stones that flashed like lightning in the flickering torchlight.
Xanthe pointed at the bed, which was covered in warm furs, and said "Ellis, sleep."
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