Jack Of Shades
Farmer
The Sage Chronicles
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
To be continued in next post.
Chapter 1
Terribly hot day, too hot for most. The sun was not kind to the sage, it had no emotion nor any semblance of sentience. ‘Twas a large star burning bright with unforgiving power. The ramblings of a mad sage within his own mind, sometimes it truly awe inspired himself. Wondering such nonsense on days he could be repairing his homes, or working in the field. Perhaps even reading a wonderful book in his study.
He swung his heavy ax upon the tree, it was felled within one sure slice. He had the skill and knowledge to cut down such objects with ease. He studied skills, read about them, DEVOURED their knowledge. Nothing was off limits to him, but he hungered for knowledge like a man hungers for food. He didn't want it for the power or to brag about any vain exploits.
He wanted it for the pure desire to learn, and to know the mysteries that were never to be known. His Axe was becoming more dull by the swing, a new one would be needed by the days end. He made the ax himself using his crafting which, having been fined tuned over the years, was becoming a profitable skill. He knew how to create most objects, his problem was using them without the proper technique. The metals he fashioned from ore he mined on previous days. He used his trusty tomrs to fashion himself a furnace to smelt the precious ore correctly.
Jack was an adventurer of sorts, he traveled to many distant lands in his time. One such that he enjoyed was Florin. Another, was essentially his home, Trium, which he truly enjoyed the most. To be fair and honest, he helped establish Trium as a capital city and essential trade port. He often traveled there on foot from where ever his adventures took him, taking in the scent of the breeze. Hearing loud trading in the center of town, farm animals making noise, the smell of sweet treats in the bakery, raw spiced meat hanging in the butcher's shop.
This was home to him. It will always be his home. Jack often strolled home, casually taking his time as he passed by each shop. He took in the sights, the scent, the pure ecstasy of being home again. His tower, which he built himself as well, lay outside the city limits. He enjoyed the city, oh yes! But he was a wizard, and a sage first and foremost. He needed his peace and quiet to concentrate on further projects.
Sometimes though, he had the chance to TRULY sit back and relax with a good tome. Rarely, though, he would get to use his skill at writing to further add to his ever growing Grand Library. Mostly he gathered books and tomes from all over, scrolls of knowledge, scrolls of wisdom. Those were his favorites, he enjoyed reading them, absorbing their knowledge. Taking in every aspect of the deciphered scrolls meaning.
Jack was unaware of his own age. Time flew by like minutes, yet he never aged like others did. Days and nights went by as if, if he were to blink, the next week or MONTH would be there in seconds! He often found himself fighting among creatures, large ones at times. His most recent battle ensued with a creature known as "Gorgeshul". This battle lasted for nearly an entire evening, both unwilling to rest or stop.
But that story is for another time...Jack's past, and his present, are already written in the stars and the books.
His future, however... is still to be told.
He swung his heavy ax upon the tree, it was felled within one sure slice. He had the skill and knowledge to cut down such objects with ease. He studied skills, read about them, DEVOURED their knowledge. Nothing was off limits to him, but he hungered for knowledge like a man hungers for food. He didn't want it for the power or to brag about any vain exploits.
He wanted it for the pure desire to learn, and to know the mysteries that were never to be known. His Axe was becoming more dull by the swing, a new one would be needed by the days end. He made the ax himself using his crafting which, having been fined tuned over the years, was becoming a profitable skill. He knew how to create most objects, his problem was using them without the proper technique. The metals he fashioned from ore he mined on previous days. He used his trusty tomrs to fashion himself a furnace to smelt the precious ore correctly.
Jack was an adventurer of sorts, he traveled to many distant lands in his time. One such that he enjoyed was Florin. Another, was essentially his home, Trium, which he truly enjoyed the most. To be fair and honest, he helped establish Trium as a capital city and essential trade port. He often traveled there on foot from where ever his adventures took him, taking in the scent of the breeze. Hearing loud trading in the center of town, farm animals making noise, the smell of sweet treats in the bakery, raw spiced meat hanging in the butcher's shop.
This was home to him. It will always be his home. Jack often strolled home, casually taking his time as he passed by each shop. He took in the sights, the scent, the pure ecstasy of being home again. His tower, which he built himself as well, lay outside the city limits. He enjoyed the city, oh yes! But he was a wizard, and a sage first and foremost. He needed his peace and quiet to concentrate on further projects.
Sometimes though, he had the chance to TRULY sit back and relax with a good tome. Rarely, though, he would get to use his skill at writing to further add to his ever growing Grand Library. Mostly he gathered books and tomes from all over, scrolls of knowledge, scrolls of wisdom. Those were his favorites, he enjoyed reading them, absorbing their knowledge. Taking in every aspect of the deciphered scrolls meaning.
Jack was unaware of his own age. Time flew by like minutes, yet he never aged like others did. Days and nights went by as if, if he were to blink, the next week or MONTH would be there in seconds! He often found himself fighting among creatures, large ones at times. His most recent battle ensued with a creature known as "Gorgeshul". This battle lasted for nearly an entire evening, both unwilling to rest or stop.
But that story is for another time...Jack's past, and his present, are already written in the stars and the books.
His future, however... is still to be told.
Chapter 2
Jack, Jacky boy, the Jackster! He always referred to himself in such an odd manner, even in his own head. His plot to steal was becoming ever more elaborate. He would pay a SMALL, but believable, fortune to the bar maid. She would then seduce the man sitting there with bulging pockets, not too much.
More of a subtle tease, because too much teasing could lead to a good throttle in the bedroom at the poor lasses expense! He wanted this to go clean, straight forward, and definitely worth every cent he paid her. He wanted a return on his, otherwise, large investment. She was going in for the targets weak spot: A woman that flaunted her beauty...to him. As she came over with a large tankard of beer, he was already being reeled in.
The foolish man hardly even noticed Jack behind him, mainly due to his illusion charm. He was not quite invisible, more like he was blending into the background. If one could carefully survey the surroundings, Jack could very well be spotted. To otherwise drunk patrons, he was a chameleon of the night time bars. As she reached down to hand the man a beer, Jack made his move.
Before he knew it, Jack was already outside with his pouch of money. Not much to be had, but enough to feed and bed himself for a night or two. Although, he needed to find higher areas, better marks. Something holding enough gold to tide him over for at least a month! This way he could better plan his next move. All he was accomplishing these days consisted of getting by with his magic, stealing when necessary.
His life was, more or less, floating on by with no purpose or meaning. His dreams FAR surpassed his current situation at hand. He wanted wealth, fame, and power to do as he wished. Fairly common for a man his age, to want such exorbitant amounts of material goods. He learned these specific skills for JUST that purpose, after all.
Mind you, he really enjoyed going into a large library and reading a good book by the fire with a chalice of aged blueberry wine. Simple things, menial things that had no real significance to other folks in the world. His real calling was magic, but he was so good at stealing. To his limited knowledge of the world there were no REAL thieves guilds, or clans, that he knew of. If he heard wind of one, most likely he'd be in it by now trying to make a name for himself.
Jack could not afford to be with any cast of wizards or sorcerers, as his skills DID NOT match up to their standards at his age. He needed far more practice and a better grasp of how the inner workings of magic operated. All he knew were Illusion spells, some snip-spells dealing with healing, or making traps for doors. He was not well versed as he would like to be, the knowledge he simultaneously craved. He looked down at his stolen pouch of money, realizing he wanted MUCH better...but cared very little to try.
More of a subtle tease, because too much teasing could lead to a good throttle in the bedroom at the poor lasses expense! He wanted this to go clean, straight forward, and definitely worth every cent he paid her. He wanted a return on his, otherwise, large investment. She was going in for the targets weak spot: A woman that flaunted her beauty...to him. As she came over with a large tankard of beer, he was already being reeled in.
The foolish man hardly even noticed Jack behind him, mainly due to his illusion charm. He was not quite invisible, more like he was blending into the background. If one could carefully survey the surroundings, Jack could very well be spotted. To otherwise drunk patrons, he was a chameleon of the night time bars. As she reached down to hand the man a beer, Jack made his move.
Before he knew it, Jack was already outside with his pouch of money. Not much to be had, but enough to feed and bed himself for a night or two. Although, he needed to find higher areas, better marks. Something holding enough gold to tide him over for at least a month! This way he could better plan his next move. All he was accomplishing these days consisted of getting by with his magic, stealing when necessary.
His life was, more or less, floating on by with no purpose or meaning. His dreams FAR surpassed his current situation at hand. He wanted wealth, fame, and power to do as he wished. Fairly common for a man his age, to want such exorbitant amounts of material goods. He learned these specific skills for JUST that purpose, after all.
Mind you, he really enjoyed going into a large library and reading a good book by the fire with a chalice of aged blueberry wine. Simple things, menial things that had no real significance to other folks in the world. His real calling was magic, but he was so good at stealing. To his limited knowledge of the world there were no REAL thieves guilds, or clans, that he knew of. If he heard wind of one, most likely he'd be in it by now trying to make a name for himself.
Jack could not afford to be with any cast of wizards or sorcerers, as his skills DID NOT match up to their standards at his age. He needed far more practice and a better grasp of how the inner workings of magic operated. All he knew were Illusion spells, some snip-spells dealing with healing, or making traps for doors. He was not well versed as he would like to be, the knowledge he simultaneously craved. He looked down at his stolen pouch of money, realizing he wanted MUCH better...but cared very little to try.
Chapter 3
The problem with stealing is sometimes you get caught. And then, there goes the fun. Jack always knew he was not a master thief, but he wasn't bad horrible either. He knew that one day his luck would run out and something would go wrong during a theft. Today was that day, and it was a full blown mess.
He spent his nights luring drunken fools with beautiful bar maids - at a cost. Traditionally, he used small portions of his growing stash to pay them off, normally to flirt with mildly wealthy gentlemen. Typically these fellows would be quite inebriated at the time. This also tends to work amazingly for him! But sometimes he runs into little snags along the way.
Either the bar maid was too greedy, and if he didn't pay her enough, she'd inform on him. Or ruin the plan in some small, subtle little way. Another issue was the level of drunkenness the man he targeted was currently at. This was the most dangerous failure, as the man would already catch on that the bar maid didn't 'really' think he was attractive. This is when interrogation turned to blame, turned to information spilling...this was not a pretty picture.
This night Jack hit the trifecta of failures with his targeting. He didn't plan accordingly, he was in a rush, and he did not investigate his target further. He just jumped into the con, not realizing whom he was stealing from. However, tonight's target was definitely the wrong man to steal from. He was an off duty guard captain, the guy was literally the worst man you could steal from.
This lovely gent was shrewd and knew his way around a beer, as well as a woman. Not to say he was smooth, or AT ALL attractive. He just knew what to say to simply lure her into his chambers. He didn't seem to care for endeavors past that, no long term commitments. The guard captain was only into his third beer, nowhere near drunk, and hardly even buzzed.
Jack entered and paid off the bar maid prior to the man even ordering his first drink. He wanted to plan ahead tonight, little did he know he'd be leaving town due to this ploy. The bar maid began her ruse, unlucky for Jack...she was beginning to think she was 'under paid' for her services. This was already against Jack anyway, not to mention the guard captain was already suspicious tonight. The bar maid was eyeing the captain for some time, to break down his suspicious guard.
The captain already knew something was up, and the bar maid dove in for the attack. She was there for quite some time, whispering things into the mans ear and smiling. Occasionally she would look to Jack, smiling innocently, all along playing him into a hole. She was feeding the man intelligence on Jack, saying what he did and how many times. Details that should have remained confidential with himself and the bar maid.
The captain, un-seemingly angry, finished his drink, got up, and proceeded for the door. Jack was not about to try his luck tonight, but he figured the captain was none the wiser. Jack did not attempt any theft during this time, hoping to make the bar maid appear a liar. This didn't work at all in his favor. He felt a large, cold as ice, hand clasp his shoulder.
Jack turned around at the most opportune moment, he managed to see the fist fly at his face that could have ended his life! Jack ducked quickly, and tried to evade any more attempts to his face on behalf of the captain's gloved fists. The man didn't speak a word, he just kept swinging nearly hitting Jack! Jack could only dodge and hope to make him miss until he ends up knocking himself over. At which point Jack could use his illusion spell to become a chameleon and sneak out before anyone noticed!
One fist did hit Jack, but it barely grazed his jaw. He knew he had to leave, the man saw his face and was going to remember it. OF ALL the days to not hide his appearance, today was that day. So this man ACTUALLY knew what Jack looked like. Jack decided to think quick, he withdrew his blade, fell down to the ground after the mans next swing, and nicked his leg with his enchanted dagger. The captain felt a sudden strange urge, and he could not move!
Jack slid under the table, cloaked himself momentarily, and scurried out the place unseen. He ran out of town as quick as possible, he also managed to hold onto his money. Jack would have to return later for the rest that he hid in a dead drop, for moments like this. Hopefully, with luck, no one would find it. His plan fell to pieces, all because of some bad day that the bar maid decided to share with him. Jacky boy was always getting himself into trouble..it was nothing new for a thief.
He spent his nights luring drunken fools with beautiful bar maids - at a cost. Traditionally, he used small portions of his growing stash to pay them off, normally to flirt with mildly wealthy gentlemen. Typically these fellows would be quite inebriated at the time. This also tends to work amazingly for him! But sometimes he runs into little snags along the way.
Either the bar maid was too greedy, and if he didn't pay her enough, she'd inform on him. Or ruin the plan in some small, subtle little way. Another issue was the level of drunkenness the man he targeted was currently at. This was the most dangerous failure, as the man would already catch on that the bar maid didn't 'really' think he was attractive. This is when interrogation turned to blame, turned to information spilling...this was not a pretty picture.
This night Jack hit the trifecta of failures with his targeting. He didn't plan accordingly, he was in a rush, and he did not investigate his target further. He just jumped into the con, not realizing whom he was stealing from. However, tonight's target was definitely the wrong man to steal from. He was an off duty guard captain, the guy was literally the worst man you could steal from.
This lovely gent was shrewd and knew his way around a beer, as well as a woman. Not to say he was smooth, or AT ALL attractive. He just knew what to say to simply lure her into his chambers. He didn't seem to care for endeavors past that, no long term commitments. The guard captain was only into his third beer, nowhere near drunk, and hardly even buzzed.
Jack entered and paid off the bar maid prior to the man even ordering his first drink. He wanted to plan ahead tonight, little did he know he'd be leaving town due to this ploy. The bar maid began her ruse, unlucky for Jack...she was beginning to think she was 'under paid' for her services. This was already against Jack anyway, not to mention the guard captain was already suspicious tonight. The bar maid was eyeing the captain for some time, to break down his suspicious guard.
The captain already knew something was up, and the bar maid dove in for the attack. She was there for quite some time, whispering things into the mans ear and smiling. Occasionally she would look to Jack, smiling innocently, all along playing him into a hole. She was feeding the man intelligence on Jack, saying what he did and how many times. Details that should have remained confidential with himself and the bar maid.
The captain, un-seemingly angry, finished his drink, got up, and proceeded for the door. Jack was not about to try his luck tonight, but he figured the captain was none the wiser. Jack did not attempt any theft during this time, hoping to make the bar maid appear a liar. This didn't work at all in his favor. He felt a large, cold as ice, hand clasp his shoulder.
Jack turned around at the most opportune moment, he managed to see the fist fly at his face that could have ended his life! Jack ducked quickly, and tried to evade any more attempts to his face on behalf of the captain's gloved fists. The man didn't speak a word, he just kept swinging nearly hitting Jack! Jack could only dodge and hope to make him miss until he ends up knocking himself over. At which point Jack could use his illusion spell to become a chameleon and sneak out before anyone noticed!
One fist did hit Jack, but it barely grazed his jaw. He knew he had to leave, the man saw his face and was going to remember it. OF ALL the days to not hide his appearance, today was that day. So this man ACTUALLY knew what Jack looked like. Jack decided to think quick, he withdrew his blade, fell down to the ground after the mans next swing, and nicked his leg with his enchanted dagger. The captain felt a sudden strange urge, and he could not move!
Jack slid under the table, cloaked himself momentarily, and scurried out the place unseen. He ran out of town as quick as possible, he also managed to hold onto his money. Jack would have to return later for the rest that he hid in a dead drop, for moments like this. Hopefully, with luck, no one would find it. His plan fell to pieces, all because of some bad day that the bar maid decided to share with him. Jacky boy was always getting himself into trouble..it was nothing new for a thief.
Chapter 4
The Calys Mountains was tough terrain to pass. Even tougher given the lack of human contact, as well as animal life. Jack had it in for himself at times, subconsciously of course. He always screwed things up, even if he was a sorcerer...his experiments could be disastrous. His concentration was, at best, that of a young adolescent.
The winds blew without mercy, the cold became ever more chilled by the suns increasing absence. Jack could feel his bones becoming more stiff, he was not dressed for this kind of climate. But as his previous screw ups showed, he had no other options at the moment. He would continue trekking the treacherous hills and mountains of Calys. If only he had chosen another target, he could be by a fire reading a book enjoying some nice Brandy.
The night's winds were remorseless to Jack's entire body, he had no way of warming himself during this hike. His options were: Death or hike until dawn and hope he reached a township. But as the winds bared down him, his stomach grew more empty, and his equipment burdened him...he began to suspect death was upon him. It felt as if death had been riding on his back the entire journey through this cursed mountains. He knew it was nearly over, as most of the jagged chunks of earth were dwindling down to mere foothills.
What made Jack thank the gods and curse his ignorance was the walls he stumbled upon out of the mists. A large set of walls surrounding a very large city. It was a busy city, very loud and very impressive to behold. A large body of water traced it's edges, Jack could see a port nearby. This made him happy, large cities meant large hits or targets for gold. Theft was becoming even harder to resist as he came forth.
This particular city, Jack had never seen nor heard of before. It was as if it came out of nowhere, a mysterious metropolis. Jack's awe-inspired first glance was broken by the amount of guards within the city. This place, however big and marvelous, was indeed, a big city. Therefore, it needed heavy guards and lots of protection. This was an unfortunate thing, but easily bypassed by a thief's mind.
Jack walked triumphantly inside the walls of the castle, but was immediately stopped by a guard. Luckily, Jack was not wearing his usual face. He was using his Illusion spell to conceal his identity to that of someone else. A small time Merchant is what the guard would see, not a thieving sorcerer. The guard stood ominously in front of Jack, preparing his usual speech to newcomers of this magnificent city.
"Halt, Citizen!", the guards voice was firm, deep, and TRYING to portray confidence and control. Not easily done, and most would have mistaken him for a powerful man. Jack merely knew he was putting on a front, to appear menacing and strong. Most guards were traitorous cowards and lowly scum hired to protect political interest and wealthy trades. True guards, or soldiers, were FAR more believable as they truly were those ideals.
"State your business here, citizen!" The guard was asking his business, well, Jack could not very well tell him that now. So he came up with a lowly, but believable, lie.” I am a traveling trader, here on business to...uhm, what is the name of this city? I have been on the road for so long, I forgot where I was heading to." Jack casually laughed, to throw the guard off his trail. The man eyed him suspiciously and then replied simply, “Why are you in Lorwynn. Biggest city this side of the country?!" Jack was now more worried than ever, the biggest city...the biggest target, the most money he will ever see. Maybe Jack would stay here, for a week or two.
The winds blew without mercy, the cold became ever more chilled by the suns increasing absence. Jack could feel his bones becoming more stiff, he was not dressed for this kind of climate. But as his previous screw ups showed, he had no other options at the moment. He would continue trekking the treacherous hills and mountains of Calys. If only he had chosen another target, he could be by a fire reading a book enjoying some nice Brandy.
The night's winds were remorseless to Jack's entire body, he had no way of warming himself during this hike. His options were: Death or hike until dawn and hope he reached a township. But as the winds bared down him, his stomach grew more empty, and his equipment burdened him...he began to suspect death was upon him. It felt as if death had been riding on his back the entire journey through this cursed mountains. He knew it was nearly over, as most of the jagged chunks of earth were dwindling down to mere foothills.
What made Jack thank the gods and curse his ignorance was the walls he stumbled upon out of the mists. A large set of walls surrounding a very large city. It was a busy city, very loud and very impressive to behold. A large body of water traced it's edges, Jack could see a port nearby. This made him happy, large cities meant large hits or targets for gold. Theft was becoming even harder to resist as he came forth.
This particular city, Jack had never seen nor heard of before. It was as if it came out of nowhere, a mysterious metropolis. Jack's awe-inspired first glance was broken by the amount of guards within the city. This place, however big and marvelous, was indeed, a big city. Therefore, it needed heavy guards and lots of protection. This was an unfortunate thing, but easily bypassed by a thief's mind.
Jack walked triumphantly inside the walls of the castle, but was immediately stopped by a guard. Luckily, Jack was not wearing his usual face. He was using his Illusion spell to conceal his identity to that of someone else. A small time Merchant is what the guard would see, not a thieving sorcerer. The guard stood ominously in front of Jack, preparing his usual speech to newcomers of this magnificent city.
"Halt, Citizen!", the guards voice was firm, deep, and TRYING to portray confidence and control. Not easily done, and most would have mistaken him for a powerful man. Jack merely knew he was putting on a front, to appear menacing and strong. Most guards were traitorous cowards and lowly scum hired to protect political interest and wealthy trades. True guards, or soldiers, were FAR more believable as they truly were those ideals.
"State your business here, citizen!" The guard was asking his business, well, Jack could not very well tell him that now. So he came up with a lowly, but believable, lie.” I am a traveling trader, here on business to...uhm, what is the name of this city? I have been on the road for so long, I forgot where I was heading to." Jack casually laughed, to throw the guard off his trail. The man eyed him suspiciously and then replied simply, “Why are you in Lorwynn. Biggest city this side of the country?!" Jack was now more worried than ever, the biggest city...the biggest target, the most money he will ever see. Maybe Jack would stay here, for a week or two.
Chapter 5
Jack did not know what to do first within this large city. There was so much life to it, amazing structures, shops everywhere, people talking and trading. It was quite marvelous, the air smelled of burning metal, stoves, sweet foods and meat, it was a plethora of wonders to the senses! Jack had never been to a city this large, with this much to experience in one place. His first thought was to find the local tavern.
Jack was not planning on stealing in his usual way this time. Even if he did, he would have to stay here for at least a week to gain the trust of the bar maids. Otherwise, a repeat occurrence of his last endeavor would likely ensue. But with a city this big, with political corruption afoot, there had to be an underworld he could work with. He was hoping a thieves guild, or some under city sewer system he could take advantage of, was in the midst of the city.
His choices for how to make his money were varied astronomically in this city! It made Jack happy, as big as this place was would make it easy for Jack to disappear. With his chameleon spell and his knack for thieving, he was invincible here. Jack was hoping to visit a nice wealthy manor possibly, at night, and alleviate their financial burdens from them. Mostly he was looking for a way to stay here longer than his usual tenures.
Jack walked down to the docks he spotted previously, the water always calmed him. This area was a great spot to possibly hunt down illicit activities. He was hoping to encounter someone of this repute, but so far everything seemed legitimate. Although, he would need time. He was new to this area and had to establish a reputation first.
Problem is, Jack needed his reputation to be known NOW! As if the gods themselves sent down a dark hooded messenger to aid him. A man approached Jack and stared him down with such intensity. Jack looked at him puzzled, he nearly let his illusion spell falter due to this. But he managed to keep it going long enough to ask the man what he was doing.
The man spoke before Jack could even react to him.” Come to the Blacksmith tonight at midnight, don't tell anyone, don't let anyone speak to you." With that, the man scurried off into the alley ways behind one of the many ornate buildings near back in the city. Jack looked confused, he needed to find the blacksmith shop. He immediately headed back into the city and started his search.
As night rounded the corner and the sky went from bright blue with clouds, all the way to deep purples and oranges. The sky was very beautiful on the cityscape. Guards began to light street lamps and torches for the evening, the air smelled of barley and fried meat from the tavern. Jack was beginning to feel hungry, he needed something to occupy his empty void of a stomach. It was near midnight as he found his way to the Blacksmith shop.
The man he met earlier came up from behind him and showed himself un-hooded. He was an elf! AN ELF! The man seemed almost human earlier, was he using an illusion spell to? But why would he? The city was open and accepting to different races, he would have no real urge to do so. The elf did not speak a word, he merely showed Jack a hidden entrance near the Blacksmith shop. Jack shrugged and followed the elf down below. Deep into a place he was unsure of...dark and dank.
As Jack came down the stone-carved stairs into the secret area, he noticed a rather beautiful smelling pheromone. It was definitely elven, as far as Jack could surmise. As he came down the path way, barely lit by torches, he saw a beautiful elven interior. A rather LARGE hide out, underneath the city itself! Jack was in awe, and quite curious as to what it could be. Why was he down here?
As if the elf read his mind, he merely said this: Nightblades. Jack almost did a double take, he was not prepared for that! This city has a rather large elven coven of Nightblades. For those unaware of what they were, Nightblades are thieves whom use magic to conceal themselves. Generally, most Nightblades are assassins by trade, some may be thieves though.
The elf, obviously unable to speak basic human tongue, signaled him to look at the book near the center of the chamber. As Jack read it, it was essentially broken English asking him to take an oath to never tell of this place. It also stated something about membership, proof of commitment, and a blood oath of some sort. They wanted Jack to become a Nightblade like them. However, he was the only human. Maybe they needed a human representative on the surface to help with day to day activities.
The female pheromones he smelled earlier grew stronger, a figure approached radiating with magic and that smell. This person, this female elf, was looking directly at him. She came close and spoke very lightly and very softly into his ear. She asked exactly what Jack thought was going to happen. They wanted Jack as their first human representative for the Nightblades coven.
Jack eagerly accepted, without first thinking of the ulterior motives for this coven or guild. Usually, those with illicit activities as their prime source of income, always have ulterior motives. He was unaware of those, but he had a home, money, and protection in the city. So for now, he accepted the oaths unsure of what they entailed. Maybe he could really make a difference here....or die from a fatal mistake...
Jack was not planning on stealing in his usual way this time. Even if he did, he would have to stay here for at least a week to gain the trust of the bar maids. Otherwise, a repeat occurrence of his last endeavor would likely ensue. But with a city this big, with political corruption afoot, there had to be an underworld he could work with. He was hoping a thieves guild, or some under city sewer system he could take advantage of, was in the midst of the city.
His choices for how to make his money were varied astronomically in this city! It made Jack happy, as big as this place was would make it easy for Jack to disappear. With his chameleon spell and his knack for thieving, he was invincible here. Jack was hoping to visit a nice wealthy manor possibly, at night, and alleviate their financial burdens from them. Mostly he was looking for a way to stay here longer than his usual tenures.
Jack walked down to the docks he spotted previously, the water always calmed him. This area was a great spot to possibly hunt down illicit activities. He was hoping to encounter someone of this repute, but so far everything seemed legitimate. Although, he would need time. He was new to this area and had to establish a reputation first.
Problem is, Jack needed his reputation to be known NOW! As if the gods themselves sent down a dark hooded messenger to aid him. A man approached Jack and stared him down with such intensity. Jack looked at him puzzled, he nearly let his illusion spell falter due to this. But he managed to keep it going long enough to ask the man what he was doing.
The man spoke before Jack could even react to him.” Come to the Blacksmith tonight at midnight, don't tell anyone, don't let anyone speak to you." With that, the man scurried off into the alley ways behind one of the many ornate buildings near back in the city. Jack looked confused, he needed to find the blacksmith shop. He immediately headed back into the city and started his search.
As night rounded the corner and the sky went from bright blue with clouds, all the way to deep purples and oranges. The sky was very beautiful on the cityscape. Guards began to light street lamps and torches for the evening, the air smelled of barley and fried meat from the tavern. Jack was beginning to feel hungry, he needed something to occupy his empty void of a stomach. It was near midnight as he found his way to the Blacksmith shop.
The man he met earlier came up from behind him and showed himself un-hooded. He was an elf! AN ELF! The man seemed almost human earlier, was he using an illusion spell to? But why would he? The city was open and accepting to different races, he would have no real urge to do so. The elf did not speak a word, he merely showed Jack a hidden entrance near the Blacksmith shop. Jack shrugged and followed the elf down below. Deep into a place he was unsure of...dark and dank.
As Jack came down the stone-carved stairs into the secret area, he noticed a rather beautiful smelling pheromone. It was definitely elven, as far as Jack could surmise. As he came down the path way, barely lit by torches, he saw a beautiful elven interior. A rather LARGE hide out, underneath the city itself! Jack was in awe, and quite curious as to what it could be. Why was he down here?
As if the elf read his mind, he merely said this: Nightblades. Jack almost did a double take, he was not prepared for that! This city has a rather large elven coven of Nightblades. For those unaware of what they were, Nightblades are thieves whom use magic to conceal themselves. Generally, most Nightblades are assassins by trade, some may be thieves though.
The elf, obviously unable to speak basic human tongue, signaled him to look at the book near the center of the chamber. As Jack read it, it was essentially broken English asking him to take an oath to never tell of this place. It also stated something about membership, proof of commitment, and a blood oath of some sort. They wanted Jack to become a Nightblade like them. However, he was the only human. Maybe they needed a human representative on the surface to help with day to day activities.
The female pheromones he smelled earlier grew stronger, a figure approached radiating with magic and that smell. This person, this female elf, was looking directly at him. She came close and spoke very lightly and very softly into his ear. She asked exactly what Jack thought was going to happen. They wanted Jack as their first human representative for the Nightblades coven.
Jack eagerly accepted, without first thinking of the ulterior motives for this coven or guild. Usually, those with illicit activities as their prime source of income, always have ulterior motives. He was unaware of those, but he had a home, money, and protection in the city. So for now, he accepted the oaths unsure of what they entailed. Maybe he could really make a difference here....or die from a fatal mistake...
Chapter 6
The day itself was miserably hot. Too hot for this time of year, Jack could feel the suns unforgiving rays strike his face without mercy. The work he did by the docks was legitimate, but the business behind it was not. The group he met, the elven Nightblades, they used a group of bandits to do some menial labor for their business on the docks. Generally, whatever pulled into one particular ship. Something big.
Jack, himself, was always curious what he was doing here. He figured he would be pulling some big paying jobs by now. He already put in nearly a month in this large city, doing menial jobs and learning his way around. But nothing really lucrative fell into his lap yet, and he essentially felt like a lap dog for these elves. He was not used to working for others in such a way. The ritual to put him into this organization was much fancier than his actual job description.
As the day grew on, and the night drew closer, Jack was becoming more restless. He wanted to know his part in this organization, why was he here? Jack walked up to one of the dwarves and started asking questions. He didn't care anymore about pushing 'Hot buttons', he wanted answers. The dwarf saw Jack coming and put one hand up, while the other placed a heavy crate upon another that was attached to a wench and crane.
"I'm gonna stop ya right thar, lad. Yer askin' fer sumethin' that I ain't prepared ta give ya without a little compensation on my end..."Jack already knew this was an old fashioned shake down in exchange for information, but with what little they paid...he needed this intelligence. Jack pulled out some gold coins and slammed them on the crate the dwarf was about to pick up. "Spill the beans, I need to know what is going on here. And I need to know NOW.
"C'mere lad, I have what you need.." Jack followed the dwarf behind the docks storage area underneath the top walkway. As he rounded the corner, a group of dwarves stood there with weapons drawn. The main dwarf turned around with a smirk and a furrowed brow, staring into Jack's confused eyes. "What's going on here you little bastard!?"
"Lad it's real simple: Ya hand over EVERY last cent...an' we let ya leave here. Mostly in one piece, eh? How's that sound? HA! Listen to me, talkin' like ya 'ave a choice." Jack stood there, he was ready to fight. But they had him outnumbered, five to one. He had no way out of this, but if he was careful about it, he could win.
Jack knew what he had to do, he immediately yelled his incantation to become a chameleon. With the dim lighting, the dark approaching, and his focus harder than ever, he would get out ALIVE. He withdrew his blade and ran as quick as he could towards the surprised and bewildered dwarves. His first couple of cuts put the three dwarves down without a problem. The last one nearly caught him, and the final leader...he was none the wiser.
Jack sheathed his blade and let his incantation die down, the dwarves were 'mostly' paralyzed. He knelt down next to the leader and used a small snip-spell to release the paralysis from his lips. "Speak now, Dwarf. I have no time for childish games, nor do I accept them. WHY am I doing this work with little to no pay? What's in those crates? And what are they planning!?"
The dwarf looked at him with fear, not knowing what this little thief was capable of to begin with. His lips barely trembled but he managed to get a few sentences out before fainting." They..they are...shipping in drugs. A rare...POWERFUL...needed, for tha...tha heist. Noble manor...lot's of loot...L..L..lad." Jack's eyes grew wide, they were planning something. Something BIG. Jack needed to find out what those drugs were, and what they TRULY wanted.
Jack got up, allowing the dwarves to 'wait out' their eventual temporary paralysis. He went over to the crate, picked up the nearby sword on the ground from one of the dwarves, and pried the crate open. Inside were a couple of vials, they had a slight glow to them. Mostly mixed with purples, reds, and greens. They were quite beautiful, but Jack did not understand what they were. He just knew, this was big. Normally the guards are paid off to not ask questions here. But tonight, the guards didn't even come by for payment! Something was truly wrong, Jack grabbed one vial and hid it away. He knew the dwarves wouldn't bother him now, they feared his unknown magic spells. He would use this as a bargaining chip, to find out what was going on. It was bigger than he expected.
Jack, himself, was always curious what he was doing here. He figured he would be pulling some big paying jobs by now. He already put in nearly a month in this large city, doing menial jobs and learning his way around. But nothing really lucrative fell into his lap yet, and he essentially felt like a lap dog for these elves. He was not used to working for others in such a way. The ritual to put him into this organization was much fancier than his actual job description.
As the day grew on, and the night drew closer, Jack was becoming more restless. He wanted to know his part in this organization, why was he here? Jack walked up to one of the dwarves and started asking questions. He didn't care anymore about pushing 'Hot buttons', he wanted answers. The dwarf saw Jack coming and put one hand up, while the other placed a heavy crate upon another that was attached to a wench and crane.
"I'm gonna stop ya right thar, lad. Yer askin' fer sumethin' that I ain't prepared ta give ya without a little compensation on my end..."Jack already knew this was an old fashioned shake down in exchange for information, but with what little they paid...he needed this intelligence. Jack pulled out some gold coins and slammed them on the crate the dwarf was about to pick up. "Spill the beans, I need to know what is going on here. And I need to know NOW.
"C'mere lad, I have what you need.." Jack followed the dwarf behind the docks storage area underneath the top walkway. As he rounded the corner, a group of dwarves stood there with weapons drawn. The main dwarf turned around with a smirk and a furrowed brow, staring into Jack's confused eyes. "What's going on here you little bastard!?"
"Lad it's real simple: Ya hand over EVERY last cent...an' we let ya leave here. Mostly in one piece, eh? How's that sound? HA! Listen to me, talkin' like ya 'ave a choice." Jack stood there, he was ready to fight. But they had him outnumbered, five to one. He had no way out of this, but if he was careful about it, he could win.
Jack knew what he had to do, he immediately yelled his incantation to become a chameleon. With the dim lighting, the dark approaching, and his focus harder than ever, he would get out ALIVE. He withdrew his blade and ran as quick as he could towards the surprised and bewildered dwarves. His first couple of cuts put the three dwarves down without a problem. The last one nearly caught him, and the final leader...he was none the wiser.
Jack sheathed his blade and let his incantation die down, the dwarves were 'mostly' paralyzed. He knelt down next to the leader and used a small snip-spell to release the paralysis from his lips. "Speak now, Dwarf. I have no time for childish games, nor do I accept them. WHY am I doing this work with little to no pay? What's in those crates? And what are they planning!?"
The dwarf looked at him with fear, not knowing what this little thief was capable of to begin with. His lips barely trembled but he managed to get a few sentences out before fainting." They..they are...shipping in drugs. A rare...POWERFUL...needed, for tha...tha heist. Noble manor...lot's of loot...L..L..lad." Jack's eyes grew wide, they were planning something. Something BIG. Jack needed to find out what those drugs were, and what they TRULY wanted.
Jack got up, allowing the dwarves to 'wait out' their eventual temporary paralysis. He went over to the crate, picked up the nearby sword on the ground from one of the dwarves, and pried the crate open. Inside were a couple of vials, they had a slight glow to them. Mostly mixed with purples, reds, and greens. They were quite beautiful, but Jack did not understand what they were. He just knew, this was big. Normally the guards are paid off to not ask questions here. But tonight, the guards didn't even come by for payment! Something was truly wrong, Jack grabbed one vial and hid it away. He knew the dwarves wouldn't bother him now, they feared his unknown magic spells. He would use this as a bargaining chip, to find out what was going on. It was bigger than he expected.
Chapter 7
It had been some time since the recent incident, the docks shake down. Jack managed to speak with some of the Nightblades, he was given grave news. It appears, the crystal they used to inaugurate new members also fed on certain things. If it's usual thirst was not sated, it would feed on it's owner. Sometimes, the wide spread hunger it pulsated with spread throughout a given area.
This powerful artifact was said to have been given to this plane of existence by one of the Great Magi. The only one capable of doing such an act without repercussion of the gods was, Tyuifdey. He was one of the only Great Magi to break free of the chains of order that the gods unleashed on them. But, this was only speculation and lore. No one can say for sure, but what they knew about the artifact was truth.
The artifact was called, "The Void of Mortality." The object was found many ages ago by a great elven clan of raiders. They were far from what is now known as 'Nightblades' today. They were simple warriors, hunting across the lands and trying to find more of their own history. One unfortunate artifact they stumbled upon cursed a portion of their kind.
Tyuifdey, was a jealous Great Magi and his creations could not stack up to his brothers. So he cursed one particular race, even if it was only a few bloodlines, with a curse. This crystal was to be tended to, fed by greed, or it would take from the owner- until death. If the owner was killed, the next of kin would begin the degradation of the crystal's curse. This was predominantly why the Nightblades stole from others, self preservation.
They had honor, integrity, a code of law that they held up to. After eons of this curse, they kept their resolve, and hopes, high. They usually kept their thefts minimal, but enough to keep the crystal sated. Every couple decades, they would provide a LARGE heist to sate the crystal for many years. They were buying time, trying to us said wealth to purchase ancient tomes, magical assistance, and anything to negate the effects of the crystal.
Jack was blown away by this shocking news, the leader had shown him many things. He presented journals, tomes, documentation showing a chronicle of events about this Crystal. This was why they became what they did, why they steal and do these particular things. This heist was going to help them fend off the Crystals un-satiated hunger for many ages. Jack finally understood the purpose of all this secrecy.
Jack began to speak with the rest of the higher council of Nightblades. Trying his best to come up with concepts and ideas to possibly fight this curse. The elves themselves did not know of any cure or way to contain this monstrous artifact. Jack thought long and hard for many weeks, he sacrificed much of his wealth he accrued to help the Nightblades. The curse needed to be contained...but wait!
Jack was onto something here, he pondered longer. Maybe there was a way to contain this evil, cut off the cruel chains it held over these innocent and fair folk. he was drawing concepts day in and day out, ideas of how to magically implement a device for containing the crystal. He presented them to the elves, they almost dismissed it themselves. Until they realized something- they never tried that either.
The next heist was nearing it's start date, this would be very dangerous. But, if it paid off, they would have enough to afford experienced elven mages, materials for the container, and various other expenses. Jack wanted no part of the profits, he donated all of it to this cause. He, himself, wanted to see these people free from this tyrannical divine curse. This was to be Jack's first great undertaking into magic, let's just hope it didn't end badly.
This powerful artifact was said to have been given to this plane of existence by one of the Great Magi. The only one capable of doing such an act without repercussion of the gods was, Tyuifdey. He was one of the only Great Magi to break free of the chains of order that the gods unleashed on them. But, this was only speculation and lore. No one can say for sure, but what they knew about the artifact was truth.
The artifact was called, "The Void of Mortality." The object was found many ages ago by a great elven clan of raiders. They were far from what is now known as 'Nightblades' today. They were simple warriors, hunting across the lands and trying to find more of their own history. One unfortunate artifact they stumbled upon cursed a portion of their kind.
Tyuifdey, was a jealous Great Magi and his creations could not stack up to his brothers. So he cursed one particular race, even if it was only a few bloodlines, with a curse. This crystal was to be tended to, fed by greed, or it would take from the owner- until death. If the owner was killed, the next of kin would begin the degradation of the crystal's curse. This was predominantly why the Nightblades stole from others, self preservation.
They had honor, integrity, a code of law that they held up to. After eons of this curse, they kept their resolve, and hopes, high. They usually kept their thefts minimal, but enough to keep the crystal sated. Every couple decades, they would provide a LARGE heist to sate the crystal for many years. They were buying time, trying to us said wealth to purchase ancient tomes, magical assistance, and anything to negate the effects of the crystal.
Jack was blown away by this shocking news, the leader had shown him many things. He presented journals, tomes, documentation showing a chronicle of events about this Crystal. This was why they became what they did, why they steal and do these particular things. This heist was going to help them fend off the Crystals un-satiated hunger for many ages. Jack finally understood the purpose of all this secrecy.
Jack began to speak with the rest of the higher council of Nightblades. Trying his best to come up with concepts and ideas to possibly fight this curse. The elves themselves did not know of any cure or way to contain this monstrous artifact. Jack thought long and hard for many weeks, he sacrificed much of his wealth he accrued to help the Nightblades. The curse needed to be contained...but wait!
Jack was onto something here, he pondered longer. Maybe there was a way to contain this evil, cut off the cruel chains it held over these innocent and fair folk. he was drawing concepts day in and day out, ideas of how to magically implement a device for containing the crystal. He presented them to the elves, they almost dismissed it themselves. Until they realized something- they never tried that either.
The next heist was nearing it's start date, this would be very dangerous. But, if it paid off, they would have enough to afford experienced elven mages, materials for the container, and various other expenses. Jack wanted no part of the profits, he donated all of it to this cause. He, himself, wanted to see these people free from this tyrannical divine curse. This was to be Jack's first great undertaking into magic, let's just hope it didn't end badly.
To be continued in next post.
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