Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » The Mystic Tavern [CLOSED]

Nicole glanced at the beautiful woman who seems to have just walked in. She seemed interesting, familiar, in a way. Her beauty seemed a little icy, a cold facade. The young princess couldn't help but stare.

(My god this post is super short, I can't really type because my cat refuses to move from on top of my chest)

The servers quickly made their way over to Aphrodite, and she narrowed her eyes slightly at the raw surge of magic that flooded over her as they neared. This was no ordinary tavern, that much was quite clear -- Aphrodite briefly wondered if she ought to have brought more backup along, beyond the two knights waiting for her outside the establishment.

The menu that the server handed her was received with a perfunctory "Thank you, darling", before she raked her eyes over the selection. The beverages did not come with prices attached, a practice common among exclusive society clubs back home, and she found it familiar and welcoming. She ordered a glass of some apricot liqueur and dismissed the server, before turning around to meet the eyes of some onlookers who had been watching her.

Sauron's earlier nod did not go unnoticed, and Aphrodite took the time to give him a measured, appraising once-over, her back leaned against the bar. She had never met a Drow that wasn't altogether committed to death and destruction, although there was, apparently, a first time for everything. She acknowledged him with a tilt of her head and a small, impersonal smile -- this was a woman unaccustomed to bowing her head at anyone.

Princess Nicole's long stare, unsubtle as it was, also did not go unnoticed. Aphrodite turned towards her and held her gaze easily, waiting for the woman to look away -- or daring her to continue staring, if she had the gall.

Nicole blushed and turned away. it was impolite to stare. But there was something about this woman that was familiar. Was she a queen or duchess? Someone of a high class? Someone well-Known? It felt like she was a song that Nicole just couldn't remember the words to. She snuck another glance. yes, this person was definitely someone she'd heard of before. But Who? If She knew this woman then maybe the woman would recognize her! No, most people only saw the young princess as a pretty dress and a crown. Now that those were gone, she felt like a new person. But maybe, this person knows. only one way to find out.

"Excuse me, but I believe I recognize you from somewhere. would you mind telling me who you are?"

The Hanged Man squinted at Sauron a moment longer, but withdrew his hand once the elf pulled the chalice out from beneath it. The gruff soldier was a little disappointed that Sauron had no reaction to his clumsy attempt at flirting, though the man's reaction to Aphrodite soon drew his interest. He looked over his shoulder to watch her for a moment and drew on his own inherent magic, a meager flow that nonetheless pervaded every fiber of his being. "Should w-we be worried, your grace?" he asked in a soft voice, once he had turned back around. "J-Just say the word ... and aye, you get m-my meaning."

The Hanged Man swung to his feet, staggering a little to the left, then stood in the open area between where Aphrodite and Nicole sat and where Sauron and Arcaenia sat. He watched Chimera curiously as she took to the floor at the same time, though his crooked smile was quick to return. After a moment's deliberation, the once-knight looked to the bards. "Play the one--th-the one--ah, a-aye, you know what I want ..."

The bards set into an upbeat drinking tune, and the Hanged Man beckoned for Chimera to join him in dance. Somehow he managed to be graceful despite both his limp and his inebriation. He flowed from stance to stance as if he were fighting an unseen opponent, but after a while his dance became a little sultry, with frequent sly glances shot back towards Sauron and Arcaenia. The longer he danced, the wilder he felt, and the less he cared about how he appeared.

Arcaenia looked around at the people that he was sitting with. She noticed Aphrodite and nodded slightly to show she had seen her and went back to fiddling with his hands. The snow like locks of his hair shifted as he turned his head up, his gaze shrouded in darkness. The Seer leaned forward onto the table with his arms and ordered a pint of ale. Nothing watered down and nothing too frothy. All energy emanating and flowing through the walls of the tavern seemed to comfort the awkward unease he was having in this form. It seemed as if.. something was off. There was a force of something too obvious to miss and yet, no one seemed to notice or care. One look at Sauron and he saw the unease. He ventured into the elf's mind and saw the quite obvious discomforts in his mind. He then sought out others' minds to peek into.

He looked at the hanged man, shaking his head slightly. "No, it's not her specifically. I'm just beginning to notice a pattern is all, and it's putting me a little on edge. The last time I noticed this pattern...." His voice trailed off, obviously not wishing to discuss what happened.

Then he felt the intrusion in his mind. There was an initial strengthening of his mental shields, which were already considerable. Then he noticed by whom it was coming from, and though he didn't relax his guard, he did relax his tension. She would see a great battle taking place, obviously reliving what he was just speaking on. There was the great Spider Queen, Lloth, the Goddess of Drow. Her face was strange, though. Her half-spider form was exactly right, but her face was quite masculine, and looked just like Sauron! In this strange form, which was monstrous even for the size of the biggest driders, he was laying waste to a field of people. There were about twenty of them, and all of them had powers that were greater than most mortals would ever achieve. There was a blade in his hand, a black blade with criss-cross gold running the length of the blade. If she was paying attention, she would notice that the blade was the same as the black hilt on his hip. In this form, he kills most of the people below him, but a single woman stands out before him. Most of this thought was soundless, but her words rang out like a church bell in the middle of the calmest night. 'I love you, Sauron! You can fight her! You can fight this! PLEASE! COME BACK TO ME!!' He then began to transform back into his original self, the form of Lloth being split from him, screaming in rage. Together, they put her back in her plane, sealing the Veil that seperated her world from the others. His memory ends with a kiss to the woman who brought him back, and then a great feeling of sorrow.

The thought itself only took the span of a heartbeat, and was more of a subconscious remembering than anything else. His consciousness was connected deeply and intensely to the here and now, and his senses were heightened. His thoughts were very streamlined, and quick. 'Exit's clear. Location of Goddess, location of Seer, location of Knight, location of presumed princess, location of demon, magic normal, tavern atmosphere unchanged, familiars safe, weather patterns holding, light patterns holding.' It was as if several lifetimes of battle experience was running through his head, being conscious of what he felt, what he saw and heard, and even what he could smell, keeping a tight checklist of the various things, even though his body seemed almost perfectly relaxed.

She smiled kindly at The Hanged Man and joined him on the floor. She couldn't help but smile, when he started dancing. She joined in as soon as the music began. She had completely forgotten how fun it was. She hadn't danced in what.. 104 years? Something like that. She had been living in the human realm for a few years and even during that time, that time where she was free and unknown, she never danced once. It was the one thing she loved doing, but she just gave up on it, because things got in the way. She happily danced around. She seemed silly as she danced around like no one was watching. She didn't have a care in the world right now, but don't start feeling too safe, she was never off guard. Never. She is a demon after all, and does have the mannerisms of one, but she has changed a bit and perhaps become a bit more soft. But she will never back down from a fight or give up. "I'm a bit rusty, but you seem to know what you're doing!"

A small glowing light was seen in the darkness of his hood. The Third Eye. Given by birth and creation to see the world through pure eyes. It illuminated the darkness under the hood. His blind eyes were staring blankly at clearly nothing at all. He didn't care for anyone's discomfort or comfort, for that matter, because It was not of this realm or world or any meaning of such. His sight ventured to that of the Hanged Man's mind, then, reading through like a book.

The Hanged Man lost himself in the rumble of drums and the haze of alcohol fogging his head. The voices sounded like they were coming from the other side of a thick wall, fuzzy and muted and mumbling. At Chimera's comment, the soldier suddenly seemed to remember that she was there, halting his dance and looking at her. The warped grin returned as he held out a gloved hand for hers. "N-nay, you speak too kindly ... I-I am just ine-ine-inebriated!" If she took his hand, she might feel it spasm or tighten every so often. When the previous song ended, a new one began--a cheerful jig with surprisingly grim lyrics.


Provided the girl took his hand, the drunk swordsman would take the other as well. He leaned away from her and began to swing her around in a dizzying, stumbling circle. Soon his feet were shuffling and he was spinning as well, faster and faster--if either of them let go they'd fly away from each other.

At first he didn't notice Arcaenia's intrusion. The shallowest thoughts were superficial and flippant--Arcaenia in his current masculine form, shirtless and sprawled out upon a bedspread--the lingering taste of the ginger mead and the flickering memories of a masquerade ball--the simple and innocent joy of having someone to dance with. But if the seer delved a little deeper, he would begin to see snippets of the Hanged Man's dour history ...

Slight gore--click to read

Chattering eyeless faces leered from a backdrop of bloody leaves, whispering incessantly in tongues. Bodies hung on the edge of the trees, flesh and skin sloughing off in ribbons. A young soldier--no more than a boy--laid with his head in the Hanged Man's lap, vines sprouting from his lungs as his breath rattled weakly. Help me, commander. The memory blurred with tears as the Hanged Man slit the boy's throat. He was already rooted. There was no hope. At least this way he could have a more peaceful death than what awaited him ...

You're being watched.

The voice cut through the haze of alcohol like a hot knife through butter, crystal clear and ringing. The Hanged Man's hands seized up on Chimera's, squeezing them so hard it would hurt, before releasing them just as suddenly. The girl might have the coordination to keep her footing, but the swordsman staggered backwards and tripped over the heel of his boot. He toppled over and landed hard on his backside, clutching his head.

Outwardly, he didn't move at all. Inwardly, however, his muscles tensed at the sudden crashing of The Hanged Man. As he held his head, however, it didn't take much for Sauron to figure out what was going on. He looked over at Arcaenia calmly, shaking his head a bit as he spoke. "It's impolite to look into people's minds without asking first. Feel free to ask people, but respect their privacy. I've no problem with you surveying the tavern, but stay out of their minds unless given express permission to be there."

He sipped from his chalice, then stood up, walking over to the Hanged Man with a smooth gait. He lowered his hand to him, offering to help him to his feet, and pulling him gently to his feet should he take the offered hand. "I apologize for the intrusion. I'm sure there was no ill intentions by it."

(I will reply as soon as I can)

She smiled, when he said she spoke too kindly. Maybe kindness was just something that had gotten a certain meaning to her. In the Demon Realm things were different. She used to be quite rude and merciless. Well, she hasn't changed all that much. She still loves to be sarcastic and still has a short temper, but living between the humans has taught her a thing or two. Besides, these are interesting people. She took his hand, when he offered it to her. It would spasm and tighten every so often, but she didn't mind. In a way, it told her something about him. You could tell a lot about a person by the way they move or react to things. She chuckled when he began to swing her around, but she never faltered. Not once. She held on like it was nothing. She never let go until he did. It was a long time since she had had so much fun. She had completely forgotten what dancing was like. When she was young, she loved to dance. She had a flashback to a little girl with beautiful white curly hair and big golden eyes. She had small curved horns, short black feathery wings and a nice navyblue dress. She was spinning and dancing in a gigantic ballroom. Like that of a castle. The windows reached from the floor, almost, all the way up to the ceiling. Big scary demons stood still in the doorways, watching her carefully. She had a tiny tiara on her head. Someone entered. A tall handsome man, unlike the demons in the doorway. He was dressed in a suit of some kind, with a red tie. His hair was black and slicked back. He was pale as a corpse. His eyes were shining red. She smiled when she saw him and ran to hug him. He stroke her cheek gently. He told her to stop dancing, and let her grow up between warriors. He raised her as a knight. The years passed. She had left her dancingshoes and never picked them up again. She had grown up to become a strong, stubborn, independent woman. She was merciless. She was the perfect demon-daughter. She loved her four brothers very much. They could be annoying, and they could bother her, but she loved them nonetheless. But something happened that she could never anticipate. Two of her brothers were executed for treason against their race. The third brother left the Demon Realm to live among the humans, while one stayed behind. Feeling betrayed and scared, she followed her brothers example and left the Demon Realm. A single tear ran down her cheek, when she thought about it and she tried to shake it off. She was a bit startled, when he suddenly squeezed her hands tightly, hurting them a little. It didn't hurt that much. She had a high pain-tolerance. Being a demon, and raised the demonway, she was an expert in torture and had almost become immune to pain. He suddenly slipped out of her hands and staggered backwards. She, however, didn't falter and stayed put. She seemed quite confused and simply stood there for a moment, before walking over to help him. "Are you okay?"

Arcaenia ignored Sauron for he had no power to control him or give him orders of any kind. He pulled away from Hanged Man's mind, amazed by the thoughts that had crept in the being's mind. "Forgive the intrusion. No harm was meant, dear.", he said before summoning a large black tome and flipping through it, thumbing some of the pages and reading at an inhuman speed. "You do not speak for me, Runecaster. Nor shall you ever will. Be e'er so kind as to not get in my way. I do not wish harm and I do not make my mark on this world with my presence alone." His voice was nonchalant and his eyes were busy trying to find something in the book. Something that had been etched into this being's mind since it was first born from the gods. Something that he needed to see once more.

His voice changed suddenly, mimicing the tone and fluxuation of Arcaenia's previous form perfectly. "'Thank you greatly, Sauron. If there is any way I can repay you, let me know.'"His voice returned to normal, "I may not speak for you, but for you to be so impolite, in my own establishment no less, after have I helped you is not something I intend to lay down and take, as they say. Respect the patrons of my establishment, or leave." The kindness left his voice suddenly, and the darkness came forth at this point. It was cold, calculating, and without emotion. A voice that carried the weight of authority that was not merely given, but obtained through lifetimes of conflict and struggle. "If you do not wish to do either of those, then I will remove you myself. And trust that you will not be the first god I have removed from my tavern before. I care not how you make your mark in this world, but so long as you are in my 'house', you will abide my rules, as I suspect you would expect no less from others in your house as well."

(Hey guys, I won't be able to reply in here anymore! I'm actually really sick and my body isn't really truing to stay stable and my brain won't focus.. You guys are all so cool ;^^ Hopefully. I'll probably bring in Faye one of these days! Sorry for the inconvenience!)

Arcaenia smiled. "I meant no harm. But do not think you frighten me.", he simply stated before changing into the Blind Oracle form that was there before her change. "I can be a tad callous. Such is the way of a man. But a woman.. I can think rationally. But I do not take kindly to threats. If there is a problem, please do take it up with me privately. I'd hate to ruin it all for the other guests."

(Aww, Arcaenia--can we assume your character leaves, then?)

The Hanged Man sat catatonic for a few moments as Chimera and Sauron hurried over to his side. Both gloved hands were clasped over his temples and ears in some attempt to drown out the visions and voices, dredged up by the seer's intrusion like the muck at the bottom of a lake. The hands thrust into his face made him spook, and he swatted at them for a moment before his mind slowly settled and returned him to the present time and place. "I ... I'm sorry."

The soldier glanced nervously around the room. Whatever had triggered the flashback was fuzzy, but from the way they were talking, it had been Arcaenia who had glanced into his head. He reached up to take both Sauron's and Chimera's hands, one in each of his, and staggered his way to his feet. "S-sorry," he apologized again, voice slurring. In an attempt to settle his heart he reached up to untie his topknot and let his blond hair hang free, then dragged his still-gloved fingers through it a few times. "Mnhh ... I need to d-drrrink more ..."

(Yes.. I have to take time away from everything )

Arcaenia turned her attention and stood slowly. She glided across the floor and stood in front of him. "Forgive me.. I was hoping to not harm you. I am still young for my place in this realm." She assumed a maternal tone, one soothing and soft like that of a mother to her swaddled newborn with the exception of pronouncing her words carefully. "You seem to have something I've never encountered before.. My curiosity took the best of me and it seems I should have asked first. I do not know of proper etiquette. Apparently, that has caused some minor confusion and escalation with Sauron. He knows much more of this realm than I do. My own fault for secluding myself.", she whispered to him softly before resting her hand on his shoulder and smiling kindly.

Sauron looked to Arcaenia, shaking his head slightly as he spoke. "You misunderstand. My intentions are not fear, or threat. But clear and precise understanding of what I expect, and the consequences for not following the rules of my establishment. Had I meant to frighten you, I wouldn't have done it with words, but with actions. As for privacy, I will gladly take things up with you privately, when your actions do not affect my patrons."

He helped pull The Hanged Man up to his feet, and brushed him off as he came to his feet. Looking him over, ensuring that he had no additional injuries from his fall, doubtful as that would have been, he nodded in satisfaction at his general state of health. "I'm glad to see that you are not harmed. Please, help yourself to as much as you'd like. If you get too inebriated, there are servers to help you to a room. Do try to take it easy, though."

He looked back to Arcaenia as she came up and apologized to The Hanged man, and nodded in satisfaction, smiling and returning his voice back to it's previous noble and polite tones. "I appreciate your apology to this man. Just by his looks you can tell he's been through some very trying experiences, let alone what just transpired." He looks back to The Hanged Man, with a smile on his face and a glint in his eyes. "All's well, right?"

(My bad Arcaenia, I thought you meant you were going to have to leave without posting an exit!)

The Hanged Man licked his dry lips as Arcaenia approached him. She had changed back into her female form, which was a slight disappointment, though the soldier felt a little ashamed at that thought. His gaze lowered. "I, ah ... you didn't know." As her hand settled upon his battered blacksteel pauldron, he glanced down at it. "I-I did not think I was special. I'm just a soldier in s-search of his m-mmaster."

He continued to comb his fingers through his shaggy blond hair as Sauron brushed off his breastplate and straightened his robes, but his thick gloves and palsied fingers made his motions clumsy and imprecise, and eventually his hands fell limply to his sides. The attention from the elf made the grizzled soldier blush a little. He wasn't used to being treated so gently by people in command--all save one, and that had been very long ago.

The glint in Sauron's eye made the Hanged Man cant his head, and soon a mischievous smile claimed his lips. He brushed a blond lock behind an ear. "W-well ... c-could always be better, your grace ..."

(I hope you get better, Arcaenia. Just take all the time in the world you need)

She helped The Hanged Man to his feet and didn't say much else, and simply watched the scene unfold before her eyes. She didn't really have anything to say to the matter, so she kept quiet. After she was sure The Hanged Man hadn't gotten a scratch, she went up, got another drink and came back. She let her fingers slide along the edges of the glass. She did have some kind of plan, didn't she? It wasn't that she was supposed to go anywhere as such, but maybe she should leave soon. It had been a couple of hours already. But then again, there weren't much to return to in the human realm. All she did these days was wander around. She needed to find her brother. She knew he was in the human realm somewhere, but not where exactly. Just thinking about her homeland filled her with anger, regret and sadness. She felt sad for leaving, maybe a bit regretful, but now that she was out, she was never going back. She took a sip and looked to the others. After a while, she finally decided to speak up again. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you for the dance. It has been a long time since I have had so much fun," she said. "Despite the following events," she added.